I am going to be sad when DLC ends, but I really do not understand people saying anything they can do to PZ2 is something they can do in PZ and there should never be a PZ2.
Firstly, I think there are some things they couldn’t do in PZ that would be improvements for PZ2. But mainly, people want these overhauls done for free as updates to accompany the DLC. No company, no matter how benevolent, is going to give massive overhauls as free updates. Sure, building may be near perfect, but I think that’s about it.
1. Unique animal personalities and traits. Something I thought this game would have upon release, but sadly not every animal was unique. Animals would have different attitudes. Some are shy, others aggressive. Etc.
2. Expand on the unique skin and fur textures already in PZ. Think varied antlers with some being broken. Or an elephant tusk missing. Etc. shaggier fur for one orangutan as opposed to another. This could be for every animal rather than one base game animals per DLC.
3. Greatly expand animal interaction. Not just adding more per species, either. Have more interspecies animation. Gibbons and orangutans playing. A boar chasing off a deer because it got too close. Asian small clawed Otter’s pack aggression towards other animals. They could also add the enrichment items to all suitable species.
4. Guest-animal interaction. This would make a petting zoo more palatable for me(and I’m against it). Tug of war vs lions with 8 guests. Feeding animals. Using a hose. Ambassador animals being carried around the zoo by an educator.
5. A revamp of all base game animals to fit the quality of those in dlc. (This is the big one that people claim should be done for free. It’s a massive undertaking to redo all base game animals.) Orangutan, Lion, etc.
6. Full aviary capability and a roster of 20+ birds.
7. Full marine capability and a roster of 20+ full aquatics.
8. Exhibit overhaul with varied sizes and actual movement and creative capabilities.
9. Improvements to the base game engine so that one can build a full size zoo. Right now most can only build about 50-60% of the zoos they love before lag makes the game unplayable.
10. Improved pathing system.
11. More meaningful management and keeper interaction.
12. Complete climbing system overhaul for more fluid movement making monkeys a more realistic addition to the game.
If PZ2 has even 5 of these improvements, I’ll pay the money all over again. Frontier is in a financial pit hole and a small dribble of 10 bucks every 3 months from the shrunken (and loyal, committed) player base isn’t going to cut it. They’ll clearly make more off of a $45-60 release of an incredible base game to a new, invigorated audience.
I would love if they added any and all of the above in free updates, but I’m not going to expect frontier should redo all of it without compensation, and some of the above are not fully possible with the current game.