Hey guys lately I’ve seen a YouTuber express their boredom with the game and also criticizing the current dlc model to a point. For me personally this game never gets boring I seem to have the exact opposite in where I get half way through a zoo and come up with new ideas and before you know it I’m starting on a new zoo. Keep in mind I in no way speak for everyone and just wanted some general feedback and opinions. The dlc model is nothing new to criticism as many have shared their take on this. Me personally it doesn’t really bother me sure I’d like bigger packs but like many I too believe this to be set in stone and already planned. I mean to me if we got 32 dlc animals over three yrs you still end up with 32 at the end of the day. Is it something frontier may have to adjust? Possibly imo. I don’t really know the amount of people working on pz and do kind of wish frontier would dedicate more attention to pz as Planco and jwe appear to be finished. No new dlc seems to be in the works for either game at this point. I know the console version will be released soon and I will probably even buy it at some point but it’s hard telling how big of a team is dedicated to that as well. I do understand covid19 has probably effected frontier in many ways in terms of delays and things taking more time which is totally expected. Oh well I just hope this game gets a couple of yrs support and I’ll be happy.
A disappointment with planet zoo?
- Thread starter paul78
- Start date
I'm actually more engaged than ever. It took me a long time to get used to how the game and controls work but I'm finally getting used to it.
I did have a pause of a couple of months from just after the Arctic DLC coming out to just before the South America DLC when life was a bit chaotic and I didn't have much time to play but thanks to lockdown, the new animals inspiring me and exploring zoos from the steam workshop and seeing how things can be done I am a lot more confident now.
I guess it depends what you want out of the game but I have so many ideas the only things holding me back are time and energy and things like limitations of the maps - I have mentioned elsewhere how much I wish I had green grass and brown soil for all biomes for example.
Of course I would like as much variety as possible when it comes to animals but I am happy to wait and see what happens and what DLCs come our way.
Something I have thought about is maybe one animal coming out each month as a complete surprise, maybe at the beginning of the month. This could be a 'clone' animal or something very similar to animals we already have, for example a black and white ruffed lemur (basically a reskin and a mod already exists) or a Brazilian tapir (slightly more work but still very close). I don't know how much work it would take to do something like that in addition to the DLCs but it might keep up energy, enthusiasm and momentum in the periods in between DLCs and it is certainly something I would pay an appropriate amount for. Of course not everyone would be happy with every animal choice or the price but it's something I would certainly look forward to.
I did have a pause of a couple of months from just after the Arctic DLC coming out to just before the South America DLC when life was a bit chaotic and I didn't have much time to play but thanks to lockdown, the new animals inspiring me and exploring zoos from the steam workshop and seeing how things can be done I am a lot more confident now.
I guess it depends what you want out of the game but I have so many ideas the only things holding me back are time and energy and things like limitations of the maps - I have mentioned elsewhere how much I wish I had green grass and brown soil for all biomes for example.
Of course I would like as much variety as possible when it comes to animals but I am happy to wait and see what happens and what DLCs come our way.
Something I have thought about is maybe one animal coming out each month as a complete surprise, maybe at the beginning of the month. This could be a 'clone' animal or something very similar to animals we already have, for example a black and white ruffed lemur (basically a reskin and a mod already exists) or a Brazilian tapir (slightly more work but still very close). I don't know how much work it would take to do something like that in addition to the DLCs but it might keep up energy, enthusiasm and momentum in the periods in between DLCs and it is certainly something I would pay an appropriate amount for. Of course not everyone would be happy with every animal choice or the price but it's something I would certainly look forward to.
Unfortunately, Planet Zoo is just the sort of game that comes with lulls in interest. I think the "need" for a decent zoo management game was greatly overstated, and the hype severely overblown. By saying this I do not mean that the game is bad or doesn't live up to expectations - I certainly think it's wonderful - but I think a lot of players seemed to have a very rose-tinted view of games like Zoo Tycoon and expected to feel the same about Planet Zoo as they did playing those games when they were younger.
I also think time is a major factor in how much people play. While it's obviously possible to throw together a quick zoo, that isn't really the game's purpose. We're supposed to be creative and we're supposed to design beautiful habitats, scenery, and buildings, but all of this is extremely time-consuming even for experts. Since the majority of people have full-time jobs and other various committments (kids, partners, school/homework, and so on) I imagine most people probably feel the same way; I want to dig in and play, I just don't have the time.
