Targeted Pack (?) + Free update (your opinions)

[Bughs]

I didn't know how to name such pack but I would like to know your opinion about a pack which would focus on "(ethical) hunting".
Meaning, it would include animals which are commonly targeted for controlled hunting. I am probably focused too much on european region because it's most common for me. Of course I'd like to be given more ideas from different regions, I just don't know about other options.
Down below there are also (controversial?) ideas about building items or a Free update features.

We already got animals like Fallow Deer, Red Deer, Red Fox, Pronghorn Deer, Wilderbeest, Bison etc so I chose these:

Roe Deer (LC)

Most common hunted animal in my area. Was spotted in albino, piebald and melanistic morph in nature. I like their puffy grey winter fur.

Mule Deer (LC)

Distinctive cervidae by it's bulky build and it's large 'mule-like' ears. It's antlers can grow quite unique and big. Spotted as albino and melanistic in nature.

White-tailed Deer (LC)

Some may say these deer are way too similar to each other but compared to the other two, this one has very distinctive fluffy 'white tail' which makes it unique. They are known to be bred for various types of piebaldism and albinism.
If it would not be an Animal Pack, it would have to choose between Mule Deer or White-tailed Deer.

Wild boar (LC)

If we are not getting this animal in some kind of woodland DLC, this one is a must to add. Common zoo animal and common hunted animal. And while it might not look like it's as interesting as the warthog, babirusa or red-river hog, it challenges them all with the cuteness of it's piglets.

European Mouflon OR Bighorn Sheep (LC)

or

While similar on a first sight, unique in their own way it's hard to choose one. While mouflon is from my region, is quite rare to see and has unique color with the white on the hull, bighorn is bigger and very common must-have zoo animal for american region and it waits so long since the introduction of the dall sheep in the very first PlanetZoo DLC.

Pheasant OR Western Capercaillie OR Wild Turkey (LC)

or

or

Pheasant is most commonly hunted (almost) flightless bird. With the 'peacock rig' it could finally be part of the zoo. It has many feather color variations to make it even more interesting for the game. On the other hand capercaillie is very unique big bird which was forbidden to hunt anymore due to their dissapearance in our forests. However I guess our american animals fans it would be rather suitable to add the wild turkey.

For another bird I wanted to add Mallard Duck but there is not a system for flying birds in the game yet so I didn't know how it could have been implemented.

Axis Deer OR Sika Deer (LC)

or

To give the pack a bit more "exotic" feel these two commonly hunted and more exotic looking deer cound be another addiction to the pack.

Chamois (LC)

Unique and cute looking caprinae allowed to be hunted but I've heard they've never been introduced to zoos because they get too stressed.

Walkthrough Exhibit animal:
(Wild) Rabbit

An odd choice maybe? Hares and rabbits are commonly hunted animals but I didn't know how they could have been added to the game. But then I thought about the walkthrough exibit in a style of the "rabbit island" with so many color variations to make it a colorful and fluffy experience.

I know there is too many of them but I couldn't decide which ones to not add.

• And now finally about the items and Free Update with this DLC:

Taxidermy and animal decorations:
It's common in zoos to be decorated with taxidermised animal (even the ones which died in the exact zoo), animal skins, skeletons, skulls, antlers, horns,...
I don't know you feel about this kind of addiction in a game which is scared to show animal birthing, mating or hunting. I've noticed such decorations are not even in TheSims games.

Antlers variety based on animal's score:
It feels weird to me that for example least quality red deer stag has the same pretty antlers like the golden rated one. It would be a nice addiction to see three or four versions of antlers from some big ones for the golden rater, and small ones for the bronze rated and lower.

New addition to education boards:
Warning messages about overhunting problems reffering to past extinctions (dodo, quagga, auk), inrormations about overpopulation problems of certain animals (boar, rabbits in certain areas for example)

Let me know what you think!

 

[QueenCinna]

I would add in the red fox and feral cat personally but I'm Australian, and there is focus on these species

 

[NZFanatic]

For some Oceania representation, you could add in the brush-tailed possum. It's a pest here in New Zealand but protected in Australia - kind of a perfect mix for a pack like this.

I would add in the red fox and feral cat personally but I'm Australian, and there is focus on these species

Red fox is already in the game.

 

[FoxyDee]

game which is scared to show animal birthing, mating or hunting

Would anyone really want to stare at pixelated animals mating? Kinda creepy if you ask me. And not sure how is hunting, other than maybe some taxidermy items really relevant to a zoo game. The items would be really useful though, that is a nice idea.

 

[QueenCinna]

Red fox is already in the game.

This is true, I completely forgot it was in there. I don't think I've used it now that I think on it.

 

[NZFanatic]

Would anyone really want to stare at pixelated animals mating?

You know what's super weird, is this isn't the first time someone's brought it up. There does seem to be a segment of the playerbase, however small, that for some reason wants to watch their animals doing the dirty.

 

[Bughs]

Would anyone really want to stare at pixelated animals mating? Kinda creepy if you ask me. And not sure how is hunting, other than maybe some taxidermy items really relevant to a zoo game. The items would be really useful though, that is a nice idea.

Of course it's not about being able to "watch them" as that, more like why it's considered so unnatural to hide it, but it's true I was writting it in late night and absolutelly forgot there are those cute animal interaction animation indicating mating, so my bad ^^"

Hunting is not relevant to a zoo game, that is true, but I didn't know how to name it for these animals, the antlers upgrade and taxidermy items. In my language we have a name for a job where people are controlling the populations in the forest, take care of their wellbeing and if necessary they have shut down ill ones or old ones. They are also the ones who have the autorisation to take care of animals killed by cars etc. And this was the name I was trying to go for. They are not really "hunters" as the word is described but google translator didn't give me any other option ^^"

 

[Fallax]

4 deer in one pack would not go over well with a lot of people.

