PLEASE don't rule out smaller habitat animals

[Jeminyne]

Frontier, I know you already get pestered every day by our requests for aquatic animals and aviary birds! But since this issue is less focused on, I though it would be worth while to make a thread specifically about it.

I re-read an article that implied smaller habitat animals (meerkats, platypus, etc) were left out of the base game for a reason.

"We were making a management simulation that would often be played from an elevated point of view,” Jackson explains, “and in these situations, larger animals obviously have a far greater visual impact and so become easier to manage.”

"The ultra-customizable habitat system was designed, it seems, around the modelled behavior of large animals. Indeed, according to Bauwens, one of the most time-consuming animation issues was making foot-planting look right in large animals, no matter the gradient they were walking on. Given that, it’s easy to figure that trying to populate habitats with meerkat-sized creatures would require a lot of reworking."

These seem to be over-simplified statements, given that we have ring-tailed lemurs in game. Meerkats are about 25-35 cm, and ring-tailed lemurs are about 39-46 cm, not much larger. And platypi are actually the largest of the three, maxing out at about 50 cm. So it's not likely these animals would be left out due to size.

But I'd still like to stress how great it is to have smaller animals to make the zoo more dynamic, and fill the gaps between larger habitats. I think animals like the nile moniter should also have smaller habitat size requirements. It's not bad now, but think of the possibilities! With construction pieces, and animals' ability to walk on them, we can make customized "terrariums" that look like the exhibit boxes but bigger. The main challenge is just attaching a keeper gate and still having it look good. I love using the lemurs, pangolins, and Nile monitors due to their small size.

So I hope we can still get smaller habitat animals! My wishlist would definitely be meerkats, penguins, platypus, fennec fox, marmoset or tamarin, and some smaller reptiles and ground birds too. (PS: small bats as exhibit animals would be wonderful!)

Thanks for reading!

 

[FoxyDee]

I can only agree 100%. Real life zoos have mostly the smaller species and the whole zoo looks so much more realistic if between the big habitats you also have some small enclosures. All the species you mentioned would be awesome (I love fennec foxes). Would also like to see kiwi birds, echidnas, ocelots.. so much possibilities.

And YES to bats.

 

[Iben]

Don't read too much into that article. Half of it is the interpretations of the interviewer mixed as if it is facts. Re-read the part of the meerkats for instance. It's what the interviewer thinks, but nowhere is it confirmed at all that that is Frontiers stance on it.

It's a bad article you shouldn't read too much into if you ask me.

 

[NL_Mutso]

I don't read reviews from "official" game reviewing companies but Rockpapershotgun is well known for poor reporting. (i was told the TMZ of gamereviewers)

I've heard countless stories of false info from their reviews or previews. It's just as reliable as a random tweet
I think Iben is right on this one, it's what the interviewer thinks.

 

[Aramar]

More small habitat animals would be a grat addition to the game. My wishes: meerkats, fennec foxes, armadillos, raccoons, alpine marmots, pine martens and porcupines. Prairie dogs would be cool, but they might be too small. I don't know if an Artic fox would need a small or large habitat, so maybe it could also fit this category.

 

[FoxyDee]

Oh and tasmanian devils! Not the smallest ones, but I would still consider them small.

 

[jcp011c]

I know I'm biased because they're my most wanted animal, but Meerkats especially are very much a staple of zoos. I can't imagine the game ending without them being in. And that' just one example. I'm all for additional smaller animals. But lemurs are also small animals and they made it in, so there is hope.

I'd also add badgers to the existing suggestions already made. American, European, Hog nosed, Honey....bring them on. I think the honey badger isn't that small though?

 

[Bearcat9948]

I think there's a difference between small-medium animals (like previously meerkats, badgers and Tasmanian devils) and small animals (like most bat species, marmosets, mole rats).

I think any small-medium animals would almost assuredly be regular habitat animals. I mean badgers and devils are all bigger than the capuchins we have, and as someone mentioned meerkats are around the same size.

