Secretary Bird. When and How will we get this animal?

[CharlieXGaming]

Looking at some of the top animals on the wishlist, you have things like the Wolverine, Tassie Devil, Baboon, Spectacled Bear, Tree Kangaroo, Coati, etc. The Secretary Bird I believe is in the top 3 of the wishlist and is a very wanted animal by the community, gaining even more attention after it wasn't in the Arid Animal Pack. Going off the idea that we have max 3 packs left heading into next spring (financial year ends in spring), how will we get this animal?

All of the animals in the top 10 of the wishlist have opportunities to be in future packs, for e.x. tree kangaroo + tassie devil can be in an islands pack, coati could be in an arboreal pack, the bear, baboon, wolverine and takin would be in the Highlands pack, but where does the Secretary bird fit in?

I really don't see the Secretary Bird as an anniversary animal. Its doable, but I think it would require a lot effort to make compared to the Red Deer and B & W ruffed lemur. Even the rig would probably need tweaking because of the neck and head position and how it walks. If Frontier goes by the Financial year which goes til Spring of 2024, we could see the last pack in that season, no more after that. No Summer pack. Even if we did have more packs past that, the only 2 packs I could see this animal fit into is a Continental Pack where it would represent Africa, or in a Habitat Bird Pack which I doubt. I could be wrong though, maybe they didnt put it into the Arid pack to save it for an aviary pack later this year. We could get a pack very similar to the one we have like a Savanna Pack or Safari Pack, but I dont think they would sell well, plus they wouldnt put the Secretary as the head of a pack because its not as well known.

I do hope we get this bird before support ends, it would be such a unique addition if added to the roster.

 

[NZFanatic]

I really don't see the Secretary Bird as an anniversary animal. Its doable, but I think it would require a lot effort to make compared to the Red Deer and B & W ruffed lemur. Even the rig would probably need tweaking because of the neck and head position and how it walks.

I think it's safe to say that the only reason the secretarybird would not be an anniversary animal is because it would be such an obvious draw to PDLC. Plenty of DLC animals could have been free anniversary animals - dromedary and black rhino as two recent examples - but it's obvious their relative popularity is why Frontier knew they could charge for them.

 

[YesIndeed]

I'm betting on a great Plains pack next year since it covers a lot of bases. There's probably a better name for it but I can't think of one. It'd be great to get Secretary alongside the mara, peccary and Mandarin duck though.

 

[NZFanatic]

I'm betting on a great Plains pack next year since it covers a lot of bases.

We've already had it in the Grasslands Animal Pack.

This is like the whole "Tropical Pack doesn't mean we won't get Rainforest!" thing.

 

[YesIndeed]

We've already had it in the Grasslands Animal Pack.

This is like the whole "Tropical Pack doesn't mean we won't get Rainforest!" thing.

These areas actually look different though compared to most rainforest being tropical. And we litterally just got arid which beforehand people had said we wouldn't get for the exact same reason.

(Grassland)

(Great plains)

 

[DragonNTiger]

Are we really making threads about hypothetical additions now? I'll make it simple, the answer is one of the following:
1. Never
2. At the end.
3. Sometime in between...

We've already had it in the Grasslands Animal Pack.

This is like the whole "Tropical Pack doesn't mean we won't get Rainforest!" thing.

I disagree... the biggest difference I can see between grasslands and plains is that not all plains are grasslands; in the end they're both environment/biome based packs.

The Tropical packs isn't a biome Pack, its a regional one, specifically one based on the Earth's Tropical Zone... it's more like the continent packs.

 

[DragonNTiger]

These areas actually look different though compared to most rainforest being tropical. And we litterally just got arid which beforehand people had said we wouldn't get for the exact same reason.
View attachment 361069
(Grassland)
View attachment 361070
(Great plains)

They're both grasslands... basing a pack on the latter would literally be a grasslands 2 pack.

I should probably take a moment to note Frontier will do whatever, regardless of what we think.

 

[ElectricMonk]

The Tropical packs isn't a biome Pack, its a regional one, specifically one based on the Earth's Tropical Zone... it's more like the continent packs.

