Is there a difference of gameplay between Tropico 3, 4 or 5 ?

[HansCent]

Is there a difference of gameplay between Troipico 3 and the other Tropico games, and are they worth getting?

[AshenOne]

Start with 4.
I've around 80+ hrs in it, so would safely recommend it as a start

[webkilla]

yes - there are.

T3 and T4 were much less refined, but equally had some more... "obvious" functions as well - mainly when it came to politics.

Like, with T4 how you can pick all your traits and how you rose to power, to modify your gameplay experience.

In T5 you start out as a colonial governor, who has to win and grow the support of freedom fighters to rebel against the crown, in order to gain independence - so you can't customize your rise to power. you always just get that starting experience. similarly, the traits of your avatar(s) are now randomly picked more or less, but you get more of them, as now its not just one El Presidente, but a whole dynasty. this is nice, since a well developed dynasty means tons of bonuses

[battlezoby]

I may be the only person who has gone nuts Teraforming in Tropico 4, but I do it, and love doing it, and may have spent over 500 hours doing it.

Checkout my screenshots from profile to see some of them or otherwise search for them in these forums.

It's not an intended feature of them game, but a lot of fun.

Also, Tropico 4, vs 5, is a lot better at letting you play the game you want to, rather trying to get you to do things in a preconcieved fasion, although all versions of Tropico that I've played (1, 2, 4, and 5) do that much better than most other games, but to varying degrees.

[Move2Bastyon]

Tropico 5 took away a lot of freedoms and made the game too linear and boring, in my opinion

Go with 4

[Happy Deer]

3 and 4 are very similar with only a few new additions in 4, but 5 is way difference with completely different mechanics for building. 5 uses a tile based system while 3 and 4 have radius based system. 4 is the best

[Rotfuchs]

3 has the best grafics, as in the most realistc ones compared to the caribbean.
4 is an addon to 3. the same game but with additional buildings, edicts, maps. but sadly also a more cartoonish look.
5 - in my humble opinion - is a step into the wrong direction. it takes a lot of game parts away, changing the game from a socio-politics simulator to a bland city builder. however it adds multiplayer, better trade and army handling... still i believe 3 and 4 are more fun to play.
6 is an addon for 5. the same game but with additional buildings, edicts, maps...

[battlezoby]

Originally posted by Rotfuchs:

6 is an addon for 5. the same game but with additional buildings, edicts, maps...

Huh? What?!? T6 is completely different game than T5, made by a completely different develement team and using a completely different engine. T5 tosses the old T1-T4 engine and made it's own new engine, but was done by the same team.

Originally posted by Rotfuchs:

3 has the best grafics, as in the most realistc ones compared to the caribbean.
4 is an addon to 3. the same game but with additional buildings, edicts, maps. but sadly also a more cartoonish look.
5 - in my humble opinion - is a step into the wrong direction. it takes a lot of game parts away, changing the game from a socio-politics simulator to a bland city builder. however it adds multiplayer, better trade and army handling... still i believe 3 and 4 are more fun to play.

Yea, I haven't really tried T3 yet, but I everything you said other the the T6-comment seems correct and appropriate as far as I can tell. :-)

[Rotfuchs]

maybe it is because i have played t6 only for a short time. but it felt like t5 for me, with bridges and world wonder robbery