Tropico 3: Stability of Law

[This is part of my Tropico 3 Journal!]

After personally killing some rebels and winning the next election I was contacted by local crime lord Don Pez with a 8k donation towards the island. He also mentioned something of owing him a favour but I didn't really listen at that point because people were striking, rebel numbers were growing, and the threat of a military coup kept coming up. Fortunately with Don's donation and some development aid from the US, I was able to enact the Social Security and Food for the People edicts which bought enough time to settle down all those factions.

Soon I was building hotels, a casino (where I had to jail cheating intellectual scum), a zoo, a bank, TV and Radio stations and all those other wonderful things we often take for granted. The drain on the power grid was initially too strong so I needed a second power plant constructed mirroring the first as the tourism trade began to take off. Things were going so well that I actually had to start stopping people from coming into the island (250+ population at that point) and had to build extra roads to lessen traffic!

Don Pez tried to blackmail me to kill someone at that point to which I refused so he tried to slander my reputation. Who are the people to believe, a crime lord or the guy that gets the Pope to visit? No, my sway at that point is too powerful and I am too well liked by all to have any further issues, even when pirates began attacking freighters I just challenged their leader and defeated him.

All up it was a victorious campaign and though I only pocketed 14,482 pesos (low) in the Swiss bank account, Carmencita was doing well. As a final act to ensure the criminal elements didn't get out of hand I allied with the US, letting them build a military base and basically take over.

Ameeeeeriiiica! (art by Sharpwriter)

Tropico 3: Swimming in Money

[This is part of my Tropico 3 Journal!]

Despite failing the last mission it seems my skills were seen valuable to the nearby island of Isla de Aro which had just celebrated its independence day from British rule, though the Brits still had a 50% tax on all exports. The island itself was awesome, with many resources to mine, oil to drill, good climates for crops, and having very road friendly terrain which I built up first to link everything together and build up the industry side of things. I'm not alone in thinking this as delegations from the US and USSR both visited and offered 10k to assist in development. Even the outbreak of llama flu doesn't hinder progress with the amount of cash coming in, and for the first time I am so far away from being in debt to the World Bank that it is refreshing!

Who knew this screeny would be so useful? :P

Soon edicts for Food for the People, Social Security, a Literacy Program, Modern Militarization, and a Papal visit are issued. We even host a Trade Fair that helps with the export prices, though I do have to side with the US as they were willing to buy exactly what I was producing (oil, tobacco, and furniture). When profiteer Stavros Michaellis asks to own one of the rigs for 1K per year I decline and sure enough later find out he is involved with some sort of bribe scandal in which I blackmail a few parties and then get them killed. Cleanliness is next to godliness afterall.

I also learn that one of the bomb threats on my factories was actually spawned from a neighboring island so I did the only rational thing and declared open war. The US were quick to step in and block that from happening though, paying me 10K while they "changed" the government on the opposing faction. All too soon my term ends with what is so far my best run yet. With the people over 70% in the happiness meter and over 330k pesos in the treasury. All in all an awesome and easy pick me up after El Muerte.

Tropico 3: An Island with No Name

[This is part of my Tropico 3 Journal!]

On this island with no name, I have been installed as Governor in the stead of General Luis Navarro who realized that while he is a good fighter - he's a crappy leader. I learn early on that this isle has not one but two gold deposits and immediately set to work making the most of that for export, putting up a jewelry crafting factory soon after. It is the most expensive start to a term ever and I find myself so deep in debt with the World Bank that there are times I cannot actually purchase anything. Luckily there are quick pesos to be made here and there, like exporting Fool's Gold to our neighbors for quick profit.

The other problem is the ever growing number of rebels led by someone named Enrique. They manage to incite a dock strike, one that I cannot afford to be violent in so I just pay off the people striking. More painful is when I am forced to temporarily shut down the Jewel Factory to disarm the bombs they planted there. With their very strong presence it isn't long before I increase the soldiers wages, bases, and technology. It pays off too when my soldiers, led by me personally, destroyed a rebel group attacking one of the mines.

Are you a rebel?

With all my focus on the military the people again were forgotten and when an election was called I faced a steep defeat once more especially as my speech was not so effective this time. Fortunately my old tricks of Food for the People, Social Security and Tax Cuts led me to victory against Barrut Ramirez to the tune of 43 to 29. His reaction was to send an assassin after me, most likely an agent from one of those USSR warships circling the island. The attempt failed, but with the assassin in the wind and no proof to throw around I simply made an announcement to calm the people. Finally, things are getting interesting!

Tropico 3: I Hate Tourists

[This is part of my Tropico 3 Journal!]

By the horrible machinations of fate, I found myself assigned next to the small island of St. Pata which was famous for being poor and having no natural resources. The only way to make a thriving community here was to embrace... tourism. Shit. With no time to spare I immediately set to task constructing tourist docks, hotels, souvenir shops, tour guides, beach resorts and the like often putting the finances into debt with the World Bank and hanging on barely with support funds from the US and USSR.

