How the animals can be better fleshed out

[tigris115]

While I quite enjoy my item with Planet Zoo, I feel that the behavior of the animals themselves leaves a lot to be desired, even missing aspects that were present in Zoo Tycoon 2, a much older game on an older engine.

Running through different behaviors in my head, here's what I'd like to see from the animals of Planet Zoo going forward in updates.

More parent/baby interactions.
Given how heavily Frontier advertises baby animals in this game, I feel that they could be much more complex as babies. As of now, they're basically adult animals with baby models. More unique interactions such as...

• Mammals nursing their young
• Flamingos feeding their chicks with crop milk
• Crocodilians carrying young on their back
• Great apes giving their kids piggyback rides
• Carnivorans carrying young around by the nape

All of this would make baby animals feel like far more distinct entities. Perhaps even have a feature where certain behaviors are decreased as they grow up.

More interactive animations in general
Animals don't really do much in the way of interesting behaviors. Most of the time, they walk around, lie down for a bit, eat, drink, defecate, and then die. I think that there are an infinite amount of behaviors, interactions, and animations that would make the zoo's animals feel more like living animals

• Allopatric grooming (Not just for primates)
• Play-fighting
• Play-chasing
• Territorial behavior such as scent marking and vocalizations. The chorus thing is a good start

All of these would add great flavor to the animals. As well, it would be a great way to showcase actual animal personality. For example, with lions, the male can be much more playful while one of the females may be more recluse and maybe the other lioness is a bit more aggressive.

More interesting/realistic social dynamics
For many of the primates (sans gorillas and orangutans), breeding groups are far more complex than 1 male and a group of females. A big example of this is with chimps and lemurs, which currently will fight if there's more than 1 male with females. I'd like to see a dynamic system of dominance in both males and females as seen in wild primates. This applies for many other animals as well.

Sidenote: Eggs

Functional eggs can totally be added into the game. As well, they'd add an interesting management aspect to the game. A nursery building can be added to keep eggs until they hatch. This building would have no negative impact on guest rating; quite the opposite as it gives guests an intimate view of your breeding programs. If this happens, of also like to see the option to remove all eggs from terrariums before they hatch. Then, the hatched young can automatically be placed in the trade center.

 

[peafowl]

I will never not vouch for eggs

 

[FoxyDee]

Would honestly love to see all of this, it would add so much more personality to the animals...And I know they said no eggs, but... Perhaps there could be an habitat item, like an artificial nest where the female birds and reptiles would go and lie down, then eggs would spawn, nothing too difficult as it would reuse the resting/birthing animation, then a keeper would go to collect the eggs and place it in the building you mentioned.

 

[KönigDerKaffeebohnen]

While i agree with just more behavior stuff and animations in general, i really dont understand why everybody wants eggs.
Its just eggs that are taken out in most zoos anyways.
Sure a hatchery mini mechanic could be fun but i doubt its worth the effort over other stuff

 

[tigris115]

Would honestly love to see all of this, it would add so much more personality to the animals...And I know they said no eggs, but... Perhaps there could be an habitat item, like an artificial nest where the female birds and reptiles would go and lie down, then eggs would spawn, nothing too difficult as it would reuse the resting/birthing animation, then a keeper would go to collect the eggs and place it in the building you mentioned.

I mean, you can easily have an animal make a nest. Animals already make feces models so you can have your animal do an animation and then a nest with eggs spawns.

 

[FoxyDee]

I mean, you can easily have an animal make a nest. Animals already make feces models so you can have your animal do an animation and then a nest with eggs spawns.

I guess, but it would be nice to place it where we wanted, because if it was random, it could end up in places that just look out of place.

 

[Colehunter35]

it could end up in places that just look out of place.

agreed

 

[NZFanatic]

I really, really do not understand the obsession this community has with eggs.

The concept adds literally nothing to the game except more waiting time between pregnancy and birth. All for something that isn't even that realistic to begin with.

Baby mammals in the game aren't newborns, so why do we need baby birds and reptiles hatching from eggs? Baby mammals aren't born, they spawn, so why do we need birds and reptiles hatching from eggs? I just don't get it. Maybe I'm just too pragmatic to see the value in this.

Everything else up there, great, awesome, I totally agree - especially with baby/adult animations.

 

[Swjosdotschka]

I really, really do not understand the obsession this community has with eggs.

The concept adds literally nothing to the game except more waiting time between pregnancy and birth. All for something that isn't even that realistic to begin with.

Baby mammals in the game aren't newborns, so why do we need baby birds and reptiles hatching from eggs? Baby mammals aren't born, they spawn, so why do we need birds and reptiles hatching from eggs? I just don't get it. Maybe I'm just too pragmatic to see the value in this.

