What did you do in Planet Zoo today?

Frabchise zoos are tricky, as you have to care for things a normal zoo would not. For example, you tend to build habitats that are viewable from every angle. Real zoos tend to avoid "cross views", meaning they try to make sure you don't see guests from the other side of the habitat and are more emerged in looking at the animals.

In franchise, guests start to complain fast when they can not see an animal at every given time, so your builds are best for franchise, but give the feel of being "unnatural" when it comes to real zoos. So - not your fault, the games fault. :)

And with your building skills: You'll get there. Often it's minor details that can make a bit difference already. Like, putting mulch under trees instead of terraint paint, including an exhibit into a building, set the damned grid to s smaller scale when doing roofs etc.
That's a very good point that you make, as well as the game's limitations. I do purposefully try to make most of my habitat fairly viewable all around the habitat, and have thought about changing that up some. I just never realized that's probably a good reason it doesn't look as natural as other zoos I see. Something to think on for the next Franchise, I think I'm too far into this one to change that up totally, though I can implement it in some aspects as I expand.
 
Quick update today with the last modification to the European section in my Zarpa zoo. Gone are the giant otters and in are the beavers! This was an easy change, I just made it less tropical:

20211030202503_1.jpg

After:
20211031170017_1.jpg


Now I'm ready to start the 4th area in Zarpa, which is going to be Asia. Stay tuned!
 
That's a very good point that you make, as well as the game's limitations. I do purposefully try to make most of my habitat fairly viewable all around the habitat, and have thought about changing that up some. I just never realized that's probably a good reason it doesn't look as natural as other zoos I see. Something to think on for the next Franchise, I think I'm too far into this one to change that up totally, though I can implement it in some aspects as I expand.
And I have to say that your zoo does remind me of old fashioned zoos! They would have lots of circular habitats that guests could walk around and view from all angles. So if you view it that way, it's realistic right? :)

The naturalistic zoos are a modern take, where people want to view the animal in as natural a habitat as possible. And then there are the highly themed zoos, that aren't naturalistic per se, but very immersive regardless. An example for me would be the camel and donkey habitat in Wildlands zoo in Emmen, which is centered around 'derailed train in a desert'. Or the baboon amphitheater in that same zoo. While a naturalistic habitat would be the otter habitat in Burger's zoo in Arnhem, where you can see otters in an actual rainforest.

I like to do naturalistic habitats or themed habitats. I'm not so great at it, but I keep trying and improving :) My biggest flaw is that I tend to make habitats too huge.
 
Today i finally could play a bit again and put some work into my new zoo, even though most of it was taken by a rather unspectacular but very fiddely little thing, that you will see in a second.
As you can see, the subjects of todays care where the prariedogs, cute little things fitting to be next to the bisons. Getting their habitat ready was quite the little headache though, as both the pathing and the terrain tolls gave me a really hard time to not make the path look like the bumpiest "road" on the planet. I wanted to decorate it aswell, but i honestly just got to tired to do that, so we will see when i do.
prariedogs.jpeg


But the real pain and bane of my excistance was this little hud. I rebuild their shelter 8 times, till i gave up and went for an easier shape, which is what your seeing now. The leftover space was then used for a little quarantine/retreat enclosure, which i thought was a cute little idear and good way to use that space.
prariedogs 2.jpeg


Also from last time, the Bisonstable from the outside. I was quite okay with it, but the more i look at it i think "meh, this needs something", so if you have any idear or just want me to tell you that it allready looks gorgeous, im all for it.
prariedogs 3.jpeg
 
@KönigDerKaffeebohnen - It all already looks gorgeous! Though take my own skills into account so take it with a grain of salt. I really love the wall by the way.

And since my back seems to be doing alright - yay - I'm going to start a new franchise, with the idea that's been suggested and so many already do, focus on trying to make the habitats not surrounded by pathways - two sides at most if I can stick to it. Now I just have to figure out what region and biome.
 
