Spring 2024 DLC Speculation

[JDgaming209]

Honestly, I think it's inevitable that most people are going to have animals they wanted or deemed to be "essential" that never officially made it into the game (I know I probably will), after all Frontier cannot please everybody. We're probably all going to be disappointed about the fact that some of our favorite animals that we desperately wanted are not going to be making it into the game.

That being said, I think we should all try to be positive still. We have hundreds of animals in the game now, including many that have only made it into the game because we the people made our voices heard and showed Frontier how much we wanted them. We also now have tons of building sets, scenery items, and other features in the game that all greatly increase the game's replay value and have also massively expanded the possibilities for creativity in the game. Altogether, all of the things we wanted that we've managed to get over the course of the game's lifespan, in my opinion, outweighs the things we didn't get.

There's always going to be features, animals, and other things that never made it, but remaining laser-focused on those things will not change the fact that they never happened. I think that PZ has gotten most of the content I originally hoped for, so I'm content with the state that it's in now. In my opinion, instead of only focusing on what we didn't get, I think we should celebrate the amazing things that we did get and appreciate the game for all that it has to offer at this point. Maybe I'm just more of a glass-half-full and not half-empty type of guy. Personally though I can't help but be blown away by the amount of content Frontier has managed to release for this game despite the many issues and setbacks they have had. It's truly amazing to me.

Also on the bright side, at least mods should be able to keep the game alive for a long time after official support ends. Those will also be easier to install and keep installed without having to worry about new updates breaking them. Modders will hopefully be able to bring in a majority of the most-wanted animals to the game that never made it in officially, and I think that's something to look forward to.

 

[NachoB]

Well i never care much aquatics and i made my peace with aviaries not coming to the game.
What makes me sad is that they may end support on such a weirdly unbalances roster

Yes same for me. And expanding on what Orkan said about waterfowls and just looking at how perfect the new pelican mod is in the swan rig i really can't believe they will no re use it for ducks and pelicans. An Américas /LATAM pack still has the chance of featuring ducks and pelicans but will see. Maybe if it is the last pack and it Will cover both Américas then it may be bigger (10-12 animals?). That's my slim hope.

Still feels weird that things like a baboon, crowned crane, a pheasant/galliform or blackbuck won't ever make it though. Specially with the rigs being there for a long time and those animals being very requested for a while as well.

 

[Orkan]

Yes same for me. And expanding on what Orkan said about waterfowls and just looking at how perfect the new pelican mod is in the swan rig i really can't believe they will no re use it for ducks and pelicans. An Américas /LATAM pack still has the chance of featuring ducks and pelicans but will see. Maybe if it is the last pack and it Will cover both Américas then it may be bigger (10-12 animals?). That's my slim hope.

Still feels weird that things like a baboon, crowned crane, a pheasant/galliform or blackbuck won't ever make it though. Specially with the rigs being there for a long time and those animals being very requested for a while as well.

This is why I want a bigger Finale pack with animals from across the world. It could get us a lot of our remaining wants like a duck, a pelican, SA species, crowned crane, and possible tree kangaroo.

 

[SuzieSky]

Rough estimate of the stuff I wanted/deemed essential at the time of release, with only a small handful that I learned about/remembered on the forum.

1. Golden Lion Tamarin
2. American Black Bear
3. Wild Horse
4. Prairie Dog
5. Kangaroo
6. Mountain Lion
7. Giant Anteater
8. Dromedary
9. Moose
10. Koala
11. Serval
12. Beaver
13. White Wolf
14. Cassowary
15. White Rhino
16. Penguin
17. River Otter
18. Gibbon
19. Lynx
20. SA pink/red bird
21. Polar Bear
22. Thomson's Gazelle
23. Capybara
24. Sea Lion
25. Duck/Duck pond
26. Spider Monkey (maybe howler)
27. Ocelot
28. Caribou
29. Tree Kangaroo
30. Malayan Tapir
31. Grey Crowned Crane or Secretary Bird
32. Wombat
33. Pygmy Hippo
34. Maned Wolf
35. Ibex
36. Clouded Leopard or Fishing Cat
37. Swan
38. SA Camelid
39. Caracal
40. Red River Hog
41. Squirrel Monkey
42. Markhor
43. Spectacled Bear
44. Komodo Dragon
45. Fallow Deer
46. Wolverine
47. Meerkat
48. Sloth
49. Muntjac
50. Caiman
51. Bighorn Sheep
52. Addax
53. Porcupine
54. Blackbuck
55. Colobus Monkey
56. Fennec Fox
57. Jaguar
58. Seal
59. Sea Otter
60. Alligator

