New! Tips and Tricks?

[alexusbarker10]

Just got the game. I've been watching PawsBuild, Leaf, and Cesar Creates. I'm super excited to start playing, but know there's many complications and wanted to know any tips, helpful hints, tricks, etc. that may help me with building or with just playing the game in general.

[grampers62]

In general, just keep things simple at first. There is a learning curve to figuring out the game but most players will get past that reasonably quick. As far as building, well that's as much art as it is mechanics. So find some things you like in the workshop and take them apart to see how pieces are used and what pieces do what. Again, it's a learned skill but most players will be building things fairly quick. Those things are sure to be simpler at first but your skill set will evolve and get more detailed. Perhaps you could be the next great creator?

[Meewec]

exhibits are a good moneymaker. put a 1-2 male and 1-2 female into it and set it to auto-sell anything over that. eventually they'll inbreed themselves out of existence but it's not expensive to replace them when that happens.

it's also good to have the keepers huts and staff rooms near the keeper entrances to your habitats and group them in a work group to reduce walk times for your people.

[speerbauch]

Welcome to the PZ community :-)
My best tip is, to take your time and enjoy the game. It can be frustrating at times, especially in the beginning... Don't give up to early and look here or in the frontier forums for help.

[tainawoman]

My tips for starting a franchise:

0. On a side of the entrance, build a staff path and put all the staff buildings on it. Hire staff.

1. Build the first enclosure on the side of a kinda plaza. Put the plaza with the first shops, info and 1 or 2 exhibits in the front of the entrance.

2. At first build large paths only on the grid (can be activated in the path menu)

3. Choose one or two exhibit animals, put them near entrance with donating boxes nearby.

4. Search in animal trading for animals which you can buy with cash (there's a filter for cash or conservation credit). Choose one with high appeal, if possible. Put them in an enclosure.
You can also find some cheap animals for credits, like some birds (ostrich) or sand cat. I don't like to play with birds, there are too many after a while, but they are lucrative and cute.

5. Later you can buy sea lions for cash and they will be a great source of conservation credits. I also love them.

6. Get animals for cash and breed them. Release them in the wild or sell them on the market, but your objective would be to gather 3000 CC to buy lions. After you have a lion enclosure, you will never lack CC again.

I've just started a franchise only with yellow anaconda and sea lions. I bought 2 males and 6 females of sea lions and, ofc, they already have a lot of cubs. They eat a lot (11 000) but people are donating also a lot and, after I put some lemurs in an enclosure, I was able to build a restaurant which greatly helps with the profit.

[(Rúna)]

I have 140 hours in the game and still havent fully got to grips with construction and terraforming, so be patient and let the frustrations pass through you. 'cos you will get frustrated with building at times. Dont be disillusioned if you want to restart a zoo, it is all experience

Start small but think big. S p a c e stuff out. Like really - think you've left enough room between the path and the habitat? The habitat and another? Double that space. You will be thankfull for it later in the game when you need to move stuff about to make room

And build habitats bigger than you need, so you have plenty of room for decorating and beautification. Traversable area can be quickly lost.

Small animals with small needs will be much better economically, whilst you get you zoo going.

Terraforming costs, but you can use the terrain paint tool, such as soil or rock, to roughly mark out potential areas for expansion. Sketching out an 'ideas' map on some paper might give you some clarity in your progression and growth, and likewise, so will having a list of possible animals you want to include.

education education education! and donation bins. it seems lots of webcams, maybe 2 or more per habitat, will help with a passive marketing / reputation buff.

You possibly want hundreds of thousands in the bank before you start building transport rides (im still approaching that)

Turning down the animal ageing rate will help you not become overwhelmed and overpopulated, and you can find yourself building up a nice amount of money in the background whilst you spend time concerntrating on building one area.

Youtube tutorials and general design videos are great for inspiration and learning techniques and tips.

FewCandy is really good, watch some of her stuff, you will quickly see she is very good at the game. DeLadysigner is also very talented and knowledgeable / experienced with the game