However, having totally ignored the needs of the actual residents at St. Pata I found myself on the losing (and losing badly) end of a sudden election and only through splurging money to put Social Security, Food for the People, and Tax Cuts edicts out did I win against Colleen Flores, 55 to 31.

Despite that strikes at the dock and construction sites forced my hand to kill more people until they obeyed my command. Somehow, more people end up joining the rebels and they succeed in destroying a corn farm, making everyone else hungry with their lack of foresight. They also capture and execute some tourists (way to go stupid rescue team) which hurts the treasury even more.

It's ok guys, I brought the +2 hammer of letting kidnappers know we are here!

The tourists themselves also bring problems with one douchebag crashing the presidential limo into the house of the local religious leader. I graciously sentenced him to forced labor, becoming the man slave to some backwater locals. It turns out he is the son of a US diplomat who wants to pay $5k to see him freed. What sort of message does that send your son, and indeed - the rest of the world? I tell the diplomat to fuck off and that his son is a bitch for life. Soon after I am told US Warships are circling the island. Pfft. They just like to act tough.

All it takes is for me to modernize the military and hire mercenaries from overseas then poof, the ships mysteriously leave. Hah! Cowards. Sure, it might have had something to do with Typhoon Dahlia which came a few days after they left and killed 10 people and destroyed 2 buildings but I like to think I scared them off. Fortunately I reached my quota of 150 tourists soon after and heroically abdicated my position to travel elsewhere before people came back to look for me. Yes, I bravely ran away! :P

Tropico 3: Fist of Iron

[This is part of my Tropico 3 Journal!]

My next office was at the isle of El Acantilado, where I had to govern refugees from some nearby conflict and ship out 5000 units of iron. I immediately got the mining operations, roads and housing started as I had the benefit of a foreign aid corporation helping out with medicine and food. Another set of foreigners, a group of explorers, also arrived and requested permission to go on an expedition into the deep jungle. I simply made them pay a $2000 dollar expedition tax and sent them on their merry way. They would never be found again, believed to have been eaten by El Chupacabra.

Back in the city I increased the wages for the miners to encourage a better performance from them, paying out big time with each export freighter that left our shores. Most of the money I had to spend on importing educated experts to run a lot of the facilities though - I completely forgot to put a High School up. Along with a few, other mistakes... like not connecting the garage to the road, so no one had cars. Despite me enacting the Food for the People and Social Security edicts again some people were leaving the island, and some were becoming rebels!

This came to a head when a gang of them decided to attack the police station. I went with my handful of soldiers but they were so untrained (oops, forgot to tick that option) that they all got killed. I managed to take down some rebels too but was wounded in the encounter and had to withdraw, letting the remaining two destroy that building. Fortunately my heroism must have shone through because in the next election I easily won 63 to 29 against Veronica Martinez, who I assume was a rebel. In no time at all, I had again met my quota and finished my task here so I left my subjects to the tender cares of the real Chupacabra, which I was keeping in a cage all this time. And boy was it hungry.

It can smell fear.

Tropico 3: Planting the Wrong Seeds

[This is part of my Tropico 3 Journal!]

After a crash course in presidency with the supposed toucan worshipper named Penultimo, I have been sent to the "fruitful" island St. Helena and have been tasked to oversee the exports of 8000 units worth of agricultural goods as a test of my abilities. Being isolated, these islands have no other form of income other than exported goods so it was good to see that they already had a shipping port up and running upon my arrival. Using my superior skills I quickly decided to build more farms to get this task out of the way so I could move on to the more lucrative islands. And I mean personally. These builders are bloody slow!

Alas, while enjoying the salsa music from the radio it seems I overlooked the small matter of actually having enough housing and food for my subjects. I foolishly set all the farms to plant tobacco which, while being a profitable export, doesn't actually feed anyone so I was forced to switch a number over to be corn and banana plantations instead. This wasn't an instantaneous as I would have liked, and with falling popularity I quickly decided to setup a church and army base (for paladins! lol) to deal with any trouble makers.

Like this, with the figure in the back being El Presidente!

Just in time too as some plantation workers went on strike due to their poor wages and terrible hours. They quickly changed their tune when I sent the army in to shoot a few of them dead. They didn't ever strike again after that incident, but instead called for elections! Though my opponent Kiril Kikitin started off with the majority vote, a well constructed speech (yes the game lets you construct speeches) and my sudden "generous" edicts of Social Security and Food for the People (where they get two meals a day instead of one) was enough to swing the votes to my favour, 58 to 32.

I'm not sure if I would have survived a second election but it didn't matter because I soon reached the quota I had and finished the mission, leaving someone else to govern the remaining dissidents.