Summer DLC Speculation 2023

[jcp011c]

I mean, the context here is that large carnivora are in game, as in real life, extremely well represented in zoos because people like big carnivora and they are (often) relatively straight forward to look after in a zoo setting once you have the appropriately secure habitat down. But like along with elephants, giraffes and rhinos they are realistically always gonna be the star attractions.

And Planet Zoo is now running fairly low on larger species (excluding pinnipeds)

Sloth Bear
Spectacled Bear
American Black Bear
Brown Hyena
Sea Otter
Wolverine
Ethiopian Wolf
Jackals
Coyote

And honestly, I don't think we'll get all of those in the game, but the odds of at least 1 carnivora in any given full animal pack are gonna be extremely high.

You are very right about carnivores being among the main attraction in zoos. Once you take out the primates and the Elephant/Giraffe/Hippo/Rhino and maybe the Bison, that's where most of the focus tends to go.

I really like your list, though I'd probably remove the Brown Hyena and add in the Ocelot or Sand Cat, as the almost surely to come feline addition.

Going off the idea that we may only have 3 packs left, getting another canine and another feline seem likely. I'd like to think the same about bears but it has been two years since we got a bear. I really hope so though and that's its the Spectacled Bear.

 

[Bearcat9948]

Rainforests Scenery Pack DLC (April 2024)
1. South American Coati
2. Geoffroy's Spider Monkey
3. Black Howler Monkey
4. Ocelot
5. Amazon Parrots (walkthrough exhibit)

In what way is this any different from the pack we are getting right now? It's basically a strange marriage of the South America pack and the Tropic pack. I also can't think of a building theme that would justify this being a scenery pack.

If they wanted to make a tropical focused, South America focused dlc, just call it the "Amazonia Animals pack" or something.

 

[Nausicaaa 22]

Drylands Animal Pack DLC (July 2023)
1. African Crested Porcupine
2. Hamadryas Baboon
3. Secretary Bird
4. Dromedary Camel
5. Desert Coyote
6. Saiga
7. Pallas's Cat
8. Budgerigars (walkthrough exhibit)


Farmlands Scenery Pack DLC (September 2023)
1. Domestic Donkey
2. West African Dwarf Goat
3. Gloucestershire Old Spot Pig
4. North Ronaldsay Sheep
5. Domestic Rabbits (walkthrough exhibit)


4th Anniversary Animal - African Leopard


Islands Animal Pack DLC (December 2023)
1. Tasmanian Devil
2. North Island Brown Kiwi
3. Matschie's Tree Kangaroo
4. Coquerel’s Sifaka
5. Sumatran Rhinoceros
6. Southern Rockhopper Penguin
7. West Indian Manatee
8. Galápagos Finches / Hummingbirds (walkthrough exhibit)


Rainforests Scenery Pack DLC (April 2024)
1. South American Coati
2. Geoffroy's Spider Monkey
3. Black Howler Monkey
4. Ocelot
5. Amazon Parrots (walkthrough exhibit)


Highlands Animal Pack DLC (July 2024)
1. Wolverine
2. Markhor
3. Wild Yak
4. Spectacled Bear
5. Takin
6. Gelada
7. Ethiopian Wolf
8. Kea (walkthrough exhibit)


Aviary Birds 5th Anniversary Expansion Pack (Winter 2024)
1. Scarlet Macaw
2. Toco Toucan
3. Rhinoceros Hornbill
4. Bald Eagle
5. Golden Eagle
6. Great Horned Owl
7. Griffon Vulture
8. Australian Rainbow Lorikeet


* Frontier ends their support of the game *

I would make the rainforest pack an animals one, and also have 1 eagle instead of 2, but for the rest, is P-e-r-f-e-c-t-i-o-n

 

[Captain Callum]

Drylands Animal Pack DLC (July 2023)
1. African Crested Porcupine
2. Hamadryas Baboon
3. Secretary Bird
4. Dromedary Camel
5. Desert Coyote
6. Saiga
7. Pallas's Cat
8. Budgerigars (walkthrough exhibit)


Farmlands Scenery Pack DLC (September 2023)
1. Domestic Donkey
2. West African Dwarf Goat
3. Gloucestershire Old Spot Pig
4. North Ronaldsay Sheep
5. Domestic Rabbits (walkthrough exhibit)


4th Anniversary Animal - African Leopard


Islands Animal Pack DLC (December 2023)
1. Tasmanian Devil
2. North Island Brown Kiwi
3. Matschie's Tree Kangaroo
4. Coquerel’s Sifaka
5. Sumatran Rhinoceros
6. Southern Rockhopper Penguin
7. West Indian Manatee
8. Galápagos Finches / Hummingbirds (walkthrough exhibit)


