Dune is a 1992 adventure strategy video game, based upon Frank Herbert’s science fiction novel of the same name. Developed by Cryo Interactive and published by Virgin Interactive, Dune blends adventure with economic and military strategy.
Loosely following the story of the novel, the game casts the player as Paul Atreides, with the ultimate goal of driving the Harkonnen from Planet Dune, while managing spice extraction, military, and later, ecology through the native Fremen tribes. As the player progresses, his troops are equipped with weapons from “crysknives” to atomics, tap into Paul’s latent psychic powers, and get acquainted with such characters from the book as Chani and Liet-Kynes. Released for the Amiga and IBM compatibles, it was one of the first floppy games to be converted to CD format, which included footage of the David Lynch movie, voice-acting for all speaking roles, and highly improved, 3D-rendered traveling and location screens. This version (a mix of the Amiga graphics and the extras of the PC-CD version) was also released on Sega’s Sega CD console. The audio track, created by Stéphane Picq and Philip Ulrich, was released by Cryo (formerly Exxos) on the album Dune: Spice Opera.
The story is mostly based on the novel Dune‘s story: The player is Paul Atreides, son of Duke Leto Atreides and Lady Jessica. The House Atreides was given an unrefusable offer by the Emperor Shaddam IV – mine the spice from the desert planet Arrakis, occupied by their longtime arch-enemies: the House Harkonnen. Duke Leto accepts the offer not only because of the wealth provided by Spice trading, but also to defeat the Harkonnen.
The game, seen always through the eyes of Paul, is a mix between RTS and adventure gaming. While the basis of the game is the strategy component, dialog between characters and a linear plotline give the game more depth than most strategy games. The player is also required to do some miniquests involving talking to characters and traveling to locations, which adds a small adventure game element.
There must be a balance between military and spice mining power. While having a strong military force will provide fast response to the Harkonnen, if Spice isn’t mined fast enough to keep up with the Emperor’s demands, the game will be lost. However, if there is too much focus on spice mining, Harkonnen troops can ambush a sietch, capturing all troops inside. They can only be rescued if the sietch is liberated. Since the game is as much resource managing as military conquest, balancing both is the key for successful completion.
An additional, purely-cosmetic gameplay feature is the mirror in Paul’s bedroom at Arrakeen. The player may peer into this mirror to see Paul’s (and later, Chani’s) reflection. Notably, Paul’s eyes will gradually turn bluer as the storyline progresses, eventually acquiring the “Ibid” (“blue-within-blue”) eyes associated with prolonged exposure to the Spice.
Dune loosely follows the book and the 1984 movie by David Lynch (Paul Atreides was designed to look like Kyle MacLachlan, who is actually credited as Paul Atreides). Only a few characters are removed from the movie, clearly the biggest visual inspiration for the game, such as Shadout Mapes, Piter De Vries, Reverend Mother Ramallo and Glossu Rabban. Some characters’ roles have changed, however, such as Harah who follows Paul about in the earlier stages of the game.
Dune: Spice Opera was released by Virgin Records in 1992. The tracks were composed by Stéphane Picq and Philippe Ulrich. Virgin Records was later sold to EMI, which then became the new holders of the copyright. Picq wishes to have the rights in order to rerelease the album, though they were not granted.
Dune – Manual:
You are Paul Atreides, son of the Lord Leto. You`ve just arrived on
the desert planet called DUNE. with your family who has the authorisa
tion from the Emperor to extract the most precious substance of the
whole galaxy:The Spice. In the past, only the worst enemies from the
Atreides were allowed to do it: the Harkonnens. They control 1/3 of
the planet. As Paul Atreides, you must convince the people from
DUNE, the Fremens (the Harkonnens slaves) to join you to kick the
Harkonnens out of Dune.
DUNE is a tactical game and then all the elements won`t be revealed
in doc. YOU have to find to find the way to avoid the threat of the
Harkonnens and free the Fremens.
NB: There is an old Fremens prophecy which talks about a certain
Mahdi (The ONe WHo Will Lead Us To Paradise) and of Lisan al-Gaib,
`The Voice from Another World`, a prophet coming from another
planet to free them from slavery.
How to Control It!
------------------
DUNE is using windows and icons. No needs of the keyboard! You can
play the whole game with your mouse bit also with the arrows and
Return.
The Main Screen
---------------
The major part of the screen is seen throught the Paul`s eyes. On
the bottom of the screen, you will find the main commands. On the
right part of the screen, you will find the movements arrows which
shows the directions you can chose at a certain moment (N,S,O,E).
Inside the Palace, the little red circle will let you obtain a map
of the different rooms and the other characters. Paul is a red point
on the Map.
In the middle of the board is the command paddle which indicates the
available commands possible. The shining commands are available. It
is the same for the chat command which let you inquire the characters
and give them orders. On the left, you find the icon BOOK which relates
your story in 4 parts (politic, Paul on Dune, the spice, the Fremens),
and also provides you with some basical informations. Click on the
pages to turn them. Under the book, there are 3 windows, on the extreme
left you will find the hour and the past days. A sun and a moon will in
form you if it is during the day or the night. The two other little
windows will show you the characters goig with you. 2 other characters
maximum will follow you if you select the icon `Follow me`.
