Using the Dune Module
Module v2.03. This file last updated by Richard Wein, 31 May 2004.
The Dune module for VASSAL was originally created by Bob Soule. This was modified by Richard Wein to produce the version you are now using. For a general guide to using VASSAL, see "VASSAL User's Guide" in the Help menu. The current page explains how the elements of the Dune game have been implemented in VASSAL, and how best to use them.
Game Windows
Adjusting the Windows. When you start a game using the Dune module, you will see two windows: the main "combined application" window, which includes the Dune map board, and a private window for your faction. (This assumes that you have not unchecked "use combined application window" in the File|Preferences dialogue.) These two windows will remain in use throughout the game. I recommend that you adjust the bar separating the map area from the chat area and zoom out the map, until you can just about see the whole map at once. Then zoom out your private window one less time than the map, and resize it to fit the empty space to the right of the map. Increasing your screen resolution may be useful.
Private Window. Your private window is not visible to any other player, and it acts like the cardboard shield in the boardgame, behind which you hide your holdings. You can keep your treachery cards, leaders, spice and reserves secret here.
Markers. This window is merely used as a repository for a few game markers.
Tanks. This window provides a larger alternative to using the "Bene Tleilaxu Tanks" area of the map, in case this area becomes too crowded.
Traitors. This window is used for selecting and recording traitors, as explained below.
Battle Wheels . This window contains representations of the two battle wheels, one each for attacker and defender, to be used in resoving combat.
General Information
Two-sided Pieces. Many of the pieces in the game are two-sided. When initally drawn from a deck, they are face-down. The player who draws a piece is considered its owner, and is able to see the face of the piece. To all other players, only the back of the piece is visible. To remind the owner that no-one else can see the piece, the words "FACE DOWN" are printed over it. (In the case of some small markers, the piece is shown in a picture frame instead, using VASSAL's "background" feature.) The owner may flip a piece over by right-clicking on it and selecting "Flip Over". Once face up, any player may take ownership of it, by flipping it face down again.
Stacking. Armies and spice tokens are the only pieces with active stacking, i.e. when you place one of these pieces overlapping another, they will form a stack and can be moved as a single item. To select an individual piece from a stack, open the stack up by double-clicking. Pieces other than armies and spice tokens do not stack, and so must be moved one by one.
Mouse-Over. The mouse-over feature is useful for easily seeing all the pieces in a stack, and also for magnifying pieces in zoomed out windows when they might otherwise be hard to read. If you don't want this feature to operate automatically, select "Use CTRL-space to view stack details" in the File|Preferences dialogue.
Moved Pieces. It's easy in VASSAL to overlook the fact that another player has moved a piece, so armies which have been moved are automatically marked with a black and white surround (in the map window only). You can clear these markers from all armies by pressing the "MOV" button in the tool bar. Note that this will affect the view for all players, so don't press this button until all players have seen the moves (wait until the next phase has begun). Armies are the only pieces to be marked in this way. You can switch this feature on and off in the File|Preferences dialogue.
Honour System. The module is not secure against cheating, so use of the honour system is required.
Cards and Pieces
Treachery and Spice Cards. Treachery and spice cards are drawn from decks in the usual places on the map board. IMPORTANT: These two decks are not shuffled automatically, so one player must remember to shuffle them at the start of the game (right-click and select Shuffle). Discards should be placed in the marked deck space next to the stock deck. Only the top card in each discard pile will be visible. Should you need to reshuffle a discard pile, you can select all the cards at once (right-click, select "Draw multiple cards", and enter a high number) and then drag them back to the stock deck. During bidding for treachery cards, do not draw the cards in advance, as you would do normally. Instead, the Atreides player should draw the top card only, look at it, and then return it to the top of the deck. After bidding, the winner should take the card from the deck. (The Atreides player cannot give the card directly to the winner, since he would then remain the owner of the card.) Players will have to remember how many cards have been bid on so far.
Armies. Each player's private window starts with 4 stacks of 5 armies. It's probably a good idea to limit your stacks to 5 armies to keep them manageable and make the armies easier to count. Armies marker with a cross represent Sardaukar or Fedaykin troops (optional rule).
Dummy Treachery Cards and Leaders. Each player's private window contains 5 real leaders, one dummy leader and three dummy treachery cards. In combat, you should always play a leader and 3 treachery cards (including possible dummies) to your battle wheel, in order to conceal the number of real items played. After combat, be sure to return all dummies to your private window.
Battle Numbers. Each player's private window contains a deck of 21 number chits, marked 0-20. In combat, select one of these chits from the deck (right-click and select "Draw specific cards"). Then place it in the notch on your battle wheel to represent the number of armies "dialled". After combat, return it to the deck. In time, the deck will become disordered, but this doesn't matter.
IMPORTANT: Due to a bug in VASSAL, number chits are turned face up when drawn using the "Draw specific cards" option. Be sure to flip them over before moving them to the battle wheel.
Spice. Spice tokens are kept in the top-right corner of the board.
Player Position Markers. The "Markers" window contains a randomized deck of six player position markers, in the colours of the six factions, which are drawn randomly at the start of the game and placed on the player dots around the edge of the map. They can also be used (before this) for randomly drawing factions.
Storm Movement Markers. The "Markers" window contains a randomized deck of six storm movement markers, numbered 1-6, which are used for the corresponding optional rule.
Storm Marker. The storm marker can be found in the "Markers" window. Once moved to the map, it remains there throughout the game. You need to rotate the marker to make it fit the curve of the map. For each sector you move the marker, rotate it once counter-clockwise. Select the marker, hold down the CTRL key, and press the "[" key once for each sector moved.
Bene Gesserit Prediction. The Bene Gesserit player should record her prediction in a "delayed note". Press the notepad button on the toolbar, select the "Delayed" tab, press the "New" button and enter a suitable name and text (e.g. "BG prediction" and "Guild wins on turn 7"). At the end of the game, reveal the prediction by selecting it and checking the "Revealed" box. Other players can then read it.
Traitors. The "Traitors" window contains an extra set of leaders, marked "TRAITOR?". These leaders are only used for selecting traitors, and should never leave the "Traitors" window. At the start of the game, each player draws 4 leaders from the deck (which is automatically shuffled) and moves them to the area of the window marked with the name of his faction. (With fewer than 6 players, if you draw a leader belonging to an inactive faction, just flip it face up and draw a replacement.) After choosing your traitor, place that leader in the circle marked "TRAITOR" and the other three in the circles marked "SAFE". Thereafter, none of these leaders should ever be moved. Potential traitors remain face down and visible only to the player who drew them until a traitor is declared, at which time the traitor can be flipped over and made visible to all players. For added security against cheating, it is recommended that all players record the names of their traitors in "delayed notes" (see Bene Gesserit Prediction above).
--- [End] ---