Oh the animals will be staying. I was making money fine but lots of building the last few game years hit into the money alot. You can see before the building of the gharial habitat I was making some profit. I also think some of the problem is that I tried training the staff up as well ( first time since the early years ) so I didn't need as many, but didn't set up workzones once I expanded out ( I usually create workzones as I go and guess I forgot here - or decided to wait ) . If I dip into the negatives too soon, I will likely have to build this zoo over again. Some of the alphabet zoos are killers on the money if you do things in the wrong way. DEF and GHI have been recreated 3 times now - each.
Competitive building game brainstorm group
- Thread starter Villanelle
- Start date
The new building of Gharial and Indian Rhinoceros and the new Sheep/Cattle habitats in one game year kinda messed me up.
I usually build a habitat and let the zoo recoup the money from adoption sales.
Also, apart from the new restaurant between the rhino and gharial areas there are no shops beyond the anteater/panda areas. That probably isn't helping guest happiness either. So that will be a task to do soon.
Ah yeah workzones should help with staff efficiency (but you know this). Another thing to try is increase the costs at your food/drink/shop stalls, and add on a small charge for condiments. Take a look at your facilities and see which ones are making a loss, sometimes it's unavoidable but sometimes more efficiency can be had. Charging more for different coloured umbrellas at the info stand helps too, I like to keep one at the regular cost and then add a few cents on to each other colour and see what guests buy! The main profit makers in Franchise though are the small, cheap upkeep, high appeal animals and there is a select bunch of them that are good to fill in spaces and increase ticket prices.
I'm interested that you're making an alphabet zoo, I tried that once! I paired up each animal with an educational concept as well, like "A is for Adaptation" and had a few different antelope varieties with some signs explaining how their bodies are adapted for different climates/biomes/purposes. I didn't finish it but I'd like to go back and continue it, it was fun and I did a lot of research for it.
The Alphabet Zoo was borne from needing to know which animal I hadn't added yet. I found out several years in that starting over each DLC was not a good idea as all the research was lost.
So, to make things easier I have a zoo to hold several of the animals in a group. It helps when managing the storage connected to it too.
Zoo's I have are
A, B, C, DEF, GHI, JKL, MNO, PQR, S, T-Z
The Peafowls were a 4 hour process selling off the old parents and redistributing the new adults. The next wave of adults will simply go in storage with all but the 4 best males ( preferably from different family groups ) released/sold/traded out. And any excess females released/sold/traded out if space needed in storage.
The end of today in whatever time zone you are in
Damn okay, might actually be able to finish the build then.
Work and life happend, so i had a little less time to build than i expected. Guess it was a good thing i didnt go wish my original plan that also had orangs, tapir and otter included
My updated & official entry
The Tropical House
Time spent: A week/just less than
Blueprints/other: I've used a habitat shelter for part of my building construction & some exhibit shells, nothing too big or complex I don't think!
Animals: beetles, pangolin, iguanas, spectacled caiman, dwarf caiman, alligator, tortoise, frogs, newts, axolotl
I'm excited that we're starting this player build competition, it was one of the things I loved the most about the forum, checking for the next build comp and I have zoo building fatigue, ha..so I will hopefully join in with most of these. The signs were all speed typed and placed, I am likely to make lots of changes to signs and decorations in the future. But this is my entry as it stands now. Also thinking I have room for one more unusual animal in the future to go alongside the pangolin. Ideas welcome !
Entrance to the tropical house / beetle exhibits
beetle exhibits leading to pangolin and main tropical house room
Indoor viewing area of the pangolin and access to testudine & main tropical house room
The main tropical house room is half indoor half outdoor. This room includes the amphibians, iguanas, the outdoor habitat of the pangolin and access to reptiles.
The main tropical house room is half indoor half outdoor. views of the pond and iguanas. lots of signage still needs placing and more decoration.
Amphibian walk inside the tropical house main room
Caiman viewing area inside the tropical house
Caimans
Side path to the tropical house with outdoor viewing of the dwarf caiman. followed by a viewing area to the testudines including tortoise walkthrough & terrapin exhibits. This is accessable from inside the tropical house.
If I need to add any more info about this submission I'll edit this post
Planting flora and trying out new viewing area ideas are my two fave things about building on PZ I think. Looking forward to seeing the other creations!
The Tropical House
Time spent: A week/just less than
Blueprints/other: I've used a habitat shelter for part of my building construction & some exhibit shells, nothing too big or complex I don't think!
