14 DAY TRIAL // Tropico 5 is seen by many gamers as a city manager that is mixed with a sort of tyranny simulator, allowing players to try and execute the same tactics for staying in power that many real world strongmen rely on, everything with a humorous tinge.
But while playing Waterborne, the expansion for the title, I find myself mostly choosing democratic elements for my Constitution and then trying to actually gain the attention of my citizens rather than thinking of ways to oppress them and get more money for the obligatory Swiss bank account.
And in many ways, democracy seems to be the better way of actually playing the game because it allows players to focus on developing their island and on reaching objectives rather than forcing them to spend resources to fight potential rebels and enhance state power.
It’s almost unavoidable to be a little tyrannical in the early stages of Tropico 5, mainly because money is extremely tight and gamers need to first secure a constant stream of income before thinking about ways to develop the island.
Cheap housing, no healthcare, limited access to entertainment and no elections are the best way to make sure that farms get worked and that exports are delivering money to the treasury.
But once the early challenges are overcome and gamers have at least 20,000 currency on hand, it’s a good idea to move towards democracy.
Tropico 5 features some real-world parallels
It’s interesting to note that the way a scenario in Tropico 5 progresses tends to reflect theories about development that use actual real world data.
Basically, authoritarian governments, regardless of whether they control big or small countries, tend to do better in the initial cycles of development, when they can rely on exports, mostly of raw materials, and on limited wages to make their countries perform well.
But as citizen needs increase, it becomes harder and harder to keep democratic movements under control while also ensuring a constant increase in quality of life, especially if money is also diverted into offshore accounts.
Tropico 5 might not aim for realism but it manages to deliver situations in which, as in the real world, democracy is the better choice for government and development.
