This Guide
This guide was last updated on September 28, 2011. We will be updating this guide periodically with more information later.
Hot Keys
Decrease Speed: -
Increase Speed: +
Change Building Layout/Style: [ and ] (These keys can be extremely important and not well known. While changing building layouts no effect on the buildings production or capacity, some layouts are smaller or differently shaped allowing you to place buildings in places you couldn't before. Try pressing these keys on different buildings you have selected to build before actually placing them.)
Demolish: Delete
Last Constructed Building: \
Last On-Screen Notification: F2
Open Almanac: F1
Road: R
Select Avatar: Backspace
Factions
Capitalists - Capitalist opinion of you depends on a wider income gap and the use of the stock exchange to allow private enterprise into Tropico.
Communists - Communist opinion of you depends on smaller income gaps and little use of the stock exchange. Free Housing and Social Security increases respect.
Intellectuals - This depends highly upon the education of the average Tropican. High School, College and several Grade Schools should be built. Also newspapers and media should be available. The literacy program also raises opinion of intellectuals. Grade Schools often get overcrowded so many are needed, although they require only two teachers each. Same Sex Marriages also increases intellectual respect, but reduces religious respect.
Religious - Religious opinion is based upon how many churches and cathedrals are built. Makes sure these buildings are not overcrowded. They love Book BBQ edict, intellectuals hate it.
Militarists - Militarist faction is depending on the ratio of soldiers to generals and the ratio of military to Tropico's population. Also the success of dealing with rebellions, preventing rebellions and the handling of certain bomb threats. High military pay also helps. Secret Police, Modern Military and Conscription can all help respect of militarists.
Environmentalists - Opinion depends on upgrading certain buildings to produce less pollution. Pollution Standard edict also helps. Garbage dumps should be built in high pollution areas.
Nationalists - Nationalists do not like foreigners. Nationalists especially do not like foreigners holding cabinet positions. National Day edict helps opinion.
Loyalists - Loyalists like you. Loyalists almost always vote for you. Ideology Book increases respect of stupid people and up to 10 of them become loyalists, intellectual respect drops somewhat.
Economy
Of course one of the most important aspects of having a successful Tropico game is having lot's of money. When starting out I generally build an apartment or tenement along with a logging camp or two and as many farms you can build as possible. Generally I go with sugar or Tobacco farms since these are products that are expensive and can be used to make cigars and rums. Who doesn't like cigars and rum? Along with farms and logging camps it is good to build mines, including salt mines. These buildings are a great way to getting your exports up, which is generally how you are going to make a good portion of your money until you decide to get into tourism.
Before trying to jump into industry, you must have a high school with teachers staffed. Without an educated society you will never get an industrialized society. Most industrial building require at least a high school education. A college should be built soon after the high school is built. Once you have these buildings you can begin building oil rigs, oil refineries and power plants. The oil refinery is by far the most profitable building in the game and is well worth even going into the negatives to build it.
Society
The most important aspects of your society are going to depend on your economy. Implementing Food for the People ans Social Security are two generally easy ways to appease your people in the beginning of the game.
Depending on the difficulty of the game and how much money you are making you should slowly raise the wages of every person. I generally keep most wages the same for every class because in every building there is a button to set the wage for that class. There is of course the uneducated class, high school class and college class or low, middle and high class. Keep increasing the wages of your people when you notice you consistently have extra money in the treasury. Not only does this make the people happier, but it helps your economy. Your people can now use more of there money to out to eat for the night or go to the football game. The more money your people make the better it is for everyone.
Just make sure the high school educated aren't getting paid more than the college educated. You will see less people go to college because they no longer need college for a high paying job, therefore your college educated jobs will remain unfilled.
Happiness
The key to happiness can be seen simply by clicking on a random person and seeing what there troubles are. Are they hungry, need healthcare, need a church to go to, need entertainment, need a place to live or just plain aren't getting paid enough? Other than just clicking on random people you absolutely must take a look through the almanac which is a button just above the map. This will tell you what your problems are. If you hit a 1000 people one island you will find you need many hospitals, markets farms and housing to keep your people happy.
Buildings
Housing
Shanty ($150) - 4 Occupants, Shanties never charge rent
The shanty is only slightly better than a shack.
Tenement ($4.000) - 24 Occupants, Default $1 Rent/Month
This is your biggest bang for the buck housing. It's cheap and better quality than a shanty. I generally make this building free and use it rarely unless it is a very difficult game.
Bunkhouse ($500) - 6 Occupants, Default $1 Rent/Month
This provides decent housing for a decent price.
Apartment Block ($5,000, $2000 Blueprint) - 12 Occupants, Default $3 Rent/Month
The Apartment Block is my favorite housing building to build. Most of my population usually lives in these. Having lot's of apartments produces a happier population. Half of wining elections is having decent housing.
Country House ($1,000) - 4 Occupants, Default $1 Rent/Month
More expensive and better quality that the bunk house.
Condominium ($6,000, $4000 Blueprint, 6MW Electricity) - 8 Occupants, Default $5 Rent/Month
If you really want to make your people happy, then build these.
House ($2000) - 4 Occupants, Default $3 Rent/Month
Great housing quality, good buildings when have a small space with nothing to build there.
Mansion ($4000, $3000 Blueprint, 4MW Electricity) - 4 Occupants, Default $6 Rent/Month
Everyone will want to live here, I always recommend raising the rent of the mansion to the maximum potential. Think of it as a tax on the rich.
