Spring 2024 DLC Speculation

Do we think it's going to be a scenery pack or an animal pack? If a scenery pack what do you think it could be or what would you most want?
Assuming its not going to the last pack. My bet would be on either of the ones below since they fit the spring vibe the most.

Latin America Pack
-Colonial/Baroque architecture set
-Black Howler
-Coati
-Rhea
-Mara/Ocelot
-Sloth (WE) / Plumed basilisk (E)

or

Petting Zoo Pack:
-Farm scenery
-Dwarf goat
-Shettland pony
-Flemish giant rabbit
-Silkie chicken
-Idk birds like budgies and co aside no exhibit animal really fits the petting vibe, so i guess bearded dragon comes closest?
 
Do we think it's going to be a scenery pack or an animal pack? If a scenery pack what do you think it could be or what would you most want?
If it's Latin America a whole it better be an animal pack. South America already had a Scenery pack and the need is there.

If it's just Central America I would accept a scenery pack with some traditional architecture.
White Nosed Coati (possible marketing animal)
Ocelot
Black Howler Monkey (possible marketing animal)
Squirrel Monkey (there are several to choose from)
HOffman's Two Toed Sloth (WTE)

Latin America as a whole:
White Nosed Coati
Ocelot
Black Howler Monkey
Guianan Squirrel Monkey
Patagonian Mara
Greater Rhea
Spectacled Bear
Linnaeus's Two Toed Sloth (WTE)

I realize that the Hoffman's Sloth also are in South America, and some Squirrel Monkeys are found in Central America and South America, or both, so with the animal pack I adjusted species to have animals from a greater variety of places. Also why I like having some Patagonian and Andean representation.

I don't really care if we do or do not get the Ocelot, but I've kind of accepted it'll come if we get this theme. It's been a whole 2 packs without felines and we know Frontier loves their felines!
 
At a potential change in topic, I actually think the finale pack is the most likely opportunity to get WTE birds. I think if we get just one species of popular bird, which most likely would be macaws or possibly budgies, I think it’s reasonable to think we’ll get them.
In hindsight? I'm inclined to agree here. But if it were just one I would tend to think it would be macaws. Maybe toucans. Because those would allow people to create WTE with those species plus some implied ones. They have more of that "aviary" feel. If that makes sense...

And if they had budgies that you weren't able to feed? People would weirdly get the pitchforks out. And I don't think we're getting that mechanic as part of a final update.
Going a few topics back, I did think there was a small, but not improbable chance that Eurasia was the last pack - the additional of the gift shop - leaps and bounds the largest free update so ever, the tapir remaster, Nancy's retirement theme of the campaign - all factors reasonable to assume this was the conclusion.

And I certainly wasn't alone in this, I remember a good portion of the community thinking it was a possibility.
The update definitely felt like the potential end but the pack (while good!) just didn't really have the "oomph" a final pack should have. I feel like they would have worked in 1-2 other animals higher up on the request list...

I interpreted the retirement theme as the end coming up. But that didn't feel like the end either. Now, if we get this next pack or update and there's a scenario that involves Nancy retiring to another country and creating a small non-profit animal rescue, traveling the world, or something and you're asked to help "plan her party" by fixing up an old zoo or something? Then I'd feel like it's really the end.
Do we think it's going to be a scenery pack or an animal pack? If a scenery pack what do you think it could be or what would you most want?
I think it'll be both, TBH. 8-10 habitat species, 1-2 exhibit species, and 100-175 scenery items.
If it's Latin America a whole it better be an animal pack. South America already had a Scenery pack and the need is there.

