The Origins of House Ordos Revealed

[Gobalopper 81]

We have always had a lot of discussion on the topic of how exactly the Ordos made it into the Dune games and more specifically their original appearance in Dune II. Well Marc Cram who worked for Westwood back then has filled me in on how it all happened and now it is here for all know:

I was a producer and designer for this project. The original idea was to make a game that captured the fun and imagination of those plastic army men. There were a couple of games out of Germany that were heading in that direction, but nothing that had all of the different equipment and abilities that we wanted to put into a game.

Virgin had the license to do Dune. They secretly gave to the project both to Westwood and a French company (cannot remember the name.) The French finished the game first, which was a 3D crawl game.

Our thoughts were that the story was too complex and rich to replicate in a video game. We decided that it would be best to take all of the fun elements in the game and create our own story.

I had read the books once and was a little confused as to all of the elements, but my friend Wesley (by the way, Wes is in another game. Eye of the Beholder I & II. The character

[Terror 1]

well that's nice to know indeed. And i guess he meant Cryo with that french company right?

[Dunenewt 10]

House Ix not house X I presume.

Well at least that will stop all the debates.

[Inoculator9 1]

Yep :)

To quote Chief Whiggam: "Well that's the end of that chapter."

[Vanguard3000 4]

That's some excellent sleuthing work, Gob.

[nemafakei 6]

Ah, what a wonderful feeling to finally have an account of it. 12 years after the game, but never mind.

[ordos45 2]

At least it was solved.  :)

[SpiceGuid 0]

a good one, almost credible, however there are still some strange things.

[Terror 1]

Anyone thought of a new big mystery yet where we can break or brains on?

[Inoculator9 1]

The origins of House Mahdi?

[Terror 1]

??? He has a HOUSE?..... then why was it that i always thought he lived in a paper box on the street?

Or do you perhaps mean where his paper box originated from?

[Seal89999 0]

At least it was solved.

[Inoculator9 1]

Yes Rene... the enigmatic Mahdi box :P

[Doom972 0]

Though I should add this link about The Dune Encyclopedia:

http://www.dunenovels.com/news/encyclopedia.html

[Andrew 100]

Some Dune related News

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Entertaiment industry shouldn't plus-size villains

Frank Herbert's "Dune" series features the noble House of Atreides, the protagonists' family, versus the greedy spice-grubbing House of Harkonnen.

Baron Vladimir Harkonnen is the house's ruthless political figure. He has an insatiable appetite, and is so overweight he must wear a special anchoring device. Many scenes contain descriptions of his weight. (The Atreides are described as serious and distinguished in appearance, with sharp angles and lean bodies).

Student discovers Salem

[Imperial Sardaukar 1]

Pfff! Baron Vladimir Harkonnen was overweight, yes, but it was Herbert's way to give you a good visual idea of what he looks like. If he said he was a buff, handsome man, you wouldn't be able to set him apart from Duke Leto! Vladimir was this character you wouldn't forget. You would always remember him in the same mental image Herbert wanted him to look like.

[nemafakei 6]

It wasn't so much the case of FH having the reader associate the Harkonnens with evil through the medium of the Baron's size, rather it was an active part of the universe, be it the Baron's deliberate attempt to generate in the other houses an image of Harkonnen wealth, be it a product of the plot.