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Dune: Awakeningis an open-world multiplayer survival crafting game where you are left to fend for yourself on the hostile desert world of Arrakis. Stick to the shade, collect water where you can, and whatever you do, avoid the sandworms. Progress might seem slow as you first start out, but as you collect more resources you can start processing blood to get more water, collect important vehicle parts to build a sandbike, and upgrade your arsenal of weapons.
This guide covers the first 10–20 hours of Dune: Awakening, with some tips on where to build your base, which items are important, and some tips about where to explore first.
#1 Most Important Rule: Don’t Just Build Your Base In The Starting Area
The number one tip we wish someone had told us before we started playing isdon’t build your base where you spawn.This is because your spawn spot is probably quite far away from some of the key points of interest in the game, like thetrading post,wrecked ships, andlarger bandit campswhich can be repeatedly farmed for resources.
You do get the means to move your base later on - through ablueprint system- but all of your resources will be lost upon transferring base, which means you need to collect a lot more granite and scrap metal. We recommend you pick a spot that isclose to the trading post- this is located in the central area of the starting Hagga Basin zone.
The game willforce youto transfer your base to the next zone, which means you’ll need to dismantle it anyway. Don’t expend a lot of resources on this initial base. Just build a nice, tidy 4x4 cube and call it a day.
The Trading Post is fantastic for early progression, as you may purchase essential materials with the currency you loot from bandits and PoIs. Don’t spend all your cash, though, you’ll need it later.
How To Survive
You’ll need to manage your water intake and stay out of the sun to prevent yourself getting sunstroke. Early on, you can drink directly from plants you find on the edges of cliffs. Later, you can craft your first Literjon, a Blood Processing plant to turn blood into water, and a Stillsuit to help retain water on long journeys.
Hug The Rocks
Even in the starting zone, the sandworms can be deadly. The best way to avoid them is to stay off of the large dunes as much as possible - there’s a vibration meter at the bottom of your screen which informs you if the worms are close or not.
The easiest method to avoid getting eaten by a giant worm is to stick to the rocks. Plan your route to your objective by following the patterns of the rock, only crossing small patches of desert each time.
Some movement abilities - like the Bene Gesserit dash and the Trooper’s grappling hook - can help you cross greater distances without getting eaten.
Stick To The Main Quest
We made a few mistakes when first starting out, mostlyexploring further than we were meant toat the beginning. In the first zone, the Hagga Basin, the main quest will take you to every important location - this means you won’t need to explore the same areas twice, and you won’t need to try and tackle them when your gear is under-leveled.
Following the main quest will also help youquickly get a sandbike, which makes getting around the desert much, much faster. One of the biggest chokepoints for quick progression in Dune: Awakening is just how long it takes to walk from each point of interest, or to the trading post.
CollectEverything
Pretty much every resource in Dune: Awakening is useful, from salvaged metal to Micro-Sandwich Fabric. You will be building your basemultiple timesacross the starting zones, which means you’ll always need a stockpile.
Micro-Sandwich Fabric and EMF Generators are required for complex technology, particularly your Stillsuit upgrades, which become very handy as you get further into the game.
Don’t forget to alsoharvest the blood of your enemiesand use aBlood Processorto turn the blood into water.
Loot Respawns
Loot in points of interest - including bandit camps, wrecked ships, and intel sites - will all respawn over time. This means you’re able to essentially farm high-tier loot from certain locations.
The Imperial Testing Stations and wrecked ships are full of useful stuff, fromblueprints of unique itemstohigh-tier metalsandprocessorsused for machinery upgrades. While you might want to progress quickly to the next area to continue leveling, you’re able to easily farm a few high-value PoIs as they respawn.
Hunt For Crashed Ships
Crashed Ships can be heard - and seen - falling from the sky. These have the potential to have somepowerfulloot inside, though you will have to chase them down and potentially tackle a sandworm as you attempt to crack them open.
You will need to use your Cutteray to scan the ship and then slice open the side, which will be marked by a blue line. Try each side of the ship, as the panel you need to cut away can be on any side of it.
