Mapping PZ through 2024 - my ideas

[Antimony96]

The topic of Planet Zoo's lifespan is one that we've wasted endless breath on, and I don't intend to debate it here, but the creation of new social media channels suggests to me that it has a decent amount of life left in it. Like what @CharlieXGaming has been doing I'd like to share my ideas for what might be coming over the next year and some change, trying to limit myself to what's plausible given what we know Frontier is and isn't capable of but also trying to be a bit on the optimistic side.

First I'd like to throw my hat in the ring with the fourth anniversary update, which could be a wide range of animals, but will almost certainly be an animal that uses an existing rig and wouldn't be a headliner of a future pack. The 2021 anniversary animal was the black and white ruffed lemur, which was practically a clone, while the 2022 anniversary animal was the red deer, which reused a rig but was still clearly distinct from the other deer in the game. My idea is definitely in the latter camp--the grey crowned crane. An endangered bird native to sub-Saharan Africa, the grey crowned crane is both a very common sight in captivity and a commonly-requested animal.

The last anniversary update gave us Bernie's Bakes. This year, I think the most obvious zoo foodstuff missing from Planet Zoo is popcorn, and accordingly, I wouldn't be surprised to see a popcorn stand in addition to some new temporary anniversary hats and balloons. Coming alongside the popcorn stand is a similar cotton candy stand.

 

[Antimony96]

Update 1.16, released on December 19th, adds several new features. The biggest of these is an overhaul to the animal market in Sandbox mode, allowing players to toggle the animal genetic features they want (including having all settings at max) and offering an infinite number of any given animal at all times (rather than two males and two females at a time), while making unique color morphs more common. Also being added are binoculars, enabling guests to view animals from much further away, improving their satisfaction. They can be free or set to cost a small fee.

In addition, the Indian peafowl now has piebald color variants.

 

[Orkan]

Update 1.16, released on December 19th, adds several new features. The biggest of these is an overhaul to the animal market in Sandbox mode, allowing players to toggle the animal genetic features they want (including having all settings at max) and offering an infinite number of any given animal at all times (rather than two males and two females at a time), while making unique color morphs more common. Also being added are binoculars, enabling guests to view animals from much further away, improving their satisfaction. They can be free or set to cost a small fee.
View attachment 370501
In addition, the Indian peafowl now has piebald color variants.
View attachment 370500

This is my first time seeing a piebald peafowl. I want it so much now

 

[Antimony96]

December 19th also brings the Highlands Animal Pack, revealed after a Fontier rock climbing stream. It contains eight new animals from the mountain ranges of Eurasia, Africa, and the Americas. Headlining the pack is the gelada, a large grazing monkey endemic to the Ethiopian Highlands.

While not exclusively a highland animal, the highly-requested wolverine makes its appearance as the representative of the northern forests that cover much of the Scandinavian and Rocky Mountains, among others.

The first bear to be added to PZ in over two years, the Andean bear of South America, the last of the short-faced bears, also arrives to your zoos.

Widely known for its extremely dense fur and "grumpy" appearance is the Pallas's cat of central Asia.

The markhor, with its unmistakable spiral horns, stands tall over the plateaus as the first of two caprines in this pack.

The other new goat is the Sichuan takin, a bulky big-nosed beast whose range overlaps with that of the panda.

Another representative of Asia, the Himalayan monal male is known for its resplendent multicolored plumage and comes in as Planet Zoo's second fowl.

As the exhibit animal, the fully aquatic Lake Titicaca frog, native only to guess where, is a bizarre endangered species with a rapidly expanding captive presence due to an extensive breeding program.

Coming with these eight animals are, as usual, new sign pieces, as well as a new campaign scenario set in between the peaks of the Himalayan Mountains in Nepal.

(This prediction is a bit dull because a Highlands pack has been discussed to death, and my list is very similar to some others. But the next one will be a bit of a shake-up.)

 

[Antimony96]

Update 1.17 comes fairly late--April 9th--but contains some of the game's biggest additions since the Aquatic pack. First, ported (but heavily modified) from Planet Coaster is the carousel! The seats of this old-fashioned zoo staple consist of various base game animals, including lions, tigers, zebras, and elephants.

The second major addition is the presence of feeding stations for walkthrough habitats, in which guests can purchase a handful of feed pellets from a dispenser at the habitat gate which they can then hand-feed to the animals inside the habitat, which fills a very small amount of their nutritional need. Feeding animations are added to the llama, capybara, and fallow deer.

