In Populous: The Beginning you play as a Shaman, and you must directly control your followers in order to organize them against opposing tribes. You'll have to command your tribe to build various structures, like living quarters (huts, actually), training facilities where they will learn how to fight, and guard towers, which will keep the enemy at bay. Populous: The Beginning plays like a real-time strategy game, as opposed to the slower and deliberate Populous and Populous II. As the Shaman you have the ability to cast a variety of spells to wreak havoc on the opposing forces. Casting these spells takes a form of energy called Manna, and in order to learn and cast new and more powerful spells, you continually need to increase your Manna supply, which you gain as your followers worship at the shrines. With plenty of spells at your disposal, you should be the leader of the world in no time. So see if you can rule the world and keep your people content in Populous: The Beginning.