I will begin with a disclaimer: I now have a unicorn. However, I played this game for months before getting it. I started the game when it was so brand new there were only 4 elements, and spent weeks at the old level 30 cap, then weeks at the new level 40 cap, before my luck rolled in. I have no emeralds. I have no additional unicorns. I may have one now but I remember VERY clearly what it was like going for months without. And all the coping mechanisms I came up with to be able to inch forward as fast as I could regardless.
For those of you who think game life must be easier with a ultras, you are correct. It takes SO little effort to get an ultra to level 10, and at that level it makes the income of a typical common-rare-super spread of 10 animals. The income of 10. In one small habitat. It IS worth the long wait.
I can?t even imagine how easy expanding and feeding animals is for those with multiple ultras. I know there are those with multiples out there who complain that they don?t get as much income as we might think, but that is only because, while they lucked / exploited / bought their way to a fleet of yachts as compared to the ultra-less in rowboats, they don?t put the effort in to make the fuel to make their yachts go. But even so, they can just coast and still get ahead. They still have yachts. And no room for complaint about mediocre income if they don?t want to put in the tiny bit of effort required to fuel them, as compared to the effort it takes those with rowboats to move the same distance.
This thread is for those who don?t have yachts yet, but who DO want to put the effort in to row to the finish line. Who want to get a decent income even with the handicap of no unicorn. I managed to get over a million coins per day income and nearly all my expansions pre-unicorn. By intelligently leveling what I did have, and choosing the best habitats to house them. And I wanted to create a thread to share advice and help others in the same boat (lol) at least be able to expand and create enough income to afford to plant grand farm crops. After all you need 10 animals to earn what 1 ultra does. You NEED that room.
I would very much appreciate it if those with a fleet of yachts not come into this thread to spit on the rowboat masses again, and claim they have problems that are anything like the hardship of playing for months with no ultras. Yes, people with yachts have problems, too. People on the Upper East Side with bunch of hired help also have problems. That doesn't mean it is polite or necessary to share their problem of their maid wanting more than minimum wage with someone struggling to put food on the table. If this thread degenerates into another about ?people with yachts have ?problems? too?, it loses it?s usefulness. The purpose of this thread is to help those who are without still get somewhere with the game. I ask that every experienced player entering this thread PLEASE, if you can?t just be HELPFUL, to those for whom this thread is created, please just leave it be.
Anyone entering this thread who is unicorn-less and wants to ask questions / seek advice, please do!
After all that preamble, I will have to start my actual advice in the next post. Again, other players who know what it is to try to get by for months with no unicorn, please add your advice!