Planet Coaster's Future? Planet Zoo!

[ChrisDavid]

Planet Zoo has been announced and is coming in Q4 2019. Another 'Planet' game! Of course I can't wait and no doubt the amazing dev teams will be busy getting this game ready for later this year.

However, I know some of us still prefer rollercoasters to wild animals and will want to see Planet Coaster flow of - not necessarily just new content (like scenery and rides) - but new systems, new gameplay mechanics, an improved engine, better graphics... even Planet Coaster 2? In short, we still want to see what Planet Coaster grow, there really isn't another game like it.

I've opened this thread to talk on the topic of where we see Planet Coaster going. Will we still get Planet Coaster DLC every 3-5 months? Will it continue to grow? Perhaps Planet Zoo will even help better Planet Coaster as a whole with engine improvements? Maybe content will be transferred between the two with DLC scenery packs complimenting each other in such a way? Maybe Planet Coaster 2.0 is the next big thing on the horizon?

So what does everyone else think?

 

[tricktrack]

The last vista in the trailer, that shows the vast landscape of the scenario looks great! I hope that PlanCo will benefit from PlanZo.

 

[LN]

Will we still get Planet Coaster DLC every 3-5 months?

I think yes, looking at ED, which still gets regular updates after a few years.

Will it continue to grow?
.... Perhaps Planet Zoo will even help better Planet Coaster as a whole with engine improvements?

Planco won't benefit a single bit from this. Not from engine improvements, maybe a little bit if it is using the exact same engine. But I don't count on it.

Maybe content will be transferred between the two with DLC scenery packs complimenting each other? I know that any Planet Zoo building assets that can also be brought into Planet Coaster will be great news!

Only if it uses the exact same engine, dimensions etc. So in the end I don't expect it.

 

[007]

I don’t think PlanCo will benefit from this game however based on the screens released for PlanetZoo I think, if this new game is based upon the same game engine etc as PlanCo, that we may see some updates. For me the biggest one is that the screens show weather (rain and snow) in planet zoo... If this is true and it is built on the same systems as planet coaster, we might well see a weather system making its way which for all its one of the items they ruled out, maybe it’s not impossible if the devs have cracked it in this new game. But this is just me speculating...

With them doing this as well, making a new game it’s confirmed that they are making planet coaster a purely theme park sim, not like rct3 that had theme parks, water parks and zoos all in the one game. With this in mind I think we’ll see more of the same in plancos future, meaning more ride DLCs and packs. Like I said above as well, if this new title is made on the same engine or whatever then it might also get updated core game mechanics (weather) or indeed management.

Here’s hoping, but either way there is still plenty of life left in PlanCo yet, still a good future ahead of it.

 

[wowman]

mixed feelings about this. I was hoping something like this would be put in PC. Looks like its a separate game and I'm not sure I want to split my time between them. I will always be wanting what is in one game to be in the other. I may have to stay away from this one as much as I don't want to.

 

[007]

mixed feelings about this. I was hoping something like this would be put in PC. Looks like its a separate game and I'm not sure I want to split my time between them. I will always be wanting what is in one game to be in the other. I may have to stay away from this one as much as I don't want to.

I'm partially on the same boat however what i have come to realise is that if they made a Zoo DLC or expansion for PlanCo, it would be no where near as good as it would be compared to having its own game like Planet Zoo. Additions to games are very limited because they need to match the primary games requirements and also can't clog it up by adding in too much... By making Planet Zoo a new entity of its own, Frontier will be able to make it as good as it can be, far more than it would have been had it become a DLC for Planet Coaster.

 

[ChrisDavid]

I do have some mixed feelings also. About a year or more ago I would have wanted to have a fully integrated experience, with zoos and roller coasters interacting, as part of an expansion to Planet Coaster. Now though I am somewhat happier that it is a separate game for the reasons stated by 007 above. What bothers me the most is the question on the future of Planet Coaster as a result of this new announcement. We have a brand sparkling new 2019 game coming from Frontier, will Planet Coaster get left behind?

