Dust.Evolution is a thrilling, alternate-history Real-Time Combat Strategy game where WWII rages on and 3 factions vie for control!
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Dust.Evolution is a thrilling, alternate-history Real-Time Combat Strategy game where WWII rages on and 3 factions vie for control!
About this project
UPDATE No. 2 – DUST.EVOLUTION Apparel now available as add-ons!
UPDATE No. 3 – Cash, War Bonds, and In-Game Currency
UPDATE No. 4 – STEAMLIGHT GREENLIGHT Community is UP!
UPDATE No. 5 – Epic Gear, Big Tanks, & Crew Ranks EXPLAINED!
UPDATE No. 6 – Battlegrounds, Battalions & Ballistics EXPLAINED!
UPDATE No. 7 – Innovative Single/Multiplayer Story System EXPLAINED!
From the mind of Paolo Parente comes the World of Dust, an alternative history beginning in 1947. Dust.Evolution is the next step in the story Dust fans have followed and played for over a decade. Join our Kickstarter and be a part of that story with a video game that will play like none before it.
In Evolution, as the battle unfolds your strategy "OPORD" sets the stage. Your actual tactics, impacted by terrain, weather, comms, crew or soldier experience, play out in real time, over real distances - that's right, an 88 punches through a Sherman at 1.8km. No little 'health bars' in Dust Evolution. Combat commanders in 1945 saw no little health bars over units under their command.
There will be no time compression or expansion during the battle - everything rolls out at range so you have time to make decisions - but not in the way you've grown to expect in an RTS. It's hard, more often you'll be left wondering "Did I order enough suppressive fire?" - "What if I had waited two more minutes before calling that first long-range artillery strike?" or "if Wolf Pack hadn't had a TIC before rally point 1, could I have turned the tide and won?"
And with no ‘false unit weighting’ if your platoon or company rolls in with a heavy tank, it may have an advantage. Did we mention it was hard? But the game will not be hard for the sake of being hard, it will simply be unforgiving and rely on true tactical ability and problem solving in the face of a changing battlefield.
Lets Talk Game Tech
Developing a genre-breaking title takes more than a statement or boast. Dust.Evolution has approached this project questioning every aspect of typical RTS titles. From camera view to real-distancing and target acquisition challenges - we rethought everything and started over. You may look at the old-school perspective game-view in the video and feel you have the game figured out. But think again, that was a pre-alpha pathfinding test. We can't show you the camera system yet, but it's gorgeous. Weather systems, snow flurries, mega-texturing, cinematic depth of field...when launched, the Dust.Evolution battlezone will be jaw dropping. But that still doesn't define a genre. So here are a few geek-teasers of what is in store for our players if we make our stretch goals.
RTCS Real Time Combat Strategy: More on this over the coming weeks.
Evolution is actually a Commander or Battle Command Simulator. You command decisions as the battles unfold, actually testing your stretegic prowess.
Innovative Camera and Commander Vision System: No ortho-god view.
No ‘fog of war’ – missions rely on the Commander Vision System. Spoiler Alert: Catch up on the your Sun Tzu - because here, in Dust.Evolution it's actually relevant.
No unit mashing, rushing the clock RTS style game play
Personal Unit Customization linked to an Espionage and Military Intel System
Economic Simulation System with Rubles, Dollars, Marks and War Bonds as well as a Climate & Weather Pattern Simulator: Impacting AI resolution, movement, and vision.
And we love this one: No Health Bars - wait and see how you get this information.
Here's Dale Leary explaining a lot of the game tech with Veronica Belmont!
Platoons, Units & Blueprints
Platoons are your precision tools of battle. You'll get a platoon in your first game, you also have the option on KS to save when getting a Company. A Company is two platoons. Your goal will be to nurture your troops and develop your company and platoon. At the Brigade level, or multiple companies, things will get interesting.
