TROPICO
- You are the newly installed dictator of an obscure Caribbean island
- Build a path of progress out of poverty and civil unrest
- Stash cash in your Swiss bank account, "just in case"
- Building-oriented gameplay combined with political intrigue
- Easy to learn, hard to master, utterly addictive
Set during the Cold War on an unknown Caribbean island,
Tropico, being developed by PopTop and published by Gathering of Developers, will put players in the role of dictator. As a PapaDoc Duvaliers wannabe, your goal is turn your island into a prosperous nation -- and its inhabitants (who never understand the stress that comes with totalitarian rule) into happy and productive members of society. So if certain unruly citizens disappear during the night, it's regrettable, but a necessary step to maintain the peace.
Tropico single-player gameplay will come in two flavors, scenario-based and random map. Of course there will also be a tutorial, but it wasn't working in the beta. Scenario mode wasn't active either, but we're told there will be about a half-dozen scenarios. These will include "relieving" a friend of a pesky gold mine, building a tourist haven for the rich and famous, and stashing away $10 million in 20 years. The random map mode (which was working) allows players to modify the terrain, victory conditions and political climate.
After setting up a game, the player creates a persona. The first step is to select an image from a file of attractive, virile men -- then choose a background, how he rose to power, and the traits that exemplify his wit, intelligence and modesty. Finally, the player chooses from a list of perceived flaws, even if it's obvious he has none. These modify how the inhabitants react to their leader and how the world as a whole sees him. Note to Idi Amin fans: No cannibalism here.
Each of the island's inhabitants has a unique set of 50 different traits. There are 46 different character types, such as shopkeeper, journalist, miner and priest, and even with a population limit of 500, virtually none of them will be identical. Name, age and marital status only touch the surface of these people. One of the traits is family status. People can be married or unmarried, with between zero and seven children. It's also possible to find out their parents' information, their spouse's information and their children's information. By clicking through a family, it's possible to even learn the name of a person's great-grandchildren. As an example, clicking on Consuela Sauceda will show her parents, Luis and Margarita Rodriguez; a spouse, Antonio Sauceda; a daughter, Esmerelda Perez; and a son, Miguel Sauceda. Clicking any of those people will show their family structures, so it would be possible to learn that Esmerelda's daughter, Luisa, is the great-grandchild of Luis and Margarita Rodriguez. This lineage isn't included just for trivia or to confuse the genealogy-challenged: If a political rival is causing a bit of trouble, removing her will likely arouse the ire of her immediate family.
The player will issue edicts and select buildings from the interface bar along the bottom of the screen. Construction workers actually carry out the building; remember, you're the head of state, not the guy with the shovel. When Building Mode is selected, tabs across the top of the bar separate the buildings into 10 subgroups such as Housing, Infrastructure and Tourism. Hotels, mines, apartments and casinos are just a few of the choices within these subgroups. As in many realtime strategy games, most of the structures are in technology trees that require prerequisite building types to be constructed first.
The game is primarily a building simulator, so much of the player's time will be spent deciding which structures are needed to keep the people sedated, so they won't notice when an edict infringes on their freedoms. Even so, a few people are bound to notice and complain when their ruler decides to enact an old-fashioned book burning and declare martial law. A dictator's response to rebels, loudmouths and journalists (wait, that's redundant) is part of the struggle to be a good (or at least rich) leader.
Will you rule with a fist of iron or a heart of gold? Whichever you choose, a full Swiss bank account can make any mistake a little easier to swallow. After all, when you sneak out the back of the palace and heading to the US, a suitcase full of cash can only go so far.
