TP:  What did you do before joining Poptop and how did you get involved with Poptop?

BF:  I worked for a major toy company here in St. Louis in their multimedia/gaming department. I was looking to get out of the toy biz and into the game industry. I knew PopTop existed locally and found out they were hiring artists so I sent my portfolio in and eventually Phil gave me a call. I think he was just happy that he didn't have to pay for me to move! ;)

TP:  What was your responsibility on the Tropico project?

BF:  I did all the 3D cinematic work for the game, which includes the intro street scene animation, the win/lose animations, and a LOT of little animations for the edicts in the game. I also did the dictator office flyarounds in the game and some of the marketing artwork, like the box cover, magazine ads, etc. Phil also had me do a couple buildings, the Embassy and the Cathedral.

TP:  What is your favorite feature or aspect of Tropico? What features or aspects would you like to have refined a bit more?

BF:  The cinematics of course! Just kidding. Actually I really like all the different characters on the island and the detail and attention put into their individual traits. To me that's the most interesting part of the game.

TP:  In your early attempts playing Tropico, what has surprised you most about the game? What is the most challenging aspect of Tropico?

BF:  I think the thing that surprised me the most was the attention to visual detail in the everyday economy of goods and services. I liked how instead of watching a unit harvesting resources and watching a number increase, in Tropico we actually see the individual tree being cut down, and the individual logs being carried and stacked to be taken away. We watch crops grow and be harvested, ships loaded and unloaded, airplanes landing and taking off, not to mention people going in and out of their homes and workplaces. It was exciting to see a game that lets the player look at the overall state of affairs, but at any time be able to pull out a magnifying glass and see a small slice of life out of the big picture.

TP:  Is there more than one way to play the game, or will there be one basic strategy that is generally employed every game? If so, what are the different strategies a player can employ? If you are playing a scenario, how long will your basic game last?

BF:  Obviously there's more than one way to run a country, and I think that will definitely be the case with Tropico.

TP:  In establishing your dictator profile, what combination of choices have you found to create the most difficult game to "win"? What are your favorite flaws and qualities to choose when setting up your dictator?

BF:  I think part of the fun in Tropico is experimenting with these attributes, so I can honestly say that I don't know which ones would be the most difficult to win with. There are definitely some attributes that are worse than others. I think I like "Alcoholic Kleptomaniac Generallisimo Installed by the CIA" ;) I can't think of the my favorite "good" qualities, I always tend to gloss over those, but I know I shouldn't because they're an important aspect of the game!

TP:  Are the characters of Tropico all programmed to behave a certain way or will they sometimes surprise you with random actions? What is your favorite character and why?

BF:  I'll never forget making some screenshots for a magazine a while back and I caught a priest walking out of the cabaret next to a showgirl :) So that's a prime example of a "random" action that turned out to be quite ironic. My favorite character(s) would have to be the fat tourists, I think they look hilarious!

TP:  How strong are the political elements of the game? Could you describe how in-depth the political side of the game will actually be?

BF:  It's really difficult to say, as many aspects of this are still being tweaked and refined.

TP:  Assuming Tropico is a huge hit, do you anticipate Poptop will support the game with new scenarios or an expansion pack?

BF:  I don't see any reason we wouldn't support Tropico with some new stuff after it's released.

TP:  Is there anything else about the game that fans should know?

BF:  We had a little fun with the credits screen ;)

TP:  What does the future have in store for the Poptop? Will there be a Tropico expansion pack? Any discussions of your next project?

BF:  Since my duties for Tropico have been completed (knock on wood) I've been working on a project with Triumph Studios in Holland for Age of Wonders 2. In the interim after Tropico's release, myself and several artists here will be kept busy providing cinematic work for AOW2 while we decide on our next title. It's too early to say what PopTop will do next, but there's plenty of time to talk about that after Tropico is released :)

Maybe it's the great cigars of the great hats, but it's okay to admit you have an irrational desire to be Fidel Castro. And maybe you have an irrational desite to play this bright and colorful banana republic strategy game from the creators of Railroad Tycoon II. Build hotels, harvest bananas, make your citizens happy, stage wacky coups. It's all in a day's work for a budding dictator.

