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POPULOUS
The Third Coming

The Unofficial FAQ v0.1a
(16th July 1997)

compiled and maintained by
Mark Stevens (pop3@sonance.demon.co.uk)


[CONTENTS]

1.0 What's POPULOUS: THE THIRD COMING?
1.1 What's a god-sim?
1.2 What other god-sims are there?
1.3 Is it just Bullfrog and Maxis who release god-sims?
1.4 What was POPULOUS all about?
1.5 What was POPULOUS 2 all about?
1.6 What was POWERMONGER all about?
1.7 What elements of POPULOUS can be found in POPULOUS 3?
1.8 What elements of POWERMONGER can be found in POPULOUS 3?
1.9 When's POPULOUS 3 coming out?
1.10 Is there a POPULOUS 3 demo available?

2.0 What sort of gameplay can I expect from POPULOUS 3?
2.1 What spells/powers are in POPULOUS 3?
2.1.1 Burn
2.1.2 Earthquake
2.1.3 Erode
2.1.4 Firestorm
2.1.5 Flatten
2.1.6 Ghost Army
2.1.7 Insects
2.1.8 Land Bridge
2.1.9 Lightning
2.1.10 Volcano
2.1.11 Whirlwind
2.1.12 Swamps
2.1.13 Plague
2.2 What buildings are in POPULOUS 3?
2.2.1 Drum Tower
2.2.2 Temple
2.2.3 House
2.2.4 Spy Centre
2.2.5 Dock Yard
2.2.6 Ship Hangar
2.3 What special abilities exist for my people?
2.3.1 Shaman
2.3.2 Wild Men
2.3.3 Braves
2.3.4 Warriors
2.3.5 Super Warriors
2.3.6 Preachers
2.3.7 Spies
2.3.8 Angels of Death
2.4 Any groovy landscape effects?
2.5 What's the control interface like?
2.6 How many levels will POPULOUS 3 have?
2.7 Can I form alliances with enemies?
2.8 Can I move my viewpoint around?
2.9 What about multiplayer support?

3.0 What are the system requirements for POPULOUS 3?
3.1 What, no P166?
3.2 How will the graphic engine work?
3.3 How will the AI work?
3.4 Will I benefit from a more powerful system?
3.5 Will 3D graphics cards be supported?
3.6 What about sound effects and music?
3.7 Are there any other version of Populous planned?

4.0 What other POPULOUS 3 resources are there on the Net?
4.1 Where can I find the latest version of this FAQ?
4.2 Can I contribute to this FAQ?
4.3 Can I distribute this FAQ?
4.4 What about future versions of this FAQ?

5.0 FAQ release history.

[SECTION 1 - INTRODUCTION]

[1.0] What's POPULOUS: THE THIRD COMING?

POPULOUS: THE THIRD COMING (aka POPULOUS 3) is the sequel to POPULOUS
II, which in turn, as the name might suggest, is the sequel to
POPULOUS, one of the first ever god-sim games.

[1.1] Erm, what's a "god-sim" when it's at home?

A god-sim is essentially a strategic game in which the player has
control over an entire world -- or at least significant macro
management of a portion of that world. In other words, the player has
been afforded divine status (or a close approximation) and is able to
manipulate the mechanics of a world and see the effects gradually
unfold before them.

[1.2] I think I understand. I need a bit more convincing though.
Give me the titles of some of the best god-sims available.

POPULOUS and SIM CITY were amongst the first. Pretty much everything
else branched off from there. Oddly enough, both Bullfrog and Maxis
(the companies responsible for designing these two games) have since
dominated the genre and continue to do so today. Bullfrog's recent
successes include DUNGEON KEEPER, THEME PARK, MAGIC CARPET and THEME
HOPSITAL. Meanwhile, Maxis have kept themselves busy with the likes of
SIM CITY 2000, SIM TOWER, SIM ISLE and SIM FARM.

[1.3] Is it just all Bullfrog and Maxis, or has anyone else released
a decent god-sim?

Hey, everyone's getting in on the act! Perhaps the most successful
spin-offs of POPULOUS has been SETTLERS, which has since spawned a
sequel and mission packs.

We can't forget Sid Meier either. He's been responsible for some of
Microprose's biggest hits, including RAILROAD TYCOON, COLONIZATION and
CIVILIZATION 2. Westwood Studios have also had a fair old crack of the
whip, serving up the likes of COMMAND & CONQUER, RED ALERT and DUNE 2
(although they're both military-based). If it's science-fiction based
action you want, then why not take a sniff at MASTER OF ORION, OUTPOST
and ASCENDANCY? Even LucasArts have joined in the fun with AFTERLIFE.

[1.4] I'm a POPULOUS virgin. Tell me more about the game, else
I'll blub.

