Planet Zoo: Barnyard Animal Pack | Announce

[Birb（｡･ө･｡）]

Yeah, this pack has really brought out the worst in some people and it’s really making the forums a sour place to be around.

It’s okay to be annoyed with the state of the games roster (I know I still am), it’s okay to not like a pack - and constrictive criticism is great, that’s how art like this game grows - but the pettiness on both sides is getting irritating. There are packs I’m not a big fan of (Arid, Eurasia, Twilight), packs that I think are near equally good and bad (like this one!), and packs that I love that other people don’t care for (Oceania), but I’m not gonna go around and insult people or make petty comments for not having the same opinions about a silly zoo game. That goes for toxic positivity too.

Admittedly, I haven’t been too bothered by it since I’ve been too busy thinking about how great these chickens are though lol. : p

 

[DarthQuell]

Admittedly, I haven’t been too bothered by it since I’ve been too busy thinking about how great these chickens are though lol. : p

It's honestly a great chicken:

 

[NZFanatic]

Can we stop with the farm hate? It's ridiculous. Y'all are sucking the fun outta everything. It's almost as bad as the Star Wars fandom, all this gatekeeping. It's annoying. We got the barnyard pack, too late. Nothing y'all can do. Suck it up, buttercup, but now I'm getting fed up with y'all's hate comments about pixels.

1) Toxic Positivity is a thing.
2) Gatekeeping is trying to keep something exclusive to a small group. You've used the word incorrectly, but the irony is that by telling those who aren't happy with the pack to sit back and shut up you're actually the one doing the gatekeeping.
3) The issues with the Star Wars fandom are not comparable. While many of us are simply voicing our disappointment about, as you say, 'pixels', Star Wars and other pop culture fandoms are rife with sexist, racism, and anti-LGBT attitudes, and, unlike this situation here, actually do actively engage in gatekeeping by trying to keep their favourite franchise exclusive to straight white males.

This is a discussion board. Either every opinion is welcome, or no opinion is. Nobody is attacking anybody else or breaking any rules. The social contract is remaining fulfilled. It's unfortunate that you feel like the fun is being sucked "outta everything" but it is what it is. It's an unfortunate consequence of reaching the end game that the eyes of community become more critical; Frontier doesn't have any room left to breathe. It's nobody's fault, it's just the way these things go. Whether you engage or not is entirely up to you.

 

[DarthQuell]

1) Toxic Positivity is a thing.

I have yet to see that here. Nobody is denying the anger towards the pack. What people are tired of is reading 50 comments that say: "I hate this, Frontier is dumb, they never listen"

2) Gatekeeping is trying to keep something exclusive to a small group. You've used the word incorrectly, but the irony is that by telling those who aren't happy with the pack to sit back and shut up you're actually the one doing the gatekeeping

Alright, I misused the word. However, I'm not forcing people not to have opinions or even express themselves, I'm asking them to stop being so hateful and drag on about something for 2 days. We already know that the pack could've been better, we all agreed on it and some of us wanna move on, but yet others wanna just keep dragging it down and badmouthing the pack whenever they get the chance. That is petty

3) The issues with the Star Wars fandom are not comparable. While many of us are simply voicing our disappointment about, as you say, 'pixels',

I think you're missing the principle. It can be comparable, because the point is that some people are being distasteful. We're literally reading things like "let's feed these domestic animals to wild animals." How can a community that loves nature do that? That is most definitely toxic, hypocritical, and just as bad as something like any other franchise fandom

It's nobody's fault

I'm not saying it's anybody's fault. I just wanna open the forums and not constantly see people repeating things over and over. But we see this every pack, some worse than others.
You know, the forums aren't the only place to discuss Planet Zoo, so this isn't the only place they get feedback, and people tend to forget that; I've forgotten that. But when I start reading things like what I stated above or "Frontier hates South America," then it gets old real fast. I'm sorry, but I'm just shocked at how some people acted

 

[NZFanatic]

I can understand that a barrage of negativity is exhausting and I can appreciate the desire to inject more positvity into this, so let me say that although I (primarily) find the choice of theme and (secondarily) find the choice of animals within that theme to both be extremely poor, I can't deny that it does add something necessary to the game and if nothing else I'm at least looking forward to that, and the update adding animal encounters (to a degree) is also something to potentially get excited about so long as it's done sensibly (unlike letting guests walkthrough a giant anteater habitat but not an emu habitat).

