DLC18 discussion and predictions
- Thread starter Leaf Productions
- Start date
Feel like most probable packs are:
Coastal
Latin America/Americas
Mountains/Highlands
Keepers Collection pack
People think we only have 1 or 2 packs left and mountains and arboreal are not the top of priorities
Last year's packs kind of buried that idea for most of the forums wishlists. I can't see either of those packs gaining the momentum they had when we didn't have the annual primate, fossa or takin.
Also for packs like mountains or islands to be successful they have to be filled with hits but there’s a risk of redundant animals
Arboreal pack imo was never really likely.
Mountain pack i could still totally see if support continues for another year (inhales copium), although due to the addition of takin and wolverine last year its much more suitable to be a scenery pack now.
Markhor, bear, baboon, monal for example paired with a himalayan or tibetan theme and a new rock set for example would be cool
A mountain animal pack could still be great with
1. Gelada
2. Golden Snub Nosed Monkey
3. Himalayan Monal
4. Golden Pheasant
5. Spectacled Bear
6. Markhor
7. Rock Hyrax
8. Japanese Giant Salamander
I think mountains is an unlikely but not impossible theme. Very unlikely with just one more pack left though. Still, more likely than Islands lol.
Arboreal was a long shot at most anyways since there would presumably be so much work needing to be done with animations and climbing.
Hedging bets on Latin America, New World (both NA and SA), or a Zookeeper's finale type of pack.
Yeah would be. But how realistic is a pack with two pheasants and two monkeys?
Not at allYeah would be. But how realistic is a pack with two pheasants and two monkeys?
Also to touch on the arboreal pack:
Its possible roster is just kinda small and mostly consists of animals frontier tends to avoid. You got monkeys, tree kangaroo, maybe coati, some oddballs like martens, cloud rat and co and that already kinda it.
Ive seen bears, ibis, secretarys and some other birds suggested before and yeah they sometimes climb or roost in trees but calling them arboreal is a very big stretch in my opinion
Its possible roster is just kinda small and mostly consists of animals frontier tends to avoid. You got monkeys, tree kangaroo, maybe coati, some oddballs like martens, cloud rat and co and that already kinda it.
Ive seen bears, ibis, secretarys and some other birds suggested before and yeah they sometimes climb or roost in trees but calling them arboreal is a very big stretch in my opinion
Let's frontier-ify that
- Gelada has most work on it, the annual primate
- Golden monkey can't happen so Pallas cat with half baked fur textures and out of proportion face
- Himalayan monal is the bird of the pack
- Switch golden pheasant with an ungulate, blue sheep should work
- Spectacled bear
- Markhor, nah let's get the Himalayan tahr instead because why not
- Rock hyrax except it's a meerkat in disguise
- Chinese pit viper because snake is easy
Coati, Tree Kangaroo, Black Howler Monkey, Brazilian Porcupine and a Chameleon. This could be an incredible lineup, and yet incredibly difficult as well.
I think we can count on an update and DLC announcement sometime this month, and probably a release as well. The Frontier Unlocked livestream confirmed that we're getting another animal pack, so this summer DLC is most likely that. Personally, I think we'll get the update announcement on July 15, the DLC announcement on July 16, and the release on July 30.
Defenetly would be cooler, just like some certain other big boys #FreeTheIguanas
The first 3 are kind of a different tier for me. It was hard to pick the fourth. There are a lot of good options.
- Mandarin Duck (or another duck): Given how overjoyed so many people were to see a swan, I think people would like to see a duck. There are five species that are very common in zoos I've attended: the Mandarin, mallard, white-faced whistling, North American wood, and domestic Muscovy duck. I don't normally pay that much attention to individual bird species, especially waterfowl, when I visit zoos, but I've remembered these five over time. If they made a waterfowl pack with all of them plus a black swan and maybe a couple of geese, I'd be over the moon. I'm sure I've seen a few other breeds and species of duck in zoos, but those are the main ones I remember. Each of them would be a fantastic pick, and it's kind of hard to choose. I think a duck would be one of the most useful models to get in the game for modding. There are so many options for beautiful waterfowl!
- Mandarin Duck: I think this duck nearly perfectly strikes the balance of being a somewhat familiar species without being mundane. This animal is eye-catching and extremely common in zoos. I think this one would sell the best of any of the duck options. Random strangers seem really happy to see them in zoos when they don't always notice other duck species. Its range is a bit more limited, but East Asia could use at least one of its ornamental birds, preferably this one and a pheasant.
