Winter DLC Speculation

raf8655

raf8655
Swjosdotschka said:
I know I'm probably not the right one to have an opinion on this, but if the Twilight pack were a person, I would feel bad for them. I get the excitement for something new always and I also understand that this pack is not for everyone. But seeing it reduced to just "the filler pack before we get birds" it's kind of frustrating.
Plus: While I do get why everyone thinks next pack will be the bird pack and I kind of think so myself, it still could entirely be that that will +not+ be the case. Maybe it's somewhere down the line but not the winter pack, who knows? They wouldn't even really fit for winter, so maybe they'll come next summer, when sales for DLCs are usually lower than during the holidays, were more or less everything sells well.

And last but not least, I know I'm in the minority here in the forums (but saw @Colehunter35 feeling similar), but birds are not for everyone and I still think that it might very well be that Frontier will not market a full on birds DLC. And yes, I know some of you bird lovers compare it with us having mammals all the time, yadda yadda. I still think that's not the same and a full on bird pack would be compareable with a full on primate pack- Primates are divers as well and still, even that I'm a primate lover, I know enough people that aren't.
Mixed packs usually have one animal for everyone and therefor maximise the sales. And to be quite honest, when we look at how devided the community is over this pack, it's the perfect example! All mammals we have in this pack are fairly small. For me? A dream pack! But a lot of people are asking for at least one bigger animal and are missing it. That's what happens when a pack is "too focused".

In summary: I think ya'll are getting your birds one way or another. But personally I'd be happier and more relaxed if we could at least discuss some other option for the winter DLC and kind of be ready for the idea that birds might come a few month later. Before teh forum full on blows up in two month. I'd love to have a relaxed end of the year with you guys and the way the community is currently absolutely set on birds in two month, this might not end well.
Click to expand...
But in fact, as I have been arguing for some time, it is almost impossible that there will be a DLC of only birds, indeed it is already very strange this DLC that is about to arrive which is all about small mammals...
 

SalamAnders

SalamAnders
Swjosdotschka said:
That is exactly what I was saying. The pack divided the community because the animals are "too similar". and it was probably not Frontiers best move. It's one of my favourite packs regarding animals and yet I see it.
I'm sorry it frustrates you, but we will forever be on different opinions with that. I'd just appreciate if you realise I don't make my points because I'm not interested in birds, but because I think the exact same way about line-ups that make me incredibly happy or would make me incredibly happy.

I coquet with my disinterest in birds. I really do. But I'm really tired of being pigeonholded here. (Lol, now that's a funny coinsidence the german saying "jemanden in eine Schublade stecken" translates this way).
And the good news is: It does not matter what I'd think about a bird pack. Even if the current animal roster reads like a love letter to me, Frontier doesn't actually care what I want or don't want. :p
Click to expand...
I respect you not wanting birds that is completely fair. And sorry if I did misread some of your post. And I know you also want us to have that fun.

What mostly frustrates me here is stuff like comparing birds (10.000+ species) to primates (close to 400 species). It doesn't really add up either in numbers or on a scientific level.

I totally understand why mammals need to be the priority over birds in a game, but at this point it feels like Frontier has more ignored birds than just making them less of a priority. And then there is people who seem to defend that decision (not meaning you), which makes the bird people feel even more ignored.
 

avietar

avietar
Before the Twilight pack I didn't think Aviary birds were coming, but now I feel pretty confident about it.

Winter DLC: Aviary pack. With approximately 20 bird species in the DLC.
The free update will come with mesh walls of the walkthrough exhibit, and include a couple unassuming bird species added to the base game roster for everyone to use.
 

raf8655

raf8655
SalamAnders said:
And since we can have all mammals packs, we should also have all birds packs. So most people can be pleased.

The Arctic pack was also all mammals
Click to expand...
In fact it almost never happened, only that time as a previous one. This time, however, we all have small mammals and carnivores (the latter is the real absolute novelty in the term of behavior and dynamics).
I still doubt there could be an exclusive bird DLC.
 

Chuditch

Chuditch
I’m less certain that flying birds are coming soon, whether in their own pack or not, than I was after the Twilight Pack was first announced. I could definitely still see it happening, but I’ll reserve my judgement until we get a proper idea of how the walkthrough exhibits work after release. Off what we currently know, I’m thinking there’s about a 40% chance of an Avian Animal Pack and 60% chance of something else.

As for what exactly what that something else is, it’s almost as if Frontier is actively trying to bamboozle us this year so predicting what is coming next almost seems like a fool’s errand. That said, I’m currently on team Island Animal Pack - aside from my inherent bias to the animals likely to come in such a pack, it includes a lot of high profile species (notably devil, tree kangaroo, fossa and kiwi) and would just generally make a lot of sense. It may seem an odd theme for a winter DLC, but the Conservation Pack was odd for a Summer DLC so I don’t think the packs have to be strictly seasonally themed. My optimal roster for Islands changes over time but currently I’m feeling:
1. Tasmanian Devil
2. Goodfellow’s/Matchie’s Tree Kangaroo
3. Fossa
4. Lowland Anoa
5. North Island Brown Kiwi
6. Nene
7. Kagu
8. Rodrigues Flying-fox [E]

Islands provides one of the better chances of including several ground-dwelling birds outside of a full on bird pack, so I hope it takes advantage of that. Including another bat also makes sense if they’re not adding flying birds yet, which is something I have no qualms with personally - I love bats!
 
