Rating the Wetlands DLC - pre release

Danube Crested Newt: 3/5 I'm glad we got another semiaquatic exhibit animal, that's really all I have to say. I mean, They're basically objects so I struggle to care too much about them, but I can't be upset about this choice.

Spectacled Caiman: 3/5 We definitely needed another crocodilian tbh, all the other ones are either very large species or... the dwarf caiman. Some people have complained we don't need two caiman, but the dwarf caiman is such a weird crocodilian, being primarily terrestrial and just absolutely tiny, that I cannot be upset we got a caiman. ...That said, the reason it only gets a 3/5 from me is because the Spectacled caiman is just kinda... a lame choice? I'm also really sick of us getting only Northern South American species. We have a total of three South American animals that are not also found in North America right now (Galapagos tortoise, Giant Otter, and Dwarf Caiman, you could include the King Penguin but I don't think anyone is seriously counting it as South American) so including quite literally the one caiman species that could continue to fit into Central America was kinda an annoying choice. tl;dr, a caiman was a good choice for this pack. The Spectacled caiman was just about the worst caiman choice for this pack. Then again, I suppose that fits considering the aquatic pack included the most terrestrial crocodilian...

Nile Lechwe: 1/5 I don't have a problem with us getting more hoofstock, or even more African animals, but as much as I love Nile Lechwe in real life, their inclusion is... so unnecessary. We already have so many throwaway African hoofstock in the basegame, unfortunately this is just another one for the book. If there is any silver lining... At least the Fennec fox isn't the only North African animal now?

Asian Water Buffalo: 3/5 I think this animal is kind of an obvious inclusion the pack and we are lacking in large Asian fauna, especially ungulates. It'll be nice to have something to combine with the Indian Rhinos besides elephants. That said, an obvious inclusion doesn't necessarily make it an amazing inclusion, and I'd much rather we'd let this slot be taken by something more unique in the long-run.

Asian Small-Clawed Otter: 3/5 I am probably in the minority when I say I personally never cared that the giant otter was a bad choice for otter rep originally, but I can't complain about us getting an otter that is just about the exact opposite from the Giant Otter. These mixed feelings are why it gets its score.

Platypus: 3/5 Here's the thing... I am very conflicted about the Platypus. I very much appreciate us getting another Australian animal, and I very much appreciate us getting another small animal... But at the same time, this animal is basically useless unless you have the Australia pack. This isn't a failing of the platypus so much as it is that the base game has a total of one Australian animal. I just struggle to find where I'm going to use the Platypus without other Australian animals to put alongside it.

Red Crowned Crane: 2/5 We have been in desperate need of some more wading birds for a while, and cranes are definitely common zoo animals, but... idk, the red crowned crane specifically just feels sorta hard to place in a park to me. We don't really have any other North Asian animals to combine it with, and it's not really an animal that you'd keep by itself. Now, if we had some wild horses, or saiga...

Capybara: 5/5 I think we all knew it was coming, but I'm glad it's here. We desperately needed some more South American animals that didn't feel like filler, the only other one is the Jaguar. I suspect it'll be much easier to make nice looking South America sections with this fella, especially comboing with the anteater.
 
I think the pack is going to be very successful. The animals are great and fit the theme nicely. As for the animals on a scale of 1-10?
Capybara- Very much needed not necessarily one of my most wanted animals as there’s many I’d personally rank higher that aren’t yet in game. But very popular and a great addition 8.5.
ASCO- Personally more of a NA River otter fan but much needed and finally a more versatile otter species for the game. I would say 8.
Red Crowned Crane- Finally another bird for PZ. Still hopeful for aves and a pelican species but this is a 10 easy.
Asian Water Buffalo- Really like this choice tbh. Probably my favorite animal in the pack 9.
Platypus- Another much needed Australian animal and aquatic pack type animal 8.
Nile Lechwe- Amazing surprise pick. Definitely a good choice for community exhibits. A solid 10.
Spectacled Caiman- Interesting choice and a bit of a surprise. I can’t lie I think I’d rather have a crocodile species but I get it. It does seem to be a reskin very similar to our current caiman but it’s ok. Not a deal breaker for me 7.
Newt- Another interesting choice and our first newt so I’d say 8.5.
Imo the pack is definitely worthy of a A to A+.
 
