The throne is empty, the empire up for grabs. Three factions stand poised to take control of that throne, but first, they must survive a battle on the harsh, unforgiving landscape of Dune.

Emperor: Battle for Dune, Westwood Studios’ creation for the PC, has hit the store shelves, and is being widely acclaimed for its top-flight graphics. The game is essentially a real-time-strategy program that embraces the fantastic worlds created by novelist Frank Herbert. In and of itself, the very flavor of the Herbert novels would create nightmares for programmers, but the design team behind this product took it all in stride.

It was, after all, the second title in the series, Dune II, which opened the creative floodgates and led to the Command and Conquer series. Emperor has taken the games in a new direction – into the realm of three dimensions.

With solid multiplayer support, Emperor has a lot to offer RTS gamers.

But let’s go beyond the box. Chris Longpre, producer for the program, took time out just before the launch of the title to answer a few questions.

Question: The Frank Herbert series has legions of fans. How did you approach a project with such a high profile? And how will players who aren't familiar with the sage be welcomed into the fold?

Chris: “We totally understand the challenge we face in creating a franchise of games in such a recognizable and admired universe such as Dune. The reasons Westwood loves the Dune universe are the same for all of its other fans – the beautiful, rich environments and the amazing characters and story. For those reasons, we believed it to be the perfect place to set a computer game, particularly a 3D game where we could show it all off with amazing graphics.

Q: The press release for the game mentions cutting-edge 3D graphics. Can you expand upon that and explain what players will see that will be remarkable and different, and how it was achieved?

Chris: “We achieved an amazing level of depth and detail in Emperor's graphics by using a combination of modeling techniques, multiple pass texturing, dynamic and pre-rendered lighting, as well as good old-fashioned special effects. From the twirling sandstorms, to the ravenous sand worms, we really tried to bring the Dune universe to life in a stunning and immersive way.

“Our 3D engine was built from scratch specifically for this game. We encountered many issues that we had to custom design for, such as sand and rock visualization. From the beginning, our main goal in using 3D technology was that it would serve to enhance game play. We never want to use 3D for the sake of 3D. This technology not only adds beauty and depth to RTS games, but it's used in a way that will better allow the player to control the battle in front of him. The player will be able to control the camera to his benefit (zooming in and out, and rotating the battlefield) but the camera movements will never become cumbersome or difficult to maneuver.”

Q: The game spans five worlds. This must have been a remarkable challenge in creating or realizing worlds and keeping them within the Dune universe. How was this accomplished?

Chris: “We definitely wanted to expand the gameplay beyond the sand and rock of Dune.  Despite the beauty that the 3D engine provides, it would get a little boring to just look at brown all day. To that end, we included several missions on the various homeworlds of the Houses, and designed the homeworlds based on the nature of each House. For example, the Harkonnen
rely on brute strength and have no regard for the land they live on, as evidenced by their destructive Buzzsaw.  We felt that only an industrial wasteland such as Geidi Prime could really capture this philosophy. Similarly, the serene, green paradise of Caladan is a perfect match for the noble Atreides, and the ice world of Draconis IV perfectly illustrates the cold, insidious ways of the Ordos. Of course, the players have to get from Dune to the homeworlds, so to that end, we also have a special mission on one of the Guild Heighliners.”

Q: This is Westwood Studio's first 3D RTS. The genre has been elevated to new
heights over the past year with games that have sweeping scope and fast-paced game play. In working on a project that would be the first for the publisher, what were your goals for the project and how did you  accomplish them?

Chris: “We wanted to use powerful 3D techniques to bring the world of Dune alive, in a manner not seen before. It was crucial that we understand that 3D is a tool to serve the game, and not the other way around. So we quickly realized the dangers of a completely 'free-form' 3D experience, and sought to master the game camera controls early.  We found many ways to compromise between 3D and 2D techniques, and each little feature had to be weighed and measured before it was implemented. In a few cases, we went back later and changed some earlier non-2D techniques into full 3D techniques. This allowed us to evolve the 3D around the game dynamics, and create a beautiful game experience.”

Q: What is your favorite part of the game?

Chris: “That would be the sub-house alliances and the campaign map. Having the opportunity to decide which territories on the planet are important to you and your overall strategy to conquer Arakkis, is absolute fun! I really like to pursue the alliance with the Fremen and use Fremen Worm Riders against my enemies! Muuuhhahaha!”

Q: What aspect of the game presented the biggest challenge?

Chris: “Balancing the game was a large task that took a lot of effort. Not just the unit balance, but the campaign gameplay as well. You have to take into consideration that many players have little-to-no RTS experience, and allow them to have a good game experience, too. At the same time, you know there is a large group of hard-core RTS players that don't mind extra complexity and difficulty for new features & experiences. It’s a tough balancing act, and Emperor delivers great RTS fun to both audiences.”

Q: Some recent releases feature multiplayer more as open warfare without much regard to the plot powering the single player game. Will you please explain the differences of the single player game versus the multiplayer game? How are they different, and how are they similar?

Chris: “The single player game unfolds in an entire story, one that will change with every action of the player, and from house to house. There is a definite beginning, middle and end, and includes specific objectives and goals for the player to accomplish. On the flip side, the multiplayer game allows the player to engage in fierce combat with his friends and foes, using all the tips and tricks he picked up during the single player campaign. Also, Emperor features co-operative campaign play, which allows you to ally with a buddy on Westwood Online and play the single player missions together. This is another great way to play through a story-based campaign, while enjoying the social aspects of being online.”

Q: (At the time of this interview) The game is on the verge of release. If there was any aspect of it you could expand, or expound upon, what would it be?

Chris: “Only that we are incredibly proud of this game. The entire team has worked very hard over the past few years to add elements to the RTS genre that have never been seen before.  We think we are giving the player something fresh and exciting with Emperor, something they will play for years to come and that other RTS games are judged against.”

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