<s>
Populous	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Beginning	I-Application
is	O
a	O
real-time	O
strategy	O
video	O
game	O
and	O
the	O
third	O
entry	O
in	O
the	O
Populous	B-Application
series	O
,	O
developed	O
by	O
Bullfrog	O
Productions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
1998	O
on	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
,	O
and	O
in	O
1999	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Populous	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Beginning	I-Application
was	O
the	O
first	O
entry	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
to	O
use	O
3D	O
computer	O
graphics	O
;	O
Bullfrog	O
waited	O
four	O
years	O
after	O
Populous	B-Application
II	I-Application
:	I-Application
Trials	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Olympian	I-Application
Gods	I-Application
so	O
that	O
the	O
graphics	O
technology	O
could	O
catch	O
up	O
to	O
their	O
vision	O
for	O
a	O
new	O
and	O
different	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
original	O
title	O
was	O
Populous	B-Application
:	O
The	O
Third	O
Coming	O
before	O
being	O
changed	O
prior	O
to	O
the	O
beta	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Populous	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Beginning	I-Application
plays	O
very	O
differently	O
from	O
earlier	O
titles	O
and	O
received	O
mixed	O
reviews	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Critics	O
noted	O
the	O
excellent	O
graphics	O
,	O
while	O
complaints	O
were	O
directed	O
at	O
the	B-Application
artificial	I-Application
intelligence	I-Application
and	O
the	O
indecision	O
in	O
game	O
design	O
between	O
being	O
a	O
real	O
time	O
strategy	O
title	O
and	O
a	O
god	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GamePros	O
Peter	O
Olafson	O
wrote	O
that	O
Populous	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Beginning	I-Application
was	O
a	O
good	O
game	O
but	O
was	O
"	O
without	O
a	O
quintessential	O
quality	O
that	O
defined	O
Populous.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Whereas	O
previous	O
Populous	B-Application
games	O
were	O
god	O
games	O
where	O
players	O
assumed	O
the	O
role	O
of	O
a	O
god	O
with	O
terrain-altering	O
abilities	O
,	O
Populous	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Beginning	I-Application
adopts	O
elements	O
of	O
real-time	O
strategy	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sometimes	O
the	O
player	O
must	O
use	O
magic	O
spells	B-Application
gained	O
from	O
worship	O
at	O
special	O
artifacts	O
such	O
as	O
stone	O
heads	O
or	O
obelisks	O
;	O
these	O
spells	B-Application
include	O
tornadoes	O
,	O
or	O
volcanos	O
that	O
create	O
new	O
landmasses	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
has	O
no	O
formal	O
resource	O
management	O
;	O
new	O
units	O
are	O
created	O
automatically	O
at	O
houses	O
,	O
and	O
training	O
new	O
troops	O
costs	O
nothing	O
except	O
mana	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
comparison	O
to	O
the	O
isometric	O
presentation	O
of	O
the	O
previous	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
,	O
Populous	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Beginning	I-Application
features	O
three-dimensional	O
graphics	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
game	O
camera	O
at	O
a	O
variable	O
height	O
and	O
capable	O
of	O
rotating	O
360°	O
,	O
enabling	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
quickly	O
move	O
across	O
the	O
planet	O
's	O
terrain	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shamans	O
are	O
physically	O
weaker	O
than	O
warriors	O
,	O
but	O
can	O
cast	O
powerful	O
spells	B-Application
and	O
can	O
be	O
reincarnated	O
if	O
killed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
spells	B-Application
will	O
disappear	O
after	O
use	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
spells	B-Application
can	O
slowly	O
be	O
replenished	O
for	O
continued	O
use	O
;	O
the	O
rate	O
of	O
spell	B-Application
regeneration	O
depends	O
upon	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
number	O
of	O
followers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Examples	O
of	O
spells	B-Application
include	O
"	O
Landbridge	O
"	O
,	O
which	O
raises	O
the	O
sea	O
floor	O
to	O
create	O
bridges	O
across	O
the	O
sea	O
;	O
"	O
Swarm	O
"	O
,	O
which	O
sends	O
a	O
horde	O
of	O
insects	O
to	O
sow	O
confusion	O
in	O
enemy	O
ranks	O
;	O
and	O
"	O
Tornado	O
"	O
,	O
which	O
creates	O
a	O
cyclone	O
to	O
destroy	O
buildings	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
are	O
twenty-six	O
spells	B-Application
in	O
total	O
,	O
which	O
are	O
slowly	O
learned	O
throughout	O
the	O
campaign	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Populous	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Beginning	I-Application
supports	O
multiplayer	O
,	O
either	O
by	O
modem	B-Application
connection	O
(	O
limited	O
to	O
two	O
players	O
)	O
,	O
IPX	B-Protocol
,	O
or	O
over	O
the	O
Internet	O
through	O
an	O
external	O
matchmaking	O
service	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Populous	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Beginning	I-Application
allows	O
for	O
a	O
maximum	O
game	O
size	O
of	O
four	O
players	O
playing	O
against	O
each	O
other	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Populous	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Beginning	I-Application
takes	O
place	O
before	O
the	O
first	O
two	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
in	O
a	O
planetary	O
system	O
of	O
twenty-five	O
unnamed	O
planets	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Though	O
they	O
cannot	O
attack	O
or	O
be	O
attacked	O
,	O
players	O
can	O
use	O
the	O
Shaman	O
's	O
Convert	O
spell	B-Application
to	O
bring	O
wildmen	O
under	O
her	O
tribe	O
's	O
control	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bullfrog	O
