Bigger Exhibits

[QueenBadass]

Exhibits can currently only be 1x1. Why not a rectangular exhibit. 2x1, and a larger exhibit 2x2? Maybe even a corner exhibit. With bigger exhibits, there could even be additional options for the layout, like 5 or 6 per research level instead of 3.

This idea was sparked by finding you could keep Boas (which can get huge) in a tiny exhibit. I'd love to see it in a 2x1 where half of the exhibit is a swim/soak space.

 

[SotF]

Boas and others can get huge, but some boa species aren't that big. There's a lot of variety there

 

[NZFanatic]

The exhibit size is fine for boas. This idea crops up all the time, and it baffles me - what we really need are smaller exhibits, not bigger ones, for the tiny invertebrates and poison frogs.

 

[DrBurrito]

The exhibit size is fine for boas. This idea crops up all the time, and it baffles me - what we really need are smaller exhibits, not bigger ones, for the tiny invertebrates and poison frogs.

I think this happens because people don't realize how big the exhibits in the game actually are. They are 4 meters by 4 (13 ft. by 13 ft.), or in other words 16 square meters (172 square feet). However they look smaller because of the large habitat space requirements of habitat animals. The size of the current exhibits in the game is larger than any of the minimum space requirements for the exhibit animals in the game, even the iguanas. The only way I see larger exhibits being a thing is if we get other species that demand more space. Even then, some of the habitat animals like Nile monitors need a reduction in minimum space, for their habitats to look more reasonable in size in comparison to exhibits. There is in fact a datamined larger exhibit entry, but I assume that would be for new exhibit animals that demand more space or for aquaria/birds.

 

[Aramar]

I agree that the current exhibits are quite big although we have the feeling that they are small. In many cities, people live in studios that have the same size that those exhibits in the game (or even smaller). The space needed for a beetle is the same than for a human being .

 

[Firestar97]

I do absolutely want bigger Exhibits (this would also allow bigger Groups for some Animals (Iguanas can live in way bigger Groups than just 2). It would be great if we could get a Update for this. I agree that smaller Exhibits could be also useful for some Species but bigger Exhibits are more important for me

 

[NZFanatic]

I do absolutely want bigger Exhibits (this would also allow bigger Groups for some Animals (Iguanas can live in way bigger Groups than just 2). It would be great if we could get a Update for this. I agree that smaller Exhibits could be also useful for some Species but bigger Exhibits are more important for me

See this is what confuses me.

"Bigger exhibit are more important" because of this one species, and smaller exhibits (that would be useful for almost every other exhibit animal) should take a backseat.

 

[Firestar97]

See this is what confuses me.

"Bigger exhibit are more important" because of this one species, and smaller exhibits (that would be useful for almost every other exhibit animal) should take a backseat.

It's not only useful for one Species. It would also be great for big Snakes and it would look really good if we could place some Exhibits that are 2x the Size and maybe bigger

 

[NZFanatic]

It's not only useful for one Species. It would also be great for big Snakes and it would look really good if we could place some Exhibits that are 2x the Size and maybe bigger

There has to be a line drawn between 'habitat' and 'exhibit'. Once exhibit sizes start getting too big, why bother having the Nile monitor as a habitat animal, for example? They aren't usually displayed in massive open-air habitats in real zoos.

The creative options for smaller exhibits are even more numerous, especially in terms of stacking them, if that was possible.

 

[NL_Mutso]

I think different shapes would work for a lot of people.
Even if it would remain the same size in m2..

For a lot of species the exhibit is actually too big. Some species only need 1/4 or even 1/8 of the current size.
I understand PZ made this choice, zooming in that much would be a boring feature.

 

[Bearcat9948]

There has to be a line drawn between 'habitat' and 'exhibit'. Once exhibit sizes start getting too big, why bother having the Nile monitor as a habitat animal, for example? They aren't usually displayed in massive open-air habitats in real zoos.

The creative options for smaller exhibits are even more numerous, especially in terms of stacking them, if that was possible.

Tbh this where Frontier's choices seem a bit arbitrary. For instance, the size difference between the Green iguana and the Nile monitor aren't too different, but one is a habitat animal and one is an exhibit animal. I guess just because they didn't want to animate such an arboreal animal for a habitat?

The issue here is that the current exhibits don't really work well for either iguana species, the space is much too small and I feel like you rarely even see iguanas in these glass-type of boxes anyways. Usually they're much larger cages that have mesh/chainlink material.

And on the flip side, having such a huge space for a spider or tiny dart frog is just laughable. Having a one size fits all approach to the exhibit animals is pretty lame imo. I hope they address it at some point.

