"Clean up your old settlements in Dune: Awakening, as per the game's creative director's request to maintain the desert planet Arrakis' pristine state."
Unleashing Dune: Awakening on June 5, Funcom's new MMO survival game has been under beta testing, and from Chris Livingstone's 25-hour dune-trot, it's got potential as a survival game, but there's a snapshot-worthy issue.
Players' Piles of Plastic PlonkPlayers have been creating base structures across Arrakis, and these unsightly, boxy constructions can make the landscape look like a forgotten junkyard. Chris found himself trudging across the map just to find a free spot to build his base, only to return later and find it hemmed in by gargantuan, neighboring abodes. The problem only seemed to worsen over the beta's two weeks, with more and more bases popping up, most of them looking as exciting as a deck chair stuck in the sand.
Joel Bylos Takes the ReignsIn a recent livestream focusing on the building and crafting dynamics of Dune: Awakening, chief creative director Joel Bylos addressed the player-made base clutter issue head-on.
Bylos explains, "The persistence of our game can lead to this problem, where you build a base in the starter zone and leave it there for a week, like traditional MMOs. But it's unlike how our game works, and over time, you can end up with a lot of bases."
Clean Up Your Act, Player!Bylos acknowledges the issue and suggests a simple solution: clean up your old bases. "In the tutorial, we encourage players to get rid of their first base. As players progress and move further into the world, we encourage them to create bigger bases." To further emphasize his point, Bylos jokingly chimed, "Y'know, do your fellow starters a favor when the game launches: clean up your old bases people. Don't leave trash on Arrakis!"
What's the Big Deal with Trashing Trash?One can't help wonder if this issue will plague the game, especially during those early weeks when a large number of players will be jumping in to check it out. After all, if Chris gets peeved at a little clutter during a press beta, imagine how bad it'll be post-launch when there'll be plenty of regular players giving the desert a lick and a promise!
More Than Meets the EyeNot counting the base problem, PCG's Chris Livingstone was impressed with Dune: Awakening as a survival game. However, the MMO aspects remain a little iffy in his eyes. Still, the tantalizing prospect of getting chowed down by a sandworm is more than enough reason for this seasoned games journalist (with over 15 years of experience spanning Edge, Ars Technica, Eurogamer, GamesRadar, IGN, and more) to give Dune: Awakening a shot.
Sources:[1] Joel Bylos, Dune: Awakening livestream, May 25, 2023.[2] Chris Livingstone, Dune: Awakening beta, PC Gamer, May 20-24, 2023.[3] Internal research on Dune: Awakening mechanics by the PC Gamer team.
- The base clutter issue in Dune: Awakening, as portrayed by Chris Livingstone during the beta testing, could potentially affect the game's visual appeal, making the landscape resemble a neglected junkyard.
- Joel Bylos, the game's chief creative director, addressed this problem in a recent livestream, emphasizing the need for players to clean up their old bases to prevent clutter.
- Bylos suggests that the tutorial should encourage players to delete their initial bases, and as they advance, they should be motivated to create larger bases.
- The persistence of the game may lead to an accumulation of bases in the starter zone, creating a problem that's unlike traditional MMOs.
- The continued presence of these bases could be a concern, especially during the game's early weeks when a large number of players are expected to join, potentially worsening the clutter.
- Despite the base problem, Chris Livingstone, a seasoned games journalist with over 15 years of experience, found potential in Dune: Awakening as a survival game.
- The MMO aspects of the game are a little uncertain for Livingstone, but the intriguing prospect of encountering sandworms offsets his doubts, making him inclined to give Dune: Awakening a try.
- This issue, among others, is a topic of ongoing research by the PC Gamer team, shedding light on various dynamics of Dune: Awakening.
- As the game's launch approaches, it remains to be seen how effectively players will address the base clutter issue, which could significantly impact the overall gaming experience.
