Winter 2023 DLC Speculation

[synthetase]

We don’t talk enough about the NA animal pack in general, the beaver, sea lion and moose are the stars of that pack and have so much work put into them and they look amazing. Even Arctic Fox has the digging animations and the gator has incredible detail.

Its weird. I don't appreciate NA Animal Pack the way I should... Arctic Fox was my most wanted animal after Bat-eared Fox.
You could also say the Africa pack is underappreciated in that it broke ground when it added the meerkat and fennec fox. (It was back in the days people said certain animals were too small.) I just want bat-eared fox more, but I guess Fennec is more important in the game overall.
I want bat-eared fox. I could theoretically use a sub of a cross fox for bat-eared foxes...
...the only problem is Bat-eared Foxes don't have long white-tipped tails AND they have much larger ears. The Fennec has a black-tipped tail and large ears but its the wrong color. Finally, the Red is too big and Fennec too small.
Long story short, I guess bat-eared foxes are broadly/vaguely represented in game so I understand people not wanting them kind of.

 

[NachoB]

I would like them. They are insectivores and burrowers right? Even though they kind off look like fenec foxes they are pretty unique.

In the same way the grey Fox would add something new if they stay true to the real animal and make it a climber.

 

[Marvinb]

The thing with the bat eared fox, and by extention every potential canine and feline inclusion, is that we already have so many of them that its hard for me to activley want them, especially with so many alternative additions

 

[Fallax]

To the other folk that frequent Zootierliste. Did yall notice that it now also has data on asia and oceania??

Yea, they've been on there for a few years (at least for Singapore, Taiwan, and New Zealand plus I think a few Middle Eastern countries) but there was a formatting update recently which split holdings by continent.

 

[synthetase]

they are pretty unique.

There are a few things that set them apart from Fennecs

• More Insectivorous
• Live in Grasslands (i.e. NOT just deserts)
• Darker/more raccoon like Colorations
• More unique genetically and anatomically (they don't cluster with other foxes as closely as Fennecs, their teeth are different and I want to say they have a skull more reminiscent of greys)
• And of course they are bigger than most Fennecs (I think all in-game fennecs)

 

[Marvinb]

Yea, they've been on there for a few years (at least for Singapore, Taiwan, and New Zealand plus I think a few Middle Eastern countries) but there was a formatting update recently which split holdings by continent.

Yeah i noticed that. Maybe i just didnt notice it with the old layout

 

[NachoB]

We don’t talk enough about the NA animal pack in general, the beaver, sea lion and moose are the stars of that pack and have so much work put into them and they look amazing. Even Arctic Fox has the digging animations and the gator has incredible detail.

I really like NA animal pack. I think is one of the best packs. The Fox animations are super cool. My only problem with the pack is that the fox should've been part of the arctic pack. It really felt like devs realize they missed that and tried to make it up by adding the fox in the NA pack and therefor taking the place of other animals. At the time it was our first fox and the one everyone thought was missing from the arctic pack SO i welcomed it with open arms. But looking back i would've love other animals more in that pack: alligator snapping turtle, greater Roadrunner, bobcat, Canadá lynx, wild turkey, roseate spoonbill, white nosed coati, maybe even i would have liked the raccoon more if it came in the context of the NA pack. It was also the perfect pack for the ABB. IDK lots of possibilities for other cool animals that could've been in the pack if not for the fox not being in the arctic pack (and that is also because of the arctic wolf lol)

But yeah, beaver and sea lion are my favorites from NA pack. I also like the prairie dogs even if they are meerkat clones basically (but i also love the meerkats so that's probably why lol). American alligator is fantastic as well. The one i don't really use much is the moose but it is to iconic to be left out.

I still think alligator snapping turtle instead of bullfrog was a better choice for exhibit, but i guess they are too Big.

 

[synthetase]

The thing with the bat eared fox, and by extention every potential canine and feline inclusion, is that we already have so many of them that its hard for me to activley want them, especially with so many alternative additions

I understand, I still want them because I wanted them from the very beginning of the game...
I feel like there are a few animals that could (and already do) fill their role.

• aardwolf (small insectivore from the same areas of Africa AND dog-like)
• any jackal (A true dog that occurs in the same areas depending on species)
• African Wild Dog (IS in game but it is different in that its larger and more hunterlike)
• Fennec Fox (is a small large eared fox)
• Red Fox (is a grasslands African label)
• Cape Fox (occurs in the south)
• Tanuki (looks like fluffier version but different continent and markings)
• Grey Fox (maybe would be a good sub IF it was a more southern subspecies represented in game)
• etc...

I agree the same stuff could be said about the: Serval (caracal is almost identical niche IMO), Fishing Cat (I think this would be a good addition in that it is unique in diet), Bobcat (I think its good because we in the US don't have a small cat of our own) etc...

 

[Eletan888]

I would love bat-eared foxes for my children's zoos, but to be honest, I like others do not actively want more canids. Honestly, it's sort of the same for felids with me, with the exception of the ocelot, I need them! I wouldn't complain though if we got things species the Pallas's cat, bat-eared fox, or bush dog. Good filler for small carnivores with the potential for unique habitats within various exhibits.

 

[NachoB]

I do want a couple more candis (bat eared fox, Bush dog, grey Fox, black backed jackal) and Felisa (ocelot, fishing cat, Palla's cat, serval, a tropical leopard) but except for the ocelot and maybe the Palla's cat none of them are priority to me at the moment.

I would also like an aardwolf.

 

[Marvinb]

Yall do realize that aardwolves are hyenas right?

