If it is decided that a new DUNE game is to be released what would you say?

[SAND]

Upto now the world od dune gaming has advanced very quickly new ideas has been bought in but personally if say a new game is to be released for dune and the producer would want your opininons on what features would you like in them what would you say about it should there be a new house to enter in the war for the planet and the spice should there be some new charcter in it should it be of extreme graphics and cool sound effects should there be a twist in the story like a stupid portal has just opened and the hero is teleported back in time to the olden dune times when the atridies have newly arrived to dune and he has a lotta plans to drive the harkonens away there is so much of imagination involved in it what do you think of it?

[XaarKhan]

If they release a new game they can keep the most part of how Emperor: Battle for Dune was.

I would of course want some improvements:

- Getting a bonus for capturing all territories.

- More FMV's that only unlock when doing additional stuff (like getting 3 subhouses to ally you, or doing every mission possible to save the Fremen, etc.)

- Higher replayability value.

- Possibility to unlock sounds, images, making off and more when finishing the game on harder levels and doing more.

- Better AI, better pathfinding, better graphics, better sound and most important, better gameplay.

- Support for mods and user made maps, and also long term support for game patches to keep the game running on new hardware.

- At least 20 hours of playtime for the average user to finish the game on normal settings.

- Longer server support for multiplay.

- Regular tournaments and rewards for multiplay to keep users active.

- Ability to transfer maps in multiplay so other players can play as well.

- Ingame download of content such as patches, mods and maps from ingame menu.

- At least 1 game expansion in the first 2 years to keep the game active.

- Alot of promotion and publicity around the game.

- A good website and forum, constantly updated with everything happening around or in the game.

- Multilanguage support, release the game in multiple languages (mostly for Europe) so everyone can play and understand the game.

- Better tutorial and explanation about game quirks.

If they release a game that improves on all this, I go buy it immediately.

[MrFlibble]

Actually, when thinking about it, I believe I wouldn't be overjoyed to see yet another Dune RTS in the vein of Dune 2000 or Emperor. I'd rather prefer something a tad closer to the book. As I mentioned somewhere else, I'd like a Hitman-style stealth action taking place at the times of the Old Imperium, which, in my opinion, would allow to show the Duniverse in a close perspective.

It's a pity Dune Generations was canceled.

[Vanguard3000]

A stealth-action game would be pretty cool.  You could be an assassin or swordmaster for a Great House (or even working as a mercenary for the highest bidder), sneaking into a palace, sietch, or frigate, and completing a goal.  The FH's Dune was a neat idea, but very badly executed.

Of course, an RPG-type game could be really cool, too.

[MrFlibble]

You could be an assassin or swordmaster for a Great House (or even working as a mercenary for the highest bidder), sneaking into a palace, sietch, or frigate, and completing a goal.

Exactly my thoughts :)

[Newbiezilla]

I would love a great RPG. I'd love to see what BioWare would be able to do with it. Though, I know they wouldn't, as they are focusing on their own IPs now (with the exception of the Sonic RPG on the DS).

[alchemi2]

An upgraded version of Emperor would be excellent but i would like to see a Duniverse version along the the lines and style of Dawn of War (Soulstorm) Where you could play any of the main protagonists.

[DragoFire]

With the new movie in the works I wouldn't be surprised if someone makes a new game based on it or near to it.

So depending on who makes a new game and how the movie style effects it who knows how it'd come out!

[D2k Sardaukar]

I hope they keep it on land/world. The space is great, but not for a game, not Dune at least. Space makes it sad, cold and lonely. Keep it on a world with colours, light (effects), wind, shiny metal/material and dynamic human understandable elements like weather and mountains. So, no Eve like things.

Also, the concept art for the next Dune must be greater and more exotic. Look at Guild Wars or other modern games, the concept art is amazing and gives nice idea's about the game. Put the concept art in the loading moments.

What the game also should have is physics. I think the rag doll effect in GTA 4 should be the minimum in effect. There should be a superb sand engine in it that works wonderful with rag doll, like when a tank (if they are part of the game) run over a soldier it gets realistic buried in sand, etc.

Sand should be the thing the game runs, looks and works about. Sand is where Dune is about, so should be the game. Make sand look realistic, make it part of the tactic and the missions. Old dunes dont use it besides you cant build on sand, but some kind of rock that is amazingly flat...

A new story might be nice. You don't always need to stick to the books. If certain elements that are not in the books make the game a lot better, i would say - go for it. Perhaps a story before the books, like lead-in, will work great. The story also needs more depth, not just take this land and take that piece of land. There must be a greater purpose with minor purposes. Put something in it about hidden technology in caves, knowledge, culture, people's faith, etc. On dune there must be more in the sand than just taking the land.

Roller coaster tycoon 3 shows that distance view and close view (on the coaster) can be combined nicely, this should also be in the game. Okay, RCT 3 is perhaps not the best example, but you get the idea. Switch from commander view to the field and still give orders.

More automatic systems, perhaps a better economic system (look at age of empires) and more trading options will improve the gameplay, but if you want to go into just battle you must be able to turn this economic to automatic, rely on it and just battle.

Bigger online games. Join with 10 or more people and battle. Perhaps 2 on ground level and the others as commander, etc.

