I really love JW:E and I can see it was made with a lot of passion and love for the JP franchise, and it's amazing what Frontier did in such short time. During my playthrough however, I found a few things that could be improved/changed, keeping in mind what is actually doable and what could be achieved with some patches/updates/DLC's, and not a complete overhaul of the game's engine. I played Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis so some ideas are lifted from there (well, duh! like most of the stuff in JW:E, but I digress). Let me begin.
Jurassic Park theme for the entire park
Right now we already have the amazingly recreated 1993 Jeep skin making it look identical to the ones in the first JP film. But with all the references to the first film I really miss being able to change the skins/models of all key buildings in the park. You know, right now we have this modern, silver and blue aesthetic. Why not have the buildings look retro like in the film, or even just change some of the colour patterns to match the Jeep skin! I think it would be an amazing idea, especially for Isla Nublar!
Flying and swimming reptiles
Basically pterosaurs and plesiosaurs. Think back to JP3 and the awesome aviary scene. Think to JW (ugh, can't believe I said that!) and remember the aquarium/water world with Mosasaurus. Pterosaurs were always a part of JP series, even back in TLW:JP, so why not include them here? I know, that would be a crazy idea to add one more huge building as the aviary or aquarium but if we could get some bigger islands/island customisation that could be possible. Additionally (nothing necessary, just an idea), you could allow us to see the aviary/aquarium from the inside! Like the first person Jeeps/gyrospheres. Experiencing it would be cool, albeit not mandatory.
Island customisation
The previous point connects to this one. JP: OG had a simplistic editor for our island, but still - it was a feature. In JW:E there's nothing like that. I know that Las Cincos Muertes + Isla Nublar are a cool idea - 6 different islands with 6 different challenges and approaches - but having an editor would be fantastic. Why? Because even on Nublar there's very little space! And if we could get some new attractions/dinosaurs we should be allowed to have even more space for them! Even on Nublar I cannot build my dream park as I can't fit all the dinosaurs.
More attractions and amenities for the guests
In JP: OG we had so many attractions! Balloon flights over the island, Jeep safari rides in the red-yellow-green Jeeps from the original film, viewing vents, and of course viewing domes, galleries and platforms. Here we only have 3 attractions: the gyrospheres which I guess replaced the Jeep rides, the galleries and the platforms. I guess the monorail is kinda like replacing the balloon fly-overs, but not quite.
The point is, that 3 attractions seem too little for such a grand idea as an amusement park with DINOSAURS.
Also JP: OG had so many amenities for the guests! Toilets, trash cans (in JW:E they appear only on fancy wide paths just as a decoration), benches to sit on, fountains to relax by, and - Oh, a shocker! UMBRELLAS! Yep, in JW:E all the guests have to get soaked in the rain, while in JP: OG you just had to research umbrellas and that was it, most guests bought them and were more satisfied that way. Speaking of which...
In-depth guest satisfaction and thoughts (JP: OG style)
Back in JP: OG we could click on any guest we wished and see some of his/her thoughts on the park and satisfaction levels. Unfortunately we can't do that here... It's a real shame, because that really did play a huge part in your park's performance and rating. Now you only have to have a lot of hotels, a monorail for these lazy schmucks and something to quench their "food", "drink", "fun", and "shopping" needs. In JP: OG we could see if someone liked the park and if not, why exactly. And sometimes even when the park was perfectly laid out we could still find someone complaining - just like in real life. We could also see what they like. If they came to the park for thrills, to analyse and contemplate nature, or just to have some casual fun, taking selfies (yeah I know back then there were no selfies in JP: OG but you get the drill).
Add kids to the park!
As much as I don't really like kids, it's weird to see that there are only adults visiting the park. I do appreciate the fact that there are different people visitng including scientists and what looks like military men? But still, I'd love to see some kids! There's a toy shop in our park for crying out loud! It would basically add to the realism.
Guests can litter the park, can get tired etc.
As mentioned before we could add benches, fountains, trash cans and other stuff to the paths. And if you add them make them not only decorations but also interactive objects. In JP: OG the guests could leave their trash all over your park and you had to build cleaning stations and hire cleaners to clean the place up. In JW:E the park is always impeccable no matter what... Also they don't get tired. We get less rating points if there is no monorail system for them to use, but there's nothing like tired visitors wanting to sit down.