  1. Spectacled Caiman - 0.5/10 : no effort. ( I would be ok if Frontier, realized they made a BIG mistake and add a 9th animal)
  2. Nile Lechwe - 8/10 : I want to build hoof animals area, this one seem rare.
  3. Wild Water Buffalo - 10/10 : I like big cows.
  4. Danube Crested Newt - 6/10 : soso
  5. Asian Small Clawed Otter - 10/10 : cute little animals.
  6. Platypus - 10/10: Cool
  7. Red Crowned Crane - 10/10: I am chinese
  8. Capybara - 10/10: the babies hopefully they come with tangerines.
 
  1. Spectacled Caiman - 1/10 (but I need to see it first maybe it would be totally different then the other caiman that we already have or maybe I’m trying to convince myself that it’s a good choice when obviously it’s just not 🤷🏽 There are even so many animals from Pantanal itself they could use 🙈
    1648798465011.jpeg
    Literally anything but another caiman and 3rd crocodilian from the Americas would be better: African or Asian or even Australian crocodilian, turtle, monitor, tegu, salamander, any water bird especially Shoebill or Jabiru, fishing cat, Père David’s deer, Marsh deer from SA, bush dog, paca, Water chevrotain, Allen's swamp monkey, Crab-eating macaque or even the lowland tapir).
  2. Wild Water Buffalo - 6/10
  3. Danube Crested Newt - 6/10
  4. Asian Small Clawed Otter - 7/10
  5. Capybara - 10/10
  6. Platypus - 10/10
  7. Red Crowned Crane - 10/10
  8. Nile Lechwe - 10/10
Instead of caiman I would personally choose Père David’s deer because of his conservation status and extremely interesting water behaviors but in my opinion anything would be better 🤷🏽 even another tapir 😂
 
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  1. Spectacled Caiman - 0.5/10 : no effort. ( I would be ok if Frontier, realized they made a BIG mistake and add a 9th animal)
  2. Nile Lechwe - 8/10 : I want to build hoof animals area, this one seem rare.
  3. Wild Water Buffalo - 10/10 : I like big cows.
  4. Danube Crested Newt - 6/10 : soso
  5. Asian Small Clawed Otter - 10/10 : cute little animals.
  6. Platypus - 10/10: Cool
  7. Red Crowned Crane - 10/10: I am chinese
  8. Capybara - 10/10: the babies hopefully they come with tangerines.
I really dig what you are talking about.
 
Capybara: 10/10 It's perhaps the first time we get our most wanted animal of the META wishlist ingame. Capybaras are adorable animals and an absolute must-have in zoos.
Asian Small Clawed Otter: 10/10 For similar reasons. It's extremely cute, fits smaller exhibits and was highly wanted by the community including me.
Red Crowned Crane: 10/10 A total surprise to me, but a very welcome one. We desperately need new birds and this species will fit in so many zoos all around the world.
Platypus: 8/10 Not one that I desired too much, but I reckon it should be in the game. Although rare in captivity, platypi? are fascinating and unique animals that cannot be replaced by any other species. They are also our first monotreme so that adds to diversity.
Asian Water Buffalo: 7/10 While not my preferred species, we needed an Asian bovine and I'm happy to get a wetlands species. Though the domestic one would have made more sense, the difference is small so this one is as usable in Asian, Northern and South American zoos. I get that it's not popular but I think we may still see it in a lot of zoos.
Nile Lechwe: 5/10 I'm sorry to the many of you who love this animal. I don't think it's bad at all, but it fills the occupied niece of African antelopes while more interesting species would've been available. It's never bad to get more ungulates, and I'm aware African species are common in zoos, but for the wetlands theme other animals would've suited better. While it is one of the most diverse packs yet, it still has too many mammals.
Spectacled Caiman: 3/10 I'm not too disappointed by this one, as it is one of the more common crocodylians in zoos and I'll probably use it. For a wetlands theme, having at least one semi-aquatic reptilian is also a must. It's just a shame that it's the second caiman we got so far, and thus could've been replaced by a turtle, water monitor or bird species.
Danube Crested Newt: 2/10 Initially I was quite pleasantly surprised by this one, as I usually am by Frontier's exhibit choices. However, I think this species would only work if we get smaller exhibits. It'll be the smallest exhibit species after the scarab, but at least that one is recognisable because of the dung balls. I get that they wanted a European species, but other animals would've been much much more fitting, including the popular axolotl, green anaconda, helmeted basilisk, caiman lizard, mata-mata, snapping turtle (preferably a habitat species tho), or a slider.

