https://www.reddit.com/r/hoggit/comments/76xlwp/3rd_party_development_question/
?What types of software are involved, or is this more of a flexible thing
?Does it matter as long as the format of the completed assets are compatible
Visual Studio, Zbrush, 3Ds Max, Substance Painter, Mudbox, Topogun, Photoshop, AE/Premiere, AI, Git to name a few
Sublime + 3ds Max + Photoshop will get you through the basics though i.e. non licensed mod aircraft
?What kinds of licensing costs or processes have to be dealt with
Not much, if any. It's an overblown issue in the community
?Can you even develop a nice module without first getting the green light or perhaps even special access to ED software
You can develop a fantastic module using just the open mod SDK! Look at the A-4 project here on Hoggit for inspiration
Realistically, how many people are needed, or for example how many are in a typical development team
?such as Leatherneck Simulations or RAZBAM
Depends on the complexity. Realistically, 4-5 fulltime engineers and artists for 2-4 years minimum
Calculate development costs accordingly - Obviously a lot
?What are the most time consuming factors of module development
The pie is probably split equally amongst the Flight Model, Systems and Artwork, each taking an equal amount of time
This fluctuates based on the aircraft and detail level