Bionite: Origins is a Real Time Strategy / First Person Shooter Hybrid game, also called an Action-Strategy Game. It consists of Real Time Strategy elements with first and third person views. Wingmen are commanded from a satellite, first, or third person views. Game matches occur on vast outdoor landscapes located on different planets, moons, and asteroids within the solar system. Bionite has two factions; Rebels and IMI. They are at war with each other for control of resources scattered throughout the solar system. The goal of each skirmish match is to destroy the enemy Refabricator before they destroy yours.
The game starts with the squadron captain located inside the team hangar with a Refabricator, two wingmen, and a limited supply of Bionite. All subsequent vehicles and buildings must be created by the Refabricator or Constructor. These ‘genesis vehicles’ use digital printers to fabricate vehicles and buildings (assets) from a material called Bionite. Bionite is the refined form of Bioore, a unique mineral not found on earth. Bioore is composed of Dolomite and a type of mineral that contains a microscopic life form. When extracted from the Dolomite and charged with electricity, the life form contained in the rock can be ‘printed’ into various types of materials. A material that contains Bionite has very unique properties that are highly prized by the military: extreme hardness and the ability to self heal. Once a vehicle hull containing Bionite has been printed it can be repaired simply by exposing it to electricity. On the battlefield a large force of Bionite-reinforced vehicles are very difficult to stop, and impossible to completely destroy.
Gathering resources to produce Bionite is accomplished by harvesting Bioore using a scavenger or an extractor type vehicle. Scavengers collect Bioore located on the planet surface. When over a Biopool the scavenger becomes an extractor. The extractor drills into Biopools to siphon out liquid Bioore in much larger quantities than a scavenger can collect from the surface.