Community Challenge Discussion

[Kinah]

People are comparing these to puppy mills, and it is and it isn't. There NEED to be breeding programs, and these animals that are so endangered need new blood in their breeding pool. Having large amounts of these creatures bred is a good thing.

HOWEVER, I feel there needs to be some sort of quality control. I have seen so many of the target animal (tigers and now gorillas) on the market that are OBVIOUSLY inbred. I think inbred animals should not count as these do NOT help the species. I also think it would be cool to have community challenges where the goal was like "creature x is very susceptible to disease in the wild, we need hardy individuals to bolster the gene pool" and say we have to release animals of that type with an immunity gene of 80+ or something.

 

[Arthur Dent81]

In a sense, nothing is wrong, because the free Franchise market is just doing its work. In another sense, it's wrong because the free Franchise market is doing its work.
Put less poetically, an uncontrolled market naturally leads to monopoly or oligopoly. People who are willing and have the time to do so (like you, I guess ) will easily acquire enough capital (CCs + high quality animals) to almost entirely control the market. Especially when the oligopolists actively maintain their oligopoly by buying off the cheaper animals, which may be happening here and could plausibly explain the complete absence of cheaper gorillas in the OP's picture.* The current Community Challenge model only incentivizes these oligopolist practices by providing additional rewards such as avatar customization and achievements for the top of the pyramid only.

All this was to be expected, and thankfully Frontier had the wisdom to provide an alternative through Challenge mode. Franchise mode has already and inevitably become puppy mill mode. The total antithesis of what an ethical zoo game should be about, but as many have said, it is what it is.

*It is important to note that some people actively enjoy doing this out of a sense of competitiveness. It's part of the game for them and checking the market constantly for cheaper animals is just part of their gameplay routine, so expecting normal players to try and pick out some cheaper animals before the oligopolists get them is utterly unrealistic. I know, because I had a lot of machiavellian fun running a lion farm during the beta doing the exact same thing. The only drawback is that running that puppy mill completely destroyed my feelings for the animals as living beings, so I've made the sincere commitment not to do that in the actual game. It seems that precludes me from being able to properly play Franchise mode and meaningfully participate in community challenges, which I can live with.

tldr; Free markets lead to control of the market by a few to the detriment of the many (oligopoly). The current community challenges incentivize oligopolist practices. This necessitates running puppy mills in Franchise mode in order to get desirable animals, destroying the player's connection with the animals as living, breathing and feeling individuals.

That is unliekly to happen. Frontier Zoo is adding new animals constantly. Each players animal storage is limited to 30. So it will not be possible to install some kind of oligopoly or monopoly. As I said the prices for gorillas are stable, as well as for the other animals. Some people here want to have gold and diamaonds for free. That is not the way a market works.

 

[Souldrake]

Lol. I was trying to play franchise earlier and people wanted 500cc for an aardvark. ONE aarvark. 200+ for a turtle. I think the gorillas were in the 5k range >.>;

 

[Wolfen75]

The problem is/will be on the medium to long term the CC price.
With puppy mills you can grind almost infinitife CC.
You don't even need other people.
Just breed like fk, set the animals free. Will give lesser CC, but with mass production, who cares.
That will end up with favorite-of-the-community-challenge-animals all priced 10000 cc someday.
At that point CC will become meaningless even for the ones who have several millions of it.

I mean i could do that, but meh, i can do grind stuff in so many games.

edit: i just saw someone released 111 gorillas already and is done with the challenge
thats what i meant with meaningless

 

[KaoRu]

edit: i just saw someone released 111 gorillas already and is done with the challenge
thats what i meant with meaningless

Jeez. I just about struggles to get my only pair to have one baby.

 

[PLTuck]

When I search for a male Tapir this comes up. No cash ones. Do I really have to grind out cockroaches to participate in community stuff franchise mode at all?(I've seen the occasional gorilla for 1000 CC but most are 5k+)

EDIT: I'm aware the market is a known issue, but really? Selling your about to die gold male Tapir for 3k CC? The others are still way too expensive but at least they are a good age to buy. I'm hoping that in future frontier upgrade the market UI to include a filter panel where you can check and uncheck all in one pane, including being able to filter for things like <5 years old, or >65% immunity gene for example.

