How to keep money going in big Zoo (sandbox)

[Kolikokoli]

I have found another topic about this but it was an old one and in animal section. I hope it is ok to write here.
We can now have money in sandbox - but!

How do you keep green numbers with big Zoos? I do earn a lot of money from entrance and gifts (around 60k). I do earn money from all shops (around 25k). I do get some money from selling animals.
But now the problem - with bigger Zoos you have much more animals and staff members. I currently have around 180 staff members + 50 habitats. My expenses only for salary and food is 400+k.
Is there any way to keep green numbers in sandbox in bigger Zoos? I really don't want to underpay staff and give bad food to animals in a big Zoo. For me it makes sense in small Zoos or when you are starting.
Could the problem be in limited guests (1500) because of performance?

 

[TFG21]

I'd say if you are limiting guests, that is probably it. I think the guest numbers increase over time relative to your zoo size in part to cover the additional costs.

Another thing is donation bins, I have always found that is the number one source of income by far (though I suspect you may know this already)

 

[Kolikokoli]

I'd say if you are limiting guests, that is probably it. I think the guest numbers increase over time relative to your zoo size in part to cover the additional costs.

Another thing is donation bins, I have always found that is the number one source of income by far (though I suspect you may know this already)

I have bin at every viewpoint of every habitat. Still probably not enough. It would be interesting to see if the guests would spend more with stay forever option turned on. They should leave only if they spend all the money. Not sure if they wouldn't complain about prices though.

 

[Serpentis Ictis]

I've found the key to keeping money rolling in and not rolling out with interest is the following:

Staff Work zones- maximise staff efficiency with work zones, thus reducing Security, Mechanics and Vets. Keep Vendors in work zones to stop them going awol!

Happiness - you've got to keep your visitors happy, they spend more. Don't expand if happiness isn't a green smile, and target visitors needs where they're needed.

Loans, don't take them!

Animal food - cheap for herbivores. Expensive for carnivores. Therefore, have a Pride of Lions, but don't have a really large pride. Also, try to have a good ratio of Apex to non Apex animals.

Maximise interest in your zoo by maximising endangered animals, you'll get more guests in, but don't put the most interesting animals at the entrance, put them at the back so guests dwell longer, and spend more.

ATMs, don't let your guests run out of money!

 

[NL_Mutso]

I'd say if you are limiting guests, that is probably it. I think the guest numbers increase over time relative to your zoo size in part to cover the additional costs.

I think it's a mix. Limiting guests is a big hit on your income. If you do, you have to be smart in different areas. (cheap food, less staff/more effective work)

You already got 50 habitats, so I'm guessing you got most high appeal animals.
But having 10-15 lions can be a drain on funds, going for 4-6 lions is still good for a zoo and more manageable if you are struggling with costs.

It's fine you are limiting your guests (1500 is not much), but you have to balance it in different aspects.

 

[Kolikokoli]

I think it's a mix. Limiting guests is a big hit on your income. If you do, you have to be smart in different areas. (cheap food, less staff/more effective work)

You already got 50 habitats, so I'm guessing you got most high appeal animals.
But having 10-15 lions can be a drain on funds, going for 4-6 lions is still good for a zoo and more manageable if you are struggling with costs.

It's fine you are limiting your guests (1500 is not much), but you have to balance it in different aspects.

I don't really care what animals are high appealing. I guess I have gorilla, witch have the most expensive food. I play with unlimited money, so this is not that big of a concern. It's just the gap 200k seems to be really high (food expanses are ok, I guess).
What I actually wonder about is - if you have big zoo, let's say at least half of the map. And you have all staff maxed out, you give best food to your animals - could this zoo still earn money or is it impossible?

 

[Cool Cats and Kittens]

Not sure if anyone has tested that due to performance constrains. But in my experience, medium sized zoos are more profitable than big zoos, especially because of the poor guest path finding.

Reason is, that the amount of guests depends on the appealing rate of the zoo. If the guest waste time in the zoo due to their poor path finding, they block new guests from spawning and paying entrance fees. Guests also don't like to see the same animal twice, so I don't think they would donate to the same animal twice. But guests wasting time only becomes a problem in big zoos, which makes medium zoos the most profitable

 

[Kolikokoli]

Not sure if anyone has tested that due to performance constrains. But in my experience, medium sized zoos are more profitable than big zoos, especially because of the poor guest path finding.

