Here's one question for everyone:
If the next DLC is last, is there a version of that pack (not making it into an unrealistic 30 animal expansion) that would completely satisfy you or come close to it? Or do you believe that there are too many holes to be plugged by one pack?
Short answer: maybe.
Long answer:
It really comes down to what Frontier decides to do, because in my opinion, the last ABC animals we truly need are the South American monkeys (we also need birds, but 1-2 more SA monkeys would satisfy me, every continent needs more birds) baboon, and a duck(s). To some extent everyone needs one of the top meta-wishlist animals, and for everyone one of them is their favorite. Realistically looking at how far we have come we have long passed the ABC animals and have entered into necessary, but ultimately niche, animals for the respective continents (once again only birds are exempt from this). Make no mistake I am also guilty of this: the American black bear is very important for making a proper zoo for North Americans like me. Ultimately though, we already have the universal ABC animals for North America such as the bison, alligator, and grizzly. While I would use the ABB over the grizzly, it is the prototypical bear for North America. So that just begs the question: do I find it necessary, would its inclusion prevent me from making the zoo of my dream? The answer is anywhere from no, to maybe. Especially when modders can take over for animals like the ABB, and do an amazing job while at it. I could never make an American zoo without bison, or alligators though.
The fact of the matter is, this final pack will probably have only 8 or so species of animals in it. If we are lucky, Frontier will see the writing on the wall and try to add as many animals as possible. That comes down to staff, money, and time, and Frontier mostly likely has none of that working in their favor right now. More power to them though, even if it isn’t what I like they always produce amazing products.
For me it all comes down to birds in the end. Which I have said this before, birds are absolutely “filler” animals. Outside of Flamingos or penguins, they won’t be the stars of the zoo. Still I find them as a whole to be a necessity. They can have great interspecies bonuses, flesh out dedicated areas, and work to better diversify your zoo. Still, birds would need a pack bigger than any to find me anywhere close to “satisfied”. Despite everything they are so important to me and the zoo experience.
After visiting a number of zoos I made a thread about 12 bird species I thought were necessary to create “tropical houses”. Many zoos have them, and you can recreate them in Planet Zoo. Still, without the proper bird species to fill them they can feel empty to me. Like something is missing. Because something is missing! It’s the birds flying overhead, it’s all the animals living together and almost recreating the real habitat they share. I don’t just want the
white faced whistling duck because I love birds and ducks (which I do!) but also because of its ability to represent multiple continents. This cute little duck can have an interspecies bonus with so many animals in the game from Africa and South America. All while also giving crucial dimension, personality, and flavor to our builds. The other 11 or so species I highlighted weren’t as variable, with the exception of some: roseate spoonbills and scarlet ibis can work in an Everglades build, and the hamerkop and wfwd can work in a Madagascar build. Still, the amount of birds I need aren’t due to them being absolutely crucial ABC animals. But because they add so much to my builds and zoos and I am crucially missing out on. For my North American prairies I have no burrowing owl, for my African Savannah I have no grey crowned crane or Guinea fowl, the mute swan has no other waterfowl to share with, for my tropical houses I have no scarlet ibis, Asia is missing pheasants like the golden pheasant, so on and so forth. I’m coming to terms with it now, but without mods some of the most basic bird species are just gonna be lacking.
So to fully answer the question, I cannot be fully satisfied, but I can be made happy enough. Here is what I request for the final dlc:
- For the African baboon I would pick the Hamadryas baboon. It really is a no brainer. While I would love to get a tropical monkey for Africa, like the black and white colobus or debrazza’s monkey, the baboon should be enough for me. It’s not to say I won’t miss the other monkeys, I will, but I can “live without them”.
- For South America, I will take at least one more monkey. It could be any of the 3-5 species people have mentioned over the past month. I am not picky, I would be equally happy with anything. I will highlight the black howler monkey for being high on the meta wishlist, and the golden lion tamarin due to its relevant zoo conservation story.
- I made my case over it, but the white faced whistling duck is the most versatile duck we could get. At least as far as interspecies bonuses, also considering its status as a tropical duck it wouldn’t be a “generic duck” you would find in a pond. But the mandarin duck and mallard duck also have their uses. The former being the quintessential exotic duck, the later being a versatile species. Unlike the wfwd the mallard is a generic duck, for better or worse.
- Finally, just one more bird. It could be anything. If the Oceania pack could get two birds, this final pack could as well. Shoot, I would be ecstatic if we even got three. For South America I’m gonna highlight the scarlet ibis, but I would love to give it to our buddy the grey crowned crane as well.
- Edit: I forgot to mention, but getting one more domestic would be nice. I’m not gonna change the rest of my post, but considering how common they are I would happily take a domestic goat. Add them in with the llama and my farm area would be passible enough.
Any other animal I don’t mention would be welcomed to me. If I had my way the final pack would be all birds and monkeys. Considering I don’t represent the community at large it’s good I don’t make the decisions regarding that. Simply put, outside of bird and monkeys, every other animals is a welcome bonus. They just aren’t as “necessary” to me.