My personal guess is that truly small mammals and maybe certain species of birds, if added, would use a hybrid system in between the current habitat system and the current exhibit system. Their "enclosures" would have to have certain specific dimensions, but could be variable in size between, let's say 3 different sizes and shapes. Animations and behaviors would be roughly as detailed as behaviors displayed by full habitat animals, but would be looped and also have a variability function. So every behavior wouldn't just happen in a circle like 1-2-3-4, but could instead be 1-4-2-3-4-2-1, if that makes sense. I would expect the customizability in these to be much more detailed/in-depth than the current exhibits we have. So the animals would have certain objects they always interact with, that can be included or not included up to the player, but we can also put other things in such as rocks and foliage. I feel like this would be the best possible system to do this under. As far as what animals might use this I would venture to say:

• Bats
• Marmosets
• Sugar gliders
• Pottos
• Slow Loris
• Bushbabies
• Squirrels
• Platypus
• Shrews or tree shrews
• Moles
• Possums (The smaller Australian variety, I don't see the NA opossum being added)

Not saying we'd get all of these by the way, that's just a list I would expect them to choose some from. I would say marmosets, bushbabies, slow loris and possums would be the most likely.

 

[jcp011c]

I agree, "small small" animals for lack of a better word, would be fine in modified exhibits. I might think the platypus could be a habitat animal but otherwise I agree with your list. Any time seen any of these in zoos they've been in exhibits of some type - except squirrels since they're kind of free running in most zoos I've been to and not really a zoo kept animal, if that makes sense.

 

[Bearcat9948]

I agree, "small small" animals for lack of a better word, would be fine in modified exhibits. I might think the platypus could be a habitat animal but otherwise I agree with your list. Any time seen any of these in zoos they've been in exhibits of some type - except squirrels since they're kind of free running in most zoos I've been to and not really a zoo kept animal, if that makes sense.

I get why you'd want a platypus to be a habitat animal, from what I understand they need a lot of space even in captivity. But the fact that they're so small, even though Frontier likes to be as ethical and conservation friendly as possible, I think for the sake of gameplay they would have to be included in something more similar to what I described.

Also as far as squirrels go, I get what you mean to a degree. While I personally wouldn't care for a common red or gray squirrel species, something like an African giant squirrel or preferably one of the Asian giant squirrels, would be pretty cool. I've seen the Indian giant squirrel a number of times at different zoos, and their size and coloration would be justifiable enough to include them in the game imo.

 

[jcp011c]

I get why you'd want a platypus to be a habitat animal, from what I understand they need a lot of space even in captivity. But the fact that they're so small, even though Frontier likes to be as ethical and conservation friendly as possible, I think for the sake of gameplay they would have to be included in something more similar to what I described.

Also as far as squirrels go, I get what you mean to a degree. While I personally wouldn't care for a common red or gray squirrel species, something like an African giant squirrel or preferably one of the Asian giant squirrels, would be pretty cool. I've seen the Indian giant squirrel a number of times at different zoos, and their size and coloration would be justifiable enough to include them in the game imo. Here's a picture of the Indian species for reference:

*Deleted your the image just to save on screen scrolling *

the questions you mention make more sense. I was definitely thinking about common squirrels, something like the giant squirrel would be neat. I do see your point about the platypus and coding and gameplay. I'm still going to hope that "if" we get them, they'll be habitat animals, but either would be alright.

So long as they don't the meerkats a disservice.

 

[hudsonbear]

I would also like to see more small animals. They always featurel in my zoos as I love designing the smaller habitats, and they're great for filling in gaps between large enclosures.

 

[nutrit]

I wish we can combine exibits to make them bigger and I would love to see some small mammals and fish in the exibits.


SMALL EXIBIT RODENTS

Chinese flying squirell
Oriental giant squirell
European hare
Luzon giant cloud rat

Cape squirell
Spring hare
African crested rat
African brush-tailed porcupine

 

[Jeminyne]

I get why you'd want a platypus to be a habitat animal, from what I understand they need a lot of space even in captivity. But the fact that they're so small, even though Frontier likes to be as ethical and conservation friendly as possible, I think for the sake of gameplay they would have to be included in something more similar to what I described.

Also as far as squirrels go, I get what you mean to a degree. While I personally wouldn't care for a common red or gray squirrel species, something like an African giant squirrel or preferably one of the Asian giant squirrels, would be pretty cool. I've seen the Indian giant squirrel a number of times at different zoos, and their size and coloration would be justifiable enough to include them in the game imo.

Totally agree with your points here! (Specifically a smaller housing form for the really small mammals, like bats and marmosets. They really would work with aviaries, depending on how they'd make aviaries work.) Though keep in mind platypi are actually larger than ring-tailed lemurs and meerkats, so they could go either way. Oh, and totally on board with you all on the squirrel thing! I especially love Indian giant squirrels and Chinese flying giant squirrels