Character Acquisition System

The Character Acquisition System in Ananta represents a revolutionary approach to character collection in free-to-play games by completely eliminating gacha mechanics in favor of story-driven and exploration-based unlocking. Developed by Naked Rain and NetEase Montreal, this system allows players to build their roster of Anti-Chaos Task Force members through narrative progression and open-world discovery rather than randomized pulls.

Overview

The Character Acquisition System fundamentally reimagines how players obtain new characters in free-to-play games. Instead of gambling for characters through loot boxes or gacha pulls, Ananta unlocks characters organically through gameplay, ensuring that time investment and story progression - not spending or luck - determines roster growth.

This approach represents a significant departure from industry standards in anime-styled mobile and cross-platform games, where character gacha typically serves as the primary monetization driver. By removing randomization entirely, NetEase has positioned Ananta as a potential paradigm shift in how free-to-play games can achieve sustainable business models while respecting player experience.

Core Mechanics

Story Progression Unlocks

The primary method of character acquisition involves advancing through Ananta's main narrative. As The Captain leads the Anti-Chaos Directorate through various incidents, characters naturally join the roster through narrative beats that make sense within the story context.

This progression-based system ensures:

• Narrative Coherence - Characters join for story reasons, not random chance
• Character Understanding - Players learn backgrounds through gameplay rather than reading profiles
• Guaranteed Progression - Continued play definitively unlocks new characters
• Meaningful Encounters - First meetings with characters carry narrative weight

Early examples include meeting Taffy and other core team members through story events that introduce their personalities, abilities, and relationships to Nova City's ongoing Chaos crisis.

Open-World Discovery

Beyond main story unlocks, characters can be encountered while exploring Nova City's Manhattan-sized environment. This discovery-based acquisition creates:

• Exploration Incentives - Rewards for thoroughly investigating the urban environment
• Organic Encounters - Meeting characters in contexts related to their daily lives
• Player Agency - Choice in which characters to pursue through exploration
• Replayability - Multiple playthroughs might discover characters in different orders

The 24/7 NPC Cycle means characters exist in the world following their own routines, allowing players to encounter them naturally rather than through predetermined spawn events.

Design Philosophy

Player Respect

The system embodies several player-friendly principles:

• No Gambling - Eliminates psychological manipulation of random rewards
• No Limited Banners - Characters remain accessible, not time-gated
• No Pity Systems - No need for mercy mechanics when acquisition is guaranteed
• Play Over Pay - Time investment matters more than monetary spending

This philosophy directly challenges conventional free-to-play wisdom that randomized character acquisition maximizes revenue through psychological triggers like FOMO (fear of missing out) and sunk cost fallacy.

Developer Vision

According to NetEase developers, the guiding principle is straightforward: "satisfy users through compelling storylines and natural character progression, and revenue will follow organically through a larger, more engaged player base rather than exploiting a smaller group of heavy spenders."

This represents a bet that:

• Broader player satisfaction creates larger active populations
• Engaged players spend more on cosmetic monetization
• Positive word-of-mouth drives growth more than exploitative mechanics
• Long-term retention exceeds short-term whale extraction

Character Roster Development

Starting Position

Players begin Ananta with only The Captain, their chosen protagonist (male or female option available). This solo start creates:

• Narrative Arc - Journey from isolated leader to full team commander
• Gameplay Evolution - Mechanical complexity grows with roster size
• Appreciation for Growth - Players value each new character more after solo play
• Tutorial Simplicity - Learning core mechanics before character switching complexity

Roster Growth Curve

The system ensures steady, predictable character acquisition:

• Early Characters - Core team members like Taffy join relatively quickly
• Mid-Game Expansion - Specialists like Seymour, Richie, and Bansy fill out tactical options
• Late-Game Additions - Characters like Dila or Lykaia arrive during advanced story beats
• Exploration Bonuses - Optional characters discovered through thorough world investigation

The pacing ensures players always have something to work toward without overwhelming choice paralysis or leaving the roster incomplete for extended periods.

Impact on Gameplay

Strategic Depth

Guaranteed character acquisition affects tactical decision-making:

• Team Composition Planning - Players can strategize around future unlocks
• Resource Allocation - No need to hedge investments on uncertain roster
• Skill Development - Time to master each character before next unlock
• Experimental Play - Freedom to try different characters without FOMO pressure

Character Switching Mechanics

The character switching system allows free swapping between roster members during open-world exploration. This mechanic gains value as the roster expands:

• Tactical Flexibility - Different characters for different situations
• Perspective Variety - Experiencing Nova City through multiple viewpoints
• Ability Synergy - Combining character specializations for complex challenges
• Relationship Building - Using appropriate characters for specific social situations

Narrative Integration

Character Backstories

The acquisition system ensures players understand each character through:

• Introduction Missions - Story segments explaining character backgrounds
• Recruitment Context - Understanding why characters join the ACTF
• Personality Revelation - Experiencing character traits through gameplay
• Relationship Networks - Learning how characters connect to Nova City factions

This creates richer character knowledge compared to traditional gacha where players might obtain characters without understanding their significance.

