Dune2000 Interview
Fritz Schober
Hi everybody! -=== Fr - 20.02.98 - 18:25 o'clock ===-
Fuer alle C&C und Dune2 Fans die kein Internet haben:
Dune 2000
Lewis Peterson, Producer, Westwood Studios 20th of February, 1997
By Sean "LlamaOne" Jordan
Westwood Studios' Dune 2 set the world on fire by introducing real-time
to the strategy genre and a new way to control the battlefield.
Recently, Westwood announced Dune 2000, scheduled to be released this
spring. We managed to grab Lewis Peterson, the Producer, for an interview
about this anticipated upcoming title.
The Concept and History
Q : First of all, what are the main reasons to this point that Dune 2000
is going to be an upgrade of the classic Dune II and NOT a new game in
the series?
A : We owed it to our fans. We continue to have an incredible amount of
interest in Dune 2, even today, and most of it focuses on wanting to
be able to experience Dune 2 multiplayer.
Also, Dune 2 was such a classic game that we wanted to give devoted fans
the chance to revisit a familiar setting, and give a new generation of
gamers the opportunity to experience Dune for the first time.
Q : Which game will Dune 2000 more closely resemble - the Sega Genesis
version of Dune II (Dune: The Battle for Arrakis), or the PC one?
A : Dune 2000 will take after the PC version.
Q : Do you think that Dune II has remained a popular game even after the
birth of titles like Warcraft II and Command and Conquer?
A : Of course, and the thousands of e-mails we have received for an
updated version of Dune 2 support that. Both C&C and Warcraft are great
games, and Westwood is very proud of Dune 2 and what is has accomplished
over the years, so we're merely paying our respects to the game that
started the RTS phenomenon.
The Graphics and Sound
Q : While the graphics of the game will obviously be improved from the
original 256 VGA, what will Dune 2000 feature graphically that will be
different from games like Red Alert or C&C? Should gamers expect brightly
colored deserts like those seen in Dune II, or will the landscape be made
of the duller colors seen in the C&C desert theaters?
A : The art direction of Dune 2000 is unique and distinct from Dune 2 or
C&C, since each product uses a different engine. We are attempting to
achieve a photorealism in the terrain & effects that 16 bit graphics
afford. We have utilized photographic reference, as well as the film
as our guide for the terrain.
Players will be able to select from 8 bit graphics, 256 colors , or
16 bit mode, 65,000 colors. Each mode varies in detail, 8 bit will allow
for faster gameplay, as where 16 bit mode allows for more colorful, and
detailed desert landscaping.
We have also completely redesigned & recreated the art work 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.
Q : Will the wormsign resemble the lightning effect seen in the film, or
will it still be a circular area that merely glimmers?
A : We're currently finalizing the effects - but we can promise they will
be impressive!
Q : Will the harvesters look more like those in the film, the original Dune
game from Cryo, those in Dune II for the PC, or those in Dune: The Battle
of Arrakis for the Genesis?
A : The design for the harvester units have been based off of the harvesters
in the film.
Upgrades to the Game
Q : Have there been any plans to update the storyline for the single player
game? Will the scenarios be changed now that the more flexible Command and
Conquer engine is being used?
First, the C&C engine is not being used for Dune 2000 - the engine has
been created specifically for this product.
The storyline has been updated significantly for Dune 2000, which has
allowed us to create much more extensive video briefings for the missions,
and update the missions. The missions have been reworked to take advantage
of the new engine, AI, and interface.
There will be 9 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 : Are there any plans on altering formerly useless units such as trikes
and quads to be effective for multiplayer games?
A : Trikes and quads were never really useless, it's all in how you use
them. The common units for each side will be similar, but their attributes
will be tweaked according to the House.
An example would be a lighter and faster quad for House Ordos, and a slower
and a bit more powerful quad for House Harkonnen. Of course there are other
factors involved, building rate, cost etc. So it does get very complicated.
Q : Will the worm finally be controllable by House Atreides? Will the Fremen
be able to ride the Sandworms? (note for Dune II team- I hex-edited the
game once and made myself start with a sandworm. It was really very funny
since it had four commands- attack, attack, attack, and attack)
A : No, the worms will still be free roaming. As for the Fremen they will
be a unit specific to house Atredies.
