Sandworm
Sandworms, also known as the Shai-Hulud by the Fremen, are enormous worms, living in the sands of Arrakis. Feeding on sand plankton and only emerging to protect their territory, being guided by the vibrations caused by their future victims. They can also grow to extreme lengths in the hundreds of meters. Worm's life cycle is vital for the creation of Spice.[1]
Appearance in-game
Sandworms form one of the main environmental hazards of the game, as they are fiercely territorial and are attracted to any vibrations within the areas they patrol. In Hagga Basin there are around 10 "small" worms - each measuring approximately 377.5m, whereas in the Deep Desert there are up to 50 smaller worms plus several Grandfather worms, consuming all who dare to linger too long on the open sands.
The "small" worms have a tri-jaw appearance, reminiscent of older illustrations such as in the original Analog Magazine, David Lynch's Dune (1984) and video games from the 1990's - 2000's from Cryo Interactive and Westwood Studios.
The larger "Grandfather" worms have the ringworm appearance from Denis Villeneuve's recent movies. They only appear in the Deep Desert and have specific conditions that must be met to summon them:
- They can only be summoned within a large crater spice field.
- There must be at least 2 players on the spice field
- The spice field has to be at least 1000m from a server border
- At least 1000 Spice Sand must be gathered (via any method)
- There is a ~2h cool down per server
Experimentation has proven these rules to be somewhat fluid, but these are the "base" mechanics to summon Shai-Hulud.
Aggression Mechanics
Worms are aggressive, and drawn to:
- Walking on the open sands
- Driving a ground vehicle e.g. Sandbike or Buggy
- Enabling any Holtzman tech, such as any suspensor or shield
- Using any tools such as Cutterays (be careful when scavenging crashing ships!) or Static Compactors
- Combat
- Placing a Thumper
The more vibrations players make, the higher the threat level each player generates. The worms generally target the players with the highest threat, however they will investigate and pursue **anyone** who encroaches on their territory. Stopping movement on the sands does not make them "forget" your intrusion.
The worms have an anti-exploit mechanic where, after multiple failed pursuits, they will teleport under the player and eat them instantly.
Riding
Worm riding requires maker hooks to control a worm and keep him on the surface. It's a hard and perilous task, which many do not survive. Worm riding is not in the game currently but is being strongly considered for a later update. [1] [2]
Being Eaten By a Sandworm
If a player is eaten by a Sandworm, they lose all carried items, including gear and equipment. The only items not lost are the Vehicle Backup Tool and certain quest items. Upon dying to a sandworm, you can respawn with a Worm Tooth, which can be crafted into an Unfixed Crysknife.
On a player's first death to the worm, they are sent to a Spice vision realm, where they are given the mercy of being able to respawn with a sandbike (if they have just lost their first to the worm). Second chances are rare on Arrakis - do not take it for granted!
Gallery
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The Size of a Ringmouth Worm from trooper perspective
