How do you think flight might happen?

[Pentoleaf]

Hopefully, our zoos will take flight this holiday season (even if they don't, I'm sure we'll get a great expansion), but if this happens, how will it happen?

1. Fully flighted animals who require a roofed enclosure. May have a toggle similar to the controceptives toggle on some species to "clip wings" for outdoor enclosures.

2. Fully flighted animals who won't fly past barriers of a certain height whether roofed or not. Not exactly realistic, but easier to build for.

3. Some kind of "perch" system where you put down a perch and can add to birds to it using a mechanic similar to the exhibit market. The birds then loop around the perch but don't leave it's area. (I could also see a butteryfly hatchery being implemented in this way).

4. Modular aviary "exhibits" which can be interlinked and customized with multiple species in each.

5. Aviary "exhibits" which function the same as current exhibits with limited decor choice and only one species per a unit. (and if we're really lucky a null setting for the roof and walls).

6. Something completely different I haven't thought of.

7. We get flighted birds but they crawl about on the ground like the koalas.


Thoughts? Which do you think is most likely?

I would also guess that a bird pack, if it does materialize, will contain one or two mostly flightless birds (pheasant, turkey), one or two waterfowl species, one or two raptors ,and one or two coloful tropical birds which aren't parrots (with parrots being a selling point for later tropical and Oceania packs). There may also be buttrrflies, somehow.

 

[ElectricMonk]

My preference would be for both #1 (for larger birds) and #3 or #4 for small birds. #7 would be a huge disappointment and would make flighted birds not worthwhile to add at all.

I think the most likely, however, is just #1 (no small birds) or, if small birds are added too (less likely), then they’ll be #5 (similar to current exhibits).

 

[AlexSea]

Maybe the way aviaries could be added is that you build a habitat like normal, and when you add the keeper door to make it count as a habitat, you get the option to toggle the roof on or off, and its height is based on the barrier height of the habitat. It would be good for containing primates as well.

 

[Jeminyne]

I can see an expanded version of #3, where instead of only flying around the one perch, the animal will fly between multiple ones that you have set up around the habitat. That way you can have the illusion that they're as free-flying as #1 without worrying about them colliding with stuff you've set up around the habitat. (Or without the game having to calculate to avoid them doing so.)

 

[Aidan635]

I’m between #4 and #5. I would be totally fine with an exhibit-type aviary system. Now, if they’re all the same size, I wouldn’t be too happy. If they give us some different sizes, and maybe even the ability to build a wall around an area. New perch enrichment items are a must here. I just can’t wait to see what they’re gonna do with them!

 

[NZFanatic]

I once had the idea of a covered habitat that could be used for really any animal. I envisioned it as a new habitat type, separate from the current barrier system. The idea was that you would choose a starting shape (triangle, square, pentagon, hexagon, etc.) out of a variety of random materials (mesh, chain-link, bars, whatever). You'd place the starting shape, and then you could expand it or manipulate it by stretching the corners in and out, and the roof peak up and down, or by adding a second roof peak or whatever to create the vast tented aviaries we're all familiar with.

Inside you would be able to manipulate terrain, add foliage, rocks, whatever else, and all the necessary trappings. Certain climbable objects would also double as "perchable" where birds could land (in the meta, birds would be divided into vague size groups (i.e. small, medium, large) which would determine where they can perch and how many can perch in the same place at once. For breeding, you'd have nest boxes or artificial nests, and a new incubation facility where birds and reptiles could be hatched for easier management (i.e. a storage facility separate from the trade centre where you can organise your myriad baby birds, reptiles, and exhibit animals at your leisure).

The update would include the covered habitats and incubation centre and the DLC would include the animals and enrichment. I also considered a 'bird showcase stage', to be operated by educators, where select birds can be brought out to do flight shows once a month or something.

 

[DarthQuell]

I once had the idea of a covered habitat that could be used for really any animal. I envisioned it as a new habitat type, separate from the current barrier system. The idea was that you would choose a starting shape (triangle, square, pentagon, hexagon, etc.) out of a variety of random materials (mesh, chain-link, bars, whatever). You'd place the starting shape, and then you could expand it or manipulate it by stretching the corners in and out, and the roof peak up and down, or by adding a second roof peak or whatever to create the vast tented aviaries we're all familiar with.

