Jurassic-difficulty Challenge Mode has several constraints: you are limited to the space available on Isla Nublar, most of us are not Starcraft-style actions-per-minute superheroes and can only do a certain number of tasks each minute, etc. But the largest single constraint is money.
Income takes time and effort to build and maintain; therefore, spending it wisely is one of the fundamental challenges when pursuing a faster time. Most of the tips in this section won’t be very important if your goal is to simply beat Jurassic; but if you want a competitive time, they should be helpful.
Cost Efficiency
Each dinosaur costs money to produce. First, expeditions must be sent and fossils collected; next, DNA must be extracted from those fossils; third, a pen must be setup with adequate habitat and feeder(s); finally, the dinosaur must be incubated and released. Each of these steps cost money.
The first two steps – expeditions and fossil extraction – are costs that are even across all 48 dinosaur species. Furthermore, they are required in order to maintain economy (the game will not let you sell more than a handful of fossils for each species, so eventually they need to have DNA extracted or you will run out of room). Therefore, those costs are considered sunk and not included in this analysis.
Pen size does make a difference as fencing costs money; electric fences, in particular, add up quickly. However everyone has slightly different preferences about pen shape, size, and visibility, so for now I’m ignoring this component and concentrating only on incubation cost.
Example Calculations
Let’s use a struthiomimus as an example. Each struthiomimus costs $30,000 base and is worth 6 rating points with up to 3 points authenticity bonus. Since I breed almost exclusively 100% genome dinosaurs after the Opening phase, I assume each dinosaur to be at 100% genome. This makes our Struthiomimus 9 points for $30,000, or $3,333 per point.
The triceratops is another early dinosaur. Whereas the struthiomimus is worth 9 points, a triceratops is worth 39. Much better, right? Well, not necessarily. The triceratops cost $230,000, or $5,897 per point. Almost twice as expensive as our struthiomimus.
This of course does not mean that a triceratops isn’t worth breeding. Of course they are. But don’t make tons of trikes and let them run rampant across your park expecting big dinosaur rating numbers, fast. It’s more cost effective by far to fill a park with struthiomimus than triceratops.
NOTE: There are other mitigating factors that make a park full of Struthiomimus a bad, bad idea. First, they require more time to incubate; second, they will require more feeders; finally, sickness will run rampant. These will be discussed elsewhere at greater length.
If we look only at the dinosaurs we have available at the beginning of the game, we come up with the following cost efficiencies:
| Struthiomimus | $3,333 / point |
| Ceratosaurus | $5,392 / point |
| Huayangosaurus | $5,526 / point |
| Triceratops | $5,897 / point |
| Edmontosaurus | $7,391 / point |
If we consider the researchable dinosaurs, we add:
| Dracorex | $4,688 / point |
| Crichtonsaurus | $5,088 / point |
| Sinoceratops | $5,095 / point |
Note that all of these are better than any of the first dinosaurs, other than Struthiomimus (which is the most cost efficient dinosaur in the game).
The Effect of Modifications
Modifications are unlocked as the dinosaur genome progresses from 50% to 100%. Since you will be incubating 100% genome dinosaurs, there will be a variety of modifications that can be made. Each Challenge Mode game starts by giving you four available non-cosmetic modifications:
- Tooth Hardness – Increases attack rating
- Skin Toughness – Increases defense rating
- Cardio Strength – Increases lifespan rating
- Robust Digestion – Increases resilience rating
As far as I’m concerned, none of the rating increases matter. However, each of these modifications come with a blessing and a curse: they increase the dinosaur’s overall point value, but they also increase the dinosaur’s cost.
A full analysis of the costs and benefits of each modification can be found in the Appendix, but the short version is that there are only three modifications that increase cost efficiency (of which you’d only use one in most situations) and only three further modifications that are neutral (of which you’d only use one).
Good Modifications:
- Aggressive Instincts 1.0 provides +10% rating at +8% cost; this is the best mod in the game, which must be researched but is available quickly. Use this in both attack and defense slots.
- Skin Toughness 1.0 provides +5% rating at +4% cost; this is one of the mods available at the beginning, and you’ll use this in defense slots until Aggressive Instincts has been researched.
Unnecessary, but not bad, Modifications:
- Skin Toughness 2.0 provides +10% rating at +9% cost; this must be researched and is less efficient than 1.0, so just stick with Aggressive Instincts in the defense slots
- Tooth Hardness 1.0 provides +5% rating at +5% cost, so is neutral; however, you should always prefer Aggressive Instincts in any available attack slots
- Skin Toughness 3.0 provides +15% rating at +15% cost, so is neutral; however, as above, you should prefer Aggressive Instincts in the defense slots.
- Cosmetic Mods provide +25% rating at +25% cost. These might be worthwhile, especially on larger predators. You don’t gain cost efficiency, but you do gain efficiency in production time and pen usage per dollar.
Bad Modifications
Everything else. See the full list.
Example Calculations, 2.0
Because the only good mod is Aggressive Instincts 1.0, the only dinosaurs that should be modified are those with attack or defense slots. This rules out most non-fighting dinosaurs: sauropods, duckbills, and ornithomimids. Carnivores and armored dinosaurs (ankylosaurids/nodosaurids, ceratopsids, and stegosaurids) can all be modified, as well as pachycephalosaurids.
Let’s look at a revised list of early available dinosaurs, assuming that all are modded with Aggressive Instincts 1.0 in every possible slot:
| Struthiomimus | $3,333 / point |
| Dracorex (researched) | $4,519 / point (down from $4,688) |
| Sinoceratops (researched) | $4,822 / point (down from $5,095) |
| Crichtonsaurus (researched) | $4,905 / point (down from $5,088) |
| Ceratosaurus | $5,103 / point (down from $5,392) |
| Huayangosaurus | $5,426 / point (down from $5,526) |
| Triceratops | $5,582 / point (down from $5,897) |
| Edmontosaurus | $7,391 / point |
A full list of the cost efficiency of fully-modded dinosaurs can be found here.
