o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
| ACTRAISER |
| Platform: SNES |
| |
| MAXIMUM POPULATION GUIDE |
| Version 1.2 (August 6, 2007) |
| |
| By The Admiral |
| Email:
[email protected] |
o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
Introduction
------------
Despite being one of the more integral parts of the game, the exact workings
of the population system in Actraiser have always remained mysterious. A
player could complete this game numerous times and notice differences in the
population totals for some or all regions in each play through. Most sources
never discuss this topic beyond general tips and build strategies, and no
source has ever quantified the maximum population or explained how that total
is attainable.
This guide is the first to explore this topic in detail, including discussion
of the maximum populations in each region and all the specific factors that
influence this number. Everything from the impact of game score, item use,
map size, building types, number of structures, and even the direction of
roads will be analyzed, as all of these affect population. Whether you are a
first time player or an Actraiser veteran, you will likely learn something new
about this game that will help make your future adventures more productive.
==============================================================================
D I S C L A I M E R AR01
==============================================================================
This FAQ is meant for personal use only and cannot be reproduced for
commercial use under any circumstances. No portions of this guide may be
reproduced, in part or in entirety, without the written consent of the author.
If you would like to use any part of this guide in your FAQ or website, I will
probably give you permission if you ask, but you must ask first (Email:
[email protected]). The Actraiser title, as well as all contents within,
is copyright of Enix/Quintet.
==============================================================================
T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S AR02
==============================================================================
To jump to any section of this guide quickly, click the Edit option on the
toolbar, then go to Find and type in the index number listed in the right
column. You can also press Ctrl+F to bring up the search box in most browsers
and text editors.
DISCLAIMER................................................................AR01
TABLE OF CONTENTS.........................................................AR02
THE MAXIMUM POPULATION....................................................AR03
GENERAL TIPS FOR MAXIMIZATION.............................................AR04
THE SOUL COUNTER..........................................................AR05
STRUCTURES AND DEVELOPMENT................................................AR06
FACTORS LIMITING POPULATION...............................................AR07
MAXIMIZING POPULATION IN EACH REGION......................................AR08
POPULATION LEVEL CHART....................................................AR09
POPULATION PAR CODES......................................................AR10
CONTACT INFORMATION.......................................................AR11
REVISION HISTORY..........................................................AR12
CREDITS...................................................................AR13
==============================================================================
T H E M A X I M U M P O P U L A T I O N AR03
==============================================================================
Population is the determining factor for character level, hit points, and
spell points. While it is not necessary to achieve the absolute maximum
population to reach the highest level (level 17 at 4600 people), you will need
to come relatively close in most regions to have a chance. Each region has a
maximum population that can be attained under ideal circumstances, as shown
below.
Region Max Population
====== ==============
Fillmore 914
Bloodpool 874
Kasandora 874
Aitos 802
Marahna 538
Northwall 650
--------- ----
TOTAL 4652
The maximum global population in the game is 4652. This allows you some
leeway -- 52 people to be exact -- in reaching level 17. If you have reached
level 17 but fallen short of 4652, the likely culprits are Fillmore or
Bloodpool. A few tips mentioned below should allow you to reach the maximum
with a little work (see "Factors Limiting Population"). If you have fallen
well short of this total, there are likely several important areas regarding
population growth that you need to consider.
==============================================================================
G E N E R A L T I P S F O R M A X I M I Z A T I O N AR04
==============================================================================
The tips below will help you maximize populations in most regions. See the
following sections for specific details on understanding how and why
population growth occurs, as well as how to maximize populations in each
specific region.
1. DESTROY LEVEL 1 AND 2 HOUSES
In all stages, houses begin holding more people as the civilization level
increases. Once you reach level 3, destroy level 1 and 2 houses. This will
need to be done using Lightning early on, but Earthquakes work much more
effectively later in the game, as they leave level 3 buildings intact and
affect the entire map with one use.
2. REPLACE CORN FIELDS WITH WHEAT FIELDS
In Kasandora and Marahna, you will need to replace corn fields with wheat
fields to achieve the maximum population. Wheat fields provide resources to a
larger number of people than corn fields do, so less of these structures are
required. This indirectly allows more housing structures to be created. You
do not need to worry about replacing corn fields with wheat in Fillmore or
Northwall, as fields are eventually replaced by mansions.
3. RUN UP THE SCORE DURING THE ACTION STAGES
Unknown to most people, your score in the action stages directly effects your
maximum population. The higher your score, the greater the number of "souls"
that are freed. These souls later become the people who inhabit each region
and run from the temple each time you expand the town. The exact cumulative
(Act 1 + Act 2) score that you need varies in each level, but is between 16300
and 27100 (see the "Factors Limiting Population" section for specific point
totals).
4. MINIMIZE BRIDGES
There has been a long standing myth that the number of bridges effect the
maximum population in each region. As it turns out, this myth is correct.
However, it's not the bridges in themselves that limit population –- each
region is restricted to 128 total structures, and bridges count towards that
total. Bridges become a major limiting factor in Fillmore and Bloodpool. You
will need to be creative with build orders to minimize the number of bridges
yet still build over each square of the map. For reference, Fillmore's
population is maximized with 1 bridge and Bloodpool's population is maximized
with 3 bridges. You do not have to worry about the number of bridges in
Marahna or Northwall.
