Spring 2024 DLC Speculation

[Fini]

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.

I see your points. I'm not from SA, so I probably can't judge this correctly.
For me as a Central European, the Ocelot fills the same niche as the Jaguar and looks similar to the same. If I could choose one out of the 3, I would choose the Andean Cat because I just like the furpattern of it better and it fills a non-tropical niche in SA. Unfortunately, there are no known holdings on Zootierliste.

What does the Ocelot do better than the Jaguar? Like I said, I'm just curious, and that's not meant to be an attack. I believe you when you say that it is the better choice out of the three cats.

 

[Markiz]

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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Well it's all about what you look for in the game. I can absolutely understand people who want new additions to constantly bring something new, especially people who play the game way more than me.

Ocelot wouldn't bring any new niche to the game but it would be Ocelot. It would help recreate many zoos I want to, and is pretty adaptable both in habitat and in range.

I usually want specific animals for my building, so Geoffroy's Cat wouldn't work for say Mexico theme, or Andean for Amazon rainforest.

The more common the animal is (both in wild and zoos) and the more habitats and countires it cover, the more likely is to make it on my wishlist. Niches in game are secondary priority to me

 

[KönigDerKaffeebohnen]

I see your points. I'm not from SA, so I probably can't judge this correctly.
For me as a Central European, the Ocelot fills the same niche as the Jaguar and looks similar to the same. If I could choose one out of the 3, I would choose the Andean Cat because I just like the furpattern of it better and it fills a non-tropical niche in SA. Unfortunately, there are no known holdings on Zootierliste.

What does the Ocelot do better than the Jaguar? Like I said, I'm just curious, and that's not meant to be an attack. I believe you when you say that it is the better choice out of the three cats.

Its half the size.

Thats literally it, that is atleast to me enough to differentiate it gameplaywise.

Adding to that, it would be our first small cat that likes water, which differentiates it from those.

And for the real reason why i want it at all while i scoff at other cats is that while yes its very basic, south america needs exactly that, something basic with a large range as it currently does not have such a base.

The collared peccary was a first step to get something that lives everywhere in the americas and the ocelot and a coati would be a second and third for that, giving a strong 3 animal base for any south american area, with some extra north american desert application.

Its also an animal i simply have 0 doubts we will get, frontier loves cloning cats and SA looks pretty dry for clones otherwise, so if its allready among the most likly animals if we get anything with an SA focus i might aswell like it

 

[Fini]

I usually want specific animals for my building, so Geoffroy's Cat wouldn't work for say Mexico theme, or Andean for Amazon rainforest.

But you could just use the Jaguar instead, right? Ocelot and Jaguar have nearly the same range. (If I have done my homework correctly)

Where you could also put the Andean Cat or the Geoffroys Cat (btw in Germany they called Salzkatze "Saltcat" or Kleinfleckkatze "Smallspotcat") in enclosures with a Patagonia or Andean theme.

For me, appearance and niche actually come before commonness, but of course I can only speak for myself. I'd rather have a large part of a continent covered than choose between A and B for the same region. Most of us would simply don't build a zoo where you can see both, Ocelots and Jaguars.
But everyone plays differently and I don't judge other people's needs.

 

[NachoB]

I see your points. I'm not from SA, so I probably can't judge this correctly.
For me as a Central European, the Ocelot fills the same niche as the Jaguar and looks similar to the same. If I could choose one out of the 3, I would choose the Andean Cat because I just like the furpattern of it better and it fills a non-tropical niche in SA. Unfortunately, there are no known holdings on Zootierliste.

What does the Ocelot do better than the Jaguar? Like I said, I'm just curious, and that's not meant to be an attack. I believe you when you say that it is the better choice out of the three cats.

Don't get me wrong the Andean cat is interesting and cool and i like them irl, and with longer support i would be all for its inclusión, but just like i said and König and Markiz also mentioned, the ocelot is much more useful and versatile and SA needs to fill their basic species gap just like Europe did.

 

[NachoB]

Where you could also put the Andean Cat or the Geoffroys Cat (btw in Germany they called Salzkatze "Saltcat" or Kleinfleckkatze "Smallspotcat") in enclosures with a Patagonia or Andean theme.

Sure, but we are first missing the basic patagonian species: rhea, guanaco and mara. Without them there is no point in making a Patagonia or Andean themed area.

 

[KönigDerKaffeebohnen]

But you could just use the Jaguar instead, right? Ocelot and Jaguar have nearly the same range. (If I have done my homework correctly)

Where you could also put the Andean Cat or the Geoffroys Cat (btw in Germany they called Salzkatze "Saltcat" or Kleinfleckkatze "Smallspotcat") in enclosures with a Patagonia or Andean theme.

For me, appearance and niche actually come before commonness, but of course I can only speak for myself. I'd rather have a large part of a continent covered than choose between A and B for the same region. Most of us would simply don't build a zoo where you can see both, Ocelots and Jaguars.
But everyone plays differently and I don't judge other people's needs.