Animals: beetles, pangolin, iguanas, spectacled caiman, dwarf caiman, alligator, tortoise, frogs, newts, axolotl
I'm excited that we're starting this player build competition, it was one of the things I loved the most about the forum, checking for the next build comp and I have zoo building fatigue, ha..so I will hopefully join in with most of these. The signs were all speed typed and placed, I am likely to make lots of changes to signs and decorations in the future. But this is my entry as it stands now. Also thinking I have room for one more unusual animal in the future to go alongside the pangolin. Ideas welcome !
Entrance to the tropical house / beetle exhibits
beetle exhibits leading to pangolin and main tropical house room
Indoor viewing area of the pangolin and access to testudine & main tropical house room
The main tropical house room is half indoor half outdoor. This room includes the amphibians, iguanas, the outdoor habitat of the pangolin and access to reptiles.
The main tropical house room is half indoor half outdoor. views of the pond and iguanas. lots of signage still needs placing and more decoration.
Amphibian walk inside the tropical house main room
Caiman viewing area inside the tropical house
Caimans
Side path to the tropical house with outdoor viewing of the dwarf caiman. followed by a viewing area to the testudines including tortoise walkthrough & terrapin exhibits. This is accessable from inside the tropical house.
If I need to add any more info about this submission I'll edit this post
Planting flora and trying out new viewing area ideas are my two fave things about building on PZ I think. Looking forward to seeing the other creations!
Last edited:
Editing my video is taking forever and I'm not sure how much time I'll get this week, so I've made a slideshow instead. I might finish the speedbuild video at a later date, but I ended up completely ignoring trying to build quickly and really took my time with this one, so I clocked...ohhhh, 20+ hours at least?! Well that was a weekend well spent I guessTomorrow: exercise and remembering to drink water.
Anyway - here is my submission for this first round of the Rainforest House competition! - Journey Through the Amazon
This is incredible!! I can really imagine walking around a place like that in real life. Love the signage & educational content, and love your decorations. I think most of all I really like the way you have builded and constructed your paths and viewing areas - so creative and unique. So much thought, creativity and effort! Where does your inspiration mostly come from when you're building?
Aw thanks! I really love yours too. I have no idea where I get my ideas from! I've tried building more realistic / real zoos and it's not for me. I lose patience and focus, but when it comes to making up my own ideas I have a lot of them
I do have a pinterest board to collect inspo - https://pin.it/1EjuzeIxh
But usually I just think something like "I'd like the guests to walk behind a waterfall" and see where it goes from there.
Just a heads up that I will be unavailable until tomorrow evening (UK time). I'll compile everything and send out the scoring forms then, so if anyone wants a bit more time until 5pm GMT tomorrow go ahead
So i didnt finish but oh well, im to tired to do the rest. Anyways, here is my entry
I went with the idea of making my tropical house dedicated to south east asia. So this building features habitats for lar gibbons, clouded leopards, asian water monitor and a big free flight green house for malayan flying foxes (spectacled flying fox) as the centerpiece, aswell as a few terrariums. Originally this was supposed to also include orangutans, tapirs and asian small clawed otters, but i quickly realized that i wont be abled to make that happen.
So here are some picture from the exterior. Went with the name of Sundaland for this complex, which is the name of the big landmass that was SEA at the last ice age before the whole deal sunk beneath the waves and left us with the hundreds of island that we know today.
First viewing opportunity for the Lar Gibbons:
Entrance and outdoor viewing for the clouded leopards:
Second viewing opportunity for the gibbons aswell as a little peak into their holding area:
Treetops view of the leopards from their elevated viewing:
Initial view when you step into the actual tropical hall:
Implied terrariums for vietnamese mossy frogs and red eyed crocodile skinks aswell as the Indoor viewing gallery for the gibbons, which is still empty:
Exhibit of the asian water monitor. Rest assured that this guy is stuck in place and cant take a single step, traverseable area of the monitors and croc truly is a dream:
Cant add any more pics, so will do a second post lol
I went with the idea of making my tropical house dedicated to south east asia. So this building features habitats for lar gibbons, clouded leopards, asian water monitor and a big free flight green house for malayan flying foxes (spectacled flying fox) as the centerpiece, aswell as a few terrariums. Originally this was supposed to also include orangutans, tapirs and asian small clawed otters, but i quickly realized that i wont be abled to make that happen.
So here are some picture from the exterior. Went with the name of Sundaland for this complex, which is the name of the big landmass that was SEA at the last ice age before the whole deal sunk beneath the waves and left us with the hundreds of island that we know today.
