DLC18 discussion and predictions

[Milurian]

To save any confusion this is the exact wording they used in the livestream
"They are working on another animal pack that will be released later on this year"

It is confirmed that it is an animal pack and that it will release this year other than that there is nothing indicating that it will be the final and actually supports my personal theory that frontier just doesnt want us to see more than 1-2 packs into the future.

 

[Villanelle]

To save any confusion this is the exact wording they used in the livestream
"They are working on another animal pack that will be released later on this year"

It is confirmed that it is an animal pack and that it will release this year other than that there is nothing indicating that it will be the final and actually supports my personal theory that frontier just doesnt want us to see more than 1-2 packs into the future.

It is the most information they have ever given us, and yet is still as wonderfully vague as ever

 

[Captain Callum]

To save any confusion this is the exact wording they used in the livestream
"They are working on another animal pack that will be released later on this year"

It is confirmed that it is an animal pack and that it will release this year other than that there is nothing indicating that it will be the final and actually supports my personal theory that frontier just doesnt want us to see more than 1-2 packs into the future.

At least they are being semi-transparent with the near future plans to stop us fighting over "the financial report says this". A huge step over the treatment planet coaster and jwe got.

 

[Milurian]

I'm actually surprised fallow deer weren't considered, neither camels. I know camels are kinda large, but they are domesticated, after all

The way he was rattling off animals he for sure did not say all of them.

Ok i Will be a bit cynic here (yes even more) but do You guys think is possible that they decided to do another pack after the bad reaction they got for this pack as the last DLC? Or was that ever the plan and they just needed more time to work on a bunch of more difficult to animate and design animals like monkeys, secretary, coati, etc SO the pushed it to the end of the year and just put together a "quick" pack to reléase in the middle of it?

Definitely not simply because its only here that people dont like the pack go anywhere else and people are happy for the domestic animals

It is the most information they have ever given us, and yet is still as wonderfully vague as ever

I was so shocked that we actually got a concrete answer before the current pack is even released this is the most information we have had about planet zoos future in years. Frontier never outright confirms packs on streams its only been vague statements with confirmations in financial reports. This is such a good stuff forward in transparancy.

 

[KönigDerKaffeebohnen]

Hot take:
South America is kinda frustrating to make a pack for and its just ugh.

The more i think about it the less i like an SA animal pack because it has a very meh destribution of animals along the categorys of interesting, needed and likly.
The only animals that check all 3 boxes are the coati and one monkey but otherwise SA just kinda blows.
Atleast to me the rhea is a very boring addition but an important one thats also quite likly regarding frontiers habits.
You cant just exclude it because its one of the few SA animals that fit "ungulate" style filler enclosures, which is quite lacking and important to build especally larger areas, but as a standalone its a smaller less cool ostritch.
Ocelot, spec bear and bush dog all are reasonably likly choices, but if you arnt especally a fan of bears, cats or dogs are they really that interesting?
Not really?
And their importance also kind of slides down from neat but not nessecary to odball filler.
Wild camelid?
Literally only here cause frontier is ungulate addicted
Birds and monkeys?
Now they check the interesting and important boxes, but no way in hell we get more then one even if literally a full pack of them would most likly be best, but no meanwhile we are arguing about spider vs howler vs tamarin vs saki vs oddballs, meanwhile we will most likly see atleast 2 of the 3 carnivorans.
Mara?
Would be absolutly incredible but i wouldnt be surprised at all if it was cut for another carnivoran
Any other interesting south american oddball?
They do not even get space to breath
When was the last time someone brought up the tamandua or kinkajou for example? They get completly drowned out by much more basic yet more boring options just because they are neither likly or nessecary


Its just so boring.
SA packs that stay reasonable all are just coati, carnivoran 2., rhea, mara, monkey, ungulate, oddball, which isnt even bad but then theres allways the frontier fumble looming of Coati, spec bear,ocelot, bush dog, camelid, rhea, monkey and that just makes me sad and dissapointed allready because it would fall perfectly in line how past easy to nail pack completly failed the landing and when the "good" realistic one is also just fine its just even more meh

Ofcourse thats just my subjective feelings on it, but im just very unoptimistic regarding frontiers version of an latin america psck because if im honest conservation was the last pack that left me fully satisfied and non of the trends since then and even before well bode well for a diverse latin america pack, which just sucks

 

[Moonfox]

Damn, it’s so good to know that these wishlists have potential again with confirmation of another pack!!

