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Conference 7.286::atarist

Title:	Atari ST, TT, & Falcon
Notice:	Please read note 1.0 and its replies before posting!
Moderator:	FUNYET::ANDERSON

Created:	Mon Apr 04 1988
Last Modified:	Tue May 06 1997
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	1433
Total number of notes:	10312

1035.0. "PowerMonger" by SIEVAX::JAMIE (Use me, Use me... Ooops! Excuse me!) Thu Dec 13 1990 07:35

    I've got a feeling that this game is worth its own note...
    
    I've just bought Powermonger from the same team that coded Populous.
    It has a similar look to it but a completely different feel.
    
    The object of the game is to conquer an entire world, island by island
    (195 in all). (When this has been done, if ever, you can play computer
    generated maps - the 195 have been hand designed).
    
    You play the first captain; a powermonger. You lead a band of men. Your
    men can do many things; invent new weapons, ploughs, pots, boats etc;
    fight neighbouring villagers; trade with neighbouring villagers; carry
    food and equipment from site to site etc; forge alliances with villages
    therefore allowing you to use their resources.
    
    The captain alone can go on spying missions to assess the force of
    enemy villages.
    
    When the first captain dies the game is over. However, you can recruit
    other captains (though I haven't figured out how to do this yet; the
    documentation doesn't appear to cover it).
    
    The actual game world is similar to populous but more detailed - there
    are seasons and weather conditions - it rains and snows; when it snows
    the ground gets whiter and whiter etc and when the sun shines it all
    turns green. There are birds and sheep which make digitised tweeting
    and bleating sounds when they're on-screen. There are workshops and
    mines to allow you to invent things. All of this can be observed to an
    even greater detail by zooming into the map.
    
    I played for a couple of hours last night and managed to conquer two
    sections. The third was too much; they were far too civilised with
    roads etc and their towns were well structured with watchtowers to look
    out for incoming enemy hordes... I'll have another go tonight... and
    tomorrow night... and saturday, sunday etc... the wife'll object but
    she just doesn't understand this kind of thing ;-)
    
    I'd rate this game as well above populous technically, graphically and
    addictively. Like populous there's a two player modem mode. If you
    didn't like populous you probably won't like this though. (But if you
    didn't like populous you've obviously got strange tastes anyway!!!).
    
    A great game. And if anyone can figure out how to recruit a captain
    please let me know!!!
    
    
    Cheers,
    
    
    				Jamie.

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
1035.1	Beat im and hes yours	AYOV18::GBURNS_YTS	God made it easy on me	`Thu Dec 13 1990 13:11`	10
	Hi, Havent got this game yet, (getting it tommorow) however in one of the reviews I read of it, it said that after you have taken over a few settlement you will meet one of the other captains + their followers in battle, beat im and then hes recruited. As I said Ive not got the game yet, so it might not be true. Gary.
1035.2		SIEVAX::JAMIE	Use me, Use me... Ooops! Excuse me!	`Thu Dec 13 1990 13:42`	23
	Thanks! I'll no doubt get through a few more islands tonight so I'll see how it goes... possibly the reason I haven't seen any other captains yet is that you can retire when you're 2/3rds or more powerful than anyone else on the island... so I may have been retiring before i got to meet any other captains. I'm going to need some help soon though!!! Mind you, my men built my captain a catapult last night and I sent the captain single handed off to fight an enemy village! He totally wiped it out and its 18 occupants! He just planted himself just outside the village and started lobbing stones into the village and when the villagers started running toward him he just splatted them! When someone dies, their little angel soul goes floating up to heaven... there were LOADS of these little white fluttery things floating gently upwards!!! I suspect that these tactics wouldn't work vary often though!!! Cheers, Jamie.
1035.3	Sounds great!	PIKES::BITTROLFF		`Thu Dec 13 1990 17:11`	5
	Jamie, Where did you get this and how much did it cost? Steve
1035.4		SIEVAX::JAMIE	Use me, Use me... Ooops! Excuse me!	`Fri Dec 14 1990 07:26`	7
	Reading, England, Ultima Computers. It cost 25 pounds (50$). I managed to get another captain last night. It seems that you've got more chance of taking him alive if you attack when you're not at maximum aggression levels. I'm just starting to see some strategy in it, though you'll need several captains to make a really good campaign. I think you can have a maximum of 6 or 7 captains under your command!
1035.5	Sideline Software has it for $45	ALLVAX::PETERS	Don Peters, CTC2-1/C14, 287-3153	`Fri Dec 14 1990 20:37`	15
	For those of you in the USA, you can get Powermonger for $45 from Sideline Software 840 N.W. 57th Court Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 33309 (305) 771-2161 (800) 888-9273 (toll free in the USA) I just called them a few minutes ago. They said they just got the game in stock this week, so it must be pretty new! For those of you not familiar with Sideline software, they specialize in dealing with European software and magazines. In fact, I get a European magazine subscription thru them.
1035.6	I can't conquer the 4th island	HAMPS::POORE	Stuart Poore, IM, STG, @BST, U.K.	`Fri Aug 09 1991 09:37`	29
	Hi Powermongers, I've been playing this game for a few evenings now & I've 'won' the first three islands (in the top left corner). I've worked out how to build weapons (They managed a catapult once, if only I could repeat it !), found fellow captians. I've also worked out how to stop staving to death & how to keep my 'people' producing loads of food for me. So, I thought, onto the fourth 'island'. I start with only 20 odd men (pity I'd built up quite a following on the last island) and my 2nd captain hasn't joined the trip with me, so I look around for a small place to attack. I troop across the island, attack & win. Then, WOP!, the other 'guy' sends a major army to attack me & I'm dead in seconds. So, what am I doing wrong. There are obviously other tactics needed. Maybe I need to trade, but how do I ? I've got nothing ! I can't invent until I've got a workshop & I have to attack to get one & then they fight back ! Also, how do I work out what weapons I'm carrying. I 'invent' stuff, pick it up, & it disappears from the workshop. I click on the captains medals & it tells me he's carrying nothing ! Any help or comments are welcome. It's the Atari ST version I'm playing. Many Thanks, Stuart P.