[Dune;Evolution] Interview with cnc-inside.de news

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cnc-inside.de
Hi DeveRRo, thank you for spending your time for this interview. At first I would like you to present yourself and your project.

DeveRRo
Hi.
My name is Roman, I am from Ukraine, I am 24 and I work as an engineer, so my real life has nothing to do with game developing, however, I think I was always attracted by this, that's why right now I take part in the Dune:Evolution project.
For those who don't know, Dune: Evolution is a total conversion in which we try to recreate Frank Herbert's Dune universe as far as it is possible in the RTS genre.

Dune was the first game in this genre, and we think it is not fair that now this franchise suffers the lack of attention from game developers, besides, this is our first work as well, so this is even symbolical. As for the results, you can take a look at them on our website, www.EvoDune.com..

But this is not just my project, first of all it is teamwork, and I am merely a part of this system, I am responsible for the idea, game design and the coordination of the team, that's why I am not alone for today's interview...

arteXtreme
Greetings! I am 21 and I am from Russia. My job is to do nothing - such people are needed as well ^^.
Speaking seriously, I am somewhat like an expert in the Dune universe, I give advice concerning the plot and the atmosphere and I smack those who begin to make irrelevant things =) I model a bit, you could see my Devastator Mk. I, right now I am modelling different environment things for the maps.

Grand
Hi. I make environment models and textures, and the maps themselves. I joined this team because once I modded C&C:Generals, I made a Raider model, I wanted to make a Dune 2000 mod and instead of making it from scratch I found a team, but the idea failed as this wasn't a Dune 2000 mod 0_o

Apteryx-Kivi
Help!!!... They kidnapped Kivi and force him to make models and textures for different factions, this is a modmaking sect [ADVENTURERS], call 911 now!
Also I want to say hello to my mom)))

DeveRRo
A spectacular presentation))) Others didn't come, coz they didn't pass face control (just kidding)

cnc-inside.de
Have you ever worked for other modding teams before your time at Dune Evolution?

Grand
I can't think what could be called a decent mod or a team from my experience… I made unusual maps for C&C Generals and a couple of these for Tiberium Wars, right now apart from Dune I make machinima videos...
Apteryx-Kivi
Kivi has a shotgun, Kivi need no other mods!!

arteXtreme
Kivi is good! ^^

DeveRRo
)))
For the sake of seriousness I'll say that no member of our team took part in such projects before, as for me, I think, yes, I did - the project was named Dune:Evolution, don't be surprised, in its first incarnation it looked completely different, but as many similar projects it didn't last long and then we started it from scratch, with new team and new ideas, you might have possibly read about that in our first article, "Who are we?".

cnc-inside.de
You decided to bring the Universe of Dune to Tiberium wars, which is interesting, because Dune II is seen as a predecessor of the C&C series by many players. What was of more vital importance: That Dune relates to Command & Conquer or the scenario itself and it would look good in the Engine?

DeveRRo
I think the latter is the thing...

Apteryx-Kivi
Kivi will explain.
When we were only beginning the choice was quite limited, C&C community is quite familiar with the Dune RTS, here it will look the best, and as for the known engines, we had only C&C Generals (which is outdated for this) and C&C3: TW, so…

cnc-inside.de
In some comprehensive articles you told us about many details of the story. Could you repeat the most imporatant facts for us?

DeveRRo
With pleasure. I think we've chosen quite an original time for the D:E plot, it is not a beaten track and, in our opinion, it must be the most interesting...
The base of our plot is that all event happen after the death of Baron Vladimir, the leader of House Harkonnen. Those who have read the books or just watched the films must know that at this point the conflict between the Harkonnen and the Atreides ends. However we decided to give the remnants of once a great House a last chance and added a "third" faction, so to say. The main point we want to show in this situation is its complexity. The line between the "good" and the "bad" has become quite thin. The conflict is based upon the overwhelming desire of the ex-Harkonnen to survive and upon the blind lust for vengeance of the Atreides and the Fremen. You must admit that there is difficult to understand who has more reasons to call their actions justful.

cnc-inside.de
It seems, Dune Evolution has no connections to the Dune-RTS games by Westwood. There is, as far as I can see, no Ordos faction and the story begins after the movie/book and not after Emperor: Battle for Dune. What could you tell us about that?

arteXtreme
We just wanted some originality...