Last edited:

Doran

Doran
Why would frontier put so much effort into creating so much new animation sets, when they can simply put island fox or scottish wildcat into Island Animal Pack?
 

Chuditch

Chuditch
Doran said:
Why would frontier put so much effort into creating so much new animation sets, when they can simply put island fox or scottish wildcat into Island Animal Pack?
Click to expand...
Well, I did I say it would be my optimal roster, not the most realistic

EDIT: Honestly, while I hope for more birds, as long as the devil, fossa, tree roo and Kiwi are in there, they could add the Eurasian brown bear to the pack and I’d still be chuffed - very confused, but chuffed.
 
Last edited:

Nausicaaa 22

Nausicaaa 22
I think that birds are the less represented animals in the game along with marsupials. I really hope a birds focused pack, frontier can do wonderful things with their games, with everything, so i hope for flying birds soon or in the future. But this is not possible, it does not have possibilities, but do 11 packs in this next years with every dlc is called "Wings of the World" with every dlc name, sounds great for me. I know, mammals, reptiles and etc won´t have representations, but this is not even possible, just me and my stupid ideas, but for me would be like this. We would have different forms and shapes of aviaries, which you can personalize and someones are walkrough, every dlc is like an animal pack, just like this:

1: -Wings Of The World: Arctic-
-Common Eider
-Snowy Owl
-Rock ptarmigan
-Chinstrap Penguin
-Emperor Penguin
-Snow Goose
-Rough-legged buzzard
-Snow bunting (Small Aviary)

2: -Wings Of The World: South America-
-Blue and Gold Macaw
-Hoatzin
-Toco Tucan
-Scarlet Ibis
-Andean Condor
-Greater Rhea
-Great Blue Turaco
-Harpy Eagle
-Hummingbird (Small Aviary)
-Rose-ringed parakeet (Small Aviary)

3: -Wings Of The World: Oceania-
-Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo
-Palm Cockatoo
-Victoria Crowned Pigeon
-Laughing Kookaburra
-Kakapo
-North Island Brown Kiwi
-Emu
-Kea
-Rainbow Lorikeet (Small Aviary)
-Cockatiel (Small Aviary)

4: -Wings Of The World: Aquatic-
-Southern Rockhopper Penguin
-Atlantic Puffin
-Mallard
-Mandarin Duck
-Mute Swan
-Australian White Pelican
-Great crested grebe

-Common Loon
-Great Blue Heron
-Black-winged stilt (Small Aviary)

5: -Wings Of The World: Southest Asia-
-Great Indian Hornbill
-Golden Pheasant
-Himalayan Monoal
-Mayor Adjutant Stork
-Green Peafowl
-Red Bird-Of-Paradise
-Indian Eagle-Owl
-Western Parotia (Small Aviary)
-Red avadavat (Small Aviary)

6: -Wings Of The World: Africa-
-African Fishing Eagle
-Grey-Crowned Crane
-Shoebill
-Helmeted Guneafowl
-Secretary Bird
-Red-Billed Hornbill
-White-backed vulture
-Lovebird (Small Aviary)
-African Grey Parrot (Small Aviary)
-Sociable weaver(Small Aviary)

7: -Wings Of The World: North America-
-Bald Eagle
-California Condor
-Wood Duck
-Great-Horned Owl
-Canada Goose
-Caribbean Flamingo
-Greater Roadrunner
-Pileated woodpecker (Small Aviary)

8: -Wings Of The World: Europe-
-Spanish Imperial Eagle
-Eurasian griffon vulture
-White Stork
-Rock partridge
-Barn Owl
-Western capercaillie
-Barnacle Goose
-Peregrine Falcon
-Crested (Small Aviary)
-European Robin (Small Aviary)

9: -Wings Of The World: Wetlands-
-Roseate Spoonbill
-Eurasian Teal
-Little Grebe
-White-backed stilt
-Cattle Egret
-Common Kingfisher
-Madagascar Ibis
-Common Moorhen
-Blue-Billed Duck
-Western Marsh Harrier

10: -Wings Of The World: Conservation-
-Bali Myna
-Northern Bald Ibis
-Whooping crane
-Hyacinth Macaw
-Spix Macaw
-Great Curassow
-Baudin's black cockatoo
-Flightless Cormorant
-Mariana Fruit Dove (Small Aviary)
-Regent Honeyeater (Small Aviary)

11: -Wings Of The World: Twilight-
-Great Potoo
-Barred Eagle-Owl
-Tawny Owl
-Eurasian stone curlew
-Common Kestrel
-Great Bustard
-Black Vulture
-Red-necked nightjar (Small Aviary)
-Common Vampire Bat (Small Aviary)
-Hermit Thrush (Small Aviary)


THIS TOOK SO LONG😵
 

jcp011c

jcp011c
Chuditch said:
I’m less certain that flying birds are coming soon, whether in their own pack or not, than I was after the Twilight Pack was first announced. I could definitely still see it happening, but I’ll reserve my judgement until we get a proper idea of how the walkthrough exhibits work after release. Off what we currently know, I’m thinking there’s about a 40% chance of an Avian Animal Pack and 60% chance of something else.