 

[Marvinb]

Hot take:
South America is kinda frustrating to make a pack for and its just ugh.

The more i think about it the less i like an SA animal pack because it has a very meh destribution of animals along the categorys of interesting, needed and likly.
The only animals that check all 3 boxes are the coati and one monkey but otherwise SA just kinda blows.
Atleast to me the rhea is a very boring addition but an important one thats also quite likly regarding frontiers habits.
You cant just exclude it because its one of the few SA animals that fit "ungulate" style filler enclosures, which is quite lacking and important to build especally larger areas, but as a standalone its a smaller less cool ostritch.
Ocelot, spec bear and bush dog all are reasonably likly choices, but if you arnt especally a fan of bears, cats or dogs are they really that interesting?
Not really?
And their importance also kind of slides down from neat but not nessecary to odball filler.
Wild camelid?
Literally only here cause frontier is ungulate addicted
Birds and monkeys?
Now they check the interesting and important boxes, but no way in hell we get more then one even if literally a full pack of them would most likly be best, but no meanwhile we are arguing about spider vs howler vs tamarin vs saki vs oddballs, meanwhile we will most likly see atleast 2 of the 3 carnivorans.
Mara?
Would be absolutly incredible but i wouldnt be surprised at all if it was cut for another carnivoran
Any other interesting south american oddball?
They do not even get space to breath
When was the last time someone brought up the tamandua or kinkajou for example? They get completly drowned out by much more basic yet more boring options just because they are neither likly or nessecary


Its just so boring.
SA packs that stay reasonable all are just coati, carnivoran 2., rhea, mara, monkey, ungulate, oddball, which isnt even bad but then theres allways the frontier fumble looming of Coati, spec bear,ocelot, bush dog, camelid, rhea, monkey and that just makes me sad and dissapointed allready because it would fall perfectly in line how past easy to nail pack completly failed the landing and when the "good" realistic one is also just fine its just even more meh

Ofcourse thats just my subjective feelings on it, but im just very unoptimistic regarding frontiers version of an latin america psck because if im honest conservation was the last pack that left me fully satisfied and non of the trends since then and even before well bode well for a diverse latin america pack, which just sucks

Yeah pretty much agree on basicly everything.
I really want an animal pack dedicated to SA, but id be lying if i say i find most of the likely stuff all that exciting.
Its more that i want it because its needed, instead of i want it because i want the animals if that makes any sense?
The animals i would be excited about, and there are actually quite alot, are almost exlusively oddballs, aside from the coati, mara and whatever monkey frontier puts in the Pack (I swear to god frontier, i know youre chronically allergic to them but there better be a monkey in there).
Southern screamer, agoutis, tegus, red footed torts, a second monkey, occelated turkey, now that would be animals id be excited about. But all of these have a next to zero chance making it into the pack, which is just kinda sad.

 

[jcp011c]

This thread is going to be on fire for the next few months isn't it? At least we know it's not all in vain. Anyone up for a Winter thread?

Yeah pretty much agree on basicly everything.
I really want an animal pack dedicated to SA, but id be lying if i say i find most of the likely stuff all that exciting.
Its more that i want it because its needed, instead of i want it because i want the animals if that makes any sense?
The animals i would be excited about, and there are actually quite alot, are almost exlusively oddballs, aside from the coati, mara and whatever monkey frontier puts in the Pack (I swear to god frontier, i know youre chronically allergic to them but there better be a monkey in there).
Southern screamer, agoutis, tegus, red footed torts, a second monkey, occelated turkey, now that would be animals id be excited about. But all of these have a next to zero chance making it into the pack, which is just kinda sad.

I cannot imagine the outrage if we didn't get a monkey in a SA pack.

You Do hear that right Frontier? Yes? Okay, just so we're clear.

Assuming a Latin America pack or Latin America heavy Americas/Worldwide pack:

Almost for certain:
Monkey 1 (using the Black Howler for this spot since it balances the work versus the popularity).
Coati species - dont' even try to convince me they aren't coming, i am not picking up what you're putting down.


