Do planet zoo game developer really know what we want in planet Zoo game ???

[Willyphua]

As above stated ,


I am wondering Did they take the time to look at animal request/wishlist or general wishlist or what we wanted to see in planet zoo ????


By the way I am not complaining in this threads/topic ...

I am just curious , do they know what we want in this game ???

I just hope they can treat us seriously

We all wanted to make planet zoo become top one best game best seller game....

So we are offering our own personal opinion and suggestion and thoughts to make this game a better game

 

[FoxyDee]

Of course they know, as the community managers stated they read everything. The decisions of what animals are included may be different sometimes, but they also brought us ALOT of things we wanted.

 

[Swjosdotschka]

Months ago, I would have said: "Yes, of course, look at the free updates and what was implemented." Or maybe I wouldn't even reply to a thread named like this, because I would have thought it's unneccessary fuel to a fire and that Frontier is doing a great job, especially compared to large companies like EA.
Today I'd voice my opinion a bit more carefully. I feel more and more that they lost base with their customers and their community. Bigger requests, bug reports, achievments of community members etc. slip through more and more often without being noticed - or that is like itseems to me. I absolutely doubt they do a really good research on the animal requests, or else some things in the aquatic pack would be different. Some animals would be different. The free updates would be more substantial (lets face it, fur variation is only cosmetic and doesn't go deep enough, a keeper talk with a roaring talker in front of a tortoise is just lazy implementation of the feature andif I here "but animal welfare" as an argument for ridicolous space decisions ever again, I'm going to scream).

With pre-historic kingdom on the horizon, that is interesting to a (it seems) large portion of the PZ fanbase, I doubt Planet Zoo will ever meet its full potential. Maybe not even half of it, because this game has a LOT potential. but non-communication and four animal packs won't be enough to meet it. And Frontier will read the lack of nice numbres as lack of interest - just like EA. Just like EA they don't listen anymore (but they did so in the past - we had an awesome time until the second pack).

I hope they search and find contact to their customer base again. As I said: They lost it. They are currently doing the game the way they want and they want only and sometimes I doubt they even enjoy playing it without being paid for it. I feel like they have very few team mates enjoying and being interested in the genre, so some requests we make seems to them like we are aliens asking for weird culture rituals.

 

[Tally]

Yes, of course they know. You can look through all previous patch notes, updates, and DLC and find dozens of things that the devs put in the game that the community specifically asked for.

 

[Swjosdotschka]

May I add: We saw the educational talker (always forget the right name) in the very first trailer and fur variations were always advertised. So these are two features that were clearly on their road map. And though much appreciated by a huge player base, I wouldn't exactly name them anymore when it comes to "they added requests". If I remember correctly (but I'm not sure on this one) genetics were also advertised in the early days, so this as well is just something that was on their road map anyway and was implemented at a later stage. I have yet to find a source that de-coded the genetic and proofed it is actually a functioning feature and not only random letters. If anyone has one, please link me to it, I'd love to do a deep dive into it!

What Frontier definately added by request was sandbox features and tweaks, some quality of life changes like the animal search bar and things like that. Those were in my opinion direct reactions to feedback. So I'm not saying they don't ever do that. But I'm looking at the "big feature updates" a lot more critical.

 

[random goat]

May I add: We saw the educational talker (always forget the right name) in the very first trailer and fur variations were always advertised. So these are two features that were clearly on their road map. And though much appreciated by a huge player base, I wouldn't exactly name them anymore when it comes to "they added requests". If I remember correctly (but I'm not sure on this one) genetics were also advertised in the early days, so this as well is just something that was on their road map anyway and was implemented at a later stage. I have yet to find a source that de-coded the genetic and proofed it is actually a functioning feature and not only random letters. If anyone has one, please link me to it, I'd love to do a deep dive into it!

What Frontier definately added by request was sandbox features and tweaks, some quality of life changes like the animal search bar and things like that. Those were in my opinion direct reactions to feedback. So I'm not saying they don't ever do that. But I'm looking at the "big feature updates" a lot more critical.

Exactly what I was going to write. There is still this missonception that education talks and fur variations were features added as a result of listening to feedback. Some people even considered these as a 'bonus'. No...they were planned from the beginning, in fact, they should have arguably been included at release. And let's be honest, diving was a feature that was bond to be implemented, too.

