Planet Zoo | Asia Animal Pack | Announcement

[DragonNTiger]

So you're telling me that it's objectively right or wrong to like a certain thing?
And that the objective way is to follow everyone else's idea like a dumb sheep.

Look, if you enjoy wasting your time and money buying something you already own, that's great... but it's also dumb...

 

[ChicoGenialoso1]

I think this was always going to be a disappointment anyway because making this inclusion even somewhat worthwhile (by being a massive improvement on the base game Asian elephant) was a difficult task given the base game elephants are some of the better base game models (mostly because they lack fur I think). Also generally the Asian elephants don’t tend to look that different to each other (as opposed to say how the American flamingo is not just a graphical upgrade but also has some colour differences) and the size aspect is probably going to be negated by the huge size variations from 100-0% we have anyway. I don’t imagine a 0% Indian elephant and a 100% Bornean Pygmy Elephant will be very different in size. Possibly even the 100% Pygmy will be larger I suspect.

Looking at previous ‘clones’ gives some insight on things the elephant does little of which I think is why this addition is so universally disliked.

- Wisent - morphologically different to the American Bison, a huge upgrade in quality over the American Bison and also represents a different area geographically (Europe/Americas).

- American Flamingo - a huge upgrade in quality over the Greater Flamingo, visually distinct in colourations and represents a different area geographically (Central America/Eurasia).

- African Leopard - firstly was free, is visually different in colouration and fur length, represent different areas geographically (Africa vs East Asia/Siberia)

- Black and White Ruffed Lemur - again free, visually distinct from the Red-ruffed lemur in fur colouration and fur shape around the head, represents a species very common in zoos that is often found alongside the animal it clones

- Alpaca - visually distinct from the llama, a great improvement in quality, is often found accompanying its clone

- Malayan Tapir - a huge upgrade in quality (now!), visually different in morphology and colouration, represents a completely different geographical region (Central America/Southeast Asia)

- Black Rhino - visual distinct in morphology, size and colouration, improved quality, common in zoos.

- Spectacled Caiman - more common in zoos than the animal it ‘cloned’ (the Cuvier’s Dwarf Caiman), better quality, visually distinct in colourations and size.

- Lar Gibbon - different animations to the Siamang, improved quality, different colouration and size.

- Blue Wildebeest - hugely improved quality, more common in zoos than the Black Wildebeest, morphologically different.

- Striped Hyena - visually distinct to the Spotted Hyena, better model, represent different regions geographically (Sub-Saharan Africa vs North Africa/Middle East).

- Dromedary - Very different morphologically, huge improvement in quality over the Bactrian, represent different areas geographically.

- Asian Water Monitor - Huge upgrade in quality over the Nile Monitor, different colouration, represents a different geographical region (Africa vs Asia)


And similarly, all these animals have a justification for inclusion despite varied similarities to the species they ‘cloned’ - they’re common in zoos and thus, were requested to either accompany the species already in game or act as an alternative option.


Now look at the Bornean Pygmy Elephant:

• Similar Colouration to the Indian Elephant
• Similar Morphology to the Indian Elephant
• Not a huge improvement in model quality against the Indian Elephant
• Likely not going to have a huge size difference to the Indian Elephant (unless using 100% Indian and 0% Bornean).
• Captive presence is very low compared to the Indian Elephant
• Does not particularly represent a major different geographical area to the Indian Elephant (Tropical South Asia vs Tropical Southeast Asia).

I guess unless you’re specifically building an Indonesian zoo - there’s not particularly a case where you’d be thinking (damn I wish I had a Bornean Elephant instead of the Indian)…

If we’re really in the market for clones in a pack there are loads of better options than dumping the elephant in Asia:

• Asiatic Tiger (vastly different geographical region, visually distinct Mane, base game lion is very poor quality, common in captivity)
• Sumatran Orangutan (different colouration, base game orangutan is very poor quality and could do with an upgrade, common in captivity)
• European Brown Bear (Represents a different major region to the other Brown Bears, based game Brown Bears are very poor quality, common in zoos)
• Masai Giraffe (very different colour patterns to the Reticulated Giraffe, common in zoos)
• Nile Crocodile (different geographic region to the Saltwater Crocodile, Base Game Croc is very poorly quality)

I don’t hate it but I’ll never use it I suspect (not on principal, just because I’ll use the more common African and Indian elephants which are perfectly fine models )…

Elephants are such overbearing and iconic animals in zoos. I already find when I’m building a zoo my thought process goes like this.

• Do I want this zoo to have elephants? Yes/No
• If yes, do I want elephants for my Asia or Africa zone?

Now it’ll also have:
- Okay, now do I want my Asian Elephant to be Indian or Bornean?