Probable:
Ocelot - Frontier does love their cats.
Rhea/American Flamingo - or maybe both. Clones or near-clones, and they finally seem to be wising up to the fact we want birds.

50/50 shot
Spectacled Bear - we talk a good talk about it and it's doing well on the 2024 meta list. Plus, we've already gone over how it would give SA their only bear.
Monkey 2 - I think it's still possible. Guessing Squirrel Monkey since it would be the easier one to do opposed to Spider Monkey or Tamarin. I know they've haven't done two monkeys in one pack before but there is where it'll happen if it happens anywhere.

Oddball but still has a decent chance:
Patagonian Mara - it's fairly popular too, so I can see it getting in.
Rhea/American Flamingo - whichever of the slot above didn't get it.
Vicuna - is an ungulate. More likely than we might wish.
Chacoan Peccary - another ungulate and we know Frontier loves ungulates!!
South American Tapir -Uuuuunguuuuuulaaaaateeee!
Pudu - Who do? Do you? Pudu - another lovely ungulate.

Longshot but not impossible:
Brazilian Porcupine - hear me out on this. Hear. Me. Out. Go look up how cute they are. Just do it. I'm sure Frontier knows this too (who am I kidding they belong in the next slot most likely)
Bush Dog - a different shaped canine but still, one never knows.
Monkey 3 - why not add a third monkey to this list. This can be a Tamarin.
Southern Tamandua - just as likely as our spiny Brazilian friend, IMO.
Guinea Pigs - so cute. So so unlikely.

Almost certainly not:
Tayra - obscure carnivore.
Viscacha obscure non-carnivore

Nope:
West Indian Manatee - You didn't think I'd miss an opportunity to "nope" this did you?

 

[Marvinb]

This thread is going to be on fire for the next few months isn't it? At least we know it's not all in vain. Anyone up for a Winter thread?


I cannot imagine the outrage if we didn't get a monkey in a SA pack.

You Do hear that right Frontier? Yes? Okay, just so we're clear.

I mean they didnt include a monkey in tropical or the baboon in arid, both being pretty much the most requested animal of that theme.
So at this point i wouldnt be surprised to see a pudu insted of a monkey in the pack

 

[BiologicalHorror]

So now that an animal pack is confirmed:

Spoiler: Latin America Animal Pack

1. Any Monkey #1 (top contenders being a Tamarin, Howler Monkey, or Spider Monkey)
2. Any Monkey #2 (top contenders being a Tamarin, Howler Monkey, or Spider Monkey)
3. Any Coati
4. Patagonian Mara [NT]
5. Spectacled Bear [VU]
6. Ocelot [LC]
7. Roseate Spoonbill [LC], Scarlet Ibis [LC], or Any Flamingo (American, Chilean, Andean, etc.)
8. Scarlet [LC], Blue-and-Yellow [LC], Hyacinth[VU], and Great Green [CR] Macaws (Walkthrough and maybe the reason we didn't have an exhibit animal in the Barnyard pack)

Some possible Alternatives/Oddballs to a second monkey, pink bird, exhibit birds, or if we are blessed with a larger than normal pack:

• A Tamandua
• Kinkajou
• Greater Rhea
• A Duck
• A small Deer species (Pudu or Brocket)
• A Rabbit
• Cane Toad [Exhibit] (we have a in game poster with this guy already)
• Emerald Tree Boa [Exhibit]
• Leaf Cutter Ants [Exhibit]

....honestly we need 2 South America Packs lol

 

[IndianRhino19]

I could see us getting 13 animals in the next pack (10+3 formula) to get the roster to 200 animals. My two pack ideas are listed below:
Latin America Animal Pack
Habitat:

1. Black Howler Monkey
2. Bush Dog
3. Geoffrey’s Spider Monkey
4. Golden Lion Tamarin
5. Greater Rhea
6. Ocelot
7. Patagonian Mara
8. South American Coati
9. Southern Tamandua
10. Spectacled Bear

Exhibit:

1. Green Anaconda
2. Hyacinth Macaw
3. Scarlet Macaw

Global Animal Pack
Habitat:

