Spice and water before palaces
Dune: Awakening punishes dry travel. Water, stillsuits, and a stilltent beat a huge hall with no cistern. Farm spice only with a leave plan — worms do not care about your build.
Check this resource when a new region opens a denser spice field.
Bases, PvP windows, and travel
Place a base off the obvious ridge road. Ornithopters and bikes are loud. Travel at times you can actually defend a haul.
Use additional game information for extra desert-travel notes if you still lose cargo to a worm or a gank.