Better Keeper Access to Habitats

[NZFanatic]

Inspired by a recent post by @Hugo98 in the "What Did You Do Today?" thread, I've realised that a lot of realistic, creative builds are hindered by the fact that keeper access to habitats is so limited. We've been told already that secondary habitat gates can't and won't be implemented, but I'm thinking there must be another way to give keepers access to trickier habitat designs.

In Hugo's build, he has an indoor backstage area connected to an outdoor island via a mesh tunnel which goes across the guest path. Such concepts exist in several real life zoos, to the point that it's almost common, for a variety of species including primates and big cats or other arboreal animals. Of course, as he points out, the keepers can only access the indoor section of the habitat, so all the food must be placed there. This is very restrictive, as it means that the animals gathering for their food isn't witnessed by the guests, which is a real highlight of animal behaviour in-game, and it also means that if his lemurs poop on the island, the poop won't be cleaned up.

I'm not sure how to solve this exactly. The issue with the habitat gate is that the gate itself determines what is and isn't a habitat. In other words, you can't have a habitat without the gate, otherwise it's just a length of barrier. We won't be able to add a second gate because then the habitat would be registered as two overlapping habitats - a real headache for the coding, I presume. However, I don't see why this means they can't design a secondary gate purely for access that doesn't register a habitat.

Such a feature would have more than one use - not only could it provide keeper access to otherwise inaccessible parts of habitats (in Hugo's case, his lemur island), but it could also be used as a staff gate for backstage areas or other areas we don't want guests to access without having to use the garish staff paths. Is such a thing possible? I don't know. But it's an idea.

 

[Hugo98]

Yes, I definetely agree that we need kind of a secondary habitat gate for such cases, it would be really helpful.
If you play sandbox you can turn off pooping, so this is kind of temporary solution for this, but it doesn't work in the other game modes of course.

Btw, the indoor area in my build is not backstage, there will be a visible indoor habitat for the lemurs, so the guest can watch the lemurs when they get food. It also makes sure that the lemurs cross the tunnel more often.

 

[Firestar97]

However, I don't see why this means they can't design a secondary gate purely for access that doesn't register a habitat

Would be really nice for connecting Outdoor and Indoor Enclosures with each other for Enclosures where the Animals are supposed to use a specific Entrance like one where they need to climb (also because I don't really like having too many uncovered Openings in my temperate Zoos in the Wall of the Shelter for a tropical Species). Even better if this means we can also use it on the Outside Barrier, especially if we also get some kind of Path Finding Update that makes it possible to for Example go through the Llama Enclosure to reach the Enclosure of the Reindeer without needing to walk around the Enclosure. Other nice Entrance Types would be a 1m Gate, a Ladder, something like a temporary Bridge for Island Enclosures

 

[iloveyourzoos]

Even better if this means we can also use it on the Outside Barrier, especially if we also get some kind of Path Finding Update that makes it possible to for Example go through the Llama Enclosure to reach the Enclosure of the Reindeer without needing to walk around the Enclosure.

I have managed to "fake" this look with null barriers and elephant grass on occasion. The first/larger/outer enclosure has to be a walk-through habitat with a "guest gate" on it somewhere (so that the keepers can enter), although it is fine if that guest gate is connected with staff paths instead of guest paths.

Then, where i want my door from the llamas to reindeer to happen, I first use the null barrier plus elephant grass trick to block off a small section in front of where the door/habitat gate will be. So it looks to the world as if the door goes directly from one habitat to the other, but the null barrier and elephant grass have actually created a small (but invisible)non-habitat space that keeps the llamas out, lets the keepers pass, and recognizes the door/gate as a unique entrance.

But would definitely be nice to just place something, without all the extra work-arounds!

 

[Firestar97]

I have managed to "fake" this look with null barriers and elephant grass on occasion. The first/larger/outer enclosure has to be a walk-through habitat with a "guest gate" on it somewhere (so that the keepers can enter), although it is fine if that guest gate is connected with staff paths instead of guest paths.

Then, where i want my door from the llamas to reindeer to happen, I first use the null barrier plus elephant grass trick to block off a small section in front of where the door/habitat gate will be. So it looks to the world as if the door goes directly from one habitat to the other, but the null barrier and elephant grass have actually created a small (but invisible)non-habitat space that keeps the llamas out, lets the keepers pass, and recognizes the door/gate as a unique entrance.

But would definitely be nice to just place something, without all the extra work-arounds!

Also used a Guest Gate once for something similar. I still wish we would also get a Glass Version of it. Didn't really think about doing it that Way for some Reason even though I did something similar once. I've even created a really nice Petting Zoo Gate once that would be perfect for it

 

[Cool Cats and Kittens]

Poop isn't a problem in habitats like this. I like to build realistic doors for my animal houses which makes big parts of the habitat inaccessible for the zookeeper. But the poop just disappears when the zookeeper cleans the accessible part of the habitat.

 

[Firestar97]

Poop isn't a problem in habitats like this. I like to build realistic doors for my animal houses which makes big parts of the habitat inaccessible for the zookeeper. But the poop just disappears when the zookeeper cleans the accessible part of the habitat.

Still remember when it wasn't like that. I had a Peafowl Enclosure once with elevated Ramps that let them walk over the Barrier and it fell always through the Ramps and I regularly needed to delete some Rocks of the Barrier to make it accessible. I hope they've also updated the removal of Food because I'm still getting Nightmares when I think about the Idiots that threw lots of Pizza into the Water Moat of the Okapi Enclosure which caused them to be almost permanently sick and a Eternity was needed to make the Staff remove it

 

[tigris115]

Yea have
1. Multiple staff openings
2. Better staff hitboxes