Vanguard Pilot
Start flying now & join our weekly play tests. Your support helps to ensure Hunternet's success and you'll be able to provide feedback prior to Steam Early Access. You'll have access to Vanguard Pilot sections of our Discord. You'll gain access now without a Steam key and later once we enter Steam Early Access you'll get your Steam key.
Wingman Pair
Secure a spot for you and your wingman. Flying in pairs is known to more than double your chance of making it back home. Sign up as two Vanguard Pilots at a discount. You'll have access to Vanguard Pilot sections of our Discord server and can fly with us during developer play tests.
Squad Leader
Enlist as a complete four-pilot squadron and receive recognition in game and on Discord as a Founding Squadron Leader. The entire squadron will have access to the Vanguard Pilot sections of our Discord and can fly with us during developer play tests.
Founding Org
Make your mark at this critical time in Hunternet's history with your clan recognized as a Founding Org. Access the exclusive Founding Org Leaders channel and the Founding Org Leader role on our Discord. You will be honored in the in-game credits, and your 8 pilots will join the Vanguard and gain all other Vanguard perks.
Galactic Warden
Take your seat on the Founding Galactic Council, you will receive frequent early previews and exclusive discussions with the developers and the other Council members. You get all lower level perks, Founding Org status for your player faction, and 10 Steam Keys on Early Access. Your support at this critical juncture will never be forgotten.
FAQ
No. The game is expected to launch into Steam Early Access at a base price of $29.99 USD.
Yes, there will be a single, persistent universe all players reside in. The Universe will be hosted by multiple regional servers spread throughout the world, with each server hosting locations specific to that server’s region. When you travel between locations your ship will transparently switch servers if the location you are traveling to is on another server. In other words, regions in space will correspond to regional servers in the real world.
The Universe will be made up of individual locations each up to 1,300km in diameter. There may be multiple points of interest within each location. Each location will represent an area in space or on a planet’s surface. Travel between locations will require a jump drive. You’ll need either a jump drive capable starfighter, a dockable FTL ring-drive, or be on the deck of an FTL capable vessel such as a capital ship, or have access to an allied jump ring network.
You build capital ships (and smaller NPC fleet vessels) to support your org and military faction. The resources you mine will be required to field these massive ships. Once constructed you will be able to land on carriers and give them basic commands so that they can serve as transports, fire support, and fully participate in space battles while being piloted and crewed by NPC AI.
The flight model offers six degrees of freedom, Newtonian physics, G-force modeling, and completely optional flight assist, all tuned for an intense flying, racing, and combat experience.
No, but kind of. We have no plans of implementing full-on space legs or ship interiors. But we do plan on replacing the main menu with a ship hangar (with VR support) so that before you launch your fighter you can explore it in first-person and walk up to the cockpit ladder and board it to begin your journey. Over time we plan on adding additional hangars so that they could change depending on where you last left your ship in Universe.
You and all of humanity will never be truly safe in the Hunternet Universe. We are purposely avoiding artificial safe zones. It is up to you to dock and store your starfighter at an allied carrier or facility for storage. If the carrier or facility is destroyed your ship & pilot will both be destroyed along with it. A starfighter left in the open will persist after you log off. Trips deep into the enemy territory are not to be taken lightly and you better bring enough fuel for the journey back.
This is a PvP focused game but it also includes plenty of opportunities for PvE and PvPvE. AI plays a major role and controls both NPC fleets, installations, and the alien faction. Instanced wargames and races can be set up for both PvP and PvE.
No, while PvP plays a central role in Hunternet you do not have to be a PvP focused player to have fun or to contribute. You could completely focus on helping your faction or org through mining or scouting while doing your best to avoid direct conflict. You could also focus on your career as a racer or play only wargames with friends only in co-op vs. the AI. It is up to you to decide.
Your ship will remain where you left it. You will have tools to help it remain hidden. For maximum protection we recommend docking and storing your ship before logging off but even then your pilot and ship are at risk if the facility or carrier is destroyed. You’ll have an incentive to keep your ship safe but without a loss leading to frustrating gameplay. Ships remaining in the universe at all times will allow for a richer tactical and logistical experience.
You will be able to go into a solo instance to set up your ship and controls if you so wish. But this will not protect your pilot and starfighter wherever they are in the Universe.
Hunternet Starfighter is currently planned as a PC-only release. The alpha already offers optional gamepad support and the potential is there for high-end consoles but we are a small team and want to remain focused on the PC platform for now.
Yes, to all three. The game already integrates support for VR, Tobii Eye Tracker, Track IR, virtual head tracking (padlock), and mouselook. Additionally, the game already has a VR-ready pilot model with fully articulated controls. VR motion controls might be integrated depending on demand and time available.
We strongly believe that one of the advantages of a small team is our ability to iterate quickly and work closely with the community. Hunternet has been built on the foundation of weekly releases playtested every week with the community. To increase our iteration times even further builds include test params so that a single build represents multiple versions. This process has served us well and the plan is to continue it.
No, you do not need to use a joystick or a mouse to play competitively. We have competitive pilots on mouse, HOSAS, and HOTAS. The combat model for Hunternet emphasizes maneuvering and positional combat over pixel-perfect aiming where mice dominate.
While system requirements will go up as the game expands, keeping the game fast and responsive on everyday gaming PCs will remain an important priority. “Potato” graphics settings are available and will not go away.