Europe pack: megathread

[avietar]

Apologies, from context (post above yours) I assumed it was a response to my post. I actually haven’t seen many (any?) people say that a Europe pack has to contain only, or even mostly, endemics. I have, however, seen people asking for a Europe pack complaining that the animals already in-game shouldn’t be counted as European animals, since they’re not unique to Europe.

I guess where the frustration comes from is that the argument is made that Europe DLC isn't important because it already has all of these "European" animals. And that Europe doesn't need a dedicated DLC because it can get its animals from other DLCs. It's exasperating.

It's not unreasonable to desire animals that truly represent Europe, that are culturally significant and important, in a DLC focused on Europe. I would say that so far, the only culturally significant European animals in the game are the grey wolf and the moose. And to a lesser extent reindeer, and for my country (Netherlands) specifically, the grey seal.

As a European, I don't associate flamingos with Europe. Or polar bears. Even if they may technically live on European soil.

And I think that's how lots of people feel that would love a dedicated Europe DLC.

And that's all I have to say about this subject, as it's very much a topic beaten to death at this point.

 

[KönigDerKaffeebohnen]

To break up the discussion, lets discuss the european wildcat! Not only is it a very common zoo animal in atleast europe (more common then the lynx actually), they are a cute unknown icon of european wildlife.

They have quite the versatile range, being spread across the scottish highlands, temperate forests of germany and france, aswell as the drier regions of the mediterania, being a true european allstar and one of the few animals more common in the mediterania then outside of it that people wish for.
But the most interesting thing about them is, that they are seen as a good species for conservation. What this means is, that by making an effort to conserve the habitat for the cat, you also take care of a bunch of other species that will benefit. The reason the cats are treated that way, is that they only really accept very natural forests and dont like to leave them, so in their range in germany and france there have been "forest tunnels" build for them that lead between fragmented forests or even over streets. These are put in place, because this picky cat needs them, but all other creatures, including humans, profit from these tunnels and bridges that are build for them, making them an important animal for the conservation of the european forests.

 

[DarthQuell]

I think the issue is also a lot of people are kinda biased.

Like, take me for example. Half of my family is Texan (y'all can tell, right?). The other half is Argentine (which has Italian roots, too).

I want local species, like coyotes, the bullfrog (oh yeah), copperheads.
I also want animals to represent Argentina, like the greater rhea and the tegu.

Now, I will admit I at first wasn't thrilled about a "boring Europe pack". But, I've learned that there are great animals from there.
Plus, as a bonus, like we got with the Arctic and NA packs in the case of more European animals, a European dedicated DLC can't only have European/Eurasian species, but also some that are also in NA, like the wolverine and red fox.


So, yes, I want a Europe pack, especially now that I got the NA ANIMAL pack I've been waiting for for all year, and I also hope that our fellow European players can also represent their home just like how now I can represent my home in the South

 

[random goat]

To break up the discussion, lets discuss the european wildcat! Not only is it a very common zoo animal in atleast europe (more common then the lynx actually), they are a cute unknown icon of european wildlife.

They have quite the versatile range, being spread across the scottish highlands, temperate forests of germany and france, aswell as the drier regions of the mediterania, being a true european allstar and one of the few animals more common in the mediterania then outside of it that people wish for.
But the most interesting thing about them is, that they are seen as a good species for conservation. What this means is, that by making an effort to conserve the habitat for the cat, you also take care of a bunch of other species that will benefit. The reason the cats are treated that way, is that they only really accept very natural forests and dont like to leave them, so in their range in germany and france there have been "forest tunnels" build for them that lead between fragmented forests or even over streets. These are put in place, because this picky cat needs them, but all other creatures, including humans, profit from these tunnels and bridges that are build for them, making them an important animal for the conservation of the european forests.
View attachment 265933


View attachment 265928View attachment 265929

Thanks for bringing these guys here.
We Europeans tend to forget wildcats because they look similar to some of the domestic cats. But they're amazing and also adorable animals. They struggle as much as any other carnivore in Europe, they're true survivors.
I've seen then twice in the wild and I really could not contain my excitement.

 

[KönigDerKaffeebohnen]

Yeah, they really are. Another great thing about them is there somewhat ease of care, because they can be boiled down to as very shy, aggressive towatds humans cat. Most zoos give them just a small to medium size natural enclosure, making them favored by especally smaller zoos. Theres quite the price difference in feeding a whoule chicken or rabbit against a can of cat food.

 

[Antimony96]

I've figured it out.