 

[007]

I do have some mixed feelings also. About a year or more ago I would have wanted to have a fully integrated experience, with zoos and roller coasters interacting, as part of an expansion to Planet Coaster. Now though I am somewhat happier that it is a separate game. What bothers me the most is the question on the future of Planet Coaster as a result of this new announcement. We have a brand sparkling new 2019 game coming from Frontier, will Planet Coaster get left behind?

Probably not... Elite was out before Planet Coaster and still has new updates and DLCs added regularly, just like Planet Coaster has at the moment. It won't be put to the side, at the most things might slow down but PlanCo is still one of Frontiers most successful games to date with a large player base. From a business sense, they need to keep it going and i believe they will based on the history with Elite

 

[Periocus]

I press my fingers that it will be connectable to Planet Coaster.
There are so many things in the trailer i really would like to have in the Park and vice versa.

 

[Ramm]

Doubt it will connect to Planet Coaster since Planet Coaster is already way over the limit of what the engine can do.

 

[Darthenzar]

I am worried that this could be the beginning of the end for planet coaster updates, DLC... I know there is a history of older games continuing to get updates but honestly with the overall games being very similar I wish it the best but my love is the amusement park and I sure hope they continue to support and add to Planet Coaster.

 

[Kucewiczr]

Planet Zoo looks like a cool game. I sure hope Planet Coaster will still get new content.

 

[TheWetDolphin]

I really don't see Planco DLCs going anywhere, I'm sure the devs would speak up if they were to stop development anytime soon.

In Jurassic World, the pathing system performs much better than in Planco, and there were a few requests to have those pathing upgrades implemented into Planco last year, but it never happened. So I wouldn't expect any upgrades from Planet Zoo to move over to Planet Coaster, as I'm sure they'd have to re-write a lot of code which, financially, wouldn't be worth it.

Excited to see more details of Planet Zoo!

 

[Paul_Crowther]

We’ve supported Planet Coaster with free and premium content since its launch in November 2016 and we’re very proud of how the game has grown and developed over time. Planet Coaster remains an important game to us.

 

[Kucewiczr]

Thanks Paul for confirming that Planet Coaster will continue with new content. Planet Coaster is my favorite game.

 

[Periocus]

So I wouldn't expect any upgrades from Planet Zoo to move over to Planet Coaster, as I'm sure they'd have to re-write a lot of code which, financially, wouldn't be worth it.

Well Planet Coaster is much cheaper now then before and it could generate some extra sales from Zoo Players who see how nice a coaster, boat- or flatride could be in park.
Not so interested in a stand alone Zoo game.
I keep me my fingers crossed. Machines getting updated happen all the time.

 

[spoonetti]

Planet Zoo? Wow! That's fantastic! I hope they will offer PlanZo as Add-On for PlanCo

 

[TheWetDolphin]

Well Planet Coaster is much cheaper now then before and it could generate some extra sales from Zoo Players who see how nice a coaster, boat- or flatride could be in park.
Not so interested in a stand alone Zoo game.
I keep me my fingers crossed. Machines getting updated happen all the time.

We'll have to wait and see I suppose! But looking at it from a business point of view, I don't think Frontier would want to put its resources onto improving a tool that wouldn't make them any money, and that could possibly take up a lot of development time. I think they'd rather stick to DLCs that are successful and a good money maker also You never know, they could surprise us in the future!

 

[danlightbulb]

I would like to see Planet Coaster and Planet Zoo fully integratable. Zoo's and theme parks are integrated in real life all over the world.

I would also like to see any improvements to the pathing or building system in Planet Zoo be retrofitted into Planet Coaster. Because there are still issues with these in Planet Coaster. Why do I still, 2 years down the line, not see a complete set of building parts across all themes or the ability to rotate certain objects in three dimensions. It makes no sense.

 

[K M Butler]

Note Mr Crowther said Planet Coaster is an important game to us. This is not the same as "we're adding more content". Does not exclude content, but mind the difference.