For me personally what I find frustrating is that because of the animal choices, the theme isn't growing on me. Like I could easily be swayed into getting behind a barnyard DLC, but I'm prevented from doing so because the breeds they went with are just so uninspired and nonsensical (except the highland cow, but even then I acknowledge there are better choices, and the alpaca is fine, I guess). I don't actually want to feel so negative about this, but I just can't help it. When I imagine building a barnyard area, I get a little excited, but then I remember the animals I've got to put in that barnyard, and I get bummed out again.

I just wish we had some insight into how these decisions are made. I'm not deluded enough into thinking we could influence them, but at least knowing what the brainstorming whiteboard looks like would be somewhat mollifying. Who looks at a list of goat breeds, a list that undoubtedly included the African pygmy goat (which is one of the only domestics the whole community has been able to get behind even outside of a domestic theme), and thinks, "let's go with this other goat that is notoriously unfriendly towards people"?

 

[peafowl]

I think you're missing the principle. It can be comparable, because the point is that some people are being distasteful. We're literally reading things like "let's feed these domestic animals to wild animals." How can a community that loves nature do that? That is most definitely toxic, hypocritical, and just as bad as something like any other franchise fandom

are you comparing bigotry to feeding an animal to another animal

 

[NZFanatic]

I just wanna open the forums and not constantly see people repeating things over and over.

Dude, that is all any discussion here is. If you take out the negative comments, you're left with a bunch of positive comments saying the same thing over and over and over and over and over...

Even beyond this. Look at the speculation threads. They go in a constant cycle of the exact same topics, and the exact same wishlists, repeat ad nauseum.

As for the rest of your post, it's not difficult to simply overlook these comments you don't like. I haven't seen any of what you're talking about, because I'm only bothering to read a handful of posts on each page. Or it's possible that whoever is saying those things is already on my ignore list anyway, in which case it's a moot point.

 

[ElectricMonk]

Can we stop with the farm hate? It's ridiculous. Y'all are sucking the fun outta everything. It's almost as bad as the Star Wars fandom, all this gatekeeping. It's annoying. We got the barnyard pack, too late. Nothing y'all can do. Suck it up, buttercup, but now I'm getting fed up with y'all's hate comments about pixels.

There are so many thing I wanted in the game but didn't come. Y'all see me talking about it with so much negativity? No, I shrug it off and look at the positive aspects, what I'll benefit from. But y'all keep talking about something y'all can't change, and it's so petty

Some of the commenters (one in particular) has been super toxic (even though I agree with him about the pack and, yes, i know it's a 'him' based on his comments) but expressing disappointment with the pack, especially in the contact of it being probably the last DLC and with major gaps in the wild animal roster (especially SA), is completely reasonable. The forum is a place to discuss the game and to provide feedback - including negative feedback. As @NZFanatic noted, expressing that dissatisfaction is not 'gatekeeping' - it would be if those stating that those who disagree with them aren't 'proper' or 'real' zoo or PZ fans or that they don't have the right to comment, but i haven't seen that much - Indeed, if anything, its something being done more by those who like the pack than those who don't (IMO).

If (and it's a big if) there is another DLC coming, then feedback, especially on how packs could be better, is valuable. Given that this is an open forum, to discuss (hopefully respectfully) our opinions and thoughts on the game, then comments you disagree with are going to happen - using phrases like 'it's rediculous', 'suck it up buttercup', 'it's so petty' are pretty disrespectful to other people's opinions and thoughts and contribute to the toxicity - these things go both ways.

 

[ElectricMonk]

I have yet to see that here.

Can we stop with the farm hate? It's ridiculous. Y'all are sucking the fun outta everything. It's almost as bad as the Star Wars fandom, all this gatekeeping. It's annoying. We got the barnyard pack, too late. Nothing y'all can do. Suck it up, buttercup, but now I'm getting fed up with y'all's hate comments about pixels.

There are so many thing I wanted in the game but didn't come. Y'all see me talking about it with so much negativity? No, I shrug it off and look at the positive aspects, what I'll benefit from. But y'all keep talking about something y'all can't change, and it's so petty

 

[DarthQuell]

I can understand that a barrage of negativity is exhausting and I can appreciate the desire to inject more positvity into this, so let me say that although I (primarily) find the choice of theme and (secondarily) find the choice of animals within that theme to both be extremely poor, I can't deny that it does add something necessary to the game and if nothing else I'm at least looking forward to that, and the update adding animal encounters (to a degree) is also something to potentially get excited about so long as it's done sensibly (unlike letting guests walkthrough a giant anteater habitat but not an emu habitat).

