Dune 2000 Q&A

Westwood Studios sat down with its own Lewis Peterson, the producer of Dune 2000, and prepared a delightful document that answers just about every question gamers might have on the company's new game.

Have a look at what he said. Q: Dune 2 featured three playable sides whose differences were most apparent late in the game when the technology trees were made fully available. Will Dune 2000 further differentiate the three sides?A: We have preserved the same units as Dune 2, so much of the feel of the way the houses play will be similar. Each side shares a number of common units. However, we have implemented a slightly more complicated combat model to give us additional variables we can play with to balance the houses and allow them to feel different. However, we didn't want to interfere with how the original product played. And there are differences between the sides. The Harkonnen arsenal puts the emphasis on power at the expense of speed. The Ordos have the quickest units, but don't pack the same punch as their rivals. And the Atreides are well balanced, with quick-moving yet powerful units. The result is more like a chess game where you have fewer number of unique pieces. This makes it easier for people to learn, but also makes the challenge of mastering your opponent more tied into superior strategy. Q: Will the game use an existing engine or a new one?A: We created a new engine for Dune 2000. Obviously we used the experience we gained in creating C&C and Red Alert, but we wanted to make sure that Dune 2000 had its own distinct flavor. This allowed us to do some things we weren't able to do in Red Alert and C&C. Q: Since Dune 2000 will contain three sides rather than two, balancing will be difficult. How will you achieve balance and multiplayer stability?A: Very carefully. We're paying a lot of attention to how we're setting up the strengths and weaknesses of each side. The bottom line is we won't release it until we feel confident that there is a good balance between the three sides. Q: Why remake Dune 2?A: We owed it to our fans. We continue to have an incredible amount of interest in Dune 2. The fans wanted to experience the classic game with updated graphics, sound, and the chance to go head-to-head against human opponents. Now they'll have that chance. And for RTS fans who didn't play the original, it's a chance to experience Dune for the first time. Q: While the graphics of the game will obviously be improved from the original 256 VGA, what will Dune 2000 feature graphically?A: We are attempting to achieve a photo-realism in the terrain and effects that 16-bit graphics afford. We used photographic references, as well as the movie as our guide for the terrain. Players will be able to select from 8-bit graphics/256 colors or 16-bit/65,000 colors. Each mode varies in detail, 8-bit will allow for faster gameplay, and 16-bit mode will allow for more colorful and detailed landscaping. We have also completely redesigned and recreated the artwork for each of the sides, including the units, structures, and special effects. This way players can distinguish and really get a feel for the House they have chosen. Special effects are another area where we have vastly improved from the original. Dynamic, additive lighting, particle effects, and translucency, are a few of the things we've added to create more visual punch. Q: Have there been any plans to update the storyline for the single-player game?A: The storyline has been updated significantly for Dune 2000, which has allowed us to create much more extensive full motion video briefings for the missions. Q: Who stars in the FMV?A: Playing the part of the Atreides Mentat, John Rhys Davies (Raiders of the Lost Ark; Sliders) leads a cast of six accomplished television and film actors who help build the excitement and suspense of the game and provide players with key information throughout the game. Joining Davies are Richard Marcus (Tremors; The Pretender) as the Ordos Mentat; Robert Carin (Another World; As The World Turns) as the Harkonnen Mentat; Nancy Valen (Baywatch) as a Fremen warrior; Musetta Vander (Mortal Kombat II; Babylon 5; Buffy the Vampire Slayer) as the Bene Gesserit Elara; and Adrian Sparks (Burning Zone; RavenHawk) as the Emperor. Q: What new units are there?A: All the units of the original game are back, but we have added an engineer and a thumper unit. The engineer can take over enemy buildings. The thumper, just as in the books and movie, can place a device in the sand that attracts the sandworm. So, while you can never truly control the worm, you can divert it away from your harvesters or toward your enemy. Q: How many missions? A: There will be nine missions for each side, 27 total. This will provide fans of the original product with a new experience, even if they played through every mission in Dune 2. The designers are now in the process of creating alternate missions for each side to add to replay value.

Q: Is the sandworm back?A: We have worm signs the likes of which even God has never seen! Yes! The worms will still be free roaming, searching Dune for their next dinner. They will become more aggressive if provoked, so be careful. You cannot control the worms, but you will be able to divert them with a thumper unit. Q: What about the Freman and the Sarduakar?A: The Atreides, if you command your forces well, will form an alliance with the Freman, allowing you the use of a few of these stealthy, powerful troops. And, the Emperor's elite and deadly terror troops, the Sarduakar, also make an appearance. Q: Which sides will be playable for the multiplay? A: You will be able to play all three houses in multiplay. Q: How many people will be able to play in a game on Westwood Online?A: We'll be able to support two players over the Internet through Westwood Online (we're experimenting with four) and up to eight players on Local Area Networks. Q: Will a skirmish mode be added in Dune 2000?A: Yes. You'll be able to practice against up to four computer-controlled opponents. Q: How big will the maps be?A: The maps in Dune 2000 vary, but the largest will be 128x128. These are the same size as the mega maps found in Command & Conquer Red Alert Aftermath.

Q: When will Dune 2000 be out?A: It should be in stores by the end of July. Q: The music in Dune 2 was great. Who wrote the music for Dune 2000?A: The music of Dune 2000 is being written by our own Frank Kleplacki. He also wrote the music for the original as well as every Westwood game since 1991. If you're a fan of the original music, you'll probably recognize familiar, updated versions of some of the original tracks, as well as a lot of brand-new songs. Q: Is Dune 2000 planned as an update to the original Dune 2 (the same game incorporating today's technology), or a whole new game?A: A little bit of both! Our intention with Dune 2000 was to take the classic hit Dune 2 and update it for the new millenium, taking full advantage of the many technological advances since its release in 1992.

We wanted to preserve the gameplay experience that people fell in love with in Dune 2, while at the same time allowing both old fans and a new generation to enjoy this experience through an entirely new lens. We think that people who played through Dune 2 will find a new and worthwhile experience with Dune 2000 - with multiplayer options being a big draw. Those who haven't played Dune 2 will find a great real-time strategy game awaiting! Q: What new additions from the Dune novels or movie can we expect to see? A: With Dune 2000, we've gone to great lengths in the mission briefings and cutscenes to bring the player into the Dune universe. Every member of the team is a fanatical fan of both the Dune movie & the books. In the mission briefings, we explore each house in more detail than in Dune 2 and get much more involved in the characters of the Mentats, the Emperor, and the Bene Gesserit Truthsayer. Dune 2000 (like its predecessor) doesn't follow the story of Paul Atreides, but rather describes an alternate conflict set in the Dune universe - the Emperor has brought three houses to Arrakis to compete for the right to control Dune. Q: With the desert setting of Arakkis, how do you intend to diversify the look of the different mission?A: The setting of Dune 2000 is incredibly diverse. We've created an extremely rich battlefield full of photo-realistic images and incredible details. The result is a re-creation of the Dune environment that people will want to spend a lot of time with, exploring all the subtleties we've worked into the terrain. As the game progresses, new elements are added to the maps that aren't seen in earlier missions. So even though the game is set in a desert, the setting is always changing.