FIELD MANUAL / 01
How to play Dune
Build a base, harvest spice, raise an army and complete the mission. New to Dune City? It adds a taxable city economy to this same game.
Start with a manageable mission
- Choose Campaign, then Offline. Pick your house and start at the first mission. Read the briefing: the objective may be collecting credits or defeating the enemy.
- Choose Vanilla for the classic spice-and-army game, or Dune City for city building as well. The mod changes the rules and available buildings; the map alone does not enable a city economy.
- Choose an Easy enemy while learning. Under AI partner, choose None to do everything, or AI Support to let the AI build and manage the economy while you command combat.
- Choose Full campaign to progress through missions, or Single mission for one scenario. For a custom map, choose Custom Game, browse the maps and preview, then choose Players to set up the houses and opponents.
Want a partner? Read AI support and full QuantBot partners or host an online game with a friend.
Your first base, one step at a time
- Find the Construction Yard. Select it to open its build list. If you start with a Mobile Construction Vehicle (MCV), deploy it on suitable rock to establish your yard.
- Lay foundations and supply power. Use concrete for buildings, then construct a Windtrap. Missing concrete means damage and repair costs; insufficient power weakens your base. Keep power ahead of new demand.
- Build a Refinery. Keep its approach clear. Select your Harvester and send it to spice. It gathers spice, returns and unloads for credits. A Refinery without a working Harvester does not create income.
- Protect your income. Keep a few units near the Harvester route and base. Replace lost Harvesters. Expand refining and storage when income or spice capacity becomes a bottleneck.
- Build the army the mission allows. Select production buildings to train units. Unlock better equipment as technology becomes available. Do not spend your entire treasury on a single queue.
- Scout, defend and attack. Discover the enemy, gather a mixed force, and complete the briefing’s objective. Keep reinforcements coming and avoid leaving the base undefended.
Know what to click
| Action | Control |
|---|---|
| Select | Left-click a unit or building; drag a box to select a group. |
| Move, attack, harvest | With a unit selected, right-click the ground, an enemy or a spice field. |
| Build | Select a production building, click its build item, and place a completed structure on suitable ground. |
| Cancel placement | Press Esc or right-click to leave the special cursor mode. |
| Classic unit information | Open Mentat for the available units and structures. |
| Save | Options → Save Game. Keep a save before a risky attack. |
| Detailed instructions | Browser: Play guide in the toolbar above the game. Desktop: keep this guide open alongside the game. |
These are mouse and keyboard controls. On touch devices, use the available input controls; all repair state information is written on the button, so hovering is optional.
Keep the economy alive while you fight
Your most useful opening investment is reliable income. A large army is hard to replace if you lose its Harvesters and factories. Scout before committing, protect vulnerable ranged units, and keep a reserve at home. If you are losing credits, check production queues, repairs and any AI partner’s purchases.
Auto repair shows its current state
Older builds shorten the labels below to “Auto repair on/off”. In both cases, the label reports the current state.
ON: damaged buildings automatically start repairs when credits allow, spending credits as they repair. Click to turn this off. OFF: new automatic repairs will not start. Click to enable them. Repairs already underway can continue after switching off; this button does not repair vehicles. Hover for the explanation and the action that clicking will take.
Ready to build a city?
Continue to the Dune City guide for roads, housing, jobs, pollution, crime, taxes and a second source of credits.