Yes and no you see you can use those cats for those areas but now what can you use ocelots for?

Ocelots live in:

• Tropical Rainforest
• Mangrove Swamps
• Wetlands
• Tropical Grassland aka South American Savannah
• Dry Forests
• Thorn Forests (imagine a dry forest, but its coverd in spikes)
• South American Deserts
• North American Deserts
• Mountain Forests
• Rural Landscapes

And im pretty sure i even missed some.

Its just a swiss army knife of an animal and id much rather have one animal that i can use in 10 different scenario then one that i can in just 1 or 2

 

[ElectricMonk]

Its half the size.

a lot less than that I think….

 

[markun]

I never understand the niche argument. For me, the beauty of what the game has become is that we can make meaningful choices about what to include in our zoos.

The possibilities aren’t limitless of course (especially with birds and primates) but we have a variety of desert antelopes for example and that enriches our zoos and expands our options.

Jaguars and ocelots are very different. A lower budget small zoo might have ocelots but not jaguars. A large city zoo might have lions and tigers but also a small mammal house with ocelots.

Basically, if the game worked on the niche principle, we would have far fewer animals and all our zoos would look the same.

 

[Narwhaler]

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

Because the muskox and the walrus which are both high in the meta wishlist are still NA animals. Likewise, small creatures such as the mallard, a lagomorph like the arctic hare and the iconic sea otter are all good potential additions. And well the ABB while I dont think it's the greatest addition I understand why people want it and honestly we are only missing 2 bears sooooo whateBEAR

 

[SalamAnders]

Yes and no you see you can use those cats for those areas but now what can you use ocelots for?

Ocelots live in:

• Tropical Rainforest
• Mangrove Swamps
• Wetlands
• Tropical Grassland aka South American Savannah
• Dry Forests
• Thorn Forests (imagine a dry forest, but its coverd in spikes)
• South American Deserts
• North American Deserts
• Mountain Forests
• Rural Landscapes

And im pretty sure i even missed some.

Its just a swiss army knife of an animal and id much rather have one animal that i can use in 10 different scenario then one that i can in just 1 or 2

Doesn't the cougar pretty much cover all of that too? (+ some colder areas)

 

[KönigDerKaffeebohnen]

Isn't it more logical t

Doesn't the cougar pretty much cover all of that too? (+ some colder areas)

Yup which is why its quite the underrated south american hero

 

[SalamAnders]

Yup which is why its quite the underrated south american hero

True. And why I don't understand why people want more cats to take up precious spots for SA.

 

[Captain Callum]

I would vastly prefer getting a coati to fill the gap for arboreal south american habitats, we already have 2 big cats in South America and adding a smaller one doesn't really do that much to the whole diversity issue.

 

[KönigDerKaffeebohnen]

True. And why I don't understand why people want more cats to take up precious spots for SA.

Imo its less that im hyped for the ocelot in particular but rather that i see no way how we get something south american focused without it and it still adds much more then a south american tapir for example.

While we allready have 2 other cats, the ocelot is in a conpletly different size range, allowing for quite the different habitat size and layout and while its not the most exciting thing to get its also not like it doesnt add anything.

Would i prefer an additional monkey over it?
Every time but i do not believe that thats even an option when looking at frontiers track record and when the next exciting clone is a little redder flamingo i take the much smaller cat any day

 

[SalamAnders]

Would for sure prefer any American bird clone over another cat, no matter how simple of a choice it is. We got zero birds for the whole of America unless you count the king penguin.

 

[KönigDerKaffeebohnen]

Would for sure prefer any American bird clone over another cat, no matter how simple of a choice it is. We got zero birds for the whole of America unless you count the king penguin.

Fair but i desperatly hope instead of the flamingo we will get a roseate spoonbill or the scarlet ibis.
One of those, spider monkey, ocelot and coati would easily be my favorite set up for an SA scenery pack, with the mara, rhea and another monkey joining for animal pack.
Feels ballanced and well rounded while also not to unrealistic to me

 

[NachoB]

I agree with all that. Coati, monkeys and birds can take the ocelot spot and i wouldn't complain. I do think the ocelot is a basic LATAM animal though and is different enough from the cougar and jaguar.

But i do not want another niche small cat instead of it. If we get a cat then it better be the ocelot.

 

[SalamAnders]

Fair but i desperatly hope instead of the flamingo we will get a roseate spoonbill or the scarlet ibis.
One of those, spider monkey, ocelot and coati would easily be my favorite set up for an SA scenery pack, with the mara, rhea and another monkey joining for animal pack.
Feels ballanced and well rounded while also not to unrealistic to me

I would honestly still prefer the flamingo over the ocelot in that constellation.

Having both spoonbill or ibis and a flamingo from the same area, would mean I don't have to do yet another aviary featuring only one bird. That would be much more exciting to me.

And with Oceania pack in mind, I guess it is not impossible.

 

[Markiz]

But everyone plays differently and I don't judge other people's needs.

Basically boils down to this