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Populous: The Beginning
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Populous: The Beginning
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==Development== ''Populous'' was developed as the first game in the series with entirely [[3D computer graphics|3D graphics]]; producer Stuart Whyte said that, "We're really proud of what we've done in software because it does look really nice."<ref name=ignprev>{{cite web|author=Staff|date=1998-10-05|url=http://pc.ign.com/articles/130/130294p1.html|title=Populous: The Beginning Preview|publisher=IGN|accessdate=2007-09-04}}</ref> The game was published more than four years after ''Populous II''; the developers stated that the delay was due to waiting for the hardware specifications to come along that would allow them to do something very different and new.<ref name=gsprev/> The game was also the first to go without ''Populous'' creator [[Peter Molyneux]], who left Bullfrog to create [[Lionhead Studios]].<ref name=cvg.com/> Originally, the game was known as "The Third Coming",<ref name=gsprev>{{cite web|author=Poole, Stephen|date=1997-08-21|url=http://www.gamespot/pc/strategy/populousthebeginning/news.html?sid=2560277&om_act=convert&om_clk=newsfeatures&tag=newsfeatures;title;1|title=The Beginning Preview at Gamespot|publisher=[[Gamespot]]|accessdate=2007-09-08}}</ref> but the name was changed by the time the game was shown in a fully-playable beta form in late 1998. Alan Wright, the game's project leader, stressed both the departure the game took from previous titles in the series, as well as distinguishing itself from similar games like ''[[Command & Conquer (series)|Command and Conquer]]''. The elements of smart villagers and terrain-reforming, he said, "adds a whole level of gameplay not found in those titles."<ref name=gsprev/> In some aspects, the developers were forced to remove features due to technical constraints; for example, the "Plague" spell from previous ''Populous'' titles was dropped because in practice the spell was too frustrating.<ref name=ignprev/> The music was composed by [[Mark Knight (musician)|Mark Knight]], who had joined Bullfrog's team in 1997.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,8685/|title=Mark Knight profile|publisher[[MobyGames]]|accessdate=2007-09-08}}</ref> ===Expansion=== Intended to supplement the multiplayer aspect of ''Populous: The Beginning'', Bullfrog released an expansion, ''Populous: The Beginning - Undiscovered Worlds'', in 1999. The expansion was only made available in the UK and US. The add-on offered twelve new single-player and twelve multiplayer levels,<ref name=expansion>{{cite web|url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=3305&skip=yes|title=Populous 3 - Undiscovered Worlds|publisher=[[Computer and Video Games]]|accessdate=2007-09-08}}</ref> with a continuation of the storyline begun in the previous game. The player takes on the role of a new shaman, who must restore peace to the solar system.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mobygames.com/game/populous-the-beginning-undiscovered-worlds|title=Populous: The Beginning - Undiscovered Worlds|publisher=[[MobyGames]]|accessdate=2007-09-05}}</ref>
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