Just got Absolute Power. Need distraction from other games.
Without Further Ado:
This is the story of Tropico, an island nation in the tropics.
The island itself is moderately sized, in comparison to other nearby islands. It lacks any major mountains and the highest peaks are far from impressive.
The United States government sent survey teams into the area in the late '30s and found the island to have less than average mineral deposits. At the time the US was looking for strategically valuable islands that could be exploited for natural resources. Tropico was spared any exploitation when World War 2 broke out in Europe, drawing the States' attention away.
Dense vegetation covers most of the landscape creating an environmentalist's dreamland.
(All settings randomized, with the exception of Game Length, Free Elections, Immigrants Out, and God Mode. Prominent Faction was randomized externally)
Tropico has long been considered to harbor an extremely stable political environment. The island's small size and distance from major trading hubs has traditionally prevented Tropico from benefiting from world economy booms- but has also kept the small island nation safe from economy downturns. Economists have described Tropico's relation to the economy as 'stagnant and below-par'.
A bloody pro-America, pro-capitalism civil war in the mid '40s erased Tropico from any tourism maps but installed a strong, prominent Capitalist population.
The new capitalist government seized on the economic opportunities presented by World War 2. A massive dock and refueling station was constructed on southern end of the island. The dock complex would serve as a major way-station for Allied commerce ships throughout the war. The United States subsidized the costs of construction and several American companies moved to Tropico. After the war came to an end, many of the companies moved out. Tropicans found themselves without jobs and unemployment hit record highs. When a fire ravaged the only remaining foreign firm's assets on the island in late 1949, the country hit a new low.
Prior to '49 Balon Swann was a relatively unknown figure on the island. He was born in 1920 in the Tropican countryside. His father was a carpenter of modest wealth who moved to the island as a child. His mother was Spanish- she moved to Tropico with her family in 1917 at the age of 17 shortly before meeting her future husband. He was the second of three sons, but his younger brother died as in infant in 1925. Balon was educated informally by his parents, primarily by his mother who actually had substantial schooling experience in France. Balon worked with his father during much of his youth but still found time to become a real social butterfly.
One of his best friends was the son of a prominent leftist author and activist named Celino Fernandez. As Balon grew, Celino took him on as something akin to a political-apprentice. When the Spanish Civil War broke out Tropico felt ripples of the Nationalist/Republican conflict at home. Balon traveled to Spain in early '38 to serve in an International Brigade, fighting along side socialists against the perceived fascist threat presented by the Franco and the Nationalists. His time in Spain was short lived, though. The Nationalists, supported by German and Italian forces and technology, defeated the Republicans in 1939. Balon fled Spain for Ireland where he continued his education before travelling to the United States in 1942.
He worked for a newspaper until 1943 when Civil war broke out in Tropico. The war was short and bloody, with the capitalist faction taking control of the island nation and allying with the United States- just in time to capitalize on America's need for ports in the region. Balon returned to Tropico as soon as he could- but not soon enough to participate in the civil war. By the time he made it home, the capitalists had a firm control over the island and Balon's older brother and father were dead, as was Celino Fernandez and many of his socialist friends.
It was a bleak time for Balon but his mother convinced him to move on with his life. At the age of 23 Balon took a job as a police officer in the newly established government's police force. In 1947 Balon Swann was promoted to second in command of the island's national police force. Around this time the Tropican economy was failing, foreign firms were leaving the island and the United States did little to aid the small country. Over the next two years crime soared and Balon was put in charge of increasing the size of the national police force. He hired many of his old friends and associates.
May of 1949 saw Balon Swann promoted to Chief of the National Police by the President of Tropico, pressed to do so by the majority police force loyal to Balon. After the final foreign firm left the island in October 1949 Balon was ordered to put down the protests against the government's inability to curb unemployment.
Swann distributed his police across the island, but in December executed a bloodless coup against the government. Tropico lacked a standing army at the time, so the national police force, commanded by and loyal to Swann, was able to seamlessly take power from the failing government.
The coup was seen as a populist move. Swann's charisma and charm quickly won the people over to his cause. The capitalists were convinced that Swann would bring jobs and industry to the island while the socialists saw Swann as a provider of social change. Everyone though Balon Swann was on their side.