If it's just Central America I would accept a scenery pack with some traditional architecture.
White Nosed Coati (possible marketing animal)
Ocelot
Black Howler Monkey (possible marketing animal)
Squirrel Monkey (there are several to choose from)
HOffman's Two Toed Sloth (WTE)

Latin America as a whole:
White Nosed Coati
Ocelot
Black Howler Monkey
Guianan Squirrel Monkey
Patagonian Mara
Greater Rhea
Spectacled Bear
Linnaeus's Two Toed Sloth (WTE)

I realize that the Hoffman's Sloth also are in South America, and some Squirrel Monkeys are found in Central America and South America, or both, so with the animal pack I adjusted species to have animals from a greater variety of places. Also why I like having some Patagonian and Andean representation.

I don't really care if we do or do not get the Ocelot, but I've kind of accepted it'll come if we get this theme. It's been a whole 2 packs without felines and we know Frontier loves their felines!
These are all low-key solid picks! I'd probably want a tamarin or marmoset instead of a squirrel monkey (and maybe try to work in a spoonbill or bush dog somehow -- probably in lieu of the rhea and bear, respectively) but... I'd be so stoked on these rosters, anyway!
 
In hindsight? I'm inclined to agree here. But if it were just one I would tend to think it would be macaws. Maybe toucans. Because those would allow people to create WTE with those species plus some implied ones. They have more of that "aviary" feel. If that makes sense...
Yeah I'm definitely thinking they would choose Macaws, they are like the pteranodons for JWE, they are symbolic and are a crowd pleaser and they are the perfect door opener for a bird expansion in the next game.
 
Thinking more about the last pack having a possible "worldwide" theme and the bit about Nancy retiring from the last one? I wonder if the next scenario might revolve around planning a "going away" party for her as she plans to set sail for a trip 'round the world. And the party could be at a zoo she worked at years before she even met Bernie...

A "classic" zoo that's since been abandoned. Concrete. Bars. Old school menagerie vibes. Your mission? Upgrade and modernize the vintage facilities while maintaining certain key elements as landmarks or reminders of the past (e.g., maybe you have to build around the ruins of an old bear cage or keeping certain moats or fountains in place)...

Aesthetically, the map could tie into some new "generic zoo" pieces included in the pack. The "leaving to go around the world" could tie into the animals being from all over. And it would be a nice way to end things from a story perspective/thematically.
 
Yeah I'm definitely thinking they would choose Macaws, they are like the pteranodons for JWE, they are symbolic and are a crowd pleaser and they are the perfect door opener for a bird expansion in the next game.
I used to think people would be bummed if we only got a single flighted bird species, or even just an animal pack's worth. But honestly... I think people would just be happy if it were the macaw. Especially if they included several sub-species.

It's probably one of only two species you could include as a WTE bird that wouldn't get a lot of "it should have been X" where there's no reasonable way to explain it away... You want budgies? I get it. But they wouldn't be able to be fed by guests anyway. Still want them? Probably not. You want an eagle? Not a walk-through. You want to create a multi-species small bird aviary? Too much work.

Macaws are kinda perfect as a stand-alone. Everybody loves them, they integrate nicely from a theming perspective, work well in a variety of areas, etc.
 
Thinking more about the last pack having a possible "worldwide" theme and the bit about Nancy retiring from the last one? I wonder if the next scenario might revolve around planning a "going away" party for her as she plans to set sail for a trip 'round the world. And the party could be at a zoo she worked at years before she even met Bernie...
Oh I always interpreted it as "if there's an update coming after this, it's going to include the scenario editor".
 
Do we think it's going to be a scenery pack or an animal pack? If a scenery pack what do you think it could be or what would you most want?
Depends on if we have one or two packs left.
If there are still 2 packs I would say that the next one will focus on South/Central America. I would personnally prefer an animal pack as I don't feel the need of having central american architectures.
If there is only one left then I absolutely don't know what kind of scenery pieces we could be getting and if we would get some at all.

I personnally don't think that we need a full set of scenery pieces from one place in particular but more like a few pieces from different places around the world maybe. Like I'd love to have some totems and some teepees from native americans.
 