Productions	O
released	O
Populous	B-Application
in	O
1989	O
,	O
followed	O
by	O
Populous	B-Application
II	I-Application
in	O
1991	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Populous	B-Application
series	O
inspired	O
the	O
term	O
"	O
god	O
game	O
"	O
,	O
with	O
players	O
assuming	O
the	O
role	O
of	O
an	O
omniscient	O
being	O
who	O
leads	O
their	O
people	O
to	O
new	O
territories	O
or	O
into	O
battle	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Populous	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Beginning	I-Application
was	O
the	O
first	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
developed	O
with	O
entirely	O
3D	O
graphics	O
,	O
allowing	O
the	O
environment	O
to	O
be	O
scaled	O
and	O
rotated	O
in	O
real	O
time	O
(	O
though	O
characters	O
remained	O
two-dimensional	O
.	O
)	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
published	O
more	O
than	O
four	O
years	O
after	O
Populous	B-Application
II	I-Application
,	O
as	O
Bullfrog	O
waited	O
for	O
hardware	O
advancements	O
to	O
enable	O
a	O
new	O
approach	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
the	O
first	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
to	O
be	O
made	O
without	O
Populous	B-Application
creator	O
Peter	O
Molyneux	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
sold	O
Bullfrog	O
to	O
Electronic	O
Arts	O
in	O
1995	O
and	O
left	O
after	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Dungeon	B-Application
Keeper	I-Application
to	O
form	O
Lionhead	O
Studios	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Alan	O
Wright	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
project	O
leader	O
,	O
stressed	O
both	O
the	O
departure	O
Populous	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Beginning	I-Application
took	O
from	O
previous	O
titles	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
distinguishing	O
itself	O
from	O
similar	O
games	O
like	O
Command	B-Application
&	I-Application
Conquer	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bullfrog	O
representative	O
Brian	O
Allen	O
asserted	O
that	O
these	O
departures	O
distinguished	O
Populous	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Beginning	I-Application
from	O
other	O
real-time	O
strategy	O
games	O
on	O
the	O
market	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
some	O
aspects	O
,	O
the	O
developers	O
were	O
forced	O
to	O
remove	O
features	O
due	O
to	O
technical	O
constraints	O
;	O
for	O
example	O
,	O
the	O
"	O
Plague	O
"	O
spell	B-Application
from	O
previous	O
Populous	B-Application
titles	O
was	O
dropped	O
because	O
in	O
practice	O
the	O
spell	B-Application
was	O
too	O
frustrating	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
number	O
of	O
strategy	O
and	O
god	O
games	O
being	O
produced	O
in	O
1998	O
and	O
1999	O
,	O
especially	O
at	O
Electronic	O
Arts	O
,	O
where	O
Populous	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Beginning	I-Application
was	O
expected	O
to	O
be	O
one	O
of	O
its	O
standout	O
titles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Originally	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
known	O
as	O
Populous	B-Application
:	O
The	O
Third	O
Coming	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
name	O
was	O
changed	O
by	O
the	O
time	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
shown	O
in	O
a	O
fully	O
playable	O
beta	O
form	O
in	O
late	O
1998	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bullfrog	O
released	O
an	O
expansion	O
to	O
Populous	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Beginning	I-Application
,	O
Undiscovered	O
Worlds	O
in	O
1999	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Populous	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Beginning	I-Application
received	O
generally	O
favorable	O
reviews	O
on	O
release	O
with	O
some	O
strong	O
criticisms	O
to	O
follow	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameSpot	O
's	O
reviewer	O
Ron	O
Dulin	O
appreciated	O
how	O
The	O
Beginning	O
was	O
a	O
daring	O
revamp	O
of	O
the	O
series	O
,	O
instead	O
of	O
a	O
safe	O
,	O
slightly	O
modified	O
sequel	O
(	O
like	O
the	O
earlier	O
Populous	B-Application
II	I-Application
:	I-Application
Trials	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Olympian	I-Application
Gods	I-Application
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
AI	B-Application
allowed	O
followers	O
to	O
automatically	O
construct	O
buildings	O
,	O
but	O
this	O
led	O
to	O
problems	O
directing	O
them	O
in	O
the	O
midst	O
of	O
a	O
hectic	O
battle	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Populous	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Beginning	I-Application
played	O
very	O
differently	O
from	O
earlier	O
titles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
More	O
charitably	O
,	O
GamePros	O
Peter	O
Olafson	O
wrote	O
:	O
"	O
Populous	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Beginning	I-Application
is	O
not	O
a	O
bad	O
game	O
,	O
in	O
fact	O
a	O
good	O
one	O
;	O
but	O
it	O
's	O
a	O
different	O
game	O
—	O
one	O
without	O
a	O
quintessential	O
quality	O
that	O
defined	O
Populous.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Populous	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Beginning	I-Application
was	O
not	O
a	O
commercial	O
success	O
,	O
and	O
to	O
date	O
remains	O
the	O
final	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
franchise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
official	O
multiplayer	O
servers	O
for	O
Populous	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Beginning	I-Application
went	O
offline	O
in	O
2004	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
multiplayer	O
was	O
kept	O
alive	O
through	O
Populous	B-Application
:	O
Reincarnated	O
and	O
Populous.Online	O
,	O
managed	O
by	O
a	O
group	O
of	O
dedicated	O
fans	O
.	O
</s>
