With some time since the release of the Secret Species Pack and seeing that the game may be getting a new update this year, I wanted to log into the forums again and share my feedback and some suggestions about the new and returning hybrids.
1. Change the icons for the new hybrids.
This was something I brought up in this thread here, but I really dislike the icons given to the new hybrids.
The quality of these images pale in quality compared to every other animal icon in the game, and since hybrids are acquired directly from the research tab, this ends up having a very lackluster first impression for these animals.
2. Stegoceratops should use its thagomizer and having it execute finishers would be nice.
I am rather happy to not only see the stegoceratops return, but how well this hybrid fits in Jurassic World Evolution 2. It fits well in the game being the earliest hybrid you could acquire via research, as well as how the developers made it an overall balanced combative herbivore with a longer lifespan than either parent species. The one thing I feel that is lost is the way the stegoceratops does not use its thagomizer. Seeing this animal to use its horns and thagomizer would be more fitting, making this hybrid unique to other ceratopsids in the game.
Armored herbivores also used to have finishers in Jurassic World Evolution 1 as well, often being a horn thrust or knock out by tail weapon. If stegoceratops could not only gain a finisher, but to randomly execute either one to its opponent, then situating the stegoceratops in combat situation would make this hybrid interesting. A Swiss Army knife of a combative herbivore.
3. Have the Spinoceratops be immune to hypothermia
The spinoceratops was a hybrid I was least excited about in this pack, as we already have the stegoceratops as a ceratopsian heavy hybrid. I do have to say I like how the animal is a complete giant, with it being a quadrupedal fisher and having the most impressive bioluminescent pattern thanks to its sail, in most cases, I really like this animal more than the sinoceratops.
My suggestion is that it would be more fitting if this animal were to be immune to hypothermia. The Spinoceratops was depicted as an animal well adapted to the harsh cold, and most arctic animals in our reality do not worry about succumbing to hypothermia. It would not only be more fitting for the Spinoceratops to be this comfortable in the cold, but it would also deliver a unique animal that is immune to one of the biggest dangers from a snow storm. Gameplay wise, acquiring a hybrid animal that is immune to hypothermia would be a great investment for players who are constructing parks that is frequently visited by snow storms.
4. Boost the Security rating of the ankylodocus, stegoceratops, and spinoceratops to 5 instead of 4.
With how the hybrids in the game have high security rating, I find it odd how the herbivorous ones have a security rating of 4.
Most herbivores would already have security ratings less than the carnivores, but the more dangerous herbivores would have a higher security requirement, where dinosaurs like the Nasutoceratops, Therizinosaurus, and Stegosaurus have 5, and the Ankylosaurus with an astounding 6. I believe these 3 should also have a higher security rating, not only because of their higher combat ratings when compared to other herbivores, but most of these hybrids consist of parents that are much more difficult to contain. With how hybrids are dangerous animals to contain in the park, it would make sense of these three are a tad more dangerous as well, regardless of their diet.
5. Buff up the Ankylodocus defense from 61 to 102
Players who checked out the ankylodocus genome back in JWE1 may have noticed that not only does the ankylodocus have a defense stat, something that sauropods did not have back then, but it was at a staggering 102. It doesn't mean much in terms of gameplay, as it easily fall prey from the indominous Rex all the same.
Now with how the defense stat means for the sauropods int he game, it would be more fitting if the ankylodocus were to have its old defensive stat again.
For sauropods, the defense stat helps them defend against pack hunters and sponge damage from medium and large carnivores. The ankylodocus was made immune to pack hunting, which is a huge buff compared to other sauropods. However, it is oddly enough the weakest large sauropod in the game, with attack and defense even less than the diplodocus. This makes it really easy for large carnivores to take it down, to which I think it would be more fitting if the old defense stat of 102 is assigned to the ankylodocus.
I am unsure what the Team has considered when it comes to giving sauropods to have them fight back against carnivores, as that was requested way back before the game launched. If such a feature is to be implemented, it would make sense if the ankylodocus were to fight back as well, maybe just as efficiently. However, if the sauropod were to not fight back at all, a defense stat of 102 would be more fitting in this scenario.
The most defensive sauropod in the game is the Alamosaurus at 90 points, who also hold the record of the second highest Base Dominance in the game behind the Quetzalcoatlus who also has a higher defensive stat at 95. A defensive stat of 102 for the ankylodocus won't be that far off when it comes to the defensive limits a sauropod has, but the high number would make it stand out more, and would make this hybrid a unit to take down. Regardless if it could or couldn't fight back, having this sauropod infused with the genes of an ankylosaur would make it a stubborn target to take down.
6. Let the hybrids fulfill their social need with their parent species, and vice versa.
One thing I think would be useful is that the new hybrids introduced could fulfill their social needs with their respective parent species (aside from spinosaurus).