New DLC always has the effect of prompting people to make time and rearrange their priorities but once the novelty wears off it's back to business as usual.
As a personal example, I wake up at 5am in the morning. I get up, have a tea or coffee, read the news, vape, post on here and other forumns, and the whole time I'm thinking about work (which anyone who works full time will tell you doesn't leave a lot of room for anything else). I then go to work, spending at minimum nine hours out of my day away from home (including time spent in the car), and then when I get home I have to shower, feed my various animals, put on a load of laundry, sit down for twenty minutes, hang the laundry out, while my partner is making dinner, then we eat dinner, and by that time it's usually 8pm, and in order to get up at 5am again the next day I've got an hour tops to wind down before bed.
Not much room for a game as demanding as Planet Zoo. On the weekend I spend both days cleaning the house (the aforementioned animals take a good few hours alone to sort out) and if I have the energy this is really my only opportunity to play (but I often don't have the energy - laxing out and watching a movie or series is more appealing for a tired mind, IMO).
I doubt my experience is super unique. There's no room before work, very little room after work, and only room on the weekend if I'm feeling especially motivated.
I also think time is a major factor in how much people play. While it's obviously possible to throw together a quick zoo, that isn't really the game's purpose. We're supposed to be creative and we're supposed to design beautiful habitats, scenery, and buildings, but all of this is extremely time-consuming even for experts. Since the majority of people have full-time jobs and other various committments (kids, partners, school/homework, and so on) I imagine most people probably feel the same way; I want to dig in and play, I just don't have the time.
New DLC always has the effect of prompting people to make time and rearrange their priorities but once the novelty wears off it's back to business as usual.
As a personal example, I wake up at 5am in the morning. I get up, have a tea or coffee, read the news, vape, post on here and other forumns, and the whole time I'm thinking about work (which anyone who works full time will tell you doesn't leave a lot of room for anything else). I then go to work, spending at minimum nine hours out of my day away from home (including time spent in the car), and then when I get home I have to shower, feed my various animals, put on a load of laundry, sit down for twenty minutes, hang the laundry out, while my partner is making dinner, then we eat dinner, and by that time it's usually 8pm, and in order to get up at 5am again the next day I've got an hour tops to wind down before bed.
Not much room for a game as demanding as Planet Zoo. On the weekend I spend both days cleaning the house (the aforementioned animals take a good few hours alone to sort out) and if I have the energy this is really my only opportunity to play (but I often don't have the energy - laxing out and watching a movie or series is more appealing for a tired mind, IMO).
I doubt my experience is super unique. There's no room before work, very little room after work, and only room on the weekend if I'm feeling especially motivated.
I can relate so much to this
. And Planet Zoo isn't the only game I play, nor is my "free time" only limited to games, but I also want to spend some time with my wife, my cats, my fish.For me, games are just some sort of time out from all the daily routines and some of the stress work brings with it. Just like the miniature models I build. I just want to relax.
And all the games I play are also very time consuming (Planet Coaster, Planet Zoo, F1 2019), so I have to pick one every time I play, I never play multiple types of games in the evening.
But playing the same game every day like Youtubers do still amazes me. And when a Youtuber says he gets bored of a game, I only think, no wonder, you made 20 videos about this game in the past month.
Truly, when your daily life consists of playing games, especially when it's the same game over and over, yeah, I can see where it gets boring.
Same here, but since the whole COVID19 it's less working hours and not that busy at work (a bit more active on this forum )
but from October till March I worked 50-60 hours per week. (Office-job)
And when I'm at home, mostly chores. And because of multiple stress issues at work - lack of energy. A very relatable issue among colleagues. (3 years ago our company was taken over by an American company and sad to say the stereotype is true)
Tbh, still able to schedule some off-time for myself. Always worked in an environment heavily relying on time-management and urgent immediate situations/solutions. Which means you always have a focus on time. Does require some sacrifices, though.
So when I hear people working 20-30 hours per week and complain about not having spare-time, mostly I can't resist to react.
