Fair enough and that's good to know, thank you for the examples! I'm definitely not against having them in the game, though I'm still a bit skeptical if we'll actually get them.
Marine life animals possible?
- Thread starter m1randacosgrove
- Start date
Loro Parque has jaguars, lions, tigers, gorillas, chimpanzees, red pandas and a few other animals, not only aquatic animals and birds.
Barcelona Zoo used to have dolphins until last year, when I think they were sent to Athens Zoo. Madrid Zoo includes a dolphinarium and an aquarium as part of the zoo.
Blackfish might not be a perfect documentary as far as objectivity, but it's certainly not "fake". There are a lot of good points raised and I'm sorry, but dolphins and whales just can't have their needs met in captive settings (with a few very, very small exceptions). And making the assumption Seaworld has somehow changed their shows to be about conservation instead of entertainment is just not true, hate to break it to you. I don't care if Seaworld takes amazing, world standard care of their pelicans, sea turtles and sea lions etc. It doesn't change the fact that there are just some animals who cannot adapt to life in captivity, and animals like orcas are a prime example.
Bred = mated and gave birth in captivity (not captured pregnant.)
For conservation = threatened or similar population or species with offspring released (preferably in enough numbers to mean anything at all for the species’, or at least populaton’s, conservation)
I think that's very unnecessary and controversial, please keep politics and social issues out of the game.
If they did a marine/aquatic animal pack, here's what I think would be generally well received:
- Stingrays
- Sand Sharks
- Tuna
- Piranhas
- Koi
- Arowanas
- Groupers
- Squid
- Sea lions
- Manatees
- Barracudas
- Shoaling fish like Atlantic Mackerel
- Eels
- Jellyfish
Ditto this, but in the meantime, I can honestly really recommend Megaquarium as a game that covers this niche! It's a lot of fun as a management/creative game and there's a super active modding community that's always innovating and adding new creatures to the game.
Thanks, I actually own it, but I haven't taken much time to dive in and splash around (feel free to groan, bad jokes are my thing)
I really don't like that some people are trying to limit what we can have in this game, saying we CAN'T have this, and CAN'T have that.
It's just a game.
It's a game for kids, specifically.
Kids would love to see great white sharks and dolphins, and belugas and narwals.
They don't HAVE to include those animals, and I'd still be perfectly happy if they never do, but it would be a popular pack and you all know it.
It's just a game.
It's a game for kids, specifically.
Kids would love to see great white sharks and dolphins, and belugas and narwals.
They don't HAVE to include those animals, and I'd still be perfectly happy if they never do, but it would be a popular pack and you all know it.
Who said this, though? I've only seen people saying they don't want it, which is ultimately on the same level as people who are saying they do want it. It's a bit odd to act as though some of us expressing we're not comfortable/don't want these animals in the game is the same as preventing everyone else from having them, when we all know that the team at Frontier will be who makes the decision. None of us actually have any control over that. If your concern is that people voicing their discomfort might shape Frontier's decision--you're right, it might. It also might not, and the rest of us will just deal with it if/when it happens.
But either way, these conversations are actually the purpose of this forum. It's still player suggestions/feedback even when it's "I don't want this feature."
I love to see this argument (it's "just" for kids) because I actually teach children's literature (among a couple of other things) at a university level, and it's the most frequent phrase people use when trying to negate any kind of depth, analysis, or criticism of a piece of media. It's "just" fantasy, so it doesn't have to make sense. It's "just" for kids, so there's nothing of value in it and you shouldn't try to have a meaningful conversation about it. The word "just" does an awful lot of heavy lifting when it comes to denigrating or derailing something as unworthy of analysis or critical attention. It's "just" a game--why think about it? Why talk about it?
But so many people wanting orcas and dolphins have suggested how it'll be good for those species to have the platform, and suggest that's a reason to include them. So I guess it's only "just" a game when it's convenient, and the rest of the time it's an educational resource that will help protect marine species? Seems... dubious to me.
Like, you're absolutely welcome to want this. You can just say "I want this, because it's fun. I like to look at dolphins. I want to build tanks and do shows, because I loved Zoo Tycoon 2 and want an updated, more beautiful version of that." That's actually a feeling and opinion you're allowed to express! It's not even an unreasonable desire. But I think if that's your motivation, it's better to be honest about it.
A lot of us have voiced legitimate concerns about the fallacy of being able to healthily care for and breed these cetaceans in reality, and there's sort of no uncomplicated way for Planet Zoo to tangle with those facts given its goals as a game/experience.
Someone please think of the hypothetical children.
Anyway, I've well and truly said all I have to on this and I'm tired of the topic, so I suppose we'll just see what happens next! Frontier have a lot of clever, talented people, so I'm sure whatever future updates and DLC comes to the game will be gorgeous as always.
I dont think the game is targeted towards kids specifically to be honest. Sure, kids love to see cute animals (who doesnt) but the advanced controls and building might be too much for most of them.
Most kids games are trying to be as simple as possible, Plant Zoo is nothing like that. Cheerful and light-hearted style of the game does not mean its only for kids. I think it is aimed at people of any age, that love being creative, love animals and just want to chill and build a zoo.
It also appeals greatly to the people who played Zoo Tycoon games, and these original players are not kids for quite a time now.
