Needing help with careers in hard mode

[FabulousSloth]

I currently struggle with the Rainforest one (I usually follow PaulsLey's YouTube videos (I think that was before the difficulty settings appeared in the game).
The animals have low welfare due to lack of toys and also because of stress. The veterinary & mechanics research takes forever to complete and by then I slowly run out of money.

It's frustrating to spend hours on trying to improve, just to end up quitting the game in a bad mood.

Not sure if it's a glitch or the terrain but I noticed that the habitat gates "sinks" into the ground after a while.

[Just Kevin]

Perhaps set it on easy? But some of those zoos are such a mess I just gave up on them (and resumed in the sandbox.)

I don't recall any habitat gate sinking, and it's not a glitch I have heard of. Very strange.

[Nariel]

This guide is useful for some hints and tips to help you pass a mission if you're truly stuck
https://www.yekbot.com/planet-zoo-comprehensive-guide-for-career-mode/

I used that guide to help me complete career mode on hard :)

[author]

For the rainforest scenario, I immediately started a mechanic on Barriers so I could get 1-way glass, plus 3 vets researching animals, and ran it on 3x speed. If I got a notification about something, I switched back to normal speed to deal with it, then back to fast speed. As soon as a vet researched an animal to a level where I could add a toy, I switched that vet to a different animal and kept rotating like that.

[Ellorien]

The reason you are struggling is you are advancing too quickly. Never place another animal before the previous one is fully researched and taken care of. Have a keeper for every habitat, with his hut next to it. Scrap all existing structures on the map. Don’t hire more than one mechanic and one vet until you have lots of money and can afford it. Train everyone to 5 stars ASAP.

Start with 2-3 exhibits and research these animals. Choose fast-breeding species with high appeal ratings, like scorpions. Sell them for money or release them for lots of conservation credits. Have enough shops for your guests (start with food, drink, info). After you have at least 30K in cash, build your first habitat and place a pair of animals. Fully research them.
Follow the same pattern — build a habitat, place animals, fully research. Rotate enrichment toys, never have them all at the same time.
Keep releasing your snakes and scorpions for credits. Place 2 more exhibits, they are extremely profitable and the guests love them.

Build the transport only when every other task is done

These scenarios are very easy on hard (I guess you are going for the achievement), except for Yamaguchi which is a pain in the ass.

[WitchDoctor]

Just found this post while trying to do Yamaguchi on hard. I also recommend the guide Nariel used (I am pretty sure it was the same one I've been using, though some stuff seems to have changed in hard mode. Anyone have any tips for Yamaguchi on hard? I've had no problem with any of the other levels, that one is just killing me. It doesn't help that the tigers keep escaping because I can't afford to raise the walls by the time I get them. Haven't tried using the exhibits they have at the start, would that be the best option?

[Livia]

Steeped in Pollution?

Ellorien is very correct: running in 3x speed is key, unless you want to sit there on your hands for hours while you wait for money to come in and research to be done. The snow leopards are a good draw, but they do cost more to feed, so, if you're struggling, don't start with them in a habitat (place for the requirement and then send to the trade center). You will also do a lot of inbreeding with them, FYI, as they are a good appeal, but in my hard playthrough, I didn't place them until near the end.

I tend to start with an African habitat as you can place several species in one enclosure. Keep it all near the entrance with your staff facilities and get shops placed near the habitat as the guests will spend money there. If you see a line, immediately add another. Make sure you have donation bins. Don't expand until you have made a nice nest egg with the African habitat and you have researched all those animals. While you place on 3x speed, you can decorate the area. Don't worry about it being nice for YOU - you just need to plop things down that guests like. A nice zoo makes them spend more.

In hard, keep in mind that the animals get bored of their toys and thus they lose appeal over time....apparently, though I never had an issue with that, but as my hard playthrough was my second time in careers, I finished every level very quickly as I was just out for the achievement this time, so that could be why. But what you should do is only place enough toys for the need to be met and then swap them out from time to time.

I didn't have the sink issue, so can't speak to that.

I learned so much from the crappy timed scenarios that made gold career a breeze since I didn't have to worry about a clock! You can use the general suggestions in my timed scenario guide for career mode as well.

@Will Fight for Chocolate: For Yamaguchi, pause right away and SELL EVERYTHING YOU CAN. ALL OF IT. Don't use the huge part that has been created for you, you don't need it. And you can create a very nice nest egg to work with by selling all the stuff you'll never use. You have to carefully go through the park as many items are locked, but it can be done. Don't use the big area for the monkeys and apes - sell all you can in there. DO NOT REMOVE TREES - you PAY to remove trees. Just move them to a spot you won't use on the map. Don't waste time "fixing" the "broken" ones, just move them all out of the way.

Then flatten the area between the two entrances and start building your habitats there (you can sell the shops in that area to start, and then re-add them in the places you could not delete as you need it). You can keep the most of the park you need to complete on gold in just that area. At the end, expand out a bit into the large habitat with the bridge over it, that is as much of the area as you'll need. Complete the ride JUST to get the requirement, then sell it.

I really struggled with this level the first time because a lot of the stuff is VERY poorly placed if you're just starting out (it's fine if you had the money and the animals already there). Played it VERY differently from gold.

[Chevey]

Originally posted by Will Fight For Chocolate:

Anyone have any tips for Yamaguchi on hard?

I finally got that one last week. Livia's answer above also works, just deleting EVERYTHING, but I did keep the original setup and actually had fun matching all the 'rescue' animals to habitats :) To each their own!
While I kept the buildings, I still sold stuff to get money at the start. Basically, I started by pausing and: 1. deleting all the shops I could for money; 2. Deleting any facilities I didn't need straightaway (like the second Quarantine) for money (but leaving the shells of the buildings to place the facilities back into later); 3. Deleting all the ATM's (they're all broken anyway, and you only need a couple at the start instead of having them all doubled up as they are); 4. Filling the Exhibits with fast-breeding critters which I would then sell for the money; 5. Lowering the money I paid on the loans to the minimum of 3K a year to save money in the short run... (Do you see a theme yet? ;-) ).
And then slowly, slowly, slowly play. By which I mean: game speed super high and still taking aaaages for each step, saving up money before doing anything. (I think my original Nyala had already died of old age before I finally placed the first Tiger, that kind of slooooow.) Also, I saved rather often so I could reload an earlier attempt whenever my cash bombed again. I think my shorthand code when I finally got to Gold read something like 'Save 19 Attempt 7' or something like that XD
Good luck!

[Livia]

Originally posted by Chevey:

Originally posted by Will Fight For Chocolate:

Anyone have any tips for Yamaguchi on hard?

I finally got that one last week. Livia's answer above also works, just deleting EVERYTHING, but I did keep the original setup and actually had fun matching all the 'rescue' animals to habitats :) To each their own!

I did that when I played on easy mode and struggled with cash, so I was not going to mess with that on hard and sold everything the level would let me sell (I too kept the shells the first time). Being my second play through just for the achievements, I was also going for speed. 😉

One thing to mention, regardless of which what you choose to play, delete paths to block off the areas you are not using yet. Not the entire path, just a square to keep your guests and staff in a SMALL part of the zoo to start. Saves on staff, benches, shops, garbage cans, etc for an entire map when you've got 1-2 habitats only at present. If you want to keep the ready-made enclosures for the animals they were made for, keep the rescue animals in the trade center and bring in some easier to manage, cheaper critters to start.

My big mistake the first time was trying to run the entire park and only placing the animals I was given. I did not do that on hard mode.