Pack hunting for small predators
Okay so I'm not gonna be the first one to admit: we want pack hunting for small predators. Why are fights and hunting always limited to 1V1 skirmishes? Wouldn't it be cool and accurate to see a pack of Velociraptors attack a hadrosaur or ceratops?
More natural behaviour for carnivores and herbivores
What I mean by this is that herbivores do graze in their spare time but it's just an animation and nothing more. We need a status "grazing" for them! It needs to decrease their hunger as well. Maybe not significantly (that would defeat the purpose of feeders) but by a small amound at least. The same goes for big herbivores, they should be eating leaves off local trees.
With carnivores the situation is slightly different. They are extremely violent even if their genome is 100% natural and not fiddled with. I guess that's ok but if you wish to have one gigantic enclosure where the dinosaurs run free it starts posing problems. The carnivores start killing just for the sake of it, even when not hungry. And there are no scavengers! I think that if a pack of Raptors would encounter a carcass of a dino it would readily eat some meat from it - because they're not wasting any precious energy that way. Now when a dinosaur is killed, it can feed only 1 carnivore and that's it. The carrion is then left to rot and spread diseases. Instead it could serve - I don't know - maybe 3 more carnivores (especially small ones), as meal. That would be more realistic and would make it easier to house herbivores and carnivores together. Look at lions - they don't always hunt, sometimes there's just no need for that. And carnivores in game should be like that. Not killing machines all the time but sometimes calming down.
Sleeping dinos
And speaking of "calming down", how about sleeping dinosaurs? In JP: OG there were a total of 12 different statuses for each dino including sleeping, defecating and even flocking! Ill dinos also went comatose sometimes! Here we have only a handful of very simple interactions and some cool animations for them and they don't sleep at all! I know, you decided to go with permanent-time-of-day solution but everyone needs some sleep! It could be a nice idea to add a day and night cycle option to the sandbox settings on Isla Nublar.
Fish, eggs, and other diets
Ok so I get it, neither here, nor in JP: OG were there more than just two diet types for the dinos. But come on! This is the next generation JP game! Make Baryonyx eat fish that it finds in the water! Add an Oviraptor and make it steal some bird eggs! Or even add this feature to Gallimimus, Struthiomimus and Archeornithomimus! Make some slight changes to the dino diets! And again - not as a full replacement for the feeders but a variety of sources for the dinos to gain nutrients from. Just like the grazing herbivores mentioned earlier! You know, there were dinosaurs which were omnivorous.
Additional functionality for the division visitor centers
First off I think that the science and security divisions got screwed when choosing the designs for their respective visitor centers they look almost like an fossil/research center/ranger station! Not nearly as impressive as entertainment center. But that aside - why do these centers only stand there, generate money and look pretty? They fill so much space (especially the entertainment one) and for just a financial bonus which is completely unnecessary as you quickly start gaining millions on every island in no-time! Give them some additional functionality! Make them interactable! Maybe even allow us to see what's inside?
My idea for a simple solution to this is:
-entertainment center = inGen database access
-science center = genetic library access
-security center = more in-depth ranger/ACU scheduling screen
Or something else, ANYTHING. Make the database more in-depth so that this idea would work better or figure something for those buildings.
Give access to genetic library through the control room or other menus
Right now we can only access the library via Hammond Creation Labs. And initially it's fine, but when you have to juggle between different funcions in a hurry it's getting annoying. Also it's weird that I have to scroll the entire map to find a HCL to click on and then I can see how much genome of each dino I have and what mods I installed. Geez.
More functionality for the ACU copter
So the ranger Jeeps do all the work and the ACU helicopters are only used for tranquilising dinosaurs... Well... In JP: OG it did everything so I guess it's fair... somehow.... I mean, why not divide the functions of security between the rangers and the ACU? Right now the ACU does ONE thing!
Jurassic Safari here I come!
With the behavioural tweaks I think it would be way easier to create a so-called "Jurassic Safari" with one humongous enclosure housing all your dinosaurs running wild with only gyrospheres and maybe Jeeps driving among them. It's an amazing concept which I managed to fulfil in JP: OG as the dinos had more statuses and were more peaceful most of the time when idle. The only thing that I didn't like was the fact that there was a limit of 60 dinosaurs in the park and even the custom islands were very small.
