Jacek Ziółkowski, Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Theory and Political Thought from the Faculty of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Warsaw and Piotr Rutkowski, MA, have been conducting innovative classes for students of Political Science, Internal Security and other departments (e.g., part of general university classes) and have included computer games and gamification mechanisms in education since 2013. This semester, the software used included our city building and political simulation game, Tropico 5! For which, we at Kalypso Media were thrilled to provide some keys for educational use. Of course, it’s known worldwide that El Presidente has a PhD in AwesomenessTM!






You successfully included Tropico 5 in your political science lectures. What makes Tropico 5 a useful tool for teaching in your field, in your opinion?

Piotr Rutkowski: “Tropico 5 in my view is a strategy game and very interesting social reality simulator with a slightly humorous tone, which engages the players all the more and develops all their competences. It is an ideal game for our classes, as it allows students to develop something that Professor Ziółkowski and I call political imagination.”


How do you define ‘political imagination’ and how does this manifest in Tropico 5?

Piotr Rutkowski: “It is the awareness of multidimensionality, multilevelness of social reality, realizing that decisions in one aspect affect all others, that dilemmas do not have a perfect solution. In Tropico 5 we find all the features that allow us to achieve this – we have economic, political and international elements that the student must deal with at the same time while playing the game, and each decision has consequences for what will happen next.

Decision-making is a key issue here, and in the entire course, one of the goals is to improve the optimization of decisions (as competencies) from the perspective of goals assumed by students. Tropico 5 also offers many possibilities here. The idea behind the classes is that the students, having familiarized themselves with the game, play a multiplayer session, where they will be able to specify what is important to them and what attitude they will adopt - will they help each other, or will they be competitive? Each of these approaches will require different priorities while dealing with day-to-day management.

In addition to purely practical values, our classes and Tropico 5 have a self-reflection function. They enable students to get to know themselves and their approach to tasks and problems. Choosing a cooperative or competitive approach, with no predetermined goals from our instructors, tells us a lot about ourselves and our societies.”




So, what can students take away and learn from Tropico 5?

Professor Jacek Ziółkowski: “Thanks to Tropico 5, students acquire competencies and skills that are very much needed on today's labor market. It is a very good complement to traditional forms of teaching. I especially notice this as the head of Internal Security studies. All this is maintained in a young people-friendly environment of computer hardware and computer software, as well as using role-playing, which strengthens learning outcomes and makes students enjoy classes. Tropico 5 has a lot of mechanics that enable the acquisition of competences necessary on the labour market.

The basis here is the optimization of the decision-making process from the perspective of the player's goals, but also those proposed by the game. Secondly, these decisions are subject to the functioning of the player with a deficit of resources and a deficit of time. Thirdly, we have elements of crisis management in the form of unexpected events, cataclysms. Most importantly, players cannot forget about any of the aspects, because the game can remind us at the least expected moment and teach us from mistakes (rebellion, superpower attack or lost elections).”


How does this translate into reality?

Professor Jacek Ziółkowski: “Tropico 5 adequately reflects the realities of the social world and what students will have to deal with in everyday life as managers, employees in private economy or political institutions and even politicians. I would like to mention that after each game we discuss the players' feelings, their approaches, strategies, decision-making processes, doubts, problems they encountered, which makes them reflect on their decision-making processes in front of themselves and their colleagues, which further strengthens competences they acquire by playing games such as Tropico 5. We are very excited about cooperation with Kalypso Media and using Tropico 5 in our classes.”


We’d like to thank Professor Jacek Ziółkowski and Piotr Rutkowski for taking the time to explain their approach and to provide us with some images of the practical implementation of Tropico 5 into their classes! If you want to read more, head over to their Facebook post.

Return to the remote island nation of Tropico in the next installment of the critically acclaimed and hugely popular ‘dictator sim’ series. Expand your Dynasty’s reign from the early colonial period to beyond the 21st Century, facing an all-new set of challenges, including advanced trading mechanics, technology and scientific research, exploration and for the first time in Tropico history – cooperative and competitive multiplayer for up to 4 players.


https://store.steampowered.com/app/245620/Tropico_5/

https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/1205/Tropico_5__Complete_Collection/

Fellow Tropicans,

A new update for Tropico 5 is now available! In this update, we’ve added cross-platform multiplayer (Steam & GoG) and fixed the XAudio compatibility issues some players were encountering.
Full changelog below:

• [Multiplayer] Added cross-platform multiplayer support between Steam and GOG accounts
  
• [Multiplayer] Added tool tip for road demolish menu informing players that demolishing a road is only possible within territories they own

• Fixed a crash on Windows 10 systems due to XAudio compatibility issues caused by Windows update (XAudio2_7.dll_unloaded error)
  
