Controlling immigration

[gregoryk64]

I'm still pretty new to the game, so maybe someone here has some insight. How do you effectively control immigration in this game? It' getting a bit annoying to have to stop focusing on industry development to build tenements for the 15 - 20 illiterate ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ who land on my shores with every second ship. Even with the Guarded Heaven constitutional amendment they keep coming. I'm getting tired of having to plan new residential zones on prime industrial and tourist property.

How do you more experienced players deal with this? I realize it's built into the game mechanic to make things more challenging (which I welcome) but there has to be an effective way to keep it under control. Really, it would be nice if there was an option under the Guarded Heaven amendment that would allow you to turn immigrants away with a penalty of angering Tropican factions or superpowers.

Me: "No, we do not want your tired, poor huddled masses. Get back on the ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ boat."
Allies: "Are you sure about that?"

[Jet City Gambler]

It's not as cut-n-dried as previous games. Go with the Visa program to prioritize educated workers, but you still have to deal with the plebes. Just build lots of farms and air-conditioned tenements, it boosts your exports and they'll eventually fllter through your educational system.

[CANIS_CORAX]

Depending on your educational needs, a second high school is not a bad idea. If you need employment farms, restaurants, and cabarets employ create revenue and address needs. Also, make sure your clinics are upgraded to allow more patients.

As for how I plan my city, I simply leave space for future buildings as I build and incorporate them in when I unlock them.

[gregoryk64]

Originally posted by OpinicusRex:

Depending on your educational needs, a second high school is not a bad idea. If you need employment farms, restaurants, and cabarets employ create revenue and address needs. Also, make sure your clinics are upgraded to allow more patients.

As for how I plan my city, I simply leave space for future buildings as I build and incorporate them in when I unlock them.:house:

I agree that a second high school is a priority when you develop a second residential district. It's great for the children of my citizens, but the problem is the steady influx of immigrants. I try to manage a level of homeless at 6-12 families, and then another 20 immigrants arrive on the next boat. The game needs a way for the player to refuse immigration balanced with some other penalty, perhaps negative opinion penalty with a faction or superpower.

It's a bit frustrating since there are ways to increase birthrate through clinics, hospitals and edicts to increase population but there's nothing to control the idiots coming off the boat. Maybe I'll just let some of them sit in shacks. In your experience, what is an acceptable level of homelessness before it beocmes a serious problem?

[Roderick]

Isn't there a constitution option to close borders? If I have enough people so that birth alone makes enough new citizen, I always close borders. Just have enough highschools that your newborn get educated.

[Jet City Gambler]

Not in T5, the other games had a closed borders option but in this one you'll always get some immigrants if the conditions on your island are decent. Make it miserable enough and people will actually leave.

[CANIS_CORAX]

Originally posted by gregoryk64:

Originally posted by OpinicusRex:

Depending on your educational needs, a second high school is not a bad idea. If you need employment farms, restaurants, and cabarets employ create revenue and address needs. Also, make sure your clinics are upgraded to allow more patients.

As for how I plan my city, I simply leave space for future buildings as I build and incorporate them in when I unlock them.

I agree that a second high school is a priority when you develop a second residential district. It's great for the children of my citizens, but the problem is the steady influx of immigrants. I try to manage a level of homeless at 6-12 families, and then another 20 immigrants arrive on the next boat. The game needs a way for the player to refuse immigration balanced with some other penalty, perhaps negative opinion penalty with a faction or superpower.

It's a bit frustrating since there are ways to increase birthrate through clinics, hospitals and edicts to increase population but there's nothing to control the idiots coming off the boat. Maybe I'll just let some of them sit in shacks. In your experience, what is an acceptable level of homelessness before it beocmes a serious problem?

Shacks are not a problem for me if all my other conditions are solid and I have not alienated any political faction. They only become a map nuicence once I have over 80+ homeless, but that is my experience. In my experience, having less than 10 homeless means I am probably doing something right when it comes to housing.

I do understand your frustration with immigration with things that increase the birth rate; that is a big reason I do not usually purchase those upgrades, or at most, only one of those upgrades depending on the map and how much I need labor.

[gregoryk64]

Originally posted by Jet City Gambler:

It's not as cut-n-dried as previous games. Go with the Visa program to prioritize educated workers, but you still have to deal with the plebes. Just build lots of farms and air-conditioned tenements, it boosts your exports and they'll eventually fllter through your educational system.

Thanks. I'll give the visa program a try.

[gregoryk64]

Originally posted by OpinicusRex:

Shacks are not a problem for me if all my other conditions are solid and I have not alienated any political faction. They only become a map nuicence once I have over 80+ homeless, but that is my experience. In my experience, having less than 10 homeless means I am probably doing something right when it comes to housing.:house:

I do understand your frustration with immigration with things that increase the birth rate; that is a big reason I do not usually purchase those upgrades, or at most, only one of those upgrades depending on the map and how much I need labor.

