I recently came across a Metaverse version of a social platform called Lantopia, where users are represented as planets orbited by stars representing communities with various topics or common interests.
I like the idea of making users the center of the universe while allowing them to reach out to different groups of people with similar values at will.
What makes a community a community is creating a place where all kinds of activities can take place in a way that makes people feel comfortable and invites them to get closer to each other, sharing their feelings without worry. And this is where Lantopia differs from other social mobile games. The former has the core value and function of bringing people with common interests together in a virtual world, instead of focusing on winning rewards or getting satisfaction from defeating other competitors, like the latter.
When you try to remember something that happened in your life, often the first thing that comes to mind is where and when it took place. Place and time are like a key that opens the door to your memories. That’s why in Lantopia you’ll find many places related to our real world, such as classrooms, campsites, live studios and much more. Obviously, the developers understand how important it is to have places where we can create memories and constantly relate.
Also, the most unique thing about Lantopia is the fact that users can collect and decorate places that exist in both the real and virtual worlds: If you visit a place in real life that also exists in Lantopia and complete the mission there, you can collect the place on your own planet. If other users spend time with you or buy items related to you, you can also receive a commission for that, similar to Monopoly. Thus, an economy is created based on all members being able to create income and trade with each other.
Lantopia also creates a system in which you can chat and interact with your avatar in certain places by voice. You’ll be able to use hidden messages and missions to enjoy gamification and communicate with emotional expressions and voice chats, which will help you get more immersed in Lantopia. Later, tourist attractions and brands will gradually open. Famous personalities with enough influence will get a chance to become the main character of a community.
We can express ourselves freely, not only by talking but also by having our own style and showing our personality in reality (although I bet some of you, just like me, don’t always show your true self). Of course, you can do the same in Lantopia, changing the look of your avatar “Navi” with “Lava” costumes and making yourself as special or plain as you want.
Above all, in a virtual world, you’ll be much freer than in the real world, since you will not have to worry about what others think. Since you’ll mostly be in communities where everyone has the same or similar interests and tastes, it will be even more fun and inviting.
Do you remember your childhood dream? The other day one of my colleagues came into the office with a big grin and said, “I had such a sweet dream last night where I realized my childhood dream, even though it’s not that important to me anymore.” But we all felt the happiness that this dream gave her, and definitely made her day that day. In Lantopia you can make your childhood dreams come true, although I know it’s not that fulfilling when you think about it, but who knows, just like in the song: life is just a dream, why care where it happens when it can make you happy.
Lantopia currently only offers experiences through its mobile app for iOS and Android, but is soon to be expanded to be compatible with other platforms such as Oculus, which will indeed allow a more vivid and immersive exploration of the universe thanks to the technologies AR and VR.