 

[Firestar97]

the size difference between the Green iguana and the Nile monitor aren't too different, but one is a habitat animal and one is an exhibit animal

Nile Monitors need a lot of Space, so it makes Sense that they included it as a Habitat Animal. The Enclosure for 2 of them should be 400x200x200m (in Real Life)

 

[Bearcat9948]

Nile Monitors need a lot of Space, so it makes Sense that they included it as a Habitat Animal. The Enclosure for 2 of them should be 400x200x200m (in Real Life)

That absolutely cannot be right lol. That is a huge amount of space

 

[Firestar97]

That absolutely cannot be right lol. That is a huge amount of space

Ok, I'll check what other Sites say about it.
Now that I think about it. Maybe they meant Centimeters and not Meters They've only written it without Meter or Centimeter behind it.

A Page about Animals in Zoos mentioned a Enclosure Size of 12,0 m², H: 2,0 m (I assume the H means Height)
Still a lot of Space but way more believable because I know that they can be also kept as Pets but need a lot of Space and are very expensive to keep

 

[NZFanatic]

Nile Monitors need a lot of Space, so it makes Sense that they included it as a Habitat Animal. The Enclosure for 2 of them should be 400x200x200m (in Real Life)

In centimetres that is still smaller than the current in-game exhibits. 12m squared and 2m tall would basically be like halving the height of the in-game exhibit and adding that half onto the length and width.

@Bearcat9948 if I was to guess, I'd say the difference is in mobility. Monitor lizards are typically more active than iguanas, especially in captivity.

In any case I don't object to a slightly larger exhibit in principle, but I think smaller exhibits are a bigger priority based on the range of species we have. The iguana, boa, and anaconda are all perfectly fine in the current exhibit size, but the poison frogs and especially the tarantulas and other invertebrates only need a fraction of that space in real life. There would be visibility issues of course but with those tiny animals visibility is already an issue regardless, and since we have infinite zoom (pretty much) not much would really change in terms of that problem.

I'd like to see stackable 1x1 exhibits for these tiny animals. In theory you could display 16 different species in the same amount of space it takes to currently display one. That said to keep viewing at guest level I'd halve that number to 8 but it's still a good idea I think.

 

[jcp011c]

I was thinking it would be great to have an exhibit half the size (for insects mostly) and that could also be double stacked, and also one twice as large as the current one, maybe even 3 or 4 times as large for really big non habitat animals. They could also work to put in birds in some of these that would normally fly but would not in this case, if no other way to do birds that's technically feasible. Same for smaller marine creatures but I know it would be weird not to see them swimming around.

 

[leehonglocal]

King cobras are the longest venomous snakes. Green anacondas are the largest non venomous snakes and of all snakes. Those two species were giants swimming snakes. If they'll be in Planet Zoo, will they be habitat or exhibit? They need bigger and wider spaces, like living room size. If habitat, could they escape or get loose somehow?

 

[DrBurrito]

For a lot of species the exhibit is actually too big. Some species only need 1/4 or even 1/8 of the current size.
I understand PZ made this choice, zooming in that much would be a boring feature.

You are right that very small ones might not be very suitable, but I still think a smaller exhibit with half the dimensions (2x2x2 in meters and possibly stackable) would still work. The only problem with two meter wide exhibits is grid size. They would also have to include a 2 meter grid option that is compatible with the larger 4 meter grid paths.

 

[NZFanatic]

You are right that very small ones might not be very suitable, but I still think a smaller exhibit with half the dimensions (2x2x2 in meters and possibly stackable) would still work. The only problem with two meter wide exhibits is grid size. They would also have to include a 2 meter grid option that is compatible with the larger 4 meter grid paths.

That is a problem, but I wonder if it's possible to create a pre-made (as in "pre-stacked") exhibit that already has four-eight exhibits built into it. So the whole unit would still occupy 16 square metres, but you'd have the opportunity to utilise the individual exhibits within it all at once. I suppose the problem here is keeper assignments.

Now I kind of wish I could go back in time. Since the exhibit animals do very little anyway, I would probably try and prompt Frontier into making them semi-customisable scenery items instead of full animals. You'd plop down an exhibit and choose from a dropdown menu what goes into which slot. Then you can decorate it to your heart's content.

 

[QueenBadass]

They are 4 meters by 4 (13 ft. by 13 ft.)

Really?? I feel like the scaling is off then. Unless the people are extremely wide.They seemed more like 4 feet by 4 feet to me.