Completing Zoo Tycoon 2: How far we've come?

caninesrock

caninesrock
I would like to see the following animals from the Zoo Tycoon games make it into Planet Zoo:
American Black Bear
Ethiopian Wolf
Honey Badger
Sea Otter
Walrus
Elephant Seal
Rockhopper Penguin
Emperor Penguin

I would also love to see either or both sea turtles, but I highly doubt Frontier is ever going to put fully aquatic habitat animals in the game.
 

SanRazo

SanRazo
caninesrock said:
I would like to see the following animals from the Zoo Tycoon games make it into Planet Zoo:
American Black Bear
Ethiopian Wolf
Honey Badger
Sea Otter
Walrus
Elephant Seal
Rockhopper Penguin
Emperor Penguin

I would also love to see either or both sea turtles, but I highly doubt Frontier is ever going to put fully aquatic habitat animals in the game.
Click to expand...
Good thing they’re not fully aquatic
 

yoav_r

yoav_r
I need to update this. Blackbuck may come as well. Now there are very few animals left from zt1/zt2, that are zoo realistic, not found in Planet Zoo, and don't have a very similar replacement in planet zoo.
 

biggest_dreamer

biggest_dreamer
Not sure if I ever actually posted in here - I'll rank what's currently left.

Essential
  • American black bear - the last bear, and my "local" bear, or at least as close as you can get to it. I maintain that it is impossible to build a truly realistic North American section without this species.
  • Blackbuck - Beautiful, iconic, covers a niche as an Indian antelope that nothing else in the game can come close to.
Would like
  • Masai giraffe - contentious, but I've been a proponent for them and the Grevy's zebra pretty much since day 1. They're the only pure (sub)species maintained in US zoos, and they just look neat compared to the reticulated/generic giraffe. Plus it's just fun having realistic options when it comes to the biggest staple species.
  • Nile crocodile - technically I'd prefer the slender snouted crocodile, but there's no denying these guys have star power, and they'd scratch the increasingly apparent African crocodile itch all the same
  • Rockhopper penguin - would've preferred these to the littles, honestly, but I think we're far enough in where we can add on a fourth penguin and close that book
  • Secretarybird - a unique bird that I wouldn't consider a reasonable inclusion if not for its well-deserved popularity. Africa needs some more interesting birds.
Could go either way
  • Gelada - would have been a hard no prior to the baboon, and admittedly still low priority when we still don't have a colobus or a langur, but I wouldn't hate them
  • Gerenuk - these things kinda weird me out, not gonna lie! I've also had terrible luck seeing them in real life, so that's probably a subconscious factor here as well. Still, can't deny that they're unique and popular enough to warrant inclusion
  • Sea otter - I'd prefer the NARO, but these guys would be fun too. They're more of an aquarium species in my mind, but it's not like zoos don't keep them. They'd round out our otter roster nicely.
  • Walrus - I used to be against it, now I'm just sort of lukewarm. They're fine. I'd prefer a harbor seal.
  • Japanese serow - I almost included this one a tier lower, but if we do eventually get a Japan pack, I'd be fine with them. I just worry about them competing with my precious tanuki/raccoon dog for a slot in pretty much any less specific theme.
Don't want
  • Elephant seal - Rare in zoos, and lacking the walrus's iconic status and taxonomic uniqueness. Pass.
  • Musk ox - I just don't like them? I really can't articulate a better reason that that! They're fiiine, I guess? But I don't want us to do a second arctic pack (Polar or what have you), and pretty much any other theme has much more appealing options. Objectively, they're probably a good inclusion, but this is my list damn it
Really don't want
  • Olive baboon - No thanks, we got the good baboon, and we don't need a second. Other monkeys are much more important.
  • Barbary ape - And we now have two good macaques! No need for this more generic looking one, when there's much bigger priorities for monkeys still.
  • Crested gibbon - Same deal. We have the two most common and iconic gibbons, which are both great, and we certainly don't need a third when other monkeys are on the table.
  • Iberian lynx - I'm not outright opposed to a second lynx, but this is by far the worst pick in my eyes. I get the appeal, I appreciate that they're critically endangered, but they're not found in zoos outside of their native range, which is always going to be a damper in my eyes. Canadian lynx would be more visually distinct from our current one, and bobcat is my local bias pick. Even then, I'm not exactly clamoring for another lynx, either - serval and fishing cat are the last two cats I truly need. Just no room for this one.
  • Ethiopian wolf - Not found in zoos, and there are still plenty of canids I'd prefer. Tanuki/raccoon dog, black-backed jackal, bat-eared fox, gray fox. Hard pass.
  • Leatherback sea turtle - Not found in zoos, and I think that even though sea turtles could technically work with our existing mechanics, that doesn't mean they should. Them going onto land for any reason other than to give birth would be immersion breaking, and given how the koala works, I don't have much faith that they wouldn't just spend half their time heading dragging themselves through the tall grass.
  • Emperor penguin - I'm still so happy that Frontier made the right call and gave us the king penguin, which is actually found in captivity with some degree of frequency. We don't need another penguin that's just that, but bigger. Rockhopper or nothing.
  • Green sea turtle - Ditto what I said about the leatherback, except these are relatively common in captivity instead of nonexistent. That barely moves my needle whatsoever, though.
  • Javan rhinoceros - I think we're very good with our current rhino lineup, but even if we had to get a third, the Sumatran rhino is right there. Much more visually distinct, and bonus points for being a species that players could have feasibly seen in zoos in the not-at-all-distant past.
tldr give me the bear and blackbuck and I'm content
 

