Dune: Awakening immerses players in an open-world survival MMO experience filled with intricate character creation, base-building mechanics, and a rewarding combat system, all while evading the gigantic, menacing sandworms that lurk beneath the sands of Arrakis. Navigating this harsh desert environment is challenging, as it presents various dangers that can end your journey unexpectedly. Therefore, understanding the threats you’ll face is essential for survival.
The game offers a wealth of information that is not immediately apparent, from ideal base locations to strategies for surviving encounters with sandworms. My early experiences left me dehydrated and stranded amid a sandstorm, and I realized that Funcom has created a unique survival game that encourages players to forge their own paths without much guidance.
This guide aims to enhance your initial gameplay experience while arming you with essential knowledge to withstand the numerous challenges of the desert. Drawing from my own misadventures in Arrakis, I’ve compiled a list of crucial tips and strategies you should consider before setting out.
Select Your Starting Class Carefully
In Dune: Awakening, you have the opportunity to choose between four initial character classes: the Bene Gesserit, the Trooper, the Mentat, and the Swordmaster. Progressing through the game allows you to interact with mentors of each class, enabling you to blend skills and techniques from various paths. Eventually, you will unlock a fifth class known as The Planetologist, focusing on exploration and resource extraction.
This flexibility in character development makes your initial class choice crucial. While you can reset skill trees later on, your starting class is fixed once you confirm your selection. To make an informed decision, I recommend checking out my guide, Dune Awakening: What Class Should You Choose?
Stay Prepared
In the challenging wilderness of Arrakis, maintaining your hydration is paramount. Keep a vigilant eye on your hydration meter, and search for plants containing dewdrops to replenish your fluids. It’s also advisable to set up a blood purifier at your base.
By creating a blood purifier and acquiring a blood bag, you can extract blood from defeated foes, purify it, and use it to sustain yourself. To be fully prepared for your journey in Arrakis, make sure to hydrate, gather healing materials and ammunition, and repair your equipment. It’s wise to keep your inventory organized to avoid the hassle of retrieving lost items after an untimely death, particularly since sandworms are ever-present threats.
Watch Out for Sandworms
Sandworms are formidable giants that will emerge swiftly to consume you. As you traverse large, open areas, monitor the sand vibration meter, which indicates the noise you create. Persisting in these exposed regions for too long will draw the attention of a sandworm, and succumbing to one means losing everything in your inventory.
To mitigate this risk, stick near rocky formations whenever possible. When crossing open areas, seek paths that minimize your exposure.Refrain from sprinting or jumping, as these actions generate additional noise and attract sandworms more quickly.
Funcom’s depiction of sandworms adds an exciting element of urgency—especially when your inventory is filled with valuable items, and you desperately want to avoid demise. Stay near rocks, keep an eye on the sand vibration meter, and seek the shortest routes across the desert.
The Importance of Hoarding
Gathering every piece of plant fiber or metal scrap might seem like an inefficient strategy, but stockpiling materials and loot can lead to significant progress. Everywhere you explore, resources are available, and harvesting them provides valuable experience. Even if you’re speeding towards a quest marker, you can collect resources along the way to gain XP.
In addition to gaining experience from collecting resources, a well-stocked inventory allows you to craft ammunition, consumables, and gear. Additionally, you can readily build and upgrade your base without interrupting your gameplay to search for materials.
Strategic Base Location
As you explore the vastness of Arrakis, you’ll establish multiple bases, but selecting the location of your first base is critical for a smoother early game. I recommend positioning your first base near a trading post, allowing you to trade currency for crafting supplies, thus saving you valuable travel time.
Additionally, consider settling near larger camps and points of interest (POIs), which will provide quicker access to combat experience and loot. Remember, resources respawn after you collect them; therefore, a well-placed starting base will lead to ongoing benefits in XP and resource availability.
Although finding a suitable base location amidst colossal sandworms presents its own challenges, investing time in exploring for an advantageous building site can significantly impact your success.
Sandbike and Shigawire Combo
The immense desert expanses of Arrakis, complete with mountainous terrain and treacherous ground, necessitate mobility advantages. Constructing a Sandbike serves as one of the most efficient means of navigating the landscape. You can craft a Sandbike by gathering its components through looting or trading.
Individual bike parts can be scavenged from Imperial Testing Stations or acquired from merchants at the trading post. Using your base’s fabricator, craft a welder that will enable you to assemble your Sandbike, drastically reducing travel time and facilitating exploration experience gains.
Once you reach a sufficient level, you’ll unlock the trooper skill tree (or choose the Trooper as your starting class) and gain access to the Shigawire Claw, an essential tool for traversing difficult terrain. This grappling hook-like device allows you to access hard-to-reach areas and can also be used against enemies in combat.
At the game’s commencement, you can choose whether to lock or unlock your research tree. I highly recommend keeping it unlocked to explore possibilities and utilize the Shigawire-Sandbike combination effectively.
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