From: seurer@rchland.vnet.ibm.com (Bill Seurer)
Subject: Re: Powermonger - what the hey?
Date: Tue, 06 Oct 1992 14:08:16 GMT
Reply-To: BillSeurer@vnet.ibm.com
Disclaimer: This posting represents the poster's views, not necessarily those of IBM
Organization: IBM Rochester
Keywords: Powermonger

In article <1992Oct5.231127.6904@galileo.cc.rochester.edu>, bprk_ss@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (Brian Park) writes:
|> Okay, I never actually *played* Populous; but I'd seen it played, and it
|> looked cool enough, so I figured I'd go ahead and take a chance on Powermonger.
|> 
|> Hm.  It *looks* like a decent game, and it *acts* like a decent game, but I
|> cannot say for sure whether or not it *is* a good game.  This stems from my
|> inability to figure out the manuals, and consequently how to play correctly.
|> 
|> Okay, I follow the walkthrough in the IBM addendum, and things go fairly
|> smoothly.  I hang around for a while inventing things (even though I've never
|> found a city with a forge, or whatever - supposed to be indicated by a yellow
|> dot on the overhead map?  All the towns look brown, right?), and then I retire.

I can't see the yeloow dot either.  However, if you zoom in on a town and 
hear a clanging noise, you've found a smithy.

|> This is where things get weird.  First, the idea of "retiring" order to
|> continue with my conquests really bothers me at some primitive level; but hey,
|> who am I to argue?  Besides, I sorta like that "You just kicked butt" message,
|> and I take it that that means I did okay.

Every area is separately conquered.  What you did in previous areas has no
effect.  Every areas has a set (and unvarying) starting condition.  Yes, 
this is kind of weird.  It is really tough when you start with no equipment
and there is another army that attacks you almost immediately.

|> Second, I always have to just about start over when I move to a new territory.
|> I go back to ~20 men, and they're all back to pikes.  At least I still have
|> my trusty bow.  I've gotten a few boats, but I can't sail anywhere exciting.
|> Have to "retire" to move anywhere consequential.  Duh.

See above.

|> So what's the deal?  There doesn't seem to be any way of adjusting the
|> difficulty, except for changing the speed.  Inventions seem real random too.
|> Like, I know that I have to adjust my captain's attitude and all, but even so
|> I can never tell if I'm going to get plows or not.

Inventions are not random.  The manual explains quite clearly which invention
you will get given certain conditions.  It took me a few sessions of playing
to catch on, though.  Experiment with different attitudes in different 
settings to see what you get.

|> Does anybody have any better strategies than sacking every town you find at
|> passive or neutral attitude, getting all their men and food, and moving on?
|> (Until you run into a town with 30+ or 35+ men.  I've only managed about
|> 50 troops myself, tops.  Which I lose when I retire.)  What's with all this
|> extra stuff like spying, trading, extra captains (I've never gotten anybody
|> but myself...), etc.?  It looks nice, but I've never had to use it...

To get extra captains you have to convinve one to join you.  By looting
towns you will never get this.  I think that spying is more useful in the
two player mode than in computer vs. human.  I have never found trading
usefual at all.

I have had up to 90 men in one group but they were quite hard to keep fed.

|> Last but not least, as much as I enjoy the fact that every man, woman, child,
|> sheep, and tree stump has it's own name and personality; I wish that they'd
|> come up with something better than Gzzrunk and Ibabo for names.  At least
|> every once in a while.  Okay, okay, I can live with this one.
|> 
|> So, since you've taken the time to read this far, PLEASE HELP!!!  This game
|> is making me feel real dumb.  I've already started playing Civilization again,
|> mostly at Warlord level, to alleviate the pressure on my world-conquering ego.
|> Any and all advice by established Powermongerers greatly appreciated...
|> 

There is no one strategy to win in every area.  In some "gentle" conquest
works best.  In others carving a bloody path works best.  In many some
combination of the two works best.

The key seems to be food.  The most difficult areas are those where there
aren't many (or any) sheep to slaughter.  In the later areas you also end
up fighting against other marauding armies.
-- 

- Bill Seurer     Language and Compiler Development      IBM Rochester, MN
  Internet: BillSeurer@vnet.ibm.com    America On-Line: BillSeurer@aol.com