DLC animal calculator

[yoav_r]

New concept I've been thinking about. We all like suggesting new animals for the game. But how about a standard to determine how valuable an animal is for the game? Thought it would be fun.

So let's go.

Empty template (score of 0-2 in each category):

• Morphology:
• Biome:
• Distribution:
• Conservation
• Popularity:
• Visual appeal:
• Rarity in zoos:
• Total:

Spoiler: Template with explanations

Category	0	1	2
Morphology	Looks nearly identical to an animal in the game	Similar to an animal in the game	Looks nothing like anything in the game
Biome	Shares all biomes with an animal in the game from the same taxonomical group	Partly shares biomes with an animal in the game from the same taxonomical group	Completely unique in biome represantion for its taxonomical group
Distribution	Shares dustribution with animal from the same group in the game	Partly shares dustribution with animal from the same group in the game	Completely unique distribution compared to any of its ingame group members
Conservation	LC/NT/DD by IUCN standards	VU by IUCN Standards	EN/CR/EW by IUCN standards
Popularity	Unknown to anyone but animal nerds	somewhat known to general audiences	Every kid knows and loves the animal
Visual appeal	The animal is ugly/off putting	The snimal is bland	The animal is extremely cute/colorful/charismatic
Rarity in zoos	The animal is regionally locked/nonexistant in zoos	The animal is found in zoos	The animal is very common in zoos

What do you think?

 

[yoav_r]

Let's make a try run.

Two toed sloth

Morphology: 2 - like nothing in the game
Biome: 2 - like nothing in the game
Distribution: 2 - like nothing in the game
Popularity: 2 - very popular
Conservation: 0 - (LC by IUCN)
Visual appeal: 2 - known for cuteness
Rarity in zoos: 2 - pretty widespread
Total: 12/14

 

[yoav_r]

Spectacled Caiman:

• Morphology: 0 - similar to the dwarf caiman
• Biome: 0 - similar to the dwarf caiman
• Distribution: 1 - found in central america unlike the dwarf caiman
• Conservation: 0 - LC by IUCN
• Popularity: 0 - not a well known animal
• Visual appeal: 1 - cool crocoilian
• Rarity in zoos: 1 - found in zoos
• Total: 3/14

 

[yoav_r]

Spectacled Bear:

• Morphology: 1 - similar other bears
• Biome: 0 - we have other mountain bears
• Distribution: 2 - only south american bear
• Conservation: 1 - VU by IUCN
• Popularity: 1 - often requested
• Visual appeal: 2 - cute with unique distinctive markings
• Rarity in zoos: 1 - found in zoos
• Total: 8/14

 

[yoav_r]

These are some examples. I'd love if you could also run some of your favorites through the calculator and give feedback.

 

[Chuditch]

Interesting idea! Lemme try it out for Tasmanian devil my beloved:

Morphology: 2 - No other carnivorous marsupials, animal in the game that most closely resembles it is the very distant badger
Biome: 2 - No other carnivorous marsupials
Distribution: 2 - No other carnivorous marsupials, underrepresented part of the world
Conservation: 2 - Endangered
Popularity: 1 - Known to most animal fans but less familiar to the general public aside from Looney Tunes
Visual appeal: 2 - Not particularly beautiful but very charismatic
Rarity in zoos: 1 - Very common in Australia but uncommon globally
Total: 12/14

In regards to their high rating in biome and distribution, just making it clear that "marsupials" should not be lumped together into a single taxonomic group, with Tasmanian devils being very distant from any of the marsupials currently in the game (in an entirely different order).

 

[yoav_r]

Interesting idea! Lemme try it out for Tasmanian devil my beloved:

Morphology: 2 - No other carnivorous marsupials, animal in the game that most closely resembles it is the very distant badger
Biome: 2 - No other carnivorous marsupials
Distribution: 2 - No other carnivorous marsupials, underrepresented part of the world
Popularity: 1 - Known to most animal fans but less familiar to the general public aside from Looney Tunes
Visual appeal: 2 - Not particularly beautiful but very charismatic
Rarity in zoos: 1 - Very common in Australia but uncommon globally
Total: 10

In regards to their high rating in biome and distribution, just making it clear that "marsupials" should not be lumped together into a single taxonomic group, with Tasmanian devils being very distant from any of the marsupials currently in the game (in an entirely different order).

Nice! Which makes me think, I forgot to add a conservation category. Gimme a minute.

 

[yoav_r]

Interesting idea! Lemme try it out for Tasmanian devil my beloved:

Morphology: 2 - No other carnivorous marsupials, animal in the game that most closely resembles it is the very distant badger
Biome: 2 - No other carnivorous marsupials
Distribution: 2 - No other carnivorous marsupials, underrepresented part of the world
Popularity: 1 - Known to most animal fans but less familiar to the general public aside from Looney Tunes
Visual appeal: 2 - Not particularly beautiful but very charismatic
Rarity in zoos: 1 - Very common in Australia but uncommon globally
Total: 10

In regards to their high rating in biome and distribution, just making it clear that "marsupials" should not be lumped together into a single taxonomic group, with Tasmanian devils being very distant from any of the marsupials currently in the game (in an entirely different order).

