Let's play: Realistic Vs. Exotic

yoav_r

yoav_r
Often the fanbase argues over realistic (common in zoos) choices vs. exotic choices in the roster, for animals which fill similar niches.

Here is a list of realistic vs. exotic, bold the one's you'd choose (I include animals already in the game choose as if you could retroactively make changes):

Bennet's wallaby vs. Yellow-footed rock-wallaby
Eurasian lynx vs. Iberian lynx
Asian small-clawed otter vs. Giant otter
African penguin vs. King penguin
Grey seal vs. Harbor seal
Nile crocodile vs. Saltwater crocodile
Grey langur vs. Proboscis monkey
White rhino vs. Black rhino
Emu vs. Southern cassowary*
Southern lion vs. West african lion
Llama vs. Vicuña
Eurasian brown bear vs. Himalayan brown bear
Greater flamingo vs. Carribean flamingo
Baird's tapir vs. Brazilian tapir

* They don't strictly occupy the same niche but it is clear they competed for a slot in the australian dlc

If you have more suggestion comment and I will add them to the list
 
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NZFanatic

NZFanatic
Bennet's wallaby vs. Yellow-footed rock-wallaby
Eurasian lynx vs. Iberian lynx
Asian small-clawed otter vs. Giant otter
African penguin vs. King penguin
Grey seal vs. Harbor seal
Nile crocodile vs. Saltwater crocodile
Grey langur vs. Proboscis monkey
White rhino vs. Black rhino
Emu vs. Southern cassowary*
Southern lion vs. West african lion

I don't have a preference for the lynxes - Iberian is my go-to but I'm not going to complain if we get the Eurasian. Same goes for the penguins and seals, IMO for the penguins both species are perfectly acceptable and now we have both, so that's a win. The otter is obvious to me - should have been the Asian small-clawed, and hopefully we still get it. In terms of the crocodiles, it's one of those things that depends on where you live/are from. In New Zealand the answer is "neither, give me the American alligator", but we do have one single saltwater crocodile (or two? Can't remember) at a place called Butterfly Creek near Auckland. For Australians I suspect the saltwater crocodile is far more common than the Nile.

With the monkeys, I prefer the proboscis monkey. Mostly because the grey langur doesn't occur in Southeast Asia and is a strictly Indian subcontinent animal (which geographically I think is "south Asia"), but also because I have no objections to certain niche species. The lion also isn't a perfect example - for me at least my issue is with the fact that they specificed the West African population instead of opting for the whole subspecies. If they intended on adding, say, the Asiatic subpopulation separately at some point, I guess it makes more sense, but if they changed it to "northern lion" (P. leo leo) then I'd be happy with that. The southern lion (P. l. melanochaita) is more common in captivity but overall most captive African lions are hybrids between populations and subspecies anyway.
 

Chuditch

Chuditch
Only including the options I have an opinion on:

Bennet's wallaby vs. Yellow-footed rock-wallaby - This is a case of where I really want both species, but do have a slight preference for one over the other if I had to choose. Bennett's is more common worldwide, while the Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby is both more common as a zoo animal for me locally as well as the more interesting choice. Nonetheless, I would be very happy with either.
Asian small-clawed otter vs. Giant otter - I like the Giant Otter, but the small-clawed is just so much more common in captivity as well as the only otter species kept in Australian zoos. We should have the option to have both the largest and smaller otter species in the game.
Nile crocodile vs. Saltwater crocodile - Nile Crocodiles aren't kept in Australia to my knowledge, with the common captive crocodilians being the Saltwater Crocodile, Freshwater Crocodile and American Alligator.
White rhino vs. Black rhino - I don't have too strong an opinion on this, the white rhino is simply more common in captivity.
Emu vs. Southern cassowary - This is a really hard one because both casuariiformes are essential IMO, with the Emu currently being my 3rd most wanted species. However, we've had the cassowary in the game for so long that it wouldn't feel the same without it, and in my original 5 species Australia Pack prediction I also chose the Southern Cassowary over the Emu because it contrasted better with the Red Kangaroo (being a solitary rainforest dweller rather than another gregarious plains species). Again though, I think we really need both.
Southern lion vs. West african lion - Like with the rhinos, I just prefer the more common taxon but don't feel too strongly about it.
Llama vs. Vicuña - Just prefer wild animals, and Vicuña are so cute!

EDIT: Two new options
Greater flamingo vs. Carribean flamingo - I grew up with Australia's last and the world's oldest Greater Flamingo at Adelaide Zoo (creatively given the name "Greater"), who unfortunately finally passed away in 2014 at the ripe old age of at least 83 years. Therefore, I have bias for them in that sense.
Baird's tapir vs. Brazilian tapir - Baird's Tapir isn't kept in Australia while the Brazilian is, and they're just the cooler looking of the two IMO.
 