TP:   What did you do before joining Poptop and how did you get involved with Poptop?

FF:  It all started long ago. You must understand the earth was much hotter then. I'd just finished (forcibly) doing work on my own game, a long an complicated story filled with drama, intrigue and Little Debbie Snack Cakes. I found myself in debt and not wanted to return to working as a landscape architect.

So I looked around the world to see what game companies were hiring. I came across PopTop, a small startup company working in St. Louis, not too far (as compared to say San Fransico) from my home town near Chicago. One thing lead to another and I was hired as an artist then became research guy, then scenario guy, then web guy etc. Soon the rest became history and now I'm sitting on a MOUNTAIN of cash looking out at the world with my rose colored glasses.

TP:  What was your responsibility on the Tropico project?

FF:  Not me! I'm not responsible. Who told you that? Actually, it's hard to say, as Phil doesn't like labels. I worked on buildings mostly. Did some concept designs and created the character setup thingus or at least as a mock up and conceptually. I can't program.

TP:  What is your favorite feature or aspect of Tropico? What features or aspects would you like to have refined a bit more?

FF:  Yes. The machine makes me say things. It is perfect the way it is. To change it would violate my programming.

TP:  In your early attempts playing Tropico, what has surprised you most about the game? What is the most challenging aspect of Tropico?

Scenarios. It is resisting scenarios. Tropico has definitely become more simulation oriented than I thought it would be. Trying to get scenarios in has been difficult because we've built a lot of replayability into it that doesn't require scenarios.

TP:   Is there more than one way to play the game, or will there be one basic strategy that is generally employed every game? If so, what are the different strategies a player can employ?

FF:  This is deep. So I will say, you can win in multiple ways and since victory conditions (scores) can be skewed, the tactics can vary greatly. However, you can also just sit down and play. I'd need to write a lot more to explain the concept of winning.

TP:  Tropico has been compared (in some respects) to Rollercoaster Tycoon. Will Tropico challenge even the hard-core strategy gameplayers, unlike Rollercoaster Tycoon which was a bit on the easy side?

FF:  I think so, Tropico is more goal oriented and you'll have to balance things a bit more to get good at it.

TP:   What impact will establishing your dictator's profile actually have on gameplay?

FF:  A great deal. You can always tell unless you play the exact same scenario with a different character. Some of the traits really make the game hard to win with one style of play while another completely augments the same style of play. This gets into your question #5, very hard to sum up.

TP:   Are the characters of Tropico all programmed to behave a certain way or will they sometimes surprise you with random actions? What is your favorite character and why?

FF:  They all have functions and nothing can be too surprising since they are sprites. However, because their stats are generated and they react to their environment they can appear to be very unique.

The Pit Boss and the Teamster are my favorite because they have lots of character and are fat guys in a hot land, I can relate.

TP:  What can you tell me about Tropico's scenarios? What are some of the objectives you will have?

FF:  Still hard to say. Yes I know it's terribly close to release time and while some are done and in the game I don't want to talk about them in case they don't make the final cut.

TP:   How detailed is the map editor? For example, will you be able to script events for individual characters in the game?

FF:  Still up in the air. Phil would have to clue you in more. However, no you can't script individual Tropican behavior.

TP:  What ESRB will Tropico get?

FF:  We have gotten a teen rating. Hard to believe but there you have it. The topic is the thing that I believe pushed it over the top.

TP:   Is there anything else about the game that fans should know?

FF:  No animals were injured or killed during the making of this game.

TP:   What does the future have in store for the Poptop? Will there be a Tropico expansion pack? Any discussions of your next project?

