WORLD BUILDING WITH POPULOUS
This Electronic Arts' entry bestows divine power upon the player as he battles an evil diety for the right to tule the world. Gamers must fight to keep their population growing in numbers while using natural disasters to disrupt the enemy, who is attempting to do the same
Although POPULOUS may seem a bit complicated to the novice player, if one adheres to a few simple guidlines, it will soon be obvious that being a god isn't so tough after all. As the game begins, note that the populations are usually set up so that the enemy is on the other side of the globe. This gives players ample time to build up a respectable following before going into battle.
Start by flattening out the land around the people by using the raise-lower land option. There are two important things to keep in mind in the early stages of game play. One is to get people settled and growing as quickly as possible. The other is to level off the land by building upward to match the higher sections. This is especially important when using the flood option that will be discussed further on. It is also crucial to make sure the command icon is on `settle' so the people will build as much as possible.
Try to establish at least three or four castles early on; they will prove important for a number of reasons. For instance, castles help build the population faster than any other structure. The walkers that emerge from these castles will also will be stronger and, therefore, make excellent knights. Lastly, castles build up manna quickly, which will come in handy as the game progresses.
The one drawback to these structures is that castles take a while to fill to capacity; so there's a delay before these strong walkers emerge. This is not crucial early on, but later, players may need some strong walkers in a hurry. Try not to get carried away by building too many castles.
When the first castle is up and functioning, head over to the evil side and zap him with an earthquake or two in the area he seems to be growing qwickest. Once he knows you mean business, head back to the friendly side and resume building. Continue in this fashion until three or four castles are complete, then get ready for battle.
Now it's time to raise an army. The most important offense is the knight. Although natural disasters are a whole lot of fun and do cause damage, the knight is by far the best weapon manna can buy!
Now that the castles are producing strong followers, switch the icon to `go to the papal magnet' and wait for a few walkers to collide and create a stronger leader. Once done, invoke the knight icon, and he'll be on his way. Continue to knight the leader until three or four knights are created. This army will head towards the enemy destroying any settlements it encounters. The trick is to follow behind the knights by placing the papal magnate in the area they just rummaged through. When this is done, the people will head towards the magnet and thereby begin their world conquest. When they reach the magnat, change the command to `settle' and they will then build a village in this new area. If manna remains high, create a few more knights and take advantage of this new location to deploy them.
As for natural disasters, use them sparingly to slow enemy progress at key locations, but remember, it is almost always better to use manna, making another knight to storm the countryside than it is to shake up a single game grid. There is, however, one disaster that an play a key role in this fight for world conquest: the flood command. If a player is losing or wants to speed things up a bit, the flood command is the answer.
The important thing to remember here is that a flood raises the sea level across the whole world. This is why it's important to build the friendly settlements on high land early on. The computer does not anticipate a flood at a later date so it's therefore possible to drown most of its people while keeping the friendly people quite safe.
The only other significant disaster to use id the volcano. This option has an advantage over the others mainly because its effects are not as easily overcome. A volcano not only alters the terrain significantly, but it also spews rocks everywhere, making any attempt to rebuild quite a job. When using a volcano, it's best to use it for all it's worth. Try to seek out a strong enemy castle or village, since they do require a decent amount of manna.
Lastly, should a disaster like a volcano befall the player, remember that the raise lower-land option can be quite effective. Rocks can be eliminated by lowering the land under them into the sea, then back up again. This is an important strategy for leveling land, since rocks and trees hinder crop development, and after all, keeping the people happy and well-fed is the responsibility of any respectable god.