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peafowl

P
Bennet's wallaby vs. Yellow-footed rock-wallaby
Eurasian lynx vs. Iberian lynx
Asian small-clawed otter vs. Giant otter
African penguin vs. King penguin
Grey seal vs. Harbor seal
Nile crocodile vs. Saltwater crocodile
Grey langur vs. Proboscis monkey
White rhino vs. Black rhino
Emu vs. Southern cassowary
Southern lion vs. West african lion
Llama vs. Vicuña
 

Aramar

Aramar
Bennet's wallaby vs. Yellow-footed rock-wallaby (they look more different than just a smaller kangaroo because of the colours)
Eurasian lynx vs. Iberian lynx (ideally I want both, like the tigers, one from the cold and one from the hot biomes)
Asian small-clawed otter vs. Giant otter (I'm not bothered by the giant otter though)
African penguin vs. King penguin
Grey seal vs. Harbor seal
Nile crocodile vs. Saltwater crocodile (I'm not bothered by the salty though)
Grey langur vs. Proboscis monkey (having some rare animals is good, and this one looks nice with the big nose and swimming abilities)
White rhino vs. Black rhino
Emu vs. Southern cassowary*
Southern lion vs. West african lion (I don't know. Before playing the game, I had no idea about different lion species, to me all were just lions).
Llama vs. Vicuña

NEW: Eurasian brown bear vs Himalayan brown bear (why Frontier, why?! 😭)
 

Doran

Doran
Aramar said:
NEW: Eurasian brown bear vs Himalayan brown bear (why Frontier, why?! 😭)
Click to expand...
Because they are kept in asian zoos. Since frontier from start wanted to make Indian theme and scenario there, HB Bear was interesting choice. It is good they are trying to cater entire world rather than only Europe and US.
 
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Aramar

Aramar
Doran said:
Because they are kept in asian zoos. Since frontier from start wanted to make Indian theme and scenario there, HB Bear was interesting choice. It is good they are trying to cater entire world rather than only Europe and US.
Click to expand...
Cater the entire world other than only Europe... LOL 🤣🤣🤣
 

yoav_r

yoav_r
Doran said:
Because they are kept in asian zoos. Since frontier from start wanted to make Indian theme and scenario there, HB Bear was interesting choice. It is good they are trying to cater entire world rather than only Europe and US.
Click to expand...
My main gripe with the HBB is that it is functunally identical to the Grizzly.

I'd prefer the Syrian or even Gobi BB, so that we could have a grassland/desert bear.
 

KönigDerKaffeebohnen

K
Bennet's wallaby vs. Yellow-footed rock-wallaby
Eurasian Lynx vs. Iberian lynx
Asian small-clawed otter vs. Giant otter (both are good. Asian small clawed is the preferrd small one and the giant is the perfect other otter cause hes so diffrent)
African penguin vs. King penguin (same as above)
Grey seal vs. Harbor seal (no opinion)
Nile crocodile vs. Saltwater crocodile
Grey langur vs. Proboscis monkey (i wont compare them. The grey langur should be in the game, yes, but the probuscis monkey is still a very unique and solid pick.)
White rhino vs. Black rhino (no opinion)
Emu vs. Southern cassowary
Southern Lion vs. West african lion
Kuzco vs. Vicuña
Eurasian Brownbear vs. Himalayan brown bear
Greater Flamingo vs. Carribean flamingo
Baird's tapir vs. Brazillian Tapir (this is unfairly biased, as i just think the brazilian looks cooler lol. In all honesty this is a case were i really want both in the game. They look distinct enough and big herbivores is not really something southamerica, especally the jungles have a ton of)
 
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yoav_r

yoav_r
KönigDerKaffeebohnen said:
Bennet's wallaby vs. Yellow-footed rock-wallaby
Eurasian lynx vs. Iberian lynx
Asian small-clawed otter vs. Giant otter (both are good. Asian small clawed is the preferrd small one and the giant is the perfect other otter cause hes so diffrent)
African penguin vs. King penguin (same as above)
Grey seal vs. Harbor seal (no opinion)
Nile crocodile vs. Saltwater crocodile
Grey langur vs. Proboscis monkey (i wont compare them. The grey langur should be in the game, yes, but the probuscis monkey is still a very unique and solid pick.)
White rhino vs. Black rhino (no opinion)
Emu vs. Southern cassowary
Southern lion vs. West african lion
Llama vs. Vicuña
Eurasian brown bear vs. Himalayan brown bear
Greater flamingo vs. Carribean flamingo
Baird's tapir vs. Brazilian tapir (this is unfairly biased, as i just think the brazilian looks cooler lol. In all honesty this is a case were i really want both in the game. They look distinct enough and big herbivores is not really something southamerica, especally the jungles have a ton of)
Click to expand...
Could you switch to bold? It's hard to see your choices with italics
 

paul78

paul78
Bennet Wallaby
Eurasian Lynx
Giant Otter
African Penguin
Gray Seal
Nile Crocodile
Proboscis Monkey
White Rhino
Emu
Southern Lion
Llama
Eurasian Brown Bear
Caribbean Flamingo
Brazilian Tapir
The black rhino vs white rhino is tough but the white rhino is so impressive and iconic. Same with the southern lion which is usually bigger and more stereotypical in appearance.
 

