Spring dlc Speculation 2023

[jcp011c]

To be fair, without any aviary birds, we'd still need the following for a "realistic" south america section:

1. Any coati
2. Any sloth
3. At least 2 tamarins/marmosets
4. An agouti
5. A spider monkey
6. A howler
7. A squirrel monkey
8. Mara
9. A rhea

That's already more than a dedicated animal pack, and these are just the "common in zoos" animals, without even counting rarer stuff, aviaries and exhibit animals.

I hardly see SA getting close to complete in the game.

That's very fair and I can understand wanting more than just a sloth to feel like you can call your South American section complete. Interestingly enough I have 4 other mammals from South America in my top 15 mammal wants aside from the sloth. A Mara and a Coati as you mentioned, and for me the Spectacled Bear and Tayra (the last of which I certainly doubt would come to the game). Heck, the Spectacled Bear is well entrenched near my top 5 for that list, not too far behind the Sloth.

To me, South America is the continent that needs the most additional animals compared to what we have now. The variety and abundance of animal life that could be represented is astonishing. But for me, it's down to 1 critical mammal and that's the Sloth.

Edit - 1 critical Mammal, not animal - South America will never get close to complete without the robust bird life there.

 

[ElectricMonk]

That's very fair and I can understand wanting more than just a sloth to feel like you can call your South American section complete. Interestingly enough I have 4 other mammals from South America in my top 15 mammal wants aside from the sloth. A Mara and a Coati as you mentioned, and for me the Spectacled Bear and Tayra (the last of which I certainly doubt would come to the game). Heck, the Spectacled Bear is well entrenched near my top 5 for that list, not too far behind the Sloth.

To me, South America is the continent that needs the most additional animals compared to what we have now. The variety and abundance of animal life that could be represented is astonishing. But for me, it's down to 1 critical mammal and that's the Sloth.

Edit - 1 critical Mammal, not animal - South America will never get close to complete without the robust bird life there.

i disagree - to me the only absolutely critical animals for SA (excluding flying birds) are monkeys. Sloths, coatis, rhea, vicuña, guanaco, Mara, etc would all be great to have and would be great additions. If we got every single one of them, though, we still wouldn’t be able to make even semi-realistic South American sections because of the lack of monkeys. Monkeys are universal in SA sections of zoos all the other animals, though common, are not universal.

 

[jcp011c]

i disagree - to me the only absolutely critical animals for SA (excluding flying birds) are monkeys. Sloths, coatis, rhea, vicuña, guanaco, Mara, etc would all be great to have and would be great additions. If we got every single one of them, though, we still wouldn’t be able to make even semi-realistic South American sections because of the lack of monkeys. Monkeys are universal in SA sections of zoos all the other animals, though common, are not universal.

I hope we get plenty of monkeys by end of official game support. They’re critical for many players. I hope we get sloths too since they’re also critical for many players.

 

[ElectricMonk]

I hope we get plenty of monkeys by end of official game support. They’re critical for many players. I hope we get sloths too since they’re also critical for many players.

I totally agree that I hope for both (and lots of other animals!) but, IMO, monkeys are the critical missing group - not just for SA sections, but for zoos generally. Even zoos without dedicated SA sections, SA monkeys are near-universal whereas sloths etc. aren’t.

 

[yoav_r]

I totally agree that I hope for both (and lots of other animals!) but, IMO, monkeys are the critical missing group - not just for SA sections, but for zoos generally. Even zoos without dedicated SA sections, SA monkeys are near-universal whereas sloths etc. aren’t.

My experience is the opposite. Most SA section I know always jave at least the mara and rhea, usually also capybaras, coatis and tapirs. Good zoos also have sloths usually, anteaters and armadillos.

However, the only SA zoo I know to be common in zoos is tamarins and capuchins/squirrel monkeys.

Howlers, spider monkeys and the rest are much much rarer.

I do agree that more primates are necessary in general from all over the globe, but I disagree they are all that's needed from SA.

 

[biggest_dreamer]

Thinking through every zoo I’ve ever been to, I can only think of two that even have “South American sections”, even though plenty have at least some number of SA species.

Greenville Zoo, one of my most frequent zoos which I in fact visited today, has a mapped and signed SA section consisting of exactly ocelots and an aviary containing four bird species (sub conure, a curassow species, and two others I can never recall). They previously had a white-nosed coati, which was replaced with a Harris's hawk when it died a few years ago, but today that entire exhibit was demolished and under construction so who knows what they’re doing there. The zoo also has a pampas exhibit containing a giant anteater and a pair of greater rheas, and spider monkeys in their primate row, but neither of those are technically in their SA area.

