Dune III: To Lead an Army (Just for Fun Brainstorming)
Posted: 09 Aug 2013 01:40
I see talk about wanting a DUNE RTS again, or a RTT (Real Time Tactics). I've been dabbling in some classic RTS/RTT like Shiny Entertainment's Sacrifice and Bungie's Myth: The Fallen Lords, and I've been thinking about how the classic DUNE 2 franchise could be revived again. I've played the SEGA port Dune: The Battle For Arrakis, the original via DOSbox Dune 2: The Building of Dynasty, Dune 2000, and a little big of the first Dune game. I've yet to get and play Emperor, and I've seen only seen the game adaptation of the Sci-Fi channel miniseries via You Tube (they just did not try on that game, despite its citing Metal Gear Solid as inspiration for its gameplay!!!!). Since Dune 2 is set in an alternate universe of Herbert's Dune (a la Red Alert being set in an alternate Cold War timeline), a sequel should take that alternate reality approach even further. Just for fun, here's a brainstorm for my ideal Dune III.
It would be a sequel to the first Dune game, where the events of the novel take a different turn when Mua'dib dies and with him House Atreides. House Harkonnen has risen up again with a vengeance, and has returned to Arrakis with brute force against the demoralized yet still strong Fremen. The Emperor has gone into hiding, and the majority of the Landsraad are out of commission due to having heavy Harkonnen forces in each of their worlds. The few factions which are not quite so easily pacified are the Bene Gesserit, the Tleilaxu, and the Fremen. The Spacing Guild, though put under direct pressure by the Harkonnens, have assembled a secret army within their innermost secret ranks, and are waiting for the right moment to strike. The Bene Gesserit have also assembled a secret army of assassin women trained in the Weirding Way and other abilities, as well as a personal navy. The Tleilaxu have engineered all manner of deadly freaks with their own unique abilities next to Face Dancers. The Emperor is somewhere stranded on another harsh planet, different from Salusa Secundas, to quickly train and toughen more Sardaukar. The Fremen are being lead by Chani, who has been hardened since the death of Mua'dib, and has changed into a formidable commander and chieftain. Ultimately, the new war in Arrakis would either bring back the old regime or bring about a new regime. Arrakis is the wild card to determine who leads....
So, the game would have:
*A campaign story mode akin to StarCraft's. The order of the campaigns would be House Harkonnen, The Bene Gesserit, The Tleilaxu, House Corrino, The Spacing Guild, and The Fremen.
*The graphics of the first game, but with ability to select more units and make group numbers.
*Simplify the RTS process to spice gathering and some building.
*Employ fighting formations for units.
*Employ hero units.
*Integrate a Dungeon Keeper mode where a single unit is directed via FPS mode.
*Switches to first person adventure mode between missions a la the first Dune game.
*Each faction has their own unique units, buildings, abilities, and are not clones of each other.
*Instead of training soldiers, they are summoned a la Shiny Entertainment's Sacrifice by means of Spice kilo units. For higher up units, Spice unit requirement increases. The units arrive much more quickly as a result of this system.
*Bene Gesserit rely on stealth and subterfuge; the Harkonnens rely on brute force, the Tleilaxu rely on craftiness and twisted tactics; the Corrinos rely on wealth and effective fighting forces; the Guild on their mutant abilities and space folding technology; the Fremen on terrain, guerrilla war tactics, tough fighters, and worms.
So what I'd want to do enhance Dune 2 with new gameplay, more unit variation, more reliance on strategy and formations, instant combat, more story, and adventure game elements.
As I said, I'm just brainstorming for fun, but it might a good installment in the series. It would take liberties with Herbert's universe, as did Dune 2, though the original Dune novel could still be used as reference for how Dune 3's alternate timeline has changed the universe of Dune.
It would be a sequel to the first Dune game, where the events of the novel take a different turn when Mua'dib dies and with him House Atreides. House Harkonnen has risen up again with a vengeance, and has returned to Arrakis with brute force against the demoralized yet still strong Fremen. The Emperor has gone into hiding, and the majority of the Landsraad are out of commission due to having heavy Harkonnen forces in each of their worlds. The few factions which are not quite so easily pacified are the Bene Gesserit, the Tleilaxu, and the Fremen. The Spacing Guild, though put under direct pressure by the Harkonnens, have assembled a secret army within their innermost secret ranks, and are waiting for the right moment to strike. The Bene Gesserit have also assembled a secret army of assassin women trained in the Weirding Way and other abilities, as well as a personal navy. The Tleilaxu have engineered all manner of deadly freaks with their own unique abilities next to Face Dancers. The Emperor is somewhere stranded on another harsh planet, different from Salusa Secundas, to quickly train and toughen more Sardaukar. The Fremen are being lead by Chani, who has been hardened since the death of Mua'dib, and has changed into a formidable commander and chieftain. Ultimately, the new war in Arrakis would either bring back the old regime or bring about a new regime. Arrakis is the wild card to determine who leads....
So, the game would have:
*A campaign story mode akin to StarCraft's. The order of the campaigns would be House Harkonnen, The Bene Gesserit, The Tleilaxu, House Corrino, The Spacing Guild, and The Fremen.
*The graphics of the first game, but with ability to select more units and make group numbers.
*Simplify the RTS process to spice gathering and some building.
*Employ fighting formations for units.
*Employ hero units.
*Integrate a Dungeon Keeper mode where a single unit is directed via FPS mode.
*Switches to first person adventure mode between missions a la the first Dune game.
*Each faction has their own unique units, buildings, abilities, and are not clones of each other.
*Instead of training soldiers, they are summoned a la Shiny Entertainment's Sacrifice by means of Spice kilo units. For higher up units, Spice unit requirement increases. The units arrive much more quickly as a result of this system.
*Bene Gesserit rely on stealth and subterfuge; the Harkonnens rely on brute force, the Tleilaxu rely on craftiness and twisted tactics; the Corrinos rely on wealth and effective fighting forces; the Guild on their mutant abilities and space folding technology; the Fremen on terrain, guerrilla war tactics, tough fighters, and worms.
So what I'd want to do enhance Dune 2 with new gameplay, more unit variation, more reliance on strategy and formations, instant combat, more story, and adventure game elements.
As I said, I'm just brainstorming for fun, but it might a good installment in the series. It would take liberties with Herbert's universe, as did Dune 2, though the original Dune novel could still be used as reference for how Dune 3's alternate timeline has changed the universe of Dune.