5 animal DLC complete rip off

[12344321]

I know everybody is really happy with a new dlc being announced. I am personally upset at the animal selection. No wallabies, no bandicoot, no tree kangaroos or tasmanian devils, no echidnas no platypus no wombats. I hate Frontiers dlcs. (Don't even get me started on south americas disappointment). I already have a blue tongue skink at home lol I'm not paying frontier to have one in my game it's not even a rare lizard, why not add my jack russell to the game too? Off the top of my head the perentie, the largest lizard in australia would have made a tremendously better choice, I've also seen frilled neck lizards on forums used as examples as dlc animals.

Each animal pack costs 10$:
- 4 dlcs (arctic,deluxe pack,south america, australia) and only 17 animals (40$ plus taxes)

- And the base game included 75 or 76 animals paid 45$ plus taxes.

See how the dlc is an absolute rip off:
Game 45$ (76 animals)
Dlc 40$ (17 animals)

And the game without dlc is 76 animals AND it's an actual game with scenarios etc, not just a disappointing overpriced animal pack and scenary....if they release 4 more dlcs you're looking at spending 80$ american for 34 animals.

Not like anyone cares but I'm not supporting the new dlc, it's not worth the money (since 76 animals should cost 45$ as they demonstrated with the base game)

 

[Sclurp]

This is how I framed my feedback in the News & Announcements post:
"
Feedback tiiime
I love Frontier's high production values, they're unrivaled in this genre. But I do have mixed feelings about this pack (but that's an improvement over disappointment with the South America pack). I just want to say that the big update launching alongside the DLC is so welcome and so needed that I can overlook some flaws in the decision making when it comes to this new DLC. I don't know if you could have turned things around following the feedback from the last pack in the time you had. Maybe you don't want to or maybe there isn't enough time once a plan is fully baked and maybe your resources were going into the awesome new free update that making this DLC bigger wasn't practical...But Frontier, please consider making these animal rosters bigger - that's the feedback.

I don't think anyone is expecting you to go full Smash Bros Ultimate on us with a: "EVERYBODY IS HERE!"
But the model/format for the content you've settled on for your DLC is not quite hitting the mark in my opinion and I hope it doesn't end up being like what happened in The Sims' community where each pack announcement is met with a groan and an expectation to find what they've failed to include over being excited to see what they have achieved.

With that being said, I am glad to see there is a new scenario (Tanami Roadside Zoo) in the DLC. I'm guessing it's going to be a unique timed scenario? It's bit of content that is very welcome and adds value for money (if we're getting such a small roster of animals). The South America Pack having no new scenario when the Arctic pack did and they are priced the same, it was...not great.

But please...PLEASE start to plan for larger packs. I'm excited to delve into this new region in the game (and Oz is a special place to me and my fam), and so, it feels odd for you to have homed in on so few animals in such a richly populated country so full of wildlife. I'll echo what others have mentioned, to leave out the Tasmanian Devil is so sad. Will there ever be an opportunity to add it? Who knows...maybe Planet Zoo 2 one day.

I'm gonna get this pack because I have a personal attachment to the location and these animals but the thing that swings my decision round isn't the content you've included...it's the fact there is such a substantial free update happening alongside it. I don't see that happening for your next pack, whenever that might be. So I'm adding my name to the numbers of people asking: Frontier bosses and Planet Zoo producers please give us bigger DLC packs.

Finally -- Thank you to the devs for delivering the free update and this DLC during a pandemic, having worked from home and taking on a lot of stress I'm sure."

I'll add that your blue tongued skink is exotic to me!
Please share a pic of it!

 

[jcp011c]

I think there's a likelihood that this is how DLC are going to be. We've had 3 DLC now, and they've been 4/5/5, with the 5th as exhibit, with building packs. Expecting there's going to be more animals each time is only going to set you up for disappointment. While you certainly don't have to like it, I wouldn't expect it to change all of the sudden.

 

[Swjosdotschka]

There is more in each dlc than animals.

 

[raf8655]

How I wrote in the Australia pack topic, the question is simple...Frontier modus operandi is to make little pack with max 5 animals (this is now understood), no problem for this politic, I will pay every single mini pack if I like (usually about 10 dollars/euro).

The problem for me (and think also to other fans) is to know if they they plan to make many small packs even in the same region and for many years they want to do it.
Beacuse, if they want to bet on this game for many years I think there is no problem, but if they don't want we will never see a lot of beautiful animals and the game will always remain truncated and a big regret...

 

[jcp011c]

How I wrote in the Australia pack topic, the question is simple...Frontier modus operandi is to make little pack with max 5 animals (this is now understood), no problem for this politic, I will pay every single mini pack if I like (usually about 10 dollars/euro).