Yes, but frontier doesn’t know the difference… in-game ‘biomes’ include climatic zones and vegetation types. In Frontier terms, tropical is, absolutely a biome pack - it’s one of the categories they list under ‘biomes’ throughout the game

Grassland
Desert
Taiga
Tundra
Temperate
Tropical

 

[NZFanatic]

These areas actually look different though compared to most rainforest being tropical. And we litterally just got arid which beforehand people had said we wouldn't get for the exact same reason.

They...do not look different. You've posted pictures of the same general biome in different seasons with different grasses. They are still open areas of grassland regardless of whether you refer to them as "plains", "grasslands", "savannahs", "steppes", "veldts", or whatever else (edit: and yes I know that these different terms refer to different things in reality, but in game terms they do not).

As for "Arid", look at it this way; it's as close to a "desert pack" as we're going to get, and if you truly considered it the same or similar to "grasslands" (I don't see it that way, because despite some overlap in a couple of species all the Arid Pack animals are true desert animals), then what you're asking for is actually a third grasslands pack.

It's like asking for a "swamp" pack after Wetlands. Or a "North Pole" pack after Arctic.

Let's be real here. Conservation was our "Endangered Species" theme, Wetlands was our "Freshwater" theme, Twilight was our "Nocturnal" theme, Tropical was "rainforest", Grasslands was, well, "grasslands", and Arid was "desert". The only biomes, broadly speaking, that haven't yet been covered are general forests (temperate with some overlap into boreal/taiga) and alpine/highlands (with some overlap into montane forests). A lot of the remaining key wishlist species also fit into these biomes; wolverine, markhor, Tasmanian devil, gelada (unfortunately), takin, and so on.

Whatever comes next year, if anything, will probably change things up again.

 

[CharlieXGaming]

They...do not look different. You've posted pictures of the same general biome in different seasons with different grasses. They are still open areas of grassland regardless of whether you refer to them as "plains", "grasslands", "savannahs", "steppes", "veldts", or whatever else (edit: and yes I know that these different terms refer to different things in reality, but in game terms they do not).

As for "Arid", look at it this way; it's as close to a "desert pack" as we're going to get, and if you truly considered it the same or similar to "grasslands" (I don't see it that way, because despite some overlap in a couple of species all the Arid Pack animals are true desert animals), then what you're asking for is actually a third grasslands pack.

It's like asking for a "swamp" pack after Wetlands. Or a "North Pole" pack after Arctic.

Let's be real here. Conservation was our "Endangered Species" theme, Wetlands was our "Freshwater" theme, Twilight was our "Nocturnal" theme, Tropical was "rainforest", Grasslands was, well, "grasslands", and Arid was "desert". The only biomes, broadly speaking, that haven't yet been covered are general forests (temperate with some overlap into boreal/taiga) and alpine/highlands (with some overlap into montane forests). A lot of the remaining key wishlist species also fit into these biomes; wolverine, markhor, Tasmanian devil, gelada (unfortunately), takin, and so on.

Whatever comes next year, if anything, will probably change things up again.

And this is the exact reason I made this thread, there aren't any pack themes left that would suit the Secretary Bird. If we got a Prairies or Plains pack, it would be the same as the Grasslands pack, if we got a Desert or Safari pack, same as Arid Pack. The only way I can see the Secretary Bird in the game is through a Bird Pack like I said.

 

[YesIndeed]

They...do not look different. You've posted pictures of the same general biome in different seasons with different grasses. They are still open areas of grassland regardless of whether you refer to them as "plains", "grasslands", "savannahs", "steppes", "veldts", or whatever else (edit: and yes I know that these different terms refer to different things in reality, but in game terms they do not).

As for "Arid", look at it this way; it's as close to a "desert pack" as we're going to get, and if you truly considered it the same or similar to "grasslands" (I don't see it that way, because despite some overlap in a couple of species all the Arid Pack animals are true desert animals), then what you're asking for is actually a third grasslands pack.

It's like asking for a "swamp" pack after Wetlands. Or a "North Pole" pack after Arctic.

Let's be real here. Conservation was our "Endangered Species" theme, Wetlands was our "Freshwater" theme, Twilight was our "Nocturnal" theme, Tropical was "rainforest", Grasslands was, well, "grasslands", and Arid was "desert". The only biomes, broadly speaking, that haven't yet been covered are general forests (temperate with some overlap into boreal/taiga) and alpine/highlands (with some overlap into montane forests). A lot of the remaining key wishlist species also fit into these biomes; wolverine, markhor, Tasmanian devil, gelada (unfortunately), takin, and so on.

