I've recently completed all non-DLC maps in Jurassic difficulty.
My strategy is this one:
Of course, first thing is to build a Small power station with a Substation, an Expedition center and a Fossil center (except on Isla Sorna, I'll talk about it later).
Then I send expeditions to the Morrison formation until it's depleted or I get a 100% Ceratosaurus genome (whatever happens first, if first depleted a single expedition to the Laurinha formation should complete the genome) since it's the starting dinosaur with the best base rating. After hatching the first Cerato, send expeditions to the Lance formation until depleted (if you want, hatch 2 more Ceratos along the way), then Hell Creek until you get the complete Triceratops genome, then you start working in your second enclosure (herbivores)...as you see, I go from higher to lower rating, except for Huayangosaurus. Those Lance formation depletion gives you a good start for Edmontosaurus and Struthiomimus...so in order to not waste it, Huayangosaurus fossil search starts after Struthiomimus's 100% genome.
RESEARCH
Usually don't built a research center until I get the first star...until then there's only 1 disease available (common cold) which is already researched (BTW, you can bet dinosaurs will get sick in the early game, make sure to build a ranger station after the first or second Cerato), and available worthy buildings (restaurant and clothes shop) can be replaced in the early game with already available fast-food and gift shop. Once you get it, research priority is this one:
2 STARS RESEARCH PRIORITIES
With newly unlocked dinosaurs, I prioritize armored herbivores so I can apply the AGGRESSIVE INSTINCTS 1.0 mentioned earlier until sauropods are unlocked. Those highly rated giants become then first priority (since they don't have Attack and Defense slots I research HYPEREFFICIENT BLOOD, but it's as good for rating as bad for viabilty), armored herbivores second, medium herbivores third and small herbivores last. Don't even bother with carnivores, you'll get those genomes as a side effect since you won't be able to sale the fossils at some point.
You'll find the game is about mantaining facility rating as you build dinosaur rating.
FACILITY RATING
Security will go down during storms, so don't worry about that. It affects only if a dinosaur escapes and generates injured guest lawsuits.
Capacity is fixed with hotels, so built one when it's no longer "Excelent".
Satisfaction:
ISLA SORNA
I did the maps in the order I supposed would be from harder to easier, based on the "building area" indication, from small (Pena) to large (Nublar)...and found Nublar harder after the fish-out-of-the-water Sorna experience.
I supposed I'd only have the map shape, but no: there's also the loose Spinosaurus and Stegosauruses. So, among the starting buildings, include an ACU center. After enclosing the "rescued" dinosaurs in 3 different exhibits I achieved 1 star before even building a Hammond creation lab. I got then "analysis paralysis" since I didn't know what to do...which ended up being something good: somehow made so much money that at one point I could afford the DiloDisaster instead of reloading from last save, ended up researching almost every genetic modification to maximize rating...it was really the "spared no expense" miracle.
My strategy is this one:
Of course, first thing is to build a Small power station with a Substation, an Expedition center and a Fossil center (except on Isla Sorna, I'll talk about it later).
Then I send expeditions to the Morrison formation until it's depleted or I get a 100% Ceratosaurus genome (whatever happens first, if first depleted a single expedition to the Laurinha formation should complete the genome) since it's the starting dinosaur with the best base rating. After hatching the first Cerato, send expeditions to the Lance formation until depleted (if you want, hatch 2 more Ceratos along the way), then Hell Creek until you get the complete Triceratops genome, then you start working in your second enclosure (herbivores)...as you see, I go from higher to lower rating, except for Huayangosaurus. Those Lance formation depletion gives you a good start for Edmontosaurus and Struthiomimus...so in order to not waste it, Huayangosaurus fossil search starts after Struthiomimus's 100% genome.
RESEARCH
Usually don't built a research center until I get the first star...until then there's only 1 disease available (common cold) which is already researched (BTW, you can bet dinosaurs will get sick in the early game, make sure to build a ranger station after the first or second Cerato), and available worthy buildings (restaurant and clothes shop) can be replaced in the early game with already available fast-food and gift shop. Once you get it, research priority is this one:
- DIG YIELD From now on, is a game changer and will be your main income source for a while
- DIG TEAM BRAVO You may wanna exploit Dig yield as much as you can
- RESEARCH TEAM BRAVO Not a priority if I think about it, but it makes next investigations faster so...you decide
- DISEASES The order doesn't matter. I used to think new diseases outbreaks wouldn't happen until after you released a newly unlocked dinosaurs...but I was proven wrong, so it's now a priority.