Most kids games are trying to be as simple as possible, Plant Zoo is nothing like that. Cheerful and light-hearted style of the game does not mean its only for kids. I think it is aimed at people of any age, that love being creative, love animals and just want to chill and build a zoo.
It also appeals greatly to the people who played Zoo Tycoon games, and these original players are not kids for quite a time now.
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Brilliant post - very effectively sums up everything I would have said if I had more time and was more eloquent. “Someone please think of the hypothetical children.”
Brilliant post - very effectively sums up everything I would have said if I had more time and was more eloquent. “Someone please think of the hypothetical children.”
Maybe we should educate our children with how most cetaceans get into Dolphinaria in the first place:
Taiji dolphin drive hunt - Wikipedia
Most of these dolphins are killed for food, but many, many are sold to Dolphinaria, because selling them alive they are worth a year's salary for the people in Taiji.
Or shouldn't we show these pictures? Because "think of the children"....
IMO this is the kind of education you need, not mimicking the practices in real life that are without doubt dubious.
When you go to a Dolphinaria, there is a very high chance, that the Bottlenose Dolphin you are cheering for because of it's great tricks, actually was there when all his brothers/sisters where killed. He was "just lucky".
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I must say that this whole topic leaves me very conflicted.
I for one absolutely would not want to see cetaceans in Planet Zoo. I'm such a weirdo that even placing the orca/ dolphin shows in RCT3 when it was a requirement in the scenarios made me uncomfortable. I find keeping captive cetaceans when there is so much evidence to support how damaging it is to their welfare in this day and age utterly abhorrent. But that's just me.
I don't have the right to tell other people what they can and can't want in a game.
But here's the thing. This whole subject just seems SO divisive. Those of us that have expressed opinions here and on other social platforms are only a tiny percentage of the player base. Does that mean that the majority of people don't care either way, or don't care enough to voice their opinion?
Either way, this leaves a problem for Frontier. It has to be commercially viable enough to do, so would they risk spending so much time and resources releasing a pack that could potentially split the customer base and even cause some kind of backlash?
And here's where I'm conflicted. It is after all a game. I would hope that the people who want this just like the fun/ gameplay aspect of it and not think it's ethically ok in real life. Whatever their thoughts, that's their business and their right.. But Planet Zoo's whole ethos is about conservation and education wrapped up within a pretty awesome, beautiful game. Cetacean inclusion just seems so opposite to this that I feel it has no place in the game.
But if we're talking about aquarium, fishy packs, then I'm all over it.
I for one absolutely would not want to see cetaceans in Planet Zoo. I'm such a weirdo that even placing the orca/ dolphin shows in RCT3 when it was a requirement in the scenarios made me uncomfortable. I find keeping captive cetaceans when there is so much evidence to support how damaging it is to their welfare in this day and age utterly abhorrent. But that's just me.
I don't have the right to tell other people what they can and can't want in a game.
But here's the thing. This whole subject just seems SO divisive. Those of us that have expressed opinions here and on other social platforms are only a tiny percentage of the player base. Does that mean that the majority of people don't care either way, or don't care enough to voice their opinion?
Either way, this leaves a problem for Frontier. It has to be commercially viable enough to do, so would they risk spending so much time and resources releasing a pack that could potentially split the customer base and even cause some kind of backlash?
And here's where I'm conflicted. It is after all a game. I would hope that the people who want this just like the fun/ gameplay aspect of it and not think it's ethically ok in real life. Whatever their thoughts, that's their business and their right.. But Planet Zoo's whole ethos is about conservation and education wrapped up within a pretty awesome, beautiful game. Cetacean inclusion just seems so opposite to this that I feel it has no place in the game.
But if we're talking about aquarium, fishy packs, then I'm all over it.
well said
I agree with @Nemmie and many others here. In order to make the inclusion of cetaceans ethically convincing (and in line with the message of the game), we would need so many special game and conservation mechanics and maps (the whole "sanctuary" type) that it would make a totally different game. I just don't think it fits into how Planet Zoo works.
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I feel like I should clarify my stance and comments - even though I don't think that frontier will implement fully marine animals, including cetaceans and sharks, I would not have a problem at all with them being in the game. I agree it would be massively popular and I would definitely buy it. Disclaimer, even though I know it's not a good practice, I still enjoy seeing sharks and some smaller cetaceans at aquariums. Though I know I shouldn't. Though I would definitely not want a larger whale species like blue or humpback whales to be included, as that's not really realistic at zoos or aquariums.
I think @Nemmie summed it up best though, between the theme of the game and the coding mechanics of the game, I just don't see it happening. And even though I'd buy it, if it did happen but was at the cost of some popular terrestrial animals, I'd be disappointed - though that is following an assumption of a limited amount of content being released. But you know, if they had 6-7 years of content (which I'm sure they will not but...if) then sure, there's absolutely room for the theme.
I think @Nemmie summed it up best though, between the theme of the game and the coding mechanics of the game, I just don't see it happening. And even though I'd buy it, if it did happen but was at the cost of some popular terrestrial animals, I'd be disappointed - though that is following an assumption of a limited amount of content being released. But you know, if they had 6-7 years of content (which I'm sure they will not but...if) then sure, there's absolutely room for the theme.