And usually this flow chart goes:
- Do I want elephants in this zoo? No.

If it is yes:

- Do I want African or Asian Elephants? African.

On the rare chance I choose Asian, I’m always gonna choose the Indian..

A confusing choice for a free species, never mind a paid inclusion? When does it really need use? On the rare occasion we get bored of building for Asian and African elephants? Or we build an Indonesian rescue centre specifically based on Borneo?

You forget The Bighorn Sheep

 

[DarthQuell]

Look, if you enjoy wasting your time and money buying something you already own, that's great... but it's also dumb...

What's the saying? 1 man's trash is another one's treasure? To us, a monkey is valuable. To others, an elephant is. You may think it's dumb, but other people think more monkeys is dumb.
We don't need to agree on likes, but it is what it is, and I'm tried of how some comments are "oh, other communities don't know since they aren't animal nerds like us"

 

[TheYeti]

I'm happy a lot of people like this species. I'm personally not a big fan but at the same time I did start building for it.

Although you could argue there's objective ways of deciding which animal has more merit of being in the game, in the end it's the fans who buy and who decide. So I don't think it's fair to tell people they're wrong for liking a new animal. Besides, the game has limited resources so we cannot get too much novel.

I would personally hope that a PZ2 would have some system to distinguish between species and subspecies (I believe there was something similar in ZT3 which I never played). This way we can have space for new subspecies, but also prevent getting them to take up a slot that could've been given to a new species. It's not perfect, but may be a nice solution that also makes the game more scientifically appropriate.

 

[Utahraptor Arcanus]

It's more like why is it that other players can't enjoy something. Why can't somebody like the llama? Because it's domestic and thus not a zoo animal? Since when does that stop an animal from being zoo worthy?

Why is it that several people act like this is the only place that gets to provide feedback and elsewhere it isn't? Everybody has their own likes, so we shouldn't shame others for liking them even if we don't agree.

Hating the elephant is not gonna solve anything. You're just setting yourself up to he disappointed. Yeah, I wooldnt have chosen it either, but the deed is done and the only thing to do is just provide feedback: "hey, I don't like this, can we get something else later?"
But the constant complaining is getting so old and tiresome

I don't mind people want unconvincional or unwanted animal because they like them or even being whilling to pay for them, if someone wanted the Bornean elephant because they like it, them who am i to disagree? i just don't like the wave of false comparasion like the ABB one, or false arguments like 'we receivied 7 seven monkeys and nobody complained, why a elephant is added and people complain".

In other words, If you just say, "i like it" them we are fine.

 

[Doran]

 

[Swiftie_Midnights_]

I guess you can't play planet zoo unless all you want in your zoo is birds and monkeys, or the obscure small animals that nobody cares about.

Wdym nobody cares about- when I'm going to a zoo I mainly care about those unique and small animals- like once I bought tickets to a zoo just cuz they holding Porcupine.

But anyways I think what's annoying me the most about the Elephant inclusion is that we need to pay for smth we have, for example w the African Leopard inclusion it was fine cuz we didn't had to pay for it. Like tbh I rather to pay for the butterfly than to the Elephant, cuz the Elephant is just some editing in the model and pale version of the Elephant we already have. Like fine if u wanna include a new Elephant it's alr, but give it to me for Free or save it for Anniversary. And It's sad to me that we could've get new Tiger or Lion who r more necessary than a Elephant but ig that's a preference..

 

[Captain Callum]

or... elephants are cool? I don't need to find reasons to defend my decision to like the addition in the pack. Kind of getting sad we have to do this every dlc because a certain animal didn't get added and we have to, for whatever reason, pick on the people that like the controversial animal.

 

[DarthQuell]

I don't mind people want unconvincional or unwanted animal because they like them or even being whilling to pay for them, if someone wanted the Bornean elephant because they like it, them who am i to disagree? i just don't like the wave of false comparasion like the ABB one, or false arguments like 'we receivied 7 seven monkeys and nobody complained, why a elephant is added and people complain".

In other words, If you just say, "i like it" them we are fine.

See, I'm fine with that too. If you don't like it, it's fine with me. If you like it, it's also fine with me.
The monkey thing is indeed different, same with birds. But it goes bith ways, too. I'm tired to hear the same "this animal is trash" comments, because whether you're right or wrong, it doesn't exactly help matters that much

 

[The Aardvark]

Look, if you enjoy wasting your time and money buying something you already own, that's great... but it's also dumb...

A lot of people wanted and actually asked for the Blackbuck... But I guess they're dumb because they asked for an antelope and we already have a lot of antelopes. Look, we even have some black antelopes already: the sable and the Nile lechwe.
I guess the Blackbuck should have been replaced with the green-naped pheasant pigeon or something, because for sure people would have wanted that.