• Fixed an issue where gamepad input was still possible even after it being turned off via the Options menu
  
• [Multiplayer] Fixed an issue where incompatible lobbies were visible to players

https://store.steampowered.com/app/245620/Tropico_5/?l=german

• Please find also up to 65% discount for all all Tropico 5 DLCs

https://store.steampowered.com/app/492720/Tropico_6/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1282350/Tropico_6__Lobbyistico/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1259750/Tropico_6__Spitter/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1100250/Tropico_6__The_Llama_of_Wall_Street/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/881960/Tropico_6_El_Prez_Pack/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1224940/Tropico_6__Original_Soundtrack/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/57690/Tropico_4/

• Please find also up to 75% discount for all additional Tropico 4 DLCs

https://store.steampowered.com/app/23490/Tropico_3/

• Please find also with 70% discount Tropico 3 - Absolute Power

https://store.steampowered.com/app/33520/Tropico_Reloaded/

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Tropico for iPhone out now alongside updates for iPad version

Strategy gaming specialists Kalypso Media and developers Feral Interactive have today announced that Tropico, a full-featured premium port for iOS devices based on the classic PC release of Tropico 3, is available now on iPhone from the App Store.

Fully optimised for iPhone, Tropico features intuitive touch controls and an easy-to-navigate user interface that make it smooth and simple for players to lead their proud island nation into a glorious future, one tap at a time. It is also a universal app, meaning that players who have previously purchased the game on iPad will be able to install it on their iPhone at no additional cost, and transfer their save file.

A launch trailer for Tropico on iPhone is available to view below:
https://youtu.be/Mg2zKSkRjTk


The iPad version, released in December 2018, has also been updated today with numerous improvements and new features:

• El Presidente’s Watchlist: All citizens can now be tracked.
  
• UI Minimizing: Allows a clearer view of the island.
  
• Screenshot mode: UI can be hidden completely.
  
• New illustrations: Critical intel messages, including assassination attempts, feature new illustrations.

Information
Title: Tropico
Platform(s): iOS (iPhone, iPad)
Developer: Feral Interactive
Genre: City builder / dictator simulator
Release: Out now
Hashtag(s): #Tropico

Tropicans!
El Presidente is happy to announce:

There’s free green cards for everybody with the Tropico 6 Free Beta!

Fancy getting a closer look at the latest instalment in the Tropico series?
Well now’s your chance, because the free beta will run until Friday, 8th March, 10am PST/7pm CET.

New Tropicans will have the chance to play through 6 campaign missions, 11 sandbox maps, multiplayer and much more!

What are you waiting for?
Play the Tropico 6 Free Beta Now

Tropico 6 pre-purchase (includes beta access all the way to release):
https://store.steampowered.com/app/492720/Tropico_6/

In addition, El Prez has commissioned a Tropico Steam Sale with up to 75% off all released games. What are you waiting for? Thank El Presidente for his kindness and get up to date with Tropico!
https://store.steampowered.com/sale/tropico/

Book your place in the sun and get instant access to
the updated PC beta version

El Presidente is proud to open the door to his island paradise once again with the announcement that PC pre-orders for Tropico 6 will be available on https://www.kalypsomedia.com/games/tropico-6/, Steam and other digital retailers including Humble Bundle, GamersGate and Green Man Gaming later today.
For fans who don’t want to wait, Tropico 6 is already available to pre-order on the Kalypso Shop right now.
By pre-ordering the latest installment of the acclaimed dictator sim, fans will get instant access to the updated closed PC beta as well as securing a tantalizing 10% discount to boot!
Kalypso also offers an additional 15% discount for new customers ordering for the first time via the Kalypso Shop.

There will be two PC pre-order options for budding dictators to choose from. The Standard Edition is available with a 10% discount and direct access to the PC beta, while the special El Prez Edition also comes with a 10% discount and PC beta access, but also adds some special in-game content (a tourist outfit for El Prez and a Flamingo Pond for the presidential palace), the digital soundtrack and a fabulous digital calendar.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/492720/Tropico_6/

The PC beta itself will be the most up to date version, with all recently added content from the first beta update as well as an all new mission and new sandbox mode!
Dive straight into the Caribbean paradise with complete tutorials spanning all four eras (Colonial, World Wars, Cold War and Modern Times), three sandbox maps (Columnas Rotas, Destrozado and new map Lluvia Intensa) and three full missions (Penultimo of the Caribbean, Acts of God and new addition Shackland). This upgraded PC beta version also includes all improvements from the first update and adds visual and animation improvements, additional overlays, selection markers and bug fixes as well as language support for English, French, Italian, German, Spanish and Russian.
More features and content will be added to the PC beta closer to full release on January 25th 2019.

