The Let's Play Archive

Populous 3: The Beginning

by Crosspeice

Part 1: Extras

FOLLOWERS


Shaman
The main character, casts spells and has a mediocre melee fighting ability. Lead her on her quest to conquer the solar system and become a God. Upon each level, she creates her Reincarnation Site and builds up a settlement to charge her spells and raise her army. The more spells she obtains, the more devastating she becomes.


Braves
The workforce, able to construct buildings out of wood and when inside huts, produce large amounts of mana and also breed, boosting up the population. They also have mediocre fighting abilities and best left at home to looks after the (fully grown male) kids.


Warriors
Powerful fighters will skills in swordplay. A large amount of this class can decimate settlements and kill all in their way. Used in our fighting force for every single level.
Obtained: Level 1 - The Journey Begins


Preachers
One of the weakest, but one of the strongest. One lone Preacher can stop an entire army and bend them to your will through the power of conversion. Unable to convert enemy Preachers and Shaman, but another necessary staple in our force.
Obtained: Level 3 - Crisis of Faith


Firewarriors
The ranged enemy, not too useful in close combat and fairly slow. They fire, well, fire, similar to a weakened Blast, that knocks enemies around and when combined, becomes a real powerful force. Their range is slightly larger than a Preacher's, but will still get converted if they get too close.
Obtained: Level 8 - Continental Divide


Spies
An annoying, weak, pretty useless follower that can disguise themselves as the enemy. Appear as Braves to everyone else, they burn down buildings, get immediately discovered, then killed. They have other uses, such as going behind enemy lines, but their intended use is terrible.
Obtained: Level 12 - An Easy Target


Angel of Death
A deadly creature that breathes fire and hunts down its enemies. It's created through a powerful spell. If it's damaged by Firewarriors too much or is on the level for too long, it dies.

SPELLS


Blast
Phonetic Incantation: Taca!
Blast is the first spell and is one of the weakest. It fires a simple fireball that will kill a Brave in one hit and severely damage other followers, taking off around 25% of the Shaman's health. It's short range and pretty helpful for knocking enemies about, or away. Also burns trees.
Obtained: Tutorial


Landbridge
Phonetic Incantation: Tuskatsi!
One of the few non offensive spells, this shapes the land by connecting two points, where the spell was directed and where the Shaman stands. Islands become connected and mountains, flattened or traversable.
First Used: Level 1 - The Journey Begins
Obtained: Level 6 - Building Bridges


Lightining
Phonetic Incantation: Sho-ka
A powerful strike from the heavens, able to kill any follower directly hit and kills a small converging group. Kills occupants of Guard Towers and sets fire to buildings and trees. Bit difficult to time, but very useful.
First Used: Tutorial
Obtained: Level 4 - Combined Forces


Swarm
Phonetic Incantation: Unaga!
Creates a, well, swarm of locusts that buzz around in a fairly medium sized radius. Any enemy that touches the bugs loses a bit of health and runs around screaming. Pretty helpful when inside enemy bases, as it spreads your forces around. Your Shaman is unaffected, unless in a Guard Tower. Overall, eh.
Obtained: Level 2 - Night Falls


Tornado
Phonetic Incantation: Sheenak!
Creates a large tornado that circles in place, sucking up any buildings, trees or followers that come into its path. After a few seconds, it goes in a random direction, still sucking things up, until it finally peters out. Anything it sucks up gets thrown around and is excellent against most buildings, as well as causing massive damage.
First Used: Level 2 - Night Falls, Level 8 - Continental Divide
Obtained: Level 12 - An Easy Target


Convert
Phonetic Incantation: Sunama!
Creates a circle of light that converts any Wildmen to Braves. Largest range in the game.
First Used: Level 4 - Combined Forces
Obtained: Level 6 - Building Bridges


Swamp
Phonetic Incantation: Ortenga!
Creates a small, square swamp that instantly kills ten followers that walk into it. Any follower. This spell is so useful and so powerful it's ridiculous. The enemy will walk into it all the time and 10 followers is usually an entire attacking force. Just gone. It's insane.
First Used: Level 6 - Building Bridges
Obtained: Level 11 - Treacherous Souls