 

[synthetase]

Does the game need bat-eared foxes: no
Do I expect bat-eared foxes: not really, but I want them
I want them at the end of the day more than any other animals... Aside from Arctic Fox and Striped Hyena they were the most wanted animal for me from back in April 2019...
I also wanted the elk (but the red deer means I switched that desire to white-tailed or mule deer.)
So, from Day 1 as far as I remember, I wanted: Deer, Bat-eared Fox, Arctic Fox, and Striped Hyena...
I have gotten 75% of them, so my question is:
If you go back to PZ announcement what four animals did you hope were in game? How many of your four most wanted are in game today?
I think it'd be interesting to compare.

 

[synthetase]

Yall do realize that aardwolves are hyenas right?

Yeah, oops, I meant they are superficially dog like haha.

 

[CharlieXGaming]

I still think alligator snapping turtle instead of bullfrog was a better choice for exhibit, but i guess they are too Big.

The bullfrog is the staple of North America, I definitely enjoyed the frog more than I would for a snapping turtle.

 

[Marvinb]

If you go back to PZ announcement what four animals did you hope were in game? How many of your four most wanted are in game today?
I think it'd be interesting to compare.

If these were my 4 most wanted idk, but i remeber really wanting them back in the day, also i started shortly before the australia pack came out.
Anyways, i remember really wanting seals and penguins, both of which i got not long after. Some good european representatives, which i received in the europe pack a while later. And more monkeys, to which the proboscis monkey was a start i guess but im still waiting for a borderline acceptable monkey roster to this day

 

[Captain Callum]

If you go back to PZ announcement what four animals did you hope were in game? How many of your four most wanted are in game today?
I think it'd be interesting to compare.

It's difficult to answer that plainly, as it could be split into 2 different versions. One version is what animals did I expect to be in the game that would be required to build a semi realistic zoo, animals for this version would include a warm climate penguin, meerkat, african white rhino and a wading bird of sorts. Looking at this every animal has made it to the game mainly through the Africa pack and then wetlands bringing the red crowned crane.

The other version which is probably the actual question is my 4 personal favourite animals. This includes cougar, musk ox, sea otter and lar gibbon. 2 of these are ingame with the North america pack and tropical pack, the other 2 are hopefully not too far away.

 

[CharlieXGaming]

Imo the only feline/canid that would be a beneficial add from Africa that is left is the Serval. True it’s a caracal clone, but it is extremely unique in appearance, and is pretty common in captivity. Plus it doesn’t have to be an exact caracal clone, can the in game caracal do this?

Serval jumping is truly something else and would be amazing to see in game.

As much as like the appeal of the Bat Eared Fox, it just doesn’t strike me as something that would add a lot to the game because there are so many other canids, let alone we already have 3 foxes. I would appreciate them, but not a want for me. This also goes for the aardwolf, jackal and brown hyena.

 

[synthetase]

If these were my 4 most wanted idk, but i remeber really wanting them back in the day, also i started shortly before the australia pack came out.
Anyways, i remember really wanting seals and penguins, both of which i got not long after. Some good european representatives, which i received in the europe pack a while later. And more monkeys, to which the proboscis monkey was a start i guess but im still waiting for a borderline acceptable monkey roster to this day

I don't need more monkeys, but I think the game does! Especially New World monkeys...
I actually think for the objectively best roster, it should be a Latin America Animal Pack.

• Geoffroy's Spider Monkey
• Ocelot
• Golden Lion Tamarin
• Patagonian Cavy
• Black Howler Monkey
• South American Coati
• Southern Tamandua

I wouldn't be excited for it but it'd be good for the roster to get closer to matching the variety of what zoos irl exhibit.

 

[synthetase]

It's difficult to answer that plainly, as it could be split into 2 different versions. One version is what animals did I expect to be in the game that would be required to build a semi realistic zoo, animals for this version would include a warm climate penguin, meerkat, african white rhino and a wading bird of sorts. Looking at this every animal has made it to the game mainly through the Africa pack and then wetlands bringing the red crowned crane.

The other version which is probably the actual question is my 4 personal favourite animals. This includes cougar, musk ox, sea otter and lar gibbon. 2 of these are ingame with the North america pack and tropical pack, the other 2 are hopefully not too far away.

I guess I meant your four faves.

Imo the only feline/canid that would be a beneficial add from Africa that is left is the Serval. True it’s a caracal clone, but it is extremely unique in appearance, and is pretty common in captivity. Plus it doesn’t have to be an exact caracal clone, can the in game caracal do this?
View attachment 376329
Serval jumping is truly something else and would be amazing to see in game.

As much as like the appeal of the Bat Eared Fox, it just doesn’t strike me as something that would add a lot to the game because there are so many other canids, let alone we already have 3 foxes. I would appreciate them, but not a want for me. This also goes for the aardwolf, jackal and brown hyena.

I love the pic you chose! However, I don't get what you're saying. I agree I want the serval BUT it niche is literally in game already.
The bat-eared fox is NOT in game in its niche...
IMO Bat-eared fox is much less equal to the fennec than the serval is to the caracal. At least the caracal covers the range of the serval... The brown hyena, I agree would not add much, due to the striped and the wild dog. Jackal, aardwolf and bat-eared fox would add a smaller Afrotropical dog/hyena...

 

[NachoB]

[

I have gotten 75% of them, so my question is:
If you go back to PZ announcement what four animals did you hope were in game? How many of your four most wanted are in game today?
I think it'd be interesting to compare.

Tbh most of my favorites were in the base game. The ones missing and that i was expecting to be there were the jaguar and the meerkat i guess. I was surprised we got the black wildebeest instead of the blue and that there was no african rhino. All of that came later though.