 

[Colehunter35]

4 deer in one pack would not go over well with a lot of people.

i would like it

 

[synthetase]

I like the animals. I don't like the theme at all. PZ is about saving animals. Not hunting them. Even if hunting (supposedly) balances the ecosystem irl there isn't a place for it in a game IMO...

 

[QueenCinna]

Maybe a game warden?

Of course it's not about being able to "watch them" as that, more like why it's considered so unnatural to hide it, but it's true I was writting it in late night and absolutelly forgot there are those cute animal interaction animation indicating mating, so my bad ^^"

Hunting is not relevant to a zoo game, that is true, but I didn't know how to name it for these animals, the antlers upgrade and taxidermy items. In my language we have a name for a job where people are controlling the populations in the forest, take care of their wellbeing and if necessary they have shut down ill ones or old ones. They are also the ones who have the autorisation to take care of animals killed by cars etc. And this was the name I was trying to go for. They are not really "hunters" as the word is described but google translator didn't give me any other option ^^"

 

[Villanelle]

NO.

 

[Fallax]

i would like it

I really like roe and axis deer. I'm fine with white-tailed but getting white-tailed and mule would be overkill.

 

[Bughs]

I like the animals. I don't like the theme at all. PZ is about saving animals. Not hunting them. Even if hunting (supposedly) balances the ecosystem irl there isn't a place for it in a game IMO...

Hunting is not relevant to a zoo game, that is true, but I didn't know how to name it for these animals, the antlers upgrade and taxidermy items. In my language we have a name for a job where people are controlling the populations in the forest, take care of their wellbeing and if necessary they have shut down ill ones or old ones. They are also the ones who have the autorisation to take care of animals killed by cars etc. And this was the name I was trying to go for. They are not really "hunters" as the word is described but google translator didn't give me any other option ^^"

 

[Cocolori]

Hunting is not relevant to a zoo game, that is true, but I didn't know how to name it for these animals, the antlers upgrade and taxidermy items. In my language we have a name for a job where people are controlling the populations in the forest, take care of their wellbeing and if necessary they have shut down ill ones or old ones. They are also the ones who have the autorisation to take care of animals killed by cars etc. And this was the name I was trying to go for. They are not really "hunters" as the word is described but google translator didn't give me any other option ^^"

Hi there,

In british English we would probably refer to them as 'game animals'. Pheasants, deer etc. It is usually used to describe animals which are wild or semi wild but where their populations are often managed or even where they have been introduced for hunting for both sport and food.

British examples would be pheasant, partridge, red deer, rabbits. We do not usually include non-edible animals as game so it may not be quite the same as your words - foxes, birds of prey, wolves etc. we're hunted for sport but aren't considered to be game

 

[NZFanatic]

non-edible animals

Off-topic but this phrase always makes me laugh. All animals are edible, people just squeamish about certain ones (not directed at you, just the general phrase). Like the only reason horse meat isn't common in western markets besides a couple of places (Poland, I think?) is because of the Catholic Church banning it as a food in the middle ages. It's just some weird cultural thing that says "these animals are okay to eat, these ones are not". You get people in the west railing against the concept of eating dog meat in some Asian countries, when they've been doing it for centuries.

 

[QueenCinna]

I said to someone today that Australia should cut back on sheep and cattle farming (lol, part of my life ironically) and work towards sustainable kanagroo and emu production and I got looked at like I was insane. Both animals are ecologically less damaging and able to deal with the climate. And healthier as a food from what I've been reading. People are oddly squeamish about certain species.

Off-topic but this phrase always makes me laugh. All animals are edible, people just squeamish about certain ones (not directed at you, just the general phrase). Like the only reason horse meat isn't common in western markets besides a couple of places (Poland, I think?) is because of the Catholic Church banning it as a food in the middle ages. It's just some weird cultural thing that says "these animals are okay to eat, these ones are not". You get people in the west railing against the concept of eating dog meat in some Asian countries, when they've been doing it for centuries.

 

[Cocolori]

Off-topic but this phrase always makes me laugh. All animals are edible, people just squeamish about certain ones (not directed at you, just the general phrase). Like the only reason horse meat isn't common in western markets besides a couple of places (Poland, I think?) is because of the Catholic Church banning it as a food in the middle ages. It's just some weird cultural thing that says "these animals are okay to eat, these ones are not". You get people in the west railing against the concept of eating dog meat in some Asian countries, when they've been doing it for centuries.

Whilst I agree with you generally and take your point - there are pretty good reasons why humans tend to eat herbivores and omnivores throughout evolutionary history (on land, in the oceans we go for animals higher on the food chain). So whilst technically we could, and some cultures do still eat, animals at the higher trophic levels we tend to avoid them. It's interesting actually that it's unclear whether this is instinctive or cultural knowledge passed from generation to generation. So in places where food is very scarce like the arctic you have communities that traditionally eat polar bear liver but because of the toxins it has to be rotted, preserved and prepared in specific ways or it'll kill you! So whilst we could eat foxes, wolves and bears which we've always targeted for hunting in the UK before they went extinct, it is still probably a fair generalisation to say they aren't really edible because it isn't an efficient energy conversion or likely to be very good for us. So edibility is a bit of a spectrum rather than a yes / no thing in my head.