Preparing for the 2024 Habitat Animal Meta Wishlist...

[SuzieSky]

I'm going to open the 2024 Habitat Animal Meta Wishlist soon, but before I do, are there any suggestions, concerns, or feedback that I should consider?

For example:

• Should fully aquatic animals be allowed?
• How small can habitat animals be?
• Are there any problems with the structure?
• Are the groupings of the general list appropriate?
• What else should be done differently?
• Is everything good to go?

Thanks to everyone who has been participating!

 

[Fallax]

I don't think fully aquatic animals should be allowed, it would require a new system in game so it doesn't make much sense to include them alongside regular habitat animals.

As for "how small can habitat animals be", it's going to be quite subjective but if I had to put a number to it I would say ~500g for mammals and birds or ~5kg for reptiles seems reasonable.

 

[TheDuckKnight]

Since there are no mechanics for fully aquatic animals, I do not think they should be allowed.
But besides that, you're doing a great job, @SuzieSky !

 

[DarthQuell]

I wouldn't allow fully aquatics because there's no way to know how they'd work.

Habitat animals? Well, I'd say anything the size of the in-game prairie dogs and meerkats should be the smallest allowed size. For reptiles, roughly the size of the dwarf caiman and monitor lizards.

I think that having them grouped was fine.

Keep it up, Suzie. I can't wait. I'm also debating if we should do a 2024 Exhibits Meta-wishlist, to update the last one that hasn't had any news since the Arid pack, I believe

 

[TheDuckKnight]

I'm also debating if we should do a 2024 Exhibits Meta-wishlist, to update the last one that hasn't had any news since the Arid pack, I believe

Might be a hot take, but if we do have a Exhibits Meta-Wishlist, flying birds should be allowed.
We know flight is capable in-game via the WE, so let the people vote bird, I say.

 

[DarthQuell]

Might be a hot take, but if we do have a Exhibits Meta-Wishlist, flying birds should be allowed.
We know flight is capable in-game via the WE, so let the people vote bird, I say.

I was debating that, too.

I mean, I can, but that's also partly what your wishlist is about. However, we know it's possible, so if Frontier reads the new list and they see that birds are in high demand for WEs, then maybe it'll inspire them to add them (although they probably already know)...


Hmm, if I make a new list, I will probably add birds. Of course, that means that we will barely see anything other than birds

 

[Captain Callum]

I agree that fully aquatic animals should not be allowed because we have no way of knowing if such features will ever be implemented into the game. Sure it shows show many want marine mammals, fish and whatever but its a wasted vote if there is no mechanic to house these animals. But then I know I was kinda pushing for the idea for all habitat animals to be included to give a better idea of how important marine animals are to the community. I'd say whatever the popular opinion is, I can't imagine many of us voting for dolphins and orcas anyway.
Also maybe a tiny bit controversial but I believe any animal down to the size of a guinea pig is suitable for habitats. Baby meerkats and prairie dogs work fine, they move way faster than a sloth. Anything else, i don't have too much of an opinion on.

 

[Antimony96]

I'm going to open the 2024 Habitat Animal Meta Wishlist soon, but before I do, are there any suggestions, concerns, or feedback that I should consider?

For example:

• Should fully aquatic animals be allowed?

No. Far too big of a can of worms to open so late in development. Aquarium fish in exhibit boxes are semi-plausible but manatees and dolphins and sea turtles are not.

• How small can habitat animals be?

500g or 30cm lower limit for mammals and birds. For reptiles, something like a 30cm minimum for chelonians and a 1m minimum for other reptiles.

• Are there any problems with the structure?
• Are the groupings of the general list appropriate?
• What else should be done differently?
• Is everything good to go?

No strong opinions on these, other than my preference for the traditional counting system rather than the points system.

 

[nutrit]

What about manatees?

 

[Fallax]

What about manatees?

What makes manatees any more plausible than other fully aquatics? I've never understood why it gets a free pass compared to everything else.

 

[nutrit]

Maybe the fact that they are kept and bred widely by many major and respected zoo institutions and they do well in captivity?
New list without manatee would not be complete at this point in my opinion and I really want Frontier to know how much they are needed and requested. That’s all.