A final addition is map skirt customization, allowing players to choose the map skirt they want for a given biome (so no tundra skirt in the rainforest, sorry) rather than being locked into one choice per continent.

 

[Antimony96]

A week before Easter, the Barnyard Pack releases on April 19th! As one of the most obvious remaining scenery themes, I really do expect something like this in the next year. While there's some farm-related scenery already in the Aquatic Pack and to a lesser extent in Conservation, this pack really amps up the theming, with more crops, a new wooden wall set, new fence sets, a greenhouse, a mock beehive, and more! It comes with a new timed scenario, set in the Cotswolds of England, tasking the player to build a small family-friendly zoo from a former farm.

The Barnyard Pack also contains five new animals. For the first time since the Arctic Pack, all five of them are habitat animals. Headlining the pack ahead of the Easter holiday season is the Flemish giant rabbit, a large, docile breed and the game's first and probably only lagomorph.

The third caprine in two packs, the African pygmy goat is a petting zoo staple known for its friendly and playful behavior and massive diversity in coat patterns.

The other European breed in the pack is the Highland, an ancient, shaggy beef cattle bred to handle to the cold climates of the Scottish highlands.

The Kunekune pig of New Zealand offers some surprise Oceanian representation. Its name comes from a Maori term fittingly meaning "fat and round".

The other unique rig in this pack is the Muscovy duck, common in captivity in both its wild and domestic forms with a native range stretching from Texas to Uruguay. Of course, it has an interspecies bonus with the capybara.

(It was hard, but I had to sacrifice the donkey, which would have been #6 were this an animal pack).

 

[jcp011c]

Great ideas! I really like the Highlands pack. First 5 animals you listed are what I'd like to see for sure. Also like the Barnyard set but more so the update. Can't wait to see what else you've got planned.

 

[FlameWizard492]

December 19th also brings the Highlands Animal Pack, revealed after a Fontier rock climbing stream. It contains eight new animals from the mountain ranges of Eurasia, Africa, and the Americas. Headlining the pack is the gelada, a large grazing monkey endemic to the Ethiopian Highlands.
View attachment 370523
While not exclusively a highland animal, the highly-requested wolverine makes its appearance as the representative of the northern forests that cover much of the Scandinavian and Rocky Mountains, among others.
View attachment 370542
The first bear to be added to PZ in over two years, the Andean bear of South America, the last of the short-faced bears, also arrives to your zoos.
View attachment 370543
Widely known for its extremely dense fur and "grumpy" appearance is the Pallas's cat of central Asia.
View attachment 370544
The markhor, with its unmistakable spiral horns, stands tall over the plateaus as the first of two caprines in this pack.
View attachment 370545
The other new goat is the Sichuan takin, a bulky big-nosed beast whose range overlaps with that of the panda.
View attachment 370546
Another representative of Asia, the Himalayan monal male is known for its resplendent multicolored plumage and comes in as Planet Zoo's second fowl.
View attachment 370547
As the exhibit animal, the fully aquatic Lake Titicaca frog, native only to guess where, is a bizarre endangered species with a rapidly expanding captive presence due to an extensive breeding program.
View attachment 370548
Coming with these eight animals are, as usual, new sign pieces, as well as a new campaign scenario set in between the peaks of the Himalayan Mountains in Nepal.

(This prediction is a bit dull because a Highlands pack has been discussed to death, and my list is very similar to some others. But the next one will be a bit of a shake-up.)

Personally, I’d replace the monal with a chinchilla.

 

[Antimony96]

Personally, I’d replace the monal with a chinchilla.

I strongly considered the chinchilla for the exhibit box, (a 4x4x4 is more than enough as long as it has climbing structures) actually.

 

[Orkan]

I strongly considered the chinchilla for the exhibit box, (a 4x4x4 is more than enough as long as it has climbing structures) actually.

I could see some small rodents getting exhibits. Like the Chinchilla, Naked Mole Rat, Mice, Shrews, etc.

 

[FlameWizard492]

I strongly considered the chinchilla for the exhibit box, (a 4x4x4 is more than enough as long as it has climbing structures) actually.

I could see some small rodents getting exhibits. Like the Chinchilla, Naked Mole Rat, Mice, Shrews, etc.

IDK, I still think that it's a little small for the chinchilla.

