Story
Protochroma is a heavily sci-fi focused game with fantasy elements, centering around an interstellar organization called the Intergalactic Alliance (or "IA") that has come to the setting, a world designated Planet Chroma, in order to study the signs scattered about the planet which point to a civilization having once existed there.
The player, a field researcher in the IA, is tasked with collecting and raising specimens of the local wildlife for research purposes. The player is able to bring these creatures to explore locales called delves, where they can battle wild creatures and collect items to sell later. Non-playable characters exist to aid the player along the way, providing items and services.
Site Introduction
- What was once just yet another passively observed life-bearing planet became the centre of the Intergalactic Allianceʼs attention upon a tremendous discovery: imagery of a dilapidated, overgrown facility collected by a small probing drone that was dispatched during a round of routine planetary observation. In the hopes of potentially finding a new civilization to contact, the IA sent out more drones to investigate further. All they found were similar such scenes as before but in various different locales, with absolutely no sightings of whatever people had constructed and lived in these places.
- After a large, calculated effort that took nearly six years of time, the IA built a fully functioning base of operations on the planet. Researchers of all types work around the clock at Headquarters, but the most perilous job on Planet Chroma is that of the field researchers. It is they who go out deep into the wilds of this vibrant world, seeking bits and pieces of history and interacting with the wildlife. Chromaʼs fauna is quite curious, and bound to its environment in a way not seen on other planets.
- Everytime a new ship lands on Chroma, everyone knows it will be full of only one of two things: supplies that are problematic to manufacture on-site, or dozens of new recruits that are about to call this planet not just their new place of work, but also home. As for what these fresh faces will end up discovering… that is something some think is best left for them to experience all on their own.
Stories
Stories from the player's perspective are interactive; player may choose several different answers for different outcomes, though they aren't locked into whatever they choose first. The page may be refreshed to select different answers. Curiously, the available stories so far feature Lightcatchers.
These stories are only available to read if the player is logged into the site.
- The story of Protochroma from the player's perspective begins by flying into Planet Chroma on a ship. Before landing, a Lightcatcher is sighted flying not far from the ship.
- At the start of winter, the player and some NPCs as well as an unnamed Sarkiri see some Lightcatchers migrating to the Chroma Coast for the winter.
Articles, Docs, & Writings
Documents from the Intergalactic Alliance are available for the player to read, even when logged out. These range from journal entries by NPCs to internal documentation of important information for researchers.
- An informational pamphlet given out in Headquarters describes the manufacturing process and proper usage of synthetic Chroma.
- Lt. Steele's misplaced notebook allows the player to read some of entries about his experiences on Chroma, likely predating the player's arrival. Five different entries are available for reading.