The Spinoraptor, Spinoceratops, and Stegoceratops require an additional member for them to be happy. If their parent species could fulfill their social need, it could lead to enclosure setups where the hybrid could be fostered by a group of their parent species, and vice versa. So a single stegoceratops could be happy within a herd of stegosaurs, or a velociraptor could adjust when in a pack of spinoraptors.
7. Have the cross species social animation occur more often.
A surprise that was not advertised when the Secret Species Pack was announced is how the hybrids could interact with their parent species. This really elevates the appeal the new hybrids have on me, with that said, I did find it odd how I barely experience the social interaction in my game.
When I want to experience it, I have to incubate a single member of the hybrid and parent animal to see the interaction, but if I were to add additional members of the hybrid species, then the interaction never occurs. My herd of 4 stegoceratops and 6 stegosaurs are shared in the same enclosure, but never have I seen them interact with each other, only with members within their herd.
It would be much nicer to see this interaction occur more naturally. Where even if there are additional members within the species, there is that small curiosity to interact with the hybrid/parent counterpart.
8. The indoraptor research to not require the indominous rex to be incubated.
The indoraptor is the least incubated hybrid with my experience with the game, as I often only ever go for one hybrid species in my park to make them a unique attraction. I could achieve this with any other hybrid, but rarely do I ever go for the indoraptor, because by the time I incubated the indominous rex, I already have a hybrid species.
I think having the indoraptor research unlock simply by unlocking the indominous rex genome instead of incubating the hybrid should be good enough, as the impression of incubating the first hybrid of your park won't be lost when incubating the indoraptor. This was how it was in JWE1 and I really hope it could be considered for JWE2.
9. Add a "Lux" Suffix for the Nothosaurus and Styxosaurus bioluminescence pattern.
If I recall well, the new hybrids have the Pelophylax pattern be renamed as Lux, as it is the only pattern that allows for bioluminescence to occur.
The Nothosaurus and Styxosaurus both have patterns that allow for bioluminescence as well, but the naming does not indicate that they could. I think adding a Lux as a suffix could work for these animals, so players wanting to create these animals in particular could know which of their patterns could glow. It would make it useful instead of needing to try them out in the species viewer or trail and error incubation.
This is what feedback I want to share with the pack. I find myself enjoying the secret species pack, as it is nice to have the old hybrids back.
Currently, I have been playing a lot of Planet Zoo thanks to the launch of PZ console edition, but I would like to get back to Jurassic World Evolution 2 again, maybe once the new Chaos Theory show comes around. If the game does get any updates this year or new DLC, I wanted to share what impressions I got when it comes to the new hybrid pack.
Thanks for reading!
1. Change the icons for the new hybrids.
This was something I brought up in this thread here, but I really dislike the icons given to the new hybrids.
The quality of these images pale in quality compared to every other animal icon in the game, and since hybrids are acquired directly from the research tab, this ends up having a very lackluster first impression for these animals.
2. Stegoceratops should use its thagomizer and having it execute finishers would be nice.
I am rather happy to not only see the stegoceratops return, but how well this hybrid fits in Jurassic World Evolution 2. It fits well in the game being the earliest hybrid you could acquire via research, as well as how the developers made it an overall balanced combative herbivore with a longer lifespan than either parent species. The one thing I feel that is lost is the way the stegoceratops does not use its thagomizer. Seeing this animal to use its horns and thagomizer would be more fitting, making this hybrid unique to other ceratopsids in the game.
Armored herbivores also used to have finishers in Jurassic World Evolution 1 as well, often being a horn thrust or knock out by tail weapon. If stegoceratops could not only gain a finisher, but to randomly execute either one to its opponent, then situating the stegoceratops in combat situation would make this hybrid interesting. A Swiss Army knife of a combative herbivore.
3. Have the Spinoceratops be immune to hypothermia
The spinoceratops was a hybrid I was least excited about in this pack, as we already have the stegoceratops as a ceratopsian heavy hybrid. I do have to say I like how the animal is a complete giant, with it being a quadrupedal fisher and having the most impressive bioluminescent pattern thanks to its sail, in most cases, I really like this animal more than the sinoceratops.
My suggestion is that it would be more fitting if this animal were to be immune to hypothermia. The Spinoceratops was depicted as an animal well adapted to the harsh cold, and most arctic animals in our reality do not worry about succumbing to hypothermia. It would not only be more fitting for the Spinoceratops to be this comfortable in the cold, but it would also deliver a unique animal that is immune to one of the biggest dangers from a snow storm. Gameplay wise, acquiring a hybrid animal that is immune to hypothermia would be a great investment for players who are constructing parks that is frequently visited by snow storms.
4. Boost the Security rating of the ankylodocus, stegoceratops, and spinoceratops to 5 instead of 4.
With how the hybrids in the game have high security rating, I find it odd how the herbivorous ones have a security rating of 4.