 

[Antimony96]

Update 1.18 releases June 18th, and with it comes several new features. The first of these changes is an upheaval to null paths, allowing players to create null path barriers and adding an option to turn off kerbs on elevated paths. A second feature added to the base game is a mesh building set, making it much easier and less time-consuming to build chain-link cages.

Also arriving are more new color morphs, including more silver-gray cougars and capybaras and a melanistic maned wolf.

And one last change to an existing animal--the Malayan tapir has been given an official remaster!

 

[Antimony96]

The Latin America Animal Pack arrives on June 18th, 2024, representing animals from the forests, grasslands, coasts, and deserts of Central and South America! From the dry scrublands of Argentina comes the Patagonian mara, which is one of the largest rodents in the world but just as docile as its larger cousin the capybara.

The black howler monkey of Brazil is known for both its booming vocals and unique mode of locomotion, using its prehensile tail as a fifth limb to brachiate through the branches.

The ocelot is an iconic and adaptable Latin American cat and a historic Aztec symbol.

Headlining the Latin America Animal Pack is the heavily demanded South American coati, a raccoon relative with a long snout and ringed tail.

The bristly Chacoan peccary of Argentina is an endangered species with an extensive captive breeding program, and despite its appearance is not a true pig.

One of the largest birds in the world, the greater rhea has a vast captive presence and even an invasive presence in Germany.

At some point there was going to be a true clone, but there are worse choices than the American flamingo, a vibrant and noisy wading bird with a range stretching from Florida to the Galapagos.

Finally, walkthrough exhibits return for the Linnaeus's two-toed sloth, by far the most common sloth species in captivity.

 

[FlameWizard492]

The Latin America Animal Pack arrives on June 18th, 2024, representing animals from the forests, grasslands, coasts, and deserts of Central and South America! From the dry scrublands of Argentina comes the Patagonian mara, which is one of the largest rodents in the world but just as docile as its larger cousin the capybara.
View attachment 370746
The black howler monkey of Brazil is known for both its booming vocals and unique mode of locomotion, using its prehensile tail as a fifth limb to brachiate through the branches.
View attachment 370747
The ocelot is an iconic and adaptable Latin American cat and a historic Aztec symbol.
View attachment 370750
Headlining the Latin America Animal Pack is the heavily demanded South American coati, a raccoon relative with a long snout and ringed tail.
View attachment 370751
The bristly Chacoan peccary of Argentina is an endangered species with an extensive captive breeding program, and despite its appearance is not a true pig.
View attachment 370752
One of the largest birds in the world, the greater rhea has a vast captive presence and even an invasive presence in Germany.
View attachment 370753
At some point there was going to be a true clone, but there are worse choices than the American flamingo, a vibrant and noisy wading bird with a range stretching from Florida to the Galapagos.
View attachment 370754
Finally, walkthrough exhibits return for the Linnaeus's two-toed sloth, by far the most common sloth species in captivity.
View attachment 370758

Instead of the flamingo, how about a kinkajou, tamandua, screaming hairy armadillo, bush dog, or prehensile-tailed porcupine? I’m sure the community would love them.

 

[Antimony96]

Instead of the flamingo, how about a kinkajou, tamandua, screaming hairy armadillo, bush dog, or prehensile-tailed porcupine? I’m sure the community would love them.

I didn't want to include another carnivore, and while I'd love a tamandua or New World porcupine in a vacuum I also think that there are only so many slots for unique rigs. The howler monkey is a big undertaking due to its movement. Ergo, clone that gives us a key New World bird with very little effort.

 

[RightWhale]

The Latin America Animal Pack arrives on June 18th, 2024, representing animals from the forests, grasslands, coasts, and deserts of Central and South America! From the dry scrublands of Argentina comes the Patagonian mara, which is one of the largest rodents in the world but just as docile as its larger cousin the capybara.
View attachment 370746
The black howler monkey of Brazil is known for both its booming vocals and unique mode of locomotion, using its prehensile tail as a fifth limb to brachiate through the branches.
View attachment 370747
The ocelot is an iconic and adaptable Latin American cat and a historic Aztec symbol.
View attachment 370750
Headlining the Latin America Animal Pack is the heavily demanded South American coati, a raccoon relative with a long snout and ringed tail.
View attachment 370751
The bristly Chacoan peccary of Argentina is an endangered species with an extensive captive breeding program, and despite its appearance is not a true pig.
View attachment 370752
One of the largest birds in the world, the greater rhea has a vast captive presence and even an invasive presence in Germany.
View attachment 370753
At some point there was going to be a true clone, but there are worse choices than the American flamingo, a vibrant and noisy wading bird with a range stretching from Florida to the Galapagos.
View attachment 370754
Finally, walkthrough exhibits return for the Linnaeus's two-toed sloth, by far the most common sloth species in captivity.
View attachment 370758