1. Red deer
2. Alpine ibex
3. Eurasian lynx
4. White stork
5. Fire salamander (exhibit)

All five of these animals are both culturally iconic and heavily associated with the European continent. I opted for the red deer over the fallow deer due to the former having a larger in-Europe range and now that I know we won't be getting an American elk/wapiti (though it would be easy to mod one from the red deer!). The ibex is a no-brainer. I had some difficulty deciding between the Iberian lynx and the Eurasian lynx; the former has conservation value, but the latter is more popular and has more utility so I went with it. The fire salamander would be the first representative of the salamanders in PZ and could hopefully bring a new exhibit setup (temperate forest). My fourth pick is something I haven't seen discussed at all here but the more I think about it the more of a no-brainer it seems--the white stork.

Not only is the white stork a visually striking animal, but it's one which has played an outsized part in European folklore and culture. It is commonly kept in zoos around the world (the above picture is from Zoo Atlanta) and would also bolster African and Asian representation. Plus, more wading birds...

 

[jvandiver1991]

Basically this is what I desire for Europe.

In a 4+1 that would mean: Red deer, Alpine ibex, Iberian lynx, and European badger. With fire salamander.

In a 7+1 that would mean: Red deer, Alpine ibex, Iberian lynx, European badger, red fox, wisent, ...chamois or alpine marmot. And fire salamander.

Build themes: Dutch and Bavarian. It's colorful and rustic, with colored bricks as a distinguishable new feature, and imagine scenery with windmills and boats...! It could add a new boat type to our transport rides.

Smart to include themes for set pieces. Haven't seen many folks mention that specifically

 

[Hinvolur]

Smart to include themes for set pieces. Haven't seen many folks mention that specifically

I think a Europe pack would be a great opportunity to have a 'Modern Zoo' building set, with backstage pieces.

 

[jvandiver1991]

Am I the only one for whom it makes more sense for them to do the Europe pack as what they might release for Christmas, rather than an Aviary pack? All this talk of a possible Aviary pack or different biome packs, but I can’t help but think that given how much more simple it would be to push out a 5-animal pack for Europe, drop some set pieces in it, and send it along, they would choose to go with that over delivering an Aviary pack requiring an entirely new set of animations less than 3 months after our NA Animal pack. Honestly, if they did something like (as one example) the Red Deer, European Lynx, Alpine Ibex, Wolverine/Eurasian Otter, and Fire Salamander, given that that could pretty much be 5 re-skins, that seems as though it would be much simpler for the PZ team to pump out by Christmas. Just my opinion, I guess.

 

[yoav_r]

Am I the only one for whom it makes more sense for them to do the Europe pack as what they might release for Christmas, rather than an Aviary pack? All this talk of a possible Aviary pack or different biome packs, but I can’t help but think that given how much more simple it would be to push out a 5-animal pack for Europe, drop some set pieces in it, and send it along, they would choose to go with that over delivering an Aviary pack requiring an entirely new set of animations less than 3 months after our NA Animal pack. Honestly, if they did something like (as one example) the Red Deer, European Lynx, Alpine Ibex, Wolverine/Eurasian Otter, and Fire Salamander, given that that could pretty much be 5 re-skins, that seems as though it would be much simpler for the PZ team to pump out by Christmas. Just my opinion, I guess.

The packs are generally prepared a few months in advance, so by now the december pack is likely mostly finished.

People speculate that aviaries would come in december because the holiday season is the most profitable, so it's the best time for big game changing mechanics. So a europe pack (or any standard pack at this point) would be a waste of a profitable slot.

 

[markun]

Also the releases tend to vary a bit. I think back to back North America and Europe would be too similar.

 

[avietar]

Smart to include themes for set pieces. Haven't seen many folks mention that specifically

Thanks!

And for people who feel these themes are too themepark-y: As a Dutch person who has also been to Germany a lot, I don't feel like Bavarian and Dutch building themes are over the top at all. They are normal (and beautiful) building styles that are part of many Dutch and German people's daily lives.

 

[ElectricMonk]

Thanks!

And for people who feel these themes are too themepark-y: As a Dutch person who has also been to Germany a lot, I don't feel like Bavarian and Dutch building themes are over the top at all. They are normal (and beautiful) building styles that are part of many Dutch and German people's daily lives.

Yeah, but they’re not too hard to make with pieces in-game already so it’d be a bit of a waste.

 

[NL_Mutso]

People speculate that aviaries would come in december because the holiday season is the most profitable, so it's the best time for big game changing mechanics. So a europe pack (or any standard pack at this point) would be a waste of a profitable slot.

If it were November, that speculation would make more sense. December traditionally is a somewhat quiet month for (big) game releases or DLC, especially compared to November or October.
December is a very popular month for huge discounts, though.

And for people who feel these themes are too themepark-y: As a Dutch person who has also been to Germany a lot, I don't feel like Bavarian and Dutch building themes are over the top at all. They are normal (and beautiful) building styles that are part of many Dutch and German people's daily lives.

