What do you want to do in Planet Zoo

[Fini]

I have this really stupid idea of building a zoo with all the animals. I've been thinking about it for weeks now and wondering if I would go through with such a project.
Probably not, knowing myself, but it doesn't really matter as long as I have fun with it.

I just can't really decide HOW I want to design this zoo. There are several options, all of which I think are pretty cool.

1. A hexagonal zoo. Each hexagon will have one type of animal. The shape will probably make the building style very modern with white walls, green facades and I don't know if the term "sponge city" means anything to you. Climate change is forcing many cities to do more to combat flooding, sponge cities drain the water better, it flows into huge reservoirs or can evaporate on deeper areas. I was thinking of this kind of zoo.

2. A zoo in the Zoo Tycoon 1 style. I don't think I need to say much about that. The only question that remains for me is how to divide it up, by continent or biom?

3. Zootopia.

At the moment I'm most interested in option 1 or 2. But I can't decide. Any tips?

 

[Swjosdotschka]

I have this really stupid idea of building a zoo with all the animals. I've been thinking about it for weeks now and wondering if I would go through with such a project.
Probably not, knowing myself, but it doesn't really matter as long as I have fun with it.

My tip: Scrap the idea. Your PC, even if it is the best in the world, will go up into flames, even if you cut back on building and just put animals in.
I too plan to use every animal in the game, but I will do so with several projects. Over 150 animals isn't healthy for any machine or human being...

 

[FlameWizard492]

Once the final pack comes out, I plan on making a zoo dedicated to its assets. However, once I’m done with that one, I plan on making a sort of “tribute zoo” that features smaller themed areas dedicated to the base game and each DLC. It’d be to display how far we’ve come with the game.

 

[Milurian]

My tip: Scrap the idea. Your PC, even if it is the best in the world, will go up into flames, even if you cut back on building and just put animals in.
I too plan to use every animal in the game, but I will do so with several projects. Over 150 animals isn't healthy for any machine or human being...

You can do it but it aint healthy for any one human being.
The furthest I have gotten is like 75% of the way there with only only reason I gave up was because I got bored not lag

I have this really stupid idea of building a zoo with all the animals. I've been thinking about it for weeks now and wondering if I would go through with such a project.
Probably not, knowing myself, but it doesn't really matter as long as I have fun with it.

I just can't really decide HOW I want to design this zoo. There are several options, all of which I think are pretty cool.

I hate to break it to you but you have a single option when it comes to an all animal zoo. You have to build as small a possible for as few animals as possible even looking at the bare minimum thats 300 animals and 100,000m2 of space and if you playing in franchise or challenge your looking at close to 5000 guests minimum.
So all those ideas you were planning likely wont work without lagging your computer to death halfway through.

 

[Swjosdotschka]

However, once I’m done with that one, I plan on making a sort of “tribute zoo” that features smaller themed areas dedicated to the base game and each DLC. It’d be to display how far we’ve come with the game.

That idea sounds super interesting. Would love to hear more once you planned everything. Which animals you use, if you choose the areas based on when we got which DLC or if you group it, how you mark the areas etc.
Honestly reminds me of Jontis (Geekism) LOve Letter to Planet Coaster, which I love as well.

 

[Tinou97]

I have this really stupid idea of building a zoo with all the animals. I've been thinking about it for weeks now and wondering if I would go through with such a project.
Probably not, knowing myself, but it doesn't really matter as long as I have fun with it.

I just can't really decide HOW I want to design this zoo. There are several options, all of which I think are pretty cool.

1. A hexagonal zoo. Each hexagon will have one type of animal. The shape will probably make the building style very modern with white walls, green facades and I don't know if the term "sponge city" means anything to you. Climate change is forcing many cities to do more to combat flooding, sponge cities drain the water better, it flows into huge reservoirs or can evaporate on deeper areas. I was thinking of this kind of zoo.
View attachment 399818View attachment 399819
2. A zoo in the Zoo Tycoon 1 style. I don't think I need to say much about that. The only question that remains for me is how to divide it up, by continent or biom?
View attachment 399820View attachment 399821View attachment 399825
3. Zootopia.
View attachment 399823View attachment 399824
At the moment I'm most interested in option 1 or 2. But I can't decide. Any tips?

