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11 Research is how a player converts time and money into better care. It unlocks improvements, deepens what is known about each species, and feeds the conservation work described under Conservation. In the sequel it runs across two places at once: inside the zoo, and out in the Wildlife Reserves.
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33 Research in the Zoo
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55 Zoo research is funded from the running of the park, so guest income and a healthy zoo rating pay for it. Research decisions are made from the Planet Hub alongside conservation projects, and the economy that pays for them is covered under Guests and Management.
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77 Research Networks in Reserves
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99 Reserves are where the sequel adds genuinely new research mechanics. Building a Research Network in a reserve produces insight into how animals behave in the wild, earns Conservation Credits, unlocks higher levels of species research, and opens new ways to help animals thrive back in the zoo. Supporting more species for release depends on it.
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1111 A network is anchored by a Research Outpost, which comes with its own Research Vehicle. Equipment is then placed around the reserve to capture data on animal behaviour.
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1313 EquipmentWhat It DoesResearch OutpostThe core of the network, and the base the Research Vehicle operates fromObservation PlatformA vantage point from which staff catch glimpses of wildlifeAcoustic MonitorPicks up audio discreetly without disturbing the animalsCamera TrapCaptures footage of animals passing through
1414 Once a network is running it raises the Biodiversity Rating of the reserve. Research equipment is built with the same tools as anything else, so a player can drop in a premade blueprint from the Frontier Workshop or design their own, exactly as in a zoo.
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1717 The Research Vehicle
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1919 The Research Vehicle is drivable. It crosses reserve terrain on four wheels and lets the player see the ecosystems at ground level, and the player can get out and continue on foot. Two tools come with it: a compass that points to the nearest animals, and a camera for photographing them. Frontier suggests trying to capture varied animal behaviour without disturbing the animals in the process.
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2121 Shared Research
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2323 In Franchise mode research and progression are shared across a player whole network of zoos and reserves rather than being rebuilt site by site, and players contribute to community conservation efforts together. The modes are described under Game Modes.