Last September, we first heard about Pantropy, a “sci-fi faction multiplayer shooter with mechs and focus on building and crafting” and a really cool name – not quite an MMO, but in our orbit, we think, particularly with the sandboxy features, hosted servers, and 128 potential players per server. At the time, German studio Brain Stone was plotting a November Kickstarter, but that was apparently delayed, as the Kickstarter launched just a few days ago and runs for the next month and change with a $91,903 US goal.
€15 (about $18.34 US) – is the cheapest pledge for a copy of the whole game at its estimated June 2019 launch; in fact, the devs are straight-up calling it a preorder, though you’ll need to pony up a little more for early access or closed alpha, set for later this year. The Kickstarter is specifically meant to help the team finish the game faster, optimize for performance and multiplayer, hire an extra level designer, add high-end sound effects and music, and flesh out the story. PvE servers are slotted for the second stretch goal (around $122,000 US); character customization (“play as male or female, tweak your appearance into something you’re proud to wear into battle”) comes at $305,000 US. Console ports are also on the table.
The game is promising global events, both PvE and PvP, farming, crafting, an experience system, and multi-crew vehicles.
“Players must scavenge for resources to craft tools, weapons, armor, vehicles, and buildings to protect themselves from the vicious alien fauna. Quests and crafting mechanics encourage players to brave the dangers of Pantropy to the gain experience needed to create powerful items. Crafted gear and implants will enhance players’ abilities but teamwork will reign king. Get ahead of the competition and ride with your buddies in multi-crew aircraft and mechs. Players are rewarded for their base-building abilities because when they’re logged out their structures cannot be raided. However, these buildings will start to decay if they’re not visited again soon.
“Group with friends to explore the environment and discover a world which bites back. Cooperation means increased odds of survival and the chance to acquire highly sought after resources. On a larger scale, players ally with factions and join wars for land and ores. Pantropy has no micro-transactions or in-game purchases. It returns to the roots of online gaming where players earn rewards through skill and determination, not dollars. The alpha phase of Pantropy runs on a dedicated server hosting up to 50 players on a 64km² map. Future releases will support higher populated servers, larger battles, and more powerful discoveries.”
