What new theme? An aviary pack wouldn’t need a theme per-se.
Aviary Details
- Thread starter The_Riot22
- Start date
I think it's unlikely.
Looking at how aviaries are tackled in JWE2, I think it's fair to expect that if we get them in PZ it is going to be a similar but more advanced system. So instead of building your aviaries piece by piece, you have a fence tool that allows you to build it.
That is logical, because there's a big amount of players that don't want to do the piece by piece building and use mostly prefabs/workshop items. And from a technical standpoint, it's the far easier thing to do. Instead of letting players create an air-tight volume in all sort of shapes that are going to be hard to calculate, you simply restrict it to a tool that can only create the right volumes. Of course, the system would most likely be more advanced. Looking at how the fencing system works to this day in PZ, I think you'll be able to adjust the height of the aviary, the curvature of the roof, the amount of posts, etc.
Once everything to build an aviary falls within that fence tool, the amount of scenery you need pretty much falls within the realms of what we get in free updates anyway. Some enrichment items for birds, everything that is climbable because perchable, etc. The aviary pack itself then comes with a few enrichment items specific to those birds in the pack, just like all the animal packs have, and you're pretty much done.
If aviaries come to PZ, I think an animal pack for the reasons mentioned above is probably the way they will go. Given how vocal the community is about the amount of birds they want, I think it's pretty logical to expect that Frontier would then try to cater to the community by using the animal pack format.
No love for bats. Robert Pattinson is crying somewhere
I can't speak for Leaf, but I personally feel ambivalent about the inclusion of most bats-- while I love them as animals, I rarely see them in zoos, and other than the vampire bat (whose size is a whole different potential issue) I think most bats spend most of their time hovering and flying all around (possibly harder to code than flying from place to place? I'm not sure) or hanging (which would require coding in upside-down perches and isn't very interesting to watch). If these hurdles were addressed well, though, I'd love to see a bat species or two in PZ!
Why?
Edit: To add, I find the notion of "aviary pieces" to be a strange one. Like, what are you imagining? Piece-by-piece construction like with the buildings? I don't see that happening, because you can't actually make a habitat out of building pieces alone. The often-floated idea of a new barrier system is much more likely (probably with a null version, too).
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A lot of them need to be able to be tied into the existing parts thing unless it's heavily changed. A lot of zoos and other places build the aviaries into the side of other structures, or base them on them.
For example, with the Cincinnati Zoo's raptor flight cages, you have the overlook areas that are built up to view into them safely, you also have the way the old walk through aviary was with the walls and structures there.
There are several other zoos where there's a building with aviaries off the sides of it.
Several also have structural pieces that blend in with the zoo.
Whilst I mostly agree, I can absolutely see how aviary build pieces could work. You absolutely can build a habitat from build pieces (plus a null fence). Imagine something like the classical glass pieces but with netting or mesh instead of glass for example. In fact, you don’t really need a new system at all (top linked to barriers) since hit boxes of build pieces would be just as effective at keeping animals in as an automated roof/barrier system. On the other hand, there’s zero reason to have one build set for each theme!
Why are they any worse for aviaries than any other habitat?
Yeah, this is kind of my point.
You actually can't build a habitat out of building pieces. It's not a habitat until you use a barrier. The building pieces can be used for containment, but they can't be used to create a habitat.
I think it's a moot point. If they introduce a new barrier tool that allows for the construction of covered habitats/aviaries, there could still be a 'box' shape you can create, which can still be attached to a building if you so choose. Building pieces can't be used to create a habitat (as stated above, not without the use of a barrier in conjunction); they'd have to overhaul the entire habitat system in order to make it work, which we know is extremely difficult (this is the cited reason as to why we can't have more than one gate per habitat).
I'm sure guest gate for aviaries would definitely work...
Well, yes,… a habitat can’t be defined by build pieces but it’s totally possible to use build pieces for containment (as you agree). I don’t really see why that matters though… Let’s say flamingos we’re given flight (I.e., barrier height were made irrelevant and they could move freely in three dimensions) without adding any build pieces or changes to barriers…. Could effective aviaries be created (e.g., by using mesh or whatever) that would work?…
Yes.
Okay, but do you think Frontier is going to create a system where players are required to use piece-by-piece construction to build an aviary?