5. COVER THE MAP
It is important to make sure every inhabitable square is covered. Some
regions, like Bloodpool and Aitos, have a few squares near the borders of the
map that are easy to overlook. While they may only hold a couple of houses,
every structure is important. You will not be able to maximize population in
any region expect Kasandora if every inhabitable square is not built out.
==============================================================================
T H E S O U L C O U N T E R AR05
==============================================================================
The soul counter is a hidden statistic that records the number of "freed
souls" in each region. Freed souls ultimately become the people who end up
populating new houses when the town expands. As far as this relates to the
story, these souls were the people who were slain long ago by Tanzra and who
have been reincarnated as the various demons and enemies in the region. The
Actraiser's main role in the game is to free these lost souls so that
civilization can flourish again.
==========================
HOW THE SOUL COUNTER WORKS
==========================
The soul counter for each new stage begins at zero. So long as it is zero,
you cannot begin building the town. You will notice this every time you begin
a new region. During simulation mode, you can free souls in two ways:
1. Defeat enemies with the angel's arrows or Bomb (1 soul)
2. Seal a monster's lair (souls = number of monster in lair)
Each time a soul is freed, whether from a defeated enemy or sealed lair, you
will see a small, white "cloud" head to the temple. This signifies an
addition to the soul counter. The soul counter is then decreased once the
town is built out and the population increases (as these people are no longer
souls, but now living beings).
The easiest way to increase the soul counter, and thus grow your population,
is by sealing monster's lairs. You can see the number of trapped souls in a
monsters laid by hovering over it and pressing the B button. You will receive
a message that says something like "There seems to be 172 Napper Bats in this
Lair." In this case, 172 is the number of trapped souls. If this lair is
sealed, the soul counter (and potential population) will increase by 172.
At the outset of each region, you will need to defeat at least a few monsters
with the angel so that the town can be built out far enough to reach the first
lair. You will also need a population of at least 10 to seal a monster's lair
If your people are killed, whether by monsters or by you, the souls of these
dead townsfolk will be added to the trapped souls in the monster lairs. If an
enemy kills the townsfolk, these souls will return to the lair of that
particular enemy. If you kill the townsfolk, the souls will be divided evenly
across the remaining monster lairs.
o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
|EXAMPLE |
|Let's say there is one Napper Bat lair (with 100 enemies) and one Blue |
|Demon lair (with 50 enemies) remaining. Below is a table showing what |
|happens to the enemy count in each lair when your people are killed. In |
|the first case, the Blue Demon uses its lighting attack to kill 8 people. |
|In the second case, you use lightning to kill 8 people. |
| |
| |
| Enemies in Lair Enemies in Lair Enemies in Lair |
| Enemy Lair (starting) (Blue Demon kills 8) (you kill 8) |
| ========== ============== ==================== =============== |
| Napper Bat 100 100 104 |
| Blue Demon 50 58 54 |
o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
If all monster lairs have already been sealed, the souls of dead townspeople
will simply be added back to the soul counter.
===================================
HOW SOULS EFECT MAXIMUM POPULATION
===================================
Something that should start becoming apparent now is the relationship between
enemies in monster lairs, the soul counter, and the maximum population in a
region. The maximum population during Act 1 of the simulation mode can never
exceed the sum of the starting monsters in all four lairs. The following
equation always holds true:
Maximum Population <= Population + Soul Counter + Enemies in Monster Lairs
o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
|EXAMPLE |
|You begin a region with a population of 2. You have not killed any enemies |
|yet, so the soul counter is 0. You add the number of enemies in all four |
|lairs and calculate 600. Therefore, the maximum population you can reach |
|during Act 1 is 602: |
| |
| 602 <= 2 (population) + 0 (soul counter) + 600 (enemies in monster lairs) |
o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
Notice that the maximum population is less than or equal to this total. This
is because there are still other factors that may limit population even if you
have ample souls for growth.
You may be wondering a couple of things based on your past experience:
1. Why is the number of enemies in monster lairs always different?
2. How does the city keep growing after Act 2, even if the population
already equals the number of starting enemies in monster lairs?
The answer to both of these has to do with the amount of points you score
during the two action segments of the stage.
===================================
HOW SCORE EFFECTS SOULS AND ENEMIES
===================================
The number of points you score during the action stages effects both the
number of starting enemies in monster lairs (during Act 1) and the soul
counter directly (during Act 2).
When you begin a new region, there is a starting number of enemies that will
always be in each monster lair regardless of the how many points you score
during the action segment (the exact totals are in the "Factors Limiting
Population" section). This total will be then be increased by 1 enemy for
every 50 points you earn during the action stage.
o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
|EXAMPLE 1 |
|Fillmore will always begin with a minimum of 500 cumulative enemies in the |
|monster lairs, regardless of score. Let's say you score 9600 points during |
|the action portion of Act 1. You will add 9600/50 or 192 enemies to the |
|monster lairs. This amount is added proportionately, so each lair would |
|192/4 or 48 new enemies. Therefore, the new total number of enemies in the |
|region will be 694 (enemies plus 2 for the founders). This is now the |
|highest population you can achieve during Act 1 of the simulation. |
o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
In the event that your score is not evenly divisible by 50, round down to get
to the number of additional enemies.