The problem for me (and think also to other fans) is to know if they they plan to make many small packs even in the same region and for many years they want to do it.
Beacuse, if they want to bet on this game for many years I think there is no problem, but if they don't want we will never see a lot of beautiful animals and the game will always remain truncated and a big regret...

That is more my concern as well. I myself am completely fine with the price and amount of animals. But I truly hope that each region will get revisited, or that there will be a different theme that will include animals from various regions. I understand if they want to do one each of the main regions of the world and then go back and do another round, so it may be a couple of years even before we see more. I just hope that at some point we do see more.

 

[onk]

For me it's about quality and content of a DLC in genral and not animal per money unit.....
If I would like to do calculations, I could say :
Hey a DLC with hours and hours of playtime, for the price of a cheap breakfast at a mediocre bakery....

 

[Aero-Bubbles]

It’s really not, it’s 10$, like jeez, and you get more than just animals as stated. If they were charging 25$ for it, you could sway me, but it’s not.

 

[LN]

I'll skip my Big Mac Menu this week, to have the money to buy this pack.

 

[FoxyDee]

Let me just say it this way - every money sum looks big if you put more of them together. Lets think for a moment how many times did you for example go to cinema this year, I assure you that the sum would be MUCH, MUCH bigger than all dlcs for most people. You get 2 hours max of fun in the cinema, for the same price you can have hours of fun witth the DLC.

What is 10 dollars every 4 months these days? Its nothing. If you know something of running a company, development is also not a cheap process.

My advice - do not look at it like omg all those dlcs are costing 85 dollars! But more like paying every 4 months 10 dollars for additional hours of fun with your favourite game. Thats is nothing.

 

[paul78]

I’ll definitely take it. A lot of work goes into these. Would I like bigger packs? Of course but truthfully we don’t really know how much support is planned for this game if we get three yrs I’ll be ecstatic. At five animals 4 times a yr or so would be close to 60 animals.

 

[12344321]

Let me just say it this way - every money sum looks big if you put more of them together. Lets think for a moment how many times did you for example go to cinema this year, I assure you that the sum would be MUCH, MUCH bigger than all dlcs for most people. You get 2 hours max of fun in the cinema, for the same price you can have hours of fun witth the DLC.

What is 10 dollars every 4 months these days? Its nothing. If you know something of running a company, development is also not a cheap process.

My advice - do not look at it like omg all those dlcs are costing 85 dollars! But more like paying every 4 months 10 dollars for additional hours of fun with your favourite game. Thats is nothing.

If you want to enjoy the entire game, as most people do then the game isnt 45$ (USD), with all DLC's it is 85$ (+ tax) to enjoy it all, it's an expensive game. An expensive game that is still not listening to fans complain about the quality of dlc packs. And your 85 dollar game is just going to get more expensive from here on in.

Every dlc after this is going to be another 10$ putting the grand total to almost 100$ USD (that's an expensive game). You might not like looking at things big picture, but I do. NO ONE should want to pay 40 bucks out of their OWN pockets for 17 digital animals or 80 bucks for 34 animals for that matter.

Make the DLC's WORTH paying the price of the game again. How hard would it be to throw in some clones to make packs largers just to appease fans (African leopards, wallabies, emu, rhea, white rhinoceros, przewalskis horse, elk, spectacled bear, ocelots etc all have similar behaviour and models to animals already in the game).

And at the end of the day Oceania still only has 5 habitat animals. That'll make a great zoo

 

[Britches]

I don't have a problem with 5 animals per DLC, nor do I have a pricing-problem, since the ~10 bucks aren't animals only. It's construction stuff, foliage and stuff, so the ~10 bucks are really worth it. I'm not complaining and will buy it anyway, since it expands my gaming experience. Or to say it with the words of Bob Ross: I love to put some happy little trees here and some happy little rocks there to make it all look wonderful and nice.

The only thing I'd just love to know is: Are these specific DLCs the only ones we'll ever get from this region? ... as in: We now get the Australia DLC with five animals. Will these be the only ones we'll ever get from Australia? Like ... "we had that already, no more future plans regarding Australia/South America/Mars". Because this would mean, everyone who loved to have specific animals from [insert region] could bury their hopes to ever get them and that would be pretty ... sad.

Maybe Frontier will let us know someday, so we don't have to die uninformed

 

[Jileha]

You act like somebody cheated you out of something you are entitled to. Frontier makes a product, sets a price that they project will not only allow them to break even, but also to make whatever profit they as company need. You decide if or not you like their product enough to buy it.

If you think it’s too expensive for what you get, just don’t buy it. That’s a decision I make frequently, particularly if I think I don’t get a good value for my money. I don’t get all upset about it (you even mention hate) because that only hurts myself and ruins my day (or week).