I added a conservation criterion which would help the Tassie

 

[Chuditch]

I added a conservation criterion which would help the Tassie

Updated accordingly

 

[yoav_r]

Updated accordingly

And the Tassie is high in all categories as expected. Any other favorites?

 

[yoav_r]

Summoning @Cynogale bennettii because I got the idea while reviewing your extensive wishlist.

 

[Chuditch]

Decided that now I've done one of the most broadly appealing Australian animals, I'll also do one that's a lot more niche and see how it ranks:

Greater Bilby

Morphology: 2 - No other peramelemorphs in the game, also the only living member of its family. No similar small bounding mammals (eg lagomorphs) either
Biome: 2 - No other peramelemorphs, also generally few Australian desert animals
Distribution: 2 - No other peramelemorphs, also generally few Australian desert animals
Conservation: 1 - Vulnerable
Popularity: 0 - I'd say they're fairly well known in Australia, but to the rest of the world? Definitely not
Visual appeal: 2 - Very cute, charismatic icon of Australian conservation (particularly of small mammals), with extra points for association with Easter
Rarity in zoos: 0 - Regionally locked, even if very common in that region
Total: 9/14

Still scores fairly high, but I imagine a lot of small mammals with no relatives in game would by default (milking those morphology, biome and distribution categories).

 

[AlexSea]

Let's try it with my most wanted animal, the Secretary Bird.

• Morphology: 1-somewhat similar to the Red-Crowned Crane
• Biome: 1-we have other grassland birds, but none really resemble it
• Distribution: 2-we have no other raptors in the game
• Conservation: 2-EN according to the IUCN
• Popularity: 1-I wouldn't call it obscure, but it's definitely not famous like other raptors
• Visual appeal: 2-doesn't look like anything we have in the game
• Rarity in zoos: 1-found in the San Diego Zoo, as well as two zoos in the UK
• Total: 10/14

 

[Birb（｡･ө･｡）]

Kiwi time! :>

North Island Brown Kiwi

Morphology: 1.5 (Edit: 2) - We have two other ratites in game but I think they’re visually distinct enough from them to warrant not being a one.

Biome: 2 - First temperate ratite

Distribution: 2 - First NZ animal

Conservation: 1 - Listed as vulnerable by the IUCN

Popularity: 1 (Edit: 2) - Another one where I’m not too sure, outside of NZ they only seem to be known here and there well known so I’ll go with a 1 2.

Visual Appeal: 2 - Delightfully round, weird but cute lil guy. Their “mammal-ness” seems to make even non bird fans like them.

Rarity: 1 - Pretty common in NZ but not so much worldwide.

Total: 10.5/14

Edit: (12/14)

 

[yoav_r]

Decided that now I've done one of the most broadly appealing Australian animals, I'll also do one that's a lot more niche and see how it ranks:

Greater Bilby

Morphology: 2 - No other peramelemorphs in the game, also the only living member of its family. No similar small bounding mammals (eg lagomorphs) either
Biome: 2 - No other peramelemorphs, also generally few Australian desert animals
Distribution: 2 - No other peramelemorphs, also generally few Australian desert animals
Conservation: 1 - Vulnerable
Popularity: 0 - I'd say they're fairly well known in Australia, but to the rest of the world? Definitely not
Visual appeal: 2 - Very cute, charismatic icon of Australian conservation (particularly of small mammals), with extra points for association with Easter
Rarity in zoos: 0 - Regionally locked, even if very common in that region
Total: 9/14

Still scores fairly high, but I imagine a lot of small mammals with no relatives in game would by default (milking those morphology, biome and distribution categories).

That's adorable and I've never seen anything like it.

 

[yoav_r]

Kiwi time! :>

North Island Brown Kiwi
View attachment 331121

Morphology - 1.5 We have two other ratites in game but I think they’re visually distinct enough from them to warrant not being a one.

Biome: 2 - First temperate ratite

Distribution: 2 - First NZ animal

Conservation: 1 - Listed as vulnerable by the IUCN

Popularity: 1 - Another one where I’m not too sure, outside of NZ they only seem to be known here and there so I’ll go with a 1.

Visual Appeal: 2 -Delightfully round, weird but cute lil guy. Their “mammal-ness” seems to make even non bird fans like them.

Rarity: 1 - Pretty common in NZ but not so much worldwide.

Total: 10.5/14

You underestimate the Kiwi's popularity. It's very famous worldwide.

