A citizen unable to satisfy their needs will become unhappy and may protest peacefully, become a criminal or join the rebels. Individual protesters negatively affect nearby citizens' respect for El Presidente, potentially influencing the next election, though El Presidente may personally calm the protester down. The player loses the game if El Presidente loses an election. As a group, rebels will periodically attack and attempt to destroy buildings. If they destroy the palace, the game is lost. Palace guards and an army are needed to defend against rebel attacks.
There are a variety of factions in Tropico, each influencing the player's strategy. Tropicans join factions in different ways: some will fanatically support one faction, some are less fanatical but remain loyal, some switch sides according to situation, and some do not prefer to join certain factions or any faction at all. Appealing to the factions' needs is crucial to keeping the population under control and avoiding being overthrown, be it by a coup d'état or by losing one of the elections held occasionally. However, some factions' policies and demands conflict with those of others.
Campaign
The game's campaign consists of 20 missions spread over 10 different maps. They start out with the player character, "El Presidente", having seized control of the island of Tropico. Imports can be monitored as well as exports (whereas the previous games in the series only allowed for coverage on exports). Tropico 4 includes more superpowers. A council of ministers exists with which the player can consult on a range of different issues. The player will have to deal with natural disasters and the demands of different political factions each with its own ideological outlook.
The game has a variety of humorous elements including running satirical commentary by fictional radio station Tropico News Today, and subtle touches such as liaisons between priests and cabaret girls. The "loading" and "saving" screens have quotes from various leaders, politicians, and revolutionaries such as Che Guevara, Fidel Castro, Vladimir Lenin, Karl Marx, John F. Kennedy, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Augusto Pinochet, Nikita Khrushchev, Leon Trotsky, Mobutu Sese Seko, Todor Zhivkov, Vladimir Putin, Josip Broz Tito, Muammar Gaddafi, Ferdinand Marcos, Imelda Marcos and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. It, like its predecessors, features a Latin soundtrack drawn mainly from the albums Elementos and Oñejo by Alex Torres and His Orchestra.
Factions
Capitalists are the wealthy and enterprising people of the island. Naturally, their agenda pits them against the communists. They respect a low crime rate, charging for housing, and having a diverse and competitive economy. They are led by Antonio Lopez, a wealthy opportunist who promotes the sale of dangerous products and even sells firearms to the rebels for a quick buck. If the Capitalists' demands are not being met, they will resort to thievery to make money and will steal a portion of all income, mainly from exports.
Communists are the largest faction. They are concerned about the quality of housing and healthcare on the island. Comrade Vasquez, their leader, is an eccentric who frequently spouts communist slogans. In the event that the Communists become upset, rebels from Cuba will begin to infiltrate your island and fight against your regime.
Intellectuals are more progressive, contrary to the more conservative Religious faction and the Spartan Militarists. They are led by Miss Pineapple, who is also El Presidente's lover and a cabaret dancer. The Intellectuals prefer edicts that benefit the educational sector, and are easily agitated by some others, especially book burning, which will drive them away. Upsetting the Intellectuals will cause student protests, making it so no Tropicans graduate from High Schools or Colleges.
The Religious are a conservative Catholic faction led by Reverend Estaban, a drunkard who uses rum during his sermons to worship God. They are very concerned about faith among Tropicans, and building churches and cathedrals increase their influence. If the Religious faction is upset, priests and bishops will speak against you, spreading dissent among any who attend sermons on the island.
Militarists are interested in the defense of Tropico. They are quite sizeable, and lack of support might result in rebellions, terrorist attacks or invasions. General Rodriguez leads the militarists. The militarists are mostly detractors of the intellectuals, and are thus mostly illiterate. Low wages or overall satisfaction for soldiers may cause the Militarists to stage a coup.
Environmentalists strive to preserve the natural beauty of Tropico. Led by the hippie Sunny Flowers, an anchorwoman and conspiracy theorist, they oppose any efforts to scar the environment, even for economic purposes like logging and mining, and thus are opponents of the Capitalists. Passing anti-pollution laws appeases them. If not appeased, Environmentalists will attempt to blockade your industrial buildings.
Nationalists are in charge of caring for and preserving the Tropican people and their customs. They generally oppose immigrants (especially open-door immigration policies), who, according to leader El Diablo, a violent skinhead, take lucrative jobs away from Tropicans. They will oppose any foreign-friendly policies and are at loggerheads with Communists and Capitalists. When ignored, Nationalists will start riots on the island. These riots quickly escalate into battles between Tropicans and immigrants.
Loyalists are a faction who are always loyal to el Presidente. They are led by El Presidente's personal advisor, Penultimo. Most of their members have below average intelligence and have been brainwashed with all the propaganda beautifying el Presidente. They will never rebel; in return they demand that el Presidente act like a "true leader", shun democracy, and cultivate his image through facilities such as a museum dedicated to el Presidente's childhood. Should they become upset, the Loyalists will begin to lose supporters.