First viewing opportunity for the Lar Gibbons:
Entrance and outdoor viewing for the clouded leopards:
Second viewing opportunity for the gibbons aswell as a little peak into their holding area:
Treetops view of the leopards from their elevated viewing:
Initial view when you step into the actual tropical hall:
Implied terrariums for vietnamese mossy frogs and red eyed crocodile skinks aswell as the Indoor viewing gallery for the gibbons, which is still empty:
Exhibit of the asian water monitor. Rest assured that this guy is stuck in place and cant take a single step, traverseable area of the monitors and croc truly is a dream:
Cant add any more pics, so will do a second post lol
Attachments
Okay second half.So i didnt finish but oh well, im to tired to do the rest. Anyways, here is my entry
I went with the idea of making my tropical house dedicated to south east asia. So this building features habitats for lar gibbons, clouded leopards, asian water monitor and a big free flight green house for malayan flying foxes (spectacled flying fox) as the centerpiece, aswell as a few terrariums. Originally this was supposed to also include orangutans, tapirs and asian small clawed otters, but i quickly realized that i wont be abled to make that happen.
So here are some picture from the exterior. Went with the name of Sundaland for this complex, which is the name of the big landmass that was SEA at the last ice age before the whole deal sunk beneath the waves and left us with the hundreds of island that we know today.
View attachment 393526View attachment 393527
First viewing opportunity for the Lar Gibbons:
View attachment 393534
Entrance and outdoor viewing for the clouded leopards:
View attachment 393535
Second viewing opportunity for the gibbons aswell as a little peak into their holding area:
View attachment 393537
Treetops view of the leopards from their elevated viewing:
View attachment 393538
Initial view when you step into the actual tropical hall:
View attachment 393540
Implied terrariums for vietnamese mossy frogs and red eyed crocodile skinks aswell as the Indoor viewing gallery for the gibbons, which is still empty:
View attachment 393541
Exhibit of the asian water monitor. Rest assured that this guy is stuck in place and cant take a single step, traverseable area of the monitors and croc truly is a dream:
View attachment 393543
Cant add any more pics, so will do a second post lol
Path through the greenhouse with flying foxes flying around overhead:
Also forgot to turn of my UI for this one like an idiot lol.
Little pond for aquatic plants, one of the bats roosting structures and a terrarium for mangrove snakes in the back:
At this point the path would lead you in a loop around back to the entrance, passing by the indoor habitat of the clouded leopards, unfortunately thats all unfinished lol
First off, these are all really well done.
Second, will we know the next challenge tomorrow? I’ll have more free time to do that one.
Second, will we know the next challenge tomorrow? I’ll have more free time to do that one.
wow!! this is so realistic! It looks just like a real life zoo. I'm so impressed with the neatness and the building skills, everything just looks perfectly placed and true to life. Defo inspired by this. Amazing work. I look forward to seeing your other builds.So i didnt finish but oh well, im to tired to do the rest. Anyways, here is my entry
I went with the idea of making my tropical house dedicated to south east asia. So this building features habitats for lar gibbons, clouded leopards, asian water monitor and a big free flight green house for malayan flying foxes (spectacled flying fox) as the centerpiece, aswell as a few terrariums. Originally this was supposed to also include orangutans, tapirs and asian small clawed otters, but i quickly realized that i wont be abled to make that happen.
So here are some picture from the exterior. Went with the name of Sundaland for this complex, which is the name of the big landmass that was SEA at the last ice age before the whole deal sunk beneath the waves and left us with the hundreds of island that we know today.
View attachment 393526View attachment 393527
First viewing opportunity for the Lar Gibbons:
View attachment 393534
Entrance and outdoor viewing for the clouded leopards:
View attachment 393535
Second viewing opportunity for the gibbons aswell as a little peak into their holding area:
View attachment 393537
Treetops view of the leopards from their elevated viewing:
View attachment 393538
Initial view when you step into the actual tropical hall:
View attachment 393540
Implied terrariums for vietnamese mossy frogs and red eyed crocodile skinks aswell as the Indoor viewing gallery for the gibbons, which is still empty:
View attachment 393541
Exhibit of the asian water monitor. Rest assured that this guy is stuck in place and cant take a single step, traverseable area of the monitors and croc truly is a dream:
View attachment 393543
Cant add any more pics, so will do a second post lol
haha same im ready for the next one!
We probably won't know that until Villanelle posts the stuff tomorrow, or until the voting forms are tallied ( if the voting forms include a what next question )
My goodness this is incredible! Well done
These are all looking so great! Well done everyone!
Tomorrow I will post here:
this is fun you guys!
Tomorrow I will post here:
- A google folder with everyone's entries compiled together to make judging easier (no scrolling, all in one place, in the format you chose including any comments)
- The form for scoring
- The results of the survey on how to run this competition going forwards
- A rules document based on the results of that survey, AND
- A poll for the next competition topic and timeframe
this is fun you guys!We should have a proper name for these comps as well, any ideas?