As we kick off our internal multiplayer playtest, we feel more confident about sharing how some gameplay fundamentals will work.

Canopy will feature a vast universe of nodes that can be controlled by players. Controlling a node lets players mine it for tokens and game items. The universe will scale with the number of players we have, but new sectors can be added as the playerbase increases. Sectors could even be thematic to partners, giving them their own zones, and may have different game rules.

Example of our node simulation, each pixel is a node, and each sector can support hundreds, even thousands if we wish.

Nodes design will convey their neutral and controlled states, but also nodes will have a size class. As a node’s size class increases, so does its token yield rates increase. Loot tables improve and gain rare drops, and base health pools increase to make them more defensible. Think of them as resource rich planets, each slightly different.

Nodes can also be linked together to further increase their farmability and mining rates, but of course this paints a big target on your back. Finding the balance of number of nodes you want to control vs the effort and resources to do so is a tricky skill to learn.

Once controlled, nodes begin to mine tokens and items. Simply being near a node allows you to collect all the resources it’s mined and kept in storage. Of course, you may see a neglected node with filled capacity, and decide to capture and loot it before the owner comes back online…

Over time, nodes can get “mined out” and greatly slow their yield rates, but eventually will recover their yields if left alone.

Attacking and defending nodes deserves it’s own article, and has its own simple but nuanced combat mechanics to consider. For now, we’ll just say you’ll be able to add defenses and weapons to nodes to maintain some control while your Seeker isn’t near to protect them, but ultimately no position will ever be unassailable. Control can and will change hands frequently.

With such a big strategic space to navigate, it’s almost like we designed Canopy with autonomous, subservient, and intelligent agents in mind!