Dune: Awakening - Deep Dive into the Progression System

Progression in Dune: Awakening isn't just about leveling up or acquiring powerful equipment - it's a holistic system that combines character growth, skill mastery, and player expertise. The game offers a well-balanced progression system where 33% of player advancement is determined by equipment, another 33% by skills, and the remaining 33% by the player's ability to effectively utilize their chosen build and adapt to various situations. Let's take a detailed look at how progression works in Dune: Awakening.

Balanced Progression System

The key to progression in Dune: Awakening is the balance between three main factors: equipment, skills, and player proficiency. This design ensures that no single aspect dominates player advancement, allowing for a more sophisticated and engaging progression experience. Players will need to focus on leveling up, acquiring better equipment, and mastering skills while perfecting their combat strategies to thrive in the world of Arrakis.

Gaining Experience and Leveling

Players earn experience through various activities, including combat, crafting, exploration, and quests. As they level up, they unlock two important resources that shape their development:

• Intel Points: These points are used to unlock new technologies in the game's tech tree, offering players new tools and abilities to enhance their gameplay experience. Intel Points can be acquired through exploration, such as looting enemy bases for their intelligence information or completing specific tasks.
• Ability Points: These points are used to train and improve skills within specific archetypes or "classes" and can only be gained through leveling. Ability Points are crucial for perfecting combat techniques and other abilities that define a player's gameplay style.

Skills, Abilities, and Techniques

As players progress, they enhance their characters through a combination of active and passive skills, techniques, and crafting. This allows players to tailor their abilities and strategies to their preferred gameplay style:

• Passive Skills: Provide continuous, passive benefits to player stats and capabilities, improving combat effectiveness and other gameplay aspects over time.
• Active Abilities: These abilities are triggered by button presses and can have a wide range of effects, such as activating the Voice or using a grappling hook like the Sugar Wire Claw. Players can equip up to three active abilities at once, making it important to select abilities that complement their preferred combat style.
• Techniques: These are special abilities that must be equipped and provide situational bonuses, such as increased headshot damage. Players can equip up to three techniques, further customizing their character's capabilities.

Crafting and Customization

Crafting is another key component of progression, allowing players to create a wide range of items, including weapons, armor, tools, and consumables. Players can craft using both common and unique schematics. Common schematics can be used multiple times to create items, while unique schematics allow for the creation of powerful, one-of-a-kind items. Crafting provides players with the tools to enhance their equipment and gain a competitive edge in combat or other challenges.

Archetypes: Choose Your Path

The game offers a selection of archetypes or "classes" that are inspired by the rich world of the Dune universe. These archetypes represent a player's background and initial training and determine their starting abilities and talent tree. Some examples include:

• Bene Gesserit: A class focused on manipulation, stealth, and enhancing mental capabilities.
• Swordmaster: A warrior class specializing in close combat and martial arts.
• Trooper: A heavily armored, combat-focused class with strong survival skills.
• Mentat: A class emphasizing intelligence, strategy, and tactical thinking.

Each archetype begins with specific abilities and a talent tree, but Dune: Awakening doesn't lock players into a single path. Through exploration, players can find trainers in the world who offer training in other archetypes. This allows players to learn new skills and expand their capabilities, opening the door for hybrid builds and experimentation with different gameplay styles.

Flexibility and Hybrid Builds

The flexibility of the progression system is one of its most interesting features. While players start with an archetype of their choice, they can eventually master all archetypes and skill trees if they're willing to invest significant time and effort – estimated at approximately 500 hours. This allows for an unprecedented level of customization, enabling players to experiment with different builds and strategies. Whether you want to be a master of one archetype or combine skills from several to create a unique hybrid build, Dune: Awakening provides the tools to craft your ideal character.

My Predictions for Future Archetypes and Specializations

Beyond the four basic archetypes mentioned above, based on the Dune universe, we can expect other interesting specializations that might be implemented:

Sardaukar

Elite soldiers of the imperial army, who could combine:

• High damage resistance
• Specialization in heavy weapons
• Ability to intimidate other players, potentially temporarily reducing their stats

Fremen

Native warriors of the Arrakis desert:

• Increased resistance to dehydration
• Better desert orientation and camouflage
• Special abilities for summoning or diverting sandworms

Navigator

Specialization inspired by the Spacing Guild Navigators:

• Heavily dependent on spice consumption
• Ability to temporarily reveal hidden objects or enemies
• Access to powerful but physically costly abilities

Smuggler

Focused on players who prefer a stealthy approach:

• Bonuses when trading and negotiating
• Ability to hide items from inspections
• Better knowledge of secret routes and hideouts

Mastering Combat and Other Activities

Player skill plays a critical role in progression. While leveling up, acquiring equipment, and improving skills are important, a player's ability to effectively utilize their character's build in combat and other activities is equally crucial. The dynamic nature of combat, exploration, and crafting means that players must adapt to various situations, making thoughtful decision-making and quick reflexes essential for success.

My Expectations and Tips for the Progression System

As a longtime player of MMO games and survival titles, I appreciate Dune: Awakening's balanced approach to progression. Here are my tips and expectations for effectively advancing in the game:

• Invest time in exploration - Intel Points will likely be a rare and valuable resource, so raiding enemy bases should be a priority.
• Don't focus solely on one specialization - Hybrid builds will be powerful, so look for trainers of different archetypes as early as possible.
• Combine active and passive skills wisely - The three slots for active abilities represent a limit that will require strategic decision-making.
• Focus on quality crafting - Since equipment forms a third of progression, investment in crafting will have significant returns.
• Practice practical skills - Remember that a third of success depends on your own skills as a player, so time spent perfecting reflexes and tactical thinking will pay off.

Dune: Awakening offers a progression system that is rich, dynamic, and deeply integrated with the game's core mechanics. By balancing equipment, skills, and player proficiency, the game ensures that players remain engaged in their journey of growth and mastery. Whether you're raiding enemy bases for intelligence, crafting powerful equipment, or training in multiple archetypes, the progression system offers plenty of room for customization and experimentation. With a combination of active and passive skills, techniques, and hybrid builds, players can truly shape their own destiny on the sandy plains of Arrakis.

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• Professions and Skills in Dune: Awakening
• Factions and Houses in Dune: Awakening
• Community Involvement in Dune: Awakening
• Spice and Power in Dune: Awakening