Between the competitions: new scenario

[Che_Miguel]

Salute hi-scorers and Tropico-Tycoons,
here it is, my first *very hard* rated scenario. It's called *After the Flood*, and you have to deal with
several problems such as rebels, little space, unreliable tourists and collapsing mines. Besides that, you are not allowed to build a power plant. If these problems are no big deal for you: have a look at the winning conditions...

It's a hard life- this scenario doesn't make it much easier!
Enjoy, Che


Acknowledgement:

This scenario would never have made its way to the Cafe without the great help of Cam and Coffeebean who tested it and sent me their instructive comments.
I'm indeed grateful for their kind support.
A special thank also to PeeWee who tested the *early* version (very extremely ridiculously hardest).

[Che_Miguel]

Well, maybe this is kind of an interim competition: up to now nobody managed to win this scenario.

Maybe YOU are the first one?

Please   post your comments, as a fanatic creator of senarios I need your suggestions to improve the following scenarios.

[CafeDave]

Good one Che_Miguel!  I'm looking forward to this.  Did someone say something about taking a break?    Oh well, a dictator's life is never easy...  

[Che_Miguel]

Hi Dave, hi Tropicans,
to be fair I would like to give some hints. If you want to get crazy about the scenario, don't read them. If you want to have a chance to survive the flood, read.  

After the Flood is a scenario with many scripted events which are evaluated by random. Tourism rating, collapsing of mines and last but not least the rebel activities are based on random numbers.

1) Tourism rating
It's not that important, because most of you will use Egg's rich presidente trick anyway  
If you don't use it, the income of hotels will differ each year, but the tourism rating will never drop that serious.

2) Collapsing of mines
Is also evaluated each year. The chance that a mine is destroyed is 1 to 4 (or 25%). If you have more than one mine, only one will collapse.

3) Rebels
Each year zero (70%), one (15%) or two (15%) rebel(s) start their evil deeds. So save your game often. If rebels appear, re-load it. Maybe you're more lucky with the new random number and no rebels are evaluated.

Now you have read these hints, don't think it's easy to win. It's still very hard, but depending on the randomly appearing rebels it can become unplayable hard, and that's not what I wanted to script. In all of my testing games it was possible to deal with the rebels, but theoretically you could have 6 rebels on your island within 3 years. In that case I would recommend a re-load (or many, many soldiers!).

And now, have a nice rule on Isla Carrera!
Greetings, Che

[CafeDave]

Thanks for the hints Che!  I tried it last night and got bounced to the rowboat twice.    But my third try is still going but struggling to break even.  Isn't reloading to get around random events cheating.    But this is not a competition, so that's okay.  And if you think 6 rebels are bad, wait until you try Nicaragua.  

[Coffeebean]

Yipee! I am so glad to see this one "out".
Except I got row boated 3 times last night. It's a challenge allright. I do like the "Mortgage" offer on accommodation. That's about as far as I've got so far.

Isn't reloading to get around random events cheating.    But this is not a competition, so that's okay.

Is it?
I feel a poll is in order. I'll put one up in the Tropicana.

[Che_Miguel]

Oh, I'm sorry, but I have my roots in Railroad Tycoon II, so I am used to save and reload. That was the only way to survive in RTC, sometimes I saved the game every time a train arrived at a station. When the train bell rang, my fingers went *Ctrl-S-Enter*.
I realize now this is Tropico we play. Personally I don't think that reloading is more a cheat than the *rich Presidente-strategy*, because this strategy changes the whole money making system.
In the end, everyone has to judge his own kind of playing. So, if you decide to save'n'reload After the Flood, it's okay by me.
Catch some fishes, Che

[Che_Miguel]

Hi Coconut Kid!
What we mean is the following (and I hope my English is good enough to explain it):

Assume, there is a random event that adds zero, one or two rebels per year, each year at November, 1st. You can now play until October, and save the game. If one or two rebels appear on November, 1st, you reload the October and go on playing. Since the rebels appear randomly, you might be lucky and no rebel appears this time (when the game date switches from October to November).
You can use the same method to avoid hurricanes, red tide or any other random event.
In RRT it was the trick to avoid train crashes or economic depression.

Well, I think one can understand what I wrote. If not, some native speaker has to explain it.
Greetings, Che

[CafeDave]

Che, you have certainly done it this time.  I have seen every possible way to lose, from a coup, an uprising, a rebel attack, massive debt and not meeting the goals.  I actually came close once or rather made it to the end with all goals between 80 and 90% of the total.  At one point my dock looked like the west coast docks before El Presidente Bush ordered them back to work.    This map is certainly Ridiculously Hard, I'll say that much.

Regarding cheating or not cheating, I'm not a stickler on reloading and will definitely go back to an earlier save to try to improve.  But I prefer to take my lumps as they come rather than reloading just to avoid a bad event.  Just a personal preference and I would never pass judgment on anyone else's way of playing.  