(btw, most problems are solved by putting your Phone away - I know some people spending up to 20 hours per week on their phone)
Youtubers/influencers/social media, personally I don't care much about that. I think some youtubers just say this to get extra views, and agree with Luuknoord: They spend every day and hours on a game and I think it's normal that you get boring eventually - but that applies to every game.
DLC model, I played video games where you just bought the game and never a single DLC came out. Back then even those games were lacking in content/features but people just accepted they bought a game with flaws. I think every DLC is a bonus and 32 extra animals looks fine by me. I hope more animals !!
JWE appear to be finished, not sure about that one. We still have a JWE movie coming out in 2021. Since it's a licensed game, i'm expecting an interest boost in dino games during that time. And DLC would fit that picture well.
PC looks to be finished, no DLC for a year. Maybe DLC when the console version gets a new DLC (I mean DLC not on the pc-version).
)but from October till March I worked 50-60 hours per week. (Office-job)
And when I'm at home, mostly chores. And because of multiple stress issues at work - lack of energy. A very relatable issue among colleagues. (3 years ago our company was taken over by an American company and sad to say the stereotype is true)
Tbh, still able to schedule some off-time for myself. Always worked in an environment heavily relying on time-management and urgent immediate situations/solutions. Which means you always have a focus on time. Does require some sacrifices, though.
So when I hear people working 20-30 hours per week and complain about not having spare-time, mostly I can't resist to react.
(btw, most problems are solved by putting your Phone away - I know some people spending up to 20 hours per week on their phone)
Youtubers/influencers/social media, personally I don't care much about that. I think some youtubers just say this to get extra views, and agree with Luuknoord: They spend every day and hours on a game and I think it's normal that you get boring eventually - but that applies to every game.
DLC model, I played video games where you just bought the game and never a single DLC came out. Back then even those games were lacking in content/features but people just accepted they bought a game with flaws. I think every DLC is a bonus and 32 extra animals looks fine by me. I hope more animals !!
JWE appear to be finished, not sure about that one. We still have a JWE movie coming out in 2021. Since it's a licensed game, i'm expecting an interest boost in dino games during that time. And DLC would fit that picture well.
PC looks to be finished, no DLC for a year. Maybe DLC when the console version gets a new DLC (I mean DLC not on the pc-version).
Same here, but since the whole COVID19 it's less working hours and not that busy at work (a bit more active on this forum
I'm in an awkward spot with regards to Covid-19; my country (New Zealand) has effectively beaten it by now (still a slim chance of a second wave, but current projections suggest this is very unlikely), so we've been out of total lockdown for a while now. During strict lockdown (what we called Level 4) I had tons of time to play Planet Zoo and it really kept me afloat. That lasted about three weeks, and then in Level 3 I was back to full-time work (I was doing part-time hours as an essential employee during Level 4, but it increased back to "business as usual" for my workplace at Level 3). That's when I stopped playing again. I tried to keep going for a few days but as I expressed above it's just so damn hard to get into a rhythm when your time is so limited.
Can I finish this building before I have to leave for work? Can I complete this habitat? Do I have time to appreciate what I've created before I move on to something else? If I start building this now, will I want to finish it later?
Or, more commonly, "I can't think of how to start".
I got the new DLC for Megaquarium today which is handy, as it's so much more simplistic. I can build half a full aquarium in that game in the time it takes me to build a toilet block in Planet Zoo. Obviously Planet Zoo is far superior in terms of creative freedom and I greatly enjoy and appreciate that, but in my experience at least it goes to show how important time is in one's daily life. It really feels like I'm missing out on a game I was so desperate for before it was even announced simply because I can't muster the motivation to play it.
I definitely find it takes ages to build anything. I try to limit my playing time so I’m not up all night but at the same time I can’t accomplish much without committing a decent amount of time. One of my flat mates said have you not finished your zoo yet and I’d literally spent hours just doing a toilet block and landscaping around it.
I have been taking a break from playing Planet Zoo for about a month now and have been playing Planet Coaster instead (among other non-creative games).
I will get back to PZ eventually and I still check for news and updates everyday. Sometimes you just need a break and then come back to the game.
I will get back to PZ eventually and I still check for news and updates everyday. Sometimes you just need a break and then come back to the game.
