Heighliners (The Dune Idea!)

[ToxicSlurpee]

jeffel said:
The Space Guild could be represented by having massive "organics/cash" costs for building the highliners AND a massive upkeep cost for Highliners. Make the maintenence cost high enough and you could force the houses to disband or mothball them as soon as they perform their missions.

Actually, that's an interesting idea, though I'm thinking about taking it one step further...

There could be two options for heighliners: Buying them at a high Organics cost, or BUILDING them for a somewhat lower cost of minerals and radioactives (melange). The problem would be getting the melange.

Of course, that would make Dune itself a highly contested world (just like in the books!) and melange very valuable.

To represent the vastness of the universe, I'm thinking that at least two or three empty sectors between any sectors with worlds would be more or less necessary. That way, Heighliners with their "emergency propulsion" Navigator components could easily get from place to place, while slower, less supplied house ships don't get particularly far.

The Sardaukar could be easily implemented, I think, as a troop type that you get from a Corrino-specific piece of technology. They would get a ridiculous bonus to hit and get missed, and probably some horribly powerful weapons to boot. Then, the ol' Emperor could throw them to whoever he wanted to help out. Or just rent them out, whichever.

As for the Bene Gesserit, they could be a seperate race, yes, but which only ONE player would get to control a copy of, and which would have only ONE (nearly impossible to invade) planet. They wouldn't have a lot of access to ships, but would have a few tricks and goodies to trade with other players. Either that, or make them neutral and just sort of there, with other players having access to a few (melange using) things they can build to represent Bene Gesserit hanging around.

I'd like to have this pre Kwisatz-Haterach, around the time that Paul was growing up and Shaddam was having his own brand of fun.

As for the Fremen, they pose a unique problem - They lived on Dune, but never had nominal control of it (as far as the Landsraad was concerned) until later on. They had control of it pre-Butler, but that's a different story entirely. Anyhoo...I imagine they would have a ridiculous combat bonus to match the Sardaukar (perhaps even be better?) but I don't see how they could be a race themselves. Of course, considering that they didn't leave Dune and didn't work for any outside influences (save Kynes and good ol' Mr. Atreides), we could just ignore them for most eras.