Veah

Veah
biggest_dreamer said:
  • Iberian lynx - I'm not outright opposed to a second lynx, but this is by far the worst pick in my eyes. I get the appeal, I appreciate that they're critically endangered, but they're not found in zoos outside of their native range, which is always going to be a damper in my eyes. Canadian lynx would be more visually distinct from our current one, and bobcat is my local bias pick. Even then, I'm not exactly clamoring for another lynx, either - serval and fishing cat are the last two cats I truly need. Just no room for this one.
Click to expand...
Akchtually, the Iberian lynx is now clasified just as Vulnerable, thanks to a very successful breeding program. In case you want to justify even better that you don't like the cute little guy 😉😿
 
Last edited:

biggest_dreamer

biggest_dreamer
Veah said:
Akchtually, the Iberian lynx is now clasified just as Vulnerable, thanks to a very successful breeding program. In case you want to justify even better that you don't like the cute little guy 😉😿
Click to expand...
Oh, good to know. I feel like maybe I saw that and just didn’t properly register it? Either way, I have absolutely nothing against Iberian lynx in a vacuum, I just consider them bottom priority amongst the remaining lynxes, which themselves aren’t at the top of my cat priority list either.
 

ChicoGenialoso1

C
biggest_dreamer said:
Javan rhinoceros - I think we're very good with our current rhino lineup, but even if we had to get a third, the Sumatran rhino is right there. Much more visually distinct, and bonus points for being a species that players could have feasibly seen in zoos in the not-at-all-distant past.
Click to expand...
Actually, it could be the 4th Rhino on the game (if it comes, which I don't think so)
 

SuzieSky

SuzieSky
biggest_dreamer said:
Not sure if I ever actually posted in here - I'll rank what's currently left.

