Methodology
The focus of development is to be quick, versatile, and lean. We start with the most basic version of a mechanic and the tech needed to support it and get that working well. Then we refine it in real-world community testing until it meets our standards while avoiding unnecessary complexity and keeping the design easy to understand and observe.
1. Create Basic Mechanics

2. Refine with Community
x Times



3. Final Refinement

PLANNED FEATURES
Hunternet is in active development, details are subject to change based on game design constraints and community feedback.
Single universe
A single universe for all players, one instance per location, no multiple or parallel universes.
SINGLE UNIVERSE
A single universe for all players, one instance per location, no multiple or parallel universes.
- Impossible for one faction to use up all server connections for a given universe location.
- Anti-zerging mechanics, travel costs, logistics, choke points, the same sort of real-world constraints that hinder zerging.
- Regions in the games universe map to regions in our world. You can stick to your home region but our excellent netcode makes it possible to range far from home within a single universe.
Travel Mechanics
Instantaneous jumps with fuel costs and post jump cooldowns. Multiple ways to access jump capability. Significant travel logistics.
Travel mechanics
Instantaneous jumps with fuel costs and post jump cooldowns. Multiple ways to access jump capability. Significant travel logistics.
- There is a network of jump points that connects all locations and creates chokepoints, potential choke points, and difficult decisions as to which route to take and which places to fortify or to give up on.
- No jumps between two arbitrary places in space. Jumps must follow the network under normal circumstances.
- Jump drives have limits, fuel costs, post jump cooldowns, mass restrictions, and are vulnerable to attack.
- Not all starfighters are manufactured with internal jump drives. External dockable jump drives can give starfighters temporary jump access. Docking or storing starfighters aboard larger jump-capable craft opens up many opportunities.
- Jumps are close to instantaneous making the best possible use of the player’s time. The cost of the jump is not paid in travel time but in resources and logistics.
- Contingency plans for a retreat are an important most operations.
- Major offensives will require special consideration in travel planning and bringing enough starfighters, carriers, and resources need to sustain an assault far from friendly territory.
Mine > Build > Deploy loop
Iron ore for building and Uranium ore for fueling. Everything has a resource cost. Build and repair starfighters, their weapon and equipment, capital ships, torpedoes, turrets, and more.
Mine > Build > Deploy loop
Iron ore for building and Uranium ore for fueling. Everything has a resource cost. Build and repair starfighters, their weapon and equipment, capital ships, torpedoes, turrets, and more.
- KISS. Avoid unnecessary complexity. Focus on building an economy and factional warfare around the Mine > Build > Deploy loop.
- Start with the manufacturing of the basics: Starfighters & torpedoes, Capitalships & turrets.
- Test and expand what can be manufactured. Equipment, advanced equipement, additional starfighter types, additional NPC fleet ships.
- Expand the mine, build and deploy pipeline. Add additional steps in the chain for each of these three core elements. Creates opportunities for optimization and for sabotage.
- An expanded set of NPC ships and facilities can open up new strategies and help make the universe feel more alive.
- Physicalized deployment that takes time. Gives the enemy time to spy and prepare.
Safety and Danger
No safe zones. Friendly fire and crash damage are on everywhere. Risk management is your responsibility. Sets clear expectations.
Safety and Danger
No safe zones. Friendly fire and crash damage are on everywhere. Risk management is your responsibility. Sets clear expectations.
- Your ship and pilot always reside somewhere in the universe. Going offline or entering an instanced wargame or race offers no protection to you back in the universe.
- Storing your ship in a well-protected facility or carrier deep inside friendly space is your best bet but there are no guarantees.
- Other players, orgs, NPCs from your military faction have your back.
- Resources are shared among org members and with each faction.
- Sustaining friendly fire and trolling is difficult to sustain due to demotion, destruction, and loss of resources.
- True risk is from where it should be the enemy human faction and the mysterious alien threat.
- Sticking to friendly territory and avoiding major conflict zones helps to mitigate your risk.
- There is a significant cost to attacking the enemy in their territory.
- If your ship is destroyed you respawn at your last docked station or carrier which may send you back far from where you died.
- Stations and carriers have automated turret defenses and can deploy AI-controlled starfighters that have been built and armed.
- Lasting damage to the enemy faction requires a large investment and commitment and the use of anti-capital ship torpedoes or carrier-based weaponry.
Org gameplay
Org controlled locations, resources, starfighters, capital ships, and stations.
Org Gameplay
Org controlled locations, resources, starfighters, capital ships, and stations.
- From the smallest org to the largest, make it easy for players to play with their friends and pool their efforts.
- Orgs receive and provide support from their faction
- Orgs allow for more sophisticated sharing of resources and delegation of responsibility than at the faction wide level
- Org-owned capital ships with the ability to name and customize their external appearance.
- Org owned space stations and surface installations.
- Org badges / banners / insignia / identification marks.
Alien Faction
The Alien faction is the third and most powerful of the military factions. It is a mysterious invader and a threat to humanity as a whole. Its incursions can lead to unexpected cooperation and opportunities born from chaos.
Alien Faction
The Alien faction is the third and most powerful of the military factions. It is a mysterious invader and a threat to humanity as a whole. Its incursions can lead to unexpected cooperation and opportunities born from chaos.
- The Alien faction adds a dangerous and twist to the war between the Earth Alliance and the United Colonies of Sol.
- It’s a threat that cannot be completely ignored but also one that can be used to your advantage.
- The more territory and resources your faction controls the more exposed it becomes to the Alien faction. This can open up opportunities for a depleted faction to regain lost ground.
- Provides incentives for temporary truces between human factions in order to survive desperate stand-offs against a superior foe.
Wargames & Races
Instanced games that have no direct impact on the open world. Perfect for quick play sessions, racing, organized competitive play, practice, and private matches with friends.
Wargames & Races
Instanced games that have no direct impact on the open world. Perfect for quick play sessions, racing, organized competitive play, practice, and private matches with friends.
- This is the only part of the game that is instanced. A single wargaming or racing location may have multiple independent instances with different numbers of players in different regional serves at the same time.
- You can use any starfighter from either faction or a duplicate of your current starfighter at zero cost when playing in an instance.
- Loses and wins here have no impact on the open world war.
- It is up to you to decide how to split your time between the universe, wargames, and races.
- Even for a universe focused player, wargames provide an excellent opportunity to practice or to study the enemies equipment