I got a good chunk of the stuff I wanted. I'm grateful for those picks. Looking at what's left, I'm definitely hoping for a Latin America/Americas pack, and I would love to see even more animals. I kind of wish they could somehow make at least two more packs: the Latin America pack everyone wants and a bigger final one with some popular choices from each continent to end on a high note.

Edited to add a few animals I forgot.

 

[jcp011c]

I've had that outlook since i've arrived on the forum and I may have started an argument or two around "we shouldn't be grateful because corporate blah blah blah" , I'm quite good at starting arguments here for some reason. But yeah the amount of animals that are getting branded as essential is getting ridiculous, there is absolutely no way the 50 odd animals a person suggested on the meta-wishlists are all essential, even many top 10 animals are just personal favourites that their local zoo may feature and every zoo definitely needs that animal because my zoo has it. For me, I have received many animals in the rankings of 30-50 such as the red river hog, lar gibbon, black rhino, another gazelle etc that has made me grateful that a wide range of animals has been introduced in just the last year alone. Sure not receiving my personal favourites (not essential in my view) like the musk ox and sea otter is disappointing but so many other wishlist animals have been added, it balances out the scale.

If the whole support is ending news is right in the end, we will only see an increase of people who have deemed their entire personal wishlist essential to be more bitter rather than grateful.

Yeah, there was even an animal list that I was working on the other day where the idea was to put 20 absolutely essential animals in (not including flying birds). I tried and gave up because I don't have that anywhere near that number of animals that I can justify as "essential" to me. Just two - Spectacled Bear, and at least one more New World Primate. I couldn't even take seriously that I would consider anything else essential. Not to belittle everyone's own personal wishlists, that's just for me and I understand others may value their own wishlists much more.

I have plenty of animals that would be nice to have or that I'd like to see in the game, but do I feel it can't function without them once support stops and they're not in? No. To me our biggest mammal problem is New World Primates. We need another, two more would be nearly essential but we've got to get at least one more. Spectacled Bear is my one personal mammal want that yes, I consider it essential at this point and would be disappointed if we don't get it, but life will go one and I'll still enjoy the game if we don't.

Sometimes I'm not sure if there's a disconnect on my own set of values, or if the word "Essential" is being used completely out of context.

@SuzieSky your list is completely understandable and a good example of how Frontier's actually done pretty well. Doesn't mean it's going to perfect fit everyone's own major wants. It's impossible to. But you've had the GLT as your most wanted animal for a loooong time now, so I completely understand why you would be disappointed in not getting them. This next part isn't directed at you, just another tangential thought.

I'm not saying that people can't be disappointed at not getting certain animals, but when someone's got a list of dozens of essential animals a this point in the game's life , it's hard to imagine any other scenario than being disappointed when support ends.

 

[Nausicaaa 22]

Just imagine a Latin America pack with whistling or muscovy ducks

 

[Marvinb]

Just imagine a Latin America pack with whistling or muscovy ducks

Dream honestly

 

[NachoB]

Idk i feel that if we get a duck it will be some more stereotypical species like mallard, which is possible for a NA pack.

 

[Marvinb]

Idk i feel that if we get a duck it will be some more stereotypical species like mallard, which is possible for a NA pack.

Imo if there is one duck to get its the mandarin. They are one of the best known and common basicly everywhere to my knowledge. Not to mention that they are stunning

 

[NachoB]

Imo if there is one duck to get its the mandarin. They are one of the best known and common basicly everywhere to my knowledge. Not to mention that they are stunning

I would love a mandarín! Not only is my favorite duck but i think it also has that kind of complex feathers arrengement that i feel mods just won't get right.

 

[Nausicaaa 22]

Maybe if it is the last pack and it Will cover both Américas then it may be bigger (10-12 animals?). That's my slim hope.

