Some questions about gameplay

[Roxxsmom]

I purchased this a couple of days ago, and it's fun so far, but I am running into some complications playing on Sandbox.

1. I am at a point in the world wars era where the allies mission giver wants me to build a barracks "near the embassy." I built a barracks as close as I could without tearing up streets and other buildings, but I'm not getting credit for the mission. There is only one building in between the barracks and the embassy. How close is "close"?

2. I am struggling with various happiness indicators. In my election I pledged to raise fun happiness. This seemed easy, since I had few entertainment buildings. I have since built all the ones that are available, and multiple restaurants and taverns, but I'm stuck at 52 (the mission goal was 60, which I failed at). The residences all seem to be green or yellow for fun. How can I raise fun further and get more people to visit the buildings (one of my circuses, for instance, is completely empty, even though it's near places of work and residence)?

2. I can't keep up with homelessness. In the colonial era and beginning of world wars it was okay. with only a few homeless. But I got a sudden jump and now have a bunch of homeless. I built more houses, apartments, and bunkhouses near workplaces, but some spaces are empty and still people are building shacks.

3. Money oscillates. I have various industries, and teamsters who intermittently bring products to the port. When the ship comes every few months, I get a jump in money. But even if I don't spend it, it drops near or below zero by the time the next ship comes in. I'm at all the basic settings for wages etc., but still spending too much on maintenance in relation to income. How to fix this?

4. Finally, even though I have housing and industries, services, and teamsters on a second island (that's where the mines are), the teamsters are very slow and intermittent about bringing stuff to factories on the first island (I built them there because of the electricity grid initially). This means my steel mill etc. often sit for months with no raw materials.

In previous tropicos I recall that having services and housing near workplaces was helpful, because it meant workers could spend more time at work and less looking for food, religion, fun etc. But so far it seems less efficient in this game.

[Kunovega]

Originally posted by elwagner:

I purchased this a couple of days ago, and it's fun so far, but I am running into some complications playing on Sandbox.

1. I am at a point in the world wars era where the allies mission giver wants me to build a barracks "near the embassy." I built a barracks as close as I could without tearing up streets and other buildings, but I'm not getting credit for the mission. There is only one building in between the barracks and the embassy. How close is "close"?

Within a couple of grid squares, you'll need to tear up buildings or roads if you expect to meet that requirement

[Roxxsmom]

Is it necessary to do that mission to progress out of the cold war era?

Kind of annoying to find out later in the game, after my downtown is nicely laid out, with the embassy, theater, and other "nice" buildings near the palace, that I'm expected to put a barracks there!