40 hours into my Arrakeen/Petra inspired extreme desert playthrough and I have succumbed to restartaholism

Hi everyone,

I'm about 40 hours into my Dune inspired, Arrakeen/Petra run but I've succumbed to restartaholism. Here are some screenshots before I shelf this colony.

I'm a big fan of DV's 2001 Dune movies, and was inspired partially by AD/Dami Lee's videos on the architecture of Dune. Whenever possible, I tried to minimize artificial lighting.

I imagined my colony to be a trade hub and major religious center. Pilgrims would brave the brutal heat and cross the burning sands to visit the holy sites. While awaiting entry they would congregate in the smokey, incense filled halls, or sit and drink tea/coffee in one of its many caravanserais. Guests granted access to the biosphere, would be greeted to the sounds of chirping birds and feel a cool breeze on their skin. Inside temps are typically 20-30C, but outside temps regularly exceed 60C.

It was intended as one massive, pyramid-like structure built into the mountain, to tap into natural water sources. Qanats would trickle water down to the lowest point of the colony, where decades, maybe centuries of cultivation would've created an Oasis microclimate. Fish would swim in the waterways, and small animal species would spread seeds and fertilize the soil. Offworlders and smugglers would bring rare animals and commodities like timber to the rich inhabitants of the colony.

Unlike Arrakis (but similar to Petra), there is an annual rainfall of roughly 132mm, and a wet/rainy season. Water is heavily recycled, but technology like stillsuits and deathstills are not a necessity. The geographic landform is a crater, and similar to Arrakeen, the surrounding mountains act as a shield against sandstorms. The structure would be pyramid-like, to minimize erosion by buffeting sand/wind.