Most herbivores would already have security ratings less than the carnivores, but the more dangerous herbivores would have a higher security requirement, where dinosaurs like the Nasutoceratops, Therizinosaurus, and Stegosaurus have 5, and the Ankylosaurus with an astounding 6. I believe these 3 should also have a higher security rating, not only because of their higher combat ratings when compared to other herbivores, but most of these hybrids consist of parents that are much more difficult to contain. With how hybrids are dangerous animals to contain in the park, it would make sense of these three are a tad more dangerous as well, regardless of their diet.
5. Buff up the Ankylodocus defense from 61 to 102
Players who checked out the ankylodocus genome back in JWE1 may have noticed that not only does the ankylodocus have a defense stat, something that sauropods did not have back then, but it was at a staggering 102. It doesn't mean much in terms of gameplay, as it easily fall prey from the indominous Rex all the same.
Now with how the defense stat means for the sauropods int he game, it would be more fitting if the ankylodocus were to have its old defensive stat again.
For sauropods, the defense stat helps them defend against pack hunters and sponge damage from medium and large carnivores. The ankylodocus was made immune to pack hunting, which is a huge buff compared to other sauropods. However, it is oddly enough the weakest large sauropod in the game, with attack and defense even less than the diplodocus. This makes it really easy for large carnivores to take it down, to which I think it would be more fitting if the old defense stat of 102 is assigned to the ankylodocus.
I am unsure what the Team has considered when it comes to giving sauropods to have them fight back against carnivores, as that was requested way back before the game launched. If such a feature is to be implemented, it would make sense if the ankylodocus were to fight back as well, maybe just as efficiently. However, if the sauropod were to not fight back at all, a defense stat of 102 would be more fitting in this scenario.
The most defensive sauropod in the game is the Alamosaurus at 90 points, who also hold the record of the second highest Base Dominance in the game behind the Quetzalcoatlus who also has a higher defensive stat at 95. A defensive stat of 102 for the ankylodocus won't be that far off when it comes to the defensive limits a sauropod has, but the high number would make it stand out more, and would make this hybrid a unit to take down. Regardless if it could or couldn't fight back, having this sauropod infused with the genes of an ankylosaur would make it a stubborn target to take down.
6. Let the hybrids fulfill their social need with their parent species, and vice versa.
One thing I think would be useful is that the new hybrids introduced could fulfill their social needs with their respective parent species (aside from spinosaurus).
The Spinoraptor, Spinoceratops, and Stegoceratops require an additional member for them to be happy. If their parent species could fulfill their social need, it could lead to enclosure setups where the hybrid could be fostered by a group of their parent species, and vice versa. So a single stegoceratops could be happy within a herd of stegosaurs, or a velociraptor could adjust when in a pack of spinoraptors.
7. Have the cross species social animation occur more often.
A surprise that was not advertised when the Secret Species Pack was announced is how the hybrids could interact with their parent species. This really elevates the appeal the new hybrids have on me, with that said, I did find it odd how I barely experience the social interaction in my game.
When I want to experience it, I have to incubate a single member of the hybrid and parent animal to see the interaction, but if I were to add additional members of the hybrid species, then the interaction never occurs. My herd of 4 stegoceratops and 6 stegosaurs are shared in the same enclosure, but never have I seen them interact with each other, only with members within their herd.
It would be much nicer to see this interaction occur more naturally. Where even if there are additional members within the species, there is that small curiosity to interact with the hybrid/parent counterpart.
8. The indoraptor research to not require the indominous rex to be incubated.
The indoraptor is the least incubated hybrid with my experience with the game, as I often only ever go for one hybrid species in my park to make them a unique attraction. I could achieve this with any other hybrid, but rarely do I ever go for the indoraptor, because by the time I incubated the indominous rex, I already have a hybrid species.
I think having the indoraptor research unlock simply by unlocking the indominous rex genome instead of incubating the hybrid should be good enough, as the impression of incubating the first hybrid of your park won't be lost when incubating the indoraptor. This was how it was in JWE1 and I really hope it could be considered for JWE2.
9. Add a "Lux" Suffix for the Nothosaurus and Styxosaurus bioluminescence pattern.
If I recall well, the new hybrids have the Pelophylax pattern be renamed as Lux, as it is the only pattern that allows for bioluminescence to occur.
The Nothosaurus and Styxosaurus both have patterns that allow for bioluminescence as well, but the naming does not indicate that they could. I think adding a Lux as a suffix could work for these animals, so players wanting to create these animals in particular could know which of their patterns could glow. It would make it useful instead of needing to try them out in the species viewer or trail and error incubation.
This is what feedback I want to share with the pack. I find myself enjoying the secret species pack, as it is nice to have the old hybrids back.
Currently, I have been playing a lot of Planet Zoo thanks to the launch of PZ console edition, but I would like to get back to Jurassic World Evolution 2 again, maybe once the new Chaos Theory show comes around. If the game does get any updates this year or new DLC, I wanted to share what impressions I got when it comes to the new hybrid pack.
Thanks for reading!