Hypnotize
Phonetic Incantation: Noctana!
Any enemy in its small radius will temporarily become part of your tribe, denoted by the small swirl above their head. For this time, they are counted as your tribe, so if an enemy tribe is destroyed, they'll permanently become part of yours. If they are also trained to become another class, they'll also become part of yours.
First Used: Level 6 - Building Bridges
Obtained: Level 11 - Treacherous Souls


Firestorm
Phonetic Incantation: Tumagah!
Sends down a hail of fire and brimstone onto a surprisingly large area for a surprisingly long time. All buildings will most likely be destroyed and all followers will run around screaming and most likely be killed. Really damn powerful and one of the best spells in the game.
First Used: Level 6 - Building Bridges
Obtained: Level 14 - Attacked From All Sides


Erode
Phonetic Incantation: Dasankoo!
Of the three land altering spells, this one removes land, causing the area cast to sink down until water is reached, which is then expanded, or the spell runs out, after flattening most of a mountain. Used for offense and to remove enemy land, but the other spells are more precise.
First Used: Level 7 - Unseen Enemy
Obtained: Level 12 - An Easy Target


Invisibility
Phonetic Incantation: Setankou
In similar vein to Hypnotize, affects a small group of followers and turns them translucent, making them able to slip by enemy lines and go to objectives. They will do as you ask and not deviate, for doing so removes their effect. I'll rarely use it, same for the enemy, thankfully, or it'd be a nightmare.
Obtained: Level 7 - Unseen Enemy


Magical Shield
Phonetic Incantation: Shhhhhhhhhhh (seriously)
Creates a coloured shield around a small group (similar to Invisibility) and protects them from enemy Shaman spells, making them bounce off in another direction and cast somewhere different. Possibly increases fighting durability, but who knows. Also redirects Firewarrior blasts.
First Used: Level 8 - Continental Divide
Obtained: Level 14 - Attacked From All Sides


Earthquake
Phonetic Incantation: Lakaiyeen!
Makes the screen rumble, making doing a little bit of damage to huts, then causes a small rift of lava to appear, sinking any land down, often destroying the target. Pretty powerful, but a bit tricky to get down.
First Used: Level 9 - Fire in the Mist
Obtained: Level 13 - Aerial Bombardment


Flatten
Phonetic Incantation: Leniatu!
The location cast will have the nearby area be brought up/down to an even level, extending cliffs, or flattening them. Not too useful, but fills the land altering situations Land Bridge and Erode miss.
First Used: Level 11 - Treacherous Souls
Obtained: Level 14 - Attacked From All Sides


Bloodlust
Phonetic Incantation:
A deadly spell that makes your followers stronger and faster, ripping through enemies and buildings in a flash, being invincible as they do it. However, it takes forever to get in a fairly precarious place and doesn't last too long. Eh.
Obtained Temporarily: Level 16 - Bloodlust


Armageddon
Phonetic Incantation: Taaca!
It's TIME! TO! RUMBLE!!!
Obtained Temporarily: Level 17 - Armageddon, Level 18 - Head Hunter


Teleport
Phonetic Incantation:
Instantly, well, teleports the Shaman from where she stands, to where it's cast. The only spell with infinite range, but only three shots. It's not hugely great, but it has some uses. Not that I know them.
Obtained Temporarily: Level 19 - Unlikely Allies


Angel of Death
Phonetic Incantation: Mortarzan!
Creates a large dragon snake thing that flies around breathing fire, going after your enemies, killing them in one shot. It is a powerful creature, but is damaged by Firewarriors and has a fairly decent time limit.
First Used: Level 14 - Attacked From All Sides (first seen Level 5: Death from Above), Level 16: Bloodlust
Obtained: Level 20 - Archipelago


Volcano
Phonetic Incantation: PARATANTA!
The strongest spell, making the screen rumble, then a large cone rises out of the ground destroying buildings, before spilling burning lava across a whole settlement, if placed right. If used on you, evacuate! The enemy, of course, just stands there.
First Used: Level 9 - Fire in the Mist, Level 15 - Incarcerated, Level 19 - Unlikely Allies, Level 20 - Archipelago
Obtained: Level 21 - Fractured Earth

BUILDINGS


Huts
The first things to build and in some levels, the first things built. They start off with room for three, then upgrade twice, with room for four, then five. They increase your maximum population and give your settlements the size they need.


