Spring 2024 DLC Speculation
- Thread starter The Carcharodontogenius
- Start date
I don't believe anyone doubted waterfowl were a possibility. The mute swan was an obvious choice. There are reasonable guesses and unreasonable ones. Pheasants, waterfowl, penguins, pelicans, flamingos, cranes - these are reasonable guesses. Owls are not. Despite their primary behaviour being recognised as burrowing, burrowing owls do in fact fly, and regularly too. Like puffins, which are also an unreasonable guess. After a quick google, I couldn't find an example of burrowing owls kept in an open-air habitat like many of the other mentioned birds (same as puffins, which are always kept in aviaries, being accomplished fliers and all).
Is the "always in aviaries in rl" argument even that valid?
I always thought a better gage for if a bird should be a habitat one or not is if they look believable without flight.
No idea if thats the case for the owl
Show me a sandcat in an open topped enclosure
I get that mindset, but I think some of the more recent pushes in zoological facilities to keep flamingos and other birds in mesh in closures can dispute that a little.
Yes flamingos and swans aren’t known for flying, and most zoos do clip their feathers to prevent it. But in terms of planet zoo I don’t think it will be as much of a factor, and even some zoological facilities I have visited also seem to do the same.
I know a number of aquariums and zoos I have been to have kept puffins, and you don’t really see them fly as much as they do swim. Are they kept in open air habitats? No. But, with a little imagination you can build indoor habitats, or use the metal chainlink pieces to make a pseudo-indoors habitat. I know many zoos when creating bird habitats will keep it open air, but make the human side darker so they don’t fly out. I think that can be recreated in game. Or maybe in a free update we get a perching feature, which can be adding to the peacock for base game players.
Obviously realism matters, but as far as realism goes in Planet Zoo that matters only as much as it would affect gameplay. I can understand that small flying birds like budgies, or try flying birds like an eagle or toucan, may not work in Planet Zoo. There are plenty of birds that can realistically work on the ground, even if they are known to be flyers:
- Secretary bird is #1 on the wishlist right now, and is known to make massive nests in trees. Something that can’t be done in game, but with a little elbow grease it can probably be created.
- Kori bustards, grey crowned crane, and southern ground hornbill, all are kept on the ground but can also fly. For the sake of realism (like the flamingos) we can just say the flight feathers are clipped.
- A number of waterfowl, can also fly, but can realistically be kept in place.
- Scarlet ibis, roseate spoonbill, burrowing owl, screamers, and trumpeter birds all fall in this category too.
- Victoria crowned pigeon is another great example, as well as the red legged seriema.
- Likewise storks also nest in trees, but I think can have a place in game.
- Then you obviously have the regular groundbirds, turkeys, capercaillies, guineafowl, quail, etc.
Also im of the opinion that it would better to get these animals in game than not at all, even if the burrowing owl can spend its time flying. If some kid wants to make a square habitat and throw some burrowing owls in there then I say go for it! Planet Zoo is a creative game, and I’m sure ways can be made to make birds seem more realistic. Though I do think true flight will never happen in PZ as it is now.
All of this over an owl that’ll never make it in the game and isn’t even that popular.
I think the owl is more of the tip of the iceberg for me. It’s more of a representation of my issue with birds and their choices by Frontier. To be honest, the Victorian crowned crane, scarlet ibis, and secretary birds are never kept in open air exhibits. But if Frontier decides not to include them because of that I find that silly. It’s up to the player how to build the habitats, it’s restricting choice in a game about creative freedom. If some little kid wants an open air habitat and they make it square, then they throw down the scarlet ibis, I say more power to them. In the same way if I want to spend 5 hours building the perfect indoor/ mesh inclosure I should have the option.
Shoot even birds that work in game aren’t ever used. I don’t think we got another crane in almost two years, and we haven’t got another flamingo since LAUNCH.
Also fennec foxes and sand cats are almost never kept outdoors, but like I said, this is a game about creative freedom. Someone can spend 10 hours to make the perfect indoor Mammal House complete with a back area. Just as much as little Timmy is allowed to make a square brick habitat fence and throw them down in it.
I am having my options and creativity limited because the animals I like may “just not be realistic enough”. When we got things like the titan beetle, siaga, and proboscis monkey. When you can make an outdoor penguin habitat with snow in the desert I don’t know why I can’t have an owl that’s known for living in the dirt.
Just imagine this: a JWE2: Pterosaur Pack (like the marine species pack) and a Planet Zoo Birds Expansion. 2 flying species dlcs for both games. DOUBLE TROUBLE BABY!!!
It’s possible the dlc is coming out around my birthday in May, I don’t think it will happen. If this is some kind of bird dlc I couldn’t ask for anything more from Frontier.
(though while it is fun to dream, at this point let’s try to temper expectations)
The number of days between the stream and the following Tuesdays is really interesting btw. If the pack gets announced on the Wednesday which it probably will, the next Tuesday is 5 days after - so ideally would be enough time to showcase a scenery pack. On the other hand, there’s 12 days between the stream day and the Tuesday 2 weeks in advance, the 7th of May - the same # of species we’ve been talking about being in a finale type pack - hmmmm 
Omg yes I really hope they do this kind of promotional plan where they reveal one animal each day till release. It would bring so much fun and excitementOn the other hand, there’s 12 days between the stream day and the Tuesday 2 weeks in advance, the 7th of May - the same # of species we’ve been talking about being in a finale type pack - hmmmm
I can feel it this time, he has been awakened.
Well this year has proven they are breaking their formulas, they have our attention with frontier unlocked so it’s likely we will hear something
Nothing says it has to be a tease, it could be a simple showcase of the dlc or update after already announcing it on social media before the stream.
Yeah, or maybe no announcement before next wednesday and they'll just talk about the console edition during the Frontier Unlocked