It's the international symbol for New Zealand together with Lord of the Rings.

Also I think it deserves 2 in morphology as it's unlike any other ratite.

 

[The_Riot22]

Markhor

• Morphology: 1 - similar to Ibex
• Biome: 0 - some Markhor habitat shares the same range as Snow Leopard/Himalayan Brown Bear
• Distribution: 2 - no other Central Asian mountain goats
• Conservation: 0 - Near Threatened
• Popularity: 1 - most zoo nerds will know it, but general public would likely not know of it
• Visual appeal: 2 - one of the more striking mountain goats imo with it's corkscrew horns, I think it's worth a 2 here
• Rarity in zoos: 1 - tough to tell how many zoos have them, but from what I've found they certainly aren't rare in zoos, but I wouldn't say they are super-common either
• Total: 7

 

[Birb（｡･ө･｡）]

You underestimate the Kiwi's popularity. It's very famous worldwide.

It's the international symbol for New Zealand together with Lord of the Rings.

Also I think it deserves 2 in morphology as it's unlike any other ratite.

In that case I’m more than happy to bump them up a few points!

North Island Brown Kiwi my beloved: 12/14

(I recently had a conversation with some friends in America about them and they all had no idea what they were, so that may have skewed my perception of their popularity a bit lol)

Alrighty here’s some more

Kea

Morphology: 2 - We have no parrots in game

Distribution: 2 - No NZ animals in game

Biome: 2 - Again, no other parrots, and even if we did I doubt we’d have another with the taiga biome.

Conservation: 2 - Endangered according to the IUCN.

Popularity: 0.5 - Seems to be pretty well known within NZ, but obscure outside of it.

Visual Appeal: 2 - Very cute with some distinct coloration.

Rarity: 1 - Very common in NZ, not so much worldwide.

Total: 11.5/14

Little Blue Penguin

Morphology: 1 - Similar to other penguin species.

Biome: 1 - Would share the aquatic biome with the other penguins, but would also be unique in having the temperate biome.

Distribution: 2 - Only Australian penguin and (once again) we have nothing from NZ in game.

Conservation: 0 - Least concern

Popularity: 2 - Penguins in general are very well known.

Visual Appeal: 2 - The smallest penguin and they’re really cute :>

Rarity: 1 - Not as rare as other NZ animals overseas but not common either.

Total: 9/10

South Island Takahe

Morphology: 2 - We have no rail species in game.

Biome: 2 - Again, no other rails

Distribution: 2 - No other NZ animals in game.

Conservation: 2 - Endangered

Popularity: 0 - Not well known by the general public

Visual Appeal: 2 - Like the kiwi, they are delightfully round. They’re also very colorful.

Rarity: 0 - Not common in NZ zoos and absent overseas.

Total: 10/14

 

[yoav_r]

Markhor

View attachment 331125

• Morphology: 1 - similar to Ibex
• Biome: 0 - some Markhor habitat shares the same range as Snow Leopard/Himalayan Brown Bear
• Distribution: 2 - no other Central Asian mountain goats
• Conservation: 0 - Near Threatened
• Popularity: 1 - most zoo nerds will know it, but general public would likely not know of it
• Visual appeal: 1 - one of the more striking mountain goats imo with it's corkscrew horns, but probably not worth a 2 here
• Rarity in zoos: 1 - tough to tell how many zoos have them, but from what I've found they certainly aren't rare in zoos, but I wouldn't say they are super-common either
• Total: 6

Just a quico fix, they do deserve 0 in biome, but because they share biome with the ibex, not snow leopard.

And I think their horns are impressive enough for a 2 but that's entorely subjective ofcourse.

 

[Chuditch]

Another round of popular and unpopular species from my favourites list, this time non-Australian:

Maned Wolf

Morphology: 1 - We have many other canids, even if this is a fairly unique one
Biome: 0 - Grassland and tropical biomes are already occupied by other large canids like dholes and dingoes
Distribution: 2 - No South American canids, also little representation for SA grasslands
Conservation: 0 - Near Threatened
Popularity: 1 - Not a widely known animal but increasingly less obscure, becoming popular online
Visual appeal: 2 - Beautiful appearance, popular as a "fox on stilts"
Rarity in zoos: 2 - Well represented and widespread in zoos, even in places like Australia
Total: 10/14

Lowland Anoa

Morphology: 1 - Looks distinct, but very closely related to the water buffalo
Biome: 0 - Already have two tropical buffalo species
Distribution: 1 - Another South-east Asian buffalo, but none from Sulawesi
Conservation: 2 - Endangered
Popularity: 0 - Very much an obscure animal
Visual appeal: 1 - Cute small cattle, but not particularly appealing to the public
Rarity in zoos: 1 - Not common but not super rare either (21 EAZA holdings)
Total: 7/14

don't worry anoa I still love you