How would you want future dlcs to be designed?

Rn there is quite the shake up in the format of the dlcs.
We had so far 2 scenery biome packs (arctic and aquatic), 4 scenery regional packs (south america, australia, africa, europe), 2 animal regional packs (south east asia and northamerica) and 1 animal biome pack (wetlands).
Many people suggested different things, only more animal packs, only biome pack, still more regional packs, if your here on the forums you know what i mean.
But now i would like to suggest how i would handle things forward.

First of all, we will still have both animal packs and scenery packs alternaty.
In addition to that i would also suggest an alternation of regional, biome and mechanics packs.

Preferably this would mean that going forward each year they would introduce a new mechanic (examples would be petting zoos, fully aquatic animals, aviaries, a climbing based pack).

But in general i would put down some loose rules for packs:
First biome packs. I want them to only be animal packs, featuring no more then 3 animals from the same continent to make sure for max use of the concept.
For example if we get a temperate pack, i would prefer a set up like 3 eurasian, 2 australian and then 1 more asian and 2 americas exclusives over something thats basicly a europe + like 2 other animals pack. Dont get me wrong, i like europe, europe needs more animals, but while a pack like wild boar, red fox, red deer, wolverine, western capercaillie, racoon and tasmanian devil wouldnt be bad, both the racoon and especally the devil feel out of place.
A pack like wild boar, red fox, red deer, racoon, tasmanian devil, benetts wallaby and amur leopard has far more diversity, just by limiting the number of eurasian animals.

Another reason for that besides simply diversity is, that i would prefer if the biome packs would be mostly to flesh out regions we allready visited before then trying to settle new spaces that are empty with most of their animals.
The wetlands pack did a pretty great job of that, with each animal having atleast one other animal for obvious thematic areas.
The reason for that is simple, eventhough quite subjective. I believe that the game rn where every continent is atleast somewhat represented would benefit more by filling niches in allready established regions instead of just establishing more regions.

For a little example.
Rn building a himalayan area is possible, but quite predictable. Weve got its 2 apex predators (HBB and snowleopard), one smaller arboreal herbivore (red panda) and one animal that visits them sometimes (asiatic black bear).
Each of these animals would automaticly be elevated in usability, if 1 or 2 more himalayan animals would be added to allow for better and more diverse himalayan areas in our zoos.
Their are 2 good ways to do this:
1. We get a himalayan scenery pack, which while dope would take one dlc slot away to just focus on the himalaya, which makes that region much better while only leaving little impacts on other areas in your zoos.
2. We could get just 2 animals as part of a biome pack, which would allready help this region a ton but also many more!

To make this more visual, a nice himalayan pack could be something like the domestic yak, pallas cat, himalayan monal and a takin.
This would boost himalayan and central/mountainous asia areas by a ton, while also adding a small cat, bird and domestic animal.
Pretty nice.

But if we just pick out the two most impactful additions, in my opinion this would be the pallas cat and domestic yak, and add them to a well ballanced pack with lets say gelada (baboon), spectacle bear (not amazon sa animal), chinchilla (not amazon sa animal, rodent, domestic), yellow footed rock wallaby (desert, marsupial, wallaby) and a chamois (alpine, nice addition to the alpine ibex) and we got a much more liberal pack with a way bigger ripple effect on the game as a whoule, with for example finally a baboon, another marsupial, 2 domestics, non amazonian south american animals and an animal for every continent besides NA, which could get the exhibit animal.

Would we still miss some cool himalayan animals? Yeah ofcourse, for example i would adore the himalayan thar and the takin is one of the most requested ungulates on the meta wish list, but this biome pack is just way healthier for the game overall, patching up many things instead of just one big hole with a few extra mini holes.

But what about the big holes we have like the middle east or central america?
Fear not fellow planet zoo forum user, thats where the scenery packs come in.
For the few regions that are completly under represented i would suggest that we go back to the scenery pack approach to make a big 4 animal tape over that hole.
Luckily, the regions that i would describe as "strongly underdeveloped and in dire need for their own pack" are all multicontinental regions, namly central america, the middle east, islands (which would be arguably the only biome pack that should be a scenery pack imo) and east asia, which while not multi continential is a very diverse place biome and just size wise.