The paddle command will let you check the MAP and talk with the
characters in the same room.
Other Commands
--------------
P=pause Looking into the Palace room`s mirror will also pause the
game and let you acceed to the Load/Save game and restart. An Auto-
save is done each time you come in a new place. You may also LOAD
and SAVE by clicking on the GLOBE icon of DUNE.
To see the DUNE`s Map
---------------------
By selecting the command See the Dune`s Map, you may see the Dune`s
Map showing the known Sietchs (Fremens caverns). Use the arrows to see
more. Each little characters represents the troops chief (if he
doesn`t move, that means that the troop has no activity). The ones
drawn in stipple are the ones you`ve meet but who are not your allies.
They change their color depending on the function you gave them:
yellow for spice, red for army, green for ecology. For more infos,read
the chapters Ecology and Conflicts of this doc.
Use paddle command or click on the chief to obtain a report or to
give an order. By clicking on Sietch with the left mouse button, you
can see the equipment (used or not) of the place. By the way, if you
haven`t visited a place yourself, only the name will appear.
By clicking on the icon `Red Eagle`, you will center the map on your
actual position. The commands of the paddle will allow you to `Exit
the Maps`, `Give orders to Troop`,`See Spice Density`,`Take an
Ornithopter`.
Globe of DUNE
-------------
The globe of Dune shows the whole planet and let you examine any
region: move the planet with the arrow keys of the icon Globe and
click on the part of the planet you want to see. The paddle command
offers you to: -Exit the Globe
-Standard vision to see your production of spice,
number of allies, the zones you control. Paul`s
charism is indicated above on the top of the screen.
Turn the globe to see all the zones you control
(in red) and the ones from the Harkonnens (in blue).
At the beginning you control 1% and the Harkonnens
21%.
-Save game.
-Load Game.
-Options and quit game.
The Music command will play the music or not. The music
can be relative to the game or played as CD style.
The main Characters
-------------------
To talk with the characters, click on the shining commands.
-DUC LETO: Your father, the family chief of the Atreids who lives in
the Palace. As any good father father, he will give you some good
advices when you will need them.
-JESSICA: Your mother, a woman with some wonderful powers nearly as good
as yours. When you will have some `visions` she will explain you their
real meanings. She never leaves the Palace, so, she knows better than
anybody else.
-DUNCAN IDAHO: Real friend and Lieutenant of the family. He is also the
supervisor of the spice production and will give you some advices on
the spice sendings to do.
-THUFIR HAWAT: Strategist of the family.
-GURNEY HALLECK: The instructor who will give you a good military
training.
-The Emperor: the Emperor Padishah Shaddam IV, chief of the great
feodal empire, the most powerful of the whole game.
-STILGAR: The Fremen`s chief, the man that all the Fremens respect and
follow. Before joining the Fremens as a miliar, you must contact him
first.
-KYNES: The ecologyst, Kynes, is the only man who whishes to transform
DUNE, the desert, in a nice planet with woods and seas.
THE FREMENS!
------------
Real habitants from DUNE, people independent and fierce, who have
learnt to leave in this tough planet. they live in their sietchs.
Help them to eliminate the Harkonnens who use them as slaves.
The Transports
--------------
At the beginning of the game, your only vehicle is an ornithopter.
It is a sort of helicopter with some wings who will drive you anywhere
on DUNE. If you select it, a screen appears with a map and control
board. The cursor on the right-bottom makes the map scroll. To select
the destination, a sietch for instance, put the cursor on the entry of
a sietch and then click on the left mouse button. The text above will
show you the direction and the name of the siecht you are flying to.
The Palace
----------
You start the game inside the Palace now occupied by your family.
You can explore the Palace or to leave and explore the planet with an
ornithoptere.
NB: Beware of traps left by the Harkonnens in this palace they used in
the past.
THE SPICE
---------
The most precious resource of the whole universe.You have extract a
certain percentage of it otherwise the emperor will send his terrible
troops: the SARDAUKARS.
The extraction: you can use the Fremens to extract it. Those troops
will appear in yellow on the map then.
The Motivation
--------------
The Fremens will work for you only if they are motivated. If the
motivation goes down, the same will happen the spice production.
The Equipment
-------------
Some abandoned sietchs contain some useful equipment for the
extraction, the weapones, the ornithopters...
The Worms
---------
The Shai-Hulud, enorm worm living around the spice is extremly
dangerous. He will attack without any procation. He is a constant
threat for the spice production. He has an important role in the
game particulary when you will know how to control them.
Conflicts
---------
After having contacted Stilgar, you can make up an army and train
it to fight against the Harkonnens. Their training is quite important
for your mission.
Spying
------
After the military training, you can chose to make of some of your
troops some specialists in spying to locate some Harkonnens`
fortresses. Only the fortresses around the sietch can be discovered.
the game is over when Paul and the Fremens manage to take over the
control from the Harkonnens` Palace and all the other fortresses of..
D U N E !
---
Typed and translated from French by F.I.L.A! of Fairlight
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