Silly idea time. Given we now have two packs with Christmas-themed items and the new Twilight Pack brought Halloween scenery to the game, I was wondering what the possibilities could be if Frontier continued the trend of adding holiday-related scenery pieces to the game. The most obvious next choice would be Easter, especially now that the new pattern will likely place the next spring DLC as a scenery pack. This made me think up the Springtime Pack (a rather on the nose name but I couldn't think of anything else), which would include a small amount of Easter-themed items (giant flexicolour eggs, some new sign pieces, etc) and a wider scenery theme featuring a lot of farmyard and meadow-related building pieces, including flowers galore! Obviously this wouldn't follow the seasonal theming of the spring DLC being broadly tropical, but it still fits spring in the same way that the Conservation Pack still fit summer despite not being arid themed.
As for the roster:
1. Greater Bilby (Macrotis lagotis; Oceania) - One of two species in this pack chosen specifically due to its connection with Easter, bilbies are the more niche of the two as the tradition of having an Easter Bilby over an Easter Bunny is exclusive to Australia (and even there the bunny is still more common). Bilbies are also only kept in Australian zoos, but there they are one of the most commonly kept nocturnal animals.
2. European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus; Europe, Africa) - The other species chosen solely for its Easter connection, this time one much more obvious and widespread. Whether a domestic or wild-type European rabbit should be added is up to your discretion. As well as being by far the most iconic Easter animal in most of the world, a rabbit would also be the first lagomorph in the game and therefore represent a new order of mammals.
3. American Black Bear (Ursus americanus, North America) - Probably the animal in this pack I'm most iffy about, but after the obvious Easter Duo it becomes harder to think of animals that are particularly "spring themed" and I wanted to avoid the pitfall that the Twilight Pack roster fell into by being too samey (the rabbit and bilby are already both small burrowing mammals with big feet and ears). Bears emerge from hibernation in the spring, so why not?
4. White Stork (Ciconia ciconia; Europe, Asia, Africa) - This beautiful and iconic bird arrives in its breeding range in Europe, north Africa and western Asia during the springtime, and storks have filled out a similar role to the Easter Bunny in some legends. As such, it makes a sensible pick for avian representation in this pack.
5. Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus; North America, South America) - Probably the most famous species of butterfly, like the stork the monarch migrates north to breed during the spring months and caterpillers in general are something commonly associated with spring. This would be the first invertebrate to be kept in the walkthrough exhibit as well as our first opportunity to make a functional butterfly house.
All in all every continent except Antarctica ends up with some representation here, although South America unfortunately lacks a habitat animal. For the record, this is not a pack I particularly want (I like most of the animal choices, especially the bilby, but I'd much rather more tropical/South American animals in spring instead and I don't need Easter scenery) nor do I think it is at all likely. I just thought it was a fun thought experiment.
As for the roster:
1. Greater Bilby (Macrotis lagotis; Oceania) - One of two species in this pack chosen specifically due to its connection with Easter, bilbies are the more niche of the two as the tradition of having an Easter Bilby over an Easter Bunny is exclusive to Australia (and even there the bunny is still more common). Bilbies are also only kept in Australian zoos, but there they are one of the most commonly kept nocturnal animals.
2. European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus; Europe, Africa) - The other species chosen solely for its Easter connection, this time one much more obvious and widespread. Whether a domestic or wild-type European rabbit should be added is up to your discretion. As well as being by far the most iconic Easter animal in most of the world, a rabbit would also be the first lagomorph in the game and therefore represent a new order of mammals.
3. American Black Bear (Ursus americanus, North America) - Probably the animal in this pack I'm most iffy about, but after the obvious Easter Duo it becomes harder to think of animals that are particularly "spring themed" and I wanted to avoid the pitfall that the Twilight Pack roster fell into by being too samey (the rabbit and bilby are already both small burrowing mammals with big feet and ears). Bears emerge from hibernation in the spring, so why not?
4. White Stork (Ciconia ciconia; Europe, Asia, Africa) - This beautiful and iconic bird arrives in its breeding range in Europe, north Africa and western Asia during the springtime, and storks have filled out a similar role to the Easter Bunny in some legends. As such, it makes a sensible pick for avian representation in this pack.
5. Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus; North America, South America) - Probably the most famous species of butterfly, like the stork the monarch migrates north to breed during the spring months and caterpillers in general are something commonly associated with spring. This would be the first invertebrate to be kept in the walkthrough exhibit as well as our first opportunity to make a functional butterfly house.
All in all every continent except Antarctica ends up with some representation here, although South America unfortunately lacks a habitat animal. For the record, this is not a pack I particularly want (I like most of the animal choices, especially the bilby, but I'd much rather more tropical/South American animals in spring instead and I don't need Easter scenery) nor do I think it is at all likely. I just thought it was a fun thought experiment.
