Pharaoh (Windows)

This page details one or more prototype versions of Pharaoh (Windows).

It is unknown when this Demo was released, but the executable is dated August 9th, 1999. The final game was released around October 31st, 1999.

Title Screen#

Demo	Final

The title screen was redone and the developer's logo was added.

Main Menu#

Demo	Final

The menu option City Construction Kit does not seem to do anything.

Load Saved Game also does not do anything, since you cannot save games in the demo in the first place.

Quit Game was changed to Quit.

Mission Select#

When choosing Play Demo, you are presented the following screen.

There are three missions in the demo.

When choosing Predynastic Period (start here), you play the missions Nubt (Naqada) and Thinis.
When choosing Archaic Period, you play the mission Perwadjyt (Buto). The demo description states that this mission was created especially for the demo.

HUD#

Demo	Final

If it wasn't noticeable before, the text graphics are entirely black in the demo. For some reason, the money (Db 6750) is shown in bold. The final version improved the text by adding a shine effect.

The demo's Advisors was changed to Overseers.

On the right side of the screen, unavailable icons are darkened in the demo, but "grayed out" in the final game.

The "undo" and "go to trouble spots" buttons in the bottom right were kept the same. But the other options were changed:

In the final game, the opened scroll icon shows messages and the hieroglyphic Ankh icon shows the mission assignment.
In the demo, the scroll icon (which is closed) shows the mission assignment. The person above the scroll shows messages. And the locust is supposed to let you go to disasters. Maybe it was removed since trouble spots and disasters are essentially the same.

Also note the mini map has different graphics and it shows out of bounds tiles in the demo. While out of bounds tiles do also exist in the final game in all maps, they are generally omitted on the mini map.

Audio Differences#

Every single audio file is different. Some have had their quality and length changed while others have been redone from scratch. In the final game, background music and building sounds are higher quality/filesize but voicelines are lower quality/filesize. Some of the more noticeable differences are listed here.

	Demo	Final
brick_e01
buyer_e01
cart_e01
fanfare1
ferry_land
police
reed_e01

Graphical Differences#

Help Text#

Demo	Final

Warning#

Demo	Final

Walkers#

Demo	Final

The spaces for Hippos, Crocodiles, Birds, Librarians etc. were left blank or contained a number in the demo (as is the case with the Hunter above), before the graphics were added in the final version.

Empire Map#

Demo	Final

Note that you cannot go to the empire map in the demo. The image can be found in the game's files.

Tutorial Cards#

Some concepts and usage of sprites were not quite finalized in earlier versions.

Demo	Final
	Immigrants use a new sprite that resembles a family, the previous sprite was recycled and is used for emigrants instead.
Somehow, farms used to be placed next to flood plains...	...instead of on them.
Wood used to be transported into what we know is a Temple to Seth in the final version.	Materials are transported to Storage Yards instead.
Water Lifts used to send walkers to water Meadow Farms.	This concept was replaced by using Irrigation Ditches.
The demo used a different graphic for meat.	Also, there are subtle differences with the Bazaar graphic...
Jugglers' Booths used to look differently. The tutorial card also suggests that Jugglers keep going after they are done presenting their show...	...which isn't the case in the final game.
Walkers were supposed to move on top of Ferry Landings.	In the final game, walkers halt in front of the building.
Either Temples used to have a different look, or there was supposed to be a separate building that trains and sends out Priests.	The final game's Temples are taller.
Clay Pits, Clay and Pottery used to look differently.	Also note the difference with the overseer's space in the Storage Yard.

HUD#

Caesar III	Demo (Unused)	Final (Unused)	Demo (Used)	Final (Used)
This HUD seems to be taken from Caesar III. It can be found in Pharaoh's game files.	This appears to be a "first draft" version for Pharaoh, using Caesar III's marble texture. It isn't used in the demo.	It was "translated" into the familiar Pharaoh style, but still wasn't used.	This is a more final version of the HUD, which was used in the demo.	There doesn't seem to be a HUD image for this version in the game's files. This image is taken from a screenshot instead.