Score has a similar effect during the Act 2 action stage. However, since all
the monster lairs will be sealed, the additional souls are added directly to
the soul counter.
o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
|EXAMPLE 2 |
|Continuing from example 1, let's say the player was able to reach a |
|population of 694 in Act 1. Population growth stopped since there were not |
|enough souls left to continue growing the town. During Act 2, the player |
|scores 10000 points. This would add 10000/50 or 200 new souls directly to |
|the soul counter. Once the act resumed, you could continue building until |
|you either ran out of souls (at population 694+200 or 894) or reached some |
|other limiting factor of the region. |
o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
The table below summarizes the impact of score on souls:
Stage Impact of Score
===== ===============
Act 1 action Each 50 points adds 1 enemy to an enemy lair
Act 2 action Each 50 points adds 1 soul to the soul counter
Given its relationship to the soul counter, the number of points you score
during the action stages can actually limit the maximum population of each
region. Therefore, there is a minimum number of points that you should try to
score during Acts 1 and 2 to maximize population. A breakdown of these point
totals can be found in the "Factors Limiting Population" section.
==============================================================================
S T R U C T U R E S A N D D E V E L O P M E N T AR06
==============================================================================
In order to understand how population grows (and peaks), it is important to
understand the different structures and their impact on how a town is
constructed. Also, several in-game events will have an effect on growth rate,
and these are discussed below.
==================
HOUSING STRUCTURES
==================
Housing structures are the basic buildings that your denizens will occupy.
Each stage has three different types of housing depending on the current
civilization level. Civilization level increases when certain monster lairs
are sealed, and the game will let you know when this happens.
The housing structures at different civilization levels have different
appearances and hold a different number of people.
Civilization Type of Number of
Level Housing People
============ ======= =========
1 Straw Huts 4
2 Small Houses/Tents 6
3 Brick/Stone Houses 8
Each region has slightly different housing after level 1 to match the
geography of that area. However, this has no impact of the number of people
these buildings can hold.
Once you reach civilization level 3, you will want to go back and destroy
older level 1 and level 2 buildings (easiest way to do this is via an
Earthquake). This will allow you to fit more people into the same space and
helps you reach the maximum population.
=====================
SUPPORTING STRUCTURES
=====================
While most people ignore their existence, each area requires supporting
structures capable of providing "resources" for the population. These are the
non-populous buildings like fields, windmills, and even mansions that are
built along with houses. Below is a list of each structure, along with how
many people each will support.
Supporting Number of Civ
Structure People Supported Level Region
========= ================ ===== ======
Bridge 32 N/A All but Aitos and Kasandora
Corn Field 32 1-3 All but Aitos
Horse Ranch 32 1 Aitos
Wheat Field 48 1-3 All but Aitos
Mansion 72 3;2-3 Fillmore and Northwall
Windmill 72 2-3 Aitos
A couple of these structures will not be created until you reach civilization
levels 2 or 3 (windmill and mansion). These structures, along with Wheat
Fields and Bridges, cannot be destroyed by earthquakes. Bridges cannot be
destroyed by anything and are permanent once built.
The "Number of People Supported" column indicates that how many people can
exist before an additional supporting structure is created.
A supporting structure will often be the first building created, as you need
resources to support your existing population. If, however, the first square
you build to cannot physically be occupied by a supporting structure, one will
be created as soon as possible.
o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
|EXAMPLE |
|You have a town with 60 people and 2 corn fields (the two corn fields |
|support 32x2 or 64 people). The town expands to 68 people. During this |
|expansion, you will also see an additional corn field being built, as one |
|is required for every 32 people. |
o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
The different regions have different supporting structures. Since some
supporting structures provide more resources than others, some regions will
have more structures than others at the same population total. This is
important to keep in mind, as the number of total structures is a limiting
factor of maximum population (see "Factors Limiting Population" for more).
The resources provided also give a rationale for replacing corn fields with
wheat fields when you can: wheat will support more structures. You will need
to replace corn fields with wheat fields in both Kasandora and Marahna to
reach the maximum population. You do not need to do this in Fillmore or
Northwall, as the final supporting structure (mansion) can replace the fields.
The stand-out structure on the above list is the bridge. Unlike the other
structures, you do have some control over the creation of bridges. If a
bridge exists, less of other types of supporting structures will have to be
built. However, bridges provide the least amount of resources of any
supporting structure. In stages where your population is limited by the
physical number of structures (Fillmore and Bloodpool), you will want to see
less bridges and more supporting structures of other types. For some
strategies on how to minimize bridges in both regions, see the "Maximizing
Population in Each Region" section below.
===================
INHABITABLE SQUARES
===================
One of the factors that limits maximum population is the physical amount of
space in which housing units can be constructed. While it may seem like there
is additional space for expansion in some regions that stop growing, you need
to consider that houses can only be placed in certain spaces.
Each region is made up of 64 squares (8 by 8). You can see the square by
selecting the lightning (or similar miracle) or by choosing a direction to
build the town. Both of these will highlight one of the 64 squares with a
yellow box. Within each square, either housing, supporting structures, or
roads can be placed. These are restricted to designated spots within the
square, and are also limited by natural terrain (like a river or mountain).
Within each square, structures will always be built as indicated by the image
below. H = housing structures, S = supporting structures, and = designates
roads.
-------------------
|SSSS|SSSS|====|HHHH|
|SSSS|SSSS|====|HHHH|
|----|----|----|----|
|SSSS|SSSS|====|HHHH|
|SSSS|SSSS|====|HHHH|
|----|----|----|----|
|====|====|====|====|
|====|====|====|====|
|----|----|----|----|
|HHHH|HHHH|====|HHHH|
|HHHH|HHHH|====|HHHH|
-------------------
Within each square, no more than 5 housing units can ever be created.