 

[Averalorax]

Last night, I spent 2-3 hours in Planet Zoo with the goal of starting my gorillas. I had less than 1000 CC to start with. Looked at the market. Prices too high for me. Went through my zoo and started releasing offspring that had matured. Somehow, in my Trade Center, I had 5-10 Komodo Dragon at age 0.0. Back into the habitat they went. I did keep checking the market for lower priced gorillas and did manage to snag a couple at less than 1000, but it took time and dedication to keep checking (and complaining at my computer when my clicks were not registering)

By the end of my play time, I had earned the CC to purchase 3 gorillas, I had my habitat set up, and had the high mating chance of 33%.

I cannot spend as much time this week playing as I would like to, but I will try to participate some. Hopefully, this little clan will co-operate and produce, for I will not make habitats just for the sake of breeding animals for the challenge and then turning the habitat over to the next challenges animal. I am trying to keep in with the idea of how a zoo would operate. I may give in and make a second gorilla habitat, but that is only if the funds and my time agree.

 

[Wolfen75]

Jeez. I just about struggles to get my only pair to have one baby.

When you make a new zoo you can keep it small and only have breeding habitats.
There you can fast forward the time and it takes not long for a couple of years to go by.
That way you can breed large amounts of animals very quick (real-time wise).

Its not comparable with trying that in your functional zoo.
I have some double-habitats for breeding to prevent inbred (looking at the market most people give a crap because inbred has no consequences anyway if you don't care for your animals), but i have to take care for a thousand things to keep my zoo running (what is a good thing).

 

[Paem86]

I don't understand this topic and some replys. What's the problem now? That animals have a legit value at community market? That a challenge requires a tactic and some time? Really!?

I saw a little amount of replys complaining gorillas are overpriced - Are you serious? On what basis? Do you want to buy every animal for less than <100 CC or whatsup? That Frontier limits the values of animals? Where's the sense then? Compared with tigers and their stats (age, breeding time, amound of children and so on) the value of the gorillas is absolutely logical and legit at the moment.

Reaching the final stage of a community challenge is very easy and requires just a little amount of hours to spend during each ID. 4-5h should be enough when you already have a franchise running, as newcomer u'll need a bit more to kick off things. And no, you don't need an franchise with breeding stations only, by far not. Also making CC is absolutely no rocket science let alone time intensive.

If you don't like challenges and the community market, don't play it. There are enough other gamemodes available that probably suits you better. But please life with it that you will not be rewarded in the way like players who are playing the challenge 'until the end'. If you don't want to/can't spend a few hours per week reaching the final community challenge stages, then you don't deserve the full loot. To claim these comm-challenge rewards nevertheless would be simply brazen. That's gaming. That's life

Again, I don't understand this topic.

 

[MaximusSC]

When I search for a male Tapir this comes up. No cash ones. Do I really have to grind out cockroaches to participate in community stuff franchise mode at all?(I've seen the occasional gorilla for 1000 CC but most are 5k+)

View attachment 150748


EDIT: I'm aware the market is a known issue, but really? Selling your about to die gold male Tapir for 3k CC? The others are still way too expensive but at least they are a good age to buy. I'm hoping that in future frontier upgrade the market UI to include a filter panel where you can check and uncheck all in one pane, including being able to filter for things like <5 years old, or >65% immunity gene for example.

To be fair, in your screen shot three of those tapir's have been on the market for 41 minutes. That suggests that no one is purchasing them at the asked for price. As it should be. It is up to you as the player to decide what animals to buy and for what price. If you purchase animals that are old and have bad genes for a high price you can only blame yourself.

 

[KaoRu]

I don't understand this topic and some replys. What's the problem now? That animals have a legit value at community market? That a challenge requires a tactic and some time? Really!?

I saw a little amount of replys complaining gorillas are overpriced - Are you serious? On what basis? Do you want to buy every animal for less than <100 CC or whatsup? That Frontier limits the values of animals? Where's the sense then? Compared with tigers and their stats (age, breeding time, amound of children and so on) the value of the gorillas is absolutely logical and legit at the moment.

Reaching the final stage of a community challenge is very easy and requires just a little amount of hours to spend during each ID. 4-5h should be enough when you already have a franchise running, as newcomer u'll need a bit more to kick off things. And no, you don't need an franchise with breeding stations only, by far not. Also making CC is absolutely no rocket science let alone time intensive.

If you don't like challenges and the community market, don't play it. There are enough other gamemodes available that probably suits you better. But please life with it that you will not be rewarded in the way like players who are playing the challenge 'until the end'. If you don't want to/can't spend a few hours per week reaching the final community challenge stages, then you don't deserve the full loot. To claim these comm-challenge rewards nevertheless would be simply brazen. That's gaming. That's life

Again, I don't understand this topic.

