Play Dune II: The Building of a Dynasty Online

Burt 2024-04-19

How exactly do you take over an emey building say a heavy vehicle factory? I presume you get the building to deep red damage and then you send in an army unit? Or will I simply hit repair?

Ineedhelpwithsetingupthegame 2023-11-19

Does anyone know how to setup version 1.07 on my pc?

nuno 2023-08-17

I play this game every year, and can never get enough of it, even if I already know all the tactics and tricks, I just love it so much! Too bad this particular version is so full of bugs, the one I bought back then was not as bad.
To the guy that suggested launching 2 ornithopters at the same time: bro, that's nothing. I usually have a chain of 4 or 5 ornithopters at 95% build. Then when the right moment comes, I launch them all simultaneously with devastating effect :D

Lucky Phil 2022-07-21

My load and save games have frozen. Can anyone tell me how to delete the saves or get the game running again please??

mateo 2022-06-14

did any of you no that this game is based on a the dune book

DOS 2022-03-21

Kev,
Good extensive summation.

Ordos deviators are game winners. Here's how:
Once youve deviated an enemy unit, and especially if its something good at destroying buildings (like a launcher) click on it and direct it to retreat, or head for another enemy base. Then click on it again and select attack, but wait for it to change back to its correct colour before selecting the target. It will then tottle off and keep firing at the selected target till its destroyed. If you have no enemy base visible on your screen, just target where you think something vital to the enemy is. Palaces, refineries, the spot just shy of a turret, etc.
The saboteur can be directed by clicking on it. You have to locate its position by means of radar to select it. Then, steer it to an area where it can attack an enemy base without a wall in the way. Don't let it stop anywhere or it just freezes that spot and is finished, so as it's approaching it's run-in point, direct it to the enemy structure. It can only take two or three turret shots, so its a good idea to parallel it with some heavy armour to draw the turret fire. If you can do that, on arrival at the enemy structure, it's instantly destroyed. The process is a bit cumbersome, and not always successful, but quite satisfying when it works.

What' particularly good about the sonic tank is that unless it's been targetted by an enemy unit, it can cause a lot of damage to/destroy enemy invaders without them being aware they're being shot at and shooting back.
Atriedes turrets don't shoot the worms because they're honourable, tree-hugging greenie righteous folk with an impeccable code of conduct toward the natives. Sickening. Once you know where the worms are, you can uncover them (one at a time) hide all your units save one bait trike on the rock, and have heavier tanks on the rocks adjacent to the bait. Move the bait onto the rock when the worm is in range, then shoot the crap out of it. Takes about two minutes at normal speed, then no more worm worries.
The ornithopter will try to destroy enemy bases, esp heavy factories etc. I find it of most use early in the game, because when it cruises off to run an attack, it maps the areas its shooting at on radar, but also, importantly, the locations of the enemy turrets/units shooting at it. I try and build two special factories, nukes permitting, and then arrange to launch two ornithopters at the same time. Exponentially increases their time airborne before they're shot down. (They're always shot down. If you're lucky they might destroy a unit or a factory first, but the real value is mapping.)

The starport occasionally fails just to remind you that in AI, just as in real life, big corporates are fundamentally lying cheating pricks that are dodgy and evil.

I've found it's better to build more refineries rather than just two + building extra harvesters. Harvesters cost 300. Refineries 400. Harvester plus silo 450. Harvesters will drive back to the refinery if your carryalls are otherwise busy, and sometimes if your refineries are all occupied. If the area they've been harvesting on is out of spice, they will not return to that area. I think they have to be within about 3 spaces of spice to return.

Sometimes an enemy carryall gets stuck in an orbit near the edge of the screen. If you can't build more carryalls, you can destroy an enemy one with launchers. It might take many shots. As soon as it's down, try building another carryall (if you need it) or ornithopter.

I quite like taking over certain enemy buildings. Not all of them can be. (Palace, barracks, radar.) This is particularly useful when playing as the Ordos; take over the Atreides heavy factory you can build green sonic tanks, and (whoop whoop) launchers.
As Harkonnen, take over an Atreides heavy factory you can build red sonic tanks. Take over an Ordos, Atreides or Sardakur special factory you can build red ornithopters. Any enemy structure needs damage into the red before it can be posessed. I enjoy shooting a refinery till its well into the red then waiting for the enemy carryall to bring one of its full harvesters home, then as soon as it lands, moving in. Needless to say, all nearby turrets and defensive units need to be destroyed before doing this.

The best value Ive found for the devastator is base defense. Theyre too darn slow for anything else. (They're also #1 target for enemy attackers, so place them where turrets can bring a blistering crossfire to attackers.)
Devastators are also useful for trundling into the fray where you useful units are taking a bit of a pasting. Drive them right up adjacent to enemy attack units then start shooting. When the devastator blows up, the explosion might take a couple of enemy launcers or a seige tank with it.

I've spent far too long playing this. ;)

ZHUGE LIANG 2021-12-12

Don't make a second order or increase your unit count in any way while a starport order is in progress. Make sure all the units from your starport order are fully deployed before trying to get more units in any way. So far I haven't had any starport issues while following this rule.

Kev 2021-11-30

Played this game lots as a kid. Started playing it on this site recently and just finished beating it with all three houses. Here are my notes:

* Ordos is the hardest to win with. They can't build launchers; you have to get them via the starport. Their palace is useless near as I can tell; not sure what the saboteur does but doesn't seem to affect the game much. On the last level w/ Ordos there are two enemy palaces with nukes. Same is true for Atreides, but at least they have freemen and sonic tanks.