These 4 packs also work in favor for better biome packs, as rn these have some of the most obvious choices.

For example, a desert pack would be much freeer in its choices if we would also get a middle east pack, containing for example the dromedary, hamadryas baboon, sand cat and a porcupine.
Thats a pack that i would bet would sell quite well and have a big ripple effect, introducing 3 of the most requested animals.
This would leave atleast 2 guranteed spots for a desert animal pack open, which could boot the dromedary and very likly baboon or porcupine for something else.
Maybe a perentie and a wombat could join a pack with the emu, saiga, collared peccary, addax and a striped hyena.
Other previously unlikly but cool options could be a big horn sheep, greater road runner, humbolt penguin, african fur seal or a ring tail.

But what do you think?
What places do you believe still deserve regional packs?
What places do you not believe deserve a regional?
How would you handle these pack in the future and/or does any of my ramblings even make sense?
 
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What places do you believe still deserve regional packs?
Central America, East Asia and Birds.

I imagine Central America pack being based around summer holidays, sunny coasts, palms and tourism.
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New bright scenery, coast stuff, tropical foliage, crazy themed pieces to amaze tourists, something like stone spheres and tikal ruins for historical touch.
Potential Animals: Spider Monkey, Coati, Peccary, Ocelot, sloth and banded gecko, panamian golden frog, common basilisk for exhibit
Scenario: Holiday Zoo Resort in Costa Rica.
+ there is no better way to introduce hotels from PlanCo than alongside vacation themed pack.
 
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I think a big "expansion pack" format would be a good idea. The way I'd design it, it would include 20 habitat animals, plus signs for said animals, and it would be sold for $20 USD. My initial idea was that this format would just be used for an aviary pack, but I think they could also make a pack with just clone animals and release it like this.
 
I think a big "expansion pack" format would be a good idea. The way I'd design it, it would include 20 habitat animals, plus signs for said animals, and it would be sold for $20 USD. My initial idea was that this format would just be used for an aviary pack, but I think they could also make a pack with just clone animals and release it like this.
Totally, and this will extend the game life, pretty much a new game within the same game. Then, DLC will have animals from pre and post expansion. For example, a Marine Mania will be a totally new game with 25 sea mammals and 50 fish tanks, then the DLC will have have both sea and land animals in the future. Honestly I know and they know we will be willing to pay. LOL
 
Central America, East Asia and Birds.

I imagine Central America pack being based around summer holidays, sunny coasts, palms and tourism.
View attachment 308869View attachment 308870
New bright scenery, coast stuff, tropical foliage, crazy themed pieces to amaze tourists, something like stone spheres and tikal ruins for historical touch.
Potential Animals: Spider Monkey, Coati, Peccary, Ocelot, sloth and banded gecko, panamian golden frog, common basilisk for exhibit
Scenario: Holiday Zoo Resort in Costa Rica.
+ there is no better way to introduce hotels from PlanCo than alongside vacation themed pack.

I love this idea for a summer pack. Central America needs a proper pack and what a better theme than a caribean building pack. I honestly don't see the need for hotels in the game but i would love a pack with a similar animal roster: ocelot, spider monkey, coati for sure but there has to be some bird like a pelican or scarlet ibis (since there is no way we are getting a quetzal :(). A manatee would be cool as well or a sea turtle, although i think the manatee is less likely due to being fully aquatic. Anyway now i want this as a real pack lol
 
I support a true expansion pack all the way
With the current dlc format, I like the lands biome idea example wetlands drylands woodlands highlands
I was hoping for a new formula but I think the new formula would have been the first of the year.
I have some ideas in mind for scenic pieces but there’s too many animals I want.
 
For how I would want, it will be whatever dlc pack that will include these: African leopard, baboon, gibbon and dromedary camel. For exhibit: toad, chameleon, cobra, and maybe small fish like piranhas and clownfish.
 
I support a true expansion pack all the way
With the current dlc format, I like the lands biome idea example wetlands drylands woodlands highlands
I was hoping for a new formula but I think the new formula would have been the first of the year.
I have some ideas in mind for scenic pieces but there’s too many animals I want.

I am totally into it. I think it will work.
 