Are you another version of myself??? I had all the same ideas (except for the Zoo Tycoon 1-like park). I'm obsessed with the idea of creating a park with all the in-game species (+ mods because why make it only complicated when you can make it impossible ).
I've also tried several times to build a very modern zoo just like you describe here but the result was never good enough for me and I ended up stopping. But I wish you to make it through. The Zootopia idea came to my mind several time but I never did it because it would mean that the different parts of the park are divided according to biomes and I'm a fan of the division by continent.
Another brilliant idea I had (sarcastic) was to create a flotaing (by using diorama mode) "donut"-shaped zoo with all the continents following one after another and a monorail running high above them, connecting 10-12 stations across the circle. I still love this idea but you have to play a lot with the relief of the terrain and my computer don't appreciate that very much.

As others say, it is impossible to have a lot of individuals for all the in-game species at the same time, your computer will probably crash. What I plan to do in my own park is to remove the animals each time I finish a small area. I'll try never to have more than 30-40 animals at a time, bearing in mind that I'm planning to fill my park with a lot of scenery (I'm expecting to cover the full map). This project will take me years to complete but for the moment I'm in peace with this idea. Maybe I shouldn't because I'm not sure it's possible to do.

 

[Tinou97]

I hate to break it to you but you have a single option when it comes to an all animal zoo. You have to build as small a possible for as few animals as possible even looking at the bare minimum thats 300 animals and 100,000m2 of space and if you playing in franchise or challenge your looking at close to 5000 guests minimum.
So all those ideas you were planning likely wont work without lagging your computer to death halfway through.

Wouldn't it be possible to cover nearly the full map in sand mode by not having any guest, not doing much ground relief, having only a few animals at a time and removing them every time you're done with a part of the park? I know in the past that I was able to cover 300.000-400.000 m² before starting to lag. And I did that while putting a lot of water (like, A LOT), building absolute montains and having more than 450 habitat animals (including an enclosure with 60 King Penguins, a nightmare).

 

[Captain Callum]

Wouldn't it be possible to cover nearly the full map in sand mode by not having any guest, not doing much ground relief, having only a few animals at a time and removing them every time you're done with a part of the park? I know in the past that I was able to cover 300.000-400.000 m² before starting to lag. And I did that while putting a lot of water (like, A LOT), building absolute montains and having more than 450 habitat animals (including an enclosure with 60 King Penguins, a nightmare).

Yes it's possible, the people who say you can't most likely haven't actually built a zoo this size. When you remove guests, the majority of animals, and removing climbing on foliage that isn't a climbing frame, the game can still run above 30fps on a zoo that takes up the majority of the map. Even my San Diego zoo recreation that takes up half the map with 30 metre deep canyons runs at 40-50 fps without any animals.

 

[Tinou97]

Yes it's possible, the people who say you can't most likely haven't actually built a zoo this size. When you remove guests, the majority of animals, and removing climbing on foliage that isn't a climbing frame, the game can still run above 30fps on a zoo that takes up the majority of the map. Even my San Diego zoo recreation that takes up half the map with 30 metre deep canyons runs at 40-50 fps without any animals.

Thanks for the answer. It motivates me to continue

 

[Milurian]

Wouldn't it be possible to cover nearly the full map in sand mode by not having any guest, not doing much ground relief, having only a few animals at a time and removing them every time you're done with a part of the park? I know in the past that I was able to cover 300.000-400.000 m² before starting to lag. And I did that while putting a lot of water (like, A LOT), building absolute montains and having more than 450 habitat animals (including an enclosure with 60 King Penguins, a nightmare).

Yes it's possible, the people who say you can't most likely haven't actually built a zoo this size. When you remove guests, the majority of animals, and removing climbing on foliage that isn't a climbing frame, the game can still run above 30fps on a zoo that takes up the majority of the map. Even my San Diego zoo recreation that takes up half the map with 30 metre deep canyons runs at 40-50 fps without any animals.

I mean yeah if you completely remove both guests and animals you can build whatever you want without much lag. The second you add animals in it will start to lag because then all the pathfinding has to happen.
The biggest causes of lag in order are guests - animals - staff/pathing - climbing items - water and terrain. Most parks even with guest turned off simply having 200 animals in the park will cause large amounts of lag. I say this as someone who has gotten fairly far in all animal zoos with my highest being every animal up to the europe pack in about a third of the map space before lag became an issue. Also I have never successfully had a zoo be over half the map in size without massive lag issues even without guests.

 

[Tinou97]

I mean yeah if you completely remove both guests and animals you can build whatever you want without much lag. The second you add animals in it will start to lag because then all the pathfinding has to happen.
The biggest causes of lag in order are guests - animals - staff/pathing - climbing items - water and terrain. Most parks even with guest turned off simply having 200 animals in the park will cause large amounts of lag. I say this as someone who has gotten fairly far in all animal zoos with my highest being every animal up to the europe pack in about a third of the map space before lag became an issue. Also I have never successfully had a zoo be over half the map in size without massive lag issues even without guests.

