Zt2: Es Dev Diary 4 & Pics

[Texgnome1]

Okay guys, sorry this is late.  Been out of town and returned only to find rolling blackouts.  Hope you all enjoy!

Part 4 - CONSERVATION AREAS!

An interview with: Charles Miles
Title: Senior Designer
Responsible For: Scenarios and Challenges, New Content, Conservation Areas

What are “Conservation Areas” and how do they impact the gameplay in Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species?

Conservation areas are protected areas on the zoo map that are enclosed by a conservation fence. Special rules apply inside these environmentally sensitive areas—you can’t go in and just flatten everything with a bulldozer! In a conservation area you cannot destroy foliage or rocks, raise or lower terrain, or place buildings on the protected terrain.

There’s still a lot you can still do with a conservation area. You can put animals inside it, for example, so with a little ingenuity you can turn a conservation area into a great animal exhibit. As a bonus your guests will donate slightly more to your zoo if they view the appropriate animals inside a conservation area.

What was the inspiration for Conservation Areas?

Conservation areas came up while we were brainstorming for the expansion pack. We knew we wanted to reinforce the game’s endangered animals theme, and we also knew we wanted to add new twists to the building side of the game. When conservation areas were suggested we realized they would allow us to do both things at once.

Many of the animals in the game are endangered because of loss of habitat, so conservation areas help remind you that there’s more to saving endangered species than just the animals—you have to preserve their habitats as well. For example, one scenario begins with the discovery of a pair of Baird’s tapirs near a small Central American town. The town decides the best way to help the tapirs is to create a conservation area for them and then build a small zoo around the conservation area.

On the building side you really have to adjust your strategy when you can’t alter every piece of terrain. Instead of just flattening everything in sight you have to stop and think, “How will I make this conservation area fit in with the rest of my zoo?” It adds a little dash of extra challenge.

Can players create their own conservation areas?  If so, how? Are conservation areas available in all game modes?

Conservation areas are available in all game modes. Players can’t create their own conservation areas, but conservation areas can be found in most of the scenarios. We’ve also added a full set of new maps that include conservation areas so that you can use one of those maps if you want to play a challenge or free-form game that includes conservation areas. There’s a new map for each biome and each map has an appropriately themed conservation area. The new boreal biome map, for example, features a grove of majestic giant sequoias, while the new desert map has a protected oasis.

What are some creative ways that players can use Conservation Areas in their Zoos?

While you can’t build most things inside conservation areas, you can build the new elevated paths and sky tram tours over conservation areas. That gives you a lot of new building options.

If you’re using the conservation areas as exhibits you can use elevated paths and sky trams to give your guests a better view of the animals inside. Since you can place things like benches, buildings, and roads on top of elevated paths, you can create pretty elaborate viewing areas. If the conservation area is a mountain range or some other obstacle, then the challenge is figuring out how to get your guests over the obstacle.

What is your favorite aspect of this new feature?

I like the way conservation areas add a new challenge while at the same time making the game feel more real. One of the new scenarios has a huge savannah conservation area that’s big enough to hold a couple of dozen animals. The scenario has you build a sky tram tour, and one time after building the tour I was riding in the sky tram looking down at the conservation area at sunset. I could see four or five different species of animal drinking from the river and running around in this very natural-looking landscape. It really looked like twilight in Africa!

[zoomaster]

Swwwweeeeeeettttttt!!!!!!!!

[JohnZTMaster]

Awseome Pics! Nice idea, I can't wait for Dev Diary #5 of 6!

Great Job Again, Blue Fang!

And Texgnome1, Thanks for getting us the interviews!

[BlackDragon]

Third pic, the chrystal rock wall!!!

[Otter Lord]

I don't like the green color on the fences. It feels like some kind of top secret facility or something. Now I have my own lil national parks in my zoo.

[penguinman]

Cool! I love the sequia tree and im very excited about the reflective water!  

[kiwibuddy]

I love the first two pics! The sunsets, the water reflections, and the sequoias are awesome! :w00t

[Zoo]

Amazing, each of these diarys, make me want this game even more!

[Tyto alba]

Woohoo!! :w00t These pics are beeeeautiful, especially love the first one. I just love the new water. The conservation areas sound kind of interesting, looking forward to playing around with them. :happy

[Spyder]

Cool Crystal Rock!

[Tigeress_10]

ACK!
*Rings up http://www.amazon.co.uk* 'Hello, is the xp out yet?'
'NO IT IS NOT OUT! STOP RINGING ME EVERY DAY!'  :lol
This game looks amazing... that first picture is GREAT... and the second... and the third... every pic is awesome. Thanks for getting those (assuming you did  :erm ) Texgnome!

[HorseGal]

I love the first pic, it's very beautiful!  The reflective water looks very great!  

[baobob tree]

did you see that sunset?!!!!  :w00t

[returnofthequagga]

so thats how conservation areas work :lol  i cant wait for this game! i need it now! i also need a better video card! lol

[lamna]

Cool!!!! Josua trees! Wow those seqoias look masive! i though the red cedar was big.

[The Exibit]

looks nice.

-The Exibit

[Sumatran_Rhino]

:w00t Awesome pics! OMG. I cannot wait until the expansion pack! :w00t

[cchildress]

I know this isn't the right place to ask this but with all the sunsets does that mean it gets dark now during the nights?

[Spyder]

hmm, it's always gone twilighty but we don't know

[Xtreme]

This may be just me, but I perfer the old sunset. The one in that pic looks like some carpet floor IMO, rather than a real sunset like the one in the original ZT2 did. But I do like the forest pic, with those giant conifer trees.

[OXMASTER]

omg i would pay double the price to get it now!!!!!

[HorseGal]

I think this sunset/rise looks kind of cool, with the reflective water. I hope my video card could handle this game!  

[TigerTracks]

OMG!!!! *jaw hits the ground* this is awesome!! I love the sound of the conservation parks now that I know what they are!! The pics look awesome!! I can't wait for the game!!!! :lol  :w00t    :happy

[panda11]

GRaet, although I already saw this at aol.com.

BY looking at the pics given to us, I see:

new foliage
new sky colors
refelective water
crystal rock wall (looks kinda funky)
drive thru sequias


And if you look at the 3rd and fourth pics, the elevated paths go across that huge exhibit without any colums or anything to hold it up. :huh

[pandaman94]

really!? then i can use those as exhibit rooves!yes!yes!yes!