Chattanooga Zoo has a somewhat more robust SA section. It’s actually really surprising to realize that for all the zoos I’ve visited, it’s really the only one to have devoted serious space and effort towards grouping species from the continent. I’ve only been once and it’s been a few years, but off the top of my head they have: jaguar, capybara, giant anteater, kinkajou, Brazilian porcupine, spider monkey, four whole tamarin species (golden lion, emperor, cotton top, pied), and at least two macaw species.

Anyway I forgot the point I was going to make with this post somewhere along the line but we desperately need more monkeys

 

[jcp011c]

My experience is the opposite. Most SA section I know always jave at least the mara and rhea, usually also capybaras, coatis and tapirs. Good zoos also have sloths usually, anteaters and armadillos.

However, the only SA zoo I know to be common in zoos is tamarins and capuchins/squirrel monkeys.

Howlers, spider monkeys and the rest are much much rarer.

I do agree that more primates are necessary in general from all over the globe, but I disagree they are all that's needed from SA.

Now I may be wrong, but I don't think that was the point of their comment, they just feel that Monkeys are the most important animals missing from South America. Which is totally fine to feel that way. So much of what we want or feel we need is our own opinions anyways, that everyone's opinion is correct, in that everyone can want what they want. To paraphrase what I mentioned elsewhere (you'll probably remember)..in this situation, it's a fact that my opinion is the that the sloths are the most important missing mammal from South America. It's a fact their opinion is that Monkeys are. They are both correct according to what we individually would want to see. I think different opinions are great, and discussion is great so long as there's not someone trying to force other people to share their opinion, and being very confrontational when other don't share their opinion, which we don't see very often here.

 

[Pentoleaf]

My local zoo's South America section consists of a yard with rhea and alpaca in it, but I would love more South American primates in the game. Especially squirrel monkeys since they're the first primate I ever saw. Howlers scare me so I'm not as keen on them.

 

[Magnolia]

I'm sure Darthquell can correct me, but I believe the Houston Zoo's Pantanal section only has 3 or 4 monkeys as well.

Not to say we don't need anymore, cause we do, but I think the number has been blown a vit out of proportion.

 

[Captain Callum]

Pretty much most south America collections in a good collection will have on average 4 monkeys - a tamarin, spider monkey, howler monkey , capuchin or saki monkey. That pretty much covers all the needs so the desires for a pack made of monkeys would be downright ridiculous. What about a south American Pampas region where rhea, Guanaco, bush dogs etc are desired with no need for monkeys? No single animal need can ever cover an entire continent

 

[HunterIsCookie]

so the desires for a pack made of monkeys would be downright ridiculous

People also want more monkeys from Africa and Asia, and most people asking for a whole pack of them are asking for a Primate pack specifically, which adds more variety through lemurs, lorises, gibbons and the like.

 

[jcp011c]

People also want more monkeys from Africa and Asia, and most people asking for a whole pack of them are asking for a Primate pack specifically, which adds more variety through lemurs, lorises, gibbons and the like.

I think a primate pack would sell pretty well, incorporating New World Monkeys, Old World Monkeys, Lemurs, another Ape (another Gibbon, really, is IMO all that we need of more Apes), and perhaps even not as obvious animals like the Tarsiers, Lorises, the Aye Aye or the Galago (aka the Bush Baby). Granted, those last few are not really what comes to mind when discussing primates, but primates they are. The main issue is that Tarsiers, along with Marmosets and Tamarins, are pretty small and I wonder how they'd do in a non-exhibit space.

Maybe a pack could look like:

A Gibbon (the ape, obviously)
A Baboon (OW Monkey)
Howler Monkey (NW Monkey)
Squirrel or Spider Monkey (NW Monkey)
Aye Aye
Sifaka

that's 6 animals, but here's where it gets tricky. I'd love to see a Tamarin in the game. Ideally, of the Tamarins, Tarsiers and Marmosets I'd love to see 2 of the the 3 groups. What if they incorporated these into (non)Walkthrough Exhibit animals? I mean, the newer exibits are right now walkthrough, but that doesn't mean they have to be. Heck, Frontier could take that design, since it has 2 sides, and make it 2 separate exhibit stations. Then we could get 2 tiny exhibit monkeys, and for me, the size of half the current walkthrough exhibit feels about right for these tiny mammals.

 

[premierfong]

I totally agree that I hope for both (and lots of other animals!) but, IMO, monkeys are the critical missing group - not just for SA sections, but for zoos generally. Even zoos without dedicated SA sections, SA monkeys are near-universal whereas sloths etc. aren’t.

I say about 10 to 20 more. Maybe add some monkey house mechanics.

 

[nutrit]

I know that it would probably never happen but I would be down for Monkey/Primate pack. The lack of them is really annoying, we have no diversity as we have with cats or canines.

Same situation with the ground birds. We could use an entire animal pack filled with ground birds and it will make a drastic change but won’t cover even half of needed species.


