What do you want to see in any PZ2?

[Roxxsmom]

I definitely agree with yoav_r's list.

I'd also add more unique personality traits (or combinations of traits) for individual employees too, perhaps. Maybe have some train up faster, or have genuine differences in how hard they work or in their problem solving ability. Or maybe I am just frustrated by how uniformly dumb the AI for the workers is right now. So maybe just smarter workers overall.

I mentioned somewhere else that I'd like to see more customization potential for soil and grass and rock coverage types within each biome.

I agree it would be nice to have seasons of a sort that last longer than the weather events we get in the game now. I know it's not going to be a perfectly realistic approach that matches the calendar dates, since years need to pass pretty quickly in the game, and there will always be that disconnect between animal and guest behaviors and the passage of meta time. But maybe they could have longer weather cycles (or make them toggleable), so one can do things like move animals to winter/summer quarters, bring them inside when it's cold, and so on. And have the staff preferentially fill the feeders that are in the climate-controlled areas of their habitat when the weather is extreme, so your poor lions aren't eating outside in a snowstorm!

More control over plant colors, including foliage. Would be nice if you could select a seasonal "look" for a tree or shrub, for instance, or have more choices of flower color for more plants.

 

[Frobacca]

Instead of the laser-like focus on breeding, and cleaning up trash, and animal sensitivity, and matching plants to their home regions, focus more on what's required to take care of zoo animals.

All of these things are a major part of zoo life and, IMO, shouldn't just be overlooked.

A lot of zoo participate in some sort of SSP where breeding the species is a pretty big part. Although it would be nice to rework this so that people aren't just mass breeding for he money/credits

Animal Sensitive and matching plants is taking care of zoo animals, It actually takes a lot of research on what you can put into a habitat, loads of things can be toxic, some by just being around and other by eating (depending on the animal you could risk it and just monitor to make sure they aren't eating. but RISK). Animal sensitivity I take as being directly related to the welfare of the animal, which is a big part of a keepers job, keeping animal welfare up. Having wrong terrain, environment, etc. can lead to over stressing an animal and major welfare issues. Adding in more of a keepers job, like diets and such would be interesting, but I believe if you go down that route then the game might get to "complicated" and lose some of its audience.

And trash pickup is a given, when I worked in guest services I told every employee that even just picking up one wrapper they saw on the group is extremely helpful to the zoo. If maintenance does there job, and everyone else picks up anything they notice it makes the place night and day! I use to have customers come in and praise the zoo I worked at for being extremely clean and that's all for picking up little pieces of trash. In my experience if there is some trash, that's not out of hand, you won't hear about it from you customers, but they'll be less likely to come back to a "dirty" place.

Overall, having options to add more "zoo simulation" work loads would be cool, but I think, if they would have to add it as a more realistic game mode and keep what they have now for the more "arcade" enjoyers. Mainly I'm not looking forward to a Planet Zoo 2, I see no need for it other than a cash grab for the company. If they keep working on the current game, and use DLC to fund the progress, I think we could eventually have everything we want in Planet Zoo, without the need for a 2.

 

[Swjosdotschka]

No offense but that's a bit of an to easy thinking. Not every sequel us "money grab". And by the way, a company has to make money and that's fine. Doing a sequel is financially a bigger risk then releasing DLCs. (Less time, less cost and with a sequel you always risk that people will not move over.)

However, at some point, the game code gets to tangled and the engine reaches its limits. Take the path for example. The current engine simply doesn't allow any improvements. So sometimes you have to start anew on another, improved engine.
(Someone with more insight into the tech thing feel free to correct me.)

 

[Frobacca]

No offense but that's a bit of an to easy thinking. Not every sequel us "money grab". And by the way, a company has to make money and that's fine. Doing a sequel is financially a bigger risk then releasing DLCs. (Less time, less cost and with a sequel you always risk that people will not move over.)

However, at some point, the game code gets to tangled and the engine reaches its limits. Take the path for example. The current engine simply doesn't allow any improvements. So sometimes you have to start anew on another, improved engine.
(Someone with more insight into the tech thing feel free to correct me.)