As you can see all of my ideas for improvements for QOL and additional stuff making the game better are not unrealistic. They all connect to each other and make sense, by also remembering how hard programming games actually is.
What do you think?
Jurassic Park theme for the entire park
Right now we already have the amazingly recreated 1993 Jeep skin making it look identical to the ones in the first JP film. But with all the references to the first film I really miss being able to change the skins/models of all key buildings in the park. You know, right now we have this modern, silver and blue aesthetic. Why not have the buildings look retro like in the film, or even just change some of the colour patterns to match the Jeep skin! I think it would be an amazing idea, especially for Isla Nublar!
Flying and swimming reptiles
Basically pterosaurs and plesiosaurs. Think back to JP3 and the awesome aviary scene. Think to JW (ugh, can't believe I said that!) and remember the aquarium/water world with Mosasaurus. Pterosaurs were always a part of JP series, even back in TLW:JP, so why not include them here? I know, that would be a crazy idea to add one more huge building as the aviary or aquarium but if we could get some bigger islands/island customisation that could be possible. Additionally (nothing necessary, just an idea), you could allow us to see the aviary/aquarium from the inside! Like the first person Jeeps/gyrospheres. Experiencing it would be cool, albeit not mandatory.
Island customisation
The previous point connects to this one. JP: OG had a simplistic editor for our island, but still - it was a feature. In JW:E there's nothing like that. I know that Las Cincos Muertes + Isla Nublar are a cool idea - 6 different islands with 6 different challenges and approaches - but having an editor would be fantastic. Why? Because even on Nublar there's very little space! And if we could get some new attractions/dinosaurs we should be allowed to have even more space for them! Even on Nublar I cannot build my dream park as I can't fit all the dinosaurs.
More attractions and amenities for the guests
In JP: OG we had so many attractions! Balloon flights over the island, Jeep safari rides in the red-yellow-green Jeeps from the original film, viewing vents, and of course viewing domes, galleries and platforms. Here we only have 3 attractions: the gyrospheres which I guess replaced the Jeep rides, the galleries and the platforms. I guess the monorail is kinda like replacing the balloon fly-overs, but not quite.
The point is, that 3 attractions seem too little for such a grand idea as an amusement park with DINOSAURS.
Also JP: OG had so many amenities for the guests! Toilets, trash cans (in JW:E they appear only on fancy wide paths just as a decoration), benches to sit on, fountains to relax by, and - Oh, a shocker! UMBRELLAS! Yep, in JW:E all the guests have to get soaked in the rain, while in JP: OG you just had to research umbrellas and that was it, most guests bought them and were more satisfied that way. Speaking of which...
In-depth guest satisfaction and thoughts (JP: OG style)
Back in JP: OG we could click on any guest we wished and see some of his/her thoughts on the park and satisfaction levels. Unfortunately we can't do that here... It's a real shame, because that really did play a huge part in your park's performance and rating. Now you only have to have a lot of hotels, a monorail for these lazy schmucks and something to quench their "food", "drink", "fun", and "shopping" needs. In JP: OG we could see if someone liked the park and if not, why exactly. And sometimes even when the park was perfectly laid out we could still find someone complaining - just like in real life. We could also see what they like. If they came to the park for thrills, to analyse and contemplate nature, or just to have some casual fun, taking selfies (yeah I know back then there were no selfies in JP: OG but you get the drill).
Add kids to the park!
As much as I don't really like kids, it's weird to see that there are only adults visiting the park. I do appreciate the fact that there are different people visitng including scientists and what looks like military men? But still, I'd love to see some kids! There's a toy shop in our park for crying out loud! It would basically add to the realism.
Guests can litter the park, can get tired etc.
As mentioned before we could add benches, fountains, trash cans and other stuff to the paths. And if you add them make them not only decorations but also interactive objects. In JP: OG the guests could leave their trash all over your park and you had to build cleaning stations and hire cleaners to clean the place up. In JW:E the park is always impeccable no matter what... Also they don't get tired. We get less rating points if there is no monorail system for them to use, but there's nothing like tired visitors wanting to sit down.
Pack hunting for small predators
Okay so I'm not gonna be the first one to admit: we want pack hunting for small predators. Why are fights and hunting always limited to 1V1 skirmishes? Wouldn't it be cool and accurate to see a pack of Velociraptors attack a hadrosaur or ceratops?
