Over time it took shape for me what the ideal zoo game would look like.
First of all, I think that the feeling of the natural environment would be the most important quality that should define the game. Starting from the natural elements, the trees should grow and develop over time, in the temperate zone they should lose their leaves in the fall and new ones appear in the spring, nature should obey a natural cycle so as not to give the feeling of a artificial, static and plasticized environment.
Regarding animals, surely, complex behavior, as close as possible to the natural one, should be essential. And if the environment would reflect the evolution of natural cycles depending on the biome, a habitat should record the interaction of animals with the environment, the grass should gradually disappear from the places where it is walked more often by animals so that they can define visible trails on the ground in naturally.
As for the mechanics of the caretakers' interaction with the animals, this too should be natural. Of course, for this the day-night cycle should have a longer duration in the game, the day being extended for several hours, in order to be able to record all the animal care activities. Animals should be cared for according to different models, depending on the degree of danger they represent.
And last but not least, the visitors should look like normal people and not cartoon characters, interact naturally with the animals and react differently to their behavior, for example if the animals are grouped in a certain area of the habitat to determine the agglomeration of visitors in that area.
I don't know how complex the programming of such a natural environment would be, maybe it would restrict plant diversity, but the source of my vision for such a natural environment in continuous development is the Ostriv game, developed, at the beginning, by a single Ukrainian programmer. It's a city building game that aims to develop and manage a traditional Ukrainian village from the 18th century. The constantly evolving natural environment makes the game feel very natural, which made me hope that one day I'll play a zoo game placed in a similar environment.
What would the ideal zoo game look like for you?
First of all, I think that the feeling of the natural environment would be the most important quality that should define the game. Starting from the natural elements, the trees should grow and develop over time, in the temperate zone they should lose their leaves in the fall and new ones appear in the spring, nature should obey a natural cycle so as not to give the feeling of a artificial, static and plasticized environment.
Regarding animals, surely, complex behavior, as close as possible to the natural one, should be essential. And if the environment would reflect the evolution of natural cycles depending on the biome, a habitat should record the interaction of animals with the environment, the grass should gradually disappear from the places where it is walked more often by animals so that they can define visible trails on the ground in naturally.
As for the mechanics of the caretakers' interaction with the animals, this too should be natural. Of course, for this the day-night cycle should have a longer duration in the game, the day being extended for several hours, in order to be able to record all the animal care activities. Animals should be cared for according to different models, depending on the degree of danger they represent.
And last but not least, the visitors should look like normal people and not cartoon characters, interact naturally with the animals and react differently to their behavior, for example if the animals are grouped in a certain area of the habitat to determine the agglomeration of visitors in that area.
I don't know how complex the programming of such a natural environment would be, maybe it would restrict plant diversity, but the source of my vision for such a natural environment in continuous development is the Ostriv game, developed, at the beginning, by a single Ukrainian programmer. It's a city building game that aims to develop and manage a traditional Ukrainian village from the 18th century. The constantly evolving natural environment makes the game feel very natural, which made me hope that one day I'll play a zoo game placed in a similar environment.
What would the ideal zoo game look like for you?
