DLC Idea: Avian Expansion Pack

[narch80]

Disclaimer: I don't regularly monitor Planet Zoo-related forums, so my apologies in advance for mentioning anything that has already been discussed publicly.

That being said, I wanted to share my ideas about what I think would be an ideal addition to the Planet Zoo experience: an avian-themed DLC pack! Now I know you may be thinking that "avian" isn't necessarily a theme that would translate easily into decorations, architectural pieces, etc. While I agree that is true, I propose some additions below that, in my opinion, would more than make up for the Avian DLC having fewer scenery additions than past DLCs. Anyway, I just wanted to put these ideas out there. Please feel free to share your thoughts and build off the ideas! Also, please note that in most cases, I purposefully listed more suggestions below than would likely be included in a DLC pack. This was done for the sake of brainstorming.

• Additions in lieu of Scenery Items
  • Egg Laying
    • This added behavior would ideally apply to all existing and new egg-laying species (including reptiles)
    • Instead of juveniles spontaneously appearing, eggs would appear and require incubation time (perhaps in the habitat or in an incubation room accessible by veterinarians)
    • The eggs would hatch after some time and be replaced with the normal juvenile.
  • Nest Making
    • Prior to egg-laying, egg-laying species (including reptiles where applicable) may make nests in which to lay their eggs.
    • Ideally, each nest would be an accurate representation of what the species makes in real life.
    • This may also be paired with behaviors (i.e. parents checking on the eggs, sitting on the eggs, bringing food to chicks, etc.)
  • Flight (likely more difficult but would be a great addition)
    • Potentially, bird species that are capable of meaningful flight could be introduced.
    • This would mean that exhibits would need roofing/coverings to prevent escape.
    • Perches/landing areas could be dealt with similarly to climbable spots.
    • This behavior would require some revamping of the habitat animal suggestions below to include species that are better equipped to fly.
• Habitat Animal Suggestions
  • Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae)
  • Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius)
  • Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri)
  • African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus)
  • Red-crowned Crane (Grus japonensis)
  • East African Crowned Crane (Balearica regulorum)
  • Shoebill (Balaeniceps rex)
  • Secretary Bird (Sagittarius serpentarius)
• Exhibit Animal Suggestions
  • Macaws (several species options)
  • Parrots (lots of species options)
  • Hummingbirds (lots of species options)
  • Finches (several species options)
• Enrichment Item Suggestions
  • Bird Feeders
  • Nesting Materials
  • Perches
  • Birdhouses
  • Live Food (small fish, insects)
  • Egg Incubator

Again, the lists above are just suggestions meant to promote conversations about an avian expansion pack! I feel the most important addition would be egg-laying as a behavior, which I think would more than make up for tons of new scenery items. Thanks for reading!

 

[ShadowLilly]

I like the idea, except the exhibits: I would love to make a walkthrough for parots and macaws.

 

[narch80]

I like the idea, except the exhibits: I would love to make a walkthrough for parots and macaws.

I agree the exhibits aren't ideal, but I figured they would be the most feasible way to actually get birds that fly a lot in the game, and to have any say over which species we include. My fear is that we would get something like a generic aviary with pre-set birds, a pre-set interior design, and limited animation. Also, many bird species are in my opinion too small to enjoy in a big exhibit, as they would be hard to see from afar. But at this point, any new bird content would be better than nothing!

 

[NZFanatic]

Nest-building and egg-laying wouldn't really be all that beneficial or realistic.

With only few exceptions, bird-breeding in zoos is carefully managed to ensure success. Birds are given nest-boxes to lay their eggs in (these are always accessible to the keeper), and once they lay the keeper usually takes the eggs out and places them in an incubator. When the young hatch, they are reared with puppets and reintroduced the habitat when they are near-adults. The same method applies to reptiles and amphibians as well.

 

[NL_Mutso]

Does this mean when you don't buy/own this DLC your reptiles just give live births and when you own it, you have access to all those traits?

Animals list looks good, personally would switch the Emperor Penguin for the King Penguin, because the Emperor Penguin is very rare in captivity.
And they both share a similar look.

 

[NZFanatic]

I like the idea, except the exhibits: I would love to make a walkthrough for parots and macaws.

You know, this often comes up, but there really isn't a reason that a walkthrough aviary couldn't also be an exhibit. It would take some tricky programming, but theoretically it should be possible to create an exhibit building with a pre-determined gateway and path going through it that guests can move along. I imagine it would work in a similar way to how facilities automatically connect to paths by generating their own. So you'd plop down this walkthrough aviary, connect paths to the entrance and exit, and then populate it with whatever birds you please.

 

[ShadowLilly]

You know, this often comes up, but there really isn't a reason that a walkthrough aviary couldn't also be an exhibit. It would take some tricky programming, but theoretically it should be possible to create an exhibit building with a pre-determined gateway and path going through it that guests can move along. I imagine it would work in a similar way to how facilities automatically connect to paths by generating their own. So you'd plop down this walkthrough aviary, connect paths to the entrance and exit, and then populate it with whatever birds you please.

That is a possibility, but to be honest: i dont like exhibits at all..., because you can not customize them the way I want . So unless you can not freely customize the exhibit you mentioned, i would not go for it