Big Changes Coming In Dune: Awakening Chapter 3
Dune: Awakening is getting its biggest update yet with Chapter 3, and it is aimed squarely at players who have hit the endgame and are looking for more to do. Funcom and game director Joel Bylos are expanding the survival MMO with new systems, new locations, and fresh ways to build and customize your character.
If you have been grinding away on Arrakis and want more long term goals, this update is designed to keep you busy for a long time.
The Revamped Landsraad And Specialization System
One of the core changes in Chapter 3 is a completely revamped Landsraad system. Instead of just being another menu you click through, the Landsraad becomes the hub for picking missions and progressing your character in specific ways.
From the Landsraad board you will be able to choose from five different mission types:
- Combat missions
- Sabotage missions
- Crafting missions
- Harvesting missions
- Exploration missions
When you pick one of these mission types, the game sends you out to a specific new map on the overland. These new maps are not giant regions like the Hagga Basin. Each one is roughly one kilometer by one kilometer and is built around a very specific activity or challenge rather than base building.
This all ties into the new Landsraad specialization experience system. Every time you complete missions in a category, you earn experience points in that field. Those points feed into five specialization trees that together add up to a huge 500 levels of progression.
You get 100 levels in each of the five trees, and you can invest your points however you like. As you level up a specialization, you unlock new traits that change how your character plays. Some examples include:
- Improved piloting skills so your vehicles consume less fuel
- Better harvesting yields for more efficient resource gathering
- Bonus damage on headshots to reward skilled shooting
The idea is that you can push your build in the direction you enjoy most. If you love combat, you can spec into traits that increase your damage and survivability. If you live for gathering and crafting, you can become far more efficient at those tasks. Exploration specialists can focus on movement and vehicle bonuses to zip across Arrakis faster.
One standout example Bylos shared is a new location called Smugglers Run. This is essentially a dedicated race map. You head out there, deploy your sandbike, and try to beat a timed course as quickly as possible. Finish the run and you earn exploration experience points which can then be spent in the exploration tree. In turn, that tree can unlock perks like faster vehicle usage and more agile travel, making you even better at these kinds of missions.
It is a loop that rewards you for playing the way you like while still nudging you into new types of content.
Augments, Bosses, And Tough New Testing Stations
Chapter 3 is not just about missions and specializations. It also brings a full augmentation system that lets you push your weapons and armor further.
With a new crafting machine you will be able to produce mods for your gear. These augments can tweak your loadout and give your favorite guns or armor sets extra power or utility. The key is that these augments are not just handed to you. You have to go out and earn them by taking down bosses.
Funcom is introducing a detailed boss system with multiple phases, visible health bars, and more involved mechanics. Instead of simple bullet sponge enemies, bosses are being treated like proper encounters that you have to learn and overcome. Defeating them rewards augments you can plug into your equipment to tailor your build even further.
On top of that there are five new repeatable testing stations. These act like structured challenge arenas with escalating difficulty. The tougher the level you take on, the better the rewards you can earn. Combined with the specialization trees and augments, these testing stations should give dedicated players a lot of endgame grinding and optimization to chase.
All of this content is included in the free Chapter 3 update. For players who also enjoy the building and cosmetic side of the game, there is a separate paid DLC launching alongside it. That pack includes dozens of new building pieces plus several new armor sets, giving you more options to shape your base and your character style.
Why Chapter 3 Matters For Dune: Awakening Players
Chapter 3 is clearly aimed at making Dune: Awakening feel more like a long term MMO style experience. Instead of hitting a soft wall once you have decent gear and a solid base, you will have:
- Clear progression paths through the new specialization trees
- Targeted activities in the new overland maps
- Challenging bosses that drop meaningful rewards
- Repeatable testing stations with scaling difficulty
- More build and gear customization through augments and DLC pieces
For players who enjoy min maxing and building out very specific playstyles, the 500 level specialization system is especially important. It gives you something to work on over many sessions and makes your character feel more unique based on the missions you prefer.
If you are into exploration and racing across the sand, maps like Smugglers Run and the exploration tree will be your playground. If you are more about combat, sabotage, and high risk missions, the combat focused traits and boss fights will keep you busy.
Overall, Chapter 3 looks like a major step toward giving Dune: Awakening the kind of endgame depth that keeps survival and MMO communities engaged for the long haul.
Original article and image: https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/dune-awakenings-chapter-3-update-includes-a-completely-revamped-landsraad-system-a-new-specialization-experience-system-and-eight-new-overland-maps-to-visit/