Warrior Training Hut
Turns simple Braves into fierce Warriors, the first of four training huts to find.
Obtained: Level 1 - The Journey Begins


Temple
Turns Braves into the powerful Preacher, plan is a bit rectangular. The second of four training huts.
Obtained: Level 3 - Crisis of Faith


Guard Towers
A tall structure that has a different function depending on which follower is inside at the time.
Shaman: Range of spells is extended even further.
Brave: Has a larger sight radius then all other followers, so activates alarm earlier.
Warrior: Initiates call-to-arms, which brings nearby followers into the fray.
Preacher: Has extended range to which to preach your word.
Firewarrior: Extends their firing range and attacks enemies before they get close.
Spy: Unmasks enemy spies and shrouds the area from enemy world view. Fantastic.
Obtained: Level 4 - Combined Forces


Firewarrior Training Hut
Longest name, nearly largest plan, creates powerful ranged Firewarriors, the third of four training huts.
Obtained: Level 8 - Continental Divide


Boat Hut
A slightly strange shaped plan that must be placed next to water, so as to construct boats. Yup.
Obtained: Level 9 - Fire in the Mist


Spy Training Hut
A small simple building, for small simple followers. Build them if you want, I don't care.
Obtained: Level 12 - An Easy Target


Balloon Hut
The most awkward plan to place, but creates excellent balloons. Needs to be placed in a tree filled location, since it eats up wood, especially if you're using a powerful air force.
Obtained: Level 13 - Aerial Bombardment


Guard Post
While not exactly one, it's still listed. These let you set up patrol routes and are used a lot by the enemy, but invisible to you. Any enemy that comes near a patrol will be attacked.

STRUCTURES


Stone Head
Bobbing their way through life, they grant single shot, temporary spells to those who pray at them. Found in most levels.


Totem Pole
These create an effect in the world, usually altering the land or casting a spell in specific places. Found in some levels.


Obelisk
These rare structures have wildly different effects depending on the level they're in, making them unpredictable. Found in only a few levels.


Angel Obelisk
This incredibly rare structure appears only on Level 5. Praying at it and releasing the deadly creature inside will end the level. But who are their enemies? Only time will tell.


Vault of Knowledge
These tall structures contain the knowledge of the enemy and when worshiped at, give their contents permanently for the rest of the game, so naturally very well guarded and appear often throughout the game.


Reincarnation Site
Created at the start of each level, these allow Shaman's to come back if they die, time dependent on mana. When a tribe is destroyed, their site sinks into the ground forever.


Prison
A very rare structure appearing in Level 15 will trap your Shaman and make her useless for most of the level, until you can free her. It can be torn apart like normal buildings, but can take quite the punishment, so tear down quickly.


Magical Stones
Unfortunately the only new addition in the expansion Undiscovered Worlds. Linked to a Totem Pole, which when prayed at, activate the stones so that any follower, regardless of colour, will experience the benefits of Magical Shield. Allows some sweet tactics rarely seen in the main game. Of course it's only in one level. Bah.

RESOURCES


Trees
Scattered all throughout the land, they are the main resource of creating your settlement. Each tree begins with four stacks of wood and if chopped completely down, will regrow nearby after a short time. Some levels have more trees than others.


Wildmen
While not exactly a resource, they are classed as such in-game. They wander the level drinking water and eating fruit. When a certain spell is cast on them, they become Braves of the tribe.

VEHICLES


Boats
Useful to traverse the water, which is deadly to all followers. Holds five and is somewhat tricky to steer, but necessary in some levels.


Balloons
Better than Boats in everyway, as they go across the skies, land and the water at a fairly useful pace and aren't quite so clunky. Definitely the enemies' choice, so at least we can steal them.

ENEMIES


Dakini
The first tribe we face against and may well be the last. They are most often the strongest and most aggressive of the tribes, having powerful spells and large forces at their command.


Chumera
Often the second strongest, usually keeping to themselves and use many tricky and unorthodox spells and generally just being a huge dick.


Matak
The weakest and most defensive of the three, using the land to their advantage and rarely attacking.


Fog of War
This sonofabitch covers most of a couple levels with a dark colour, making it impossible to see structures, trees or wildmen until traveled to. Shadows are still cast, so it's kinda possible to make things out, but man, it's just a bitch.