Diving into game code and engines and such is not the point of my post so I was putting it simply. But games can be updated, including the engine used. I actually just had a steam game update last week changing the game engine, the update was basically a redownload of the game, but it shows it can be done. I feel like that's a topic for another day though. Also, the "BTW a company has to make money and that's fine", you're right, they do, hence why I said use DLC to fund the process, and there is a point when a second iteration of the game can become necessary but to just jump to that too soon is just a bit of a money grab

 

[Swjosdotschka]

Ah, I see. We definitely agree that it's to soon to start anew and the current game still had a lot of potencial.

 

[Birini]

All of these things are a major part of zoo life and, IMO, shouldn't just be overlooked.

A lot of zoo participate in some sort of SSP where breeding the species is a pretty big part. Although it would be nice to rework this so that people aren't just mass breeding for he money/credits

Animal Sensitive and matching plants is taking care of zoo animals, It actually takes a lot of research on what you can put into a habitat, loads of things can be toxic, some by just being around and other by eating (depending on the animal you could risk it and just monitor to make sure they aren't eating. but RISK). Animal sensitivity I take as being directly related to the welfare of the animal, which is a big part of a keepers job, keeping animal welfare up. Having wrong terrain, environment, etc. can lead to over stressing an animal and major welfare issues. Adding in more of a keepers job, like diets and such would be interesting, but I believe if you go down that route then the game might get to "complicated" and lose some of its audience.

And trash pickup is a given, when I worked in guest services I told every employee that even just picking up one wrapper they saw on the group is extremely helpful to the zoo. If maintenance does there job, and everyone else picks up anything they notice it makes the place night and day! I use to have customers come in and praise the zoo I worked at for being extremely clean and that's all for picking up little pieces of trash. In my experience if there is some trash, that's not out of hand, you won't hear about it from you customers, but they'll be less likely to come back to a "dirty" place.

Overall, having options to add more "zoo simulation" work loads would be cool, but I think, if they would have to add it as a more realistic game mode and keep what they have now for the more "arcade" enjoyers. Mainly I'm not looking forward to a Planet Zoo 2, I see no need for it other than a cash grab for the company. If they keep working on the current game, and use DLC to fund the progress, I think we could eventually have everything we want in Planet Zoo, without the need for a 2.

IMO it’s a game, the dev picks and chooses what they put in. So what is a bigger draw in managing a zoo: picking up trash, or going back behind the scenes to take care of the animals? (I would argue it’s the one they sell for $100 a pop.) What is more challenging: setting up a filtration system that will keep hippos alive or picking up a janitor to drop him on top of a hamburger wrapper? So while obviously real zoos focus on it, real humans focus on going to the restroom multiple times a day but I personally have never seen that in an MMO. Because it’s about a fun game loop. The Blizzard rule before they lost their collective minds should be taken more to heart: “What am I doing right now? Am I having fun?”

in terms of the natural trees: no zoo on the planet has only trees from an animals natural habitat in the enclosed. I would assume because they are difficult to import and if — as often happens — you change the species in the enclosure, moving the trees becomes another headache. Also, animals like gorillas, elephants, and rhinos would destroy any foliage in their habitat. It’s an annoyance that works against realism instead of for it.

 

[Jevana]

1. More terrain paint options / flexicolor terrain paint. Being able to use green grass, yellow grass, dark grass, white sand, black sand, dark soil, light soil... in the same zoo. Like the water customisation tool, but with terrain paint.
2. Herding. I'd like zebras to hang out with zebras, springboks with springboks, etc. in big groups. For now when I make mixed species habitats, all species get mixed up in the habitat, which doesn't look realistic
3. More exhibit options (various sizes)
4. Better path system
5. Less DLCs but bigger DLCs

 

[Frobacca]

