Challenge mode

[Rebel*]

Does challenge mode allow me to build multiple zoos I can share animals and research between as I understand Franchise mode does?

Trying to work out which I should play.

Thanks

[Varick]

no

[Livia]

Challenge mode is a set of scenarios with unique challenges (hence the name).

There are two types of challenges:

1) Career mode: a story-based tutorial basically. You are given challenges in each setting that are really designed to help you learn the game.

2) Timed: Not only do you have a set of challenges to meet, you must do them in a set time period (around the hour mark usually).

Upon completing any challenge level to a gold standard, you get stone, bronze, silver, and gold statues of the statue on the map that you can now build with.

Challenge mode will really help you with learning the game mechanics and help you know how to run a zoo, which will help you when you start a franchise.

[Jaggid Edje]

Just a clarification on those scenario challenge reward statues, you don't have to actually get gold rating to unlock any except the gold ones. You unlock the stone one just for completing it, the bronze one for getting it to bronze rating, the silver for silver rating, and lastly the gold for gold rating.

[Livia]

Originally posted by Jaggid Edje:

Just a clarification on those scenario challenge reward statues, you don't have to actually get gold rating to unlock any except the gold ones. You unlock the stone one just for completing it, the bronze one for getting it to bronze rating, the silver for silver rating, and lastly the gold for gold rating.

True, but why wouldn't you want them all? 😉

Uuuugh...I need to finish that new timed scenario soon for that very reason. I hate the timed scenarios. I did enjoy the career mode, and I didn't care for franchise. My two dinars.

[Jaggid Edje]

The new timed scenario is pretty cool. Whoever designed the existing zoo did an amazing job.

I completed it to gold with only one additional habitat....they made it way too easy, giving us access to animals that could just be added to existing habitats without any problems.

Edit to add: and yah, I don't like the timed scenarios either, I just do them for the statue rewards. I DO like what fantastic work their creator does though.

[Livia]

The nice thing about beating them is then being able to use them in sandbox.

Good to know it's an easy one. I need to complete it and update my guide. Looked simple to me though for sure.

[grampers62]

Ack! Timed scenarios... Just can't get into playing them.

[Rebel*]

Originally posted by Livia:

Challenge mode is a set of scenarios with unique challenges (hence the name).

There are two types of challenges:

1) Career mode: a story-based tutorial basically. You are given challenges in each setting that are really designed to help you learn the game.

2) Timed: Not only do you have a set of challenges to meet, you must do them in a set time period (around the hour mark usually).

Upon completing any challenge level to a gold standard, you get stone, bronze, silver, and gold statues of the statue on the map that you can now build with.

Challenge mode will really help you with learning the game mechanics and help you know how to run a zoo, which will help you when you start a franchise.

No, I mean challenge mode as in the "build your own zoos with full a full economy and challenges" which is supposed be like offline franchise mode".

I think you are talking about career which is scenarios and timed challenges. I mean challenge mode specifically (I think it's called that).

[Livia]

Originally posted by grampers62:

Ack! Timed scenarios... Just can't get into playing them.

They are such a pain in the rear, I hate them with every fibre of my being, but I want those statues, so I've done them, but GRRR! You can use my guide to help you, but they are never enjoyable. I don't like to rush this game!

It is nice that you can take them and play them in sandbox, which I very much plan to do for fun later. You can also play without worrying about time to at least get the bronze statues, but the silver and gold, you have to stressfully play for. 😛

[Livia]

Originally posted by Mr A:

No, I mean challenge mode as in the "build your own zoos with full a full economy and challenges" which is supposed be like offline franchise mode".

I think you are talking about career which is scenarios and timed challenges. I mean challenge mode specifically (I think it's called that).

Oh, I'm very sorry. I've always used career/challenge interchangeably, so I don't even register that challenge option in the main menu. My bad! 🤣

[Jaggid Edje]

For your original question then, play Franchise mode, because there is no way to share animals or research or CC in Challenge mode. But all 3 are shared across all zoos in Franchise mode. That and you get a MUCH larger selection of animals to purchase.

My view is that challenge mode is for the internet-disabled. Though it is nice if you want to play on one of the scenario modes outside of doing the scenarios.
You are able to start challenge mode with any of those maps but you cannot do that in Franchise mode, which is as shame.

[Rebel*]

Thanks Jaggid. I read it can be hard in Franchise mode because all the animal prices are inflated but I couldn't find anything recently, it tended to be from 2019. is that still the case?

[Jaggid Edje]

Originally posted by Mr A:

Thanks Jaggid. I read it can be hard in Franchise mode because all the animal prices are inflated but I couldn't find anything recently, it tended to be from 2019. is that still the case?

Franchise mode includes the same default animal listings as any other game mode, showing as "Frontier Zoo" for the seller. So it has the same prices as any other game mode for all animals.

You are not the only player buying animals though, so someone else can snatch up all of the "Frontier Zoo" animals before you have a chance to buy them.
This is really only an issue with the most popular animals and those which other players don't sell often.....and honestly, it's not a big deal because "Frontier Zoo" animals get populated to the market very regularly. If you don't find what you want, look again in like 15 minutes. Simple.

Beyond what "Frontier Zoo" is selling, prices vary dramatically, but I don't agree that prices are all that inflated. For animals which always cost CC even when buying from "Frontier zoo", you can often find some animals for lower than the game ever defaults to selling them.

What ARE expensive are gold-medal animals with high stats and animals with all stats at 100 are super expensive. Those are what people who say franchise mode prices are "inflated" are looking at.....which is stupid, because you can almost never find animals like that for sale in the first place outside of franchise mode. So...what exactly are they comparing the price TO when claiming it's inflated?

Short answer, no it's not a problem, and it never has been. You just need to 1. realize that sometimes you have to wait a bit and check the market again to find what you want (which is true of non-franchise mode as well...)....and 2. Understand that you can't expect to buy gold-star animals for the same price as normal ones...

[grampers62]

To add to Jaggid's post there are a great number of breeders that regularly sell animals that are higher rated for more reasonable prices. So don't be intimidated by what you read. Do know that at the very beginning of a franchise one often experiences slow progress at gaining conservation credits but there will be a tipping point where that is no longer an issue. Buy wise and breed smart then you will be fine.

[Jaggid Edje]

One tip for starting to build CC in franchise mode: African Penguins.
It's all you will ever need. It is almost stupid how quickly you can make CC just releasing ones you don't keep. (And the good quality ones also sell very quickly, and in volume, for even more).

In terms of the CC gained over the same period of time with the same space requirements no other animal in the game is even close.