An ambitious project...

[Duamutef]

Hello everybody! Ya Hya Chouhada!  ;D

This is my first day on this board, but I've been coming here for a long time. I have the greatest esteem for people like Jesse or Stefan, and everyone that loves Herbert's opus.

I am a Junior Aerospace Engineer, with a passion for Dune and its marvels, and the ability to develop 3D engines and edit graphic content for a game.

For a long time, I've been dreaming about an enormous game in which the player could choose to control one of the Great Houses of the Landsraad: Alman, Atreides, Corrino, Ordos, Marmusetz, Xochpili... using four kinds of social assets: Culture, Technology, Militarism, Commerce.

The game would be a mix between Civilization, Emperor, Dune Generations and Battlezone, with the ability to control battles in a way that was never seen before.

Everyone can join. This won't be easy and will take a long time, but rest assured I have the know-how to do it. And with your help there's no way we can miss this chance.

I'm preparing a site to explain the main idea of this game. Stay tuned to know more about it.

A bit of technobabble:

This game will use this kind of technology

Ambiance: bmp, png files

Units: 3ds, md3, x files

World: bsp files

Anyone able to work with this files make me know.

Bye Bye... Shai-Hulud!

[Dunenewt]

Ok, this looks very promising! I can provide ideas and encouragement...but I'm sure othere members can be of more assistance!

[Andrew]

Glad to see you finally joined. :)

Same for me as Dunenewt. Usually busy from now till September.

EDIT - Also, you might want to look at other projects currently under developement.

Arrakis (Dune 2: The Maker) Dune 2 type game.

Redux 3 Has a Dune themed Mod.

[Inoculator9]

I hope this is still being planned. I'd kick myself if my inactivity this year made me miss this :D

Duamutef, I admire the vision and I'd personally love to help. I tried to organize a team to design a Dune game, but it basically boiled down to a severe lack of... well... everything. I'll certainly try and help however I can.

[Cyborg]

I've always lived by:

Nothing is impossible; it just takes time.

However, if something takes too long, isn't it then impossible?

I've experience with too many such projects, and that's experience I often wish I did not have.

The enthusiasm and willpower of volunteer workers drops very fast, and if it takes more than a couple of months to finish, the project is, no offence, doomed at best.

That is, unless you have a redundant workforce.

Normally, these projects have, for some positions, only one person who can perform the relevant tasks with an acceptable result.

If that man has to leave, however, the project's future is in question.

The point of this post is to wake you up a little bit. You are seduced by the thought of a new Dune game, but you have no idea about what trouble lies ahead. Before the project is done, your belief in the project will be long lost, and you will wander in the dark not knowing when the project will be finished, or if it will ever be finished at all. If you survive that feeling, which probably is one of the worst feelings you can ever experience while working, then you will succeed. You will be able to play the game you so long fought, wished and prayed for, and you will get one of the best feelings you can ever imagine.

Most projects turn into a series of defeats leading to total surrender. I just hope to see one day a group, after a series of victories instead, end up as winners.

I wish I was able to enter such a project again, but I am far too busy these days. Perhaps with my own doomed projects  ;). Or perhaps I've finally found the tasks I am able to perform without losing all interest before I've come half way through.

Good luck, lads.

May you be the first ones to prove me wrong, and produce a quality game.

[stefanhendriks]

that is my experience as well Cyborg. The idea and enthousiasm at start is very big, but drops very fast. Its hard to keep going. To stay motivated. But , i surely hope, this idea will one day be a playable game! :)

[Mahdi]

Good luck, hope your project doesn't end up like so many others.

[stefanhendriks]

are you hinting me mahdi? :P :P ;)

[Mahdi]

are you hinting me mahdi? :P :P ;)

Nope.  I've had my own too.  Our lead programmer ended up in jail and tried to get us to give him money for bail.

[stefanhendriks]

wow, thats something different. Well lets hope the project does not end like that! ;)

[Duamutef]

:)

Thanks for the feedback.

Eh eh eh... I've worked on this game for a long time already. The 3d engine is ready, and I'm working on 3D models. Graphics are also fine, too. I just have to link all the things together. By the way what I need more are high-quality pictures of various landscapes (deserts, glaciers, tundrae) and a bit of animal pictures to design crests. I'm trying to imagine the various units of this game. They won't be too different from Emperor/DG...

A bit more details:

Houses: all the houses from Dune Encyclopedia. Their value will be the same as in the books. For example, House Alman has 10/10 but its values are omogenous, while House Harkonnen has only 6/10 but is heavily centered on commerce.

Assets:

Culture: the complex of historic traditions, politics and ethics. The final goal of a house based on this feature will be the creation of a supreme being, able to stop the chaos wave of a decaying humanity. Examples: Alman, Atreides, Tleilaxu.

Units: heavy centered upon infantry.

Technology: the speed in industrial development and the progress in technical evolution. The final goal of this house it to develop a synthetic psycho-tropic drug able to substitute the spice, making Arrakis a useless ball of dust. Examples: Ix, Richese, Xochpili.

Units: fast, light and powerful units - but weak.

Commerce: the ability to create and exchange resources and gain credits, therefore controlling the economic fluxes increasingly large portions of known universe. Final goal: the creation of an absolute monopoly over every form of wealth, and the closing of CHOAM, known universe's stock exchange market. Examples: Harkonnen, Ordos.