* Completely surround your repair facility once you have carry-alls. They will drop your units where they picked them up. Invaluable for attacks. You can do the same with refineries. I like to use other buildings to do this; seems more efficient than using walls. But usually you have to use a wall or two to finish the job. (If there are 2 enemy palaces w/ nukes, don't even bother going to the trouble of doing this until you destroy at least one of the palaces. You're carefully prepared building setup will likely just get blown away by a nuke.)

* Attack with long-range attack units (sonic tanks, launchers) and siege tanks. Send one launcher (2 max) out to attack turrets first from long range. If any units come to attack your launcher, bring it back behind your siege tanks. The dumb AI will follow your launcher while getting shot by the tanks. If you have several launchers in the attack party, keep some of them a few spaces back from tanks, so when enemy units attack your tanks, they'll be in the launchers' attack range sweet spot. Your attack party should have the maximum number of units you can effectively manage. I find 6-9 siege tanks and 4-6 launchers is about right. Overwhelming force is what you're after here.

* Launchers (and sonic tanks) can outrange turrets, so you can attack them w/o them firing at you. You have to creep up to them to find your max attack range. You can also attack the space before them, and some % of shots will overshoot and hit it (as someone else here mentioned), but I've found if you just creep up your launcher will start firing at it without it firing back. As mentioned above, be ready to pull your launcher back behind your tanks if a defending enemy unit comes after you; launchers can't take much damage.

* With Atreides, use 2 sonic tanks in your attack party. Keep them beside and away from your siege tanks, so they can shoot the enemy without shooting your tanks or each other. They're powerful, and have long range.

* At the start of each level, build 2 refineries immediately, even before your comms building. This will give you 2 harvesters right away and give you a jump on things.

* When the worm comes out, move all your harvesters and units off sand. The worm will eventually go away once it's eaten enough units, or gets killed by units or turrets. This can take a while, sometimes. Until then, you might have to move your harvesters on/off the sand to harvest to prevent them from getting eaten. Atreides units and turrets don't seem to automatically shoot the worm for some reason.

* In the missions where the enemy has nukes, keep your construction yard away from your heavy vehicle factory or startport. If your yard and factory/startport get destroyed, you won't be able to build any buildings or that unit that builds another yard, and you're done (unless you can win with your existing buildings; unlikely). Same thing with your refineries. If they all get destroyed and you don't have enough money or a yard to rebuild them, you're finished. So, keep two refineries far apart from each other.

* In the final mission, job one is to find and destroy the palaces with nukes. They're well-guarded, so it won't be easy. Go in with your tank/launcher attack party (as described above) and one by one pick off turrets then buildings until you get to the palaces. They can wipe out half your base. If there are 2 enemy palaces w/ nukes, they can wipe out almost all of your base.

* The AI focuses their attacks (nukes and unit attacks) on: large vehicle factory, repair facility, starport, refineries. I think they really have an obsession w/ the large vehicle factory and repair facility. If you place one of these as bait, you can lure attacks into a "kill zone", where all your turrets can reach them.

* Deviator and devistator I found mostly useless. They're expensive and not as effective as launchers and siege tanks. Sonic tank is good; good range and damages everything in the particle path. I'm not sure if they're that much better than launchers, though. Perhaps more damage, and more accurate. I use them in attack parties.

* If you have any infantry especially from your buildings getting destroyed) just send them off to attack the enemy base. They count towards your unit limits I think, so just kill them off. This will also clear some fog of war.

* Carry-alls only pick up your units to repair them if their health is in the yellow. You can shoot them with one of your other units to get them repaired and back up to 100% health, if there's a break in the action to do that.

* Use a light tank to scout ahead to find the turrets when attacking. They're fast, and can take a couple shots from a turret. Siege tanks are too slow for this, and light vehicles aren't armored enough.

* I can't really see what the Ornithoptor does when I create them, but they're def a pain in the ass when the enemy is attacking my base w/ them, so I assume they're doing something good.

* In later levels, you should be able to attack without losing too many attack vehicles, since you'll be using siege tanks, a fully-surrounded repair facility, and carry-alls. In earlier levels, you may have attacks where all your attack units get destroyed. In these attacks, I think it's better to focus your attack on the buildings, not the defending units. Once a building gets destroyed, I don't think the AI rebuilds it. So if you destroy a vehicle factory, for example, you won't have to deal w/ those types units for the rest of the level (once you kill off all the already-built ones).

* Like most of these games, resources is the key. Get a bunch of harvesters going and at least 2 refineries. Even if most of your other buildings get blown away by nukes, all your harvesters will keep going and the credits will keep rolling in, and you can recover. I often have 6-8 harvesters going.

* The game seems to have several bugs you may need to work around:
** Sometimes your starport just stops receiving frigates. I've found destroying the starport and rebuilding, then ordering again sometimes gets it working again. If you don't notice it's not working and just keep buying things, it seems to eat up your max unit count, and you'll be stuck with some smaller number of units. If you can't win with those you might need to just restart the scenario.

** Sometimes harvesters drive back to the refinery even when you have carryalls. Some combination of clicking "Return", stopping them, or moving them to a spot can get them to be picked up by the carry-all, unless you want to wait for them to drive back. Use the fully-surround-refinery trick mentioned above to ensure the carry-all takes them both ways.

** Sometimes, especially in the last missions, it just stops letting you build more buildings. It says "Unable to create more" similar to when you hit the unit count limit. Not sure what that's about, but once a few of your buildings get destroyed (enemy nukes are good at that) it seems to fix itself.

SiLoB 2021-10-03

I remember playing this back in the days. What a game! The memories... And it still is quite addictive!

I remember it was possible to activate several units at once, tin order o organize massive attacks and such. I cant figure out how to do it in the emulator though. Is it not possible, or are there a way Im not aware of?

Anyway: Thanks for putting this game out for play again!

dudeyyyy 2021-07-15

been bout' 2 months since i played now.