More diversity in units/vehicles. Make each power have it's own different units and/or vehicles. Strength of course most the same, but function and look different. Not so sure about this idea, but something needs to change in the units/vehicles. Of course, don't overdo it. Earth 2160 or something like that name did this over the top. There was too much options... I'm still dizzy... when I think about it... You don't want a 200 pages book to just understand a game... that does not work.

Not too big lonely sand sights/maps. Of course Dune is only sand and lonely, but if you play missions, you dont want to be running 2 min to get your attack to the other side of the map, that just takes too long. There must be found a match between distance (and feeling of it) and time you reach the object (like enemy). This is something where you need good map/level designers for.

Make it better than the latest Command and Conqueror stuff. On look, feel, and content area. Sure, there may be good looking woman in the cut scenes, but not like in latest CC.... come on...

[DelugeD]

id buy it,

[MrFlibble]

Actually, if the new Dune RTS would preserve the visual style of Dune II in 3D (I mean unit and structure design - not the pixel stuff on the game board, but what was depicted on the Mentat database/production screen images), I think it'd be very nice.

[Dunenewt]

Yes, if that could be recreated, I think the game would have a much nicer 'feel' to it than some of the other approaches.

[MrFlibble]

Actually, a guy called Skrie was working on 3D models of Dune II stuff, but he got pissed off and quit the forum in anger, deleting all of his posts (how rude!). Perhaps his work could be used in some mod or a stand-alone project - given that he didn't delete it too :-

EDIT: Simple Googling gave me his whereabouts:

http://skrie.danoli3.com/

His posts were cached by Google, BTW - anyone (mod) care to restore them?

[D2k Sardaukar]

looks like a dutch guy.

lol, you can find everything of him in there...

you know - I might give it a try, creating dune 2000 models in 3d. but i can't make a game

[cegap]

I think it would be great if you can use some of the heroes from the books with special powers. Like Paul or Leto II using their powers on some way, Honored Matres or bene geserit using female power.

[MrFlibble]

Having Leto II as a hero superunit would by just gross :P

Honored Matres or bene geserit using female power.

Female power? You mean, like, seducing enemy soldiers right on the battlefield or what? :O

[gunner154]

Female power? You mean, like, seducing enemy soldiers right on the battlefield or what? :O

That was what I was thinking of as well. Implementation would be really wacky.

[Dunenewt]

Some kind of demoralising effect then?

[MrFlibble]

This particular kind ;)

[The Honored Matres] are sexual monsters, his informants had said. They enslave men by the powers of sex.

"They rule with sex!" [Waff] exulted. "Remarkable techniques of orgasmic amplification!"

On a more serious note, all such things like fighting Bene Gesserit Reverend Mothers, Honored Matres or Face Dancers are extremely difficult to implement properly in a classic RTS framework IMO.

[cegap]

Dont you think having a Leto II half human-half worm unit would be cool? You can use Paul Atreides using presence to watch what enemies are doing? Have some Futars and Honored Matres fighting against each other? Using Face dancers as spies? Implementation of some titans and cimeks? That, definitely would make a very rich game

[MrFlibble]

It's my personal opinion, but I think all this would be turning Dune into sci-fi pop stuff. It'd be better to either keep on with "two duniverses" (the books vs. Westwood Dune game lore), or make a game more closer to the original books in every aspect (like Dune Generations was supposed to be).

And I find the idea of a Leto II superhero unit demeaning for this very deep character - not that his reincarnation in Dune 7 wasn't demeaning enough, as I have heard.

[cegap]

Back in 1997 i played Dune II, and I love it (it's the oldest CD-ROM in my collection), but when i started to read the books in 2001, I felt the games about Dune very imperfect. Starting with House Ordos, why people in Westood like to put that House??? I think in Emperor they did a great job, but there's a lot of characters, technologies, planets and human races in the novels, starting in the Buttlerian Jihad to the re-rise of the machines in Sandworms of Dune, that they never putted in any game. In a new game I think, they have to be loyal to all the books, not only to the original ones. That's my opinion.

[vota dc]

A good new Dune could be a mix between RTS and turned wargame.For example like Birthright the Gorgon Alliance or Romance of the three kingdoms,but with real time battles.

Like Emperor,and even more,there should be less Dune and more other planets.

[Windwalker]

A new dune game... If it ever happens, it will probably be a rts. And it will not best out starcraft 2. Just we old fans will play it for nostalgic purposes...

If such a game were to make me happy, it should have;

-other win conditions than "destroy everything" which is quite contrary to the books.

-more human centered aproach, at least of equal value with vehicles.

-THEME! Goddamn theme! what in the name of the 13th tooth of the maker worm is a "sonic tank"? Atreides bringing a new dimension to hard rock music? (i was 3rd in a forum contest with this line)

-It has to bring in something new, thats for sure. Playing in a desert gives some options. Shifting sand dunes? less but more important buildings? worms? better storms? water as resources?

But the real game that would make me happy with dune would be something like system shock style; where you can customize your character for different themes to be a swormaster, a mentat, a fedaykin, an assasin...

And real bliss would have been a massive multiplayer online rpg. ıt would have been very difficult to handle; but it would have been nice. When i saw anarchy online for the first time, the player was running in a desert like environment, there were some lightning off the static, and player was wielding modern weapons... Instantly reminded me of dune.

No matter what the new game is, it should be about storytelling, about choices, about philosophy... Like fallout or bio-shock or arcanum or system shock did.