Blueprints are your key to new units. Every unit in the game starts with a Blueprint; collecting these is the same as collecting new units. You'll be able to obtain Blueprints through DLC packs, buying with ingame currency, finding them on missions, or combine them using research and development to create new Blueprints. Imagine, building your own unit from an EPIC or LEGENDARY Blueprint you created! But enemy units can also be captured as you march your way to victory, battle after battle. Each victory earns you a strategic foothold as well as currency to improve your Platoon or Company. Moreover, captured units allow you to reverse engineer the technology to unlock more Blueprints. This will open the door for more diverse equipment at your disposal. Imagine a game where you can produce your own variant of a tank, that only you can use. But be careful, lose on the battlefield, and if your commander is a high enough rank, your victorious foe could get a copy of your prized blueprint through the Espionage feature.
Currency, War Bonds & Economics
The cost of war is the perdition of nations. In Dust.Evolution, currency is the lifeblood of battle. With it, the faction acquires fuels, metals & alloys, machinery, ammunition, VK, chemicals, advanced technology research & development, and more. War Bonds, a vital vehicle for raising money for a nation in conflict, are available to further your war effort.
Regional strain on supply and growing and ebbing demands will drive costs of war resources up and down. Axis-held ports, overrun by an Allied force, will drive up cost of fuel, or steel to all Axis players. It's a collective effort to control the battlefield, supply routes, while growing your faction's power.
Check back for the most current news and insight on this engaging facet of our RTS.
From the mind of Paolo Parente comes the World of Dust, where familiar troops like infantry, artillery, and tanks are joined on the battlefield by rocket troops roaring through the skies, Tesla weapons crackling with power, and giant mechanized walkers carrying ample firepower to level entire city blocks. It’s 1947, and it’s the same Earth, but history as you know it has been rewritten.
A new, limitless source of energy known as Vril-Kultur (VK) has been discovered by Germany and developed into unimaginable weapons of war. As a result, the Second World War continues and has quickly spread to every continent on the planet. As nations harness the power of VK, the tides of war are shifting, forming new allegiances. A world at war settles into three powerful factions: the Allies, the Axis, and the Sino-Soviet Union.
Vril-Kultur’s extraordinary properties have made it possible for new technologies. Tesla’s most experimental weapons are made possible, as is the ability to reanimate humans. Most terrifying of all is the creation of mechanized combat walkers that shake the earth with every step, suited with firepower equal to that of a full tank battalion. But the most advanced technology, units, and soldiers are useless without visionary leaders to direct them into battle.
Rumors of alien visitors from another planet and secret weapons abound … but who could take such rumors seriously after years of wartime propaganda? At the battle of Stalingrad in October of 1942, the world begins to take those rumors seriously ...
Development of Dust.Evolution
Paolo Parente, Creator of Dust, and Senior Creative Director for Dust.Evolution heads this new project into the World of Dust. Leading software development for Dust.Evolution are the combined talents of Producer and Game Director, Dale Leary, and Studio Director, Ariel Mendoza. They are beginning development alongside the great talent working at Dust Studios for over a decade. We are all excited, spearheading every aspect of this game to ensure Dust is exciting and addicting from the minute you start the game until the last of your enemies is vanquished.
For Kickstarter backers, an unparalleled amount of access will be available. Along with regular blog posts and videos from our staff, downloadable concept art, game screens, surveys, polls and more to keep fans tuned in!
Dust.Evolution is being developed using the Unity3D platform for PC first (to be made available via Steam and our own Digital Storefront). But this is only the tip of the cannon. Our ultimate goal is to make Dust.Evolution available on all gaming platforms. This includes, Mac, Linux, Wii U, Playstation 4, Xbox One, iOS and GooglePlay. Our list of goals is long but it’s a testament to how much we believe in the game. And if we reach all our goals, that means you get to play the game on your favorite gaming platform! You help us, YOUR CHOICE!
And Why Kickstarter?
What makes gaming so exciting are the gamers. We’re gamers making games and we want our creation to be part of the community that plays it. YOU are what makes our job satisfying and Kickstarter is a way for us to connect with our fans and build a tight community. Kickstarter opens the door for fans to contribute in a way that gaming has never seen. As we develop our ideas, we’ll listen to yours, so that the game is not only thoroughly enjoyable, but molded and shaped by the people that will enjoy it the most.
