New Game! 'Dune' 4x Game, Part 1

After replaying Dune II at Epic Port, I realized how much I enjoyed the resource management and base building aspects of the game. The combat is fine but I found myself wondering how much more fun a game like that could be if it took the wider elements of the Dune setting into account when developing mechanics.

Dune II has detailed mechanics for base building, power management, space management, spice harvesting and storage, radar and cartography, worms & wormsign, manufacturing, and terrain types.

What I find problematic is that combat is the only way to win the game. I think that only includes the smallest sliver of the Dune setting, and that you could create a hugely entertaining game by creating mechanics to support the other parts of the setting.

Let's start with additional ways to win. Currently military dominance is the only path to victory. In 4x games, there are usually 4 ways to win: diplomacy / politics, economics, science, and military.

A 4x game is a complex strategic game with multiple avenues to victory.

Let's take a look at what the Dune setting offers for each of those victory methods.

Diplomacy / Politics:
The player garners enough influence to earn their ascension to the Landsraad / Imperial Throne. Influence would be gained through relationships developed with other factions. Influence includes both positive and negative reputation. Actions that alter influence would be worker treatment, people's rights, trading, assassination, assistance, charity, and law enforcement.

Economics:
The player corners the market on spice export from Arrakis, forcing the other factions to surrender. Economic supremacy would be gained through harvesting, researching more efficient technologies and structures, sabotaging opponent's infrastructure, theft, control of all spaceports on Arrakis, and volume of spice.

Science:
The player discovers the secret relationship between the Worms and the Spice, and uses this information to either smuggle a worm off-planet to another ecosystem, or taking the planet hostage by threatening to kill the worms, or terraforming the surface to change the ecosystem.

Military:
The player seizes control of Arrakis by defeating the other martial forces on the planet. Researching military technologies, conquering territories, garrisons and infiltration all help a military victory.