I'm not mad that people don't like the elephant. I'm simply frustrated by the hate I and all the other people who simply LIKE this animal are personally receiving. I'm tired of being called dumb because I like something.

Look: I don't like monkeys, or raccoon dogs. But I'm not calling people dumb for wanting them in the game.
Also, I didn't even want the elephant. I just like the fact that it's here. I didn't personally ask for it, I simply saw it inclusion, accepted it, and even learned to appreciated it. If you don't like it, it's fine. But don't go out and insult people for liking something different.
I feel like we're all past the age of 4 and so we should all have learned the lesson by now.

 

[Doran]

I hope next DLC includes South-western black rhinoceros.

 

[The Aardvark]

Guess I have to act like everyone else.

 

[DarthQuell]

I would personally hope that a PZ2 would have some system to distinguish between species and subspecies (I believe there was something similar in ZT3 which I never played). This way we can have space for new subspecies, but also prevent getting them to take up a slot that could've been given to a new species. It's not perfect, but may be a nice solution that also makes the game more scientifically appropriate.

I like how Prehistoric Kingdom does it. They have the base genus and then different subspecies to choose from in a little list

 

[The Aardvark]

Come on, REALLY?!
This pack has ungulates and carnivores?! And not even a New Guinea Ground Cuscus!!
Why did we have to get TWO antelopes when we could have gotten the Himalayan francolin and the gray-shanked douc...
And I can't believe they even dared to include the honey badger (!!?!) over the heavily requested falcated duck.

I'm not even waiting for a sale, this pack is getting an instant negative review. Why are players so dumb!
Why can't they understand that this game NEEDS animals like the red-wattled lapwing.

 

[Markiz]

That's why we are doomed to mediocre packs. People will deffend choices like this one just because is an elephant and they like elephants, not thinking twice they are making them pay for an animal they already have. And is why we still don't have more birds and small animals in the game.

It’s honestly sad that this probably is the reason the roster will never be balanced because so many people wish for so many reskins instead of actual groups that we need like birds and monkeys

I don't think that's correct. We're not getting clones in packs instead of monkeys, birds and small mammals. Certainly not because people are asking for them (no one asked for another elephant before pack revealed, certainly not as many people that are defending the inclusion now).

They would've made elephant anyway.

If we forced them to stop doing lazy clones, we would be just getting one less animal per pack. Clones are there to pad out the roster, and because they're easy to make.

And that's not going away, no matter if people defend it afterwards. As long as they put wanted animals in pack, and people buy packs for the animals they want they won't care and they don't have to care what people think about every individual animal in it.

So people who secretly hoped for some easy inclusions like that might just as well celebrate the animals they like. Or defend the rationale behind choosing subspecies. Because that's not going away.

And actually if that's the "vessel" they need to bring more wanted animals in the game so be it. I'd rather spend money on a pack with both wanted animals and lazy clones, than not get that wanted animal at all.

Edit

P.S. Don't take this as some pessimistic lament from my side. I have very little negative feelings towards their DLC model. It could be better, but it could be way worse.

 

[CaprinemasterAT]

I like elephants in real life, they are my favorite Animals (Nilgai is near), but it is fact, that I did not want another one in Planet Zoo.
Now it is here, I think it's unnecessary, so what should I do? Hate it? Nah- I still like the game and the animal a lot. Let's do the best out of it. Excepecially since the rest of the pack is a 10/10 for ME, so I take the elephant. Would there be many other species that would be better? No doubt. But what good would it do me now, even if I really like the pack, if I now start to hate the fact that the elephant is there? That's right, nothing. I'd rather concentrate on the species (nilgaur, blackbuck, lion-tailed macaque, deer) that I'm really, really looking forward to. It's simply impossible to fulfill everyone's wishes, that really is impossible. Some people want monkeys, others want ungulates, and still others want elephants. And that's completely fine, and we should start to accept it more. Even if the elephant is completely unexpected and unnecessary for many of us, let's be happy for those who are looking forward to the elephant, and we ourselves can concentrate on the species that we have perhaps been looking forward to for years.

 

[SanRazo]

People are allowed to like or hate what they want.

But man the elephant was a bad pick lol

 

[Mjmannella]

View attachment 432963

It has the same conservation status as the Indian subspecies, so that point isn't even valid

A lot of people wanted and actually asked for the Blackbuck... But I guess they're dumb because they asked for an antelope and we already have a lot of antelopes. Look, we even have some black antelopes already: the sable and the Nile lechwe.
I guess the Blackbuck should have been replaced with the green-naped pheasant pigeon or something, because for sure people would have wanted that.