Supporting units will always appear at the top left corner, and roads will
separate the two. Even if roads or supporting structures do not exist on a
particular square, housing can never be built on any part of there square
where a supporting structure or road *could* exist.
This construction pattern debunks some of the older tips for this game that
told you to delete excess fields and supporting structures to make more rooms
for houses.
==================
DIRECTION OF ROADS
==================
Roads within each square can run north-south or east-west. Roads will
typically follow your building direction. For example, if you order the town
to be built three units upward from the temple, roads will only appear north-
south. Also, if you select a building direction and do not move to any
different squares (just press B and remain on the current square), roads will
typically be filled out in the square for both directions. This is how you
can get N-S and E-W roads on squares in the corner of the screen that can only
be approached from one direction.
Road direction is important when it comes to regions where bridges are built
(particularly Fillmore and Bloodpool). You can minimize the bridges built by
ordering the building direction to run strictly parallel to rivers, rather
than perpendicular (or right at them). If the roads are built perpendicular,
bridges will automatically be constructed once you build on the other side of
the river.
o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
|EXAMPLE |
|The image below shows 9 squares with a river (river indicated by ~) that |
|divides squares 1-3 and 5-7 (similar to the river in Fillmore). If you |
|command the build direction to go from 1-7, sequentially, only one bridge |
|will be built (in square 5). If you build or enter squares 1, 2, 6, or 7 |
|from the east or west, the game will build another one or two bridges over |
|the river. This area can have as few as one bridge or as many as three. |
| |
| _____ _____ _____ |
| | | | | |
| | 5 | 4 | 3 | |
| |~~~~~~~~~__|_____| |
| | | ~~ | | |
| | 6 | ~~ | 2 | |
| |_____|_~~__|_____| |
| | | ~~ | | |
| | 7 | ~~ | 1 | |
| |_____|_~~__|_____| |
| |
| |
|Build parallel to the river and carefully choose where you wish to cross it |
|to minimize bridges. |
o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
======================
"PHANTOM" CONSTRUCTION
======================
One of the odder occurrences in the game is when towns mysteriously grow in
regions when you are not there. This is referred to as "phantom construction"
and occurs in Fillmore, Aitos, and Northwall. Phantom construction happens
when regions have a square that is capable of holding a house but is partially
obstructed on one or more sides. These houses are not built because the
game's pathing rules for townspeople forbid them from passing through other
objects on their way to building a structure. However, the game is still
programmed to build on all portions of a square that are free, so there is a
conflict. This produces phantom construction of new houses while you are in
another region.
A couple of oddities concerning phantom construction:
1. When you enter a different region from the one where the phantom
buildings will be constructed, you must wait for the hour glass to empty
and fill three times. After the third time, the global population will
increase and the new buildings will be placed.
2. Phantom construction will only occur after Act 2 has been completed.
You will need to make use of phantom construction in Fillmore and Aitos to
reach the maximum population. In Fillmore, this phantom house is constructed
2 squares left and one square up from the temple. In Aitos, there are three
phantom houses built in each of the inhabitable squares along the bottom of
the screen. You can also use this technique in Northwall to build a house in
the bottom-left corner of the square directly below the temple when no bridge
or road exist.
=================
POPULATION STATUS
=================
While you are building, different events and occurrences will affect the
population status as indicated on the Status of Cities screen.
NONE This is the status in regions that you cannot enter yet. This
will change once you complete Act 1.
NORM Indicates that all the proper factors are in place for
population growth to continue.
SLOW Population status is listed as Slow when the soul counter runs
low OR when you have reached the maximum population during
Act 1. Even if this population is the highest that can later
be attained in Act 2, the status will still be Slow instead of
Max.
STOP There are a few instances in the game where events will unfold
that require your intervention before the city can continue to
grow. See the next section for a complete list of these
events. You must remedy these problems before continuing to
build the city.
MAX Max means that you have reached the maximum population *given*
the current limiting factors. You may still be able to
increase the population further if you can eliminate or change
one of the limiting factors. Max will never be displayed until
after Act 2 of a region, regardless of whether the maximum has
been reached or not.
==================================
EVENTS THAT STOP POPULATION GROWTH
==================================
The following events occur in various regions and put a complete stop to
population growth. You must resolve the situation before any new growth will
resume.
Region Event Resolution
===== ===== ==========
Fillmore A fire breaks out Use Rain or wait until fire
burns out on its own
Bloodpool Teddy is missing Take the loaf of bread and use
it on Teddy near the lake
Bloodpool Conflict engulfs the town Use Harmonious Music from
Kasandora
Kasandora A plague spreads Use Herbs from Marahna
Aitos No wind Use Wind
Northwall Townspeople are too cold Use Sheep's Fleece from Aitos
=============================================================================
F A C T O R S L I M I T I N G P O P U L A T I O N AR07
=============================================================================
In trying to maximize population in each region, there are always one of three
possible factors that will eventually limit your maximum growth:
1. Number of Souls
2. Map Size
3. Number of Structures
Every region can potentially be limited by the number of souls you have freed.
