POWERMONGER

 Everybody (according to the rock duo Tears for Fears) wants to rule the world,
and that seems to be one of the guiding principles behind the team of software
designers known as Bullfrog. First, they came out with POPULOUS, where you were
given the opportunity to act as a deity. Now they've released POWERMONGER, which
is in some ways a step downward: Instead of playing God, you now get to be only
Genghis Khan. (This review is based on the Amiga version.)

 POWERMONGER, like POPULOUS, is a mouse-operated, icon-driven, real-time
simulation played on a world map that covers a wide number of "worlds"; in
POWERMONGER, the object is to capture and unite 195 small fiefdoms into a
unified whole -- with yourself as supreme leader, of course. You accomplish the
goal primarily through battle, although you may profitably spend your time in
invention, agriculture, diplomacy, and tradecraft, as well. Each of the 195
different lands can be conquered; it is up to the wise general to determine how.

 POWERMONGER can be played on any Amiga with at least 512K of RAM, and only
requires a single disk drive. In fact, even though up to eight separate games
can be saved to a formatted disk (and you can format a disk from within the game
program), the program does not support a second disk drive. There are several
other ways in which the program setup is finicky: If you choose to leave an
external drive hooked up while playing POWERMONGER, it is recommended that you
stick a write-enabled disk in that drive to avoid error messages. In addition,
POWERMONGER unfortunately does not support hard drive installation, and cannot
be backed-up by means of AmigaDos (although the Command Summary Card says a
disk-copy utility will work). And for a program that resists AmigaDos copying,
it has a peculiarly eyestraining off-disk copy protection scheme, requiring you
to find a particular small inset map on one of five to six pages, and then enter
the number of trees, sheep, or houses listed under the map. (However, the
standard warning on the inside front cover regarding the dire consequences that
await software pirates is Monty Pythonesque in the extreme.)

 POWERMONGER can be played by two players whose Amigas are connected via modem
or datalink, but I have not tried this yet. It sounds like it could be fun.
Otherwise, gameplay is solo against the computer, and you know what $#%$!!s they
can be.

 You begin POWERMONGER typically by choosing "Star New Conquest" from the Option
Screen. The entire world map of 195 preset territories is displayed, and by
clicking on a section of map, you select your opponent. At the outset, there is
only one section available for conquest, but as you subdue territories, more
adjacent territories will be opened up to you. (Another option, "Play Random
Land," lets you play the game in a less linear fashion.) Each territory has one
or more settlements, and you must conquer these in order to control the hearts
and minds of the inhabitants. Settlements can become a source of food,
reinforcements and inventions -- technological advances that can range from
trade goods to cannons.

 The territory you are currently engaged in taking is displayed in a number of
ways. First, there is the Overview Map, which can variously provide information
regarding terrain, food, settlements, and objects. By moving a cursor on the
Overview Map, you choose which section of the territory will be displayed on the
Close-Up Map, which is where all the action happens. You can see each tree and
sheep, and watch as your armies move on settlements. This is where POWERMONGER
shines: in its attention to tiny details. Moreover, everything on the Close-Up
Map has an identity, and qualities that can be revealed by means of the Query
icon, which produces pop-up windows that provide useful (well, sometimes)
information. Visually, it is quite impressive. The animation is smooth, the
scrolling map (which you can rotate and zoom on, after a little practice) is
very detailed, and the sheep are downright cute.

 Then there's the sound. POWERMONGER is full of sound effects, from bleating
sheep to the ring of sword on sword. I particularly like the way the captains
say "Yeah!" when you give them an order to attack a settlement, and the cheers
that go up once you've prevailed. Each one has a purpose. The sound of birds may
mean that something -- usually an enemy army -- has disturbed their nests.
Hammering and sawing mean that someone is hard at work on an invention. And the
current health of your captain is indicated by the sound of his breathing.

 POWERMONGER is not designed for the illiterate or the indolent. The instruction
manual is a must-read, because only through knowledgeable manipulation of icons
can you hope to know what you're doing, and the effect it might have. And you
dare not sit back and mull over a course of action for too long: While you let
indecisiveness rule your will, some computer-driven army is likely to dispossess
you with extreme prejudice.

 I liked POWERMONGER better than POPULOUS, and POPULOUS is a very impressive
game, with its castles appearing out of nowhere and its mystic aspects.
POWERMONGER is much more "real world." It deals with houses and trees and
science and sustenance, all the things that make life three-dimensional.
Bullfrog's stated goal was to put the gamer into the thick of things, to make
you "feel as though you were inside a world, and playing as a part of that
world." POWERMONGER does not quite achieve that ambition, but it does an
admirable job of presenting an increasingly challenging game of conquest in
which you learn how every action has its consequences. While it is not an arcade
maelstrom, it does require you to develop the ability to both think and react
quickly, often at the same time. POWERMONGER is the embodiment of the Bullfrog
philosophy: "We only design what we want to play." If your idea of fun is a
combination of SIMCITY and RISK, with touches of ARCHIPELAGOS and POPULOUS,
you'll be smitten with POWERMONGER. It has that "just one more" quality that
makes a good computer game the equivalent of a page-turner novel.

 Alexander the Great, who wept when he learned he had no worlds left to conquer,
would have enjoyed this game immensely. He would also have taken heart in the
knowledge that the designers plan to release an expansion disk in "early 1991."
And those less great than Alex will probably be cheered by the knowledge that a
cluebook will be available around the same time.

 POWERMONGER is published and distributed by Electronic Arts.

*****DOWNLOADED FROM P-80 SYSTEMS (304) 744-2253