More natural behaviour for carnivores and herbivores
What I mean by this is that herbivores do graze in their spare time but it's just an animation and nothing more. We need a status "grazing" for them! It needs to decrease their hunger as well. Maybe not significantly (that would defeat the purpose of feeders) but by a small amound at least. The same goes for big herbivores, they should be eating leaves off local trees.
With carnivores the situation is slightly different. They are extremely violent even if their genome is 100% natural and not fiddled with. I guess that's ok but if you wish to have one gigantic enclosure where the dinosaurs run free it starts posing problems. The carnivores start killing just for the sake of it, even when not hungry. And there are no scavengers! I think that if a pack of Raptors would encounter a carcass of a dino it would readily eat some meat from it - because they're not wasting any precious energy that way. Now when a dinosaur is killed, it can feed only 1 carnivore and that's it. The carrion is then left to rot and spread diseases. Instead it could serve - I don't know - maybe 3 more carnivores (especially small ones), as meal. That would be more realistic and would make it easier to house herbivores and carnivores together. Look at lions - they don't always hunt, sometimes there's just no need for that. And carnivores in game should be like that. Not killing machines all the time but sometimes calming down.
Sleeping dinos
And speaking of "calming down", how about sleeping dinosaurs? In JP: OG there were a total of 12 different statuses for each dino including sleeping, defecating and even flocking! Ill dinos also went comatose sometimes! Here we have only a handful of very simple interactions and some cool animations for them and they don't sleep at all! I know, you decided to go with permanent-time-of-day solution but everyone needs some sleep! It could be a nice idea to add a day and night cycle option to the sandbox settings on Isla Nublar.
Fish, eggs, and other diets
Ok so I get it, neither here, nor in JP: OG were there more than just two diet types for the dinos. But come on! This is the next generation JP game! Make Baryonyx eat fish that it finds in the water! Add an Oviraptor and make it steal some bird eggs! Or even add this feature to Gallimimus, Struthiomimus and Archeornithomimus! Make some slight changes to the dino diets! And again - not as a full replacement for the feeders but a variety of sources for the dinos to gain nutrients from. Just like the grazing herbivores mentioned earlier! You know, there were dinosaurs which were omnivorous.
Additional functionality for the division visitor centers
First off I think that the science and security divisions got screwed when choosing the designs for their respective visitor centers they look almost like an fossil/research center/ranger station! Not nearly as impressive as entertainment center. But that aside - why do these centers only stand there, generate money and look pretty? They fill so much space (especially the entertainment one) and for just a financial bonus which is completely unnecessary as you quickly start gaining millions on every island in no-time! Give them some additional functionality! Make them interactable! Maybe even allow us to see what's inside?
My idea for a simple solution to this is:
-entertainment center = inGen database access
-science center = genetic library access
-security center = more in-depth ranger/ACU scheduling screen
Or something else, ANYTHING. Make the database more in-depth so that this idea would work better or figure something for those buildings.
Give access to genetic library through the control room or other menus
Right now we can only access the library via Hammond Creation Labs. And initially it's fine, but when you have to juggle between different funcions in a hurry it's getting annoying. Also it's weird that I have to scroll the entire map to find a HCL to click on and then I can see how much genome of each dino I have and what mods I installed. Geez.
More functionality for the ACU copter
So the ranger Jeeps do all the work and the ACU helicopters are only used for tranquilising dinosaurs... Well... In JP: OG it did everything so I guess it's fair... somehow.... I mean, why not divide the functions of security between the rangers and the ACU? Right now the ACU does ONE thing!
Jurassic Safari here I come!
With the behavioural tweaks I think it would be way easier to create a so-called "Jurassic Safari" with one humongous enclosure housing all your dinosaurs running wild with only gyrospheres and maybe Jeeps driving among them. It's an amazing concept which I managed to fulfil in JP: OG as the dinos had more statuses and were more peaceful most of the time when idle. The only thing that I didn't like was the fact that there was a limit of 60 dinosaurs in the park and even the custom islands were very small.
As you can see all of my ideas for improvements for QOL and additional stuff making the game better are not unrealistic. They all connect to each other and make sense, by also remembering how hard programming games actually is.
What do you think?
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