Welcome to the universe of Dune: Awakening, where treachery lurks beneath the surface of alliances and every decision holds weight. In the upcoming MMO experience, players are thrust into a world where political intrigue reigns supreme.
Trust is a luxury few can afford, unlike the atmosphere in Helldivers 2 which promotes camaraderie. In a recent interview, the game’s director divulged a lot more interesting details on it, showing how players will have to be careful when traversing the massive desert landscape of Dune.
Dune: Awakening Goes Hard on Faction Politics
In an interview with VG247, Connor Makar delved deep into the intricate world of Awakening with Joel Bylos, the chief creative officer at Funcom and creative director of the game.
As the conversation unfolded, it became evident that the game isn’t just another run-of-the-mill multiplayer experience; it’s a complex universe where trust isn’t freely given and betrayal lurks around every corner.
Bylos revealed that players can’t necessarily rely on the allegiance of those within their own faction. In the universe’s unforgiving landscape, even fellow Atreides players could become rival. He reveals:
In PvP areas you can see another Atreides player and shoot them, that’s up to you. We have this rule – what happens in the desert stays in the desert. It’s not just about going ‘I’m Atreides now and that’s my brother’. You kinda want to backstab them as well.
A major part of this game is political intrigue and friction, just like the complexities of Frank Herbert’s Dune universe. Players have to navigate a web of alliances and betrayals—think Game of Thrones but set in space. Bylos remarks:
You don’t just want to let some upstart young guild get ahead either right? They’ll get more rewards than our guild. So we kind of want to encourage this dynamic social play between different groups, even within the factions.
Factions are an integral part of the game, and there’s a ton to be said about the mechanic.
Factions Can Greatly Change Your Gameplay
When it comes to factions, players have the opportunity to align themselves strategically. By completing missions and contracts for handlers or joining a player guild, they can gain trust and build alliances.
But the real power lies in signing a contract of allegiance with either Beast Rabban or Leto Atreides, the leaders of the factions. “From that point on, your guild is aligned with that faction,” Bylos explained.
Once aligned with a faction, players gain access to the Lansraad, the entity representing the great houses of the Dune universe.
Through strategic influence over the Lansraad, factions can shape the course of the game. “If you influence the Lansrad in particular ways they might reduce spice tax,” Bylos disclosed. “That’s a great way to make money.”
With the all info revealed so far about the MMO, will you be giving Awakening a shot? What other facets of the Dune universe do you hope to see adapted in the game? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
