Emperor: Battle For Dune, Your First Impressions

[baronrakkan]

Hello everyone. Now it is getting pretty late when I started this, but by the time most of you read this the game probably already reach many stores across the USA and Europe. If you have E: BFD then what are you first impressions of the game? Did it meet up with your expectations? Who is your favorite house as of now? I'll make sure to post my own first impressions on the game as soon as I have a good amount of time playing it.

[azurewrath]

I can only say this: Mother blankingly amazing good AI. Granted that they still do the same thing that all RTS AIs do (swarm with large, varied forces), but they have reinvented swarming.

Example: I am Ordos attempting an expansion into Atreides territory. While defending my base, I see damnable tactics used against me that I would expect from a real person. Since I rely on troopers and Sadaukar Elite for AA defense, I would be defenseless against Air incursions without them.

At one point, while they were assaulting, they launched a Hawk Strike into the middle of my base, scaring away a good portion of my AA troopers and Sadaukar Elite (off the screen) and then watch as they land Carry in a Minotaurus and drop it in the middle of my base!!! That was the most spectacular tactic I have seen thus far (not including trying different methods of getting into the base)

[Guest Albatross]

Woah... Sau Elite can be used for AA? Is that true?

Well, so far, the AI hasn't been all that impressive. Sure, it's been rather annoying how dust devils and sandworms seem to haunt my territory more than the foe... and even MORE annoying that I don't have a move-attack command but the computer does.... but that's still not indicative of a great AI. The skirmish Hard AI still cheats off its anus with resources and knowing EXACTLY what you build, but that's no surprise (this IS a Westwood game, after all).

Graphics are outstanding. The music is PERFECT for the theme, sometimes even with this Ancient Egyptian / Industrial crossbreed (gotta find that song and get me an MP3 copy). Sounds are good, too, though I'd like a little more distinction in unit voices. For that matter, I'd like more dinstinction in unit GRAPHICS. At maximum out-zoom, infantry look like ants and unless there's something VERY obvious about them (flame or toxin sprayers, a mortar or giant rocket launcher, etc), most look the same at that distance. Confusing your AA, troopers, Engineers, and Snipers for each other is a BAD thing. Vehicles are fairly easy to differentiate, as are the 'special' (sub-house) infantry. I love the choice to make the MCV undeployable as a constant setting, especially in single-player. I love the specialty uses of all the units. And, of course, I love those giant sandworms. Even when Grandfather Shai-Hulud swallows down nine-tenths of my offensive strike force, I can't help but smile and try not to count all the teeth.

First impression... It's a damn good game. Still mostly the same game we had all those many years ago, in yet ANOTHER form, but at least they are getting more varied now, taking more chances. The move to 3d is highly welcomed, the choice of setting (Dune universe!) for their first 3d RTS was good, and the gameplay is still quite solid. The only things I'd change would be the complaints listed above.... and for them to implement a MULTIPLAYER CAMPAIGN. That map reminds me of Master of Orion 2, and I just KNOW it wouldn't take but a few small tweaks to make a multiplayer version of it. Yeah, I know, it'd take ages, but some of us have gaming groups or friends who play frequently, and playing out the entire campaign against another person (with CPU) or two would leave me happier than the day I first played Dune 2.

[sniper]

Just got the game and LOVE IT. Just one problem....it's too dark! Is there a brightness toggle in the game somewhere? Its annoying that the screen is very dim when it needs to be brighter. I eve tried to put my brighitness on my screen way up but that don't help much............