I would really like a pack like this. Why not, I'll make my own idea

Enter one of the most diverse continents on earth and discover the wonders of the Americas!
Discover the wide grasslands of Argentine Patagonia to look at the swift Greater Rhea and the elusive Patagonian mara. Not far away, in the Andes mountain range, you will be able to observe the imposing Spectacled Bear. From the mountains and plains we move on to the lush Amazon jungle, where you will be able to see the colorful Scarlet Ibis and Roseate Spoonbill taking a bite from the ponds. But be careful where you step! You might not notice the Red-footed Tortoise, whose coloring can fool you. If you're lucky, you'll catch a glimpse of the elusive Ocelot, which is close to a playful South American Coati. If you take your eyes to the trees, you will be able to see the agile Geoffroy's Spider Monkey, while being a little slower, the Brazilian Porcupine can stand out for its whitish coloration. As icing on the cake, welcome 4 species of Tamarins to your WE! The Golden Lion, Black, cotton-top, and lastly, the Emperor Tamarins!

 

[Frogstrich]

Didn't Planet Coaster Get A Spring And Summer Dlc Before Support Ended For The Game. Why Are We Assuming The Spring Dlc Will Be The Final Pack?

 

[JDgaming209]

For comparison of then vs. now, here's my original top 25 animals Wishlist I made back in April of 2022. I will admit that in hindsight, if I would have been as knowledgeable about Zoo animals back then as I am now, there's definitely some species I chose back then that I would change out for more interesting and unique ones now. That being said, I'm glad to say that a majority of the ones I wanted the most back then ended up getting added, which makes me very happy.

1. African Leopard
2. Nile Crocodile
3. Black Rhinoceros
4. Przewalski's Horse
5. Tasmanian Devil
6. Impala
7. Greater Kudu
8. North American Black Bear
9. Wolverine
10. Musk Ox
11. Olive Baboon
12. Red River Hog
13. Giant Eland
14. Blue Wildebeest
15. Saiga
16. Black Howler Monkey
17. Wapiti/Elk
18. Red Deer
19. Dromedary Camel
20. Mule Deer
21. Bighorn Sheep
22. Caracal
23. Axis Deer
24. Red Wolf
25. Mountain Goat

I know in that post, I specifically clarified that I wanted the African Leopard, but tbh I'm fine with the fact that we got the Amur Leopard instead, it makes much more sense from a conservation standpoint. At this point, I still hope that we get at least a couple more ungulates (just because they're so prevalent in zoos), a baboon, the nile crocodile and at least one more bear species and another South American monkey, but other than that, I think I've really gotten most of the animals I desperately wanted to see in this game.

Here's a link to the original post.

New 25 essential habitat animals META-WISHLIST

Yeah I know. Oh drat also "coating" is not an animal. Thanks autocorrect

forums.frontier.co.uk

 

[RightWhale]

Personally if we were to get ducks I would want primarily 3:

1. Mallard, basic but that’s what makes it good in my opinion. Found all over the place, it’s basically what people think of when they think “duck”. I think it being generic is to its benefit, it can fit anywhere! Also it would finally give me a native bird for my North America zoo. We don’t have one yet, and imagine the interspecies bonus it can get with some of the other animals.
2. Then the mandarin duck, not only for Asian sections but arguably the most exotic and pretty of the three.
3. The white faced whistling duck would be my last pick, it can be found in Africa and South America. So besides being a great tropical duck, with a ton of interspecies bonuses. I can see it as the go-to indoor rainforest bird. At least until we get the scarlet ibis or American flamingo

 

[Milurian]

Sort of selfishly it's NOT PZ. If it's PZ, doesn't that mean supports probably ending?

they only have 2 non console games and planet zoo is the only on with success so its almost a guarantee

Why Would They Stop Making Dlcs For Planet Zoo, Their Most Profitable Game. It Could Just Be Either F1 Manager 2023 or JWE2 Going On The Switch/Switch 2.

console vs consoles is an important distinction it wont be a JWE2 port.

If its planet zoo, support is near guaranteed wrapping up. Although there is a chance for support to be development alongside both, frontier is obviously needing the console profit boost to help sales. If I remember, the port over to the mac needed a complete product rather than consoles so not all hope is lost.

