Suggestion for fixing BEP

[General PinochetNut]

You'd have the option of ordering lazy/over-entertained T,L,D's to work by, for example, clicking on a laborer or construction building  and then ctrl (click on the unfinished building). Critisism welcome.

[WyrmMoon]

I'm not arguing that this would be effective. Most RTS games that use "construction units" do exactly what you suggest.

I think the problem (with this ever getting implemented) is that the design of Tropico is geared to not give you this level of control. Whether or not that's a good thing is certainly a matter of opinion, but I believe not being able to direct the actions of an individual was the game designer's intent.

[General PinochetNut]

It was thier intent but after all in real life you don't get paid for having the equivelent of the BEP.

[Junta_Joe]

See my recent comment in "what about public transportation..."

[Junta_Joe]

After ranting on about my slackers (dock, teamster, and construction workers), I've come to a few conclusions.

They simply cannot be trusted to do the job. You have to minimize their use in the game.

Construction workers are easy. Build one shop out of the way and staff it with one  lucky schmuck. Fire all the rest forever.
Use the Rapido command. It is not cheating if you can pay for it.

Dock workers are harder but not too much. Place 2 docks close together a good ways from any thing else. Build a special town for them. 2 apartments, clinic, church, bar, and market. You should be able to keep at least one on the job most of the time. Paving the area around and under (yes,under--it will work) the dock and dock office will speed them up. Just make sure you build the dock before you pave. Only works that one way.

The teamster problem is the hardest to solve. Roads seem to both help and hurt. Must be pathing choice confusion (this might be the cause of the brain plague). Unless you are willing to turn the whole island into a slab, I would wait thirty years and watch their paths before paving, if at all. You still have some problems with high output cues at your moneymakers but not as bad. If you are worried that they will stomp the ground ugly, just use the map editor to turn all non-farmland into sand. Stomp all over sand and it stays sand. Increases enviromental beauty too.
I have learned to not base my economy on factories. This helps a whole lot. I seem to go flat broke while my distillery output cue is at 20!
Capitalist societies are based on tourism. No teamster required at all! The people are working whether they are at work or roaming around. A hotel maid drinking at the pub is a double money maker! Tv stations make tons of cash when set up right. Just use plenty of cops with sensitivity training to keep the lid on. Fire all of the military the first day, X out all of the palace positions (makes flatulence and coward easy faults) and ignore the militarists for the rest of the game. Make liberal use of "happy" buildings and you will be raking in the dough and the populace will love you. No coups, no rebellions, no teamsters except to haul food to market (they seem to do that well...fat slobs).
Agrarian and resource societies (say communist) are handled differently. Use the military heavily. Setup with low democratic expectations in your resume. Clamp these peons down. Only pay the minimum to anyone except soldiers. Skip most of "happy" buildings. Money will be slow at first but use banks, edicts to help you along. Skip higher education (makes moron a good choice) and hire whatever college workers you need. Be sure to set your immigration office to "No one gets out alive". Be sure to use the contraception ban because  immigration will be slim. The teamsters will get enough done if you centralise your farms and mines as best you can. Try not to spread out too much (use smaller map). By the nineties you should have a decent cash flow and a huge swiss account. Spend the last few years setting up "happy" buildings and push all of the "happy" edicts. Give them all $50 bucks a month in the last October. Beautify with large fountains (they love these things) everywhere. Use the Rapido command for all of this. The only thing you give these people in the beginning is decent housing. Too much work and cost to level all of the tennements at the end. Remember it is only the people's opinion of you at the end that effects your score.
Whew!
OK class, will someone please repeat that back for me.

I realize this only gives two types of games that can neutralize the slackers, but, both are challenging and a blast.

Please let me know if there are other scenarios that cut the use use of D, T, & C. I have not found any others short of editing the perfect island or boosting the cash flow. Adding a little extra sand or using Rapido is one thing. Leveling mountains and using Exacto is truly cheating youself. What poptop needs to do is make these guys work like eveyone else in the game. You are getting a certain amount of work at all times. You just increase your skill when you are in the building. Heck, my bankers are skimming for me like crazy and always seem to be at the nudie bar! Yesiree Bob!