Reason is, that the amount of guests depends on the appealing rate of the zoo. If the guest waste time in the zoo due to their poor path finding, they block new guests from spawning and paying entrance fees. Guests also don't like to see the same animal twice, so I don't think they would donate to the same animal twice. But guests wasting time only becomes a problem in big zoos, which makes medium zoos the most profitable

That gives me idea - you can make more entrances/spawn points - then this problem could be solved as they always have it closer to some of the entrances. Now I am thinking if you can make area in the middle of the zoo, which will not belong to the zoo (put entrance there and behind it spawn point). That could help with path finding as well. If it works.

 

[AlexVonHumbug]

I don't really care what animals are high appealing. I guess I have gorilla, witch have the most expensive food. I play with unlimited money, so this is not that big of a concern. It's just the gap 200k seems to be really high (food expanses are ok, I guess).
What I actually wonder about is - if you have big zoo, let's say at least half of the map. And you have all staff maxed out, you give best food to your animals - could this zoo still earn money or is it impossible?

if for you it dont matter, what animals are in your zoo, then you can only take animals, that cause low food cost. the most expensive are African elefants, Lions and Gorillas. there are lists of the foodcost-appeal-ratio somewhere in the forum. but, if your guest-number is fixed on just 1500 anyway, the appeal doesnt even matter, because appeal just pulls in more guests. also, you can reduce the number of individual animals of a certain species to the minimum requirement, that also can lower the foodcosts massively, even more than the food-quality. foodcost and wages are by far the biggest outgoings we are talking about tens of thousends.

 

[FoxyDee]

I think the guest limiting really need a bit of rebalance. It is nice to say just build medium sized zoos, but what if I only want to build a big one? We need a better solution. Perhaps if you limit guest numbers, make it that the profit is bigger or only limit the guest visibly in your zoo, but keep the numbers. There must be a better solution.

 

[AlexVonHumbug]

I think the guest limiting really need a bit of rebalance. It is nice to say just build medium sized zoos, but what if I only want to build a big one? We need a better solution. Perhaps if you limit guest numbers, make it that the profit is bigger or only limit the guest visibly in your zoo, but keep the numbers. There must be a better solution.

just klicking "like" isn't enough to support this

 

[FoxyDee]

just klicking "like" isn't enough to support this

Yea I think maybe this is not heard enough because alot of people around here play in sandbox, where you do not have to really care about income. But for those of us that play challenge or franchise modes exclusively, this can be a big problem, it is not fair we are forced to not use certain animals because their food is expensive if you dont want to have lagg and have to limit the guests.

 

[Serpentis Ictis]

I play in franchise, only. The success I have had with big zoos is to keep the high profile animals away from the entrance, spaced out between herd animals and very wide paths. Smaller paths go to the habitat and then rejoin to create a flow around park

Concentrate on endangered animals and high scores. For example, my Lions and Siberian Tigers are on opposite sides of the zoo, but the same distance from the entrance. Most guests tend to use the train to go from one to the other.

Its still a work in progress, but is certainly my best effort an zoo layout yet. This is with over 8000 guests and 3 rides in use.

As for income, my large zoo is well kitted out with staff, however I make good use of the work zones, so a quadrant might only have 2 mechanics and 1 vet for 4 habitats etc, but each habitat has its own keeper and caretaker. Vnedors are plentiful. However, I only train up fully the vets and mechanics. Security to 3 stars, keeps to 3 stars and caretakers 2 to 3 stars.

I make plenty of money in the park.

 

[Jeminyne]

I agree that using multiple entrances will probably help. Space out those entrances so there are always guests in different corners of your park. Also note that having different good grade quality can either be a good or bad thing. I find it's actually better to have higher food quality, because the servings last longer before the keepers have to spend more money feeding them again.

 

[Cocolori]

I agree that using multiple entrances will probably help. Space out those entrances so there are always guests in different corners of your park. Also note that having different good grade quality can either be a good or bad thing. I find it's actually better to have higher food quality, because the servings last longer before the keepers have to spend more money feeding them again.

That's interesting. I've always tended to stick with low quality food as you can keep the welfare very high anyway but I may experiment. Thanks for the tip!