This limitation will be determined by your score in the action portions of
each stage. See the "Souls" subsection below for specific scores. Still, you
have some control over the number of souls and can play the action stages so
that this is never a limiting factor.
After souls, regions will either be limited by physical size (no room left to
expand) or number of structures (you have built the maximum amount allowed).
The table below shows which factors limit population in each region:
Limiting
Region Factor
====== =============
Fillmore Structures, Souls
Bloodpool Structures, Souls
Kasandora Structures, Souls
Aitos Size, Souls
Marahna Size, Souls
Northwall Size, Souls
=====
SOULS
=====
As discussed in the first section, your score during the two action sections
determines the number of souls you can free. To reach the maximum population
in a region, you must therefore acquire a minimum number of cumulative points.
The table below shows the starting number of enemies in each region (this is
the sum of the 4 monster lairs), the maximum population, and the combined
score you need on the two Acts to free enough souls to reach the maximum
population.
Starting Enemies Maximum Act 1 + Act 2
In Monster Lairs Population Score Needed
================ ========== =============
Fillmore 500 914 20600
Bloodpool 330 874 27100
Kasandora 450 874 21100
Aitos 320 802 24000
Marahna 210 538 16300
Northwall 180 650 23400
o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
|EXAMPLE |
|You are building out Fillmore. In Act 1, you score 10000 points. This |
|adds 10000/50 or 200 souls to the enemy lairs. Assuming you built your |
|town optimally, you should have a population of 702 when you enter Act 2. |
|Now, based on the table above, you will need 20600-10000 or 10600 points in |
|Act 2 to reach the maximum population. 10600 points will yield 212 souls. |
|When added to the previous population (702+212), you now have enough freed |
|souls to reach the maximum population of 914. However, your population can |
|still be limited by the other factors below. |
o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o
==========
STRUCTURES
==========
The game has a hard limit of 128 structures in each area. The game does not
care about the size or type of the structures –- a bridge counts just the same
as a house, wheat field, or mansion. Once you reach this 128 limit, you
cannot build any more structures under any circumstances. This effect is most
easy to see in Kasandora, where there is still ample space left when the
building ceases.
If you cross a river once there are 128 structures, the road will continue on
the other side but no bridge will be built (however, if you destroy some other
structure, a bridge will appear immediately as space is available, so be
careful).
The table below shows a breakdown of the structures in each region under ideal
conditions. The Minimum Bridges column indicates the fewest number of bridges
you can construct and still maximize population. This number is only
important in Fillmore and Bloodpool. In Marahna, you can have 1 or 2 bridges
and it will not effect maximum population. Northwall can have up to 5 bridges
with no adverse effect.
Housing Supporting Minimum Total
Structures Structures Bridges Structures
========== ========== ======= ==========
Fillmore 114 13 1 128
Bloodpool 109 16 3 128
Kasandora 109 19 0 128
Aitos 100 12 0 112
Marahna 67 11 1 79
Northwall 81 8 3 92
One note on Bloodpool: even though you should need 17 wheat fields to support
a population of 874 (with 3 bridges), the game only creates 16. The reason
for this is because there is simply no room left for any more wheat fields.
In reaching the maximum population, you will always fill every possible square
with a field. The game does not penalize you for this, and instead allows a
few houses to exist despite a lack of resources to support them.
========
MAP SIZE
========
The last three regions in the game are limited by the physical size of the
maps. Although it may appear that there is still some additional room once
the population is at maximum, keep in mind that there are restrictions on
where housing structures can appear within each square (see "Inhabitable
Squares" subsection above). These regions will simply stop growing once there
is no inhabitable space remaining.
Since size (and not number of structures) is the limiting population factor in
Aitos, Marahna, and Northwall, you do not have to worry about the number of
bridges in these stages.
==============================================================================
M A X I M I Z I N G P O P U L A T I O N I N E A C H R E G I O N AR08
==============================================================================
Each region has slightly different requirements and idiosyncrasies regarding
population growth. The section below will list some of the basic factors for
maximizing population in each region. Note that this is NOT a walkthrough of
each stage. It is expected that you understand the basics of how to play the
game and create cities. If you want more general information on these topics,
please refer to a more comprehensive guide.
========
FILLMORE
========
Maximum Act 1 Population: 906
Maximum Act 2 Population: 914
Fillmore is one of the pickier levels to maximize. If you want to achieve the
highest possible population during Act 1 of this region, you must score at
least 20200 points during the action stage. This is not very easy to do, as
the stage is short and does not have many high-point enemies. The stage does
have two 1-Ups, however, so you will need to use the "earn points, collect 1-
Up, die, repeat" strategy. If you do not reach 20600 here (need an additional
400 for the final house), you will need to accumulate the difference during
Act 2.
Once you begin the simulation, your main goal will be to complete the stage
with only 1 bridge constructed over the river. At the beginning, avoid
building on any of the squares that border the river. This includes the
squares directly NW, W, and SW from the temple. Seal the monster lairs in the
south and northeast, and be sure to build over every single square with the
exception of the aforementioned ones that border the river.
Once the southern and eastern sides of the region are built out, it's time
carefully build around the river. You will want to build parallel to the
river at all times. It is a good idea to save before you attempt this, just
to be safe. The map below shows the northwest portion of the map. Below the
map is the specific build order you should follow.