ElectricMonk

ElectricMonk
Bennet's wallaby vs. Yellow-footed rock-wallaby... Honestly, i'd like both but my main zoo is set in Tasmania, and we have a desert macropod already, so.....
Eurasian lynx vs. Iberian lynx.... Tricky one. I'd go the Iberian because of its endangered status, and because Europe has so few endemic species that it'd be a shame to leave it out.
Asian small-clawed otter vs. Giant otter... Smaller, cuter, more active, more often found in zoos, and I have a little personal experience with their husbandry... no competition.
African penguin vs. King penguin... Whilst I have experience with King penguin husbandry, I find them limiting for realistic builds (feel like i need an indoor habitat).
Grey seal vs. Harbor seal.... Either way really, not bolding either because I'm just glad we have one of them but i don't care which.
Nile crocodile vs. Saltwater crocodile... Bigger, badder and better
Grey langur vs. Proboscis monkey... More common in captivity and more generic.... I like generic when there are relatively few inclusions posible. I just hope we get a few more monkeys in the next DLCs
White rhino vs. Black rhino... More common in captivity, so i choose the white, although I like both. Now that we have one, though, i don't think we need the other.
Emu vs. Southern cassowary*... I can't decide! For my builds the Emu would be more appropriate, but I LOVE the cassowary. I really hope we get the emu at some point.
Southern lion vs. West african lion... Don't really care but Southern just because its a bit t more common in captivity.
Llama vs. Vicuña... Easy choice. I hope they stick with wild species for a Loooooong time before adding more domesticates. If I want to see a Llama I don't go to the zoo, I drive past a farm.
Eurasian brown bear vs. Himalayan brown bear... Does anyone disagree?
Greater flamingo vs. Carribean flamingo... more widespread = more flexibility
Baird's tapir vs. Brazilian tapir.. Either way really, not bolding either (as with the seals) because I'm just glad we have one of them but i don't care which.
 

FoxyDee

FoxyDee
Bennet's wallaby vs. Yellow-footed rock-wallaby
Eurasian lynx vs. Iberian lynx - ultimately I would not mind any of them though
Asian small-clawed otter vs. Giant otter - but still like the inclusion of Giant Otter
African penguin vs. King penguin
Grey seal vs. Harbor seal - eh, whichever is fine by me, looks similar enough
Nile crocodile vs. Saltwater crocodile
Grey langur vs. Proboscis monkey - Dont have a preference here
White rhino vs. Black rhino - I find them simply more impressive and easier to take care of
Emu vs. Southern cassowary - I would like to have both, but the Cassowary stole my heart because its so funny
Southern lion vs. West african lion - I...dont care much, I am fine with the current subspeciesin game.
Llama vs. Vicuña
Eurasian brown bear vs. Himalayan brown bear - Eurasian brown bear is probably more commonly kept, but tbh, I am fine with just Grizzly.
Greater flamingo vs. Carribean flamingo - I wish we had Carribean Flamingos in game! I like their more Tropical colours and I like to build Tropical zoos.
Baird's tapir vs. Brazilian tapir
 

DarthQuell

DarthQuell
Aramar said:
Thanks, now I have the song stuck in my head.

What's his name?
Kuzco, Kuzco, Kuzco...🎶
Click to expand...
I love that movie. To me it's better in Spanish.

Back on topic, though:

  • Bennet's wallaby vs. Yellow-footed rock-wallaby - these are beautiful, I love them
  • Eurasian lynx vs. Iberian lynx - we'd have a more versatile animal
  • Asian small-clawed otter vs. Giant otter - these are amazing. Once you see them in real-life, they are cute. I have more fun watching these in their pool than the ASC otter (but, I'd also want the ASC otter)
  • African penguin vs. King penguin - they got spunk
  • Grey seal vs. Harbor seal - both are great, but I'm only going with the grey because I've seen them in-game
  • Nile crocodile vs. Saltwater crocodile - crocodile rock, Steve Irwin, and a sea dweller
  • Grey langur vs. Proboscis monkey - besides looking like Jimmy Durante, it's very cool that they can swim
  • White rhino vs. Black rhino - like a living tank
  • Emu vs. Southern cassowary - they just have something I love about them. Plus, I've never seen an emu
  • Southern lion vs. West african lion - imma be honest, I didn't know there were so many lion subspecies other than African and Asian, so they're the same to me
  • Llama vs. Vicuña - I feel like Carl Wheezer, but I love llamas
  • Eurasian brown bear vs. Himalayan brown bear - the HBB would be under the EBB anyways, so yeah
  • Greater flamingo vs. Carribean flamingo - I feel that this is the typical flamingo you think of, right? Either way, it's a nice color, unique in zoos, to be honest
  • Baird's tapir vs. Brazilian tapir - this is the nostalgia about ZT2, but also they are huge animals
 
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