cheaper buildings are bad

[Michael Rymaszewski]

I've seen a lot of advice about how great it is to get cheaper buildings through diplomatic edicts/urban development option at the bank. But when you do that, the cut you get through the special building permit is smaller, too, which hits your score (unless you've chosen a victory option which makes it irrelevant, like don't worry, be happy). I think cheaper buildings are a bad strategic move - if you know how to make money in Tropico, you'll always have enough dough anyway, and if you don't you'll lose anyway. Comments?

[GoatBoy]

You also lose if your citizens have low happiness scores for housing, and they kick you out at the next election or launch a successful rebellion. It's all about balance with Tropico. I seldom leave the "special permit" edict enabled full time anymore. In my experience it's fairly damaging to liberty scores.

[zegoiaba]

The edict doesn't affect freedom. Correct me if I'm mistaken.
It affects the intelectual faction, though.

If you want break the score record, go for economic powerhouse. And cheaper buildings are excellent then, since an apartment score value is always for the original $5k, even when I pull it down to 1k.

[Mr.P]

Hi Michael, I''ve enjoyed your thoughts on strategeis at the Cafe, please keep them coming.

From my personnel point of view I agree that it can cut into your Special Building Permit profits to begin with, but as the first 10 years are key to getting my economy off to a booming start I prefer to forsake this loss of private profit. The ability to have funds (via my savings made with the Russian Development Aid edict) allow for an early bank - set on Presidential Slush Fund - which provides a greater income for me in the long run.

[Alastar]

i don´t tend to use the russian aid a lot because mass housing has some fairly severe penalties (crime and pollution). also, initial costs pale in comparison to maintenance in the long run so the edge of subsidized tenements/apartment over single housing is usually overestimated. in my ´friendly´ games i only build appartments and tenements as free housing (less hassle to kick free riders out).

[Coconut Kid]

... I think cheaper buildings are a bad strategic move [for high scoring] - if you know how to make money in Tropico, you'll always have enough dough anyway, and if you don't you'll lose anyway.

I doubt that there is any secret key to knowing or not knowing how to make money. Of course, I also have no use for striving over scores.

In any case, it is important to remember that the developers deliberately tried to make every decision have both an up side and a down side. If you maximize your Swiss account and score with the Special Building Permit, you reduce the money available for buildings which reduces the score for treasury and buildings. So, a great deal of trying to plan "strategicly" consists of splitting hairs because both sides of a decision are not always apparent.