Dust began in the mind of Paolo Parente who wanted to create a game that was both visually striking and compelling from the first turn until the last. From just a handful of tables covered in maps and miniatures, the community has grown today to thousands of players, from all around the world. Paolo has long been motivated by his “Million Player Dream” and Dust.Evolution is gearing up to make that dream a reality.
Conventions around the world like GenCon in Indianapolis or Winter Storm in the United Kingdom feature Dust tournaments. The best and brightest strategic minds battle on tables for global dominance. Until now, these conflicts have been held to players who can meet in person. But the furiously fun gameplay of the tabletop is going online, making it possible for anyone, anywhere on Earth, to play together.
Dust’s unique visual look is evolving into beautifully rendered 3D models. Mechanized walkers with tremendous firepower will stomp alongside hundreds of diverse troops on a march towards war. From the 2D planes of the tabletop, battlefields based on real-world locations will rise to provide the stage for war. As you lead armies into battle, characters such as the ruthless Axis leader Sigfrid Vomin Thaler and the sexy, but deadly Koshka Rudinova will come to life and either be your ally or your sworn enemy.
Our team is committed to giving both old and new fans something great to bite into. Not the same old canned-styled RTS games which just devolve into HP battles. We want to break through with both an innovative story and game mechanic.
Dust.Evolution will be a RTCS (Real-Time Combat Strategy) video game for your favorite console, mobile device, or PC, featuring an in-depth online multiplayer experience, a compelling single player campaign, and a wide variety of high-tech units to command. But Dust.Evolution will also provide a few unique twists on the genre that will make it even more engrossing than ever. It will not be your typical RTS game that gamers have become accustomed to. Become a part of our million player dream and see for yourself exactly what Dust.Evolution has to offer.
Paolo Parente was born in Italy and exudes a passion for illustration, science fiction, fantasy, and action figures. After graduating from Istituto Marangoni Italian Fashion School, he found work as a fashion designer and illustrator. In 1990, Paolo took a step toward merging his passions into a career when he worked as an illustrator for science fiction and fantasy settings like the Middle Earth Roleplaying Game, the Mutant Chronicles. and Magic: The Gathering.
Paolo’s body of work lead to the creation of the Dust Universe where he was able to add the missing piece of the passion puzzle — action figures. Today, Dust continues to evolve towards Paolo’s grand vision of a living, breathing alternate history Earth full of rich characters, epic battles, and captivating visuals.
$900,000: BATTALION MOBILE GARAGE
Unit upgrading will be handled in-game, but reaching this goal will bring Master Sergeant Rosie Donovan and her assistants to life! A full-fledged garage will allow for full modeling and animation on a completely decked out work and research area for your units. This will allow for the use and creation of Blueprinting.
$1,500,000: DUST OF WAR SIMULATOR
Think you're King of the Hill when it comes to Dust and dominating everyone on the boards? This stretch goal is the real meat and potatoes of our war simulator. Where the rubber meets the pavement, this is where we demonstrate some of the most advanced play of our game. Economics, trackable weather patterns with forecasting, espionage, deep gameplay recon and intel, all of this and more will take Dust.Evolution from a great game, to a genre-breaking title. Help us reset the bar, and show players an experience that resonates like some of the greatest games we all know and love.
$1,850,000: BRIGADE EXPANSION
Our initial plans are to develop a multiplayer online RTCS based on a platoon or company sized force. This tier will bust multiplayer open, and allow for company grouping into Brigades for large, and more lengthy protracted battles. These battles will be woven into the Dust continuum, as players and their factions, actually shape the outcome of the Antarctic power struggle..
$2,000,000: TOP SECRET TIER!
Reaching this goal will let us expand the armies of Dust in a whole new way. Keep an eye out as we get closer and closer to this level!
$2,250,000: NINTENDO TIER – Wii U
Reaching this goal allows us to take our brand of real-time combat strategy to the House of Mario for gamers on the Wii U. This is exciting to Dust.Evolution, and we have some secret concepts and uses for this hardware and platform, so help us reach this stretch.
$3,000,000: SONY & MICROSOFT TIER
No gamers left behind! With this stretch goal reached - we’ll make Dust.Evolution roll out onto Playstation 4 and Xbox One consoles everywhere!