_____ _____ _____
| | | |
| 6 | 5 | |
|_____|_____|_____|
|~ | | |
|~~7~~~~ 4 | |
_____|_____|~____|_____|
| | | ~ | |
| 10 | 8 | ~3 | T |
|_____|_____| ~___|_____|
| | |~~ | |
| 11 | 9 |~ 2 | |
|_____|_____|~____|_____|
| |
| 1 |
|_____|
In the above picture, T represents the temple and ~ represents water. Build
in the follow direction and do not stop or turn:
1 -> 2 -> 3 -> 4 -> 5 -> 6 (seal lair)
Square 6 contains a monster's lair, if you have not already sealed it. If
this is the third lair you are sealing, you will now learn how to build
bridges. Now things get a little tricky. From this square, build in the
following order:
6 -> 7 (bridge) -> 8 -> 9 -> 8 -> 10 -> 11 (seal lair)
If you only built north-south in square 3, you should not create a new bridge
when you turn west at square 8. You will stop on the final monster lair. It
is very important that you do not move the build direction square from this
area. If you move it to any square other than 10 or 11, a new bridge will be
created over the river.
At this point, your civilization level will be increased. Go around the map
an use Lightning to destroy any level 1 or 2 buildings. It will take a little
while, but you should eventually cover the map with level 3 structures.
Assuming you scored 20200 in the Act 1 action stage, you can max out the
population at 906 right now. If you scored less than 20600, make up the
difference in Act 2.
Now, you will notice that the maximum Act 1 population is only 906. The
reason this is different from the Act 2 maximum is because there is a
"phantom" house at the bottom left corner of square 7 that cannot be built
while you are in the region. Once Act 2 is completed and you have reached 906
people, go to Bloodpool (or some other region) and observe the region there
until the hour glass has filled and emptied three times. After the third
time, the global population should suddenly increase by 8. When this happens,
the final building in Fillmore will have been constructed. Your population
should now be 914.
Once your population is 914, you can move the build direction square anywhere
you want. Moving it over the rivers will create roads but will not construct
new bridges.
=========
BLOODPOOL
=========
Maximum Act 1 Population: 874
Maximum Act 2 Population: 874
Bloodpool is another high maintenance level. This stage is even easier to
screw up than Fillmore, as there are 10 possible bridges that can be
constructed. Your goal is only to raise 3: 1 over the north river and 2 over
the south river.
If you want to maximize population during Act 1, you will need to score 27100
points during the first action stage. This is a very time consuming task. As
in Fillmore Act 1, you will need to repeatedly collect the 1-Up, die, and
collect more points. There is an added reward for your persistence, however.
Normally, once you complete Act 2, the region will be engulfed with conflict
and the population growth will halt until you bring the Harmonious Music from
Kasandora. You can avoid all that (and never have to use the music at all) if
you reach the maximum during Act 1.
Once the simulation begins, focus on developing the area to the north of the
temple. Do NOT build east, west, or south at this point. When the northern
area is cultivated and the monster's lair sealed, it's time to tackle the
bridges. Note that you need to use the Bridge item from Fillmore before you
can cross the rivers. As in the last stage, it's a good idea to save before
this point.
The map below shows the southern portion of this region.
_____ _____ _____
| | | |
| 1 | T | ~~~~|
|_____|_____|~~___|
|~~~~~~~~~~ ~~ |
| 3 | 2 | 4 |
|_____|_____|_____|_____|
| | | | |
| 9 | 8 | 5 | 6 |
_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|
| | ~~~~~~~~~~ |
|~~ |16~ | 10 |~ 7 |
|_~___|~~~ _|_____|~____|
| ~~~~~~ | |
| 13 | 12 | 11 |
|_____|_____|_____|
| | |
| 15 | 14 |
|_____|_____|
In the above image, T is the temple and ~ represents water. Squares 6 and 15
contain monster's lairs. Start at the temple and build in the following order
(note that you do not ever need to build on the square east of the temple; it
will create bridges but cannot hold houses):
T -> 1 -> T
As stated, build to the square west of the temple, then build right back. Do
not turn south or stop while on square 1. Next, build as follows:
T -> 2 (bridge) -> 3 -> 2 -> 4 -> 5 -> 6 (seal lair)
You should now seal the monster's lair at square 6. Note, once again, the
back-and-forth build order between squares 2 and 3. So long as you do not
turn inside the square, you will not create roads in a different direction.
Once the monster lair at square 6 is sealed, build as follows:
6 -> 5 -> 7 -> 5 -> 8 -> 9 -> 8
You should only be able to order the building direction square this far in a
single command. At this point, you should have covered every inhabitable
square above the south river. If you need to go back north for some reason,
move right to square 7 before heading north. Now, the build order for the
south:
8 -> 10 (bridge) -> 11 -> 12 -> 13 -> 12 -> 11
So far, you have only constructed one bridge over the southern river. From
here, finish up the region in this order:
11 -> 14 -> 15 (seal lair) -> 12 -> 16 (bridge)
This final sequence seals the southern lair, constructs an additional bridge
over the south river, and completes the development of the stage. Once you
seal the lair at square 15, you should reach civilization level 3. Begin
destroying all level 1 and 2 houses and watch the population soar.
If you scored 27100 during the action portion of Act 1, you will be able to
hit 874 people before taking on the second boss. If not, try to score enough
points so your Act 1 + Act 2 scores total 27100. After completing Act 2, the
population growth will stop until you bring the Music item from Kasandora. You
will need to wait until then to maximize the population.
