Multiplayer space sim Infinity: Battlescape seeks $300,000 in Kickstarter funding, offers 100+ player dogfights in a seamless, to-scale solar system arena.

Infinity: Battlescape is a newly revealed multiplayer space simulation title from I-Novae Studios, currently being Kickstarted with a goal of $300,000. Except "multiplayer space simulation" doesn't really capture the scope of the title. Infinity: Battlescape aims to create huge multiplayer battles of over 100+ players within a solar system that is both built to-scale and is entirely seamless (no loading screens).

Believe it or not, Infinity: Battlescape can trace its origins all the way back to 2006, with a small tech demo video. The hype really hit the fan in 2010, however, when the studio released two pre-alpha tech demos for what was then planned to be a space sim MMO. The team behind Infinity: Battlescape has been working on this project for a very long time, largely in their own spare time and self-funded. Infinity: Battlescape is the result of their decision to scale back their plans to just a single solar system, to a multiplayer arena experience that showcases their tech, plans and potential.

What Infinity: Battlescape actually is, according to their Kickstarter profile, is a huge multiplayer team arena match between three different factions. At the start of a match each faction will get a randomly created allotment of facilities spread throughout the solar system. Protecting these facilities as they harvest credits and attacking opponents facilities will be the main goals of the game, as well as destroying the opposing players at the same time. As a faction earns credits, players can purchase stronger ships and weaponry. If certain stretch goals are met, factions will even be able to build additional facilities, but that's a ways away yet.

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Today is the first of Infinity: Battlescape's 30-day Kickstarter campaign and just hours in the developer has already earned near $60,000 of their $300,000 goal. It seems quite clear that the team will reach their goal and then some, which isn't surprising considering how far along the game seems to have been in development. The big question is just how much overall the project will pull in, as it has some rather lofty stretch goals.

Here's a rundown of Infinity: Battlescape's currently announced stretch goals:

  • $400k - Better, more detailed damage model for internal ship systems.
  • $500k - We add the Fighter class, a cross between the Interceptor and Bomber. Increased quality of capital ships.
  • $600k - Improved atmospheric effects such as volumetric clouds, storms, etc
  • $800k - The game will include support for mods and a virtual marketplace similar to steam workshop.
  • $1 million - Social integration combined with support for player corporations, squadrons, and a framework for competitive matches.
  • $1.5 million - Base building and semi-persistence.
  • $2.5 million - We add a second faction: the Astralis Collective. This new faction comes with their own unique art style and an additional set of ships for you to fly!

Early goals are focused on improving the general quality of the game, likely due to the ability of the team to hire more manpower. As the goals get higher, I-Novae Studios' ambitions become clearer. Adding a mod marketplace shows their target of involving the community to create as much content as possible. A solar system of space won't fill itself with exciting locations and content. Social integration to allow for in-game squadrons and competitive matches (did someone say eSports?) begins to show I-Novae's aim of growing Infinity into a larger MMO experience. Then the $1.5 million goal adding persistence between matches and the development of planets further shows the team's plans for growing Infinity into something much, much bigger.

At the current rate that Infinity: Battlescape is currently pulling in funding, $1.5 million or even $1 million may be beyond their grasp. However, they look to certainly be funded, which means I-Novae Studios will very much have the opportunity to prove their product. If it's a hit, and shows as much potential as I-Novae believes it has, then the goals it doesn't reach in this Kickstarter may just be further on the horizon.

As for Infinity: Battlescape itself, it faces some pretty big challenges. It's entering into an environment that's ready for another space simulation boom, as Star Citizen's disgusting success is evidence of. But it might be a bubble that pops before space simulations even get off the ground. Star CitizenEVE Valkyrie, and No Man's Sky are all looking outstanding, which could mean Infinity: Battlescape will have a hard time finding a place to land. Or all three games could crash and burn and then there's nowhere to land at all. It's a nervous environment to launch a Kickstarter into.

That shouldn't stop anyone from giving Infinity: Battlescape a look, though. It seems like an H1Z1 match in space: a huge multiplayer battle arena where players hunt down their enemies, upgrade their gear over time, and hopefully end up a member of the last faction standing. Stepping back and ignoring the space sim environment entirely, maybe Infinity: Battlescape will find its own niche just as a fun multiplayer game to drop in and play on occasion. For a title that originally planned to be an MMO, however, that would seem like a step in the wrong direction.

For more information on Infinity: Battlescape, make sure to visit the game's Kickstarter page.