$3,700,000: TOP SECRET TIER!
Dust.Evolution wants to make this game the best that it can be. Reaching this goal will bring the World of Dust for N... You'll have to wait!
$4,000,000: ANOTHER FACTION?! • DUST CODEX & MECH EDITOR COMPANION iOS APPS
There are rumors that the Japanese have been working closely with the alien Vril and this alliance is preparing a powerful new force made up of the most advanced VK-based technology yet. Reaching this goal will unleash the Japanese faction on the World of Dust!
The perfect companions for the real digital Dust.Evolution experience. Get us to this level and we will have the Dust.Codex and Mech Editor join in the fun. The Dust.Codex will act as a virtual encyclopedia housing every single personnel, mech unit and vehicle in the game. Even log in and use it as an inventory checklist for your own army!
The Dust.Evo Mech Editor will let you customize your mech units anyway you want from custom paint and camouflage to specific decals and art emblazoned across your steel and iron panels. More details on both of these to come!
DUST.EVOLUTION FORUM ACCESS/BADGE
You will have exclusive access to the Dust.Evolution.com Player's Forum and you will be identified with a unique KS-backer badge showing your love for the game!
SPECIAL THANKS IN-GAME CREDIT!
You've supported us by pledging and we want to thank you for it! You automatically get added to the community not only with the forums like above. We want to personally give you thanks by including your name in the Wall of Heroes for supporting us! You will officially be part of Dust.
DIGITAL DUST WALLPAPERS FOR PC, SMARTPHONES & TABLETS
You're a backer! Awesome; now you can show your love for Dust with digital wallpapers for all of your devices from your PC and laptop to your smartphone and tablet!
FULL DIGITAL COPY of the GAME (CHOICE OF)
The one and only game, what you want in all of it's glory! You get the digital copy of the game available via Steam for PC or if we hit our stretch goals as a choice on any other platform we reach. Those possible will be iOS, Google Play, Wii U, Xbox One, PS4, 3DS and Vita.
BACKER-ONLY ONLINE EVENTS
As development on Dust.Evolution progresses, the dev team will have backer-only events where you can interact directly with them. There will be contests, polls, surveys, hangouts, etc that you can directly take a part of and help influence the development of the game!
KS EXCLUSIVE IN-GAME HERO
You get an Kickstarter-only, exclusive MERC in-game hero that no one else will be able to play with! Will also come with it's own special digital "Dust-Tactics" style game card via PDF.
DIGITAL COPY OF THE DUST.EVOLUTION COMIC BOOK
Paolo is gearing up to create the next phase of the ongoing Dust saga in a brand new comic book. This rewards gives you a digital copy of that brand new book once it's available.
PHYSICAL BOX SET OF DUST.EVOLUTION GAME
Woot! Even though you get the game as a digital download, we still want to satisfy all of the old-school gamers out there collecting from way back in the NES days. You have to have the box and all of it's components in it's beautiful printed glory! You'll get the printed game box, the printed instruction manual, the Dust Evolution postcard set and a KS special edition hero card (your choice).
COLLECTOR'S EDITION PHYSICAL COPY OF THE GAME
Exactly the same as the reward above but in a decked out collector's edition version of the game box, manual and set.
DIGITAL COPY OF THE DUST.EVOLUTION OFFICIAL SOUNDTRACK
Not only do you get to play Dust.Evolution whenever you want, now with this reward you get the entire official soundtrack for Dust.Evolution digitally to listen to anywhere and on any device you want!
BETA ACCESS FOR DUST.EVOLUTION
You get the chance to try out Dust.Evolution before anyone else! Why wait till the retail launch to get a chance to play? With beta access you get to try out the game before everyone else, helping us along the way by seeing what's working and what's not. Help the dev team with critical reporting to help us fix what's broken and celebrating what features you like! Only with beta access will this be possible. (Beta access will be distributed via Steam).
MAKING-OF DOCUMENTARY VIDEO
Making Dust.Evolution so far has been an awesome experience but we want to bring all of you along for the ride. We will document the process as we get to work every day bringing Dust.Evolution to the fans and backers. This documentary will be our progress and hard work all rolled together into something for you to see and enjoy.
