Any real-time strategy game that you get into for the first time can be overwhelming especially if you are new to the genre. It can be daunting for veterans as well. In this Dune: Spice Wars beginner’s guide, we are going to go over some tips and tricks that should help you get started.
Dune: Spice Wars Tips And Tricks
The following are some of the tips and tricks that we recommend you keep in mind when playing Dune: Spice Wars:
Setting Up A New Game
When you are about to start a new game there are a couple of options that you can tweak. You should set the map size to small or medium and the difficulty to easy, at least while you are learning the ropes. You should also enable the tutorial in order to learn the ropes and get useful tips.
How Do You Win?
The game doesn’t tell you how you are supposed to win all that clearly. There are three different ways in which you can win; Domination, Governorship, and Hegemony.
To get the Domination victory, you need to build an army and wipe the enemy factions from the map by destroying their settlements and capturing their capitals. This can be very fun but it is also very costly and time-consuming.
Alternatively, you can also have your foe assassinated by using long-term assassination plots. This can be very time-consuming but there are technologies that will make the process faster.
For the Governorship victory condition, you need to be elected Dune Governor for 60 days. This is more complicated than it sounds as there are requirements for you to be selected for the election. You might not even win the election in the end.
Hegemony is a resource that you can earn but cannot spend. It does allow you to do different things. You will get bonuses depending on the amount of Hegemony that you have. For example, when you have 2,000 Hegemony, you can make district buildings.
You will get Hegemony over time as you earn it by just completing tasks and playing the game. But there are tasks that will reward you with more Hegemony as compared to others.
Try Different Factions And Counselors
There are 4 different factions to choose from and each has 4 counselors from which you can pick two. Each faction has an interesting twist and the counselors that you pick can introduce new game mechanics or buff your economy or military.
The Harkonnen faction is more military-oriented as compared to other factions in the game. While the economy might be weaker, the military units are stronger and you get access to corruption.
The Harkonnen faction can also pressure villages into increasing their outputs and use fear tactics to reduce the cost of acquiring a village.
We recommend trying out the different factions to see which one suits your playstyle the best.
Use Auto Exploration
Exploration is going to be important when you start a new game. You will need to see what resources are close to you and where the enemy factions are.
Luckily, there is an auto exploration option that you can turn on so that you can focus on other tasks. Select your ornithopter and select the auto-reconnaissance mode in order for this to work.
Use Sandworms To Your Advantage
Sandworms can make an appearance even when you are in the middle of a battle. The appearance of a Sandworm will be indicated by a red exclamation mark. This tells you that a Sandworm is going to attack.
When that happens you need to send most of your units back and have a few of your units bait the enemy. When your enemy is busy attacking you the Sandworm should pop up and damage enemy units.
If you are not up against enemies, you should clear out when you see the ground shaking or get the red exclamation mark warning. Note that worms cannot penetrate the hard surface on which villages are built. So you can have your units close to villages to keep them safe.
How To Make Money Early On
You will have a struggling economy when you first start the game. Luckily there are ways that you can make money fast from the start. Have your first agents work in the CHOAM. Each agent that you assign is going to increase Solari gained.
You should look out for areas that have Rare Elements. You can build Processing Plants here to boost your income. Points of interest will reward you with quick cash which can be very useful early on.
If you have a resource that you are not using or planning to use then you can sell it to the other factions. You should also learn how to exploit the spice market in order to make money faster.
Save Resources For Later
As you progress through the game you will learn about the mistakes that you have made and the things that are actually important. After a few runs, you will realize things that you should prioritize.
We recommend saving resources for later on in the game when you have enough Hegemony for capital upgrades. These can be very expensive, so do save up on resources in order to get them as they become available.
Stay Clear Of The Sand Storms
The environment around you is pretty hostile. Not only do you have to deal with giant sand worms but sand storms as well. While you can use these to hide your units, generally it is best to stay clear of them as they will damage your units.
These are some of the tips and tricks that we recommend you keep in mind when playing Dune: Spice Wars. It is going to take a while for you to get used to the different mechanics. So take your time and practice.