- AGGRESSIVE INSTINCTS 1.0 it's the only genetic modification that gives more rating than what it costs
- COSMETIC GENES It's a +25% rating, so you may want to have every dinosaur with one of this (I always end up researching all of them, but you probably could save some money looking at the list of species in every skin...but I'm myself too lazy)
- SUCCESS RATE You want to apply those researched genes, but failed incubations is something you can't or at least don't want to afford
2 STARS RESEARCH PRIORITIES
- RESEARCH COST At first, research and apply this one, even if you have Research team Bravo available. Wait, and continue researchs after applying it...the reason should be obvious.
- DIG TEAM CHARLIE (Same reason for Dig team Bravo)
- RESEARCH TEAM CHARLIE (Same reson for Research team Bravo)
- DISEASES (Same reason...you get the point)
- As you get multiple dig teams, you'll find expeditions unable to finish due to lack of space in the fossil center...when this starts to happen, research and apply EXTRACTION SPEED to Fossil center.
- Electrified fences are stronger than their regular counterparts, but not twice as strong. Double fencing is more effective and doesn't consume electricity, so don't even bother about them. In fact...during storms the only dinosaur I use that goes below its comfort threshold is Dilophosaurus, so it is possible to not research any fence at all if you choose the right species!
- Restaurant-Clothes shop-Arcade is the one combination that makes it easily to 5-Stars facility rating, so research those.
- The MONORRAIL becomes a must when your park expands, so make sure to leave some space near the entrance for the first station. Its price, however, kinda makes you wait until after the RESEARCH COST upgrade
With newly unlocked dinosaurs, I prioritize armored herbivores so I can apply the AGGRESSIVE INSTINCTS 1.0 mentioned earlier until sauropods are unlocked. Those highly rated giants become then first priority (since they don't have Attack and Defense slots I research HYPEREFFICIENT BLOOD, but it's as good for rating as bad for viabilty), armored herbivores second, medium herbivores third and small herbivores last. Don't even bother with carnivores, you'll get those genomes as a side effect since you won't be able to sale the fossils at some point.
You'll find the game is about mantaining facility rating as you build dinosaur rating.
FACILITY RATING
Security will go down during storms, so don't worry about that. It affects only if a dinosaur escapes and generates injured guest lawsuits.
Capacity is fixed with hotels, so built one when it's no longer "Excelent".
Satisfaction:
- Dinosaur visibility is a big part of it, so keep it as high as possible: build enclosures shaped like the viewing areas of galleries and hotels next to enclosures...once made a Dilos enclosure around an hotel, but ended up replacing the carnivores with stegosaurians after 2 tornado induced breakouts.
- My personal trick: Every guest store has 3 options of products. What I do is at first keep the default, cheaper one, raising the price to get as much profit as possible. When aprox. half of them are at maximum capacity, upgrade to the second option and repeat. Don't touch the prices then, just adjust the capacities as needed. After you finally get that sweet 5 stars dinosaur rating, upgrade to the third product option without modyfing the prices. That will skyrocket satisfaction and your overall Island rating to 5 stars
ISLA SORNA
I did the maps in the order I supposed would be from harder to easier, based on the "building area" indication, from small (Pena) to large (Nublar)...and found Nublar harder after the fish-out-of-the-water Sorna experience.
I supposed I'd only have the map shape, but no: there's also the loose Spinosaurus and Stegosauruses. So, among the starting buildings, include an ACU center. After enclosing the "rescued" dinosaurs in 3 different exhibits I achieved 1 star before even building a Hammond creation lab. I got then "analysis paralysis" since I didn't know what to do...which ended up being something good: somehow made so much money that at one point I could afford the DiloDisaster instead of reloading from last save, ended up researching almost every genetic modification to maximize rating...it was really the "spared no expense" miracle.