DUST.EVOLUTION HERO CHARACTER POSTER
You will get an exclusive KS-only edition 18"x24" print of one of the three heroes in the game (your choice of Bazooka Joe, Koshka Rudinova, Sigrid Von Thaler). The poster designs will be revealed later on and you will be emailed for your choice.
DIGITAL COPY OF THE STRATEGY GUIDE/ART BOOK
Dust.Evolution's strategy tips and secrets will be combined with art from the game and Paolo in a beautiful combo art book. This will have designs, concepts, sketches and more from the design team and Paolo used for the game. This reward is a digital PDF of the guide/art book.
DUST POSTCARD SIGNED & NUMBERED PRINTS
This will be an exclusive printed postcard set featuring artwork from the Dust.Evolution game and the World of Dust as a whole. Each set will come signed and numbered and with a certificate of authenticity from Paolo and the dev team.
KS-EXCLUSIVE FORUM VIP BADGE
At the $100 pledge level and above each, backer will receive a VIP-designation forum badge that corresponds to their pledge level. These forum badge designs will match the pledge level names (i.e. Devil's Brigade).
WORLD of DUST WW2 CLOTH MAP
This is a cloth map of the world during World War II in 1947. A unique design showing which faction controls which part of the planet!
WORLD OF DUST WW2 MISSION PATCH
An embroidered mission-patch for this stage of the Dust universe and storyline. The patch will feature velcro on the back to make it easier to remove and place on anything you want.
DUST.EVOLUTION MOUSE PAD
Pimp your desk with the official Dust.Evolution mouse pad with the game logo and artwork right on it.
PREMIUM PAINTED DUST HERO MINIATURE (CHOICE-OF)
Get an Dust-Tactics Premium painted Hero miniature from one of the game's three heroes, Bazooka Joe, Koshka Rudinova and Sigrid Von Thaler (choice of). Paint 'em over, keep it on your desk, add it to your Dust Tactics collection. Yours to keep for this reward! We will also include them as add-ons for your pledge!
PREMIUM PAINTED DUST WALKER MINIATURE
Get an Dust-Tactics Premium painted Walker miniature to play with, your choice of unit once we put up the selection. YOU get to pick what you want!
PREMIUM PAINTED HERO & WALKER MINIATURE COMBO SET
This reward gets you the combination of both the Heroes miniature and the Walker (your choice) together!
HARDCOVER COPY OF STRATEGY GUIDE/ARTBOOK
This will be a limited edition hardcover coffee-style print of the strategy guide/art book combo from above. You will also receive the digital edition PDF with this reward.
PAOLO PARENTE SIGNED ORIGINAL SKETCH
This is not a print, or a lithograph! You get an original, illustrated work of art by Paolo Parente himself never to be done again. Your piece will be limited to just you and no one else!
WHAT BETTER FEELING THAN TO HELP DESIGN THE GAME EVERYONE IS GOING TO PLAY!
We'll give those to you with DESIGN-the-GAME REWARDS!
DESIGN-the-GAME: IN-GAME CHALLENGE
Help us design Dust.Evolution! You get to work with one of our game designers by email (limited phone) to help create a special challenge for the in-game achievement and trophy system. This will be a challenge to help test the best of our player's gaming skills! Got a great idea for one? We'll help create it (within reason) and put it into the final game.
DESIGN-the-GAME: IN-GAME NPC
You get to name and design (within reason) an NPC (non-player character) that interacts with the players within the game! Fill out a design sheet for our design team that will then take your proposal and create the character design and put it into the final game!
DESIGN-the-GAME: IN-GAME WEAPON
You get to name and design (within reason) a in-game weapon that everyone will get to use within the game! Fill out the design sheet for our design team. Then give us your concepts, illustrations, ideas, anything you may have for your weapon. The team will then take your proposal, create and tweak your design and put it into the final game!
DESIGN-the-GAME: YOURSELF in the GAME!
