Getting guests to more distant parts of a large zoo

Roxxsmom

Roxxsmom
I was wondering if anyone had strategies for getting customers to distribute themselves better throughout the zoo. I have a more distant area I set up with some animals that should be pretty popular (jaguars, capuchin monkeys), and another with lions and cheetahs, but I'm not getting enough people (and donations) to justify the expense.

Things I've tried include 1. keeping exhibits off main paths and having side paths with viewing galleries (to limit crowd congestion) and wider main paths. 2. A train ride around perimeter of zoo with stops serving the remote areas, 3. making sure there are restrooms, benches, concessions etc. in further out areas of zoo. 3. Making sure there are more attractive animals further away than near the entrance.

Still, I find that exhibits further from the entrance area get fewer visitors (even for lions, jaguars, elephants and other "sexy" animals), and there's a lot of clogging in the parts of the zoo closer to the entrance.

This is a franchise zoo. I'm really curious about layouts that allow for larger zoos where the further out habitats pay for themselves, so to speak.
 

XT

XT
That's what the rides are for, so far as I can tell. You can set up mutiple stations so they can get off at a distant part of the zoo and ... I think the train is designed to be a people mover, rather than a tour thing. I dunno for sure since I hate the rides and never use them.
 

Roxxsmom

Roxxsmom
I've installed rides in some of these franchise zoos, but there are definitely tumbleweeds and crickets in some areas more than others. It's a particular issue with franchise zoos, as they have to stay profitable, and some habitat hubs don't generate enough revenue to pay for themselves. I'm trying to figure out the pattern, but it's been challenging.
 

Bearcat9948

Bearcat9948
You could always try building another entrance? I think making a secondary entrance with another guest spawned might work
 

nutrit

nutrit
I always use high rated animals like elephants or lions at distant part of zoo’s they always seem to drag people around. Also a lot of new restaurants helps.
 

eviltiger13

E
Yeah I agree with all of the above. In franchise it's a zoo killer. Cause you cant stay in the money.

I have tried numerous transport links too.

So solutions people... no time limit for guests. Better AI maybe if they buy a map from info stand they can be more efficient.

Anyone got a better solution to suggest?
 

Aidan635

Aidan635
I would suggest adding in animal talks. It depends on how far away your animals are from the main part of the zoo. For example, if your animal talk is set up for March, you will see a large group of guests heading towards that animal talk starting on Feb. 1. If they dont reach the animal talk by Mar. 1 (when it starts) then they will most likely turn around and head the other way.

For additional exposure to the area, try adding in another animal talk 2 months after it, so May, that way they will have all of April to get to the next one (make sure it is relatively close to the first one). Hope this helps!
 

Roxxsmom

Roxxsmom
Bearcat9948 said:
You could always try building another entrance? I think making a secondary entrance with another guest spawned might work
Click to expand...
Can you add a second entrance in Franchise mode? I remember reading early on that you're stuck with the entrance you have in Franchise, and all those fancy entrances are for folks who play sandbox. I mostly use sandbox mode for designing buildings and testing things, which I then attempt to implement in a franchise zoo with an eye to keeping the guests, and money, coming in.

I wish they would let you change the entrance building and add entrances in Franchise (and challenge) mode, but I assume there's a reason they don't allow this?

I've found that things have changed in terms of flow dynamics and profits since the animal talks were implemented. I definitely do put more popular animals further from the entrance, and I set up animal talks in those more distant spots as well, but it seems like I never have much of a crowd. I try staggering the talks, but I think there is an issue with getting guests to different talk points in even a couple of "months."

I know the game has to have different counters for the passage of time for things like animal breeding and talks than they do for the animals, employees, and guests moving around and exhibiting behaviors that are closer to "real time." This is why the keepers can take "months" to visit an enclosure, even though they do it at least twice a day in real zoos. But does the dynamic with the animal talks needing to be staggered by months for people to get to them feel a bit klunky to anyone else, or is it something to do with how I'm laying them out?
 
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