Welfare & Economy
Church ($6000) - Employs 4 High School Males, 12 Occupants, No Entry Fee
Your religious community will quickly want a church, will most likely be one the first few civic buildings you build.
Clinic ($3000) - Employs 2 College Males, No Entry Fee
Your rudimentary healthcare building. The building includes 3 options.
Preventative Medicine: After a visiting, patients will need healthcare 20% less often.
Obstetrics: After any member of a family visits, the chances of a woman in the family becoming a mother increases 50%.
Gerontology: Increase the lifespan of the visitors by 1 year for each visit, up to 5 years total.
Cathedral ($20000) - Employs 4 College Males, 16 Occupants, No Entry Fee
Soon after the church begins to fill up, your religious community will want a Cathedral.
Hospital ($12,000, 15MW Electricity)
Shopping Mall ($13,000, 20MW Electricity)
Bank ($8,000)
Customs Office ($10,000)
Stock Exchange ($10,000)
Weather Station ($8,000)
Entertainment
Pub ($800)
Childhood Museum ($2000)
Restaurant ($2000)
Cabaret ($4000)
Night Club ($7000, 8MW)
Casino ($10000, 25MW)
Movie Theater ($3000, 2MW)
Gourmet Restaurant ($5000, 5MW)
Sports Complex ($30,000, 20MW)
Zoo ($12,000)
Museum of Modern Art ($8500)
Cosmic Pin ($25000, 5MW)
Government
Ministry ($4,000)
Police Station ($5000)
Immigration Office (2500
Prison ($3000)
Foreign Office ($5000)
Fire Station ($6000)
Guard Station ($1500)
Armory ($3000)
Army Base ($8000, $6000 Blueprint)
Nuclear Program ($60,000, 30MW Electricity)
Education & Media
Grade School ($4000)
Newspaper ($5000, $2000 Blueprint)
High School ($8000)
Radio Station ($10,000, $6000 Blueprint, 10MW Electricity)
College ($12,000)
TV Station ($12,000, $8000 Blueprint, 15MW)
Academy of Science ($7,500)
Radar Dish ($5,000, $3,000 Blueprint)
Food & Resources
Farm ($1500)
Mine ($3000)
Ranch ($750)
Salt Mine ($3500)
Fisherman's Warf ($3000)
Logging Camp ($1500)
Marketplace ($500)
Oil Well ($8000)
Horticulture Station ($3,000, $1000 Blueprint)
Industry
Lumber Mill ($5,000, $1000 Blueprint)
Furniture Factory ($9000, $15,000 Blueprint)
Rum Distillery ($15000, $5000 Blueprint)
Cigar Factory ($10,000, $6000 Blueprint)
Jewelry Factory ($13,000, $8000 Blueprint)
Cannery ($13,000, $4,000 Blueprint)
Chemical Plant ($12,000, $4000 Blueprint, 20MW Electricty)
Oil Refinery ($15,000, $4000 Blueprint)
Weapons Factory ($15,000, $6000)
Infrastructure
Road ($20 per 50 meters)
Teamster's Office ($2000)
Garage ($2,500)
Construction Office ($2,000)
Dock ($4,000, $2,000)
Garbage Dump ($5,000)
Wind Turbine (6,000, $4000 Blueprint)
Power Plant ($17,000)
This building is your basic power supply. It has two options, coal or gas. Choose coal for a cheap energy production, choose gas for a more expensive option but more environmentally friendly.
Electric Substation ($2,000)
This building simply increases the range of electricity. When building this building you will see the map turn green in areas where you have electricity. Build this building on the border of the green area to expand your electrical grid. I generally fast build these since they are cheap and make sure the entire island has electricity available.
Nuclear Power Plant ($40,000)
Make sure you are allowing imports at your dock for this building. You must import uranium for this building to run. There is no uranium in Tropico. Once up and going this building will produce massive amounts of power.
(Demolish)
Tourism
Tourist Dock ($1,000)
Motel ($3,000)
Bungalow ($1,500 $1000 Blueprint)
Hotel ($4,000, $2000 Blueprint)
Beach Villa ($1500, $1000 Blueprint, 3MW Electricity)
Luxury Hotel ($6000, $4000 Blueprint, 15MW Electricity)
Airport ($24,000, Requires Economic Minister)
Skyscraper Hotel ($16,000, 30MW Electricity)
Attractions
Scenic Outlook ($1000)
Tour Office ($1750)
Souvenir Shop ($1250)
Cocktail Bar ($3000)
Beach Site ($1500)
Balloon Ride ($5000)
Ethnic Enclave ($4500)
Blimp Ride ($4000)
Luxury Attractions
Pool ($6000, Requires Any Hotel)
Botanical Garden ($5000, Requires Any Hotel)
Spa ($7000, $3000 Blueprint, Requires Any Hotel)
Luxury Liner ($20,000, Requires Any Hotel)
Marina ($9000, Any Hotel)
Ferris Wheel ($9000, 20MW Electricity)
Rollercoaster ($11,000, 4MW, Requires Any Hotel)
Aqua Park ($14,000, Requires Any Hotel)
Landmarks & Beauty
Eternal Flame ($20,000)
Christ the Savior ($45,000)
Golden Statue ($60,000)
Mausoleum ($30,000)
Tree ($20)
Garden ($50)
Fountains ($50)
Statue ($200)
Miscellaneous ($100)