Rainforests Scenery Pack DLC (April 2024)
1. South American Coati
2. Geoffroy's Spider Monkey
3. Black Howler Monkey
4. Ocelot
5. Amazon Parrots (walkthrough exhibit)


Highlands Animal Pack DLC (July 2024)
1. Wolverine
2. Markhor
3. Wild Yak
4. Spectacled Bear
5. Takin
6. Gelada
7. Ethiopian Wolf
8. Kea (walkthrough exhibit)


Aviary Birds 5th Anniversary Expansion Pack (Winter 2024)
1. Scarlet Macaw
2. Toco Toucan
3. Rhinoceros Hornbill
4. Bald Eagle
5. Golden Eagle
6. Great Horned Owl
7. Griffon Vulture
8. Australian Rainbow Lorikeet


* Frontier ends their support of the game *

I'm surprised someone chose Scotland's famous seaweed eating sheep as a must for a domestic pack

 

[QueenCinna]

Drylands Animal Pack DLC (July 2023)
1. African Crested Porcupine
2. Hamadryas Baboon
3. Secretary Bird
4. Dromedary Camel
5. Desert Coyote
6. Saiga
7. Pallas's Cat
8. Budgerigars (walkthrough exhibit)


Farmlands Scenery Pack DLC (September 2023)
1. Domestic Donkey
2. West African Dwarf Goat
3. Gloucestershire Old Spot Pig
4. North Ronaldsay Sheep
5. Domestic Rabbits (walkthrough exhibit)


4th Anniversary Animal - African Leopard


Islands Animal Pack DLC (December 2023)
1. Tasmanian Devil
2. North Island Brown Kiwi
3. Matschie's Tree Kangaroo
4. Coquerel’s Sifaka
5. Sumatran Rhinoceros
6. Southern Rockhopper Penguin
7. West Indian Manatee
8. Galápagos Finches / Hummingbirds (walkthrough exhibit)


Rainforests Scenery Pack DLC (April 2024)
1. South American Coati
2. Geoffroy's Spider Monkey
3. Black Howler Monkey
4. Ocelot
5. Amazon Parrots (walkthrough exhibit)


Highlands Animal Pack DLC (July 2024)
1. Wolverine
2. Markhor
3. Wild Yak
4. Spectacled Bear
5. Takin
6. Gelada
7. Ethiopian Wolf
8. Kea (walkthrough exhibit)


Aviary Birds 5th Anniversary Expansion Pack (Winter 2024)
1. Scarlet Macaw
2. Toco Toucan
3. Rhinoceros Hornbill
4. Bald Eagle
5. Golden Eagle
6. Great Horned Owl
7. Griffon Vulture
8. Australian Rainbow Lorikeet


* Frontier ends their support of the game *

I like this line up.

 

[Alexjh]

But they don't.

In many languages, coyotes got 'wolf' in their name. That is not going to be popular, and a lot of Americans themselves seem to dislike getting ''backyard animals''.
Jackals (of any type) are barely relevant within the zoo world and don't look that unique compared to what we got already.
Besides the look of it, the raccoon dog covers a lot of the same niches as the red fox does, both even got funky colors in captivity because of fur farms.
Almost anything else with fox (bat-eared being the potential exception) or wolf in its name is going to be very similar to what we got already.

Bush Dogs I can see how might bring something different to the table. But still less than a lot of other carnivorans.

I mean I feel overall at this point I suspect wolverine has gotta be top carnivora candidate right now when you put distinctiveness, fame etc. Probably coati after that.

After that though the choices become a bunch less clear; and I'd say a 3rd hyena is unlikely, there are only maybe 3 plausible cats (ocelot, serval, pallas cat), any of the 3 bears and a couple of mustelids and viverids.

Jackal, raccoon dog and coyote have some good name recognition, bush dog some distinctiveness among most remaining options

 

[biggest_dreamer]

There’s whole list of canids I’d love to see if support continues for long enough (tanuki, bush dog, bat-eared fox, black-backed jackal, coyote, red wolf, gray fox) but I think that any additional cat we might get at this point adds more than any dog would. We’ve got most of the most common and versatile canids in game, and far more than most zoos would keep at the same time, but we are still sorely lacking in small cats. Ocelot, serval, sand, fishing, and Pallas’s would all add more to the game than any canid in my eyes. I’d even include the common genet as a second not-quite-cat in the vein of the fossa in that group as well.

 

[SalamAnders]

I mean I feel overall at this point I suspect wolverine has gotta be top carnivora candidate right now when you put distinctiveness, fame etc. Probably coati after that.