You cannot compare the price of the basic version with the price of DLCs. If they make the basic program too expensive, not enough people will buy it. It is possible that the sale of future DLCs has already been factored into this price in order to make it a viable product altogether. I would like to know how much Frontier had to invest up front (i.e. expenses without getting any revenue to set them off) into the initial development of the game - it certainly was not cheap. And the result is a stunningly beautiful game with a huge replayability factor.

IMO 10$ is a fair price for all the work that goes into the making of the DLCs and for the many hours of enjoyment the DLCs brings to me. I spent lots of more money on games on which I spent much less playing time, including the original Zoo Tycoon series with all expansion packs.

I can’t wait to dive into a new amazing PZ adventure! Thank you, Frontier!

 

[NL_Mutso]

But I truly hope that each region will get revisited, or that there will be a different theme that will include animals from various regions.

I hope in a different theme. Slapping "Pack 2" behind the name, doesn't make it more exciting.

You act like somebody cheated you out of something you are entitled to. Frontier makes a product, sets a price that they project will not only allow them to break even, but also to make whatever profit they as company need. You decide if or not you like their product enough to buy it

I don't think any amount of animals will please some players. PC/JWE already gave us an indication about their DLC and the 3 DLC from PZ confirmed it: Small packs.
Judging from the complaining from some people about DLC taking a lot of time, I don't think the combination "2-3 months extra time between release dates but more animals" won't work for most players.

I think it's a fair price. Judging from other games and their prices - it has a good value.
Personally I think if people post "rip-off" that basically means most people don't care much about such comments.
If the game was $40 and only 2-3 hours worth of content - I'd agree, games for that price should offer a lot more. But for DLC I don't, you still have the option of not buying it.

 

[Garyd73]

You cannot make everyone happy and whatever decisions are made will make some people disappointed (I hope not angry) and some people pleased. This is around how many DLC's are released, how much they cost, how many animals they have, which animals they have, how much scenery, how many scenarios etc etc.

I have said many times, not one person needs to have any DLC to gets hundreds of hours of fun out of PZ if you enjoy this type of game.

I think we also need to appreciate a few things and I admit this is all guess work so could just be rubbish but it's how I see things:

1. The main game development is finished, I have no idea on numbers but lets say it had 300 people working on it. This may now be down to 30 or possibly rather than full time on PZ just part time (I have no idea how these things work). Either way some of the team will have moved off to other things naturally. This doesn't mean support for the game has finished as we have seen with updates and saw for a long time with PC but I would be surprised if the whole team who worked on PZ are still on it (I may well be wrong).
2. Going to a WFH model is easy for some industry's and not so easy for others. I would assume many of the staff are working on large files, either graphically, audio wise or general game files. The need to collaborate with other people in the company and update/share/work on files of this size over home internet lines may not be the easiest thing. Many games are missing release dates now and I am sure many more will.

I would love to have another 200-300 more animals before PZ comes to it's natural end, however I would be happy with 50 and quality will always win over quantity. I was hoping for Kangeroo's at some stage but never really saw it happening due to mechanics required, we really haven't seen much of them yet or got our hands on them but I am sure they will be done well.

I am very happy with how PZ has turned out and is expanding but I appreciate other people may not be, it 100% does not make me right and them wrong. We just differ, if everyone was like me in the world I would hate to live in it as it would be terrible.

 

[Danny_zoo]

I'll skip my Big Mac Menu this week, to have the money to buy this pack.

Exactly, I'm glad that someone finally said it. It is totally fine to complain about not enough animals being added to the DLC, and that is only because we love Frontier's quality of work so much, that we want as many of these beauties as possible. However to call this amazing art and hours of entertainment a rip off when the cost is 10 usd dollars, you can't even get a coffee and a bagel/pastry in any major city of the world for this amount anymore. We have to be realistic, if anything this game is absolutely undervalued. I have gotten every single DLC after the Deluxe game, and played maybe 1700 hours? And I have not even scratch the surface or even begin building my zoo yet, it has all been trial and error and making blueprints, so who ripped off who in this case? I feel like I should be sending Frontier a check. I honestly stay quiet many times in this forum, out of respect for the players, and try being very understanding when someone complains about spending 10 dollars in the game, I know many of the users are young ones, and some face hardships in their countries where 10 dollars might actually be a little more than what it actually means. But by no means I'm an american out of touch with reality or the rest of the world, I have visited my good share of countries in this world, and 10 dollars is mostly 10 dollars.

And to add to why I take issue with this message, is that by the constant nickel and dime complain about the cost of the DLC's and the content being released, we continue creating the opposite effect of what we do want, MORE CONTENT, instead trying to rationalize the economics of the content, we should all be politely letting frontier now that we are willing to pay twice or three times what the DLC currently cost for just a few more animals/flora and content, and I hope that is a sentiment that others share. Frontier is a business not a charity cause, and those artists doing all of that work deserve compensation, enough said.

 

[HeatherG]

This thread is closed due to repeated rule violations