The games draw for me? Potentially a modern take on Dark Age of Camelot.

[Eightball]

I am a survival game enthusiast and there are numerous options for PvE only co-op survival games on the market now.

What drew me to this game is its passing resemblance to an old game I truly enjoyed; Dark Age of Camelot.

On a persistent game world the Dune Houses being like the Realms, the DD akin to the Frontier and Landsraad winner buffs (and a primary reason to go into the DD) being like Relics captured on the Frontier.

In DAoC there was well developed PvE content, much of it in the relatively safe home realms (like the Basin and the first zones in the DD in this game), but some of the more potentially rewarding PvE content was actually in the Frontier (read DD). However, you could choose to never go into the Frontier and still keep busy through level cap just doing PvE.

There was a certain amount of server pride in your Realm (House) and its accomplishments and there was quite a bit of cooperation as well because capturing those enemy relics (like winning the Landsraad buffs) was a Realm wide goal. So even if you just wanted to PvE you could still contribute to your sides war effort in a number of ways, like resourcing siege weaponry.

And that is what will really make this game, at least to me, stand out from all the other survival/crafting games available. The tug-of-war between what will be three, if not more, Houses for Landsraad buffs. The snap decision to engage an unknown in the DD or to warily pass each other by. Being prepared for a threat that might never materialize. Houses deciding if they should ally with another to bring the third down or go it alone.

As for the actual PvP I have never been a proponent of 'seal clubbing' and I personally think the best PvPrs seek out their equals for a challenge. So I hope to see strong clans seek out their equal in the opposing houses.

And to me, without this potential for PvP, the added risk, this game is really no different than a number of other survival/crafting games other than its on Arrakis, in the sand.

Yes, there is FoxHole out there, but that top down perspective is, well, interesting.

[Pertinax]

Thats part of what i dont understand yet. Do factions even matter in DD? I hope it does at some point so we can have some of that DAOC or WoW faction fights. AFAIK its just guilds with factions being a non-factor in fights for various things in the DD.

[Landshark]

Interesting info. I played a LOT of DAOC and really enjoyed the PVP area.

I don't know much about Dune Awakening so far, but sounds like they have a pretty unique setup to how multiplayer interactions work (i.e. the 400 players per hagga basin and then the 'hub' area where others can meet up.

[Eightball]

@Perinaz From what I gather there will be no one guild that can win the Landsraad on its own each week so if a House wants to win there has to be some amount of cooperation on the part of its members. How much I don't know.

So beyond each player/guilds individual goals for the week which may put them at odds with other guilds in their same House, having a least a modicum of cooperation effort wise would help win the Landsraad for the House and then everyone benefits.

[Lancenig]

What made DAoC so good was that there were 3 factions....
Having only 2 typically just ends up in the factions being A) insanely out of balance or B) you just trade territory back and forth. If they want that authentic battlegrounds experience you gotta have 3 factions.

[Eightball]

@Lancenig Agreed and from all I have read there will be a third House added soon and potentially more House later on.