For me personally what I find frustrating is that because of the animal choices, the theme isn't growing on me. Like I could easily be swayed into getting behind a barnyard DLC, but I'm prevented from doing so because the breeds they went with are just so uninspired and nonsensical (except the highland cow, but even then I acknowledge there are better choices, and the alpaca is fine, I guess). I don't actually want to feel so negative about this, but I just can't help it. When I imagine building a barnyard area, I get a little excited, but then I remember the animals I've got to put in that barnyard, and I get bummed out again.

I just wish we had some insight into how these decisions are made. I'm not deluded enough into thinking we could influence them, but at least knowing what the brainstorming whiteboard looks like would be somewhat mollifying. Who looks at a list of goat breeds, a list that undoubtedly included the African pygmy goat (which is one of the only domestics the whole community has been able to get behind even outside of a domestic theme), and thinks, "let's go with this other goat that is notoriously unfriendly towards people"?

Look man, we've butt heads in the past. At least, I think we did, maybe in your eyes we didn't. But I've always for the most part respected your opinions.

This is the kinda criticism I like; the kind that take the bad points and explain how to improve. I agree with this, I wouldn't have chosen some the species/breeds they went with, all that jazz. I guess I'm just sour about things in general and when something comes that I enjoy others can't enjoy it either. It's nothing personal

are you comparing bigotry to feeding an animal to another animal

Huh? I don't know if you're joking or serious, but there were comments that people said they wanted to take domestic animals and give them to predators as free food. That's what I was referring to

Dude, that is all any discussion here is. If you take out the negative comments, you're left with a bunch of positive comments saying the same thing over and over and over and over and over...

Even beyond this. Look at the speculation threads. They go in a constant cycle of the exact same topics, and the exact same wishlists, repeat ad nauseum

Ok, I admit yeah, it's also equally annoying. But when it's negative, it tends to hit harder, and that was my mistake. I apologize

As for the rest of your post, it's not difficult to simply overlook these comments you don't like. I haven't seen any of what you're talking about, because I'm only bothering to read a handful of posts on each page. Or it's possible that whoever is saying those things is already on my ignore list anyway, in which case it's a moot point.

Possibly, then, that's the case

Some of the commenters (one in particular) has been super toxic (even though I agree with him and, yes, i know it's a 'him' based on his comments) but expressing disappointment with the pack, especially in the contact of it being probably the last DLC and with major gaps in the wild animal roster (especially SA), is completely reasonable. The forum is a place to discuss the game and to provide feedback - including negative feedback. As @NZFanatic noted, expressing that dissatisfaction is not 'gatekeeping' - it would be if those stating that those who disagree with them aren't 'proper' or 'real' zoo or PZ fans or that they don't have the right to comment, but i haven't seen that much - Indeed, if anything, its something being done more by those who like the pack than those who don't (IMO).

I saw a few others in random places. I misused the word gatekeeping, that was my mistake.

Part of this is also because I've had a crummy 2 weeks, and I also apologize for that as well

 

[DarthQuell]

@ElectricMonk, toxic positivity is being overly positive, so I don't really see what you're trying to say

 

[ElectricMonk]

@ElectricMonk, toxic positivity is being overly positive, so I don't really see what you're trying to say

Fair enough - those comments weren't toxic positivity per se then, but they were toxic. In general, I think you're a reasonable, open and respectful poster (especially compared to some!) but dismissing other people's opinions and saying that they're being petty, that they should suck it up etc. just isn't ok. Sorry you've had a crummy few weeks.. i hope things improve!

 

[DarthQuell]

Fair enough - those comments weren't toxic positivity per se then, but they were toxic. In general, I think you're a reasonable, open and respectful poster (especially compared to some!) but dismissing other people's opinions and saying that they're bring petty, that they should suck it up etc. just isn't ok. Sorry you've had a crummy few weeks.. i hope things improve!

No, you're right. I shouldn't have even brought it up, to be honest. I chose my words poorly and now I'm gonna live with that. I don't mean any harm at all to anybody, so I do apologize if I did offend somebody.
I'm just taking my frustration out the wrong way, I should've thought before I said anything.
And to be honest, I am kinda positively toxic. I TRY to get people to be happy a little too much and I cross the line. In this case, I believe I did cross the line a bit and want to apologize to y'all

 

[CharlieXGaming]

Saying the pack is bad or garbage is fine to me, cause I expect that from a general player. Yes it’s tiring to see it over and over but I can’t get mad at it, cause it’s an acceptable and understandable reaction - not that I really see the point in it I mean if you’re coming here after 25 pages saying it’s garbage I don’t think a lot of people will see it and frontier definitely won’t.

As long as people aren’t actually targeting frontier saying stuff like “what have they been doing for the last 4 months” or that comment on a video that talked about blackmailing the devs, that’s definitely a no go.

