In an FAQ, Shiro Games has dispelled some doubts about its real-time strategy video game Dune: Spice Wars.
Dune: Spice Wars was unveiled at the recent The Game Awards as a promising new real-time strategy video game based on Frank Herbert’s legendary science fiction novel. Dune was recently adapted for the big screen by Denis Villeneuve to considerable acclaim, so it’s no surprise that the universe is enjoying a renaissance. Developers Shiro Games have posted a “FAQ” on Steam, giving us a glimpse of what the Spice War will be like.
First of all, the game will not be limited to real-time strategy but will include 4X elements. According to Shiro Games’ description, their game will be slower than a typical RTS, with the ability to pause and fast-forward, complete with exploration, area control, economic activity, politics and espionage, which will make a 4X title magical but not detract from the RTS experience.
So far, only two houses have been announced as playable factions, Atreides and Harkonnenek, though the studio plans to have two more ready for launch, with a fifth faction coming later in early access.
Dune: Spice Wars will be faithful to the work of Frank Herbert
The developers have pointed out that over the years, many of the depictions in previous video games, movies and comics have been done differently from the original work. For example, the colours of the flag and uniform of the House of Atreides are described as green and black in the books, while in the games, they are usually depicted in blue.
Dune: Spice Wars is coming in 2022 with early access
Factions such as the House of Ordos are mentioned in the Dune Encyclopedia and the video game Dune 2, while they are never mentioned in Frank Herbert’s works. This prompted Shiro Games to focus on the factions in the books and leave the rest for later.
Procedural maps and unique locations
Dune: Spice Wars will feature procedurally generated maps where you will have to consider their changing size, wind strength and sandworm activity. These maps will feature unique locations that will surprise readers of the books, with careful references to the literary work.
The studio has also expressed enthusiasm for the Early Access format in which the game will operate, acknowledging that they have had good experiences with previously released games. Early Access will allow them to balance the game through player feedback better so that they can tailor the release schedule to user expectations.
Commitment to the cartoon art style
The visual section of the game was the other most striking aspect, and as the developers explained, they strive to avoid monotony. One of the problems they faced when creating the game was that it was set on a desert planet. This could quickly become monotonous over long hours, so they even worked with desert geologists to design elements that could exist in such an environment. On the other hand, the art direction has also tried to incorporate elements into the overall picture that add variety to the colours and shapes so that the environment does not become boring.
The artistic style aims to break the monotony of the desert
The game will also feature a multiplayer mode, although the focus is on single-player for now, but it has been confirmed that this will be a significant update during early access. Another big missing element is the primary campaign, which will not be present in the launch version, although it will arrive during early access.
As for post-launch content, such as DLCs, Shiro Games has admitted that there are no plans for such at the moment, nor are there plans for mods, the arrival of which will depend on demand.
Dune: Spice Wars is coming to PC in 2022.
Source: Steam
