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One way to keep funds up is to sell things within the zoo grounds, like trees for example. Should the zoo start running out of funds you’ll get a one off grant to keep the zoo going but after that you’re on your own. All these add up to keep the bank balance healthy. Amenities are essential to keeping the zoo functioning, items like toilets and food and drink stalls can be placed with the click of a button from the main interface and you’ll also need to keep an eye on litter, after all and untidy zoo is an unhappy zoo.Throughout the game finances have to be managed, which includes price of tickets and the price of attractions like rides you may have placed. The animal attractions and enclosures have to be suitably well laid out and there has to be enough amenities to keep the demanding visitors happy.
Zoo tycoon 3 review trial#
It’s not always that obvious what enclosures can hold which animal so it’s a bit of trial and error at times, at least to begin with.To run a successful zoo you not only need to keep the creatures happy but the visitors need to be constantly amused.
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It’s never particularly advisable to place a blood thirsty tiger behind a small wooden fence, if it escapes the visitors will start running round in a panic screaming until you can secure the animal by picking it up and placing it back into the enclosure or into a holding box. Should you neglect animals, animal welfare will come down heavy and prevent you from adopting any further animals which halts zoo expansion forcing you to get your act together.There are various types of enclosures to choose from, select the wrong one and you could be in a whole load of trouble. Maintenance workers will go about the zoo repairing and keeping the place tidy and to keep the visitors moving around the zoo a tour guide can come in handy.Animal care is a priority, any animals that are neglected will bring a penalty so keeping all the animals well cared for and happy will allow you to progress further in the game. It’s best to use the undo button at this point and undo your last action.Other employees are at your disposal for a monthly salary. Happiness of the animals is indicated by small green smileys if they are happy with your action but if they disapprove a small red saddie appears.
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It’s not always evident exactly what is too much or too little which can make the game a little frustrating at times. For example, some animals require more than one different type of enclosure floor covering and one square too much of one type can make the world of difference to the animal’s happiness. One gripe we do have with the game is that the animals can sometime be too picky. After a period of time it gets easier to figure things out and a certain amount of common sense comes in handy when creating the animal enclosures. Each different animal has their own unique requirements and it’s up to you to get to grips with the demands of each animal.Zoo keepers can be employed and will give you advice on what is best suited for each animal and also tend to the animal’s needs including healing them if they become ill. Microsoft have been releasing new creatures to add to your zoos since the game was released so you can expect regular updates. If you prefer a challenge then the game’s mission scenarios give you problems to overcome and solve in a certain time frame.Zoo Tycoon features around 40 different animal types right from the start with more creatures available via the auto-download feature included in the game. There are a variety of different locations to choose from before you start, all of different play area sizes and include tile sets such as jungles, deserts, forests, volcano and even Mars. The freeform mode allows you to start a zoo from scratch and quite simply get your creation off the ground and keep it up and running. This is the latest sim title to hit the shop shelves and challenges gamers to build and maintain a successful and profitable Zoo.At the start of the game you’re presented with two options, the mission type scenarios or the freeform gameplay mode. Another Tycoon title is upon us, this time from Blue Fang and Microsoft, entitled Zoo Tycoon.
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