Structure Request: Animal Center

Hykelion

Hykelion
I remembered that in Zoo Tycoon series, an animal can just be plopped into an enclosure. I'd like to suggest the addition of an Animal Center(if it isn't yet added), to function as the center for the acquisition of animals.
Like, if a player likes to acquire a certain animal, they go through the Animal Center & make a request for such an animal. The animal will the arrive there after a period of time before being released into its own enclosure.

What do you guys think?
 

Lelka

Lelka
Idea itself is interesting, and gives some realism to the game. While it means that we need some extra space to adopt any animal, and if it doesn't have some kind of hotkey, we'll have to go to the very spot every time for the request for an animal(it'll definately have hotkey if introduced TBH).
Well, actually, I think it's a bit excessive.
 

Hykelion

Hykelion
There could be 2 options.
1 is like what you said, a hotkey.
2nd option is a Tab. The UI could have a tab for animal acquisition, but the tab remains in-accessible, until the structure is actually built.
 

Lelka

Lelka
That could do the job. Could you tell how the animals would 'come' to the zoo after making the request?
Will they come in the state of which you can casually put the animal directly to the park, or in a crate so you can put the crate to the exhibit and uncrate them?

And well, here am I still think it's a bit too excessive to be a main way to adopt animals. This system kinda reminds me of JPOG and JWE, which you have to hatch individual dinosaurs investing some time. While dinosaur park is in the state of pure dream and imagination, those were 'realistic' and reasonable. The idea you suggested is realistic and I love it. But is it reasonable?

Let's take Planet Coaster for example. In PlanCo when we build a coaster or an attraction with track building(like those magic cat thing), when we select the track part we want, we get the track right away. If we implement the Animal Center feature to the coaster building in PlanCo, it means we'll have to wait for each track to be built before we can proceed to the next part of the track. It can barely be 3 seconds per track, but when it comes to the whole rollercoaster, 'track building time delay' can consume a good couple of minutes or more.

We've already seen in the alpha-state gameplay video where we 'traditionally' put the zookeeper to the park. If we seek ultimate realism, there'd be some tab we can see the applicant, select the one you'd want to hire, and then we still have to wait for the new staff to come to the zoo. But it's not happening(right now at least), why is that? Because while it's at a good pointy tip of realism, it can actually bothers the smooth gameplay, and just make it drag on. There are some time investments that we'd better deliberately ignore and skip. Every hire-your-employee step is one of them, and maybe every step of adopt-your-animal process.

Yet I LOVE your idea, and see the diamond-level sparkling possibility. What I think is that your idea of animal center can make more of a challenge in the game, by rather limit the variety of the animal you can request compared to the ones you can without the center.

I never meant to offend you.
 

Hykelion

Hykelion
The animals would basically arrive at the animal center after a certain amount of time, consider it as the travel time, similar to the incubation period in JWE(Loved the game). Unless the devs incorporate a truck delivery to the animal center, the animal would just be ticked as "now available for release" once the timer runs out.
Concerning the timer, the waiting time depends on the type of animal & its current status.
Example:
-Is it an endangered animal?
-Is it rare?
-How big it is.
-Is it a social animal? or a solitary one?
-Herbivore? or Carnivore?
-Which biome does it live in? etc.
These factors could affect the length of time it takes for it to arrive into your park.
An animal living in the Savannah would be easier to acquire than an animal living in the Jungle.
The timer could just be from less than a minute to 3 minutes or more, the player can then just make him/herself busy making the animals enclosure or working on other aspects of the park while waiting for the timer to run out.

There can be 2 ways to obtain animals.
1. Acquire as a donation. (Possibly by completing challenges/tasks)
2. Acquire thru the Animal Center.

Is it reasonable? Well it depends if players want to acquire an animal in a realistic manner?
or
will players want something quick & easy to acquire, skip the realism. Like "I want this animal & just plop the animal inside an enclosure".

:)
 

Hykelion

Hykelion
Lelka said:
Understood everything but this one...Can you tell me the reason why it'd be?
Click to expand...
Savannah = Lots of open spaces. good field of view & visibility. Easy access for vehicles.
Jungle = Lots of forest cover & trees for the animal to hide itself in. Poor visibility, poor vehicle access, etc.

That's just an example btw.
 

sleepy_sloth

S
Lelka said:
Excuse me for a minute...Where are the animals coming from when we request...? Other zoos, right?
Click to expand...
I really hope that. If the animals are wild caught, i want a refund.

I don't really like the ideal of having an extra building. It reminds me of JWE. I would prefer it if they were delivered in a Box to a zookeeper building.
 

Hykelion

Hykelion
sleepy_sloth said:
I really hope that. If the animals are wild caught, i want a refund.

I don't really like the ideal of having an extra building. It reminds me of JWE.
Click to expand...
Not all will be subject to that.


" I would prefer it if they were delivered in a Box to a zookeeper building."
-Basically 1 of the functions of the Animal Center.
 

Hykelion

Hykelion
Some animals smuggled then rescued sometimes don't do well if returned immediately to the wild, hence some are sent to zoos for rehabilitation, or some other facilities.
Well they don't, not directly at least, afaik.
 

xTo

xTo
I like this idea for the Story/Campaign/Challenge mode. It would give players a good feeling of immersion.
However in a Sandbox mode I wouldn't want this as it would just be a waste of time.
 
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