I'm not mad that people don't like the elephant. I'm simply frustrated by the hate I and all the other people who simply LIKE this animal are personally receiving. I'm tired of being called dumb because I like something.

Look: I don't like monkeys, or raccoon dogs. But I'm not calling people dumb for wanting them in the game.
Also, I didn't even want the elephant. I just like the fact that it's here. I didn't personally ask for it, I simply saw it inclusion, accepted it, and even learned to appreciated it. If you don't like it, it's fine. But don't go out and insult people for liking something different.
I feel like we're all past the age of 4 and so we should all have learned the lesson by now.

If we instead got an African forest elephant, then there'd be half the criticism simply because that's a different species from the bush elephant. The simple fact is that Bornean elephants just don't offer anything new to the table. Forest elephants can offer something new to the table, even if it isn't much. That's the main reason why comparing a second Asian elephant subspecies to the immensely diverse antelope family isn't exactly an equal comparison.
It's not wrong to enjoy the elephant because you like elephants, elephants are among my favourite animals! It's just that a lot of the arguments people make to validate the Bornean subspecies' inclusion just doesn't hold water.
I'll give a personal example. I like the Tamworth pig. I fully acknowledge that it's not a breed that represents petting zoos very well, as it is undoubtedly a breed more common for commercial livestock. I still like Tamworth pigs for what they are. And frankly, I could care less for American black bears. Yeah their polymorphism is cool, but I'm not exactly hankering for a 9th bear. Hell, I've even seen multiple American black bears in the wild and in captivity. I just don't have any appeal for the species.

 

[Calleo]

I'm happy a lot of people like this species. I'm personally not a big fan but at the same time I did start building for it.

Although you could argue there's objective ways of deciding which animal has more merit of being in the game, in the end it's the fans who buy and who decide. So I don't think it's fair to tell people they're wrong for liking a new animal. Besides, the game has limited resources so we cannot get too much novel.

I would personally hope that a PZ2 would have some system to distinguish between species and subspecies (I believe there was something similar in ZT3 which I never played). This way we can have space for new subspecies, but also prevent getting them to take up a slot that could've been given to a new species. It's not perfect, but may be a nice solution that also makes the game more scientifically appropriate.

I think one of the best additions possible to planet zoo 2 would be a Prehistoric Kingdom-style subspecies system. Each animal is a species and then within you can choose a subspecies and manage as such. Each animal has up to four subspecies you can choose (to avoid massive dilution of the animal pool).

This would allow for an extra level of zoo management and teach more about conservation. It would also allow for hybridisation and that could feed into whether an animal could be released into the wild. You could buy a cheap hybrid for display that shouldn’t be bred or a purebred subspecies for example. Not even animal would need subspecies or could just have the nominate subspecies but many species with notable subspecies would hugely benefit like:

• Brown Bears (European, Grizzly, Syrian, Himalayan)
• Asian Elephants (Indian, Sri Lankan, Sumatran, Bornean Pygmy)
• Lion (Asiatic, Southern)
• Tiger (Bengal, Siberian, Sumatran, Malayan)
• Leopard (African, Amur, Sri Lankan, Persian)
• Plains Zebra (Grant’s, Chapman’s, Burchell’s, Maneless)
• Giraffe (Reticulated, Rothschild’s, Masai, South African)
• Chimpanzee (Western, Central, Nigeria-Cameroon, Eastern)
• Buffalo (Cape, Forest)
• Grey Wolf (Eurasian, Indian, Arctic, Northwestern)
• Panda (Nominate, Qingling)
• Bighorn Sheep (Desert, Rocky Mountain, Sierra Nevada)
• Black Rhino (Eastern, South-Central)
• Bongo (Lowland, Mountain)
• Dall Sheep (Dall’s, Stone)
• Dhole (Chinese, Indian)
• Eurasian Lynx (Northern, Siberian, Carpathian)
• Fallow Deer (European, Persian)
• Asian Black Bear (Formosan, Himalayan, Manchurian)
• Koala (Queensland, NSW, Victorian)
• Moose (Alaska, Eurasian, Eastern)
• Takin (Sichuan, Golden, Mishmi, Bhutan)

This could also be used for breeds of domestics to make richer petting zoos and require care with breeding again.

Just some ideas!

 

[Birb（｡･ө･｡）]

I guess the Blackbuck should have been replaced with the green-naped pheasant pigeon or something, because for sure people would have wanted that.

Me who would have unironically adored this:

All I’m gonna say on the elephant discussion is that I’m really happy others can enjoy something I can’t, I truly hope you guys have fun with it!