FF:   These are dark secrets and only Phil knows the answer. There is speculation on Railroad Tycoon III. I'm in favor of a Nudabranch Simulator. You could swish around an ocean and choose your color, eye stalk length, depth perception, feeding habits and such things. I don't think I've convinced anyone here yet but I'm sure you'll all chime in and let Phil know just how cool a Nudabranch Simulator could be. Right?

Dallas, TX, March 15, 2001 --- Game developer PopTop Software and developer-driven computer and video game publisher Gathering of Developers, both subsidiaries of Take-Two Interactive (NASDAQ: TTWO), today released information about the characters in Tropico, the upcoming 3D building, strategy/simulation game. Tropico allows desktop dictators of a remote Caribbean island to rule over 500 people of more than 45 different character types. Tropico for the PC will be released in April, with a Mac version following in May.

"One of the most appealing aspects of a "virtual world" game like Tropico is the chance to help the populace grow and take on a life of its own," said Phil Steinmeyer, president and lead programmer of PopTop. "Players will be amazed at the variety of characters who end up making Tropico their home."

Tropico's characters must be kept happy through strategic and intelligent leadership, and fair legislature. Examples of Tropico residents and their attributes include:

• Peasants -- Farmers and factory workers want to be well fed and housed, and they resent the rich. Displeasing this group lowers productivity and can lead to rebel activity and/or a popular uprising.
• Rich -- Doctors, bankers, and other members of the elite class want luxury housing, entertainment, a prosperous business climate and security from crime. Displeasing this group hurts the economy, causes capital flight, and can injure the player's rating with the United States.
• Military -- Soldiers want high wages, strong national security, and prestige for the army. The military is suspicious of the peasants. Displeasing this group can lead to a coup-de-tat.
• Clergy -- Priests want spirituality and churches across the land, are suspicious of the rich, and don't look kindly on a dictator who stuffs his Swiss Bank account a little too full. Displeasing this group can cause the clergy to condemn leadership, leading to heightened tensions with peasants and a possible popular uprising.
  
  

All the characters' attitudes and actions determined by their socio-economic status and personal biography, including:

• Educational Level -- Peoples' schooling determines what jobs they can get, therefore affecting their income.
• Age, Gender, Intelligence - Older citizens are less likely to revolt. Women are less likely to go drinking at the local pubs and nightclubs and many of them will take a career timeout to raise a family. More intelligent residents will have the ability get an advanced education, and even if they don't, will acquire skills faster and be more successful.
• Nationality -- About half of the population growth comes from immigration. Immigrants come from other Caribbean islands, the U.S., Europe, and Russia. An individual's native country greatly affects their politics. A Russian immigrant is highly unlikely to become a cigar smoking leader of the capitalist faction.

Tropico's people go through a normal lifecycle -- they're born, grow up, get an education, work for 30 to 40 years, then retire. If the people are healthy, sheltered and generally happy, both population growth and immigration are high. Likewise, mass unhappiness, political instability and unemployment will lead to the best workers emigrating for more promising opportunities abroad and can increase the risk of a coup!

TP:   What did you do before joining Poptop and how did you get involved with Poptop?
PM:   I worked with a Event Marketing company doing illustration/computer work for clients such as Anheiser Bush and Coca Cola. I've also illustrated a children's book called "Hey! What's Shakin' That Tree?".

TP:   What was your responsibility on the Tropico project?
PM:   We here at Poptop wear many different shoes. I actually wear sandals most of the time. My responsibility was mainly to create the game's interface, the games sound effects, some illustrating, and I managed to get a few 3-D buildings created for Tropico as well.

TP:   What is your favorite feature or aspect of Tropico? What features or aspects would you like to have refined a bit more?
PM:   The Tropico world is beautiful. The units, plant life and buildings are wonderful to look at in Tropico. It is important to have a game that looks as good as it plays.

I think there are many things that I would like to see still go into this game. We are perfectionists here at Poptop. We all want our games to be the best they can be. Things I would like to see....hmmmmm...I would like to see more political influences in the game and different ways to play Tropico (For example, trying to become the President of Tropico -- rise to power).

