Zoo Tycoon Complete Collection on Linux Ubuntu

[Borsato]

Like me, many users wants to play Zoo Tycoon on their PC, but if you have an O.S. like Linux Ubuntu (one of the most Linux O.S. used) what can we do?

For this question there is a very simple answer, to be precise we going to use Wine.(*) The version of wine I used is 0.6.

 

In my case, I have a Linux Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron with a VESA for graphic drivers.

This tutorial works fine also if you have a Linux Ubuntu 8.10 Intrepid Ibex. This tutorial works only if you have a desktop resolution <= 1024x768.

 

UPDATE: I have updated my O.S. to a new Linux Distro, so I'm going to write a new tutorial also for it.

The O.S. this time is Linux Mint, a distro of Linux Ubuntu. The graphic driver are the VESA and the Wine used is 1.0

 

------------------------------------> TUTORIAL FOR INSTALLING ZOO TYCOON UNDER LINUX UBUNTU 8.04/8.10 WITH WINE 0.6 <-------------------

 

Let's see what we have to do:

 

1) First, open Synaptic (System -> Amministration -> Synaptic Packet Manager), and search Wine.

2) Mark the option: wine

wine-dev

3) After the installation, insert the first Zoo Tycoon CD and open the file .exe with a rigth click of the mouse and select "Open with another application" and choose "wine".(**)

4) Now, after the installation of Zoo Tycoon, please when it start the game change the window opened with another, pressing alt+tab. Wait 5-6 minutes and return to the Zoo Tycoon window. Then exit from the tutorial and let's install the expansions.

5)Do the same thing above

 

When I play with it, many times it blocks when it is loading, for jump this problem after have started the game from the menù (Application -> Wine -> Programs -> Microsoft Games -> Zoo Tycoon -> Play ZTCC) or after have pressed the Play button of the initial windows use the same trick of alt+tab.(***)

 

 

------------------------------------> TUTORIAL FOR INSTALLING ZOO TYCOON UNDER LINUX MINT 10 WITH WINE 1.0 <--------------------------------------

 

Let's see what we have to do:

 

1) First, open Synaptic (System -> Amministration -> Synaptic Packet Manager), and search Wine.

2) Mark the option: wine

wine-dev

and install it.

3) Insert the first Zoo Tycoon CD and change your desktop resolution to 800x600. Now open a terminal (Applications -> Accessories -> Terminal)

4) Type this comand "cd ../../media/ZOO_TYCN; wine setup.exe" without the inverted commas and press Enter

5) When the installation end, close the terminal, eject the first CD and insert the second cd.

6) Insert the second Zoo Tycoon CD and open a new terminal

7) Type this comand "cd ../../media/MARINE; wine setup.exe" without the inverted commas and press Enter

8) With the installation ended, close the terminal and reboot your pc.

9) Now you can play at Zoo Tycoon (***) simply clicking on Applications -> Wine -> Programs -> Microsoft Games -> Play at Zoo Tycoon Complete Collection (****)

 

 

------------------------------------> END OF TUTORIALS <------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

* Another possibility is install a Virtual Machine using Virtual Box or create a partition in the same hard disk with Windows. Don't tell me How can I do it because I don't know.

** Wine is perfect for emulating Window's Programs on O.S. like Linux Ubuntu

*** In internet I've read about some problems similar at this, but about the two initial videos. Just delete them from the main folder of Zoo Tycoon. The main folder of Zoo Tycoon can be found in this position:

Application -> Wine -> Browse C:\ Drive

From here you will see the classic tree of directory that is in a normal Windows O.S., then:

Programs -> Microsoft Games -> Zoo Tycoon

Another most nice way is to open with a text editor (like gedit or mcedit) the Zoo.ini and should be changed to use "playMovie=0" and "playSecondMovie=0" instead of "playMovie=1" and "playSecondMovie=1".

**** ATTENTION! You need to have the same resolution that is set in the game or your game will crash!

 

Other little problems to overpass (at the right of the problem I will write the solution, if you find an easy and more good solution, please tell me it. And after the solution, what is it the problem in few words) :

 

- Blend the terrain: Put in options "don't blend" or when you change terrain the game will crash. For some reasone the bland problem give errors

Probelm: when the game try to blend the terrain or you try to put change the terrain with the blend option on, the game will crash.

 

- Uploading the game: Change Desktop (ctrl+controlpad) or open something that put behind the upload of the game (like a directory) and go to it when the game is uploading (alt+tab). For have to be sure about the complete upload of the game, listen when the music stops because the pop-up about the user created object will appear putting the game in pause.

Problem: When the game is uploading, after a while the screen goes black. If you don't change desktop or open something on it, the game will crash.

 

-Show Tank: No solution yet.

Problem: Creating a show tank and the game will crash.

 

-Resolution Play: No solution yet.

Problem: Have a 1280x800 resolution give you a game crash. I've tried it many times, install the game, then change ingame the resolution, but it doesn't want to change. Tried also to change the zoo.ini but the effect was a game crash.

 

Fern has told me about Zoo Tycoon and Suse Linux 7. With Winex the game it will run, but we don't know if with the latest version of Winex can run ZTCC, because the old version of Winex don't run on Suse Linux 11.

 

If there are other problems, please contact me, I will help you ^^

How many new info I will get, many new information I will add to this post.

I tried to be more clear possible, excuse me I'm not English xD, but I wanted to help this Zoo Tycoon Community.

 

Thanks to Fern for the new information about Suse Linux.

Thanks to Jay for the other method to bypass the video problem.

[(Admin)Savannahjan]

Excellent information, Borsato, thanks for posting.

[Borsato]

Update! I have added the Fern's information abot Suse Linux and another way for bypass the video problem. More I have added more details about the version of Wine and Linux I used.

[Borsato]

hello everyone! New info I have:

1- I'm not sure about this, but if you see the game run slowly when you play in a map with many different terrains change the option: "Don't blend". I think this is a video driver problem, but I have discovered it in my zoo tycoon, so I prefered put this info

2- The loading screen problem, I have read in the Wine site a mode to overpass this problem is to change the fullscreen to 0 in the zoo.ini file. Tomorrow I will try it.

3- I've seen in my zoo tycoon, when you close it, it give a strange error that says: Zoo Tycoon caused a problem, "close" or "debug"? Choose "close" every time so it will close.

Good Nigth everyone!

[partywolf]

Thank you for the info, Borsato. I am sure other people will find this very useful.

[Borsato]

Update!

I have found another problem. It is about create show tanks, when you just create one it crash. I don't know if it is a problem becouse it is under Linux or becouse an user crated item.

[Borsato]

Minor updates

[Guest Kiwi]

Someone pin this, now!

[Borsato]

Update! Installation of Zoo Tycoon Complete Collection under Linux Mint 10 (Someone please, if can, could tell me if the tutorial is compatible also with Linux Ubuntu 10.04?)