I worked at Cloud Imperium Games full-time for more than a year

Cons

For software devs 1. Low pay imo 2. The crunch is real, constant, and often ends up being purposeless. 3. Management does not actually know what product is being made. I don't mean that in a "they are dumb" sense. Most middle management I worked with are actually effective and fair to employees. I mean that they literally do not know what they are supposed to be having us produce. It makes it hard to work on "your piece" so to speak. 5. Theres a serious braindrain effect here. For Fans 1. Much of what the upper management has said in a 10 for the chair man, presentations etc is not really realistic for the game in my opinion 2. Be nicer to your fellow fans. Their like/dislike of the game by any one fan/detractor will not affect the game's outcome. 3. The team wants to give you a great game, they (as I am gone) need your support more than ever before. 4. Marketing is often created by a separate company. Be aware of this and adjust your expectations accordingly. The new medical ship is a perfect example. The team are handed a ship concept and must create a game around it.