Everything else up there, great, awesome, I totally agree - especially with baby/adult animations.

I second this. Eggs are absolutely useless for me, especially considering that most species in zoos do not brood on their own. And it's a super short time span birds are in an egg anyway, so it would be seconds in game. Litterally seconds. Imagine in contrast the development time it would be needed to implement animations for brooding and hatching, different sized and colored eggs regarding to species etc.

All the other things mentioned would accur way more often and therefore be totally worth it.
Also: Personalities. We need different animal personalities per individual in game.

 

[avietar]

I'd like everything you mentioned but don't care about eggs.

The added behaviors are most important to me.

 

[XT]

I want eggs but not the way most have been describing them. I'd like a required enrichment item that is a nest a couple of variants for penguins, reptiles etc) that must be placed in a habitat if you want the adults to breed (without it, no mating or young). After the adults mate, the female has a 'laying' animation (frankly no different from their usual birthing animation), and when the time that is now defined as pregnancy time elapses, the young spawn from the nest instead of near the mother.

Basically, after mating, the mother does an animation at the nest and, once the gestation time has elapsed, the young spawn at the nest site. Young are the same as they are now. A required enrichment item (that has to be researched) adds a slight difficulty to the process, and is very animal focused which is what I want from any additional management.

 

[tigris115]

I want eggs but not the way most have been describing them. I'd like a required enrichment item that is a nest a couple of variants for penguins, reptiles etc) that must be placed in a habitat if you want the adults to breed (without it, no mating or young). After the adults mate, the female has a 'laying' animation (frankly no different from their usual birthing animation), and when the time that is now defined as pregnancy time elapses, the young spawn from the nest instead of near the mother.

Basically, after mating, the mother does an animation at the nest and, once the gestation time has elapsed, the young spawn at the nest site. Young are the same as they are now. A required enrichment item (that has to be researched) adds a slight difficulty to the process, and is very animal focused which is what I want from any additional management.

That sounds like an amazing compromise. Tbh, I was thinking more of eggs from a management POV, especially for animals that have huge amounts of offspring.
As well, I think that dens for mother carnivorans to have cubs in would be perfect.

Also, ik not all of u care for eggs but I'd like if y'all could focus on the other things I suggested so that Frontier can see how much we want them

 

[NZFanatic]

Also, ik not all of u care for eggs but I'd like if y'all could focus on the other things I suggested so that Frontier can see how much we want them

That's fair. Pretty much everything else on your list is something I want.

I'd also love group-feeding among carnivores. For example, my local zoo used to a feeding talk with the African wild dogs and used something very similar to the hanging meat enrichment item we have. In-game only one dog goes for it at a time, but in real life they all swarm it. That would be something cool to see. Likewise, watching lions eat together would be a lot of fun.

 

[tigris115]

That's fair. Pretty much everything else on your list is something I want.

I'd also love group-feeding among carnivores. For example, my local zoo used to a feeding talk with the African wild dogs and used something very similar to the hanging meat enrichment item we have. In-game only one dog goes for it at a time, but in real life they all swarm it. That would be something cool to see. Likewise, watching lions eat together would be a lot of fun.

Dude, animals using enrichment together would be amazing. Like have your lions or wolves tugging on a bag or a carcass together would be perfect

 

[paul78]

With the game being so far along in development are a lot of these possible tho. Nothing against your list but would they be able to implement these now as to during the development stages and how much work would these be? Some no doubt easier then others but I do question the piggyback riding and crocodilian riding behavior as well as they do introduce new animations on already existing animals. I don’t know maybe I’m overthinking this but there is part of me that may think it’s simply not possible this far into development. Anyway nice list although I must admit eggs aren’t to much of a game breaker to me. There are somethings I’d like to see added as well like animal personalities without being too overdone, inter species interactions, and interactions between animals and guests. After thinking about what I just said I do question some of these now as well. I guess this would be some of the advantages of a PZ2 as I’m sure frontier has learned a lot from the current game but I do prefer to keep total development focus on this game as I still think there’s tons of untapped potential to implement yet.

 

[AndyM_75]

Good opening post to this thread - some really good ideas that would help make the animals behaviour feel more ‘real’.

I’m also not that fussed about eggs though - my zoo builds tend to be very mammal focused.

 

[XT]

I guess for me - when thinking realistically about the development of the game - I make the assumption that Frontier is not going to add significant new management requirements, or significant new animations for any of the animals. Which is why I treat the egg process as I do - it seems to require minimal new programming to implement. Group feeding/animal-baby interactions/etc would require totally new animation rigs for both adults and juveniles. Not to say I wouldn't love it - but I think those might be something to hope for in PZ2, whenever it comes out.