As for what exactly what that something else is, it’s almost as if Frontier is actively trying to bamboozle us this year so predicting what is coming next almost seems like a fool’s errand. That said, I’m currently on team Island Animal Pack - aside from my inherent bias to the animals likely to come in such a pack, it includes a lot of high profile species (notably devil, tree kangaroo, fossa and kiwi) and would just generally make a lot of sense. It may seem an odd theme for a winter DLC, but the Conservation Pack was odd for a Summer DLC so I don’t think the packs have to be strictly seasonally themed. My optimal roster for Islands changes over time but currently I’m feeling:
1. Tasmanian Devil
2. Goodfellow’s/Matchie’s Tree Kangaroo
3. Fossa
4. Lowland Anoa
5. North Island Brown Kiwi
6. Nene
7. Kagu
8. Rodrigues Flying-fox [E]

Islands provides one of the better chances of including several ground-dwelling birds outside of a full on bird pack, so I hope it takes advantage of that. Including another bat also makes sense if they’re not adding flying birds yet, which is something I have no qualms with personally - I love bats!
Click to expand...
Taking the thought that it's a Birds DLC off the table (though I still think it will be, nothing is promised.)

I think Islands would be a great pack for Winter, as it uses the season as an inverse for what many of us in the Northern Hemisphere associate with winter. There's a reason that so many people take cruises and vacations in the colder weather months.

I really like this lineup you suggested as well, but I'm going to change a few out to present my own

1. Tasmanian Devil - absolutely the headliner, and if Islands is a pack, it would be a horrible decision to exclude it.
2. Goodfellow's Tree Kangaroo
3. Kiwi - any of the species
4. Sumatran Rhino
5. Japanese Raccoon Dog
6. Fossa
7. American Flamingo (representing the Caribbean and Galapagos)
8. Tuatara (Exhibit)

Other possibilities could be a Sumatran Tiger, the Japanese Serow, several species of Gibbons, the Hawaiian Monk Seal, and the Little Blue Penguin. I wasn't sure if I'd rather have a third rhino or third tiger, but since the Sumatran Rhino looks so different from the in game Rhinos, and the Sumatran Tiger looks closer to what we already have, I made the choice to go with the Rhino. The Javan Rhino wasn't a choice for me because it's too similar looking to the Indian Rhino.

With the pack picks, we've got Tasmania, New Guinea, New Zealand, Sumatra, Japan, Madagascar and the Caribbean represented. I was really close to adding in a Javan species though, it's so difficult to get a good representation here.
 

zoomac92

Z
On the topic of bird keeping in US zoos:
Virtually any non-predatory species can be kept in walkthrough aviaries. San Diego in particular has a very large collection of birds in walkthrough aviaries, including a large number of African species of various sizes, from weaver to turacos. Ground dwelling birds often appear in mixed species aviary, though they are rarely seen taking flight or even roosting in trees. Budgerigar and lorikeet walkthrough aviaries that allow guests to feed the birds have become increasingly popular in recent years. Flamingoes are often kept outdoors, but do appear in some mixed species walkthrough aviaries for variety. Raptors, owls, vultures, and large corvids are always kept behind a barrier, with the exception of handling as part of education programs. Birds often kept outside of aviaries with or without clipped wings include peafowl, storks, cranes, guineafowl, large gamefowl, flamingoes, waterfowl, pelicans, and the occasional very friendly parrot. Native waterfowl and wading birds are frequent visitors to outdoor waterbodies as well. As far as I'm concerned, if PlanetZoo allows us to put our animals on contraceptives, it should allow us to select birds for wing clipping. Really not a difficult concept.

Other animals frequently kept in walkthrough aviary-like structures include small primates, sloths, iguanas, and butterflies. I would very much expect birds to come in an expansion/DLC that includes other animals as well, rather than a collection that is entirely birds. I personally find packs that include animals from a variety of taxonomic groupings or at least diverse morphologies far more interesting than packs with animals that are too similar. While I like the theme of the Twilight pack, I think three small carnivores from North America was not the best species selection - I do like each of the species individually and look forward to having them in game, but when you are limited to a handful of shiny new animals every three months, I prefer those animals be as diverse as possible. I would not have packaged the fox, skunk, and raccoon together in a DLC with only 4 new habitat animals, and I think a pack of all birds is similarly unwise. I thoroughly enjoy the setup of geographically themed building sets packaged with a selection of regional species, and I hope to see that trend continue in the future. There are still many areas and common threads underrepresented both in number of species and in building kit theme. Personally, I have a reached a point where if the release cycle were to slow to something like 12-16 new animals complete with building themes every 6 months, I would not be at all opposed.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom