You mean We can put anything we want about DuneIII

[david]

So like if I say I want to say have a new freemen unit, like say a worm that is used as a transpot then I would put it in here?

[Gobalopper]

It is discussion on the next Dune game so if it relates in anyway you can post about it.

[kpack]

I don't know who has read the Melange articles, but that has sounded like the coolest game ever. I liked everything about it.

[exatreide]

Well the new dune game either has to be all strategy or all RPG its hard to mix them up in a war game. If its a strategy game you should have diferent houses. you can still have the main 3 or 4 but there should be more then that.Maybe the new game can be in the green days of dune? The game needs to run on the tiberian sun engine the red alert engine is just not going to cut it for a new dune game. Hows that for an idea?

[kunekune]

The problem with most strategy games is they don't have enough teams and there is usually not much differnece. I would like to see in the next Dune game for no unit to be used by 2 houses.

[mechadragon]

okay, so how about no Troopers for Harkonnen or Ordos? Only Atredies? There needs to be common units. I think what is needed is more of an interface that allows you do more with the units you have. For instance, in Dune 2000, the Carryalls couldn't carry much at all. One unit and it was normally a Harvester. How about enabling them as a troop transport as well? Stuff like that. Bring in a new level of complexity to the strategies. Dune is a very complex saga, how can Westwood expect to capture that mystique in a very simple game?

And don't rely on any engine except a totally new one!

[Edric O]

I think the new Dune game should be a lot like Melange, except for one thing: nearly all the units in Melange are for all the houses. The 4 houses are nearly the same! There musn't be ANY units shared by two houses or more. Also, the interfaces MUST be different. That's why I'm working on a Dune 3000 article myself, but it's a long way from being finished.

[david]

So what you're saying is they should have it like StarCraft, with all things different. Cool. Also, Tiberian Sun had all but one unit different(light infantry). I like the idea of more houses, different units and different technoledgies. Also melange(?) is a good game idea.

[montego]

Buttercup, can you tell us anything about this new game from WW, and a tentative release date..?

[exatreide]

I don't think westwood will be making a new dune game.Dune2000 was not a international hit. I think the only new dune games will be eithere from a small group of people like that game Arraiks or a rpg like from last unicorn games. But who knows maybe the mini series or the new dune books will remind people of dune.

[Guest Acumen]

I'm glad to hear so many positive comments about my Melange article!

If Melange appeals to you, please pledge your support by adding your comments to the petition (http://www.dune2k.com/community/articles/melange/petition).

As for the issue of similar units between Houses, this is pretty much inevitable. For example, a troop transport or harvester has a very distinct function, so the same unit is available for each House. Some elements are too basic to diffuse. The Houses gain their unique flavour through their special units and peculiar traits. While Dune 2000 was very limited in this regard (when there are only a couple of units distinguishing one House from another, things get very samey), I think that Melange's mechanic of having about a third of a House's units being unique is a pleasant balance.

You can't really compare it to Starcraft. Remember, those were completely separate species (plus, they only had a quarter of the units found in Melange). There's a limit to how much you can distinguish between human armies.

[mechadragon]

Acumen, thank you for helping say what I was trying!

[kunekune]

Lots of strategy games have all different units but they may have different names and look different but the still are the same. Like in Warcraft 2 you have a grunt for the orcs and a footman for the humans they are exactly the same!!!!!!!!

[hellsmaw]

i just thought id say hi since i havent posted in several months. Things do change!

well... HI!!!!!

[dewdaf]

Heres my idea of what Dune 3(000) should be like, House Atriedes won the Dune wars, 4 years after the wars House Ordos and House Harkonnen have teamed up to reclaim the planet Arrakis. The Fremen, happy with the way the Atriedes have been ruling over them, ally immediatly with the Atriedes. Now, instead of inflantry, Atriedes have visible Fremen. The House Alliance (Harkonnen and Ordos) also have new inflantry, "Advanced Troops" a mix of Troopers and Inflantry. A mistearious new house has come to Arrakis, "The House Turks" they are the smugglers with a name. After years of smuggling spice out from Arrakis, they have finally decided to Steal Arrakis from the Atriedes, with the planet thiers spice excavation would be easy, they have many friends around the galaxy ready to help them with thier latest technology. Now you can build units in each factory not just 1. Units can be upgraded in the game from the related building, (example* Harvesters can get upgraded armor, more speed, and carry more spice.) Carryalls can now carry 5 troops and one light veicle at a time or 1 heavy veicle. Repair pads are extinct, now you can build repair quads which are barely slower than a normal quad, but repair damaged veicles.(no guns) Orthhoppers now have improved armor against ground to air attacks, however, all houses can now build airplanes that scout the map and destroy Orthhoppers and other planes. The death hand's accuratcy has been dramticly improved. The Turks will have the invisible raiders the Ordos had on multiplayer for Dune2000. Both the House Alliance and the Turks can get sabotours. The House Alliances Palace can build(for money) a Deviator that not only can perminently steal a enemy unit, it also has the attacking power of a quad when ordered to attack a building. The Atriedes can now build a Stealth Fremen Combat Tank, with less armor than a normal combat tank, from its palace. Buildings now have the attacking power of a trike, and firing speed, (now they aren't defenceless!) the construction yard has the attacking power of a missle tank! Silos now hold three times more spice than before. The Turks have a tank called the "Grenade Tank" it has the power of a grenadier from Dune2000, but the protection of tank armor. (No more death by grenade explosions!) The Devistator's self-destruct is now initated faster and has a bigger blast radius. The Atriedes can, for a short period of time, control the sand worms on the game, when ordered to attack it will eat that unit. After 3 minutes, or 5 meals, it will become a rouge again, this is done by building a type of engineer that attracts a worm like a thumper, when eaten it implants a device to control the worm. This was the Fremen's way of travel before the Dune Wars. StarPorts now can carry 8 units, with more different types of units, it also shows how many are in stock when the mouse is put over the selected unit, there is no max the starport can have at it, but it takes a little longer than it would to build.(used for quick units) The Turks might have a friend or two help them in thier quest to steal the planet. Multi-Player support is increased to 8 players via Cable servers. 10 colors are now selectable. Some classic maps will return with 18 new maps to play on. Crate game will be selectable so you start with no MCV. Death Match is also a multi-player option, you start with a large amount of spice and build as fast as possable.(For quicker games) Don't be surpised if the Emporor appears in your game to destroy you!