I'm still a one game player and this is "my" game. However, since last weekend, after almost a year I found the joy in crafting cards again... and there goes my time for gaming. As energy- and creativity demanding as PZ is, there is no way of playing it during the week next to my full time job. Even if I have the luxury of working from home, freelancing means, a lot of your creative energy goes into work. Constantly.
That aside, lately I feel slightly disappointed with the game. I'm sure it's because of covid and I understand that, but the lack in communication and news is disheartening. Even more disheartening for me is, that issues like the huge hit boxes, that kill my joy in creating habitats, will not be solved. We don't know if there will ever be swimming land animals. We have no news or time frame about fur variations and I get a bit pessimistic about them and the game lately. I love it. I still do. But for whatever reason I feel like Frontier is giving up on the game early because it didn't hit like intended, instead of using its full potential.
I still think, the Planco Community alone isn't the right audience for this game. Of course a lot of PC Players enjoy PZ, but a good portion also thinks (wrongly inn my opinion), that zoos aren't as versitle as theme parks. We need more animal lovers for this game. And I still think we need to improve the animals for that and give them more personallity. I still feel on that part we didn't get what was advertised. Or the advertising was wrong and that led to this situation.
That aside, lately I feel slightly disappointed with the game. I'm sure it's because of covid and I understand that, but the lack in communication and news is disheartening. Even more disheartening for me is, that issues like the huge hit boxes, that kill my joy in creating habitats, will not be solved. We don't know if there will ever be swimming land animals. We have no news or time frame about fur variations and I get a bit pessimistic about them and the game lately. I love it. I still do. But for whatever reason I feel like Frontier is giving up on the game early because it didn't hit like intended, instead of using its full potential.
I still think, the Planco Community alone isn't the right audience for this game. Of course a lot of PC Players enjoy PZ, but a good portion also thinks (wrongly inn my opinion), that zoos aren't as versitle as theme parks. We need more animal lovers for this game. And I still think we need to improve the animals for that and give them more personallity. I still feel on that part we didn't get what was advertised. Or the advertising was wrong and that led to this situation.
I think the issue with Youtubers is they have to move on regularly to different games to keep people watching their video's
I play different games on and off and move between my collection of games , that stops me getting bored with any of them . I know i used to play Everquest 2 day in day out until i got completely fed up with it and stopped playing it altogether for about 3 years , By changing what i play regularly I have managed to avoid getting bored with any of the ones i own
I play different games on and off and move between my collection of games , that stops me getting bored with any of them . I know i used to play Everquest 2 day in day out until i got completely fed up with it and stopped playing it altogether for about 3 years , By changing what i play regularly I have managed to avoid getting bored with any of the ones i own
I’m not sure it’s fair to say there’s been a lack of news and communication. We’ve just had an update and DLC not that long ago and if they stick to the three month pattern a new one isn’t far off. Regardless of the current circumstances I don’t think it’s realistic to get a response to every concern or suggestion.
I know I always look for news and updates, it’s an inevitable consequence of the social media age but I really do think it’s far too premature to be pessimistic about the future of the game.
I know I always look for news and updates, it’s an inevitable consequence of the social media age but I really do think it’s far too premature to be pessimistic about the future of the game.
Judging from JWE/PC, it looks like this is how they handle their properties/games. Not a lot of difference with a lot of other devs (there are exceptions).
I don't think it's a lack of communication, it's just not the communication what the community wanted. The "hitbox" response it's not the answer they were expecting and wanted.
(hitbox is really a shame but we just have to deal with it).
I agree, with the whole COVID19 situation it's not realistic to expect certain communication. Who knows what kind of uncertainties they have to deal with? (like a lot of employees)
But, let's say they would address aviaries/marine/aqua DLC and their answer would be "This will take a lot of time, hopefully more news in 1 or 1,5 year". I think that will only lead to more disappointments/concerns etc.
Last DLC was 2 months ago, so not worried. Hopefully the "3 month DLC" is something we can expect for the upcoming months. (so hoping for another announcement by the end of this month- if not, I'm fine with that as well). The game could use some extra content for the summer.
This is what I'm secretly hoping for. A DLC in the next 2 months. fingers crossed
I agree, there are so much things missing in the game that were advertised before launche. Was a real dissapointment when i bought the game, only to found out that the things that draw me over the line to buy the game, were not in it