- Mallard Duck: This one has the best range of any of the five, which happens to cover the places where most of the players live: Europe, East Asia, and North America. However, it is so common in those places that it is mundane. A mundane bird would be nice to have and great to fill waterways, but something a bit flashier and less familiar might do better with a general audience. When I visit zoos, the adults are usually much more excited about the Mandarin and Wood ducks than they are about any other species. It is still a great option, and one people would kind of expect if they started adding multiple species of duck. If they added a white morph, people could also use them in domestic sections, which is another point in their favor.
- White-Faced Whistling Duck: This one is common enough in zoos that zoo fans might at least recognize the name. It also has a good range within Africa and South America. It doesn't really look like a mallard, and its white markings make it somewhat flashier. This bird would really shine in a South American tropical house. If I was trying to build one of those, I would kind of need this animal.
- North American Wood Duck: The males are about as flashy as the Mandarin, and the females are prettier. This is a great option for a North American temperate bird. It is common in local zoos and abroad, so it would be a great option to fill that niche.
- Muscovy Duck: This one has a wide range in Central and South America. With the red wattles, they are a flashy option to work in both domestic and wild sections. They would look different from the other ducks listed.
- Scarlet Ibis (or maybe a roseate spoonbill): All of the pink trio would be great additions. They are some of the most popular birds here and some of the ones I see most often in zoos. Of the 3, the scarlet ibis is the flashiest, and the model could be used to make mods for several other ibises that I've seen in zoos, including the sacred, Madagascar, and bald ibis. The roseate spoonbill is another good one. Its range is even larger, and it would give North America a bird for its southeastern region. It's also interesting and unique. I like it about as much as I like the ibis, but I don't think it would generate as many useful mods for me. I don't think I've seen that many royal or Eurasian spoonbills in zoos. It's still a very good bird. The American flamingo is not as unique as the others, but it is a top option for a "clone" or filler pick. Just about every pack has at least one animal like that, so why not get a "clone" bird?
- Grey Crowned Crane (or maybe a secretary bird): Africa has a ton of cool options for birds. In zoos, I usually see crowned cranes, guineafowl, and ground hornbills, but there are some other iconic options. The grey-crowned crane is very common in zoos, flashy, and seems somewhat easier given that the game has a crane model. I've seen so many species of cranes in zoos, and it would be nice to get a bit more variety there. This bird can be housed alone or with other animals, which adds options for building. I haven't seen nearly as many secretary birds, which would also need to be housed separately, but I'd be about as happy if we got one instead. They are unique next to the other species we've gotten and a great nostalgia pick from Zoo Tycoon 2. Both would be ideal, but I think the African grasslands need at least one to be complete.
- Wild Turkey (though the other 3 are about tied): I want the Nearctic realm to get an iconic bird, and this one is probably the most iconic behind the bald eagle. Turkeys would be great to have in farm sections, which I also love to build. Of these 4, I would personally have the most applications for this one, so I would pick the turkey.
- Greater Rhea: This animal in some ways seems like a less-exciting ostrich, but they have a fiery attitude and would be fantastic to help improve non-tropical South American representation. They are a very important pick, and I hope we will see them before support ends. I would probably install a mod for them if we don't get them officially.
- Pelican: Pelicans are pretty unique, and they would shine in coastal sections. The great white pelican is the most popular and a great pick. I think the brown is about as good. I would like both of them, but I don't feel too strongly about which one. North America needs a temperate bird, though.
- Golden Pheasant: I see them all of the time in zoos, and they would help me build a Chinese zoo. There are so many colorful small pheasants in Asia. Ideally, we'd get more than just this one, but it would be great to have it even if it was the only one. I think it could be used to make some neat mods of the similar common, Lady Amherst's, and silver pheasant.
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I'll Say no pheasants but the puna rhea instead because is easier (clone) and duller. And of course we Will be getting our third SA camelid (vicuña or guanaco). And with 3 SA animals in it they consider that cover and done with SA rep.
Also i had a good idear today.
What are things we or atleast certain parts of the community need:
What are things we dont:
So what if we take all of the good things with none of the bad things and make it a temperate scenery pack thats just a little bit more interesting?
So culprit one is a cute as a button small and furry carnivore that ticks every box of the redundant carnivoran besides one, being a carnivoran.
Im talking about the eastern quoll, the only quoll species kept outside of oceania with 9 european holdings and the quoll with the largest conservation effort behind them.
As i mentioned they would fill every check regarding the typical carnivoran rep but actually is a carnivorous maruspial, a group we only have one of in the game and would give australia a second climber and the first one that isnt lethargic enough that some people say it would have been better as an exhibit.