This would probably be my favorite pack ever, two birds, one monkey, a rodent, and a peccary. The dream. Personally I would like a green anaconda/ basilisk for my exhibit animal. I understand people have wanted the two toe for awhile though. I also don’t care for the ocelot too much, but if I were to get it I would definitely use it.

 

[Antimony96]

Update 1.19, arriving on September 24th, 2024, includes a couple new features, most notably a new camera mode--guest mode, which allows you to walk through a park like a guest. Unlike guests, though, you can walk through walls and enter non-walkthrough habitats, though there isn't a Zoo Tycoon-style zookeeper mode function. Additionally, Also arriving in 1.18 are revamped grizzly and Himalayan brown bears, giving them a more realistic appearance and distinguishing them from each other.

Another update to map skirts is the addition of city zoo skirts for every biome (even tundra!) No longer must your zoos be in the middle of an empty field!

 

[Antimony96]

Bundle up--the Northwest Pack is coming on September 24th! Celebrate the rich traditions of the Pacific Northwest and Canada with new indigenous-inspired scenery, get toasty inside a warm log cabin, and get to know five new animals.

A staple of North American exhibits, the North American porcupine is actually more closely related to beavers and capybaras than it is to Old World porcupines.

Headlining the Northwest Pack is the unmistakable Pacific walrus, the largest pinniped outside of the elephant seals.

While the American black bear has a range stretching across North America, a subspecies unique to the Pacific Northwest, the Kermode bear, also appears as one of the available color morphs.

Threatened by human activity, the sea otter is a frequent sight in zoos, aquariums, and rescue centers from California to Alaska to Japan.

With a range stretching well into the Arctic Circle, the wood frog has an unusally high cold tolerance for an amphibian, even being able to tolerate being frozen during hibernation.

In addition, a new career mode scenario follows you and Tiffany as you helm the creation and expansion of a wildlife rescue center near Sitka, Alaska.

 

[zoomaster1994]

I actually really fancy the Northwest pack! Especially the building scenery. Not really sure about the walrus though, don't know, I feel like it should belong in a different pack.

 

[zoomaster1994]

December 19th also brings the Highlands Animal Pack, revealed after a Fontier rock climbing stream. It contains eight new animals from the mountain ranges of Eurasia, Africa, and the Americas. Headlining the pack is the gelada, a large grazing monkey endemic to the Ethiopian Highlands.
View attachment 370523
While not exclusively a highland animal, the highly-requested wolverine makes its appearance as the representative of the northern forests that cover much of the Scandinavian and Rocky Mountains, among others.
View attachment 370542
The first bear to be added to PZ in over two years, the Andean bear of South America, the last of the short-faced bears, also arrives to your zoos.
View attachment 370543
Widely known for its extremely dense fur and "grumpy" appearance is the Pallas's cat of central Asia.
View attachment 370544
The markhor, with its unmistakable spiral horns, stands tall over the plateaus as the first of two caprines in this pack.
View attachment 370545
The other new goat is the Sichuan takin, a bulky big-nosed beast whose range overlaps with that of the panda.
View attachment 370546
Another representative of Asia, the Himalayan monal male is known for its resplendent multicolored plumage and comes in as Planet Zoo's second fowl.
View attachment 370547
As the exhibit animal, the fully aquatic Lake Titicaca frog, native only to guess where, is a bizarre endangered species with a rapidly expanding captive presence due to an extensive breeding program.
View attachment 370548
Coming with these eight animals are, as usual, new sign pieces, as well as a new campaign scenario set in between the peaks of the Himalayan Mountains in Nepal.

(This prediction is a bit dull because a Highlands pack has been discussed to death, and my list is very similar to some others. But the next one will be a bit of a shake-up.)

Good pack! I would just replace the Monal with the Darwin Rhea and the frog with a Giant salamander. Replace in the Latin America pack the Rhea with a Brown pelican. Unless you got more ideas though