My local zoo keeps maned wolves with howlers - it’s a really fun exibit

 

[Captain Callum]

People also want more monkeys from Africa and Asia, and most people asking for a whole pack of them are asking for a Primate pack specifically, which adds more variety through lemurs, lorises, gibbons and the like.

But we know that wont happen, I can't see frontier alienating a large part of the playerbase to sell more primates to a minority. Primates will always be the sideline added to one dlc per year despite how vocal the forums may be

 

[Angeł]

I think a primate pack is very very unlikely. A pack dedicated to just one type of animal would probably limit sales amongst the general player base.
However, I could definitely see an arboreal or treetops pack happening, which could included loads of highly requested animals AND definitely more than one primate, as well as the sloth, keeping everyone’s needs satisfied.
A lineup could look like:
• Two Toed Sloth
• White Nosed Coati
• Goodfellow’s Tree Kangaroo
• Golden Lion Tamarin
• North American Porcupine
• Monkey 1
• Monkey 2

 

[DarthQuell]

I'm sure Darthquell can correct me, but I believe the Houston Zoo's Pantanal section only has 3 or 4 monkeys as well.

Not to say we don't need anymore, cause we do, but I think the number has been blown a vit out of proportion.

Actually it's less. You walk in the entrance to the Pantanal and you meet black howlers. And that's it.
The other South American monkeys are a couple of tamarins next to another area, Carruth Natural Encounters. But that whole area is going to disappear in the next few years...

Our other primates are at the Wortham World of Monkeys, but it's primarily Old World monkeys, some lemurs, a few gibbons, and orangutans. To be honest, I barely go here because I never liked this area for some reason. But it doesn't matter because this will disappear in the next few years as well with the Natural Encounters to make way for an Asian area and a Madagascar area, too

 

[YesIndeed]

Preface: all of this is relating to discussion of mammals. Birds are...literally...a whole other animal for discussion and their near-absence makes all zoo section feel incomplete.

The sloth is a bit of an anomaly. It's well known to the general public and would help sell a pack to more casual players, is very different from everything we have in the game, and is also highly requested by the more active community. Yet, it does come with all of these potential hurdles and limitations. I think they'll manage to make it work, while it's not an absolutely necessary inclusion, it's high awareness profile would mean that its absence from the game would definitely be felt. Like...in several of my zoos, I'm pretty happy with my South American and jungle/rainforest sections, but it's the one mammal that's really missing from them. Though of course everyone will have animals they feel that way about, and it wouldn't always be the sloth. Many would consider the South American and jungle/rainforest sections incomplete without more monkeys.

Still, I think overall the sloth is probably the mammal that will do the most to enhance its respective zoo section. Though there's definitely clearly higher requested animals for other continents, South America is the one continent that still feel truly incomplete, and for me it's entirely due to not having the Sloth. Which is strange because you'd think it'd be higher on my want list (it's at #4) but I can't say that we can't make Africa, North America, Asia and Oceania sections with it still missing a critical inclusion. That's just my opinion of course.

Just my opinion. Making an Oceania section just dosent feel right without a lizard. No specific one just any oceanic lizard. They feel like staple of Oceania being the most widespread predators in the continent.

 

[KönigDerKaffeebohnen]

The thing about primates is that they are for what i assume explains the lack of them, harder to implement as just another animal to a pack.
For one, they just do not fit every theme, europe, northamerica, arctic, australia and aquatic all have no monkeys because there either are no primates present or if they are they wernt as integral to the region. That leaves only Africa, Grasslands, Twillight and Wetlands as packs that could potentally have brought in a primate realisticly but didnt, which ofcourse sucks but all of these packs arguably brought good animals on their own and while i would have shadowrealmed the skunk for a lori or nightmonkey without a second thought, thats really the only pack where i really would have liked one, but also understand that compared to the skunk both animals would have been pretty niche while the skunk, which also is quite the fine animal, was one of the last missing abc animals.
But all and all this does leave me hopefull for more monkeys this year, as the propaply themes left all sound quite likly to have one, be it the hamadryas baboon for deserts or mountains, the gelada as an alternative for mountains, literally any 2 tropical monkeys for a rainforest pack, a lemure or a SEA monkey for an island pack or any small monkey for a children zoo pack.
My expectation for this year unless frontier is going for massive curveballs are 3 monkeys atleast and im hopefull and excited to see which ones they will be and if they choose well, lets say hamadryas baboon desert, mantled guereza and golden lion tamarin tropical and squirrel monkey children zoo + hopefully any monkey cough cough white faced saki cough cough as the aniversary animal, while id ofcourse would want more, id be mostly satisfied.

 

[AlexSea]

On a different topic, when do we think we'll get an announcement? The Grasslands Animal Pack has been out for just over two months, and assuming that the next pack is a scenery pack, my prediction is that we'll get a DLC announcement on March 2, with it and Update 1.13 being released March 14.