Whatever comes next year, if anything, will probably change things up again.

I'm just saying it would be a nice pack idea that could fit lots of animals people want. At some point their gonna have to start using similar ideas. If you have another idea that fits animals that you'd like you can also share that.

 

[CharlieXGaming]

Are we really making threads about hypothetical additions now? I'll make it simple, the answer is one of the following:
1. Never
2. At the end.
3. Sometime in between...

Out of all the animals on the top 10 of the wishlist the Secretary Bird I thought had the least opportunities to make it in, I just want to see what the community thinks.

 

[Marvinb]

Am i the only one who wouldnt care if they did a similar pack to one we already have? I mean they could litteraly release Tropical pack 2 for all i care.
An Amazon or general rainforest pack is still one of my most anticipated themes even if its pretty much the same as tropical.
Same goes for a savanna/plains/scrubland pack, there are still plenty of fitting species high up at the wishlist

 

[ElectricMonk]

Am i the only one who wouldnt care if they did a similar pack to one we already have? I mean they could litteraly release Tropical pack 2 for all i care.

I don’t think anyone’s saying they don’t want another rainforest pack - they’re saying they don’t think we’ll get one.

 

[jcp011c]

This is really a tough one. It would have fit in Grasslands and Arid packs. Granted the Grassland pack had the Emu and given PZ's track record with birds, it's not surprising there were not two birds in one pack. Sure, it could be a big seller, but in what theme? An all Birds pack, as much as I'd like to see it, is unlikely. I"m not so sure we'll get any additional dry/hot biome related packs. So I actually have concern for all animals that may fit in that theme. Of course, Frontier can create any kind of theme they want to make work with the animals chosen, and I have hopes for that somehow, I just don't know how. It would certainly work for a finale pack, if they were to go that route.

ETA: if we have only 2 more packs, in my view the Secretary may be unlikely to get in at all, unfortunately. With 4 packs I'd like to think it might have a chance to make it, but I still have some doubts. If we get 6 more packs I think it's probably they'd find some way to get in. Again, just not sure how.

The other two largely requested animals, the Tasmanian Devil and Wolverine, would fit in temperate packs, with the Wolverine also being possible for Highlands/Taiga/Tundra. I have more confidence we still have a good chance to see more popular animals from those climates then we do animals from the hot and dry climates.

@ElectricMonk Regarding the rainforest pack, that's exactly what my feeling is. I definitely want another rainforest oriented pack - specific to most or all Amazon species. Heck they could still do an Amazon pack. But I do have some doubts they'll revisit the theme. The biggest missing theme from that area is the Monkeys, and they could fit them in other ways somehow.

 

[Spartan_Squat]

The only way I can see the secretary bird is in an Endagered Species animal pack. Yeah, we have conservation dlc, but remember this could be a complement dlc like arid animal pack was a complement dlc for africa pack and tropical pack for south east asia animal pack.

 

[NachoB]

I don't know how but i hope soon

 

[Aramar]

When the bird ends its training as a secretary

 

[NZFanatic]

Am i the only one who wouldnt care if they did a similar pack to one we already have? I mean they could litteraly release Tropical pack 2 for all i care.
An Amazon or general rainforest pack is still one of my most anticipated themes even if its pretty much the same as tropical.
Same goes for a savanna/plains/scrubland pack, there are still plenty of fitting species high up at the wishlist

It's like Monk said, it's not about what people want so much as what people should expect. I'd be happy with a full animal pack of just New World monkeys. I don't expect Frontier to ever go down that road, though, so it's a fantasy.

We already got a rainforest pack. Just because it wasn't idealised to certain community wishes doesn't mean it wasn't a rainforest pack and it certainly doesn't imply that Frontier is saving "rainforest" as a title for something else.

 

[Pentoleaf]

The thing is, Frontier can give a pack any name they like. It doesn't have to make sense. If the game is making money and if they think that including a secretary bird in a dlc will make more money, they could market it as part of the "mostly monochromatic animals animal pack" along with a penguin, a puffin, and another zebra.