Check out the live action Tropico 6 trailer featuring the benevolent leader himself:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8w8b0iy293s

Discounts of up to 80% available across the Kalypso lineup

Hold on to your Steam libraries – the Kalypso Media Anniversary Sale is back once again, bigger and better than ever before! Celebrating its 11th birthday, Kalypso Media is inviting everyone to the party by offering discounts of up to 80% across a huge and diverse range of games and DLC, including recent releases like Sudden Strike 4 and Vikings – Wolves of Midgard, as well as classic titles like the Tropico series, Omerta: City of Gangsters and Patrician IV, and even on exciting digital-first titles like The Metronomicon, Project Highrise and Rezrog.

So e.g. Tropico 5 and/or all additional DLCs/Expansions are 80% off:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/245620/Tropico_5/

So whether you’re looking to expand your favourite Kalypso title with cut-price expansions, or to fill your library with all-new experiences, the Kalypso Media Anniversary Sale is the perfect opportunity to get your game on. The offers are available now as part of Steam’s midweek offers, and you’ve got until Monday 2nd October 2017 to grab a bargain!

Click here to access the special Kalypso Anniversary Sale page on Steam:
http://store.steampowered.com/sale/kalypso/?utm_source=Kalypso+Media+Group+Internal&utm_campaign=31ec6a49ab-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_09_26&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_148967423f-31ec6a49ab-308076913

Discounts of up to 80% available across the Kalypso lineup

Hold on to your Steam libraries – the Kalypso Media Anniversary Sale is back once again, bigger and better than ever before! Celebrating its 11th birthday, Kalypso Media is inviting everyone to the party by offering discounts of up to 80% across a huge and diverse range of games and DLC, including recent releases like Sudden Strike 4 and Vikings – Wolves of Midgard, as well as classic titles like the Tropico series, Omerta: City of Gangsters and Patrician IV, and even on exciting digital-first titles like The Metronomicon, Project Highrise and Rezrog.

So e.g. Tropico 5 and/or all additional DLCs/Expansions are 80% off:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/245620/Tropico_5/

So whether you’re looking to expand your favourite Kalypso title with cut-price expansions, or to fill your library with all-new experiences, the Kalypso Media Anniversary Sale is the perfect opportunity to get your game on. The offers are available now as part of Steam’s midweek offers, and you’ve got until Monday 2nd October 2017 to grab a bargain!

Click here to access the special Kalypso Anniversary Sale page on Steam:
http://store.steampowered.com/sale/kalypso/?utm_source=Kalypso+Media+Group+Internal&utm_campaign=31ec6a49ab-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_09_26&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_148967423f-31ec6a49ab-308076913

Make Tropico bigger, better and even greater than ever before on PC and consoles in 2018

In times of political turmoil and social unrest, the people are calling out for a visionary leader, one who will steer the fate of their country with foresight and ingenuity. Kalypso Media is thrilled to announce El Presidente’s glorious return in Tropico 6, launching on Windows PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation®4 and Xbox One in 2018. Prove yourself once again as a feared dictator or a peace-loving statesman on the island state of Tropico and shape the fate of your nation through four distinctive eras. Face new challenges on the international stage and always keep the needs of your people in mind, in spite of any negative press covfefe.

Tropico 6 represents a bold new lease of life for the much-loved series, with new developer Limbic Entertainment bringing exciting new ideas to El Presidente’s highly-polished table, as well as a stunning new engine developed in Unreal Engine 4. For the first time in the series, manage extensive archipelagos, build bridges to connect your islands and establish new means of transportation and infrastructure. Send your agents on raids to steal the wonders of the world, including the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower. Customize your palace at will and give election speeches from your balcony, to win the favour of your subjects. Tropico 6 is the biggest, most beautiful and most ambitious entry in the series’ history, with many more exciting features to be announced in the coming weeks and months.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfzoQJKwZNg&utm_source=Kalypso+Media+Group+Internal&utm_campaign=ae35ba2d42-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_06_12&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_148967423f-ae35ba2d42-308076913

Features of Tropico 6

• Play on large archipelagos for the first time in the series. Manage multiple islands at the same time and adapt to various new challenges.
  
• Send your agents on raids to foreign lands to steal world wonders and monuments, to add them to your collection.
  
• Build bridges, construct tunnels and transport your citizens and tourists in taxis, buses and aerial cable cars. Tropico 6 offers completely new transportation and infrastructure possibilities.
  
• Customize the looks of your palace at will and choose from various extras.
  
• Tropico 6 features a revised research system focusing on the political aspects of being the world’s greatest dictator.
  
• Election speeches are back! Address the people and make promises that you can’t possibly keep.
  
• Cooperative and competitive multiplayer for up to four players.

Tropico 6 is scheduled for a worldwide release on Windows PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation®4 and Xbox One in 2018.