Inside you would be able to manipulate terrain, add foliage, rocks, whatever else, and all the necessary trappings. Certain climbable objects would also double as "perchable" where birds could land (in the meta, birds would be divided into vague size groups (i.e. small, medium, large) which would determine where they can perch and how many can perch in the same place at once. For breeding, you'd have nest boxes or artificial nests, and a new incubation facility where birds and reptiles could be hatched for easier management (i.e. a storage facility separate from the trade centre where you can organise your myriad baby birds, reptiles, and exhibit animals at your leisure).

The update would include the covered habitats and incubation centre and the DLC would include the animals and enrichment. I also considered a 'bird showcase stage', to be operated by educators, where select birds can be brought out to do flight shows once a month or something.

Kinda like how the aviary system works in JWE2? I actually like this. Simple building, but customizable

 

[NZFanatic]

Kinda like how the aviary system works in JWE2? I actually like this. Simple building, but customizable

Kind of, but also not - the JWE2 system is modular, so you can combine a single aviary piece with another aviary piece to make a bigger aviary. The system I envision is a little more customisable than that, in that you can really mess with the shape.

 

[jcp011c]

1-3 all work for me. 4-5 would be disappointing but doable. 7 would be a nightmare implementation.

 

[Iben]

1. Fully flighted animals who require a roofed enclosure. May have a toggle similar to the controceptives toggle on some species to "clip wings" for outdoor enclosures.

5. Aviary "exhibits" which function the same as current exhibits with limited decor choice and only one species per a unit. (and if we're really lucky a null setting for the roof and walls).

Option 1 seems to be the most realistic one in my eyes. Most likely a new kind of fence system that comes with the free update (so that later DLCs can expand on the bird roster without people being forced to buy a birds pack) which can be used to make aviaries and roofed exhibits.

Option 5 is honestly out of the question at this point. For multiple reasons basically.

First and foremost, birds in exhibit boxes are far, and I mean far, more easy to do than stuff like underwater navigation and digging. You don't have to worry about birds flying into each other, you don't have to care about dynamically determined paths, everything consists of looped animations. What I mean by all this is, given how popular birds are, if this was the approach they'd go for it would have been in already. We would have seen birds by now if that was the approach they wanted to go for.

Secondly, the big thing about aviaries in zoos for the past decade now is walkthrough aviaries. Go to any zoo and you have a very high chance of seeing at least one but often multiple walkthrough aviaries. An exhibit based system would make that impossible, unless you really have a null setting but I don't see them doing that. Just as the game had underwater viewing from the start to later accommodate animals that swim underwater, the game already has walkthrough mechanics which I can see as something they'd expand on.

And finally, JWE2. JWE2 is build on the same or at least a very similar engine as Planet Zoo from the looks of it, and it indeed has modular aviaries you can decorate yourself and animals can fly around in dynamically. They can even escape and fly around the park and perch on items in the park. It would be incredibly bizarre that such a system was created in a vacuum and not with their other zoo game (JWE2 is still basically a dinosaur zoo really) in mind. It's incredibly common for developers to write "abstract" code so that said code isn't only applicable in one context, but can then used in multiple ( see the DRY principle). So I would be extremely surprised if they didn't do that for their new flying system.

All in all; if we get birds in Planet Zoo, the most likely system is a system similar to JWE2; which means we'll get dynamic flight rather than looped animations. And given how much you can customize in Planet Zoo ( climbing frames, barriers, shelters, etc. etc.) it's most likely going to be a bit more complex than the modular system of JWE2.

 

[NZFanatic]

An exhibit based system would make that impossible

I agree with all your points bar this one. A walkthrough aviary is still possible with an exhibit system - the whole thing would be preset. A pregenerated path from point A to point B in the aviary and path connections at either end. Guests enter, walk along the pregenerated path, and then exit.

Not that it matters - I think you're right that if they were going to go down the preset route they would have already.

 

[Antimony96]

1 is the obvious ideal, 2 is acceptable especially if further birds are only larger wading/ground birds (storks, cranes, etc.). 3-4 would be disappointing but acceptable, 5 and 7 would make the whole enterprise not worth it.

