I love this game. I remember renting it at the library. I would play some Atriedis and then some Harkonnen. Occasionally I would play some Ordos as well. I didn't know the lore of the Dune Universe back then. All I knew was that spamming Cobra's and watching them melt buildings or using them as mobile defences, because Ordos long range base defences were bad was fun.
The great convention missions on the Frigates were a fun change of pace. Sneakily taking out the other houses frigates while making sure your forces would reach Arrakis was super cool. I loved how even Atriedis took the opportunity to sabotage their rivals in those missions. While totally understandable I always thought. Ohh not so perfect and valiant are we House Atriedis.
I remember that I wanted the game so bad I bought it even thought I didn't have the computer to run it.
Fortunately as the youngest of three, I had a perfectly valid and brilliant strategy at the time to fix that problem. Badger my oldest brother to let me install and play it on his computer. Before you judge he got to play it as well, on his computer but still. Generous young me.
There are so many fun memories. For example ordering units at the Starport even at higher place because young thought the units arriving at the Starport was so cool.
The homeworld invasion missions were really cool. It gave me an into the Lions den vibe (or snitches den I imagine if you invaded Caladan with the Harkonnen). I remember thinking how is this possible to do without any spice, until I would realize that noble Giedi Prime was funding me to enact judgement on them.
I still have the disks. Every time I put them in with Windows 11 and 10 just did nothing.
To end this on a happy not let me share some of my favorite quotes:
"Watch for Wormsign as your units cross the sand commander".
"Reinforcements are approaching, reinforcements have arrived".
"Special delivery".
"Chop Chop".
"Cutting lose"
"T minus 5 T minus 4 T minus 3 T minus 2 T minus 1.