This topic is to discuss Challenge mode how do you not get that?

Breeding Gorilla's AND releasing them is not easy considering it could take a long time to breed them plus it takes 10 years for them to mature which is HOURS of gameplay. I also noticed that my animals don't breed again until their current babies reach adult. Which still means waiting a long time.

Also, we don't expect the animals to be under 100cc. We expect upto at least 700cc. Maybe even 800cc might be pushing it. I do anyway. Come back and say that when it is PEAFOWL at the price of 1k-2k with bad stats. If the Gorilla's had really good stats then I would understand the price alot better. As one of my Bengals had near perfect stats and the auto trade price was 968cc.

If you want to participate in the challenges but can't buy the animals bcuz they're overpriced especially when they have the worst stats, we have the right to complain. It's obvious that the reason people are getting rid of their bad animals through the Market instead of releasing or selling them is bcuz they're in high demand so they think they'll get a ton of CC for them.

If you accept that then that's your gaming and your life.

 

[Kai]

This topic is to discuss Challenge mode how do you not get that? -snip-

I mean, I get that it sucks people are selling their badly bred, trash gorillas for stupid prices (makes no sense to me why they don't wild-release the bad ones for the challenge).

But anyone can just sit there, spam refreshing the trade window for 5-10 min and just buy a bunch of mediocre stat range Frontier Zoo gorillas for 400-700CC, so is it really a huge issue?
Sure, spamming the refresh button on their laggy heap of a trade center isn't the most enjoyable thing, but it's a super easy foolproof way to get some cheap gorillas to breed/wild-sell.

 

[Averalorax]

Paem86, I am going to try to sound nicer in my reply than you sounded in yours to me. You commented that if someone can spend 4-5 hours with a functioning Franchise to reach the top tier of the community challenge. Just to put it into perspective for you: My franchise is making a profit - currently at $2 million+ US dollars. In the last challenge, I was able to spend at least 2 hours every night, except Saturday, which means 5 nights( did not count Monday at either end) at (min) 2 hours per night equals 10 hours minimum. During that time I DID have a breeding pair of Bengal Tigers in a well liked habitat and enrichment in the green as well. So by your statement, you think I should have reached the top tier. I did not.

I do not see why you think that I should have or why you think you have the right to diminish anyone who may state that their opinion is not as high as yours. This can be a very supportive community. I see it all the time. Your post can easily be interpreted as demeaning to those who wish to have an opinion that they did not make the top tier. They should be able to do so without someone putting them down. I am not trying to put you down, just trying to help you understand another's outlook.

 

[KaoRu]

I mean, I get that it sucks people are selling their badly bred, trash gorillas for stupid prices (makes no sense to me why they don't wild-release the bad ones for the challenge).

But anyone can just sit there, spam refreshing the trade window for 5-10 min and just buy a bunch of mediocre stat range Frontier Zoo gorillas for 400-700CC, so is it really a huge issue?
Sure, spamming the refresh button on their laggy heap of a trade center isn't the most enjoyable thing, but it's a super easy foolproof way to get some cheap gorillas to breed/wild-sell.

I wouldn't mind the animals with the bad stats if it didn't effect their breeding when it's to do with the community challenge. You need them to breed to even produce those babies that you will be releasing. By the time I've compared the market animal and my animal it's already sold.

 

[Kai]

I wouldn't mind the animals with the bad stats if it didn't effect their breeding when it's to do with the community challenge. You need them to breed to even produce those babies that you will be releasing. By the time I've compared the market animal and my animal it's already sold.

Honestly, my advice to people would be to breed their tigers, release the babies for CC, and then buy the cheap Frontier Zoo gorillas to wild-release instead of breeding them yourselves. The 10 year mature rate is brutal compared to breeding tigers (especially if you have some good ones from the last event).

The tigers are much easier to keep happy enrichment wise, they don't need stupid amounts of climbing areas and their food costs less (somehow).

 

[Dae]

My main concern regarding the challenges is the fact that they are "community" challenges, but if scores are set once the goal is reached it turns into a speed contest. I want to participate in a collaborative challenge but I don't want to stress about time and rush breeding for the sake of it... As for prices or gameplay, as long as there is a contest there's nothing to do about it. To do something about it Frontier would have to rethink events to do something that is not a contest.