Overall, my average rating for the animals is a 6.875, which isn't high, but it's mainly dragged down by the three lowest picks.
 
1. Spectacled Caiman - 3/10 Could have been a great addition if there wasn't already all these crocodilians. I trully believe the model will be great, but it's a waste of slot for me. Meh. I would love to have the iconic Roseate Spoonbill instead, or Ibis to make amazing aviaries without flying mecanics, but nope. Strange choice.

2. Danube Crested Newt - 4/10 - Not very interested by exhibit animals in anyway, but this one will fit well with the Fire Salamander europe area, so why not. This animal has amazing shapes and colors but, indeed, Common Basilisk would have been an incredible choice, or the absolutly adorable Red-eyed crocodile Skink. That's the life.

3. Nile Lechwe - 5/10 Didn't know this animal, so I'm always happy to increase my fauna knowledge, but we've already a lot of antilope in the base game. Let's see, I'm curious.

4. Wild Water Buffalo - 7/10 I was very sad when I saw there was the Dhole and not the Wild Water Buffalo in the SEAAP. It's resolved now, I'm just happy !

5. Platypus - 8/10 I was not expecting it, but the model look very cool, it's a great addition for the Australia fauna, so... yeah. Great choice !

6. Capybara - 8/10 It was the most wanted animal, love their chilling faces. BUT. By seeing the screenshots and the trailer, like when the Meerkat was revealed, I'm not a big fan of their 3D model. I think they could have improved it a lot with some little adjustments on the head shape (too round, not squarrish enough) and on the eyes (lacking of the white around them). So, ok, it's great to have Capybara on the game but when you look at them closely, MEH, they don't even really look Capybaras, and I can only be a bit disappointed for the STAR of this pack. I repeat, it's only about some tiny adjustments, but these details make everything. Frustration.

7. Asian Small Clawed Otter - 9/10 They're cute as f***. Amazing otters, common in a lot of zoos. I've never imagined being hype as well for an otter before the announcement, but there it is. A bit afraid of the reveal, hope the reveal of the model will not disappoint us.

8. Red Crowned Crane - 10/10 - We terribly lack of birds (even without flying mecanics) so yeah, it's a huge YES. The model look absolutly great, I can't wait to see these majestic birds in my zoo. More birds like this, PLEASE.
 
Alrighty then. I never actually rated it. Here goes:

  1. Capybara - 10/10 - cliche, I know. But, it's highly versatile for displaying SA animals, can live alongside many species, and everybody loves a giant guinea pig
  2. Platypus - 10/10 - so, I'm looking forward to using these guys. Really, (if you have the Australia pack), we now have a total of 6 animals. It's better, but still not enough
  3. Red crowned crane - 9/10 - a crane, an elegant animal. Beautiful feathers, I'm sure it'll be a hit
  4. Asian small-clawed otter - 9/10 - adorable. More Asian representation. And, worst case scenario, can easily be modded into a North American river otter
  5. Nile lechwe - 7/10 - I wasn't sure what it was until I looked it up. You know, they look real cool. I'm excited to use these amazing antelopes
  6. Wild water buffalo - 6/10 - nice choice. Nice to have more cattle in-game
  7. Danube crested newt - 6/10 - look, I'm a sucker for the vivariums, ok? I love them, in-game and real-life. These newts will be fun to use
  8. Spectacled caiman - 5/10 - so, here's the dealio: the glasses-wearing-caiman is on my wishlist, but I wouldn't have included it in this pack. Doesn't matter, though: I'm gonna end go using it, probably more than all the other animals because almost every zoo I build has a reptile house and features crocodilian
Overall rating for the pack: 62%/100%
 
CAPYBARA: 10/10 One of the most popular animals in zoos and one of the most requested animals on the forum, your presence is absolutely necessary. (y):love:

