Since the game’s launch earlier this month,Dune: Awakeninghas been plagued by one very prevalent complaint – its endgame. The Deep Desert, in which players can wage war against each other amidst grandfather worms and spice fields, is, to use a technical term, not good. Those who would prefer PvE feel locked out of the endgame right now, while players who want to engagein meaningful PvP combatfind the Deep Desert strangely empty and devoid of life.
In some ways, this is no surprise. Dune: Awakening was never going to be a game that was known for its combat mechanics. And frankly, why should it be? In the books and films, combat is a plot device; a means to an end. The characters largely fight with swords and knives, with occasional gunplay thrown in. However, this is always secondary to the real conflict on Arrakis: the fight to survive. Awakening lends itself to PvE; it does not lend itself naturally to PvP.
The Desert Takes The Weak
So, what do we do with this problem? After all, while the Deep Desert can leave something to be desired, the idea of a fresh, newly generated map to explore once a week is a highly compelling gameplay mechanic on the surface. In my opinion, the idea here shouldn’t be to remove the Deep Desert itself. In fact, as a live-service game, I think this endless plethora of new content to explore, thanks to the Coriolis Storm, is necessary for the game’s longevity.
But what is really different about this area compared to the rest of Arrakis’ biomes that makes it right for PvP? Not much. The biggest threats in the Deep Desert are still going to be sandstorms and sandworms, both environmental hazards. PvE still works in this area, and the Deep Desert should not be eradicated wholesale lest Funcom has something to replace it with.
However, it’s possible that taking PvP out of this area might be more helpful for the game’s longevity and player base. By removing PvP from the Deep Desert, players who are intimidated by the concept can still explore the endgame and feel encouraged to construct Ornithopters and harvest spice. But they won’t feel gatekept from Awakening’s endgame.
A War Waged In My Name
Now, with PvP theoretically gone from the Deep Desert, does this mean that it should be removed from Awakening altogether? No. First of all, Funcom announced that they would be altering areas of Dune: Awakening’s endgame to incorporate more PvE, which feels like a welcome step in the right direction. Otherwise, we can look to the films for inspiration on how to potentially keep PvP interwoven into the microsandwich fabric of Dune: Awakening, without softblocking players from experiencing the full extent of what this game has to offer.
In Dune: Part Two, we catch a glimpse into the sadistic world of the Harkonnens, including their macabre tradition of fighting in gladiatorial contests to mark celebrations. On Awakening’s version of Arrakis, in both Harko Village and the Harkonnen Fortress, we have plenty of opportunity to incorporate a PvP version of these gladiatorial pits. In this way, two problems are solved at once.
First, players who want PvP can easily seek it out, without even having to get all the way to the endgame or the Deep Desert itself. Second, in more confined environments like gladiator pits, combat metas can be more easily controlled. Currently, Funcom is struggling somewhat to keep up with balance adjustments to the game’s combat system, with certain vehicles and weapons dominating over others. A more specific, enclosed environment might be the solution.
Of course, with the framework of a gladiator pit, you lose the potential for vehicle-based combat, and perhaps this is where the idea to split the Deep Desert up into PvE and PvP zones could prove useful. But, ultimately, by taking inspiration from the Villeneuve films, Funcom will be able to more easily control PvP, players who want to engage with PvP can more decisively seek it out, and maybe even combat mechanics can get more complex down the line.