Imagine system, where birds are no different than any other habitat animal. You put them in habitat and they are doing bird stuff. They cant escape via flying, because they are ,,well behaved,, like meerkats with digging. Bunch of free basic aviaries made by frontier included in free update and thats it. Average player can quickly put in on map and enjoy birds, whereas hardcore builder still can build something piece by piece (of course some extra aviary stuff would be appreciated).
Even if my wet dream is 20 birds i would be fine with something like:
All those discussions, but in reality its going to be something very simple.
Even if my wet dream is 20 birds i would be fine with something like:
- Blue and Yellow Macaw
- African Gray Parrot
- Bald Eagle
- Eurasian Eagle-Owl
- Toco Toucan
- Indian Hornbill
- Andean Condor
- Scarlet Ibis
All those discussions, but in reality its going to be something very simple.
Honestly, coding and enabling flying "barrier" constraints like this is probably the easiest and most practical way to go. Have the flying animals coded so they still recognize the barriers as what they cannot pass across. Maybe not the most realistic, but from a building respective of what's required probably the easiest.
But in addition, also having netting or roof items, but not have them required. that way if some players want to make a more visually realistic enclosure they can.
Start out simple, give more options for those who want it that way. The way I see it, more options always wins.
My expectations are either 4 or 8 birds but I'm really hoping for 8. My absolute dream would be 12 animals with another pack later on with 8. The birds I'd consider must haves would be a Bald Eagle, a Macaw of some type, a Toucan, and some type of waterfowl or otherwise water-related bird, ideally either a swan or pelican. Beyond that getting at least one wading bird and some type of hornbill would be pretty high up on my list.
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That ignores the largest group; the people in between.
The majority of players are capable of using building pieces pretty well. Better than those who use blueprints a lot, but not as good as those few who can build exact replicas of Copenhagen. I fall into that group; neither of your solutions suits me at all.
No, I think they'll give us something unique. Either a modular aviary/covered habitat building system similar to JWE2 but more primed for zoos, or something completely different, such as a click-and-drag system where you start with a basic shape and manipulate the corners and edges into whatever you want.
no, but I think that they’ll make a system where it’s possible to use piece-by piece construction to build an aviary.
I guess I just don't see the need to overcomplicate the barrier system when it potentially could be simple, and then to give the players the option to visually make it as realistic or complex as possible. As I say, options are always a good thing for all players in my opinion, but you have to start out with a pretty simple baseline for that.
The game has quite a few things that are not always easy to grasp, but the barriers are not one of them. Creating a basic habitat out of barriers is probably one of the easiest processes in the game. Building meanwhile, can be simple at its core, but you can also make it as complex as you want it.
edit: adding in something to clarify - basic should be simple, but obviously you can make something as non-basic as you want. Options.
The game has quite a few things that are not always easy to grasp, but the barriers are not one of them. Creating a basic habitat out of barriers is probably one of the easiest processes in the game. Building meanwhile, can be simple at its core, but you can also make it as complex as you want it.
edit: adding in something to clarify - basic should be simple, but obviously you can make something as non-basic as you want. Options.
I never said they wouldn't; I fully expect that any aviary barrier system will come with a null option. My objection is to the idea that building pieces will be required to build an aviary. Doing that would limit aviary construction to a handful of players who can create large complex structures. Those of us that prefer to build quick, simple buildings will be stuck with blueprints. Take the mesh pieces currently in the game, for example; they are not easy to use to create covered habitats. You need a lot of them, first of all, and you need to line them all up. Of course the lack of triangular sections inhibits this as well.
If you're talking about grid-pieces, that presents a problem to the people who do build huge complex structures, because grid pieces are locked in a single axis of rotation.
I don't understand why you would think an aviary system would be complicated.I guess I just don't see the need to overcomplicate the barrier system when it potentially could be simple, and then to give the players the option to visually make it as realistic or complex as possible. As I say, options are always a good thing for all players in my opinion, but you have to start out with a pretty simple baseline for that.
The game has quite a few things that are not always easy to grasp, but the barriers are not one of them. Creating a basic habitat out of barriers is probably one of the easiest processes in the game. Building meanwhile, can be simple at its core, but you can also make it as complex as you want it.
edit: adding in something to clarify - basic should be simple, but obviously you can make something as non-basic as you want. Options.
The JWE2 aviaries are literally just modular chunks you put together to create an aviary as big or small as you want. They're the definition of simple and basic. Then like any habitat you can decorate the interior.
That sounds potentially easy. I don't play JWE2 so that's definitely on me for not knowing that.