=========
KASANDORA
=========
Maximum Act 1 Population: 874
Maximum Act 2 Population: 874
Kasandora is probably the easiest region to max. Use the wheat on the first
field that appears and build out as you wish. If you want to maximize
population during Act 1, you will need to score 21100 points during the Act 1
action stage. If you do not score this many, it is a good idea NOT to build
over the square with the lost desert wanderer. The plague will not occur at
the end of the Act if this man has not been rescued. In fact, none of the
following events will occur unless this man is found:
1. Discovery of the scroll that the wanderer found
2. Birth of the Harmonious Music
3. Discovery of the scroll at the southern mountain
4. Discovery of the Ancient Tablet in the northwest
5. Spread of the Plague
Therefore, you may want to wait until your population reaches 874 before
rescuing this man if you can. The downside to this is that you miss out on
two scrolls, so this underscores the importance of earning enough points for
maximization during the Act 1 action stage. If you do rescue him before
reaching the maximum population, you will need to wait until finding the Herbs
in Marahna to finish the stage. Even without building over the wanderer's
square, there is ample room in the stage to maximize population.
=====
AITOS
=====
Maximum Act 1 Population: 778
Maximum Act 2 Population: 802
Aitos is also relatively simple to build. You can construct the town in any
order you want. If you want to reach the highest population level in Act 1,
you will need to score 22800 points in the Act 1 action stage. This is not an
easy task, but is not as difficult as racking up points in some of the
previous Act 1 stages. During the simulation, be sure not to miss any
inhabitable squares, particularly in the south by the mountains.
The Act 1 population maxes out at 778. This is three houses less than the Act
2 maximum. These three "phantom" houses will eventually be built in the
southernmost three squares. They cannot be built while you are in the region
because they are blocked by other structures and cannot be accessed by the
townspeople. After Act 2, go to another stage and wait until the hour glass
has filled and emptied three times – the global population will suddenly jump
by 24. Assuming your cumulative score on Act 1 + Act 2 is 24000, Aitos should
now be complete with 802 people.
=======
MARAHNA
=======
Maximum Act 1 Population: 538
Maximum Act 2 Population: 538
Marahna is the quickest stage to build and does not require any special order.
Simply use wheat on the first crop and develop the town in any way you would
like. You can maximize the population in Act 1 by scoring 16300 in the action
stage, which will take a while to do. It is much easier to make up any score
difference in Act 2, as that stage racks up points very easily.
It is possible to build up to two bridges in this stage, but these do not
limit population size. The first bridge crosses the river leading to the
monster lair in the southwest corner. The second bridge can be built two
squares right of this one. Place the build direction square on that location.
Command the game to start and stop the build order on that square without
moving to any other square. The build square will not move, but it should
create a north-south road and construct a bridge to nowhere. Doing that is
probably more of a novelty than anything else.
=========
NORTHWALL
=========
Maximum Act 1 Population: 650
Maximum Act 2 Population: 650
Like the previous three regions, Northwall does not have any special build
order. In fact, Northwall's construction is always pretty linear given the
restriction from building east of the river until the two monster's lairs are
sealed. If you scored 23400 points during the action stage, you can max out
Northwall during Act 1. That is a relatively difficult score to amass, but,
if you decide to do so, take advantage of the 1-Up in the first indoor cave.
This region begins with corn fields. While you can plant wheat, you do not
need to. The level 3 supporting structures can replace the fields.
Shortly after the town begins development, the people will complain that they
are too cold to continue building. You will need to give them the Sheep's
Fleece from Aitos before they will resume. There is no other way to get
around this stoppage.
This region can have up to 5 bridges, but you do not need to worry about them
affecting the population; build as many as you'd like. Once all the monster
lairs are sealed, destroy the level 1 and 2 buildings (with an earthquake).
Also, you will want to destroy all remaining wheat fields, as more efficient
mansions will spring up to replace them.
In order to make sure all houses can be built, you will need to have a bridge
going east-west on the river one square below the temple. If you don't have
this bridge, the house in the bottom left corner cannot be built (although it
can still be "phantom" constructed after Act 2 without that bridge).
==============================================================================
P O P U L A T I O N L E V E L C H A R T AR09
==============================================================================
The rationale for focusing on population is primarily because it ties into
your current level, as well has hit points (HP) and spell points (SP). The
table below shows the population required to reach each level, as well as the
HP and SP at that level. Level 17 is the highest level you can reach.
o--------------------------------------o
| Level |Population| HP | SP |
|---------|----------|--------|--------|
| 1 | -- | 8 | 20 |
| 2 | 80 | 9 | 45 |
| 3 | 200 | 10 | 60 |
| 4 | 400 | 11 | 80 |
| 5 | 700 | 12 | 100 |
| 6 | 950 | 13 | 120 |
| 7 | 1200 | 14 | 140 |
| 8 | 1400 | 15 | 160 |
| 9 | 1700 | 16 | 180 |
| 10 | 1900 | 17 | 200 |
| 11 | 2200 | 18 | 220 |
| 12 | 2500 | 19 | 240 |
| 13 | 2900 | 20 | 260 |
| 14 | 3300 | 21 | 280 |
| 15 | 3700 | 22 | 300 |
| 16 | 4100 | 23 | 320 |
| 17 | 4600 | 24 | 340 |
o--------------------------------------o
==============================================================================
P O P U L A T I O N P A R C O D E S AR10
==============================================================================
If you would like to explore the effects of population on your own, there is
no better way to do it than by examining the memory addresses. This section
provides the locations of many relevant statistics that relate to population.