TP:   What are some of the more dastardly deeds players can unleash on their populace?
PM:   A player can do a few dastardly deeds to the people of Tropico. You can label them a heretic, arrest them and eliminate them all together.

TP:   In your early attempts playing Tropico, what has surprised you most about the game? What is the most challenging aspect of Tropico?
PM:   Good question. I was surprised by the way the engine plays itself and the way the player can distract the way the game flows. Very interesting.

TP:   Tropico has been compared (in some respects) to Rollercoaster Tycoon. Will Tropico challenge even the hard-core strategy game players, unlike Rollercoaster Tycoon, which was a bit on the easy side?
PM:   There are some neat features in Tropico that should make any hard-core gamer very happy.

TP:   What can you tell us about the auras buildings give off? How does it change and add to gameplay?
PM:   The Auras? I'm going to take a guess here because I'm not sure that we are thinking about the same thing. In fact, I know we're not. Because, I'm thinking about a pizza right now. A large pepperoni pizza on a beach...yeah yeah.....and dancing girls.....and uh....um. Sorry. I'm back now.

Anyway, when you place a building down, it has to be built by the people of Tropico. The buiding will have a yellowish glow and will slowly fill in as your Tropicans work each day.

TP:   What is your favorite character and why?
PM:   My favorite character. Hmmm....... well, I love the tourists at the pool. I could spend hours watching those silly little chubby units catching some rays.

TP:   What elements of gameplay were added or deleted from the original game design?
PM:   There have been lots of changes to Tropico along this entire journey. I've watched a lot of my artwork get booted so we could add or take away features.......part of creating a games. As far as game play goes, I think the political side of the game has been stripped along the way, making Tropico more of an interesting strategic builder.

TP:   Is there anything else about the game that fans should know?
PM:   Tropico goes gold soon. April should see Tropico on the shelf. Whoo hoo!!

TP:   What does the future have in store for the Poptop? Will there be a Tropico expansion pack? Any discussions of your next project?
PM:   The future of Poptop? You can bet that if this team stays together we will put out another great game after the release of Tropico. There is an amazing amount of talent here at Poptop.

Dallas, TX, March 8, 2001 - Game developer PopTop Software and developer-driven computer and video game publisher Gathering of Developers, both subsidiaries of Take-Two Interactive Software (NASDAQ: TTWO), today released information about the political features in Tropico, the upcoming 3D building, strategy/simulation game. Tropico invites players to helm a remote Caribbean island and conduct political activities such as suppressing rebellion, maintaining political popularity and trading with foreign powers. The PC version will be released in April with the Mac version following in May.

"With domestic rebellions and foreign unrest threatening the dictator every step of the way, Tropico will require players to develop sharp political instincts,” said Phil Steinmeyer, president and lead programmer of PopTop. “This distinctive political aspect of the title, in conjunction with the strategic urban planning features and addictive gameplay, will help Tropico appeal to gamers of all ages.”

Although the player begins the game as the island’s dictator, this position is not absolute. Many factions exist within the island’s population and if the player doesn’t keep all of them happy, the dictator can be overthrown. To make things more challenging, many of these factions, which include communists, the military and the clergy, have opposing goals, so pleasing all of them will be difficult.

There are three main facets to Tropico’s internal politics. They are:

• Political Popularity - The dictator’s political popularity is a summation of each citizen’s feelings. The boldest citizens provide feedback throughout the game by approaching the leader with grievances or other messages. The leader can try to arrest or shoot any citizen at any time, but this tends to increase overall resentment within the population. Also, targeted citizens can fight back against the government, or flee to become rebels in the hills.
• Uprisings - The people as a whole can stage a popular uprising, or the army can institute a coup-de-tat. For an uprising to occur, there must be a significant amount of dissent within a group and a motivational and charismatic leader. When an uprising begins, all normal world activity stops until the feud is resolved. A failed uprising will deter other uprisings for a while, but if the dictator’s palace is captured, the game is over.
• Elections - If the government is a democracy, elections must be held every six years. If the dictator wins the election, the populace will remain relatively passive until the next election. The dictator can also sway the election results in honest ways (tax cuts, reformist policies), and in less-than-honest ways (vote fraud). Unfortunately, the population typically sees right through vote fraud, and a fraudulently won election can be worse than no election at all, leading to an immediate uprising.

