2.1 - Dictator Traits

by: Cluk    Read original post

Because El Presidente's traits profoundly influence his rule, and because no one else had done it, I present the Cafe Tropico
Game Guide to Dictator Traits!

Background

Moscow U: +10% Communists +30% USSR +20% Education -15% US  A good choice for a largely communist island.  I recommend a quick alliance with the USSR to avoid invasion by the US. Harvard U: +10% Capitalists +30% US +20% Education -15% USSR  A good capitalist choice.  Note that there is a more significant bonus to education, which will help productivity. Miner: +10% Communists +10% Capitalists +50% Miner Productivity -20% Environmentalists  If you have lots of minerals, take it!  Sure, with bauxite & gold mines, jewelry factories, and the respect hit, the tree huggers will hate you, but who cares - you'll be rich! Farmer: +10% Communists +50% Farmer Productivity -10% Intellectuals  This can be a big help to an agrarian island, but such a place will already be at ends with the intellectuals - this will further distance valuable doctors and other bookheads. Biblical Scholar: +10% Religious +5% Intellectuals +10% Education -15% Crime  This is just OK.  I actually like it for tourism-based islands, as  it will help with the often neglected religious and intellectual folk, improve tourism/entertainment quality by making more skilled workers, and let you build fewer police stations.  Still, it's arguably not as good as other choices. Man of the People: +20% Communist -5% Religious      Crap.  The Commies are quite easy to please and the Religious faction is harder to please.  It's very easy to become "Very Close" to the Communists without any bonuses to respect, so why choose this? Booze Baron: +100% Rum Export Price -5% Religious    This is incredible on a large, pretty flat island that is littered with Sugar Plantations and Rum Distilleries.   Leftist Author: +10% Communists +15% Intellectuals +20% Education    A nice background that goes a long way towards placating intellectuals and improving productivity.  Good for an industrialized economy. Fortunate Son: +10% All Factions except Intellectuals     The bonus respect will certainly help to keep them uppity Tropicans happier with you.  Something more specific to the type of island might be better, especially as this does nothing for those crucial Intellectuals. Self-Made Man: +10% Capitalists +10% US +15% Factory productivity  An obvious and helpful choice for heavy industry. Silver Spoon: +25% Capitalists -10% Communists +10% Tourism Rating +10% Factory Productivity +20% Starting Cash  This can help you develop both tourism and industry, though I find that one or the other is often best. Generalissimo: +30% Military -20% Liberty +15% Soldier Productivity  Sure, it can be fun for oppressing the people and fighting a lot, but it's fairly impractical as the Militarists are already pretty easy to please and liberty will be toast. Chief of Police: +10% Military -10% Liberty -40% Crime    You'll never have to worry about crime, but it's not really a big deal anyway, and that liberty hit hurts.  I recommend Incorruptible instead. Developer: +20% Capitalists -10% Environmentalists +50% Pollution -20% Building Cost  Good for developing a sprawling tourist area, but watch that pollution! Naturalist: +15% Intellectuals +25% Environmentalists -30% Pollution +10% Building Cost  The environment will be better, but building costs will hurt. Not bad, but your economy will be slower to develop. Professor: +20% Intellectuals 50% Education      It keeps the nerds happy and the people more skillful.  If the intellectuals don't like you, try it. Pop Singer: +5% All Factions +10% US +10% Tourism Rating +50% Nightclub Quality  Pop Singer + The Headliner + Upscale Dress Code = Packed, $50 Nightclubs!  An awesome tourism pick.

Rise to Power

Note that Democracy Expectations are listed after the Rise to Power.

Communist Rebellion: Very Low +10% Communists +25% USSR +10% Farmer Productivity  With lots of farms, it's fine. Capitalist Rebellion:   Low +25% US +10% Capitalists +10% Factory Worker Productivity  Nah.  Go with Elected as Capitalist. Elected as Socialist: High +10% Communists +15% USSR +20% Liberty    A decent one if you have lots of commies.  There's probably a better choice. Elected as Fascist: Moderate +15% Military +20% Liberty -10% Crime Rate    Woohoo.  The bonus liberty makes it my choice for a repressive regime. Elected as Capitalist: Very High +5% capitalists +15% US +20% Liberty +20% Factory Worker Productivity  The best rise to power for an industrialized economy.   Elected for "Family Values": Very High +15% Religious +20% Liberty +10% Tourism Rating    OK for a tourist island, but not as useful as others. Military Coup: Near Nil +20% Military -20% Liberty -20% Crime Rate -25% Military Building Cost  A good one if you're planning a military regime and don't like elections. Religious Appointment: Low +15% Religious -25% Religious Building Cost    A fairly benign choice. Good if you want to keep the church-goers happy. Installed by KGB: Very Low +10% Communists +40% USSR -30% Liberty Soldiers no longer need any education  Uneducated soldiers are interesting, but with that liberty, you'll be hard-pressed to field any soldiers at all. Installed by CIA: Low +10% Capitalists +40% US -30% Liberty $2000 free/yr  This can be good for tourism, with a better rating and the money (foreign aid and stipend) to get off to a smooth start in building hotels and attractions.  However, the liberty situation will require frequent elections and media propaganda. Bought the Election: Low -5% Intellectuals Can alter up to 30% of ballots -50% consequences for fixing elections  This one essentially means you need not worry about elections and instead must please only a quarter of the populace.  Fun Heir Apparent: Low +10% All Factions        Though unoriginal, it is popular because it can dramatically help respect and therefore happiness and stability.