 

[KaoRu]

Paem86, I am going to try to sound nicer in my reply than you sounded in yours to me. You commented that if someone can spend 4-5 hours with a functioning Franchise to reach the top tier of the community challenge. Just to put it into perspective for you: My franchise is making a profit - currently at $2 million+ US dollars. In the last challenge, I was able to spend at least 2 hours every night, except Saturday, which means 5 nights( did not count Monday at either end) at (min) 2 hours per night equals 10 hours minimum. During that time I DID have a breeding pair of Bengal Tigers in a well liked habitat and enrichment in the green as well. So by your statement, you think I should have reached the top tier. I did not.

I do not see why you think that I should have or why you think you have the right to diminish anyone who may state that their opinion is not as high as yours. This can be a very supportive community. I see it all the time. Your post can easily be interpreted as demeaning to those who wish to have an opinion that they did not make the top tier. They should be able to do so without someone putting them down. I am not trying to put you down, just trying to help you understand another's outlook.

Exactly. I have around 600k on my current zoo which is I think my 12th attempt at Franchise (including during the Beta) and I've been playing for 3 days. The time probably equals to about maybe....15 hours? In no way can you reach Paems expectations in 4-5 hours. Unless you maybe had some sort of cheat on standby.

 

[Paem86]

This topic is to discuss Challenge mode how do you not get that?

Breeding Gorilla's AND releasing them is not easy considering it could take a long time to breed them plus it takes 10 years for them to mature which is HOURS of gameplay.

No, you are not discussing challenge mode, you are complaining purely speculative about allegedly overpricing or prices set by the planet coaster community you are not willing to pay. So then simply don't pay them! Your screenshot is not representative - There are enough gorillas available between 500-1k CC and enough to buy for cash. And the answer why they are not that cheap was given yourself ^

You commented that if someone can spend 4-5 hours with a functioning Franchise to reach the top tier of the community challenge. Just to put it into perspective for you: My franchise is making a profit - currently at $2 million+ US dollars. In the last challenge, I was able to spend at least 2 hours every night, except Saturday, which means 5 nights( did not count Monday at either end) at (min) 2 hours per night equals 10 hours minimum. During that time I DID have a breeding pair of Bengal Tigers in a well liked habitat and enrichment in the green as well. So by your statement, you think I should have reached the top tier. I did not.

I do not see why you think that I should have or why you think you have the right to diminish anyone who may state that their opinion is not as high as yours. This can be a very supportive community. I see it all the time. Your post can easily be interpreted as demeaning to those who wish to have an opinion that they did not make the top tier. They should be able to do so without someone putting them down. I am not trying to put you down, just trying to help you understand another's outlook.

If my style as english writing german doesn't suit you because it sounds too harsh for your then I'm sorry. But don't try to twist my words around, thank you. I have nobody attacked or similar, just shared my opinions and my position.

I never wrote that it is guaranteed that when someone will spend 5hours playing planet zoo he will reach the last stage of a community challenge, that's nonsense. I wrote it needs tactic and time and besides that it should be your goal to reach this stage of course and needs correpsonding focus during that time. Yes, 4-5h with good management were completely adequate for last challenges final stage - You can adjust gamespeed in planet coaster just by the way.Looks like your tactic was not the right one then or you were not focused.

You can have 10 millions on your credit wall, that doesn't mean that you will have a good placement during a challenge, cmon...

In no way can you reach Paems expectations in 4-5 hours. Unless you maybe had some sort of cheat on standby.

I'm out, this getting a bit too toxic and cheeky to me - But I stay with my opinion that the community-challenge and the community-market should not end in a freeloot-orgy for each and every player

 

[KaoRu]

No, you are not discussing challenge mode, you are complaining purely speculative about allegedly overpricing or prices set by the planet coaster community you are not willing to pay. So then simply don't pay them! Your screenshot is not representative - There are enough gorillas available between 500-1k CC and enough to buy for cash. And the answer why they are not that cheap was given yourself ^

Complaining about the community challenge...Is apart of the meaning of "Community Challenge Discussion"....Would you rather I titled it "Community Challenge Complaints?" To meet your specific understanding? Also I've looked on the market a ton of times and the cheapest I've seen a Gorilla is around 800cc (which is rare and the first time I found them I grabbed them which took all of my CC). You have to remember that not EVERYONE will have like 1 million CC in a few hours. Plus I don't know what you're getting at about me giving the reason why people do it?

 

[Bobble2017]

I saw some for 1k , i refreshed and got 2 from frontier for approx 400 each