Finished the buffalo habitats, and am pleased to say that my cows are pregnant with bull 1! Their area is now lush and rocky.
TfJOw2Z.png


And decided to fill up the leftover space underneath the rocks with a babirusa habitat. I love how it came together!
I got my idea for the rocky hillside from watching @Leaf Productions 's videos on youtube. He recently used a lot of rocks and made it look so easy that I thought... I want to do that too. So here's a first effort :)
oH4teqF.png


Slowly creeping towards the future Land of Giants in the distance...!
5YuukA1.png


Now I'll start working on a small food court, and habitats for cassowaries and dwarf hippos. So, buffalos + babirusas + cassowaries + dwarf hippos. Anything else to add to the tropical section? Oh wait yes, asking the question is answering it: reptiles and amphibians! Wow, I came up with the answer while writing this down hahah.

The small Tropical food court is done. Also, you can now really see how high the hilly trail is...! Imagine running up there. I'm out of breath just thinking about it, haha.

4375CcU.png


The pygmy hippo habitat is finished. There will be an underwater viewing area, topped by an above-water viewing platform. I really like how this habitat came out. It looks so green! These little hippos have super high foliage tolerance, which is great.

EDC8n0I.png


And last but not least: the tropical area so far, and what you have to look forward to :)
Buffalos on the left (I said they were done... but I feel like I want to place more foliage. I'm kinda surprised their foliage tolerance is so low).
Babirusas in the center, left of the small tropical food court. Dwarf hippos on the right of the food court.
Gharials will go next to the hippos, and will share the underwater and above water viewing areas.
The hippo and gharial viewing areas will be conjoined with a reptile and amphibian house. Here I will put 3 frogs, 2 iguanas, 2 snakes, and the Galapagos giant tortoise.
Cassowaries will be placed between the foot of the hilly trail and the large plaza next to the elephant boat ride. I'll place their enrichment on the plaza side, because the hilly trail does not lend itself well to guests stopping to watch some dino birds. It will get clogged in no time.
Now I need to think of a way to keep guests out of the negative impact radius of the water cleaning facility...

Di4uGzh.png


Ps. I love sharing this here! It's a big motivator to continue going :D

----
"New Zealand Getaway Zoo". My main challenges will be:
  • Building elephant habitats (never built for them before) and obtaining the elephant reward (breeding both species in one zoo).
  • Building an elephant boat ride (never done a boat ride before).
  • Deciding on zoo sections and how to make use of the terrain.
    • entrance area
    • tropical area
    • land of giants
    • hilltop area
  • Multiple viewing angles from all around the zoo.
  • Cool panoramashots.
  • A hilly trail that looks down over the zoo, making a beautiful view from both the top and the bottom of the zoo.
 
Still loving the stadiums - built my biggest yet (8 sections) and with all of the special anniversary balloons - just great - please can we keep these balloons and more after the weekend - they are sooooo great - thanks Frontier for the pleasant update - still need more transport options - then the game will be trifecta perfecter:ROFLMAO:
20211105091144_1re.jpg
 
I don't even recognize the pieces because that looks so emerging @random goat
Ouch, I just realized one of the columns is a bit off D:
Do you mean the pieces to make the arches? I can confirm this evening but it's a flexicolor ornament from the Asia building set that represents a fish? Or was it a dragon? Can't remember but it comes in red and orange by default.
@random goat. Wow you are so talented! I hope you will upload this zoo one day. I would love to check it out!
Thanks! Hopefully I'll upload it in 2 years :D
 
Ouch, I just realized one of the columns is a bit off D:
Do you mean the pieces to make the arches? I can confirm this evening but it's a flexicolor ornament from the Asia building set that represents a fish? Or was it a dragon? Can't remember but it comes in red and orange by default.

Thanks! Hopefully I'll upload it in 2 years :D
Do you play in english? If so, and if you have time later, I'd really appreciate the name of the piece. But I'll look for it myself as well. I must never have seen it or I just cant wraop my head around how you made the arches with it....
 
Do you play in english? If so, and if you have time later, I'd really appreciate the name of the piece. But I'll look for it myself as well. I must never have seen it or I just cant wraop my head around how you made the arches with it....
I managed to check it during a mini-break.
It's the East Asia Roof Topper 01. I used the mud pillar technique to make the round shape using the surface of that piece to create the jagged pattern.
 
Back
Top Bottom