They are 100% doing this to have a quick profit boost because it is safe and almost guaranteed hat this mean we have no idea.
it could be many different options such as it was always planned for this time or it was rushed to be delivered now because thats what frontier needs financially. It could be they were saving it for the end of the cycle or the plan to use it to continue the cycle with bringing more fans and intreset to continue dlc just as the pc exclusive audience were slowly loosing interest.

Is it harder to make DLCs or something after a console release? Asking because I actually do not understand why that would mean the end of DLCs.

it depends on how they do the port it could be really easy or really hard

Yeah same. Imo there is no point in adding dinosaurs and ice age animals to PZ. There is already JWE and prehistoric kingdom for that.
I can kinda see them adding very recent extinctions like great auks, tasmanian tigers and such, and i would definetly prefer that. But id rather have a normal pack tbh

I will only accept animals that are so recently extinct that they have been kept in a zoo such as the tasmanian tiger otherwise they will feel weird and off them and also compete with other games.


Even though all the writing is on the wall with close to 200 ingame animals, slowing interest in recent dlcs, console release right around the corner, frontiers financial situation, 5 year anniversary this year and the loss of community managers basically confirms planet zoo is dying I really hope that the console release is going to be concurrent to more dlc releases and that there is still hope for more.

we still have so many themes and animals on mine and many peoples wishlists
themes that ill will be sad never truly get realised

• tundra (muskox and walrus are some of my most wanted animals)
• temperate (I want something truely inspired by the temperate forests of the north america)
• taiga (we are still severely lacking on cold climate animals)
• desert (a true desert pack representing the worlds deserts not just africa)
• central america (everyone has been screaming for animal from that region for ages)
• asia (central asia has so much diversity still not seen)
• antartica (leopard seal is my most wanted animal ok)

 

[sidzee123]

Yep its 99.9% to be Planet Zoo. Looking at the exact sentence:
Frontier has two successful PC games coming to consoles before the end of this financial year.

Now theoretically, and im stretching here there are 4 options but only PZ makes sense:

1) Great War Western Front. The only other Frontier game not on consoles. It was a massive flop and not a success
If you look at the graph above - Frontier foundry is still making a loss. Warhammer Chaos gate is very close the the break even line so a console release will push it up into profit

Just as a reference the horizontal x axis is break even line. All games initially dip due to initial costs but the successful games have made it to profitability above the line. Frontier foundry floppef so bad there's no way they can turn it around to make a profit.

So Great war Western front is out

2) Rollercoaster Tycoon- no need to explain but they have planet coaster on consoles and with a possible multiplatform planet coaster 2 coming it makes no sense. The only reason RT3 was on switch was because they couldn't port Coaster to the switch.


3) Elite Odyssey- Frontier have said PC games, not DLC or PC exclusive. If they said PC exclusive content coming to consoles yes it could have been this. But they specify PC games. And ED is on consoles already. It's wrong to call Elite Dangerous a PC game.

4) Planet Zoo- successful game and I think almost guaranteed they are talking about this.

Now we just have to hope the sales and interest make frontier think about continuing multi platform support for zoo

 

[Orkan]

I honestly don’t see a console release as an end to DLCs. In fact, it should indicate more DLCs. Because it will be on console means that a ton more people are playing who would love new content, and that’s a huge opportunity to make like at least double what they were making before on DLCs. It would also drastically help them out financially.

 

[JDgaming209]

I hope a console release means that we'd continue to get DLC, although I'm not going to get my hopes up for that. We really can't know for sure what Frontier is going to do though.

 

[paul78]

A console release will indeed be the end of support for planet zoo I’m afraid. It was for PC so there’s little reason to believe PZ wouldn’t follow suit. PZ should have a slightly larger more expensive dlc. This will most definitely signify PZ support over.

 

[Captain Callum]

A console release will indeed be the end of support for planet zoo I’m afraid. It was for PC so there’s little reason to believe PZ wouldn’t follow suit. PZ should have a slightly larger more expensive dlc. This will most definitely signify PZ support over.

Support was long over for planet coaster by the time console support came so there is no trend for us to follow which is why everyone is doom talking.