Populous Land :: Extras and Hints

STRONG SETTLEMENTS

Establish a strong settlement using the following guidelines:

1. Disable all spells apart from convert. Send your shaman into the

wilderness and convert as many wild men as you can; you can often found them

near water (either small lakes or the ocean).

2. While the shaman is busy recruiting, begin building. Find a flat,

spacious area of land near plenty of trees. If this land is away from the

reincarnation site, build a guard tower first.

3. Build four or five huts at a time, keeping key huts like temples and fire

warrior training huts away from the main settlement - invading forces always

hone in on them first.

4. Try to build huts in rows; you can fit more huts into less space that

way. To achieve a large population, construct 30 or more huts, but always

keep a careful eye on wood supplies.

5. If you are running low on wood, try sending some invisible braves into

the enemy settlement to steal some more. Destroying the enemy trees with

spells or spies can actually be quite a useful tactic.

POPULOUS TIPS

*Busy people are happy people, and happy people give you mana.

*Use invisible warriors to sneak in and kill the enemy shaman.

*Look out for any advancing armies, and cast swamp on them to reduce their

numbers.

*Put preachers in guard towers Ñ they are better-protected and gather up

stray enemy followers.

*Use high ground to your advantage. Spells have a much greater range when

cast from hills.

*Landbridge everywhere.

*Steal enemy boats and balloons.

*Hypnotise enemy followers and send them to your preachers.

*Deceive the enemy and make them waste their spells on a ghost army.

*Don't waste your mana, and keep your spells charging.

*Cast swarm near swamps so the enemy panic and run into them.

*Never cut down all your trees: you'll run out of wood.

*Build huts, huts and more huts to increase your mana flow.

*Cast lightning on enemy guard towers and use invisible shielded spies.

*Shielded fire warriors in balloons can cause massive devastation.

*Cast landbridge from high peak to high peak to create impassable walls.

*Use invisible shielded preachers to infiltrate the enemy settlements.

*Kill any enemy shaman you see to gain a quarter of their mana every time.

*A useful trick is to build your spy-training hut early, train some spies and

then dismantle it. Hopefully your opponents won't realise you have the

ability

to sabotage their settlements.

POPULOUS FOLLOWERS

Shaman

She is the only member of the tribe who can fire spells. Seeing as how

spells are the only way you're going to get through the game, your shaman

must be well protected at all times.

Braves

Braves are the foundation of your tribe. They generate four times more mana

than any other follower, but only when building or resting in huts. Keep

huts populated to keep the mana flowing, man.

Warriors

Warriors are the toughest of your followers, but lack special abilities.

Keep them away from preachers, and use them to back up your attacks.

Warriors should be the last line of defence.

Preachers

Preachers, though weak, are surprisingly powerful if used in groups. A good

thing to do is smuggle invisible, shielded preachers into a camp. The effect

can be devastating. Unfortunately, the same works in reverse, so watch out!

Fire Warriors

These guys have quite a long range, so keep them at a distance from the

enemy, preferably on higher ground. Once again, this type of follower is

highly effective when invisible and shielded. And in a balloon, well...

frightening. They can also be used in boats to strafe enemy coastlines.

Spies

Spies sneak into enemy bases and set fire to huts. They are best used during

the early stages of a match when each player is still setting up their

settlements. Spies delay the enemy's progress and lower his mana rate.

Groups of invisible, shielded spies are fairly formidable foes.

POPULOUS SPELLS

Blast

This is your simplest spell, as well as one of the most powerful in your

arsenal. Although it has a short range, the blast spell is more useful for

defending the shaman against ambush. Tactically it's brilliant near waterL

if any enemy followers are running along the coast, cast the spell to the

other side of them so they are blown into the drink.

Convert

This is only really useful at the start of the level when you have plenty of

wild men to convert.

Swarm

Swarm is only a temporary solution. Often it will just scatter the enemy

and, ultimately, cause more problems - although is a good way of stopping

your followers from being converted by preachers. It's also worth casting on

boats and balloons just to watch the occupants throw themselves over the

side in terror.

Invisibility

Invisibility doesn't last long, so only cast it on your target followers at

the very last moment. Preachers become visible again when they start

preaching and fire warriors reappear when attacked or ordered to attack.

Invisibility and shield make an excellent combination.

Land bridge

Not only is this good for joining two areas of land separated by water, but

it can also level hills and valleys for building on. By placing the shaman

on one side of a hill and casting the spell on the other side, you will

level the land. You can also cast it next to the coast to give yourself more

room.

Swamp

Swamp can be very useful when placed in the enemy's path, especially in

front of your defences. There is little you can do against an enemy swamp

except sacrifice ten of your followers to fill it or erode the land

underneath so it falls into the water. Remember: your followers are

vulnerable to your own swamps.

Lightning

Lightning is a more powerful version of the blast spell and kills anyone it

is directly cast upon. It will also severely damage buildings.

Hypnotism

When you first attack a settlement, use the hypnotism spell to temporarily

convert enemy followers so they begin attacking their own kind. Keep them

away from your own followers so they don't start attacking them when the

spell wears off. Enemy followers converted by hypnotised preachers will be

permanent members of your tribe.

Tornado

Tornadoes are powerful but unpredictable. To ensure you destroy at least one

target, cast it on a specific building - there's a chance others will go as

well. Good against armies, too.Shield

Cover followers with shield when attacking enemy settlements - but remember

doesn't last long, and any spell fired on a shielded follower is bounced

back to

the enemy.

Flatten

Similar to the landbridge spell and can be used to the same land-flattening

ends. Not only does it flatten land around the point where it's cast, it can

also lower land into the sea.

EARTHQUAKE

This is most effective on high ground, where both the lava and the ruptured

ground can cause problems. The pre-shocks can also destroy buildings in the

immediate vicinity.

Erode

A very useful spell against high ground and coastal settlements. If cast on

high

slopes, the land sinks and tumbles into the valley. If cast on the coast,

both

land and buildings melt into the sea.

Firestorm

Casts a shower of meteors onto the target. If it is cast in a heavily

populated area, it destroys any buildings and enemy followers who stray into

its

range.

Angel of Death

These scour the world looking for enemy followers. When they find one, they

swoop down and eat the unfortunate individual. Angels are difficult to kill

and

have long lifespans.

Volcano

What can we say? Volcano is the most evil spell in the game. Cast this at

the

heart of an enemy settlement for maximum effect. If one is cast upon you,

evacuate your followers sharpish.

GUEST SPELLS

Guest spells do not have permanent icons on the Spells panel. This is

because

they are hugely powerful and would upset the balance of the game. They are

also

more suited to multiplayer games

Bloodlust

Bloodlust turns your followers into murderous savages. It makes them

stronger

and faster, and generally a lot more dangerous.

Teleport

Will Teleport you.

Armageddon

Armageddon is a very traditional Populous spell. Each player's followers are

transported to an arena where they fight for world domination.

Forge World

This is an optional feature giving you the chance to alter the landscape

before

the level begins. First look at the land around the site and use the flatten

spells to make room for your settlements. Then, around the perimeter, raise

the

land into small hills and construct guard towers at their summits. When the

timer reaches about five, cast the wildmen spell on the reincarnation site.

When

the level begins, any wildmen caught inside the reincarnation site are

automatically converted to your tribe.

Ghost Army

Ghost army is a multiplayer-only spell that creates six ghost followers. Use

them to create a decoy army while your real army is attacking from the other

direction. Ghost shamans are especially useful for confusing the enemy.

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