The one general animal that I really need (to be honest, the ship has long since sailed for pretty much all the animals on my wishlist) is some sort of 'dangly-tailed' monkey - I borderline don't care which; it could be a squirrel monkey (most likely), a guenon, a grivet, a colobus or an owl monkey, just as examples. So long as the tail hangs down as the animal climbs, that is all I need.

Not only would it be a new primate (always much needed), but it would also provide a really versatile new modding rig - at the moment, most of the monkey mods don't do much for me, because they all end up having the tightly curled tails of the capuchin monkeys that are pretty much unique to that group of monkeys.
 
I think it's pretty safe to assume that there is only one pack left, considering 2023 has revolved completely around the old world (Eurasia, Oceania, North Africa, and southeast asia again) I think the most most most likely theme for the final pack is gonna be the New World.

So New World Pack:
  • Native American scenery
  • 5 NA animals
  • - Walrus
  • - Muskox
  • - Sea Otter
  • - American Black Bear
  • - WTE: Snowy Owl
  • 5 SA animals
  • - SA Coati
  • - Patagonian Mara
  • - Greater Rhea
  • - Black Howler
  • - WTE: Macaws

I would personally love to add arctic hare, mallard, titi and tamandua into the mix but I feel they wouldn't add so many animals...
 
May i ask, why are people talking about NA animals for the last pack?

Maybe its my european bias but arnt europe and NA pretty much the most complete continents who dont need anything else?

Sure something more would be nice, the mallard duck especally would be a huge boon for both, but besides birds theres nothing here that Rivals the last big hitters or important filler of other continents.

For example generic american deer and the black buck might fill the same niche for their ranges, but indias lack if a basic ungulate is much worse then NAs.

Or while the european wildcat is neat, the ocelot is needed to make up for the SA biodiversity hole.

Id still like both continents to get 1 more animal in case of an around the world pack, but the mallard is by far the most tempting choice to cover both and be done with it while still giving something meaningfully new to those 2 continents
 
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I always don't know where all the love for the Ocelot comes from. To me it always looks like a Jaguar only a little smaller.
Wouldn't the Andean Cat or Geoffreys Cat be a much better pick for SA than the Ocelot? At least they look a little different to the cats we have.
It doesn't really matter to me, I don't need another cat in the game, the Sand Cat was already too much for me. I'm just curious why you all choose the Ocelot. (Maybe because it is kept more often?)

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I used to think people would be bummed if we only got a single flighted bird species, or even just an animal pack's worth. But honestly... I think people would just be happy if it were the macaw. Especially if they included several sub-species.

It's probably one of only two species you could include as a WTE bird that wouldn't get a lot of "it should have been X" where there's no reasonable way to explain it away... You want budgies? I get it. But they wouldn't be able to be fed by guests anyway. Still want them? Probably not. You want an eagle? Not a walk-through. You want to create a multi-species small bird aviary? Too much work.

Macaws are kinda perfect as a stand-alone. Everybody loves them, they integrate nicely from a theming perspective, work well in a variety of areas, etc.
I think hummingbirds would work as standalone as well, but yeah macaws are more popular and versatile.

Although if we get macaws i don't deny i'll be always wondering why not toucans and hummingbirds as well. Regardless i'll be ok with them only.
 
I always don't know where all the love for the Ocelot comes from. To me it always looks like a Jaguar only a little smaller.
Wouldn't the Andean Cat or Geoffreys Cat be a much better pick for SA than the Ocelot? At least they look a little different to the cats we have.
It doesn't really matter to me, I don't need another cat in the game, the Sand Cat was already too much for me. I'm just curious why you all choose the Ocelot. (Maybe because it is kept more often?)

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No. It wouldn't. It is yet another very niche choice and very rare cat with a límited range.

At this point i want ABC species from SA. The ocelot covers all the Américas in it's distribution. Is the basic SA jungle cat. Is nocturnal and arboreal. Is a key predator of the continent. And is common and popular both in the wild and in zoos.
 
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