Of course this doesn't mean they do not listen to feedback. They mostly do and some updates have covered some very requested features and fixed some problematic bugs, which I am grateful for. Allowing to slow down animal ageing was a game changer, for instance. But here we are again, on that critical moment of PZ activity and communication, which always coincides with 2 months after the last DLC.
Everything feels emptier after each DLC. I understand that a 1 year and 3 months old game shouldn't have as much support or coverage as when it is released. But it's so frustrating to see a game with so much (still missed) potential being a bit neglected. Because let's face it, Frontier is not particularly a small niche company anymore. The relative amount of resources (either personal and/or technical) put into PZ has quite doubtlessly decreased in the last months. Does it really take that much time to implement diving animations into the gharial? Was it that hard to give us a mere handful of scenery items or a single 'reskinned' animal in a anniversary update?
Maybe we should just accept it: it's all a business decision; they just have other games in which they envision more (economical) potential. I honestly don't blame them for that. But all the activity/enthusiasm I saw in PC is missing. They probably were more excited when PZ started being created but now it just feels like a checked item from a list:
Create a zoo game to fill in the gap that ZT2 left more than 10 years ago ✓

Next DLC is probably the last chance to prove they have really listened to feedback when it comes to one of the most widespread demands. It's been more than one year to react to that feedback and to leave the initial roadmap behind, I believe. The last DLC introduced some really nice (and requested) pieces like the faux rocks and trees and more recolourable items. But the animal part still feels lacking. If they choose not to offer a more complete animal collection that's fine, but let us at least have proper mods or an Animal maker toolkit to fill that gap for people who love the game and its animals.

 

[Aramar]

I want to be optimistic though. I think we all want more animals and many of us are scared that the game support is over soon, so we want Frontier to give us more animals as soon as possible fearing that the end is near.

However, I think that if there are some iconic and essential animals that were left aside from the base game, it's because Frontier already has a long-term idea for the future of the game. They saved the polar bear, jaguar, kangaroo and penguin for their respective DLCs. The lack of white rhinos, meerkats, leopards, lynx, moose, sea lions... makes me think they saved these animals on purpose for the future packs, since they can easily sell new Asia, Africa, North America, Europe and Desert DLCs, for example. If unfortunately they have to end the support sooner than what they initially thought, they can give us a last DLC mixing essential animals from all over the world.

The same applies to other features. They left some things aside such as the fur variation, talks, diving... To add them in the upcoming updates. I'm sure they keep saving things such as the customised billboards, scenario editor, revamp of exhibits... for future updates.

On the other hand, since the game is more than the animals, they seem more proactive when it comes to other game features based on feedback (like they did with the new fonts, more flexicolor items, vending machines, game options...).

In conclusion, I think they do listen to us, but they already have a full plan for the lifespan of the game and they can't just give us everything in the first updates and DLCs because then they would have trouble to find content sellable for the later DLCs.

 

[LN]

The thought of them treating us not serious is just silly.

 

[Swjosdotschka]

The last DLC introduced some really nice (and requested) pieces like the faux rocks and trees and more recolourable items. But the animal part still feels lacking. If they choose not to offer a more complete animal collection that's fine, but let us at least have proper mods or an Animal maker toolkit to fill that gap for people who love the game and its animals.

I agree with all that you said in your post, but especially this part. Now, to be fair, I would always prefer official animals. But reskins like a "propper" Flamingo, another zebra, another tapir, penguin etc. would be perfect for modders and would really feel the gap that gets bigger and bigger with every DLC, because the 4 animals aren't enough and Frontier sometimes have an odd way of selecting animals for their DLCs.

I want to be optimistic though. I think we all want more animals and many of us are scared that the game support is over soon, so we want Frontier to give us more animals as soon as possible fearing that the end is near.

And they willingly fuel that fear with the lack of communication, roadmap or at least addressing that fear OR the ongoing request for more animals to a higher price point.

However, I think that if there are some iconic and essential animals that were left aside from the base game, it's because Frontier already has a long-term idea for the future of the game. They saved the polar bear, jaguar, kangaroo and penguin for their respective DLCs. The lack of white rhinos, meerkats, leopards, lynx, moose, sea lions... makes me think they saved these animals on purpose for the future packs, since they can easily sell new Asia, Africa, North America, Europe and Desert DLCs, for example. If unfortunately they have to end the support sooner than what they initially thought, they can give us a last DLC mixing essential animals from all over the world.

And that is totally understandable from a business stand point. I'm clealy not talking about those animals and they need those animals to sell DLCs. It's fine with me. But will they add african penguins with an african dlc? I guess not. Small clawed otter with the asian DLC? I fear not. An Emu with a bird DLC? Never. The three mentioned are highly requested and with the aquatic pack, the australian pack and whatnot all seems pretty much sealed already. It's the more similar animals that would add variety and that we probably will never get. Missed potential.