1. Blackbuck
2. Black Howler Monkey
3. Goodfellow’s Tree Kangaroo
4. Hamadryas Baboon
5. Markhor
6. Musk Ox
7. Secretary Bird
8. Short-Beaked Echidna
9. South American Coati
10. Walrus

Exhibit:

1. Green Anaconda
2. Rainbow Lorikeet
3. Scarlet Macaw

 

[jcp011c]

I mean they didnt include a monkey in tropical or the baboon in arid, both being pretty much the most requested animal of that theme.
So at this point i wouldnt be surprised to see a pudu insted of a monkey in the pack

Oooh Pudu! I need to edit something lol


And...I have our Latin America pack!!!
Pudu
South American Tapir
Vicuna
Chacoan Peccary
Coatimundi
Ocelot
American Flamingo
and 60 non-tropical scenery items!

 

[RightWhale]

Hot take:
South America is kinda frustrating to make a pack for and its just ugh.

The more i think about it the less i like an SA animal pack because it has a very meh destribution of animals along the categorys of interesting, needed and likly.
The only animals that check all 3 boxes are the coati and one monkey but otherwise SA just kinda blows.
Atleast to me the rhea is a very boring addition but an important one thats also quite likly regarding frontiers habits.
You cant just exclude it because its one of the few SA animals that fit "ungulate" style filler enclosures, which is quite lacking and important to build especally larger areas, but as a standalone its a smaller less cool ostritch.
Ocelot, spec bear and bush dog all are reasonably likly choices, but if you arnt especally a fan of bears, cats or dogs are they really that interesting?
Not really?
And their importance also kind of slides down from neat but not nessecary to odball filler.
Wild camelid?
Literally only here cause frontier is ungulate addicted
Birds and monkeys?
Now they check the interesting and important boxes, but no way in hell we get more then one even if literally a full pack of them would most likly be best, but no meanwhile we are arguing about spider vs howler vs tamarin vs saki vs oddballs, meanwhile we will most likly see atleast 2 of the 3 carnivorans.
Mara?
Would be absolutly incredible but i wouldnt be surprised at all if it was cut for another carnivoran
Any other interesting south american oddball?
They do not even get space to breath
When was the last time someone brought up the tamandua or kinkajou for example? They get completly drowned out by much more basic yet more boring options just because they are neither likly or nessecary


Its just so boring.
SA packs that stay reasonable all are just coati, carnivoran 2., rhea, mara, monkey, ungulate, oddball, which isnt even bad but then theres allways the frontier fumble looming of Coati, spec bear,ocelot, bush dog, camelid, rhea, monkey and that just makes me sad and dissapointed allready because it would fall perfectly in line how past easy to nail pack completly failed the landing and when the "good" realistic one is also just fine its just even more meh

Ofcourse thats just my subjective feelings on it, but im just very unoptimistic regarding frontiers version of an latin america psck because if im honest conservation was the last pack that left me fully satisfied and non of the trends since then and even before well bode well for a diverse latin america pack, which just sucks

This has been my problem, I know we need a SA/ CA pack! But man, the normal Frontier route would be so dull to me. I have nothing against the animals, and I have seen all in zoos. But the Carnivora for South America are not what I care to get. Spectacled bears, bush dogs, and ocelots are so low on my list. Not that I hate them, just not that interesting. Admittedly I also don’t find the Rhea interesting either, but hey a bird is a bird I won’t complain. I also recognize how important the Rhea is. Even if I admittedly want the Caribbean flamingo I know there could be cooler options.

But the most important/cooler animals? It becomes a battle to get them. Oddballs? Probably not gonna get any. Not enough space left.

I’m hopeful, but I recognize it probably won’t be what I hope it could be. It takes more work than I ever could imagine.

 

[DragonNTiger]

Oooh Pudu! I need to edit something lol


And...I have our Latin America pack!!!
Pudu
South American Tapir
Vicuna
Chacoan Peccary
Coatimundi
Ocelot
American Flamingo
and 60 non-tropical scenery items!

Are you being serious or sarcastic, I just can't tell anymore...

 

[jcp011c]

Are you being serious or sarcastic, I just can't tell anymore...

I mean, it's not the pack I'd want, but based on Frontier's ungulate ratio lately this seems entirely possible.

