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Releases: Emperor: Battle for Dune
Posted by happyhip on Wednesday, July 25 @ 22:51:45 CDT
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Game Type: RTS (Real-Time Strategy)
System Requirements: Windows 95/98/ME/2000, DirectX8, P300 with 64 Mbytes RAM
Order Now: Emperor: Battle for Dune (PC)
Game Notes:
 Real-Time Strategy is returning to one of science fiction's most revered settings: Arrakis and Westwood is using the occasion to take a long awaited leap into 3D with Emperor: Battle for Dune.
Story Line:
In the year 10190, empires seed the universe and statesmanship, long ago the fussy art of managing countries, guides the destiny of whole galaxies. Houses are the basic political unit, aristocratic -- or simply autocratic -- ruling bodies that run their empires through tithes or terror, ballots or belligerence.
Planets, of course, are the currency. But no planet is as valuable to these vying Houses as the dust-choked planet of Arrakis, also known as Dune. Home to a coveted spice called Melange, Arrakis is the virtual center of the universe. The House that controls Dune controls the spice Melange, which prolongs human life by centuries, enhances mental powers and makes interstellar space travel possible by folding the fabric of the universe. The House that controls Dune, controls all.
Deviousness and treachery are the most often used tools in the struggle to control Dune, but few have used them with such success as the late Padishah Emperor Frederick IV, ruler of the known universe. The emperor's plan of playing the major and minor houses against each other -- from the noble House Atreides to the brutish House Harkonnen -- as they competed for mining rights on Arrakis was nearly successful. But the emperor's great ambition only made for a greater fall, and, with his death, Arrakis again lies open to conquest.
The Houses ready for battle; a battle of weaponry and wits, diplomacy and deceit. Who will ascend to the throne of Emperor? What House will control Dune? What House will hold the key to the universe?
Gameplay:
Westwood has gone to a completely non-linear planetary campaign for Emperor: Battle for Dune. With 33 maps, more than 100 missions, each one will present new challenges each time you play them. Once you?ve conquered a territory you can call on troops from that area to help you in future battles, or might be forced to retreat if you find that you?re spreading yourself out too much.
On top of this non-linear design, there are 3 primary sides in which you can choose; The Noble House Atreides, the Evil Harkonnen, and the Insidious Ordos. Each one has its own set of unique technologies, units, and weapons. The noble House Atreides' units and structures will be elegant yet hardened. The evil House Harkonnen units will reflect their inhumane, gratuitous natures. Finally, the insidious House Ordos will feature units capable of stealth and deception, and Ordos units will be more likely to rely on hit and run and sabotage tactics. In addition to the three main houses, there are five subgroups with which you can ally in the game: the Fremen, the Sardaukar, the Tleilax, the Ix, and the CHOAM Guild. Once allied with these groups, you can then build their unique structures and units.
Since all the Houses want to take over as much territory as possible, your missions are pretty straightforward no matter which side you choose. As commander, your job is to lead your army to victory by constructing structures and training units according to whatever best suits the mission at hand. Like previous C&C games, you?ll have to start with some kind of power source before you can build anything. In Emperor, power plants take the form of windtraps. Once you have a windtrap, new construction options become available, and can be selected according to the approach you want to take. Barracks can be made to train units to be snipers, scouts, or specialists; factories will give you access to stationary protective units such as rocket, fire turret, and machine gun posts, as well as armed mobile units like laser tanks and APCs. But in order to build, you must have money. Refineries store your spice deposits and convert them into currency, which happens instantly once the spice is offloaded. Of course, construction and training takes a certain amount of time, depending on how advanced your desired unit is, so you?ll have to make quick decisions if you suddenly find yourself under attack.
As you play, you?ll gain access to more advanced structures and units, all explained to you in detail before each new mission so you?ll know what to do with what. You can also upgrade certain buildings for better efficiency and even more construction and training options. For combat you?ll want to use a light infantry unit, also accessible early on. But more specialized units are necessary for the later missions, such as snipers who have the ability to pick off an enemy unit from a great distance. You?ll eventually gain access to all of the specialist units offered in your particular House. They all have certain flaws, but each can execute specific actions much quicker and more precisely than regular units.
Multiplayer:
Emperor can be played using Westwood Online or via a LAN connection. You can either compete against another player or work together to fight a computer-controlled enemy. The maps vary in size from small to large, allowing for a maximum of eight players. Anything and everything is customizable, from how much money you and your opponent begin with to activating or deactivating Super Weapons. Multiplayer sessions follow the single-player campaigns.
Summary:
There's little no doubt that Emperor: Battle for Dune sets a new standard in Real-Time Strategy graphics, that is until Warcraft III comes out in December 2001. But it fails to break ground in other areas, however it does hold up in the traditional Westwood style. Emperor is a good Real-Time Strategy for beginers all the way up to expert RTS'ers. Emperor is the perfect RTS for someone who has never explored this genre before, it's well
rounded story line, easy to learn controls, and superb graphics make for a great and fun
game.
ScreenShots: (Click To Enlarge)
  
  
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