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PopTop unveils new info on Tropico strategy game

By Peter Cohen
Macworld FEB 11, 2001 4:00 pm PST

Today PopTop Software and Gathering of Developers revealed new info about Tropico, a forthcoming strategy game from the makers of Railroad Tycoon II. The game is being readied both for Mac and PC.

Tropico

Tropico is a simulation-style strategy game that puts you in the office of a dictator of a remote Caribbean island. It’s up to you to decide how your run the country, feed the citizens, grease the palms of corrupt officials and more. In today’s release, PopTop and Gathering outlined details about the building and structures aspect of the game.

As dictator, you must direct the construction of new dwellings, factories, shops, offices and other buildings, and the game features more than 80 different types of structures. Several different classes of structure exist, including:

  • Residential — Housing provides shelter for the population and ensures citizens’ happiness.
  • Industrial — Factories employ workers, emit pollution and produce resources for local use and trade.
  • Agricultural — Farms employ workers and produce food to keep the populace healthy and well fed.
  • Mining — Mines employ workers and provide resources for local use and trade.
  • Tourism — Resort hotels and spas boost the economy with tourists’ money.
  • Governmental — Government buildings express the authority of the dictator.
  • Trade — Ports, airports and roadways allow trade and communication with the outside world.

    • In Tropico as with any good sim game, you need to be careful when setting up your construction — farms need to be in areas that feature fertile soil, good rainfall, appropriate elevation and close proximity to existing towns, according to PopTop Software. Likewise, other industrial and commercial areas must be close to residential districts so people can easily get to and from work.

    Tropico utilizes the S3D engine originally developed for Railroad Tycoon II, improved with more detailed 3D graphics and renderings. The engine supports hardware graphics acceleration, and sports resolution support up to 1600×1200.

    Tropico is expected out for the PC this April and for the Mac in May.