Two major external forces are also represented in Tropico - the United States and Russia. To establish contact with them, players must establish a foreign ministry. Friendly relations with these foreign powers, created through activities such as trading, maintaining a similar government style and allowing the establishment of a foreign military base, will result in better trade prices, tourism, and possible aid grants. However, if the Tropico leader practices a different type of government or befriends a foreign power’s enemy, the jilted power may send gunboats to menace the dictator, and perhaps even invade and depose their enemy.

Tropico is based on an improved version of PopTop’s proprietary S3D engine allowing for highly detailed 3D graphics and renderings. The S3D engine was initially used in Railroad Tycoon II. The engine will support hardware acceleration, variable resolution support from 640 x 480 up to 1600 x 1200 and variable color depth support from 8-bit to 32-bit color.

Dev update: Very busy. Dropped in the tutorial last week, finalizing the manual today. Ripped the text out for international localization last Friday. The bug list is pretty under control - the game is surprisingly stable. We still have a couple features to add, but they're pretty minor.

The game is very fun - everyone who has gotten a build so far has gotten addicted. I think (hope?) we have a hit on our hands that will get good reviews and sell well both to the core gamer market and to the mass market.

Dallas, TX, February 27, 2001 - Game developer PopTop Software and developer-driven computer and video game publisher Gathering of Developers, both subsidiaries of Take-Two Interactive Software (NASDAQ: TTWO), today released information on Tropico's resources. Tropico is a 3D building, strategy/simulation game that gives virtual dictators the chance to oversee all resources necessary to develop a remote Caribbean island -- from money, labor and time to food, minerals and crops. Tropico will be released in April for the PC and in May for the Mac.

"Tropico's resource management component is actually a great tool for using important real-life skills," said Phil Steinmeyer, president and lead programmer of PopTop. "Just like in everyday life, money and other resources must be utilized intelligently for the island to prosper."

The main resource in Tropico is money, which is earned through successful businesses and trade. The player can choose to shape the island's economy through several industries, including manufacturing, mining, agriculture or tourism.

Money can be spent in three primary ways:

Constructing New Buildings - Buildings cost money. If the player is broke, no new constructions can be erected.

Worker Salaries - Salaries are the most important determinant of the populace's happiness. A thriving economy allows the player to raise salaries and keep the people happy. If the money dries up, trouble ensues.

Edicts - If a dictator wants to pass a new law, a fee must be paid to cover the lawmakers' time.

Tropico also includes other resources such as:

Labor - Players must have people to work or nothing will be produced.

Time - Time is necessary for educating workers, constructing new buildings and operating farms and factories.

Food - If the citizens don't get enough food, discontent and rebellious urges will grow quickly.

Minerals, Crops, etc. - Mines, farms and ranches produce unique goods that can either be processed into refined goods or exported in raw form. Crops grow realistically. Players need to plant sugar in low-lying swampy areas that get plenty of rainfall while coffee must be planted high in the hillsides. If the player has lots of land and few people, cattle ranches can make profitable use of undeveloped land - players just shouldn't let the cows wander by any tourist luxury hotels.

Tropico is based on an improved version of PopTop's proprietary S3D engine allowing for highly detailed 3D graphics and renderings. The S3D engine was initially used in Railroad Tycoon II. The engine will support hardware acceleration, variable resolution support from 640 x 480 up to 1600 x 1200 and variable color depth support from 8-bit to 32-bit color.