www.dune2000.com
Dune 2000 Information
Here is some info from Aaron Cohen from Westwood Studios:
When will Dune 2000 be released?
It'll be out in June in the U.S. Worldwide the release
might vary a bit, but it will be near July.
Do you need betatesters?
We don't need beta testers at this time. Sorry.
Will there be a demo?
There will not be a demo.
Will Dune 2 come with it?
Dune 2 will not ship with Dune 2000.
Is this an upgrade to dune 2?
There will not be a patch to upgrade Dune 2. Dune 2000 is a
completely new game written for Windows 95. It would be
impossible to upgrade Dune 2 to Dune 2000 with a patch.
Will it run under Windows NT?
It may or may not run under Windows NT.
We are still testing the game.
How do I play multiplayer over the internet?
To play Dune 2000 over the Internet, you must do it through
Westwood Online, which is a free service. The latest Westwood Online
software will be on the Dune 2000 disk.
Dune 2000 FAQ
Answers from Producer Lewis Peterson
The music in Dune 2 was great. Who wrote the music for Dune 2000?
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.
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 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
Dune 2, while at the same time allowing both old fans and a new generation
to enjoy this experience through an entirely new lens.
What new additions from the Dune novels
or movie can we expect to see?
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.
Dune 2000 (like its predecessor) doesn't follow the story of
Paul Atreides, but rather describes a conflict set in the Dune universe.
With the desert setting of Arakkis, how do you intend
to diversify the look of the different missions?
The setting of Dune 2000 is incredibly diverse.
We've created an extremely rich battlefield full of photorealistic
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.
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?
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 some differences between the side. 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.
Will the game use an existing engine or a new one?
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.
Since Dune 2000 will contain three sides rather than
two, balancing will be difficult. How will you achieve
balance and multiplayer stability?
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 be a good balance between the three sides.
Why re-make Dune 2?
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 fans who didn't play the original,
it's a chance to experience Dune for the first time.
Besides its obvious retro appeal,
what will make this game compelling in an
already overcrowded RTS market?
A few things:
The Dune universe is such a fantastic setting.
It's a wonderful world to create a game around and we
know that people will have a great time immersing
themselves in this compelling universe.
One of the strengths of Dune 2000 will be its simplicity.
While many games are relying on more and more units,
and faster and faster gameplay,
Dune 2000 remains a pure strategy game.
Two words - carryalls & sandworms!
While the graphics of the game will
obviously be improved from the original
256 VGA, what will Dune 2000 feature graphically?
We are attempting to achieve a photorealism
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.
Have there been any plans to update the
storyline for the single player game?
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.
Who stars in the FMV?
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.
What new units are there?
All the units of the original game are back, but we have
added an engineer and a thumper unit.
The engineer can take over badly damaged 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.
How many missions?
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.
Is the Sandworm back?
Yes! The worms will still be free roaming, searching Dune
for their next dinner. They will become more aggressive
if provoked, so be careful.
The AI for the worms has been greatly improved.
Following the movie the worms will protect the Spice.
You cannot control the worms,
but you will be able to divert them with a thumper unit.
Will the wormsign resemble the lightning effect seen
in the film, or will it still be a circular area that merely glimmers?
We're currently finalizing the effects
- but we can promise they will be impressive!
Will the worms regenerate the spice,
or will it be a nonrenewable resource?
Spice renews itself not through worms, but through
'spice blooms' that burst and create new areas of
spice, as in Dune 2.
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?
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.
What about the Freman and the Sarduakar?
The Atredies, 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, in the same fashion, the Harkonnen will have to earn
the right to use the Emporer's elite troops, the Sardukar.
Will the Artificial Intelligence for
each side be both different and intelligent
this time around?
The AI has been updated along with the
rest of the game, which has allowed us to create
very engaging, multi-layered missions.
Which sides will be playable for the multiplay?
You will be able to play all three houses in multiplay.
How many people will be able to play in a game
on Westwood Online?
We'll be able to support four players over the
Internet through Westwood Online and up to eight players
on Local Area Networks.
Will a skirmish mode be added in Dune 2000?
Yes. You'll be able to practice against up to
four computer-controlled opponents.
How big will the maps be?
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.
