Making a custom zoo map that feels like a real setting (Island Town Zoo)

[Jeminyne]

There's a severe lack of maps that feel like a real place a zoo would be built. I find it's way too easy to zoom out just a little too far, and completely take yourself out of it when you see the zoo borders that Frontier designed.

So I saw it as a fun challenge to try making a setting that feels lived-in, existable, and give a fun sense of place for our zoos! I've been transforming the Yamaguchi Prefecture Zoo into this island town.

I'm curious if anyone has tips, advice, or ideas of what they'd like to see in such a map.

The entrance and most of the buildings so far weren't mine from scratch-- the entrance is from the workshop and buildings are from a scenario. The town is meant to look like it could keep going over and behind the hill, creating the illusion that this might not actually be an island (or at least that there's more city nearby.) It's not at all done yet so there's a lot of room for ideas.

 

[markun]

I really like this. I’m struggling with the exisiting maps for the same reasons, as well as overly dramatic backgrounds so I mostly use diorama maps now.

They aren’t ideal but I find it easier.

The other thing that really bothers me is the limitations of the terrain palette but there’s really not much we can do about that.

 

[Marvinb]

Yeah, i totally agree.
There are way to few maps that feel like a real place. And the european temperate farmland one is kinda the only one that doesnt feel like your zoo is in the middle of godamn nowhere due to the fields around you atleast hinting at civilization.

I mean i can kinda see why we dont have a full on city map as that would maybe be more taxing on your computer than the other maps.

 

[NZFanatic]

I mean i can kinda see why we dont have a full on city map as that would maybe be more taxing on your computer than the other maps.

Possibly, but not necessarily. It ought to be possible to create single-piece shell buildings. Make them flexicolour. Then we can just plop them down as needed. Same with certain things like road marking pieces - enough people make carparks and roads now that Frontier ought to give us something related to that.

If we had a selection of say, 4 tall buildings, 4 medium buildings, and 4 houses, we could add to them with our own pieces to make them different from one another or simply plop them together at enough of a distance that it doesn't matter that assets are being reused.

 

[Marvinb]

Possibly, but not necessarily. It ought to be possible to create single-piece shell buildings. Make them flexicolour. Then we can just plop them down as needed. Same with certain things like road marking pieces - enough people make carparks and roads now that Frontier ought to give us something related to that.

If we had a selection of say, 4 tall buildings, 4 medium buildings, and 4 houses, we could add to them with our own pieces to make them different from one another or simply plop them together at enough of a distance that it doesn't matter that assets are being reused.

Yeah.
If you need buidlings, cars and parking lots hit me up, ive build my fair share of those. But they are far from low on pieces lol

 

[Jeminyne]

I mean i can kinda see why we dont have a full on city map as that would maybe be more taxing on your computer than the other maps.

I will say— I have my graphics on ultra, and I haven’t noticed any lagging yet. BUT I do have a pretty good gaming laptop.