[Che_Miguel]

To say it clear: I do not use this trick in Tropico games (just one time, in a ridiculously hard Breakaway scenario in which one of these random events happened every month). In Railroad Tycoon II I used it all the time, because without it the game was unplayable IMO. I found it boring to have a train crash every minute. I don't build tracks to see how trains stand on them. In fact I had two alternatives: use the reload method or trashing the game (or, maybe, to get a hard attack as #3). So I decided to take the reloading as part of the game, because I love the music and the cute little steam trains.
Choochoo, Che (yeah, I know this is a Tropico site...)

Dave,
I hope you don't quit our cooperation on the October / November competition . You know I need you, and I didn't want to wreck your nerves with the Flood.  
I admire your persistence. I just created the map, send it to PeeWee, Cam and Coffeebean and let them play it, knowing, that I had never ever the spark of a chance to win it.
Keep may fingers crossed for you!

[belbincolne]

Two things
1. When first posted it would help if the name was in the subject - when you've downloaded several it's impossible to remember which heading matches which scenario!  To get this noticed I should post separately as well??!!??
2. After some half dozen attempts I still cant get past 18 months as my job satisfaction level drops below 50% whatever I do.  I've managed to get 58% at start but by end first year its down to 46% and just keeps dropping.  What can I do?  Obviously someone has succeeded!

[Brf]

2. After some half dozen attempts I still cant get past 18 months as my job satisfaction level drops below 50% whatever I do.  I've managed to get 58% at start but by end first year its down to 46% and just keeps dropping.  What can I do?  Obviously someone has succeeded!

Did you give them a raise? That piddly 5 they start with is way too low.

[Che_Miguel]

Yes. Pay more money. That's the trick. You can easily get over 60 for a while.
Besides, PeeWee has finished this scenario successfully, so IT IS POSSIBLE to win it.

By the way: In my first post I mentioned the title *After the Flood*. Did you read the post, or just download the scenario

Good luck, Che

[belbincolne]

Yes I raised some wages (builders) but perhaps not enough, but didn't sem to affect job happiness, nor did building surgery and Marketplace (all you've time for)!  Anyway I'll have another bash.

I also read all info before downloading scenario.  Using search for both "Flood" and "After the Flood" didn't find anything and I was lucky to trace it again (if it had been an old one I wouldn't have made it - life is too short!!)

Anyway thanks Che and brf I'll just keep trying cause it looks interesting.

[Che_Miguel]

Try it this way:
press Ctrl and raise ALL wages. I usually give

uneducated 8 instead of 5
school 12 instead of 10
univerity 16 (!) instead of 20

Since you have much more workers than highly educated, the job happiness boosts.

Besides that, the winning conditions are really ridiculously hard, I never managed to win it. (And I created it...)
Greetings, Che

[CafeDave]

I usually found it enough to raise uneducated pay to 7 and set teamsters and laborers to Easy Does It.  That works for a few years anyways.

[Che_Miguel]

EASY DOES IT
They don't do anything anyway!!!

[belbincolne]

Thanks guys. I put builders up to 8 and others 7 (and opened 2 places at factory and upped to 10) plus easy does it all round. This got me a start of over 50 but no-one worked!  Found that going back to slave labour only lost one point so builders got that and I got stuff built.
Unfortunately it sent me bankrupt!  And I'd tons of fish everywhere, them dadgumeded teamsters worked for Marlon Brando.
Look I've got to get to the November competition and I'm still nowhere with Cheerio. Bye.

[jezekiahuk2]

Well this game continues and continues in popularity !

Well I'm stumped, 7 years on !!

Did anyone ever do this? It's driving me mad, so any hints tips or outright cheats welcome! No one works no immigration no money !! O M G

[Coconut Kid]

Hi Coconut Kid!
What we mean is the following (and I hope my English is good enough to explain it):

Assume, there is a random event that adds zero, one or two rebels per year, each year at November, 1st. You can now play until October, and save the game. If one or two rebels appear on November, 1st, you reload the October and go on playing. Since the rebels appear randomly, you might be lucky and no rebel appears this time (when the game date switches from October to November).
You can use the same method to avoid hurricanes, red tide or any other random event.
In RRT it was the trick to avoid train crashes or economic depression. ...

This is the reply to one of my posts which I deleted in cranky old man snit.

I think the point I am trying to capture for jezekiahuk2 is that this scriptwriter is suggesting that this map/game can not be won by ordinary play. The player has to engage in a slimy almost cheat to avoid every adverse event.

Perhaps that is not the problem at hand, but I thought I should clear up that point.
Seven Several years into the game:

• No one works
• No immigration
• No money

.
We have to work on that don't we? Someday.

 

[jezekiahuk2]

thanks for noticing the post!

I actually meant it was 7 years since the last post on the forum - I've got all the way to 1989 twice, but low on numbers and tinned tuna!