Exhibits without fences

[casey]

Posted by: viper70 Dec. 1 2004, 03:26 PM
Is there a way to keep animals inside an area without fences? I saw a demo of a zoo program in which it was possible to keep animals inside without fences but with a high wall or a big trench. But I keep getting a message that animals that are not fenced in, are not seen by the public. I would like to create some areas without ugly fences. Just one slope to let the zookeeper in, but otherwise terrain so high or deep that it's impassable to animals.  

Posted by: Purring Tiger Dec. 1 2004, 03:29 PM
Well, you can but a cliff or pit around them for an exhibit, but it doesn't look like guests will view them. What I like to do is put a big hill around the back, and than a fence by the pathes so guests can veiw the animals. It saves money and looks good.  

Posted by: flamethrower Dec. 1 2004, 03:35 PM
I've made a few exhibits with NO fencing. They work quite well and guests love them.

Make sure the exhibit is surrounded by cliffs. Smooth a small ramp for the Zookeeper and make a gate there.  

Posted by: toxckrayon Dec. 1 2004, 03:37 PM
yes, as long as an animal can't cross terrain, they will be trapped in whatever area they're in. make sure a marginal area is walkable for a keeper and it's still possible an animal will escape, but the less areas for the keeper, the better. always use fences along cliffs because guests will fall in to the exhibit. don't use trenches because even for animals that can't swim, they will get trapped into the water.

it is a little tricky to get used to, but isn't all that difficult and it can save hundreds of dollars per exhibit.

EDIT: Oops, great idea by Flamethrower there.  

Posted by: sara_dippity Dec. 4 2004, 04:10 PM
I tried backing some exibits by cliffs, and fenced only by three sides. Seems that some animals could climb the cliffs though.
Oh wait a min. Something just now sunk in through my thick skull. Prehaps they weren't cliffs, I made them with the hill tool and flattening tool. So they could have been super super steep hills. There is an actual cliff tool, isn't there. Sigh. Ok I'll try that again.
The staff gate could be the thing that defines it as an exibit for people to view.  

Posted by: toxckrayon Dec. 6 2004, 11:34 AM
the fact that they're animals and the terrain they can travel is limited makes it an exhibit. the staff gate idea is there so there's a walkable incline for the keeper, but guests won't walk in and animals won't walk out.

you have to use common sense. hills are usually walkable. cliffs are not. sometimes, waterfalls are. you need to make the incline very steep, and then smooth out a path for the keeper but do it in a way that prevents the animal from escaping (e.g., the staff gate)  

Posted by: sara_dippity Dec. 6 2004, 01:49 PM
When I used the cliff tool, I got the same kind of incline as when I used the hill tool and the smooth terrain tool. It really was steep, and I get the same problems with animals escaping. Mostly moose, but one gazelle. Might be that moose can climb cliffs or something.

[casey]

Posted by: viper70 Dec. 1 2004, 03:26 PM
Is there a way to keep animals inside an area without fences? I saw a demo of a zoo program in which it was possible to keep animals inside without fences but with a high wall or a big trench. But I keep getting a message that animals that are not fenced in, are not seen by the public. I would like to create some areas without ugly fences. Just one slope to let the zookeeper in, but otherwise terrain so high or deep that it's impassable to animals.  

Posted by: Purring Tiger Dec. 1 2004, 03:29 PM
Well, you can but a cliff or pit around them for an exhibit, but it doesn't look like guests will view them. What I like to do is put a big hill around the back, and than a fence by the pathes so guests can veiw the animals. It saves money and looks good.  

Posted by: flamethrower Dec. 1 2004, 03:35 PM
I've made a few exhibits with NO fencing. They work quite well and guests love them.

Make sure the exhibit is surrounded by cliffs. Smooth a small ramp for the Zookeeper and make a gate there.  

Posted by: toxckrayon Dec. 1 2004, 03:37 PM
yes, as long as an animal can't cross terrain, they will be trapped in whatever area they're in. make sure a marginal area is walkable for a keeper and it's still possible an animal will escape, but the less areas for the keeper, the better. always use fences along cliffs because guests will fall in to the exhibit. don't use trenches because even for animals that can't swim, they will get trapped into the water.

it is a little tricky to get used to, but isn't all that difficult and it can save hundreds of dollars per exhibit.

EDIT: Oops, great idea by Flamethrower there.  

Posted by: sara_dippity Dec. 4 2004, 04:10 PM
I tried backing some exibits by cliffs, and fenced only by three sides. Seems that some animals could climb the cliffs though.
Oh wait a min. Something just now sunk in through my thick skull. Prehaps they weren't cliffs, I made them with the hill tool and flattening tool. So they could have been super super steep hills. There is an actual cliff tool, isn't there. Sigh. Ok I'll try that again.
The staff gate could be the thing that defines it as an exibit for people to view.  

Posted by: toxckrayon Dec. 6 2004, 11:34 AM
the fact that they're animals and the terrain they can travel is limited makes it an exhibit. the staff gate idea is there so there's a walkable incline for the keeper, but guests won't walk in and animals won't walk out.

you have to use common sense. hills are usually walkable. cliffs are not. sometimes, waterfalls are. you need to make the incline very steep, and then smooth out a path for the keeper but do it in a way that prevents the animal from escaping (e.g., the staff gate)  

Posted by: sara_dippity Dec. 6 2004, 01:49 PM
When I used the cliff tool, I got the same kind of incline as when I used the hill tool and the smooth terrain tool. It really was steep, and I get the same problems with animals escaping. Mostly moose, but one gazelle. Might be that moose can climb cliffs or something.