I know it's possible to select climbing items and chose if animals can climb or not but I don't know if it can help a lot (and of course it's less fun).

 

[Milurian]

I know it's possible to select climbing items and chose if animals can climb or not but I don't know if it can help a lot (and of course it's less fun).

i have had it double my frame count before so yes it is very much worthwhile especially in areas where there are no climbing animals

 

[Fini]

I honestly don't care if my PC melts, I'm really excited about a project like this.
And even if it will probably fail, that's no reason for me to just have fun with it and see how far I can get before my PC goes up in flames.
Somtimes I think some people have forgotten that you can just have fun with the game, like the way it is. Let's see what my PC can do

 

[RightWhale]

Yes it's possible, the people who say you can't most likely haven't actually built a zoo this size. When you remove guests, the majority of animals, and removing climbing on foliage that isn't a climbing frame, the game can still run above 30fps on a zoo that takes up the majority of the map. Even my San Diego zoo recreation that takes up half the map with 30 metre deep canyons runs at 40-50 fps without any animals.

So what you’re saying is I can basically make a giant empty Minecraft world and then Planet Zoo will be optimized?

 

[Aramar]

I had some space left next to the bisons, so I moved there the prairie dogs from the entrance since they fit better in this North American part of the park:

Edit: wrong thread, sorry.

 

[KoenZoo]

After a long time no playing, but still checking almost daily what others are building, looking into starting again.

Want to begin a new zoo, but this a small zoo with no big exhibits, but more the smaller species, to give it more the feeling of a small local zoo. Want to do a realistic one so with a parking lot, bus stop and an entrance with shops.

Not sure yet only on how to make the zoo itself. Species still not decided and also not sure on if I want to build in themes or just random order of exhibits. What do you think? Any animals which should always be present in a small local zoo (will be a zoo in The Netherlands, Europe)?

 

[Marvinb]

After a long time no playing, but still checking almost daily what others are building, looking into starting again.

Want to begin a new zoo, but this a small zoo with no big exhibits, but more the smaller species, to give it more the feeling of a small local zoo. Want to do a realistic one so with a parking lot, bus stop and an entrance with shops.

Not sure yet only on how to make the zoo itself. Species still not decided and also not sure on if I want to build in themes or just random order of exhibits. What do you think? Any animals which should always be present in a small local zoo (will be a zoo in The Netherlands, Europe)?

Raccoon, wallaby, emu, meercat, porcupine, capuchin, ring tailed lemur and alpaka would be a great starting roster for a small zoo imo

 

[KoenZoo]

Thanks! I was already thinking about raccoons, because here it is illegal to keep them/breed with them (since they are an exotic species). Only when they are catched here they can go to shelters or zoos, so I want to use that as the background story how they ended up in the zoo.

Meerkats indeed as well, think these are an easy attriction for kids.

As for monkeys I want to do something like TheYeti did (https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threads/taman-safari-hutan.546215/post-9867353). On one side +- three inside exhibits (with outside exhibits attached) and on the other side some small aquariums and exhbits with reptiles.

 

[KönigDerKaffeebohnen]

Thanks! I was already thinking about raccoons, because here it is illegal to keep them/breed with them (since they are an exotic species). Only when they are catched here they can go to shelters or zoos, so I want to use that as the background story how they ended up in the zoo.

Meerkats indeed as well, think these are an easy attriction for kids.

As for monkeys I want to do something like TheYeti did (https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threads/taman-safari-hutan.546215/post-9867353). On one side +- three inside exhibits (with outside exhibits attached) and on the other side some small aquariums and exhbits with reptiles.

Another good choice would be free roaming peafowl. I swear i have never been in a small zoo without them, happens when they cost like 20 bucks, are easy to keep and regulary popular additions and often the most colorfull thing these parks have to offer

 

[Xrystal]

Another good choice would be free roaming peafowl. I swear i have never been in a small zoo without them, happens when they cost like 20 bucks, are easy to keep and regulary popular additions and often the most colorfull thing these parks have to offer

I simulate a free roaming peafowl collection by creating a long pathing habitat that the guests walk through and event eat in, as if it was outside area. Not perfect but works. One zoo I even made it easier by having multiple smaller habitats like this connected by guest gates but allows each habitat in its staff to manage them.