Q : Are sandworms still going to disappear after taking half damage, or
will they stay and get more aggressive as they take more hits? Will
they leave after eating a certain number of units?
A : The AI for the worms has been greatly improved. Following the movie
the worms will protect the Spice They will become more aggressive if
provoked so be careful.
Q : Will the worms regenerate the spice, or will it be a nonrenewable
resource?
A : Spice renews itself not through worms, but through 'spice blooms'
that burst and create new areas of spice, as in Dune 2.
Q : Are units such as engineers going to be added, or will infantry still
be able to take over buildings?
A : We have added an engineer unit for all of the sides - in updating the
interface there is no longer a "move" command, which makes the engineer
essential.
Q : Will the sell command be introduced to Dune 2000?
A : Yes!!
Q : Will the mentats return to Dune 2000 as advisors? Will it still be
possible to talk to them in battle for hints and such?
A : The mentats are your advisors, and introduce each mission in the
video briefings.
Q : Will the Sarduakar be playable? Are there any plans to introduce
specialty units for them?
A: Yes, and they are only used by the Harkonnens.
Q : Are there any other new units in the works?
A : Our designers are still working with some ideas right now, but we
want to remain as faithful to the original as possible. Our features
list should be solid in the next few weeks..
Q : Regarding the spice blooms- will these return with the sole purpose
of adding spice to the field? The original manual for Dune II promised
that they would also contain units or money- will crates be added to
compensate for this?
A : Of course!! the spice blooms are essential to the spice fields. As
for crates, it was a great multiplayer feature introduced in C&C and we
are adapting it for Dune 2000.
Q : Who will be in charge of redoing the haunting musical score that
Paul Mudra wrote for Dune II? Will it be kept the same, or will it be
updated to the industrial styled music found in Dune: The Battle for Arrakis?
A : Actually our music man Frank Klepacki did the original score. Frank
has composed the music for every Westwood title since 1991. There will
be some new scores, that Frank has thought up, as well as reworked originals.
Q : Will the Artificial Intelligence for each side be both different and
intelligent this time around? (I only ask because a few years ago in the
second to last mission in Dune II, I managed to demolish an entire base
with one sonic tank.)
A : The AI has been updated along with the rest of the game, which has
allowed us to create very engaging, multilayered missions.
Multiplayer Support
-------------------
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 : At present we will only support Head to Head over the Internet. We
want to keep the quality of gameplay at optimum performance.
Q : Has the engine been tweaked for faster, better mutliplayer support?
A : The engine in Dune 2000 is new. It has been developed to support
various new features that were not found in the original. It will
contain all of the simplicity and excitement that made the original,
C&C and Red Alert fun to play.
Q : How will issues such as "Siege Tank" rushing be addressed before
the release of Dune 2000?
A : We are approaching this area very carefully. We are paying close
attention to how the strengths and weakness' for each side are set
up.In the end we won't release the game until we feel confident that
there is a good balance between the three sides and that no one
strategy can be exploited...
Q : Will a skirmish mode be added in Dune 2000?
A : A practice mode is currently in the cue of things to be implemented
which will allow players to select on of the three sides and play against
multiple AI opponents. The full implementation is not yet determined, but
it should allow people to get a feel for the three sides before jumping
into a multiplayer game.
Q : The maps: How big will they be, and how many players will they support
at a time?
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. The max number of Players per map will range from four to
eight people.
Q : Do you have any deals underway with the major multiplayer gaming
services? (i.e. TEN, Mplayer, Kali)
A : It will be exclusive to Westwood's free gaming service Westwood Online.
Q : Is Westwood planning any Internet based beta tests before the release
of Dune 2000?
A : It is possible, and if we do we will announce it on our website.
Miscellaneous Questions
-----------------------
Q : Will each side remain characteristic of itself? For example, the
Atreides never attacked worms, the Harkonnens attacked their own units
at times, etc.
A : We are attempting to implement most of the quirks of the original
that fans grew to appreciate through hours of play.
(c) copyright 1998 Lorien
We wish to thank Lewis Peterson for sharing with us this information and
sparing us the time to answer these question, and a special thanks go to
Chris for helping us organize the interview.
MfG
Friedrich Alexander Schober email: fritz-...@netcologne.de
http://www.netcologne.de/~nc-schobefr/
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