As @random goat said, even the first anniversary wasn't worth a reskinned animal. Not even a grevy Zebra for that matter. Packs, Updates, anniversaries only add up to the list of "missed oppurtunities" and make the game more and more unintresting to causual players and even hardcore fans like me. (Yes, even if it doesn't seem like it, I still love the game but the way things are developing currently hold me back from cheering for Frontier again. As I said, for me it goes down ever since the SA pack, but the nin-anniversary was a deep cut).

 

[Willyphua]

I feel like modders outside planet zoo know us better....they know what we want , and they do reskin on the animal

Just look at the latest mods/patches released by them

They reskin and make some animal that we are requesting from planet zoo ....


Modders are making the animal that we requested

I only hope planet zoo can really listen to us ...

But well , is up to them although...the planet zoo developer

They do the sayings not we all ...

They the owner of this game ...

We can only accept even if they don't want to listen to us ...

 

[Willyphua]

I can only hope that planet zoo developer /creator can take a look at our request and the things /animal or object we wanted ...


To the planet zoo staffs or crew member ...
I am only speaking from the customer mindset...

If you want your games to be selling like hot cakes , must treat your customer /consumer suggestion /ideas and comments seriously...

We also want to see planet zoo to be the best selling game in the UK or maybe even the world ...


No offences... I am just stating my honest opinion and thoughts ...

Don't take it to heart...

 

[Tobs]

Do developers listen to us?

Very good question. For some things yes, for others no.

Do CM read and listen us? Yes. But CM are not developers.

The key is, as expressed above, Frontier has a planned roadmap. They already know roughly how many DLCs they'll have and which animals will go in each and which "free" features they'll provide (otherwise there wouldn't be missing some key animals in a zoo game). Educators were already in the release trailer, so it's not something they provided because the community requested it - even though the community pointed out that "hey, there's an educator on the release trailer but me not have in the game. where is it?. The same with colour (or fur) variation - it was a feature pointed out right from the beginning.

Billboards or viewpoints will eventually drop as a "free" feature in future DLC.

What's my opinion about the future?

Frontier does not give a massive f about us. They have a roadmap, and they'll stick to it. They may add some smaller items based on our demands, but that's about it. They won't make a community asks - frontier delivers game.

I think the biggest issue at this point is the limited range of new animals that arrive with each new DLC. If Frontier were clever, it's time for them to start providing some "extra" animals with each DLCs, e.g. Malayan & Brazilian tapir, Sumatran Tiger, Asian Lion, Black and white ruffed lemurs, Caribbean Flamingo, Emu,.. just to name a few.

The community would be so massively thankful and really ignite the desire to play the game again. At this time, with each additional DLC, the game is not providing us with enough tools to enjoy it for 3-4 months. Having these extra animals would motivate us to start new zoos, projects, collaborations,... but at this time, with the lack of new animals, everything is very grey and dull. Planet Zoo just needs way more animals.

 

[Dezessete]

Do PZ players really know what the developers want their game to be?

 

[random goat]

Do PZ players really know what the developers want their game to be?

You nailed it. We don't know that for sure because they won't communicate it.

If we go by what they advertised the game would be while being developed, the main general motto back then was "build the zoo of your dreams" or even "build a realistic zoo" if I recall correctly. Well, right now it's impossible to build the vast majority of existing zoos on earth.

 

[12344321]

Exactly what I was going to write. There is still this missonception that education talks and fur variations were features added as a result of listening to feedback. Some people even considered these as a 'bonus'. No...they were planned from the beginning, in fact, they should have arguably been included at release. And let's be honest, diving was a feature that was bond to be implemented, too.

Of course this doesn't mean they do not listen to feedback. They mostly do and some updates have covered some very requested features and fixed some problematic bugs, which I am grateful for. Allowing to slow down animal ageing was a game changer, for instance. But here we are again, on that critical moment of PZ activity and communication, which always coincides with 2 months after the last DLC.
Everything feels emptier after each DLC. I understand that a 1 year and 3 months old game shouldn't have as much support or coverage as when it is released. But it's so frustrating to see a game with so much (still missed) potential being a bit neglected. Because let's face it, Frontier is not particularly a small niche company anymore. The relative amount of resources (either personal and/or technical) put into PZ has quite doubtlessly decreased in the last months. Does it really take that much time to implement diving animations into the gharial? Was it that hard to give us a mere handful of scenery items or a single 'reskinned' animal in a anniversary update?
Maybe we should just accept it: it's all a business decision; they just have other games in which they envision more (economical) potential. I honestly don't blame them for that. But all the activity/enthusiasm I saw in PC is missing. They probably were more excited when PZ started being created but now it just feels like a checked item from a list:
Create a zoo game to fill in the gap that ZT2 left more than 10 years ago ✓

Next DLC is probably the last chance to prove they have really listened to feedback when it comes to one of the most widespread demands. It's been more than one year to react to that feedback and to leave the initial roadmap behind, I believe. The last DLC introduced some really nice (and requested) pieces like the faux rocks and trees and more recolourable items. But the animal part still feels lacking. If they choose not to offer a more complete animal collection that's fine, but let us at least have proper mods or an Animal maker toolkit to fill that gap for people who love the game and its animals.