 

[Captain Callum]

If we include manatees, there is no reason to not include turtles, stingrays, sharks, large fish and basically any other fully aquatic animal that does well in captivity. The basis of saying to no fully aquatic animals is based on no existing mechanic to even believe fully aquatic animals are possible.

 

[nutrit]

Not so long ago nobody believed that Gibbon mechanics would ever be possible so why restrict ourselves now?

The reason why the original meta wishlist is so poor with birds it’s not the fact that people didn’t wanted them but many thought that they are not possible or are not even allowed.

Just saying

 

[SuzieSky]

My general concern over aquatic animals is multifaceted.

1. I don't want to incorrectly influence wishlist votes. This is my main reason to keep them.
2. There is a word count limit to posts, and fully aquatic animals open a separate can of worms that a handful of people utilize. The manatee is the only real exception.
3. At this point, fully aquatics seem like they would only have a chance in a sequel. I'm not sure they are as relevant. However, their chance of inclusion is non-0.
4. Very few people vote for fully aquatic animals, aside from the manatee. Many people have expressed a desire for fish, though. I feel like the demand for aquatic animals is not accurately represented on the wishlist either way. This is my personal main reason to remove them.
5. There is a separate wishlist for aquatic animals and plenty of demand elsewhere on the forum that is unlikely to be missed.
6. There seemed to be a lot of debate about aquatic animals and their relevance to this list. The general consensus seemed to be that they should be removed for consistency, given that there is no mechanic for birds either. Modders have shown that the jump to aquatics is much shorter, but I understand the argument.
7. Some people seem to care about this topic, and I didn't feel comfortable making a unilateral decision with no input. See #1 and #4.

Manatees are awesome, by the way, and I think they would work well.

 

[Marvinb]

Honestly if flying birds arent allowed on the list because game mechanics dont allow for them right now, the manatee and other fully aquatic animals have no right to be allowed either imo.
Banning one group for reason x but allowing another group even though they face the same issue is just hypocrisy imo.

 

[Marvinb]

1. There seemed to be a lot of debate about aquatic animals and their relevance to this list. The general consensus seemed to be that they should be removed for consistency, given that there is no mechanic for birds either. Modders have shown that the jump to aquatics is much shorter, but I understand the argument.

The modded fully aquatics arent fully aquatic at all honestly. They need land just as much as every other animal.
If modders are able to make the flaming do their long, flappy jump as their primary mode of locomotion were much closer to flying birds than fully aquatics imo (No idea if thats possible, although i dont see a reason why)

 

[ElectricMonk]

I say let people vote for whatever they want…. If someone wants a unicorn they should feel free. In the end things that aren’t possible don’t really matter and probably won’t get many votes anyway.

 

[nutrit]

I say let people vote for whatever they want…. If someone wants a unicorn they should feel free. In the end things that aren’t possible don’t really matter and probably won’t get many votes anyway.

My idea exactly
I don’t understand why we should exclude anybody.

Most of the animals I really want are mammals but I also want manatee and toucan and those are my number ones. Why should I be forced to leave them behind?

I think it’s actually very good insight if Frontier would see how popular macaws are for example and I’m sure they would end up in top ten.

Or maybe we should create separate type of votes just for flying birds or aquatics and put them all as a whole category vote, just to show how much the whole group is desired. What do you think?

Also I think that either way manatees are so different from any aquatic animals that they should have their own vote just as in goats mega wishlist.

 

[Marvinb]

My idea exactly
I don’t understand why we should exclude anybody.

Most of the animals I really want are mammals but I also want manatee and toucan and those are my number ones. Why should I be forced to leave them behind?

I think it’s actually very good insight if Frontier would see how popular macaws are for example and I’m sure they would end up in top ten.

Or maybe we should create separate type of votes just for flying birds or aquatics and put them all as a whole category vote, just to show how much the whole group is desired. What do you think?

Also I think that either way manatees are so different from any aquatic animals that they should have their own vote just as in goats mega wishlist.

Id be fine with allowing manatee on the list, but only if we allow everything else aswell.
Would make zero sense otherwise

 

[YesIndeed]

I don't think we should allow things like fully aquatics, cryptids and stuff. I feel like it's better to keep this qishlist within what is expected for the game. If someone else wants to make an anything goes wishlist that'd be cool.