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Dune II: The Building of a Dynasty
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Dune II: The Building of a Dynasty (1992)

by Westwood Studios, Virgin Games
Platforms:
DOS, Amiga, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Acorn Archimedes
Genres:Strategy, Real Time Strategy (RTS)
Themes:Science fiction
Game modes:Single player
Story:
Dune II is often considered the first mainstream modern real-time strategy game and established many conventions of the genre. Even though set in Frank Herbert's famous Dune universe, the game is only loosely connected to the plot of any of the books or the films based from them. Controlling either of the three Houses, the player must fight a number of battles against the other Houses. In the early levels, the goal is simply to earn a certain number of credits, while in the later missions, all enemies must be destroyed. The single resource in the game is the Spice, which must be collected by harvesters. The spice is converted to credits in a refinery, which are then spent to construct additional buildings and units. There are two terrain types: buildings can only be constructed on stone, while the Spice is only found on sand. However, units moving on sand attract the large sandworms of Dune, who are virtually indestructible and can swallow even large units whole. As levels progress, new and more advanced buildings and units are made available, including structures like a radar station, a repair facility or defense turrets and, for units, various ground troops, light vehicles and tanks. Each House can construct one unique special unit, and, after building a palace improvement, can unleash a unique palace effect.
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As a 10 year old DOS gamer, this title brought me so much joy, and introduced me to reading the books which was a significant but not insurmountable challenge that I am forever grateful for. The audio in this game, in particular "Construction Complete", is seared into my brain. I honestly can't speak to game balance as it has been a long time since I've played through. The birth of a genre, it doesn't get much more influential than this.audiochron
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Stories about this game (59)
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user avatar@audiochronuser avatar@audiochron
January 29, 2025
As a 10 year old DOS gamer, this title brought me so much joy, and introduced me to reading the books which was a significant but not insurmountable challenge that I am forever grateful for. The audio in this game, in particular "Construction Complete", is seared into my brain. I honestly can't speak to game balance as it has been a long time since I've played through. The birth of a genre, it doesn't get much more influential than this.
Upvote this memory (34 votes)
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user avatar@UrGameBuddyuser avatar@UrGameBuddy
January 29, 2025
Before command and conquer series was even a thing, Dune 2 set an example what a true rts genre should look like. The idea of protecting your harvester from worms was a brilliant move and added a new aspect to resource management.
Upvote this memory (26 votes)
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user avatar@TheGeneral808user avatar@TheGeneral808
January 29, 2025
Oh man.... I played this to death! This is the original C&C style rts. Everything from gameplay to the music is top notch. The intro was epic for 1992! The music and voices still live in my head to this day.
Upvote this memory (16 votes)
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user avatar@cybergeluser avatar@cybergel
January 29, 2025
I first played this as a 14 year old school kid. It was my introduction to RTS game and also my gateway to Frank Herbert's Dune universe. The concept of houses competing with each other and construction and resource gathering has been educational.
Upvote this memory (11 votes)
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user avatar@Eiyohuser avatar@Eiyoh
January 29, 2025
The one of the first RTS I ever played on PC and still a banger. The level design is amazing and the music is timeless. A fun and challenging experience. Would love a GOG release!
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user avatar@jpriscouser avatar@jprisco
January 29, 2025
This was the first RTS I played in my life, back in 1995, and I really got it deep into it! I found it challenging and interesting, I was not aware of the mythology behind, this make me search for more information and lead me to the Dune book. Love at first sight. One time, I dreamed of a strategy to beat the final level... and it worked! :D
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user avatar@borfastuser avatar@borfast
January 29, 2025
This and the original X-COM series were probably the games I played the most. They were so perfect and evoke many fond memories of my childhood. Today's games leave very little to the imagination (perhaps that's why we're seeing a rebirth of pixel art in so many indie games) and had just enough complexity to make them fun, instead of forcing you to spend countless hours learning strategies and game mechanics.
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user avatar@LiamXFawksuser avatar@LiamXFawks
January 30, 2025
My first RTS. I was obsessed with this game back in high school. Played and beat all three factions before playing anything else. It even got me into reading the Dune books!
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user avatar@Smedsuser avatar@Smeds
January 30, 2025
The game that lead me into gaming, and back to reading. It's impact on me cannot be overstated. Coming out of nowhere (as games did in the nineties), I played all three houses, then, as I got my Gravis Ultrasound soundcard, played them again, with sound!
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user avatar@iabstractuser avatar@iabstract
January 31, 2025
I loved this game. Played the hell out of it. I remember introducing it to friends and they loved it, too. It came out well before Warcraft and C&C and was better then either of them.
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