ASIAN SMALL CLAWED OTTER: 9/10 Another animal whose presence is necessary, is a remodeling of the giant otter (not found in zoos) but it is certainly much more popular, the right otter that must represent the game. (y):giggle:

RED CROWNED CRANE: 9/10 Wooooow finally a bird, and a beautiful bird too! We hope that there will be a pack entirely dedicated to them, with the animation of the flight and with many of them...:rolleyes::cautious:

PLATYPUS: 8/10 Not the most popular animal in zoos but certainly happy to have it, because it is a new model, because it is a fascinating, strange and peculiar animal. (y):oops:

NILE LECHWE: 8/10 Beautiful addition, beautiful animal, we need a lot of ungulates like this. (y);)

ASIAN WATER BUFFALO: 7/10 Perhaps not the nicest animal to admire but a good addition to the roster. (y)

DANUBE CRESTED NEWT: 6/10 There were so many other animals to exhibit that you could enter, not the best choice in my opinion, but always better than nothing. The usual questions are: why add only 1 exhibit animal for each DLC? why are they so underrepresented? What have they done wrong? Is it such a big effort to add more? If there is to pay, we pay more... :cautious::cry:

SPECTACLED CAIMAN:
0/10 Bad, bad, bad! This is what makes me angry about Frontier! Speculation, maximizing earnings with minimal effort, this is no good! Already 8 animals in many months of waiting, for a thematic pack in which there had to be many more, it is absolutely not good, but it is worse when you insert a clone, a simple remodeling of another type of animal already present and widely represented in the game...
0 absolute for it! :mad::censored:(n):mad::censored:(n):mad::censored:(n)
 
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These are my rankings for each Wetland Pack species:

Red crowned crane - 10/10 - Putting this on top because, first and foremost, it is a new bird - something the game desperately needs in my mind. I don't even particularly care if we get flight anymore, as there are so many birds that could work in a standard habitat. It also helps that the bird looks great and will add interest to the Asian sections of a zoo.

Capybara - 9/10 - A very welcome addition that was also the main animal missing from South America. Also pleased to get a third species of rodent added to the game.

Nile lechwe - 8/10 - I am actually getting increasingly excited about these antelopes. Many of the antelopes in Planet Zoo currently are actually quite aggressive and quite often kept separately from other animals in real zoos (the gemsbok, sable and black wildebeest all spring to mind), so having another docile species is a real boost in my mind.

Asian small clawed otter - 7/10 - Personally I would have preferred the Eurasian otter, for its difference in social structure and much broader biome usage than any other animal in the game currently, but at the same time this is a commonly-kept species that would fit in well to smaller zoos.

Wild water buffalo - 6/10 - Obviously, they are extremely rare in real zoos but they are very similar to domestic water buffalo so it could be easy to pretend. Also, the wild water buffalo is very important ecologically in parts of Southeast Asia (in dry forests, they created and maintained seasonal waterholes called trapeangs, which are critical to many endangered birds), so being able to represent these animals will be excellent.

Danube crested newt - 5/10 - I always quite like the exhibit animals, as they tend to look excellent and go some way to filling up indoor reptile/amphibian/bug houses, which are normally the most species-rich parts of many zoos. The newt itself is beautiful and adds another European species, although part of me does wonder what else could have been suitable instead - we could have had another freshwater turtle, a different species of newt (the Kaiser's spotted newt is even more striking, more endangered and more commonly-kept in zoos) or even one of the more inactive fish, such as a lungfish. Not at all disappointed by the Danube crested newt's inclusion though.

Platypus - 4/10 - It's certainly a fascinating and unique animal, but I'm simply not sure how much I would use them. There are other Australian wetland species more commonly kept, such as the black swan and swamp wallaby, but in fairness neither is as charismatic as the platypus is.

Spectacled caiman - 3/10 - I've spoken about the caiman in a bit of detail elsewhere, but I will repeat it here. I think it will look great and, certainly here in Europe, the spectacled caiman is the most commonly-kept crocodilian species but it does seem a bit unnecessary with the dwarf caiman already included and still no African crocodiles. I would have preferred it if the spectacled caiman came in the Aquatic Pack and the place in the Wetlands Pack was instead used for either the Nile or (preferably, in my case) the slender-snouted crocodile. That way we could have got five crocodilian species with each of the five continents with native crocodilians also represented.