After that though the choices become a bunch less clear; and I'd say a 3rd hyena is unlikely, there are only maybe 3 plausible cats (ocelot, serval, pallas cat), any of the 3 bears and a couple of mustelids and viverids.

Jackal, raccoon dog and coyote have some good name recognition, bush dog some distinctiveness among most remaining options

A marten, sea otter, second mongoose or wolverine is much more valuable than yet another dog.

But that there need to be carnivores in every pack is a rule Frontier has forced upon themselves. They can just stop. Then they won't run out of options, "forcing" them to include more dogs.

There are no good arguments to include more canines other than personal preference, if you ask me.

 

[FoxyDee]

Even if I love dogs, the only carnivore I feel is a must have at this point is the Coati and perhaps a Wolverine because it is so popular.

 

[sf2rock]

In what way is this any different from the pack we are getting right now? It's basically a strange marriage of the South America pack and the Tropic pack. I also can't think of a building theme that would justify this being a scenery pack.

If they wanted to make a tropical focused, South America focused dlc, just call it the "Amazonia Animals pack" or something.

A lot of these animals are also in central america so the architecture could reflect that and would still represent enough distinctiveness from the scenery we had in the original south american pack. For example, we have no mexican architecture for example. Also, the spider monkey, white nosed coati and some amazon parrot species live exclusively in central american and mexican rainforest.

Nonetheless, South America is a big continent with a large variety of architectural styles. Just like we have had about three scenery packs with asian architecture now. They may go ahead and call it amazonia, but there is no precedent for this type of naming convention so unsure about its likelihood.

 

[Captain Callum]

A lot of these animals are also in central america so the architecture could reflect that and would still represent enough distinctiveness from the scenery we had in the original south american pack. For example, we have no Aztec or Mayan architecture for example. And in fact, the spider monkey species mentioned does not even live in the amazon.

Nonetheless, South America is a big continent with a large variety of architectural styles. Just like we have had about three scenery packs with asian architecture now. They may go ahead and call it amazonia, but there is no precedent for this type of naming convention so unsure about its likelihood.

Isn't the temple pieces and golden wall pieces themed after Mesoamerican architecture? That was one of the major appeals of the south American scenery pack , which was confusing since that's more associated with central America than south America

 

[Pentoleaf]

Drylands Animal Pack DLC (July 2023)
1. African Crested Porcupine
2. Hamadryas Baboon
3. Secretary Bird
4. Dromedary Camel
5. Desert Coyote
6. Saiga
7. Pallas's Cat
8. Budgerigars

Best pack. Facts.

 

[sf2rock]

Isn't the temple pieces and golden wall pieces themed after Mesoamerican architecture? That was one of the major appeals of the south American scenery pack , which was confusing since that's more associated with central America than south America

Exactly, they are often confusing the two. I'm just trying to find a way to get these new world monkeys into the game!

 

[sf2rock]

I'm surprised someone chose Scotland's famous seaweed eating sheep as a must for a domestic pack

Haha agreed a more common sheep breed would probably make more sense!

 

[Pentoleaf]

Treetops pack -
Spider monkey
Howler monkey
Colobus monkey
Ocelot
Tree kangaroo
North American porcupine
North American black bear
WE - some type of bird

Update - more trees, glass path

 

[Marvinb]

Im sure well get more carnivorans eventually and there are still a couple that id like seeing:
-Coati
-Wolverine
-a small cat or two aka pallas, sand, margay
-Honey badger

But i agree that more wolf or tiger subspecies are something that i wouldnt be happy about

 

[NZFanatic]

that's more associated with central America than south America

Which is in itself weird. Every species in the pack is a South American animal, and the scenery set is mostly themed after Incan archtecture, and they were a South American empire.

 

[Captain Callum]

Which is in itself weird. Every species in the pack is a South American animal, and the scenery set is mostly themed after Incan archtecture, and they were a South American empire.

Ah Incan architecture, yeah that makes sense. I thought it was more Mayan

 

[NZFanatic]

Ah Incan architecture, yeah that makes sense. I thought it was more Mayan

I can see that, but ultimately a lot of Mesoamerican archtecture is, on a surface level, pretty similar. Really, though, the theme is "jungle temple" with no specific culture associated with it, more theme-parky than zoo. The newer sets tend to be more culturally accurate.

 

[NZFanatic]

On the topic of animal groups, the most widely represented groups in zoos, excluding birds, would be:

• Ungulates.
• Carnivores.
• Primates (mostly monkeys).

Frankly I don't really believe in 'over-representation' in game terms. Beyond those three groups there isn't a huge amount to cover anyway, so bring them on I say.

You know, as long as Frontier stops utterly shafting us with regards to monkeys.