Police Chief Swann was 30 years old when he seized power in Tropico. He was popular and charismatic in front of crowds, but those that knew him behind closed doors saw him as an easy to anger alcoholic. After much of his family was killed he took to drinking to cope. The drinking never really stopped- and compounded with the frustrations of commanding the police of an impotent and ineffectual government, Swann never really had a chance to take hold of his temper.
Within days of taking control of the government, Swann moved into the former presidential palace in the capital city.
An early January speech reassured the people of Tropico that the government was there for
them. Swann promised jobs, housing, and security for all Tropicans. But behind closed doors Swann struggled to reign in full control of the island's economy. The previous president, unknown to be alive or dead at that point, failed to keep any substantial records of the island's resources and economic possibilities. Police Chief Swann (he maintained his national police title immediately after the coup) called in the top local economists and the few industry specialists that hadn't fled the country and ordered a full analysis of all economic possibilities.
The economy Swann inherited consisted of a few corn farms in the capital. The previous government had taken no action to expand the local economy when the foreign shipping firms left the island. Further investigation found that most of the island's wealth was mysteriously gone, believed to be in a Swiss bank account or accounts.
The island was known to have a single major iron deposit, discovered by the American prospectors years before.
Tropican prospectors presented evidence of an oil deposit to the west of the capital.
The former Minister of Agriculture re-gained his job after presenting a comprehensive report regarding the farming and grazing potential of the island. Corn, banana, papaya, and sugar were all potential cash crops for the island, and pasture land was nearly endless.
Chief Swann, in a personal address to the Tropican people, downplayed the unemployment and bleak economic situation, promising jobs in mining and farming.
With the exception of some shanties and a tenement block a majority of the Tropican people were without proper housing. Swann was quick to address the housing situation, assuring the people that they would be properly sheltered within months.
To kick-off his jobs initiative, Swann initiated the construction of a new construction office... right on top of many of the ugly shacks in the southern end of the capital. During a speech Swann passionately drove the audience to wild cheering when he drove home the issue that there would be so many new jobs and opportunities created that the current construction force was too small to handle the task alone.
In May of 1950, Balon Swann formed the Tropican Construction Works Ministry. Amid much fanfare Swann revealed the new construction office that would serve as the ministry's headquarters. The extravagant event also served as a method to boost Swann's image when he announced the new Ministry would immediately begin tackling the island's housing problem.
Early planning meetings with his closest advisers netted plans for a new housing complex in the east of the capital. A progressive layout and design style masked the relatively low quality of the housing units.
As 1950 came to a close critics were quick to point out that Chief Swann failed to do much for the Tropican economy. By December no new revenue generating buildings were constructed, much less planned.
Swann's housing project was well underway with many units finished and residents moved in, though.
Supporters of Chief Swann countered international criticisms of his lack of industrialization or economic expansion by pointing out that his great personal attention and frequent visits to Tropican farms will help to boost their yield, providing valuable food and income for the island.
After one year in power, international forces began vying for Swann's attention as well. The Soviet Union viewed Swann as a potential socialist ally in a valuable part of the world. The USSR single handedly made up for half of Tropico's deficit from the previous year in financial aid. The United States, on the other hand, watched Tropico with cold apprehension. The US delivered a small financial aid package to the country in an attempt to sway the strong capitalist population in her favor.
On the eve of his one year anniversary of coming to power, Swann announced a new title for himself:
President-General. Initial public reaction was cold. The people expected Swann to turn the nation in the right direction then hand the government away and resume his duties as Police Chief. But when Balon Swann took on his new title many feared he was crossing the fine line between fixing the nation and fixing his position in power. But, after just one passionate speech to the people, Swann convinced the masses that the move was purely political; done to appease foreign political powers that would otherwise love to threaten the sovereignty of a small, resource and culture rich nation like Tropico. Swann convinced the people that he needed to present the image of a strong official leader to other countries- but that at heart he was still just a patriotic policeman.
"It doesn't matter what is true, it only matters what people believe is true." -PW
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Topic: I Play Tropico 3: Absolute Power (Read 9219 times)