From: jennifer@jato.jpl.nasa.gov (Jennifer Schlickbernd)
Subject: Populous II IBM Overview!!
Reply-To: jennifer@jato.jpl.nasa.gov
Organization: Jet Propulsion Lab - Pasadena, CA
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 18:32:04 GMT

[NOTE: This game is not available in stores yet.  Should be next week. I got
mine through the upgrade offer by EA for owners of Pop I or Civ].  


CLARIFICATION ON SOUND SUPPORT FOR IBM VERSION

Apparently, the game does support the Media Vision Thunderboard. 
The documentation claims that it does not support the Pro Audio
Spectrum card nor the Adlib card.  When I talked to EA, they said
it did support the Adlib card.  When questioned, they said to "go
by what's on the box". Now, what's on the box is Sound Blaster. 
Period. No mention of compatibles, and despite Media Vision (and
other's claims) the Tboard and Sound Blaster cards may be
compatible but certainly are not identical, and it is possible to
have problems with compatibility.  Aplogies though to anyone I
misled.

The basic manual (not the IBM specific Command Summary) says that
there should be a heart beat throughout the game.  No heartbeat
with the Tboard.  We're going to try it on a real Sound Blaster
tonight, and see what goes on.

DIFFERENCES FROM THE AMIGA VERSION 

As mentioned, so far, no heartbeat.  NO COPY PROTECTION AT ALL!!! 
No annoying look-up tables.  I guess they heard our complaints
about Powermonger copy protection.  Helen of Troy hero does not
drown her captives, they just follow her around until they die of
exhaustion or until you destroy them.  There is a new effect,
Fire Burst, which shoots bolts of fire from your leader, killing
anyone around him.  There is a handicapping option to limit
effects that either has..in other words if the computer or human
player would normally get Storm, you can set it so the
computer/human can't use Storm.  This will not allow you to
get/give additional effects that aren't on the level.

DIFFERENCES FROM POPULOUS I

"Enemy land" is a new concept for this game.  In the past, if you
had a walker onscreen in an enemy settlement, you could affect
the land just as if that walker was in her own settlement.  Not
anymore.  There is are demarcation lines between enemy
settlements and your own.  There are male/female/old/young
walkers now.  The custom game only allows effects that you've
seen to be in the game.  I don't know if it's level dependent or
not, ie you choose a conquest level and you get those effects.

Instead of just one set of  effects there are many effects,
grouped into these categories:

People effects-they effect population
     Raise/Lower Land
     Place Papal Magnet
     Perseus-I think he's the equivalent of the Knight from Pop I
     Lay Plague-(New) allows you to infect people with plague. 
     Those people can't generate Mana, and will instantly die
     when Armageddon is declared
     Declare Armageddon

Vegetation Effects-Effect vegetation of the world
     Grow Forest-Earn popularity points by planting trees around
     your settlements.
     Renew Land-Renew damaged land with greenery and flowers. If
     you plant it right, it'll spread without your intervention. 
     You must use this to renew land affected by Volcanoes
     Swamp-As Pop I, although they look grosser.
     Plant Fungus-Deadly fungus spreads around and covers
     territory. Touch it and you die.
     Adonis (Hero)-Knight that divides upon successful combat.

Earth Effects-Effects earthly disasters and some benefits
     Roads-Can build roads on flat ground and low slopes.  Block
     spread of fungus and of course avoids swamping.
     City Walls-Protect your worshippers with walls.  In effects
     to be described later, some of them can be stopped by city
     walls.
     Earthquake-Different effect from Pop I.  These earthquakes
     can be aimed, and also cross the screen boundaries.  Very
     nasty, because walkers fall into the crevices the
     earthquakes create.
     Batholith-Cheap volcano.  Creates rocks.
     Heracles-A double strength Hero
     
Air Effects-uses air as intervention effects
     Lightning-electrocute walkers and destroy settlements. Can't
     be aimed that well.
     Whirlwind-Whirlwinds will sweep up worshippers and set them
     down "miles" away.  They become whirlpools if they go 
     offshore.
     Storm-Creates a Rainstorm.  Once it gets started, can't be
     stopped.  Also electrocutes people and destroys settlements.
     Hurricane Wind-Gale force wind. Everything is swept clean. 
     Nasty effect
     Odysseus-Fast Hero

Fire Effects-Ruin any farmland they come in contact with
     Fire column-Moves uphill, burns everything under it
     Rain of fire-rains fire over settlements.  Can't really
     target it well.
     Volcano-Like previous, but _much_ worse in devastation.  As
     mentioned previously, you have to plant greenery to recover
     the land a volcano effects.  It also starts lava flows that
     destroy everything in their path (and seem to go on forever)
     until they hit water or a hill.
     Achilles-Hero who burns everything he touches
     
Water Effects-tidal waves, whirlpools, etc
     Basalt-built across water.  Can be used to inhibit enemy
     development.
     Whirlpool-eats away at shore.  Can multiply quickly.
     Baptismal Fonts-get baptized into being the other side! If a
     worshipper falls into a font, she turns into the enemy. 
     Many fonts are created at once, so there's no guarantee what
     the worshippers will be when they leave the area.  One of
     the most fun effects.
     Tidal Wave-effects the entire world, equivalent to Pop I
     flood, but it looks a lot cooler.
     Helen Of Troy-"Captivates" enemy worshippers and keeps them
     until they die or are destroyed.

The learning curve is very slow in this game, I got to level 165
before I was challenged at all.  There are 1000 levels in the
game.  The computer Assist mode is better documented, more
thorough and easier to access.  Also I think it's needed more
than in Populous I. I played the game on the Amiga for about two
weekends and enjoyed it.  On my 486 processor, I had to slow the
game down considerably in order to have any chance of winning.  

-- 
Jennifer Schlickbernd  Technology Utilization Office  J. P. L.
jennifer@jato.jpl.nasa.gov or elroy!jato!jennifer@csvax.caltech.edu
72466.3413@compuserve.com  Voice:(818) 354-2241
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games