Text Differences#

To do:
Compare Thinis Mission Assigment.
Compare Advisors/Overseers menu.

Mission Assignments#

Some rephrasing, Your story was changed to Our story, and some hints from the demo version's assignment text were moved to separate windows that would appear during gameplay in the final version.

Nubt

Demo

Welcome to ancient Egypt, land of the Pharaohs! 
Here you'll participate (...) and beyond.     

Your story begins along the banks of the Nile river, 
in an area known as Nubt, where a small confederacy 
of clans struggles to eke out an existence in the 
harsh environment. With you at its head, your family 
leads this small settlement. 

The first things this village will need are housing,
to provide settlers with a suitable place to live, 
and a network of paths, to allow its eventual 
inhabitants to find their way around easily and 
efficiently.   

((Some illustrations and notes follow, to tell the player 
about using paths. In the final game, these tips show up 
as separate windows after the mission starts.))

Buildings#

Capitalization changes, spacing changes and grammar fixes:

Demo

Final

Senet house
Juggler school
Small statue
Storage yard
Police station ...

Senet House
Juggler School
Small Statue
Storage Yard
Police Station ...

Carpenters guild
Bricklayers guild
Stonemasons guild

Carpenters' Guild
Bricklayers' Guild
Stonemasons' Guild

Road block
Floodplain

Roadblock
Flood plain

Various cases of renamings:

Vacant lot
Engineers' post
Stone quarry
Large temple
Ferry
Dance Stage
Juggler Booth
Dance Studio
Entertainment Square
Large Pavilion

Unoccupied
Architect's Post
Plain Stone Quarry
Temple Complex
Ferry Landing
Pavilion
Booth
Dance School
Bandstand
Pavilion

Small mansion
Medium mansion
Large mansion
Small palace
Medium palace
Large palace

Personal Mansion
Family Mansion
Dynasty Mansion
Village Palace
Town Palace
City Palace

Small hut
Large hut
Small shanty
Large shanty
Small cottage
Large cottage
Small homestead
Large homestead
Small apartment
Large apartment
Small residence
Medium residence
Large residence
Grand residence
Small manor
Medium manor
Large manor
Grand manor
Estate
Palatial estate

Crude Hut
Sturdy Hut
Meager Shanty
Common Shanty
Rough Cottage
Ordinary Cottage
Modest Homestead
Spacious Homestead
Modest Apartment
Spacious Apartment
Common Residence
Spacious Residence
Elegant Residence
Fancy Residence
Common Manor
Spacious Manor
Elegant Manor
Stately Manor
Modest Estate
Palatial Estate

Two bridges are listed, apparent holdovers from Caesar III.

Low bridge
Ship bridge

Bridge
unused 948

More names of buildings that didn't make it into the game. The Triumphal Arch and Mission Post come from Caesar III.

Triumphal arch (not used?)
Mission post (not used?)
Plateau (not used?)
Anti plateau (not used?)

unused 921
unused 945
unused 985
unused 987

This string can be found within the text entries. It was replaced by Plain Stone Quarry, so it might have been an early name for it.

Alabaster quarry (not used?)

Buildings#

Early Bandstand & Pavilion#

When placing a Bandstand or Pavilion, the game does not place any plazas along with it.

Temple Complex Road Structure#

When demolishing a Large Temple (which later came to be known as Temple Complex), it will leave a road structure behind for some reason.

Missions#

Nubt#

Demo	Final

You start out with 6750 Deben in the demo and 5000 Deben in the final version.

The general layout of the map was kept the same; Most trees have been removed, making it easier for new players to start building a town.

Note that flood plains are a brighter color in the demo.

Thinis#

To do:
Compare demo and final version.

Perwadjyt#

Please elaborate.
Having more detail is always a good thing.
Specifically: Describe it.

Miscellaneous#

When starting a mission, reeds are not fully grown in the demo. They need some time to grow first. The final version starts missions with reeds fully grown.
The difficulty setting window lets you toggle "god effects". The final game removed this option.
When right-clicking on animals and displaying the help text, it shows a blank page.