If I had been in charge, I would have had the spectacled caiman come in an earlier pack and instead had the slender-snouted crocodile. I may have also replaced the platypus with another bird such as the great white pelican (which represents wetlands of Africa, Asia and Europe) and also possibly swapped out the newt for another exhibit animal.
 
All the cool kids are doing it, so might as well give my 2 cents.

Capybara- Incredible. Model looks amazing, this has been my most requested animal since before the game was even out, so happy to get them in game.
Asian Small Clawed Otter- I think this was the best possible pick for another otter species, always fun to see these guys irl. Looking forward to adding them in my zoos.
Platypus- Honestly never thought we’d get these guys in game, but I’m glad we did. From what we’ve seen of them so far they look good. While personally not high on my wanted list, I’m happy for the people who really wanted them.
Wild Water Buffalo- The only miss in the pack for me. I don’t know why they chose the wild species when the domestic looks pretty much the same and is incredibly common in captivity, even in its native range from what I can tell. Looks great, but probably won’t use it.
Nile Lechwe- Unexpected but very welcome. They have a super cool look to them and can’t wait to see the model. Also happy for more antelopes.
Red Crowned Crane- I’m really glad we got another bird, and it looks great. Personally would’ve preferred the shoebill stork, but I am none the less very excited for them.
Spectacled Caiman- Woo boy, what a controversial crocodilian. I get it, it wouldn’t be my first choose either, but sitting on it I’m excited. Frontier really does well with their reptiles, it’s another South American animal, and it’s super common in captivity. I’m actually a fan of redundancy, I like it when I can use different but similar animals in my different zoos(I hope we eventually get another giraffe and the Sumatran tiger) so I have a bias. You’re not wrong for disliking it, but I don’t think it ruins the pack like some people have said.
Crested Newt- First newt, very striking, I like it. Similar with the crane, while I can think of other animals I’d have picked instead, I’m still excited for it.

So there’s my thoughts, overall I’m very excited for this pack and what it could mean for the future of dlcs. I wish we could’ve gotten the shoe bill, or maybe a fishing cat instead of the buffalo, but this is a great pack and maybe the best animal pack so far.
 
I think this might be the best animal pack so far. I actually like all the choices in the DLC. I have no complaints, I'm just happy we're getting more animals. I am easily satisfied. :p
 
I think this might be the best animal pack so far. I actually like all the choices in the DLC. I have no complaints, I'm just happy we're getting more animals. I am easily satisfied. :p
I agree, except for the caiman. I'm pretty happy with literally every other choice.

In terms of crocodilia, I would have preferred the Nile crocodile, Cuban crocodile, dwarf crocodile, Chinese alligator, mugger crocodile...

Seems weird having one croc, one gator, the gharial, and now two caimans, both from the same region.
 
These are my rankings for each Wetland Pack species:

Red crowned crane - 10/10 - Putting this on top because, first and foremost, it is a new bird - something the game desperately needs in my mind. I don't even particularly care if we get flight anymore, as there are so many birds that could work in a standard habitat. It also helps that the bird looks great and will add interest to the Asian sections of a zoo.

Capybara - 9/10 - A very welcome addition that was also the main animal missing from South America. Also pleased to get a third species of rodent added to the game.

Nile lechwe - 8/10 - I am actually getting increasingly excited about these antelopes. Many of the antelopes in Planet Zoo currently are actually quite aggressive and quite often kept separately from other animals in real zoos (the gemsbok, sable and black wildebeest all spring to mind), so having another docile species is a real boost in my mind.

Asian small clawed otter - 7/10 - Personally I would have preferred the Eurasian otter, for its difference in social structure and much broader biome usage than any other animal in the game currently, but at the same time this is a commonly-kept species that would fit in well to smaller zoos.

Wild water buffalo - 6/10 - Obviously, they are extremely rare in real zoos but they are very similar to domestic water buffalo so it could be easy to pretend. Also, the wild water buffalo is very important ecologically in parts of Southeast Asia (in dry forests, they created and maintained seasonal waterholes called trapeangs, which are critical to many endangered birds), so being able to represent these animals will be excellent.