Living World Integration

Characters exist in Nova City before recruitment, following their own lives:

• Taffy maintains her role with Cat Express
• Mechanika works as a ghost worker at Shorewater Industries
• Bansy operates in Delirium Block
• Aileen manages Dream Garden

This creates opportunities for pre-recruitment encounters that establish relationships before characters formally join the player's roster.

Economic Model Integration

Monetization Separation

By removing character acquisition from monetization, Ananta redirects revenue focus to:

• Cosmetic Monetization - Clothing, vehicle customization, accessories
• Real Estate - Property ownership within Nova City
• Convenience Features - Quality-of-life improvements without pay-to-win
• Premium Cosmetics - Exclusive visual options for dedicated players

This separation means gameplay power remains accessible while visual customization provides sustainable revenue.

Business Model Risk

The Character Acquisition System represents significant financial risk for NetEase:

• Unproven Model - Few precedents for AAA free-to-play without character gacha
• Development Costs - 700+ person team requires substantial ongoing revenue
• Market Competition - Competing against established gacha games with higher monetization
• Player Expectations - Success depends on sustained engagement without psychological manipulation

However, the potential rewards include:

• Market Differentiation - Unique selling proposition in crowded market
• Positive Reputation - Player goodwill creating organic marketing
• Broader Audience - Attracting players who avoid gacha games
• Long-Term Sustainability - Building loyal community over exploiting transient whales

Comparison to Traditional Systems

Versus Gacha Games

Traditional character gacha involves:

• Randomized character pulls using premium currency
• Pity systems requiring hundreds of pulls
• Limited-time banners creating FOMO
• Power differences between character rarity tiers
• Revenue from players gambling for specific characters

Ananta's system eliminates all these elements, instead providing:

• Deterministic progression through gameplay
• All characters equally accessible
• No time pressure on acquisition
• Power balanced across roster
• Revenue from cosmetic customization

Versus Premium Games

Premium games typically provide all characters upfront or through simple progression. Ananta's approach occupies middle ground:

• Like Premium - All characters accessible through gameplay
• Like Free-to-Play - No upfront purchase cost, sustainable revenue model
• Unique Hybrid - Combining best aspects of both business models

Player Reception Considerations

Positive Aspects

Players likely appreciate:

• Fairness - Equal access regardless of spending
• Respect - No psychological manipulation
• Clarity - Understanding how to obtain specific characters
• Satisfaction - Earning characters through achievement
• Completability - Realistic goal of obtaining full roster

Potential Concerns

Some players might question:

• Pacing - Whether acquisition rate feels too slow or too fast
• Challenge - If lack of randomization reduces excitement
• Value Proposition - Whether cosmetic-only monetization feels rewarding enough
• Content Gating - If story barriers delay desired characters too long

Technical Implementation=

Progress Tracking

The system likely includes:

• Story Milestone Tracking - Clear indicators of which story beats unlock characters
• Discovery Progress - Hints or tracking for exploration-based characters
• Character Previews - Information about upcoming unlocks to build anticipation
• Tutorial Integration - Teaching new character mechanics upon acquisition

Account Systems

The no-gacha approach simplifies:

• Account Security - Lower stakes reduce account theft incentive
• Platform Transfer - Easier cross-platform progression without gacha history
• Replay Value - Less fear of "wasting" limited resources on wrong choices
• Sharing/Streaming - All players have similar progression making content relatable

Development History

Originally announced as Project Mugen, Ananta's character acquisition system was designed from the start as an alternative to traditional gacha. The 700+ person development team across Naked Rain (China) and NetEase Montreal studios built the entire game economy around this core decision.

This represents a significant philosophical commitment rather than a late-stage design change, suggesting the entire game's structure - story pacing, character introduction timing, world design - was crafted to support this acquisition model.

Industry Impact

Potential Influence

If successful, Ananta's Character Acquisition System could:

• Inspire Imitators - Other developers adopting similar no-gacha approaches
• Shift Player Expectations - Creating demand for fairer acquisition systems
• Prove Business Viability - Demonstrating cosmetic-only monetization sustainability
• Regulatory Influence - Providing alternative as gambling regulations tighten

Market Test

The system serves as a crucial experiment:

• Can AAA production values be sustained without character gacha?
• Will broader audiences compensate for lower per-player revenue?
• Does player goodwill translate into financial success?
• Can storytelling alone drive engagement without collection mechanics?

The gaming industry watches Ananta closely as these questions carry implications far beyond a single game.

See Also

• Ananta - The game featuring this system
• Free-to-play - Business model context
• Cosmetic Monetization - Alternative revenue source
• Anti-Chaos Task Force - Organization players build roster for
• Dating System - Complementary character engagement mechanic
• NetEase - Publisher taking financial risk on this model