In the original POPULOUS, you assumed the role of a minor deity. As
well as a groovy beard and fetching pair of sandals, you had the
ability to influence the world beneath you by using a number of divine
powers. The precise strength of these powers was determined by the
amount of mana (magical energy) you had at your disposal, so you
couldn't just dive in and start tearing up the world straight away.

At the start of each level, you were worshipped by a small number of
peasants. The more worshippers you had, then the more mana you had at
your disposable. Thus the general objective of the game required you
to use your powers in such a way as to make life as comfortable as
possible for the peasants and encourage their population to grow.

Naturally, the game wasn't quite as easy as this. You'd be going head-
to-head with another god, who had his own little bunch of peasants to
influence. Eventually, as the two empires expanded and met, conflict
inevitably arose. This is where you could really go to town with your
divine powers, chucking whirlwinds and earthquakes at your enemy's
territories. Of course, he'd be doing the same to you, so you had to
try and minimise these effects.

To emerge victorious and progress onto later levels, the enemy's
population had to be completely wiped out.

[1.5] Cool! What about POPULOUS II?

More of the same really, with a few extra bells and whistles. Your
divine powers were split up into various groups -- as you gained
experience by completing levels, you could bump up specific groups.
I.e., you could specialise in fire-based powers, but at the cost of
your water-based powers. A later add-on pack introduced goal-
orientated levels and even a level of puzzle-solving.

Unlike the previous POPULOUS, you could connect two computers together
via a null-modem cable and go head-to-head against a mate. Loads of
fun!

[1.6] Should I ask about POWERMONGER?

Yes, seeing as POPULOUS 3 borrows just as much from POWERMONGER as it
does from POPULOUS.

POWERMONGER took away the god-based stuff and put you in direct
control of a military captain. You would wander around the land,
claiming towns and controlling armies. Much like POPULOUS, your
ultimate objective was to wipe the enemy off the face of the land.

POWERMONGER didn't enjoy the same commercial success as POPULOUS, but
in many ways it was a far superior game. A new polygon-based graphics
engine was introduced, allowing you to rotate the landscape through 60
degrees. The enemy AI was also very well handled. It's also easy to
spot the influence on modern classics, such as SETTLERS, whereby the
occupants of your towns would venture forth to collect natural
resources, converting them into food and weapons.

Of course, you could go head-to-head against a human player, play
through the single-player levels, or take on up to three other
computer-controlled captains in random, computer-generated landscapes.

[1.7] What elements of POPULOUS can be found in POPULOUS 3?

The basic objective is to build up a population and wage war against
the gods. You have a number of powerful spells at your command that
can affect the landscape, to a certain extent. You must make good use
of these spells, your population and your surroundings in order to
successfully defeat the enemy.

[1.8] What elements of POWERMONGER can be found in POPULOUS 3?

You take control of an inhabitant of the land, rather than a deity,
using her to influence the population and thus enable them to do your
bidding. It's up to this individual to see to it that your people are
well-provided for and eventually lead them into battle. Visually,
there's an obviously similarity with POWERMONGER, in that the
landscape's polygon-based, allowing you to alter your viewing angle.

[1.9] When's POPULOUS 3 coming out?

Bullfrog are confident that the game's coding will be wrapped up in
September, so we can reasonably expect to see the game in the shops
any time between then and Christmas. Certainly in the last quarter of
1997 at any rate. (Then again, we all know what happened to DUNGEON
KEEPER!)

[1.10] Is there a POPULOUS 3 demo available?

Not at the moment. Bullfrog won't be releasing a demo until the final
game is complete, so don't expect to see anything playable until at
least September.

If you've got a frighteningly fast modem, far too much money, or just
happen to be plain bonkers, you can find an AVI video clip at either
of the following URLs:

US - http://www.bullfrog.ea.com/populous3/populous.avi
UK - http://www.bullfrog.co.uk/populous3/populous.avi

Be careful though, it's a whopping great 24Mb! Bear in mind that it's
also a work-in-progress look at the game and things may well look very
different in the final version.


[SECTION 2 - GAMEPLAY]

[2.0] What sort of gameplay can I expect from POPULOUS 3?

Unlike its predecessors, which were very much open-ended, POPULOUS 3
promises to offer goal-orientated, objective gameplay. Within each
level, you'll be building towards a purpose -- such as colonising a
specific region of the landscape, obtaining certain spells, defeating
up to three computer-controlled opponents, etc.

Whereas the previous POPULOUS games had you influencing events from
your lofty cloud, POPULOUS 3 sticks you right in the thick of things.
For the most part, you'll be controlling a shaman who wanders across
the landscape, influencing people and casting spells.

Once a level's complete, you'll be rewarded with new spells, new
buildings, more powerful attacks and new abilities for the members of
your population.

[2.1] What sort of spells/powers will feature in POPULOUS 3?

In order to cast a spell, your shaman (or another designated member of
your population) must be in a direct line of sight with its intended