The eastern quoll would be perfect to add some new, climeable trees for temperate australia, giving the region not only a fun new twist for habitat design but also just some more of the basic trees it desperatly needs.
Staying in oceania, we got the tuatara, the exhibit animal with propaply the highest impact left for its region. As one of only a few non waterfowl animals from newzealand to be featured in admitedly only 3 zoos they are a staple of any zoo actually in new zealand and as one of the oldest living vertebrate fossils a sight to behold. It would finally add another lizard, give a second use for the temperate exhibit and would throw that little bit of love to a specific part of the world like we all want for our favorite places. Theyd add much more then most likly any other classic exhibit animal and are a true icon of new zealand, so im confident theres no better pick.
Regarding fitting plants new zealand just got a big spike with the oceania pack, but even so 1 or 2 more can never hurt to throw any person interested in building a zoo in newzealand a bone.
Next up we got the ungulate of the pack, the southern pudu our first mini ungulate that isnt the collared peccary. As the second smallest deer in the world, being only 35-45 cm tall they are endemic to the valvidian temperate forest, the second largest temperate rainforest in the world and a place we currently have literally nothing from. Also just like oceania its part of the antarctic flora, which includes all plants that are believed to have developed from relatives on the old supercontinent gondwana. A selection of bamboo, ferns and one or two trees would help to diversify south american plants in game greatly and in combination with the pudu we have a great small package to represent this criminally unknown region.
To swap hemispheres we go to the temperate forests of asia and did i say forest? I meant everything because theres a certain primate thats known to have the second largest range of any primate, only second to us humans. Does this map help you guess who it is?
If your answer was rhesus macaque your gold right. Fun fact! Did you know that rhesus macaques would qualify for every single biome tag in the game besides aquatic and even the not existing but in the real world rather prevalent city biome? And that their range is for a third temperate or colder?
But for the macaque itself, we all know the memes of them being just japanese macaque model upgrades, but in reality they are much more. For one they got a tail but they are also far less bulky, only weighing about 2 thirds of the just a bit taller japanese macaques. Their fur is much shorter and less shaggy, covering many different colors from silvery gray to coppery reddish brown, making them clearly differentiable.
For the plants they could bring, temperate asia is another region of the world thats not that greatly represented in planet zoo, but the thing most exciting would defenetly be some new bamboo. Bamboo is such a great tool for low budget theming but the two kinds we got in the base game while great are still just 2 different kinds, so a third or even a forth one would diversify our asian theming by alot.
For the last animal we got a few options, with the most obvious choice being a north american or european animal, something that most likly depends if you live on one of those continents. North americans swear on the American Black Bear, Europeans seem mostly content but as one myself getting atleast one last animal does sound very exciting, but what if we are a little crazy? What about we just do both?
As you might have noticed we dont have a bird yet and there is one that lives in 80%+ of the temperate areaa of the world, that features beautiful iridescent green and blue feathers, a bright yellow beak, orange feet, a deep brown on a creamy gray base and many black and white highlights and the female also doesnt look to shabby with a beautiful light brown coverd in many black spots and stripes. What is this colorfull beautiful yet omnipresent bird?
...
.. its a mallard but before you buh me, this truly is a beautiful bird, something no one notices just because of how darn common they are, but how is a bird with a bright green head and lots of colorfull features, patterns and markings not one of the pretty birds? This aint no ugly duckling but a baechlour with a literally irridescent shine.
And do they live in what feels like every puddle on the planet? Yes but that is a good thing as it also means they represent every puddle on the planet, including most likly your neighborhood, place of work and the ponds in your local zoo. The mallard duck is the ultimate ambient animal and a pack focused on providing a little bit more to build a stronger backbone for our plants, our ambience really does fit them very well.We could even include a white colormorph to represent the most common colormorph of the domestic duck aswell as some piebalds to represent mixed hatchlings, this animal is just so incredibly flexible and adaptable to allmost any context needed while sharing habitat with literally every other animal in the pack besides apparantly the pudu. Truly a jack of all trades
What are things we or atleast certain parts of the community need:
- more temperate australian trees
- temperate north american and european plants cause most people build there
- horizontal log walls
- a bird for the americas
- south american animals
What are things we dont:
- the temperate carnivoran that didnt make it in twillight
- filler ungulates with nothing unique about them
- a pack with neither a monkey, reptile or a bird
- a focus on europe or north america
So what if we take all of the good things with none of the bad things and make it a temperate scenery pack thats just a little bit more interesting?