Who doesn't want to be in the video game itself?! Our game artists will take your face picture or image and recreate a pixel version of you to include somewhere in the game! Be on the lookout for it, so then you can showoff to all of your friends and family!
DESIGN-the-GAME: ENEMY CHARACTER
This is cool! You get to create and design a real enemy character that will be attacking you on the battlefield! Just like with the other design options above, give us your cool ideas, drawings and proposals and our team will recreate your idea (within reason, no tentacle monsters please) and put it directly into our game! We will also have you in the video conference like stated below to give us your feedback so we can fulfill your vision as closely as possible!
KS-EXCLUSIVE DUST.EVOLUTION EMBROIDERED POLO SHIRT
This will be an extremely limited polo shirt emblazoned with the Dust.Evolution logo done in embroidery. Only very few of these will be made as this will be the official shirt for the Dust.Evolution dev team. This reward guarantees you get one of those reserved just for you!
EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO DEV TEAM EVENTS
The Dust.Evolution Dev Team will have online events with our collaborators from time to time to discuss the "evolution" and progress of the game. Events for campaign creation, multiplayer mode ideas, new story lines, etc. You will get exclusive access to these events when we hold them.
KS-EXCLUSIVE PRESIDENT'S BADGE
You will get an exclusive VIP President's badge only available to this tier! You will get to use this on the Dust.Evoution forums and also in-game if you wish. Display your honor and support that you are giving to Dust.Evolution.
VIDEO CONFERENCE THE DEV TEAM
This will be a set of video conferences (schedule to be determined) with our design and development team to collaborate one-on-one. This would be to design and enemy character based directly on your idea or design! We get your idea, your design, your feedback to create it, finalize it and put it into the final game!
LAUNCH PARTY ACCESS WITH PAOLO & THE CREW
The whole shebang! You get to jam and party with Paolo and the whole dev crew as we crank up the Dust.Evolution servers for the first time. Dinner, conversation and celebration and you get to talk game, design, anything you like! (Travel not included, limited lodging 2-night stay included). You will also get the chance to play a game of Dust-Tactics against Paolo and the dev crew! We will even break out the old school NES or SNES and play whatever else you like for the night!
Risks and challenges
Creating comic books, tabletop games, or toys is an exciting endeavor that brings with it many risks and challenges, but also great rewards. Both Dust Studio and everyone involved at Dust.Evolution, have done all three and now we’re moving forward on combining those three elements along with composers, animators, game designers and more to turn Dust: Tactics into a real-time strategy video game.
The process of creating a video game includes months of planning, scheduling, programming, drawing, writing, testing, and more. Writers create scripts to help directors focus the story while animators and artists work with programmers to bring all of it to life. At the same time, producers and financiers work together to keep budgets in check and work on schedule. A video game of this magnitude requires an extensive team of individuals working together. With so many moving parts, every member of our team understands that the only thing to expect is the unexpected.
Paolo and Dust.Evolution has gathered a talented core of programmers, designers, artists, writers, composers, and more to join the staff of Dust Studios and help realize their “million player” dream. Dust: Tactics Tabletop has a community of hundreds of thousands of players around the world. For the past few months, we’ve been working non-stop to translate the fun, furious action of the tabletop into a developing game we’re proud of and gamers won't be able to get enough of. Organizing our talented team is a management group with decades of experience working on multi-million dollar projects with teams from around the world.
Our Kickstarter campaign is an exciting next step in making our video game. This is where we get to show off our hard work to the people that matter most — gamers. What the Dust Evolution community and our Kickstart supporters will come to expect from us is a constant stream of information via our Facebook and Twitter feeds updating you on the latest news. We’ll connect with you through surveys and forums in order to learn what gamers want most. Dust: Evolution is not possible without our community which is why we’re hard at work creating a game that will blend a unique visual style with addictive gameplay.
Creating the in-depth video game we’ve envisioned includes a unique set of challenges and financial risk, but our experienced and talented staff welcomes it because the reward or making a great game vastly outweighs the risk. We are gamers, creating gameplay. With the support of gamers like you, we’ll complete a product that will challenge and thrill RTS players around the world.
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Rewards
Funding period
- (31 days)