I don’t care if you don’t like the pack, maybe it’s not for you I get that, but don’t disrespect the people who made and have made these animals and content for over 4 years now. They don’t have to add this stuff they could’ve moved onto other projects and ended it, so be glad we still get animals even though they might not be your favourite. These are the only types of comments I don’t like and I’m sure frontier doesn’t like them either.

 

[Marvinb]

Voicing constructive negative feedback about something is perfectly fine imo, ive done my fair share of that.
But there have been just way too many comments that are just overly hatefull and insulting to both the devs and those who actually wanted a petting zoo pack, aswell as the animals.
I mean i get it people are passionate about the things they like its just how it is, and this is easily the most divisive pack possible, but can we atleast keep it civil?

 

[FoxyDee]

I think we can all agree that criticism is okay and it is what makes the product better in the long run. But for it to be effective, you should suggest what exactly you do not like and what should be done better, preferably in a civil way.

Not sure how comments such as "what is this garbage" and "LOL, I am going to feed the domestic animals to tigers because I am so butthurt by this DLC" help in any way. Luckily most of the criticism is expressed in a civil manner, but I admit that the overwhelming negativity towards the pack can lower my excitement, but that is mostly a me problem. I am trying to be positive and focus on what I like on the pack, even if Domestic animals were not my priority, I really do not undertand some comments that say these animals belong to a farm game not a zoo game. That is simply not true and such statements only make szch arguments against the pack look silly.

 

[frank1055]

Guys,I want to know if the size of the American bison has been repaired this time?

 

[KönigDerKaffeebohnen]

This is something i don't understand and i wanted to ask about since i know nothing about domestic breeds and stuff

But why is it important to keep certain breeds around? Is not like they play a role in the environment. Like if they disaapear is like a breeds of dog dissapearing. I don't see what impact does that have, not even for the agropecuarie industry. Like, is there any difference between one breed of sheep from another that makes them more important to be preserve?

Its a part of cultural heritage of often smaller regions + while being on a smaller level breeds still contribute to bio diversity.
And in the end once they are gone they are gone, with many of these breeds having a very long history and atleast a regional significance, so while i get the argument that their conservation might be less important but still when they are gone they are gone and with them a living piece of history and culture

 

[Tatanosaure]

Even if I am not at all a fan of the pack and mostly in this timing, seeing some people posting 10 times just to rage made me close to like it x)
Criticism about the timing or the roster is a thing. I did and then move on. But flooding the thread... why ?

The pack is there move on, not happy tell it without spamming toxic, don't come to this topic and don't buy it.

I can't wait to see the fur of the cow, that will tell if I buy it or not. It was the only domestic animal I wanted.
When I see the rabbit bush I wanna cry though, this pack would have been so much better with a rabbit, at least for the mods...

 

[Swjosdotschka]

It's really helpful in every discussion to remember that someone likimg or not liking a pack as oppose to oneself liking or not liking a pack is NOT a threat to your identity, personality or even opinion. That's something the community forgets very easily these days.
Arnie can love the pack, I can dislike the pack, but it doesn't mean I dislike Arnie - unless I tell him to shut up about his opinion or he's telling me to suck it up. THAT is toxic, THAT is personal attacking.

Do we all feel better in a place where everyone shares our opinion? Yes, but the sole reason for that is the humans need for validation, connection and uniformity. The truth is, if you genuinely like / dislike a pack no one can change that. If you feel like someone could make you like / dislike a pack more, even though you feel content in your opinion, the truth is: You are not really that content in your opinion.

So if someone feels all happy and sunflowers (by the way, now I can finally use those in a building that makes seinse) about the pack and anyone comes around saying "it's not a good pack though" and you feel draged down by it, you subconciously actually are not that happy about the pack.

On topic: I heard several Planet Coaster veterans now saying this doesn't feel like the last pack, compared to Planet Coaster and I really hope they are right. They say ( and I believe I heard similar about the last JWE DLC), that the last pack felt like "here is a few random building pieces and rides that we had laying around" with less cohesiveness to it. I can absolutely see where they're comming from.

Now, we still have the financial report and it can't be denied. But maybe there were other reasons they did not want to mention another DLC in 2024. The reason could be as simple as "we don't know when we will have the resources for it, so we can't say which fiscal year or even month it will be."

With this pack, I mentally integrated it in my new project, even built a story around it, will appreciate it for what it is and hope for another pack. And if there won't be one: Despite the undenieable gaps, we still got an awesome zoo game at our hands to enjoy for years to come, if we fancy.