Positive Traits

Charismatic: +5% Overall Respect +50% Radio/TV Propaganda Effectiveness  Great if Tropico is well-developed enough to have multiple Radio & TV stations. Hardworking: +10% Productivity        Helpful to any export-based economy, but with lots of factories, I prefer... Financial Genius: > +10% Capitalists +20% Factory Worker Productivity -25% Bank and Shop cost  Terrific if you've got lotsa industry. Green Thumb: +10% Environmentalists -10% Factory Worker Productivity -50% Pollution  Great for a tourist paradise, and lets you keep those stupid environmentalists under your thumb!  (Get it - thumb?) Administrator: +10% Education -10% Building Cost      A worthwhile choice for any island. Diplomat: +5% US +5% USSR Free Diplomatic Ministry at start  Yay.  This gives you lots of early foreign aid and the ability to cut housing costs in half from day one with the Russian Development Aid edict!  A great trait. Empathy: +10% All Factions except Intellectuals  Better than Charismatic if you don't plan to have lots of media. Enterpreneurial: 10% Export Prices        Like Hardworking, it's good for an export-based economy. Incorruptible: +10% Religious +10% Intellectuals -30% Crime No Swiss Banking  I like it for tourist places - it keeps the neglected Religious and Intellectuals happy and allows you to build and staff fewer expensive police stations.  Don't pick it on "A Place in History"! Scholarly: +20% Intellectuals +30% Education      Not that great - it's easier to fulfill intellectuals' demands and enact a literacy campaign.

Flaws

Kleptomaniac: -10% Capitalists -10% Religious -10% Factory Worker Productivity +100% Souvenir Shop Maintenance  On an island without factories, an acceptable choice.  Note that Souvenir Shops suck even without this flaw. Compulsive Liar: -15% Intellectuals -15% Religious      Because both these factions are somewhat hard to please, it's tough to overcome this one. Ugly: -5% All Factions -10% Tourism Rating    On an island without Yanqui tourists, this is one of the better flaws. Womanizer: -10% Womens' Respect -10% Religious    This is essentially -5% Overall and -10% Religious.  I'd go with Alcoholic or Ugly instead. Alcoholic: -15% Religious -5% Productivity +10% USSR    Pretty good for a tourist mecca, not so good for other types due to the productivity thing.  I suppose the workers emulate you. Flatulence: -20% US -10% USSR Palace Guards have minumum pay of $20  Not bad - the main damage is monetary, with less foreign aid and higher salaries for those deadweight guards.  I think that this should decrease attacks on the Palace - would you stage a coup there? Compulsive Gambler: -10% Religious Gambling Binge (usually $300-$1500 lost annually)  This will impede early development, but will be negligible later on.  In a longer game, not a real problem. Paranoid: -10% All Factions except Military Policemen do 4x Liberty damage  Wait, so there's -10% Respect for most people and the cops now kill liberty?  Why would anybody pick this? Coward: -5% Military Soldiers/Supporters twice as likely to flee  A great choice with one caveat: you must avoid all coups, rebellions, and uprisings.  A benevolent leader would do well to pick this. Moronic: -50% Education No Colleges      This is a very difficult trait to play with.  You'll have to import college educated workers, who will leave as soon as they can because the Intellectuals will hate you.  Steer away. Short Tempered: -15% Intellectuals -10% Military      This can be tough because you'll need to make a special effort to appease the militarists, who control the guns.  Intellectual anger will cause you to lose valuable educated workers.  I recommend something else. Pompous:   -20% US +30% Edict cost      Not a bad choice, but if you have lots of tourism, or if you frequently cast temporary edicts, avoid it. Tourette's Syndrome: -5% All Factions -15% US -15% USSR Free $1000/yr  The pay-per-view revenue (did PPV exist in 1950?) won't make up for the loss of foreign aid, and the respect hit will hurt.  I like Ugly better. Cheapskate: -10% Communists -5% Building Costs $25 Salary Cap  This can be tough.  Especially in longer games or for college eduacted positions, this will cripple the job rating.  Use it with great care. Religious Zealot: +5% Religious Support -25% Intellectuals +50% Church Visits  Ugh.  The Intellectuals will despise you, and you'll need 50% more religious facilities.  And keeping those Cathedrals staffed with Intellectual Bishops?  Mazel tov. Great Scmoozola: -20% Intellectuals -10% US -10% USSR +10% Respect of citizens in bottom 25% intelligence  The Intellectual hit is bad enough withut the foreign aid loss.  The bonus respect is ususally for those who are too dumb to get educated.  Who cares what these peons think of you?

Disclamers:
This info was taken from the manual.  If in the game, it's different, correct me!
These are my opinions.  However, feel free to question, criticize, attack, or rant and rave about them.