The following section assumes you have some minor knowledge of emulation and
memory editing, as no background information on these topics will be provided
here.
==================
CIVILIZATION LEVEL
==================
Civilization level affects the types of housing buildings that can be
constructed. The higher the civilization level, the more people each house
will hold. At level 3, the highest quality building will be constructed. In
the codes below, XX will range from 01 (lowest) to 03 (highest).
Fillmore 7E022EXX
Bloodpool 7E0230XX
Kasandora 7E0232XX
Aitos 7E0234XX
Marahna 7E0236XX
Northwall 7E0238XX
============
SOUL COUNTER
============
Each region has a separate soul counter. The future population is limited by
this number of souls. The soul counter represents two bytes. XX can range
from 00 to FF on each byte (no value will crash the game). Setting the first
byte to 40 (64 in decimal) will be enough to allow for maximum expansion in
all regions.
Fillmore 7F9EFAXX/7F9EFBXX
Bloodpool 7F9EFCXX/7F9EFDXX
Kasandora 7F9EFEXX/7F9EFFXX
Aitos 7F9F00XX/7F9F01XX
Marahna 7F9F02XX/7F9F03XX
Northwall 7F9F04XX/7F9F05XX
==================
MONSTER LAIR COUNT
==================
These codes control the number of enemies in each monster lair. There are
four lairs in every region. Setting a lair to 00 will eliminate all the
monsters in that lair. If you use these codes to eliminate all monsters in a
region, you must also use the Soul Counter codes above, otherwise you will
never be able to free enough souls to grow the town. Each lair has two bytes
that can range from 00 to FF. The game will only display up to 999 monsters
in the lair if the counter is over that total. However, it will still
accurately track enemy counts over 999.
Lair 1 Lair 2 Lair 3 Lair 4
====== ====== ====== ======
Fillmore 7F96B8XX 7F96BAXX 7F96BCXX 7F96BEXX
7F96B9XX 7F96BBXX 7F96BDXX 7F96BFXX
Bloodpool 7F96C0XX 7F96C2XX 7F96C4XX 7F96C6XX
7F96C1XX 7F96C3XX 7F96C5XX 7F96C7XX
Kasandora 7F96C8XX 7F96CAXX 7F96CCXX 7F96CEXX
7F96C9XX 7F96CBXX 7F96CDXX 7F96CFXX
Aitos 7F96D0XX 7F96D2XX 7F96D4XX 7F96D6XX
7F96D1XX 7F96D3XX 7F96D5XX 7F96D7XX
Marahna 7F96D8XX 7F96DAXX 7F96DCXX 7F96DEXX
7F96D9XX 7F96DBXX 7F96DDXX 7F96DFXX
Northwall 7F96E0XX 7F96E2XX 7F96E4XX 7F96E6XX
7F96E1XX 7F96E3XX 7F96E5XX 7F96E7XX
==============================================================================
C O N T A C T I N F O R M A T I O N AR11
==============================================================================
Thank you for taking the time to read through this guide. I hope you found it
informative and useful in your adventures through Actraiser. If you have any
comments on the guide, whether they be corrections, suggestions for future
revisions, spelling/grammar mistakes, formatting problems, additional
strategies, or any other type of feedback, please let me know. Anything
contributed will be credited in detail to the sender.
I can be reached regularly at the following email address:
[email protected]. Please include "Actraiser" or something along those
lines in the email subject heading if you can, so I don't accidentally delete
the email.
==============================================================================
R E V I S I O N H I S T O R Y AR12
==============================================================================
Version 0.99 – March 13, 2007
- Preview Version
Version 1.0 – March 14, 2007
- Initial Release
Version 1.1 – July 6, 2007
- Added specific locations of houses built by phantom construction
- Added additional information on finding the desert wanderer in Kasandora
- Clarified tips 2 and 3 in the General Strategies section
- Reformatted Examples to stand out from descriptive text
- Edited various sections for improved readability
- Fixed minor spelling, grammar, and formatting issues
Version 1.2 – August 6, 2007
- Corrected populations for Bloodpool and Kasandora in first section
==============================================================================
C R E D I T S AR13
==============================================================================
Big thanks to everyone who helped and inspired me with this guide, especially
the members at the GameFAQs Actraiser message boards – this guide would not
have been possible without your encouragement. If I have accidentally omitted
your name from this section, please feel free to contact me and I will include
you immediately. Special thanks to the following people:
- flamingspinach (
[email protected]): You PAR codes
guide was a helpful resource during the creation of this guide. You saved
me the hassle of having to record all those codes, which was very useful.
- acote80: Thank you for creating the initial topic that sparked my interest
in this topic again. It was your posts on populations in Fillmore and
Bloodpool that ultimately began my research.
- Zidanax (
[email protected]) for some spelling and grammar corrections.
- Other members of the Actraiser board who contributed to this topic,
especially: -_-ShockWave-_-, arby64, AR788, DarkstarRipclaw, Evil Peer,
Hasukawa Kazuyaa, Rec_rm, shinren27, SurvivorDude, zeldadude
- Everyone else for taking the time to read this guide and give me feedback on
it. I really appreciate your help.
================================END OF GUIDE==================================