Danube crested newt - 5/10 - I always quite like the exhibit animals, as they tend to look excellent and go some way to filling up indoor reptile/amphibian/bug houses, which are normally the most species-rich parts of many zoos. The newt itself is beautiful and adds another European species, although part of me does wonder what else could have been suitable instead - we could have had another freshwater turtle, a different species of newt (the Kaiser's spotted newt is even more striking, more endangered and more commonly-kept in zoos) or even one of the more inactive fish, such as a lungfish. Not at all disappointed by the Danube crested newt's inclusion though.

Platypus - 4/10 - It's certainly a fascinating and unique animal, but I'm simply not sure how much I would use them. There are other Australian wetland species more commonly kept, such as the black swan and swamp wallaby, but in fairness neither is as charismatic as the platypus is.

Spectacled caiman - 3/10 - I've spoken about the caiman in a bit of detail elsewhere, but I will repeat it here. I think it will look great and, certainly here in Europe, the spectacled caiman is the most commonly-kept crocodilian species but it does seem a bit unnecessary with the dwarf caiman already included and still no African crocodiles. I would have preferred it if the spectacled caiman came in the Aquatic Pack and the place in the Wetlands Pack was instead used for either the Nile or (preferably, in my case) the slender-snouted crocodile. That way we could have got five crocodilian species with each of the five continents with native crocodilians also represented.

If I had been in charge, I would have had the spectacled caiman come in an earlier pack and instead had the slender-snouted crocodile. I may have also replaced the platypus with another bird such as the great white pelican (which represents wetlands of Africa, Asia and Europe) and also possibly swapped out the newt for another exhibit animal.
Swamp wallaby is such a inspired idea especially that it comes also in orange morph
1648877770244.jpeg
 
Platypus: 5 stars… looks great, a bit worried about the depth requirement but the need for Oceanian species is enough to boost almost anything a bit, and this was always going to be the main contender for a wetlands theme . Coupled to that, it’s the first species in the game found in Tasmania (where my main zoo is set) and I had two who hung around one of my research sites in central Tasmania - once got within a foot of one splashing in a small, shallow stream - super cool & cute… amazing animals and the first Australian animal to be added outside the Australia pack itself.

Asian Small Clawed Otter: 5 stars - great to see one of my favourite species added to the game! As with the platypus I’m a little concerned about the depth requirement but probably matters a little less with these guys. More of a concern is group behaviour since these guys are so social.

Red Crowned Crane: 5 stars - just as almost any Oceanian species was going to get 5 stars, so was just about any bird. Looks like it’s been well executed and it’s a good choice for a first new non-flightless bird.

Capybara: 5 stars - Not on my personal ‘must have’ list but so many other people want it that I’m happy to see it in the pack - if only to open up space at the top of so many peoples’ Wishlists.

Nile Lechwe: 4 stars - not on many wishlists but great to have an antelope that has a different climatic niche and is visually distinct from what’s already in game. I like that each pack contains at least one surprise, and this is a good one. Great choice!

Asian Water Buffalo: 3 stars - a solid choice which, although it’s ‘offically’ a wild species, is not very different to its domestic cousins which makes it nice and flexible. As a bonus, can be used in Australian builds for invasive species education or cultural importance/ land spacing / sharing in SE Asian areas.

Spectacled Caiman: 2 stars - everyone knows why.

Danube Crested Newt: Solid choice for an exhibit animal - no issues with this as a choice. There are lots of alternatives that would’ve worked equally well but this adds to the European offering which is nice.

Overall: 4 stars. Drops a point because of the caiman but otherwise great choices. I like that there’s representation from almost all continents and hope we’ll see more like this - including more birds.
 
I compiled all the ratings (I converted stars into /10 note and I didn't use those that didn't use notation) : we have 23 rankings (19 for the exhibit animal) and here is the podium :

8th with a score of 2,543 - Spectacled Caiman
7th with a score of 5,447 - Danube Crested Newt
6th with a score of 6,369 -
Nile Lechwe
5th with a score of 6,565 - Asian Water Buffalo
4th with a score of 8,391 - Platypus
3rd with a score of 9,065 - Asian Small Clawed Otter
2nd
with a score of 9,173 - Red Crowned Crane
1st
with a score of 9,804 - C
apybara
 
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