The Second Big Constraint: Time
Even with unlimited money, time is a precious commodity. There is therefore value in prioritizing high-point, highly-efficient dinosaurs to use as the backbone to your park. Below are some of my favorites combinations:
NOTE: Remember that by “modded” I am referring to Aggressive Instincts 1.0 for every available attack and defense slot. I am NOT referring to any other modifications!
- 12x Modded Dilophosaurs – $4.8M for 1,102 points ($4,348 per point)
The best dinosaur in the game at Jurassic difficulty, in my opinion. You can put twelve of them in a pen. They work well with large carnivores or sauropods. As long as you have electric fences, you’re safe from storm breakouts. I sometimes end up with 36 dilophosaurs spread between three different pens, which by itself is ⅓ of the points needed to reach 10k.
- 8x Diplodocus – $5M for 976 points ($5,123 per point)
The easiest sauropod to satisfy doesn’t even need a crazy big holding pen (about 75% of the space needed by other sauropods). I usually build at least 16 of them in two different pens. They combine easily with 12x dilophosaurs, or 5x brachiosaurs + 7x camarasaurs. Their only downside, shared by other sauropods, is an ungodly-long incubation time.
NOTE: Just between the 36 dilophosaurs and 16 diplodocus, we’re already at 5,258 points. This is over half of what is needed.
- 3x Modded Ceratosaurus – $2.1M for 407 points ($5,103 per point)
Ceratosaurus is the best large carnivore by far. It has everything a large carnivore should: available from the beginning, smallish pen requirements, high pop max, the highest social max (3) of any large carnivore, good cost efficiency.
- 5x Brachiosaurus – $3.9M for 700 points ($5,600 per point)
Although not as efficient or affable as the Diplodocus, Brachiosaurs are available early and still represent huge star value. Just make sure they have enough forest (2.5x diplodocus’ requirements should be more than enough) and they’re still a good value.
- 7x Camarasaurus – $4.7M for 896 points ($5,297 per point)
Everyone hates these ladies because they need so much forest, but if you design your enclosure correctly (2.5x diplodocus’ requirements is barely enough), they’ll always be satisfied. Or just wait to release them until you’re within 15-20 minutes of a 5.0/5.0 rating, and they won’t have enough time to go stir-crazy.
- 4x Modded Ankylosaurus + 4x Modded Crichtonsaurus – $2.9M for 595 points ($4,939 per point)
Probably the second best value after the dilophosaurs, but with the advantage of not needing any electrical fencing. Available early on, too!
- 6x Modded Sinoceratops + 5x Modded Chasmosaurus – $3.3M for 701 points ($4,730 per point)
A better value than the ankylosaur combo, but Chasmosaurus isn’t available until later in the game. I usually throw my Sinos in with my Triceratops and Styracosaurus.
- 6x Modded Pachy + 4x Modded Dracorex – $2.2M for 466 points ($4,661 per point)
Slightly more efficient than the Sino/Chasmo combo, but similarly late. I almost always start off with a pen of 8x Dracorex.
Conclusions & Suggestions
The powerhouse dino pens once your economy is going are all some combination of sauropod+small carnivore+one of the two big carnivores. Mix and match as you will; they’ll all live in relative peace. Well, not peace…but not death, either. Add some armored dinos and pachycephalosaurids and you should be well on your way to 10k dino points.
The sample island I constructed below has only ten species, but 9,407 dinosaur points (before variety penalty). Incubate 15 other species totalling 600 points, and you have the recipe for an efficient, 5.0/5.0 star island.
| Pen 1 – medium | # | Cost Per Point | Points Per Dino | Total Points | Total Cost |
| Dilophosaurus |
12 |
$4,348 | 92 | 1102 |
$4,791,944 |
| Ceratosaurus |
3 |
$5,103 | 136 | 407 |
$2,078,525 |
| Pen 2 – medium | |||||
| Dilophosaurus |
12 |
$4,348 | 92 | 1102 |
$4,791,944 |
| Baryonx |
2 |
$5,126 | 182 | 365 |
$1,869,413 |
| Pen 3 – large | |||||
| Diplodocus |
8 |
$5,123 | 122 | 976 |
$5,000,000 |
| Brachiosaurus |
5 |
$5,600 | 140 | 700 |
$3,920,000 |
| Camarasaurus |
7 |
$5,297 | 128 | 896 |
$4,746,000 |
| Pen 4 – large | |||||
|
Diplodocus |
8 | $5,123 | 122 | 976 |
$5,000,000 |
| Velociraptor |
6 |
$4,771 | 98 | 591 |
$2,819,235 |
| Ceratosaurus |
3 |
$5,103 | 136 | 407 |
$2,078,525 |
| Camarasaurus |
3 |
$5,297 | 128 | 384 |
$2,034,000 |
| Pen 5 – small | |||||
| Ankylosaurus |
4 |
$4,969 | 80 | 319 |
$1,587,237 |
| Crichtonsaurus | 4 | $4,904 | 69 | 276 |
$1,353,024 |
| Pen 6 – small | |||||
| Ankylosaurus |
4 |
$4,969 | 80 | 319 |
$1,587,237 |
| Crichtonsaurus |
4 |
$4,904 | 69 | 276 |
$1,353,024 |
| Pen 7 – small | |||||
| Dracorex |
8 |
$4,519 | 39 | 310 |
$1,399,680 |
| TOTAL | 9407 | $46,409,789 | |||
| SPECIES | 10 |
Jurassic World Evolution Strategy 