Other countries have their distinct styles as well. Did several roadtrips through Europe and you can easily distinguish houses/buildings/architecture between countries. There's enough material from 1 country, but I even prefer if they add several European styles in the mix. Also chances that Frontier will skip their own country or continent is somewhat unlikely. A long while ago saw some people commenting Europe already is covered with building pieces but that always sounded like a personal bias against European themed DLC/building pieces or maybe even a lack of knowledge on that part. Really a shame, because in the same threads there were several examples.

 

[avietar]

Yeah, but they’re not too hard to make with pieces in-game already so it’d be a bit of a waste.

Bavarian maybe (though it's a ton of work and really difficult to do, nothing wrong with desiring a prefab building theme). But we can't do Dutch building style that you see in the image I posted.

 

[ElectricMonk]

Bavarian maybe (though it's a ton of work and really difficult to do, nothing wrong with desiring a prefab building theme). But we can't do Dutch building style that you see in the image I posted.

I didn’t see any images so I can’t comment on those (although the things that come up when I google ‘Dutch architecture’ wouldn’t be too hard). The problem with Bavarian though (and maybe Dutch, depending what the images you’re referencing look like) as well as being (fairly) easy to make already is that any prefeb pieces I can think of wouldn’t be very flexible in creating anything other than those styles. The best themes are flexible so that they can be used for purposes other than just their theme.

speaking for myself I would much rather more European animals or Eurasian animals than dutch or Bavarian build pieces, and I have commented previously that I need more build pieces - I like to have both in DLCs, I just have zero interest in those themes. In addition, whilst Europe is lacking grassland plants (Mediterranean climate) it has proportionally more species overall than many other regions.

 

[avietar]

Basically this is what I desire for Europe.

In a 4+1 that would mean: Red deer, Alpine ibex, Iberian lynx, and European badger. With fire salamander.

In a 7+1 that would mean: Red deer, Alpine ibex, Iberian lynx, European badger, red fox, wisent, ...chamois or alpine marmot. And fire salamander.

Build themes: Dutch and Bavarian. It's colorful and rustic, with colored bricks as a distinguishable new feature, and imagine scenery with windmills and boats...! It could add a new boat type to our transport rides.

@ElectricMonk

Here it is

Important features of Dutch architecture are colorable bricks, typical roof fronts in various styles (I can't remember the word for it), white patterned bricks in half arches around windows, and white patterned brick decorations all around the buildings, large windows separated into small squares, glass in lead windows (beautiful), shuttered windows, historical estate weapons (showing a building belonged to a certain family or estate), stone engravings, year of build dates, Dutch thatched roofs with shingles and half moon windows (very different from african straw roofs), large iron draw bridges, small wood draw bridges, stone channel bridges, sluices, and then there's things like windmills, water gates, water towers, fortified walls and gates you can find all over our historical towns and villages.

 

[ElectricMonk]

@ElectricMonk

Here it is

Important features of Dutch architecture are colorable bricks, typical roof fronts in various styles (I can't remember the word for it), white patterned bricks in half arches around windows, and white patterned brick decorations all around the buildings, large windows separated into small squares, glass in lead windows (beautiful), shuttered windows, historical estate weapons (showing a building belonged to a certain family or estate), stone engravings, year of build dates, Dutch thatched roofs with shingles and half moon windows (very different from african straw roofs), large iron draw bridges, small wood draw bridges, stone channel bridges, sluices, and then there's things like windmills, water gates, water towers, fortified walls and gates you can find all over our historical towns and villages.

I’d like recolourable bricks. I’d prefer 3 more animals though. Which 2 of the 6 habitat animals in that image would you give up for Dutch architecture?

Edit: also THIS

 

[avietar]

I’d like recolourable bricks. I’d prefer 3 more animals though. Which 2 of the 6 habitat animals in that image would you give up for Dutch architecture?

Edit: also THIS

Thanks for the link!

And none of the animals. I'd prefer them all, though I don't expect them all in a EU DLC. I created this image for my Alternative Universe thread.

 

[yoav_r]

@ElectricMonk

Here it is

Important features of Dutch architecture are colorable bricks, typical roof fronts in various styles (I can't remember the word for it), white patterned bricks in half arches around windows, and white patterned brick decorations all around the buildings, large windows separated into small squares, glass in lead windows (beautiful), shuttered windows, historical estate weapons (showing a building belonged to a certain family or estate), stone engravings, year of build dates, Dutch thatched roofs with shingles and half moon windows (very different from african straw roofs), large iron draw bridges, small wood draw bridges, stone channel bridges, sluices, and then there's things like windmills, water gates, water towers, fortified walls and gates you can find all over our historical towns and villages.

Do you have pictures?