Well what do you think? Should we have ButterCup get in contact with WW and tell em about my ideas?

[stealthwarrior00]

The Repair quad unit and orinithopter stuff sounds like something off Warzone 2100 for the PS. I suggested something similar on story content, with an alliance thing between Ordos and Harkonnen, as well as a another house (the confederacy/Ixians, not turks), where they have some rule over Ordos ( which took a beaten and are in debt to the Ixians). Some of the ideas you presented sound good, with exceptions of the grenade tank (There's always the regular and siege tanks just as powerful, though a stronger/faster siege tank doesn't sound bad) and the cable servers- a lot of people can't afford cable line modems, and that would limit in large numbers who could play the next Dune game multiplayer mode online. Otherwise, the other ideas don't sound too bad, though for the next dune to be too complex would be as little fun as a too simple one.

[dewdaf]

I mean WW gets cable servers sorry!

[hellsmaw]

i think any new dune game needs to be completly redesigned. it needs the technological advancement of Starcraft, the number and uniqueness of teams like in Age of Empires, and the great terrain and environmental interaction like on Total Annhilation. It needs to steer away from the C&C "fast battle, no tech" ideology. C&C, and its descendants, were too simple and were built around the rush and blitz. This new game needs to be complex, with hundreds of options so everyone can have their own strategy, instead of "fastest-mouse-wins." it should be realistic and you should be able to have lots of control over units an their actions. The resources in D2K were too few. at the very least, the new game should also include water as a resource (since without water, you can't maintain an army). as i said above there should be a mix of all the best elements of good games. there need to be lots of technologies to reasearch and each house should have radically different units and strategies to develop. If they can make a game that is realistic and teams that aren't clones (like D2K).

[dewdaf]

And another resource should be fuel... I mean what drives the tanks and stuff sand??? Maybe a unit that digs underground and harvests petrolium or something...

[buttercup]

The only new release I am aware of is Red Alert 2, due for release in mid-late October. Like I said, people are onto me, and aren't talking much...

As far as I know, the RA2 engine as similar, if not the same as, TS.

I agree with Havoc525, not enough teams in the mainstream RTS games. More sides to choose from is definately a feature to be expanded on.

(V)echa[ )ragon, I agree. How could any company possibly capture everything the saga has to offer in a game or two? Too complex...

ExAtreides, Kyrandia wasn't international either, but we made 3 of the series. I still get email from people wanting to know where to find it.

On a side note...one of my coworkers recently noticed my postings here. He's quite a gamer, so I don't doubt he plays often. Funny he would check the message boards though...

Keep the posts coming!

-Mary

[exatreide]

A bought the fuel idea I don't think that would be possible since the sandtrout incase all the watter so I don't think that would be possible. Maybe some of the special units would need some sort of fuel to move or fire? Maybe you would have to use a starport to get that fuel?

[exatreide]

What if the game was set in the greener days of dune.So we could see more things than just sand and rock. I don't know about you but i got tired of the same things. I know its dune but come on some new suroundings. Or even a map whare its the artic.

[exatreide]

1 more idea what if you diden't fight on dune for the first few missions. Lets say that Horkonens invaded Caledan and the Atreids invaded the ordos home world and the ordos invaded Gedi Prime. you would have to fight them off your world then either go to dune to fight or go to there home world to fight them. and if you lose a mission you would not lose the game you would just take another path till you won our you surendered.

[dewdaf]

Another idea... you should be able to goto any part of the map that your color touches.

[kunekune]

One thing that always pisses me off in RTS games is the size of the buildings, come on a tank factory about the size of 8 tanks!