So culprit one is a cute as a button small and furry carnivore that ticks every box of the redundant carnivoran besides one, being a carnivoran.
Im talking about the eastern quoll, the only quoll species kept outside of oceania with 9 european holdings and the quoll with the largest conservation effort behind them.
As i mentioned they would fill every check regarding the typical carnivoran rep but actually is a carnivorous maruspial, a group we only have one of in the game and would give australia a second climber and the first one that isnt lethargic enough that some people say it would have been better as an exhibit.
The eastern quoll would be perfect to add some new, climeable trees for temperate australia, giving the region not only a fun new twist for habitat design but also just some more of the basic trees it desperatly needs.
Staying in oceania, we got the tuatara, the exhibit animal with propaply the highest impact left for its region. As one of only a few non waterfowl animals from newzealand to be featured in admitedly only 3 zoos they are a staple of any zoo actually in new zealand and as one of the oldest living vertebrate fossils a sight to behold. It would finally add another lizard, give a second use for the temperate exhibit and would throw that little bit of love to a specific part of the world like we all want for our favorite places. Theyd add much more then most likly any other classic exhibit animal and are a true icon of new zealand, so im confident theres no better pick.
Regarding fitting plants new zealand just got a big spike with the oceania pack, but even so 1 or 2 more can never hurt to throw any person interested in building a zoo in newzealand a bone.
Next up we got the ungulate of the pack, the southern pudu our first mini ungulate that isnt the collared peccary. As the second smallest deer in the world, being only 35-45 cm tall they are endemic to the valvidian temperate forest, the second largest temperate rainforest in the world and a place we currently have literally nothing from. Also just like oceania its part of the antarctic flora, which includes all plants that are believed to have developed from relatives on the old supercontinent gondwana. A selection of bamboo, ferns and one or two trees would help to diversify south american plants in game greatly and in combination with the pudu we have a great small package to represent this criminally unknown region.
To swap hemispheres we go to the temperate forests of asia and did i say forest? I meant everything because theres a certain primate thats known to have the second largest range of any primate, only second to us humans. Does this map help you guess who it is?
If your answer was rhesus macaque your gold right. Fun fact! Did you know that rhesus macaques would qualify for every single biome tag in the game besides aquatic and even the not existing but in the real world rather prevalent city biome? And that their range is for a third temperate or colder?
But for the macaque itself, we all know the memes of them being just japanese macaque model upgrades, but in reality they are much more. For one they got a tail but they are also far less bulky, only weighing about 2 thirds of the just a bit taller japanese macaques. Their fur is much shorter and less shaggy, covering many different colors from silvery gray to coppery reddish brown, making them clearly differentiable.
For the plants they could bring, temperate asia is another region of the world thats not that greatly represented in planet zoo, but the thing most exciting would defenetly be some new bamboo. Bamboo is such a great tool for low budget theming but the two kinds we got in the base game while great are still just 2 different kinds, so a third or even a forth one would diversify our asian theming by alot.
For the last animal we got a few options, with the most obvious choice being a north american or european animal, something that most likly depends if you live on one of those continents. North americans swear on the American Black Bear, Europeans seem mostly content but as one myself getting atleast one last animal does sound very exciting, but what if we are a little crazy? What about we just do both?
As you might have noticed we dont have a bird yet and there is one that lives in 80%+ of the temperate areaa of the world, that features beautiful iridescent green and blue feathers, a bright yellow beak, orange feet, a deep brown on a creamy gray base and many black and white highlights and the female also doesnt look to shabby with a beautiful light brown coverd in many black spots and stripes. What is this colorfull beautiful yet omnipresent bird?
...
.. its a mallard but before you buh me, this truly is a beautiful bird, something no one notices just because of how darn common they are, but how is a bird with a bright green head and lots of colorfull features, patterns and markings not one of the pretty birds? This aint no ugly duckling but a baechlour with a literally irridescent shine.
And do they live in what feels like every puddle on the planet? Yes but that is a good thing as it also means they represent every puddle on the planet, including most likly your neighborhood, place of work and the ponds in your local zoo. The mallard duck is the ultimate ambient animal and a pack focused on providing a little bit more to build a stronger backbone for our plants, our ambience really does fit them very well.We could even include a white colormorph to represent the most common colormorph of the domestic duck aswell as some piebalds to represent mixed hatchlings, this animal is just so incredibly flexible and adaptable to allmost any context needed while sharing habitat with literally every other animal in the pack besides apparantly the pudu. Truly a jack of all trades