Dude this right here!!!!! You nailed it! You completely nailed it. The love and support from frontier has me concerned for the future.

I love how everyone assumes every update is frontier listening to fans. Personally, I think it would be a bad buisness decision to not listen to fans. But I also feel like it's been a battle with frontier dev's...they went silent. Anything people ask them on twitter is ignored....the amount of animals per dlc have been ignored.

This is my favorite game. I have played it more than anything else. But there was SO much that needed to be fixed. The updates are not them listening to fans but them fixing their glitchy buggy game (and thankfully they did).

Agreed 100% that next dlc will be frontiers opportunity to show the community they are actually listening to us (my money is THEY AREN'T, in fact they seem offended that the community that supports their game has the audacity to ask for larger dlc).

 

[markun]

One thing to note, they specifically said in the aquatic pack release that they were responding to requests for more realistic building pieces with this pack.

They are currently doing the game the way they want and they want only and sometimes I doubt they even enjoy playing it without being paid for it. I feel like they have very few team mates enjoying and being interested in the genre, so some requests we make seems to them like we are aliens asking for weird culture rituals.

That is definitely my impression. I get the feeling they don't know about zoos, don't care particularly about zoos and don't understand how zoos actually work. The most obvious example is the polar bear fiasco but there are others.

Why don't we have bars and mesh building pieces? I still believe that it is because somehow this is seen by those behind the game as being 'cruel cages' rather than vital, key parts of modern zoo building.

And I feel the occasionally random nature of the animal choices - two giant tortoise species in the base game, a Himalayan brown bear as well as the grizzly - doesn't inspire confidence.

But will they add african penguins with an african dlc? I guess not. Small clawed otter with the asian DLC? I fear not. An Emu with a bird DLC? Never. The three mentioned are highly requested and with the aquatic pack, the australian pack and whatnot all seems pretty much sealed already. It's the more similar animals that would add variety and that we probably will never get. Missed potential.

With respect, we have no idea about those animals and whether we will get them or not. But we have heard absolutely nothing to suggest that we won't. I'm not sure why you think anything has been 'sealed', surely the aquatic pack is an indication that animals from specific continents can still find their way into the game, even if they weren't included in the initial regional themed pack.

the amount of animals per dlc have been ignored.

As I said in another thread, it’s hard to know either way but it is not impossible that the first year was mapped out with that number of animals and that the model from that point onwards could change. I think it is somewhat premature to say it has been ignored but of course I could be wrong.

In conclusion, I think they do listen to us, but they already have a full plan for the lifespan of the game and they can't just give us everything in the first updates and DLCs because then they would have trouble to find content sellable for the later DLCs.

I would like to think that is true, I certainly hope so.

 

[paul78]

I can agree that frontier has a lack of communication with their gamers but as far as a road map goes frontier doesn’t do that. Never have! I’m not complaining I’m just saying to the people who wish they would it will never happen. And I do believe it is true frontier has a company based road map for this game and every animal has already been predetermined. Just hope they give the game long support and I’m sure we’ll get a pretty good list of animals. Zt2 expansion 20 animals per yr. PZ dlc 20 per yr.

 

[Dezessete]

You nailed it. We don't know that for sure because they won't communicate it.

If we go by what they advertised the game would be while being developed, the main general motto back then was "build the zoo of your dreams" or even "build a realistic zoo" if I recall correctly. Well, right now it's impossible to build the vast majority of existing zoos on earth.

Well this is one way to interpret my statement...

 

[Firestar97]

If Frontier were clever, it's time for them to start providing some "extra" animals with each DLCs, e.g. Malayan & Brazilian tapir, Sumatran Tiger, Asian Lion, Black and white ruffed lemurs, Caribbean Flamingo, Emu,.. just to name a few.

Even if they would release each Species so that we need to buy them extra, I would pay for them. But a free Animal sometimes would also be great

 

[random goat]

Well this is one way to interpret my statement...

I know what the purpose of your question was. It was rhetorical. And an attempt to make us realize that what really counts is Frontier intentions and not the players'.

But your question can easily be turned against its own purpose. Because yeah, there is no way we can know where Frontier is heading with PZ because they have never communicated it. This leads to all this speculation, worry and concern.

Zt2 expansion 20 animals per yr. PZ dlc 20 per yr.

No, not really.