Dune: Spice Wars – -apkrig
The Dune Universe is finally returning to computer games, and despite initial concerns, when the brand was bought by Funcom, it will not be an open world survival. Studio Shiro Games, the creators of Northgard, are preparing a mix of 4X and real-time strategy Dune: Spice Wars, and according to an interview with IGN, they are definitely not saving their ambitions. Which is a good thing, because at a time when we often see simplification or, to put it modernly, “streamlining” systems, Spice Wars sounds like a very sophisticated piece that can be approached by various strategic methods.
The center of everything will, of course, be the planet Arrakis, or its North Pole, and spice mining. The player will be able to take on one of the genera, which will differ in different abilities. So far, the Shiro Games have introduced only the classic central pair, the Harkonnens and the Atreides, but we will definitely see more factions, ideally perhaps from Herbert’s universe, and not fictional game predecessors.
As you would expect, the Harkonnens are betting on brute force and crushing the enemy, while the Atreides on Dune are working more with diplomacy and indirect influence. Your family’s abilities will also be defined by the counselor you choose. Each gender should have a group of counselors, several of whom you choose and they will further influence your options. Lady Jessica, who will logically strengthen the political component of your power, and Duncan Idaho, whom you reach for when you feel that your Atreides need help militarily, have been introduced.
There will be three paths to victory. For example, you can become a Hegemon, which status depends on the scoring system and the path to it will vary by faction. Then there will be a political victory when you are officially appointed governor of Arrakis. And to the third good old “if you kill everyone, you’re the winner”, ie the elimination of all competition by military means.
However, don’t expect to play only on the local sand, there will be two other important players in the game – the Emperor and the Landsraad family corps. The first one will require a regular payment in spice and misery if you fail! The Landsraad will then make room for a lot of politicking, without which you will not survive. With the right moves on the political field, you can disadvantage or cripple the family that is a thorn in your side, you can get to the position of governor, or vice versa, if you underestimate the Landsraad, you will find that everything has conspired against you.
Espionage should also be an important component, in a more complex manner than usual. It’s not just about putting spies somewhere and getting points for it. It is important that it is important to correctly anticipate the opponent’s actions. If you know where foreign troops are going, you can let your scouts scramble the army before it reaches your island.
After all, the fight will be tough, even thanks to Arrakis himself. You will avoid worms in rocky areas, but you will not get a grain of spices to control them, the crossing over sandy seas will be extremely difficult. The troops require supplies, and too long a move without logistical support can destroy the army before it arrives. Not to mention that worms never sleep and always starve. The success of the attack will depend on many variables, including the technologies at your disposal and counterintelligence.
Well, last but not least, there is the economy. From the creators’ statement, it is clear that a lot will be operated on during early access (no, we can’t avoid that, unfortunately), because the prices of spices will change dynamically. And if something is difficult to design correctly, it’s economics, because just one or two steps and your game will fall apart like a house of cards.
That is why the creators do not yet plan a system of supply and demand, because they do not want to give players the opportunity to strangle the spice tapes, thereby setting prices to the maximum and then earning huge money, for which they roll their opponents with a single invasion. A similar form of market may occur, but it will depend a lot on early access testing.
It all sounds great. Dune: Spice Wars definitely doesn’t look like an opportunistic pendant for a movie, but a full-fledged and unique strategy. I’m afraid of one thing: So that the creators don’t take too big a bite. The RTS component, the military, the economy, politics, everything in this sketch sounds so elaborate that I personally fear that the ambitions of the studio will not overwhelm.
On the other hand, if the creators manage to turn all this into a functional form, we have a strategy with huge replayability and fun for tens to hundreds of hours. When? We don’t know, but early access should be released on PC next year.