Thanks for the advice. Part of my problem may be that my policies tend to piss off the communists and environmentalists so I am dealing with rebel attacks on a regualr basis. Always manage to beat them back though.

[CANIS_CORAX]

Originally posted by gregoryk64:

Originally posted by OpinicusRex:

Shacks are not a problem for me if all my other conditions are solid and I have not alienated any political faction. They only become a map nuicence once I have over 80+ homeless, but that is my experience. In my experience, having less than 10 homeless means I am probably doing something right when it comes to housing.

I do understand your frustration with immigration with things that increase the birth rate; that is a big reason I do not usually purchase those upgrades, or at most, only one of those upgrades depending on the map and how much I need labor.

Thanks for the advice. Part of my problem may be that my policies tend to piss off the communists and environmentalists so I am dealing with rebel attacks on a regualr basis. Always manage to beat them back though.

I have some issues with the same factions, sometimes to the point where elections can get dicey. Sometime I adjust the constitution to please the Communists since they tend to be a larger faction than the environmentalists. But yeah, the rebel attacks tend to be a joke by the end of the Cold War era and are only mildly annoying before then.

[gregoryk64]

Originally posted by OpinicusRex:

Originally posted by gregoryk64:

Thanks for the advice. Part of my problem may be that my policies tend to piss off the communists and environmentalists so I am dealing with rebel attacks on a regualr basis. Always manage to beat them back though.

I have some issues with the same factions, sometimes to the point where elections can get dicey. Sometime I adjust the constitution to please the Communists since they tend to be a larger faction than the environmentalists. But yeah, the rebel attacks tend to be a joke by the end of the Cold War era and are only mildly annoying before then.

I have yet to make it out of the Cold War (as I said I'm still fairly new to the game). Haven't been able to make it past the MAD scenario of the campaign. Always manage to run out of time before I can achieve the necessary research.

[CANIS_CORAX]

Originally posted by gregoryk64:

Originally posted by OpinicusRex:

I have some issues with the same factions, sometimes to the point where elections can get dicey. Sometime I adjust the constitution to please the Communists since they tend to be a larger faction than the environmentalists. But yeah, the rebel attacks tend to be a joke by the end of the Cold War era and are only mildly annoying before then.

I have yet to make it out of the Cold War (as I said I'm still fairly new to the game). Haven't been able to make it past the MAD scenario of the campaign. Always manage to run out of time before I can achieve the necessary research.

I had a little trouble with that mission initially as well. Ultimately what I did to be able to beat it is make sure I had built two libraries and a college (all upgraded) the mission before for both maps. I also made sure my economy was in increadible shape before finishing the previous missions as well so that you can afford more research buildings and max out all research building's budgets. Rushing through the early levels of the campaign can come back to bite you; I had to restart the campaign twice before beating MAD.

You can also experiment in Sandbox mode if you want to get a handle on the Cold War and Modern Era as well. It is a good learning experience.

[ShyBlueMoon]

I have the same problem, too. The Visa Program is the best option as Open Borders and Closed Heaven still let come A LOT of people, mostly uneducated. At least with Visa there are some people educated between them.

Another big issue is people that insist in living at shacks, no matter if there is enough housing space, even close to job places. Is there 1x1 space hiding in a corner? You blink and a shack will apper there.

[gregoryk64]

Originally posted by ShyBlueMoon:

I have the same problem, too. The Visa Program is the best option as Open Borders and Closed Heaven still let come A LOT of people, mostly uneducated. At least with Visa there are some people educated between them.

Another big issue is people that insist in living at shacks, no matter if there is enough housing space, even close to job places. Is there 1x1 space hiding in a corner? You blink and a shack will apper there.:llama:

One thing I have discovered is that access to employment is not as important to housing as access to services. If I have a remote residetial area that refuses to fill up, building a grocery and a tavern nearby will correct the problem. It seems Tropicans don't mind a long trip to work as long as they have food and rum close to home.

[Kalshion]

Actually one way I found to control this, although it'll harm your economy so it really only works if you are playing with unlimited funds (or using cheat's) is to shutdown your docks. Doing so means that no boats will be able to dock there and thus no immigrants.

[gregoryk64]

Originally posted by Kalshion:

Actually one way I found to control this, although it'll harm your economy so it really only works if you are playing with unlimited funds (or using cheat's) is to shutdown your docks. Doing so means that no boats will be able to dock there and thus no immigrants.

Interesting idea, but since I'm not interested in playing with unlimited funds it would defintiely cause a bigger problem than the excess immigrants. But even by taking income out of the equation, it would be disasterous if you are dependent on importing resources (like coal) to fuel your power plants. But I do appreciate the suggestion.