 

[Spiderhawk]

Ya know something
As it is unclear when the next dlc will be out, perhaps the le should change to 2nd dlc 2024 speculation
Frontier would be a lot cooler if they got this animal dlc in June to get us back on track with dlc releases.

 

[CharlieXGaming]

I'm flip flopping when I think the next pack will be released, but I think I am leaning towards a June release. Not everyone watches the streams and follows along, so even though they addressed it, there will still probably be people who are concerned that there is no more packs if they wait past June/July. Plus, seeing how this DLCs content (not the update) seems pretty lacking in terms of high effort animals (seeing all the animals today confirms this, one is literally a dark brown somali wild ass and the cow doesn't have a lot of detail in its coat like the sloth bear, kinda sloppy imo but we'll see on launch day) I think that this was their extra time to finish up the high budget animals for the next pack, hopefully applying that sloth bear fluffiness to my baboon friend.

 

[BiologicalHorror]

What are some new features you'd like to see along with the next animal pack?

I'd love to see:

• Perching mechanic added to the peafowl & chicken (if it isn't already added with the chicken)
• A city map
• Coin operated feed machines that act like an alternative donation box since we now have the guest-animal interaction for it.
• More education items like antler sheds, skulls/skeletons, dioramas, furs, etc.
• The ability to have a second habit gate or keepers to be ably use guest gates
• Zoo exit gate
• Pathing with road makings
• A small parking lot guest spawner
• More maps with roads/buildings that run off the playable area so it's not just a zoo in the middle of nothing.

 

[CharlieXGaming]

Latin America again I see, this isn't gonna get boring fast at all lol

I agree with everyone else, but why write large paragraphs when this all could be summarized in one sentence: "South America has interesting animals, but frontier probably won't choose them and pick boring ones." basically sums up everything. Spider Monkey, Agouti, Mara, Braz. Porcupine, Tamandua, Tamarin would all be amazing additions but do I think we will get any of these?

And it sucks honestly but this is probably how it'll turn out. And this is why even though SA deserves the attention way more and it will probably get some in time, I prefer another Africa pack because it serves to frontiers strengths, or at least some sort of hot climate desert pack - and no, not just "Arid 2.0" a Safari expedition style pack that has a free update alongside it introducing larger safari vehicles as well as more interactions between animals and the vehicles, or giraffe feeding - essentially expanding on the concept of encounters in the current update. I brought this pack idea up earlier but it didn't get much notice cause SA was the focus as usual lately. A cat, a couple unique ungulates, and 2 meta wishlist animals that have been heavily wanted recently seems like a banger to me.

At this point idk if the next pack will be Latin America, I mean we’ve guessed it like the last 5 times, and while it makes sense this time, it also made sense the last 5 times I’m switching it up this time around.

Out of the top 6 meta, 2 usually get chosen, Baboon and Secretary both can fit in a theme together, thinking l’ll go with these.

Safari Animal Pack

• Hamadryas Baboon
• Secretary Bird
• Serval
• Grey Crowned Crane / Greater Rhea
• Gerenuk
• Blackbuck
• Masai Giraffe / Waterbuck
• Some sort of lizard or snake (E)

 

[Marvinb]

Latin America again I see, this isn't gonna get boring fast at all lol

I agree with everyone else, but why write large paragraphs when this all could be summarized in one sentence: "South America has interesting animals, but frontier probably won't choose them and pick boring ones." basically sums up everything. Spider Monkey, Agouti, Mara, Braz. Porcupine, Tamandua, Tamarin would all be amazing additions but do I think we will get any of these?
View attachment 390739
And it sucks honestly but this is probably how it'll turn out. And this is why even though SA deserves the attention way more and it will probably get some in time, I prefer another Africa pack because it serves to frontiers strengths, or at least some sort of hot climate desert pack - and no, not just "Arid 2.0" a Safari expedition style pack that has a free update alongside it introducing larger safari vehicles as well as more interactions between animals and the vehicles, or giraffe feeding - essentially expanding on the concept of encounters in the current update. I brought this pack idea up earlier but it didn't get much notice cause SA was the focus as usual lately. A cat, a couple unique ungulates, and 2 meta wishlist animals that have been heavily wanted recently seems like a banger to me.

I stand by my claim that: general scrublands/savannah>african safari