IMO it’s a game, the dev picks and chooses what they put in. So what is a bigger draw in managing a zoo: picking up trash, or going back behind the scenes to take care of the animals? (I would argue it’s the one they sell for $100 a pop.) What is more challenging: setting up a filtration system that will keep hippos alive or picking up a janitor to drop him on top of a hamburger wrapper? So while obviously real zoos focus on it, real humans focus on going to the restroom multiple times a day but I personally have never seen that in an MMO. Because it’s about a fun game loop. The Blizzard rule before they lost their collective minds should be taken more to heart: “What am I doing right now? Am I having fun?”

in terms of the natural trees: no zoo on the planet has only trees from an animals natural habitat in the enclosed. I would assume because they are difficult to import and if — as often happens — you change the species in the enclosure, moving the trees becomes another headache. Also, animals like gorillas, elephants, and rhinos would destroy any foliage in their habitat. It’s an annoyance that works against realism instead of for it.

i would agree with you on the point that it is supposed to be fun, and adding in every little thing in a zoo would not make it fun. If you added filtration systems do you then add it the cleaning and cycling the systems that you have to do? draining and disinfecting pools then refilling them? needing to do that every time a customer throws garbage in them? I Also, if someone has a big enough issues with garbage that they need to pick up that they need to move someone over to do it, then they need more cans and maintenance. also, in my experience, moving a working closer (or right on top) of the garbage rarely gets them to pick it up.

As far as trees, I never said they had to be from the specific area, but there are plenty of types that cannot be used. EVERY new animal or moved animal gets looked at to make sure the habitat is safe. Every stick, stone, and piece of anything gets looked at and is vital. and yes, its to the point that, depending on how harmful it might be, tress or structure will get removed for a new species.

Basically I think there is a good balance of maintenance and fun right now and adding to many more task would be annoying, at least for some.

 

[Birini]

i would agree with you on the point that it is supposed to be fun, and adding in every little thing in a zoo would not make it fun. If you added filtration systems do you then add it the cleaning and cycling the systems that you have to do? draining and disinfecting pools then refilling them? needing to do that every time a customer throws garbage in them? I Also, if someone has a big enough issues with garbage that they need to pick up that they need to move someone over to do it, then they need more cans and maintenance. also, in my experience, moving a working closer (or right on top) of the garbage rarely gets them to pick it up.

As far as trees, I never said they had to be from the specific area, but there are plenty of types that cannot be used. EVERY new animal or moved animal gets looked at to make sure the habitat is safe. Every stick, stone, and piece of anything gets looked at and is vital. and yes, its to the point that, depending on how harmful it might be, tress or structure will get removed for a new species.

Basically I think there is a good balance of maintenance and fun right now and adding to many more task would be annoying, at least for some.

Maybe, maybe not. What I think is telling is I know a ton of players including some top content creators and virtually no one plays Franchise. (Savannah is the only one who comes to mind and even that is rare.) I would argue that isn’t because the gameplay is fun and challenging.

in terms of what stays: you play test the game. If it’s fun, it stays. If it isn’t, it goes. That’s going to get a better result than a debate from first principles.

 

[premierfong]

No PZ2 don't wanna wait for years to get full roster. So unless they move ALL animals from PZ from the launch and keep adding. Sure. Just pathing system, realistic functional doors. Aviary, Aquarium, roads, functional backstage, and animal hospital.

 

[paul78]

No sequel just extended support for the current game. I mean maybe someday PZ2 for sure but too soon to talk sequel just yet. The current game still has plenty of potential and keep in mind it’s only a game which will never capture the realism of real life probably not even a sequel. Another point to make is PC was a very successful game and six yrs later still doesn’t have a sequel even tho I’m sure one is coming. So PZ2 is yrs away imo. Also franchise mode for me personally I just find boring. I do however love the fact frontier has it as a option for players who like and prefer playing this way. It’s kind of like JWE and the fact you use to have to unlock everything in challenge to enjoy sandbox. Now just recently they have given you the option to just jump into sandbox with at least the basic things unlocked. I just enjoy sandbox and the ability to create just about anything I want without the hassle of micromanaging everything in between. But maybe frontier could add some things to franchise in a sequel to keep playing this mode so it doesn’t get repetitive but since I’m not really a franchise player I wouldn’t really know what that would be.