Central America needs a proper pack and what a better theme than a caribean building pack.
The problem with that idea is the Caribbean isn't considered to be part of Central America. Mexico and the Caribbean are solely NA, and all the mainland states south of Mexico until the Panama Canal are considered Central America (but also NA).

The best way I see a Caribbean theme could work is for an Islands Pack idea.
 
The problem with that idea is the Caribbean isn't considered to be part of Central America. Mexico and the Caribbean are solely NA, and all the mainland states south of Mexico until the Panama Canal are considered Central America (but also NA).

The best way I see a Caribbean theme could work is for an Islands Pack idea.
I think that's a little bit too technical, and DLCs don't need to be that strict right. The Caribbean is a big area that goes from Cuba all the way to Curaçao that's almost attached to Venezuela. Maybe it technically is 'north America', but nobody would actually consider something like Curaçao North American.
Aside from that, I think it's fine to refer to central America as a region and include the Caribbean. They share much of the same wildlife and climate.

A great Central America DLC imo could be Ocelot, spider monkey, white nosed coati, and west Indian manatee / collared peccary / armadillo / sloth / depending on how ambitious frontier wants to be 😅, plus a colorful snake. Mexican theme (extravagant Spanish colonial, and traditional) + Caribbean theme.
 
I'd go with regions, and all animal packs (I know builder-centric players will not like that, but this is my preference). Ideally I'd want avians but if it ends up being just three more packs, I doubt they will get a full focus, and there will not be actual flying animals ever implemented.

I know this would also make people unhappy, but if we got animal packs, every four months instead of three:

August - Grassland/Scrubland/Savannah (headliner is Przewalski's Horse)
December - Taiga/Temperate (headliner is Amur Leopard)
April 2023 - Tropical/Rainforests (headliner is Tasmanian Devil)
 
A bird in each dlc from this point onwards.

The red crowned crane got a great response, and I'm hoping that Frontier will now shower us with ducks, swans, and pheasants. Or at least A duck, A swan, and A pheasant.

Other than that, more small animals, more ungulates, more backstage props, and more plants. Oceania and Central Asia need the most attention, but I'm happy with almost anything. Any new animal is a good animal.
 
A bird in each dlc from this point onwards.

The red crowned crane got a great response, and I'm hoping that Frontier will now shower us with ducks, swans, and pheasants. Or at least A duck, A swan, and A pheasant.

Other than that, more small animals, more ungulates, more backstage props, and more plants. Oceania and Central Asia need the most attention, but I'm happy with almost anything. Any new animal is a good animal.
Absolutely, a bird in each DLC. Capable of flying if it were ever to be implemented, but as is, just wading/standing/running like the crane.

Secretary Bird would work great for a grasslands/savannah pack.
 
I think that's a little bit too technical, and DLCs don't need to be that strict right.
It's a misconception nevertheless and I doubt Frontier would be willing to fuel misconceptions even if they are DLC titles. There's enough issues with North and South America tags in the game and I think the last thing we need is a DLC title that would confuse players even further. Although if the species in question actually do occur in Central America in addition to the Caribbean or Mexico, then it wouldn't cause any problems. For instance, SA Pack included the red-eyed tree frog, which is predominantly Central American, but has a tiny bit of range in Colombia which technically warrants it being in a SA pack idea. A similar approach can be used here.

They share much of the same wildlife and climate.
What you are referring to is the Neotropical realm. It includes South Florida, southern Mexico and the Caribbean, as well as Central and South America. I wouldn't have a problem with such a DLC idea either, but should have an appropriate name to go with it.

Mexican theme (extravagant Spanish colonial, and traditional)
Again, such a theme can be used for a Central America pack as long as you call it Mayan for instance, instead of Mexican, or make it a generic Spanish colonial theme.

+ Caribbean theme.
South and Central America shares an entire coastline with the Caribbean, so that would easily warrant a theme, but I still think it would go better with an Islands Pack idea, because when you think of the Caribbean it's island living over anything else. 🏝️ With such a Caribbean theme for an Islands Pack, you can even include Bahamian elements, as the Bahamas is considered to be part of the Caribbean, despite not being on the Caribbean Sea.
 
A Caribbean pack then, but i would love those building sets and those animals (specially the ocelot, monkey and coati... and i would kill for a manatee or a sea turtle but i don't see that happening)
 
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