Units: a mix of common units from other groups.

Militarism: the ability to use violence as a mean to politic purposes, the respect and devotion of your armies and your attitude towards strategic and tactical control of situations. Final goal: the constitution of an Emperor that will control the whole universe and will lead an army of fanatical warriors. Examples: Corrino, Moritani.

Units: slow, powerful and reliable units.

Graphic content:

I need MANY high-definition pictures of space and landscapes. Please make me know where to find them.

Game concept:

Feel free to make me know how to build this game's rule and balancing of powers. If you have any complain about the things I described make me know.

Thanks in advance for your support. I don't want to fail your trust, and am sure you will understand how much time will be needed for this project.

[Caid Ivik]

If it will be infantry based, why not, I am eager for some kind of Dune:Total War  ;D

[Duamutef]

I've found really nice space pictures in artofgregmartin.com... do you know where else I can found other pictures of that kind? And where do I found landscapes?  :P

[Caid Ivik]

Have you tried DeviantArt?

[Dunenewt]

Nope. I've had my own too. Our lead programmer ended up in jail and tried to get us to give him money for bail.

Is that anything related to what you posted in the old S2k board about competition?

[Mahdi]

No, that game was already finished, like I said in that thread.  But they decided to remake it removing all traces of the word Dune as they wanted to make money off of it but did not want to be sued.  I have the url somewhere.

[Duamutef]

Do not get out of topic, my friends...

By the way, how do I place the Italian flag under my nickname?  ;D

[Dunenewt]

Would this kind of landscape be ok?

[attachment archived by Gobalopper]

[Andrew]

I need MANY high-definition pictures of space and landscapes. Please make me know where to find them.

Game concept:

Feel free to make me know how to build this game's rule and balancing of powers. If you have any complain about the things I described make me know.

Thanks in advance for your support. I don't want to fail your trust, and am sure you will understand how much time will be needed for this project.  ;D

PS: Oh... Stefan and Mahdi, I'll try to stay out of jail. Thanks for the advice... how do I get the Italian flag under my nickname? Ciao a tutti! :D

Terragen can make landscape images like Dunenewt's (even movies if you have time)

http://www.planetside.co.uk/terragen/

To get the flag under your name, go to member map

http://www.dune2k.com/forum/index.php?action=mm

And click on place your pin. Select the country will put the flag next to name.

[Duamutef]

Andrew, thanks a WHOLE lot!

Terragen is wonderful!

It builds almost every kind of landscape. Now I just need some rendered warm tropical landscape and a pair of futuristic metropolis views... just that and I'll be ok!

[stefanhendriks]

EDIT: One more thing! Where can I find the ENTIRE list of Houses and Planets from Dune Encyclopedia?

that would be interesting for me as well....

[Andrew]

Get the Dune Encyclopedia from your local library if it has it. :P

To see some landscapes that I did with Terragen visit

http://users.eastlink.ca/~andrewabc/images.html

Also

http://www.dune2k.com/?page=community-fanart&show=andrew

Although visiting the landscape gallery at terragen website and others show some beautiful landscapes.

I had made several short videos, but I'm not sure where they are atm.

[Timenn]

Find someone who has the Dune Encyclopedia, and is in a good mood.

Wait, I am in a good mood:

Abefor

Alman

Amminadab

Andersson

Atreides

at-Tam

Bagriatoni

Barlevin

Bendau

Beskid

Bromeli

Burgerish

Cephalus

Chelly

Chinognia

Chlemnik

Clanricarde

Corrino

Costino

Daryai

Delambre

Demavend

Destrym

Dupleix

Edomdred

Elioz

Emar

Est

Estilon

Ezharian

Fenring

Fidbolgs

Forbino

Genissai

Ghulan

Ginaz

Guilford

Hajus

Harkonnen

Halleck

Hemming

Hirado

Hybla

Iasi

Ichihara

Igal

Isfahan

Isonzo

Ispartha

Istaivan

Jerodine

Jungius

Kenric

Khumali

Kyzyl

Lassoki

Latzko

Lexander

Lidoping

Lompok

Lonsle

Ludvonga

Lynwyck

Marmusetz

Masjed

Medvedev

Melui

Menemtahe

Meyerwal

Molay

Moritani

Morotai

Mustami

Mwami

Ngara

Nicolpri

Niembach

Noabar

Ophelion

Ordos

Orzaba

Ossian

Paligo

Parakrama-hu

Pastran

Penchi

Phyfe

Pibeseth

Pinang

Polotsvi

Qair

Raichur

Reginaud

Rejani

Rhiberia

Rhylme

Samarama

Shakrukh

Shi-Lang

Sikunri

Spokan

Sulaimani

Surakarta

Thorgod

Tiiopa'il

Togramah

Tombe

Turenne

Vico

Villish

Wallach

Wikkheiser

Xingus

Yasu

Yuzovka

Zalmunna

No planets in the DE...

[Duamutef]

Thanks a lot Timenn... it's good to see you in a good mood!  ;D

Am I the only Italian in this board, by the way?  ???

[Dunenewt]

Yeah I think so, sono inglese :)