Essential
  • American black bear - the last bear, and my "local" bear, or at least as close as you can get to it. I maintain that it is impossible to build a truly realistic North American section without this species.
  • Blackbuck - Beautiful, iconic, covers a niche as an Indian antelope that nothing else in the game can come close to.
Would like
  • Masai giraffe - contentious, but I've been a proponent for them and the Grevy's zebra pretty much since day 1. They're the only pure (sub)species maintained in US zoos, and they just look neat compared to the reticulated/generic giraffe. Plus it's just fun having realistic options when it comes to the biggest staple species.
  • Nile crocodile - technically I'd prefer the slender snouted crocodile, but there's no denying these guys have star power, and they'd scratch the increasingly apparent African crocodile itch all the same
  • Rockhopper penguin - would've preferred these to the littles, honestly, but I think we're far enough in where we can add on a fourth penguin and close that book
  • Secretarybird - a unique bird that I wouldn't consider a reasonable inclusion if not for its well-deserved popularity. Africa needs some more interesting birds.
Could go either way
  • Gelada - would have been a hard no prior to the baboon, and admittedly still low priority when we still don't have a colobus or a langur, but I wouldn't hate them
  • Gerenuk - these things kinda weird me out, not gonna lie! I've also had terrible luck seeing them in real life, so that's probably a subconscious factor here as well. Still, can't deny that they're unique and popular enough to warrant inclusion
  • Sea otter - I'd prefer the NARO, but these guys would be fun too. They're more of an aquarium species in my mind, but it's not like zoos don't keep them. They'd round out our otter roster nicely.
  • Walrus - I used to be against it, now I'm just sort of lukewarm. They're fine. I'd prefer a harbor seal.
  • Japanese serow - I almost included this one a tier lower, but if we do eventually get a Japan pack, I'd be fine with them. I just worry about them competing with my precious tanuki/raccoon dog for a slot in pretty much any less specific theme.
Don't want
  • Elephant seal - Rare in zoos, and lacking the walrus's iconic status and taxonomic uniqueness. Pass.
  • Musk ox - I just don't like them? I really can't articulate a better reason that that! They're fiiine, I guess? But I don't want us to do a second arctic pack (Polar or what have you), and pretty much any other theme has much more appealing options. Objectively, they're probably a good inclusion, but this is my list damn it
Really don't want
  • Olive baboon - No thanks, we got the good baboon, and we don't need a second. Other monkeys are much more important.
  • Barbary ape - And we now have two good macaques! No need for this more generic looking one, when there's much bigger priorities for monkeys still.
  • Crested gibbon - Same deal. We have the two most common and iconic gibbons, which are both great, and we certainly don't need a third when other monkeys are on the table.
  • Iberian lynx - I'm not outright opposed to a second lynx, but this is by far the worst pick in my eyes. I get the appeal, I appreciate that they're critically endangered, but they're not found in zoos outside of their native range, which is always going to be a damper in my eyes. Canadian lynx would be more visually distinct from our current one, and bobcat is my local bias pick. Even then, I'm not exactly clamoring for another lynx, either - serval and fishing cat are the last two cats I truly need. Just no room for this one.
  • Ethiopian wolf - Not found in zoos, and there are still plenty of canids I'd prefer. Tanuki/raccoon dog, black-backed jackal, bat-eared fox, gray fox. Hard pass.
  • Leatherback sea turtle - Not found in zoos, and I think that even though sea turtles could technically work with our existing mechanics, that doesn't mean they should. Them going onto land for any reason other than to give birth would be immersion breaking, and given how the koala works, I don't have much faith that they wouldn't just spend half their time heading dragging themselves through the tall grass.
  • Emperor penguin - I'm still so happy that Frontier made the right call and gave us the king penguin, which is actually found in captivity with some degree of frequency. We don't need another penguin that's just that, but bigger. Rockhopper or nothing.
  • Green sea turtle - Ditto what I said about the leatherback, except these are relatively common in captivity instead of nonexistent. That barely moves my needle whatsoever, though.
  • Javan rhinoceros - I think we're very good with our current rhino lineup, but even if we had to get a third, the Sumatran rhino is right there. Much more visually distinct, and bonus points for being a species that players could have feasibly seen in zoos in the not-at-all-distant past.
tldr give me the bear and blackbuck and I'm content
Click to expand...
I feel the same about most of them, but I'd bump musk ox to one of the top two tiers because they're so popular, and the arctic has so little going on otherwise. I'd also move the green sea turtle to sit with the walrus and sea otter; all three could actually go to 'would like' for me because a coastal pack is my epitome of unnecessary but cool. I'd move Barbary macaques to 'could go either way' because while they aren't interesting taxonomically or morphologically, I recognize their regional importance somewhat.

I definitely agree about the lynxes. Mostly servals but also fishing cats are more important, useful, and interesting. One of the American lynxes might be nice if there is any room after that for more cats, but we'd be kind of lucky just to get the 'good' two.
 

biggest_dreamer

biggest_dreamer
Yeah, I'll be the first to admit that I'm arbitrarily biased against the musk ox. Totally understandable why others would consider it a top priority, it's just not for me.

And yeah I definitely knew we already had three rhinos, idk why i typed third lol
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom