The Odd Tale of the Lord Howe Island Stick Insect

[Mjmannella]

There has been quite a bit of development regarding everyone's new favourite exhibit animal: the Lord Howe Island stick insect that I think is worth telling because it's in such an odd position.

The original hoopla began in Q4 of 2021. Datamining showed that there were codenames for prop signs corresponding to this species. This would ultimately spark the purpose behind several concepts for Oceania Animal Packs or general Island Packs (and sometimes even Conservation Packs).

However, earlier in March a bunch of concept art by Gerald Fitzgerald dropped, one such image being of this, which just so happens to have our Lord Howe smoking gun!

Specifically present in signs 21, 23, 26, 27, and 33.

This is a pretty clear sign that the animal was cut from the Australia Pack for whatever reason, leaving the Eastern blue-tongued lizard as the pack's only Exhibit Animal. This would ultimately seal the fate of the stick insect as nothing more than cut material from the game, not to be considered for the future.

But if you check the Artstation page now, you'll find that this image is missing! In its place is a bunch of concept art from the South America Pack. Unfortunately this url wasn't archived, so it can't be directly verified by the Wayback machine. Luckily, the concept art has been preserved by PZ fans to ensure it won't be lost media.

Does the stick insect live? Who knows! Time will tell to see what the future holds for this enigmatic arthropod.

 

[biggest_dreamer]

Thank you for this. I've seen people continue to think that the stick insect is all but guaranteed to appear in upcoming DLC, especially since it was found alongside the capybara which we now have. Hopefully having all the info in a consolidated place will help people realize that absolutely nothing is guaranteed with this thing.

 

[AlexSea]

A pretty curious case indeed. I wouldn't mind getting this guy in the future. Anything to save us from the onslaught of exhibit amphibians we've been getting lately lol.

 

[NZFanatic]

ultimately seal the fate of the stick insect as nothing more than cut material from the game, not to be considered for the future.

That's a bold statement based on what...? The capybara signs were also considered to be scrapped content, yet the capybara still made it into the game at a later point. Assuming they still have some assets in the files for the LHI stick insect, it's likely it will come eventually.

 

[Bearcat9948]

That's a bold statement based on what...? The capybara signs were also considered to be scrapped content, yet the capybara still made it into the game at a later point. Assuming they still have some assets in the files for the LHI stick insect, it's likely it will come eventually.

I think the logic is coming from the fact that we have files and official concept art of the actual signs (quite a few of them) as well as official concepts and renderings from the artist that made the skink, and would have made the stick insect.

We now have capybara signs, and those are in the style of the Aquatic pack, but this could be because it always was in this style and the other signs were made in a similar way to provide cohesiveness, or it's simply because those are generally the most popular style of animal signs and people keep asking for that style. If we had more concept art released for the Aquatic pack, that would help us a lot with this theory.

The fact that we publicly talked about finding this concept art and it was then removed from the artist's ArtStation could mean absolutely nothing, or it could mean an Islands of Oceania pack is coming.

The one thing is that I doubt an Islands pack would have the same style signs as the Australia pack, meaning they wouldn't be able to reuse those assets.

Personally I would venture to say it's more likely we won't see the insect because it isn't like people really want it, unlike the capybara, and we also ended up getting a leaf insect not much longer after.

 

[yoav_r]

I think the logic is coming from the fact that we have files and official concept art of the actual signs (quite a few of them) as well as official concepts and renderings from the artist that made the skink, and would have made the stick insect.

We now have capybara signs, and those are in the style of the Aquatic pack, but this could be because it always was in this style and the other signs were made in a similar way to provide cohesiveness, or it's simply because those are generally the most popular style of animal signs and people keep asking for that style. If we had more concept art released for the Aquatic pack, that would help us a lot with this theory.

The fact that we publicly talked about finding this concept art and it was then removed from the artist's ArtStation could mean absolutely nothing, or it could mean an Islands of Oceania pack is coming.

The one thing is that I doubt an Islands pack would have the same style signs as the Australia pack, meaning they wouldn't be able to reuse those assets.

Personally I would venture to say it's more likely we won't see the insect because it isn't like people really want it, unlike the capybara, and we also ended up getting a leaf insect not much longer after.

My personal theory, based on the circular sign concept with the australia pack animals and the stick insect, is that earlier in development each pack was supposed to come with 2 exhibit animals, but covid screwed it for the first year, and after that they had to keep the 'new' format, as to not devalue the older packs (The price of the packs is constant and likely important for marketing).

 

[coatifan]

We now have capybara signs, and those are in the style of the Aquatic pack

Not really. The aquatic style has a color-blocked, cartoony style, whereas the wetlands pack signs are very painterly. They're similar but share several stylistic differences.

 

[Antimony96]

Most likely a cut element, albeit one that might have inspired the leaf insect in the Southeast Asia animal pack.

 

[Antimony96]

A pretty curious case indeed. I wouldn't mind getting this guy in the future. Anything to save us from the onslaught of exhibit amphibians we've been getting lately lol.

We haven't gotten a reptile since the diamondback terrapin in the Aquatic pack.

 

[NZFanatic]

The one thing is that I doubt an Islands pack would have the same style signs as the Australia pack,

No, but an Oceania Pack probably would.

I don't even want the LHI stick insect, to be honest; if we're getting a giant Australian stick insect the goliath is much more common in zoos (and in the pet trade), and if we get an Oceania Pack I'd much rather the tuatara made it in. I just don't like the notion of absolutes, especially here where nothing is ever confirmed or not until it's right in front of us.

 

[AlexSea]

We haven't gotten a reptile since the diamondback terrapin in the Aquatic pack.

It's a shame too, since reptiles arguably have the greatest range of possible inclusions out of the exhibit animal clades. I could easily list 10 exhibit reptiles I want to see. I couldn't do the same with invertebrates or amphibians.

 

[Humble Bumble]

With the artwork the LHI looks to have gotten all the way to final production, when someone in final approval went 'Aggh a bug' and it got flicked out. or it was decided that two exhibit animals in a DLC was too much value for customers money and one had to go.

Will it see the light of day. Possibly but for example in an Oceania pack i would hope that the exhibit would be something fully aquatic since you know OCEANia, like an octopus or something unique like the Thorny Devil.

Endangered pack - again the Mountain Chicken would be a better pick
Endemic species pack - ?
Islands pack - same as above though

Anniversary freebie - maybe it's best hope if not nixed completely.

 

[Firestar97]

The old Versions of the Signs look so nice. I wish we would have all of them

Possibly but for example in an Oceania pack i would hope that the exhibit would be something fully aquatic since you know OCEANia, like an octopus

A Blue ringed Octopus would be nice as a fully aquatic australian Animal(I think they only show their blue Rings when they feel threatened though, so they would need to come up with a Solution for this). I do also really want some fully aquatic Animals. So many Zoos have Fish and we don't have a single Fish or other aquatic Animal yet.
Would also like the Frill necked Lizard though. It's a Shame there might never be a Pack with 2 Exhibit Animals (also want both the Tuatara and the Giant Weta if we'll ever get a New Zealand Pack)

Endangered pack - again the Mountain Chicken would be a better pick
Endemic species pack - ?
Islands pack - same as above though

Anniversary freebie - maybe it's best hope if not nixed completely.

As I wrote in a Thread about Biome Packs, the Inclusion in a Mountain Pack might also be a Possibility due to Ball's Pyramid, the Island where the Species was discovered. It's basically a big Mountain with a few Trees and Shrubs