DeveRRo
Yes. Those were the game of Westwood, after all, what's the point of parodying them? There is no need to improve them or port them to more modern engines, these games were wonderful in their time and they will never become better. Changes are needed, this is how we feel about that.

cnc-inside.de
The style of your graphics and arts is also completely different to Emperor. The Buildings of the Harkonnen are much darker and remind me on the Chaos Marines in Dawn of War. Why do you do this?

Apteryx-Kivi
Kivi and co remade the most familiar units from older Dune RTS games, but they are still recognized. The rest was invented by us, as the models from those games looked quite abstract because of their low poly count... As for the structures, they may look like Chaos structures from DoW, but the Harkonnen have equal rights for them...

DeveRRo
The point is that the Harkonnen use field structures that are quick and simple to build, because they need to deploy their bases quickly in a hostile territory, but at the same time this House has always been pompous, combining it with its industrial look, that's why they have spikes and other aggressive things.
However, I wouldn't say that we dived into this as seriously as in DoW, the design there was demonic, here we have brutality and mechanisms, or at least we think so.

cnc-inside.de
You've already mentioned many details of the story, but not to the mod itself. I guess there will be a campaign, if you care so much about the story. Is that true and will there be additional multiplayer modes?

arteXtreme
Of course there will be a campaign, maybe it won't be very long, but we will try to compensate it with interesting, eventful missions and intriguing plot, it would be better if the players complain about its shortness rather than its dullness.
As for the different multiplayer modes, hm… I don't know if that will suit such a classification, we will have different map types, different sometimes even in the resources, and the gameplay itself will be different on these maps to a certain degree.

DeveRRo
We insist on the story for a reason. We believe that motivation is important for the players, it is better than just getting tanks and controlling them, it is important when people who will play D:E will plunge into this atmosphere, it would be mush more interesting that way...
It is not new, any good game will provide its potential players with such a material, but it is usually given through cinematics, unfortunately our resources prevent us from choosing the same way (but we will have some videos), that's why we write different stories and our artists (bowing to the ground before them), draw their concept arts, for the sake of the atmosphere...

cnc-inside.de
What's about the gameplay in general? Will it be more tactical and prevent tankrushes or will the game feel like a classical C&C?

arteXtreme
*pretends that he hasn't heard anything*

Grand
Who's there!? 0_o

DeveRRo
We will refrain from an answer right now, it would be better to see it than to know it from someone's words and suppose whether it will be good or bad. We just don't want anyone to turn away from D:E without trying and seeing it.
Forestalling the next question, "when we will be able to see the gameplay?" - I don't know, as sson as we can, we are working on it right now.

Apteryx-Kivi
And Kivi has a shotgun...

cnc-inside.de
This question quiet negligible, but of interest: Why you weren't able to implement Harkonnen Harvester into the game respectively what kind of "system" didn't work with the engine?

DeveRRo
The melange harvesting system for the Harkonnen initially included three active components:
- Refinery
- Harverster
- Transporters.
The harvester was gathering melange, but it didn't carry it to the refinery on its own, small and quick transporters were supposed to do that instead, they should have docked with the harvester, load up melange and dump it into the refinery. Unfortunately, we were unable to implement this idea by the available SDK tools.

cnc-inside.de
Is there something you would like to say to the community?

Grand
preved! =)

arteXtreme
Long Live the Fighters!

Apteryx-Kivi
Send us money please. ^^

DeveRRo
Yeah)))... Also, we wanted to thank all those who are interested in the project, your support is important for us, this is not slyness, we don't have and cannot have another motivation, everything is made for you so that you could appreciate it. Stay with us and we will do our best not to disappoint you.
And, thanks to cnc-inside.de for inviting us to this interview.

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