Natural Barriers

Post by **Quicksilver** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 1:49 am

Ok, I tried building using natural barriers and I love this feature! It is so much fun to do, and it looks more like a real zoo. Here's my question....anyone know how to get the zookeeper to stay close by, rather than wandering off somewhere behind the hills? For some reason they go back there and then complain about not being able to reach things.

Thought I'd post a screenie of my polar bear exhibit using hills as the barrier for 3/4 of the exhibit

vampire · Post by **vampire** » Thu Nov 25, 2004 3:39 pm

i build mine against walls, then build em out as i go

Gold Mercury · Post by **Gold Mercury** » Sat Nov 27, 2004 9:57 pm

I assign my zookeepers to specific exhibits, and they're pretty good about stayin' nearby. Dunno if that helps any, but it works for me at least. My zookeepers always complain with my bird exhibits (esp. flamingos and penguins) b/c they don't like to cross water or something to get to the critters or clean up after them. It frustrates me a lot.

BTW, very nice Polar Bear exhibit design, Sheila. *makes mental not to try out same thing later*

However, here's a stumper:

I tried the natural barriers with my cheetah. It looked fine, and he didn't try anything for a while. Then, he started to run around. No big deal. Next thing I know, he's run up and over my natural barriers! So I pause, put him back in his exhibit, raise the barriers, and unpause. A couple seconds later, he started running about and just like that, zipped up the wall and out again. I paused, put him back, and made the barriers almost vertical peaks all the way around (as far up as the tool would go). Thinking myself clever, I unpaused to watch him try again. And in dismay, I watced him climb up over them yet again. >< I even pulled my fences up to the highest sections, and he would only go around them up top. I gave up after a while, fencing the entire thing off instead. Anyone else have *that* prob?

Post by **Quicksilver** » Sun Nov 28, 2004 12:11 am

Yeah, those darn zookeepers HATE crossing water. I have a crocodile exhibit where I made an island in the middle, and whenever they poo on the island, I constantly get messages saying "Zookeeper can't reach the small poop". It is frustrating as all get out! I think that is what's wrong with my polar bear exhibits.....the gates are aligned with the water portion, and the zookeeper keeps trying to get into the exhibit the back way, which would be behind the cliffs. I might just fire him and maintain that exhibit myself. I get so sick of the constant warning messages!

As for your cheetah problem.....I had the same thing happen to me. Finally I put the post and rope fence up, and haven't had them escape yet. I found one of the cheetahs all the way at the back of the zoo sleeping (and the warning "Cheetah 2 is really thirsty"). I've also heard of the bengal tigers climbing the cliffs, too. Perhaps it is some kind of glitch in the system.

vampire · Post by **vampire** » Mon Nov 29, 2004 4:44 pm

cats are naturally able to do that tho. it might not be a glitch. they mita done it on purpose

Gold Mercury · Post by **Gold Mercury** » Mon Nov 29, 2004 10:17 pm

I dunno. My tigers never tried to get out of their natural barrier exhibits. Dunno why M$ would tout natural barriers if they didn't work all the way around critter wise.

Hehe, Ihad gates aligned with water sections too, and my zookeeper just sat on a nearby bench and complained because the ditch I had put in to stop my gorillas from escaping had also stopped her from being able to do her job. So, I put a bench in the gorilla exhibit, plopped her in there, and that took care of that! The gorillas didn't mind her, and she could actually *do* something. When something needed to be done...which was rare enough ><.

I thought that the zookeepers would actually swim across bodies of water if it was the shortest way to a place...or was I mistaken?

Post by **okapi_07** » Tue Nov 30, 2004 7:42 pm

ive just played the demo and my keepers dont like crossing water but if they have to they walk through shallow water

Gold Mercury · Post by **Gold Mercury** » Tue Nov 30, 2004 11:18 pm

Yah, I noticed the same thing, Okapi. I built this multi-lake exhibit today, and the zookeeper did actually *swim* at one point, but it wasn't very far. He kept trying to take the hrad, long way around to the next exhibit instead of go back to the gate. I don't know what's up with these guys.

Post by **Troyminator** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 4:10 pm

I've had the same thing with big cats scaling cliffs. I put it down to being something deliberate from M$
A good tip for enclosing zookepers in an exhibit is to include a bench for them to sit on. Most animals ignore it and the keeper tends to like a sit down when not working

Post by **Quicksilver** » Fri Dec 03, 2004 12:44 am

I was messing around and connected a bunch of exhibits together, with a staff gate only going from one exhibit to the next so that the zookeeper never got out into the crowd. While checking his thoughts, I noticed he was thinking "This bench is really comfortable" even though he never once sat on one. I think that is a glitch in the system or something, 'cause he kept on doing his jobs of refilling bowls and cleaning up poo. But you're right, when they get out and have access to benches they love to sit and look pretty.

Post by **Troyminator** » Fri Dec 03, 2004 3:11 pm

heh, I've tried the interconnected exhibits a few times.
It's a neat way of solving accesibility.

Post by **Quicksilver** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 1:30 pm

Yep - no more "Zookeeper can't reach blah blah blah"

ScottBommarito · Post by **ScottBommarito** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 9:07 pm

I've never tried doing natural barriers, but I do get a heck of a lot of those "Zookeeper can't reach...." messages. So many that nearly every second 10 pop up!