 

[Cornicula]

I'm pretty sure they will do it similar to JWE 2 - why shouldn't they reuse this system? I actually would be very happy with it, even if you couldn't change the look of the barrier. Varying the height of the ceiling would be nice, for birds of prey like eagles who love to fligh higher. I'm fine with changing the terrain and theming inside the aviary.
5 would be a good choice for "exhibit birds" like finches or other tiny birds. They could have a loop animation like the other exhibit birds. I would like that a lot, although this would be very disappointing as a solution for the greater birds.

 

[AndyZoos]

Thinking about the way the game works, Frontier's prior decisions, and the way birds behave in captivity, I'm thinking:

• Birds will be "fully flighted," but will primarily just fly from "perch-to-perch" or from "perch-to-ground" (rather than a lot of never-ending flight/soaring). Birds will also be able to hop/walk along the ground and across perches. We may see a new tag added to some objects along the lines of the "climbable" tag to indicate that birds can perch on them (e.g., "perchable").
  
  
• Having a toggle similar to contraceptives to "clip wings" is kind of a necessity. Otherwise? All existing flamingo habitats would potentially "break." Though part of me wonders if that might just be for specific birds (e.g., macaws, toucans). I could see some birds being able to exist outside of aviaries with "clipped" wings but barriers would need to be of a certain height.

I expect the system would operate somewhat similarly to JWE2 but with far more flexibility in terms of design and fencing.

 

[Spiderhawk]

If 1 happens then so be it
5 would be suitable for smaller birds like cardinals. I would at least like to see them fly around. The small aviary would be bigger then our current exhibit size.
I could see a customizable aviary build where you can build their loop, land on perch, soar from one are to another, go to a feeding station. I’d like the birds to have specific animations as they are perched and sleep, perhaps interactions while perched.

 

[Faramburu]

Perches are a good way to implement flying animals. You can add 3-4 perches and the Bird/bat fly from one to another.

The habitats could be similar to JWE2 with a kind of biome dome with a specific theme. You can have 3-4 species from one region and biome and recreate It with thiese species all together. For example you can do a Central África marshes biome with Grey crested crane, shoebill, marabou, egyptian goose. Visitors could enter with boats. Other options may be Everglades, Amazon or Australian desert or shrubslands.

It could be great.

 

[Firestar97]

They could introduce flying by making it possible for Birds like Peafowl and Lyrebirds to fly up to Trees and Perches to sleep/eat/drink/sit there before introducing proper flying.

I do also hope for a Option to clip Wings when we get Birds that fly more, so we can for Example keep Pelicans outdoors.

They also shouldn't forget to also give Macaws and Cockatoos the Ability to climb. It would be really nice to see them use their Beaks and Claws to traverse Climbing Structures. Macaws should also get hollow Trees and other kinds of Nesting Boxes(where they give Birth in if possible and the Chicks stay in there).

And we should also get some Intelligence related Enrichment for our really smart Birds like Macaws, Keas and Ravens

I also considered a 'bird showcase stage', to be operated by educators, where select birds can be brought

Would be really nice. I've tried to do some kind of Peafowl Show in my Wildpark once but of course it wasn't really impressive. Shows shouldn't only be limited to Birds of Prey but also to other Birds like Macaws and Ravens for Example.

 

[Faramburu]

If 1 happens then so be it
5 would be suitable for smaller birds like cardinals. I would at least like to see them fly around. The small aviary would be bigger then our current exhibit size.
I could see a customizable aviary build where you can build their loop, land on perch, soar from one are to another, go to a feeding station. I’d like the birds to have specific animations as they are perched and sleep, perhaps interactions while perched.

When are you going to update the flying wishlist?

 

[hudsonbear]

1. Would be my preference (though not sure about wing clipping), but 3. or 4. would be acceptable.

The flamingoes in game already fly so I'm hoping they will be able to build on that for more active flight birds to go to/from perches etc.

 

[Cacomistle]

1 is absolutely my preference. I really dislike the JWE2 system of blank slate modular domes, and I'm hopeful they won't reuse it given how limited that game is in comparison to PZ. The optimal way to implement it IMO, albeit maybe unrealistic, would be to include a set of barriers that can be built in any direction, and as long as a space is enclosed it registers as an eligible aviary.

I definitely think smaller birds such as hummingbirds or songbirds would be limited to some type of exhibit. As for ground birds? I think animals like pelicans, cranes, gamebirds, and storks could be easily implemented without needing aviary exhibits. They did it for flamingos, in spite of aviaries being recommended for keeping them IIRC?