What even is this!? Roasting my own first zoo (Planet Zoo Beta)

[@pearlyj6190]

Please please make a series of "fixing" this zoo 🤩🤩

[@PlasticSwans]

I think I'd throw the PC out the window in frustration!!

[@millzymsm]

YES PLS DO IT ❤❤❤❤ ALSO NEW SUB

[@albertfrostrudebeck4037]

That’s really good idea

[@MarcelPerkowski]

Yeah

[@billywalton285]

Yes I laughed so much I nearly cried 😂

[@the.aardvark]

I feel like one of the biggest issues when it comes to starting out with Planet Zoo is the feeling of not being good enough. I know quite a few people who quit the game after only a few hours just because they didn't get instantly good and couldn't figure things out immediately... Showcasing your first ever zoo is definitely a great way to show new players, PC or console, that nobody is perfect at first As for me, I've played this game for four years at this point, and I still remember my first zoo like it was yesterday... Yet sometimes I still feel like I have barely improved since the early days

[@PlasticSwans]

100% agree. This happened to me with Planet Coaster! I bought it at launch, put about 15 hours into my first 'perfect' park, but then ventured onto YT and got so discouraged with all the master builder stuff, I couldn't even follow the tutorials! Figured I'd just never get it, and didn't pick Planet Coaster up again for almost a year, but eventually went back in determined to learn how to play. I absolutely understand how new players feel, seeing massive elaborate zoos and thinking they'll never get there. It just takes time and practice, sometimes the tutorials don't help when you're struggling with the basic concepts.

[@the.aardvark]

@@PlasticSwans honestly, I never followed the tutorials LMAO (except for the very first steps of Goodwin), I just did my favourite thing: f around and find out... I kept playing the game discovering stuff along the way, and believe it or not sometimes I still find something new!

[@MarcelPerkowski]

Yeah

[@Noob-w7b]

I’ve been playing it until the solar eclipse cuz I got bored

[@icarozzz]

Just started playing (console) a day ago and your videos have already been a huge help! That monitor lizard having a small ocean to himself made me chuckle. Living his best life.

[@PlasticSwans]

Yeah, made me giggle a bit too!

[@titushale2101]

The fact this zoo is better then my best one

[@PlasticSwans]

A lot say that, but if I was to cut this one in half, top half and bottom half, top half is so much better! I took 2 weeks off work to play the beta, and played it probably 15 hours a day lol. Day 1 habitats are a huge difference from Day 14 :D

[@ladonnababione-nf2yv]

I BEG YOU PLEASE DO A SERIES OF LIKE FIXING OR REHABILITATING THIS POOR ZOO I BEG YOU PLEASE

[@danhodson7187]

I’ve just got the console edition, having not had a PC version, so this was great to watch. If I’d designed and built that Lion observation deck at this point I’d be incredibly proud! Thanks for sharing!

[@PlasticSwans]

I was proud! It was the very last day before end of the beta timeframe when I worked on this, so I'd had 2 weeks of heavy playtime to get to that point. Was just getting the hang of build groups/scenery groups which I think helped a lot.

[@Ambers128]

Plastic swan: this zoo is sooooo badly constructed Me: awkward sock monkey meme "better than I can do now" Also played beta. I couldn't get the pathing system to work at all.

[@PlasticSwans]

I also had practice in Planet Coaster for a year or so before this lol, it was the barrier and management stuff that really confused me!

[@Ambers128]

@PlasticSwans yeah I think those who had a bit of history with PC had a foundation for the frustrations with PZ paths. Still, this zoo was a good start. I liked the overview of the lions. Maybe worth a video to recreate with your skills now? That overlook structure. Like how would you make it now?

[@benjamincrew8383]

The thing with me is that I’m good with foliage and being creative with habitats, but I can’t do anything else lol

[@THERATKING128]

I’ve been playing on and off for a couple years, and the fact you had the courage to build a cool overlook in your FISRT ZOO really puts into perspective how terrified I am of the building tools 😅 luckily I am getting better though! You are my 1# planet zoo idol plastic :)

[@PlasticSwans]

Thanks! I had the same trepidations when I first started building in Planet Coaster in 2016. I was so overwhelmed I spent 10 hours on 1 building, then didn't touch the game for about a year. Came back to it in 2017 and slowly learnt how to build properly. That translated to a good head-start when Planet Zoo launched, so the zoo buildings look ok whereas the habitat builds was a whole new system to learn, so that definitely shows!

[@BTPFTW]

I think it would be fun to try this zoo again with the same orginal constraints you had. Just to see how much youve grown, and how much the game has changed. But youd have to keep the same limitations with base game. (These kind of building challenges are very popular in the sims community)

[@PlasticSwans]

It would never be a fair challenge - not just with the types of pieces available, but Frontier made tweaks to gameplay. There was a problem with the game around release about 'refunds' whereby guests not happy with the zoo could leave and get a refund. Everyone was going bankrupt because of that! I think they scrapped or tweaked that so it's not so bad now.

[@justGoron]

Oh! I hadn't noticed you actually made a video about this hahaha Always fun to look back :)

[@PlasticSwans]

Indeed! Thank you for sharing that you can indeed view beta zoos in sandbox! I assumed my first zoo was lost forever!

[@SomniiLinn]

"... going for the tortoise concentration camp here..." 😂 Lmao that mandrill climbing "frame" screams "I give no shits" 🤣 Omg, editing for that gorgeous sundial!! Is that on the workshop? It's amazing!

[@PlasticSwans]

I was racking my brain about the climbing frame, and remembered WHY it was like that. Very early game, I confused the 'climbing requirement' (so say 50m) with thinking it needed to be 50m tall, not simply they need 50m worth of climbing equipment! Early game confused logic! The sundial, it is on the workshop, but I have to warn I had no idea the 'colour clashing' was a thing when I created it! I did however update it about a year ago, shiny new sundial :D

[@Scitch-et4vk]

I love your creations on the ps5 workshop for planet zoo helped me so much ❤ thank you

[@PlasticSwans]

You're welcome, glad you're enjoying them! I'm working through all the animals as quickly as possible but it'll take a while to get them all done

[@MarcelPerkowski]

Yeah same

[@vickylewis8558]

I've been playing this game since it came out, and this is still better than what I can create now! I just don't have that creativity gene.

[@PlasticSwans]

Pinterest is really good for inspiration, looking at real life zoos and architecture. I work in construction IRL, so I think that helps me a little figuring out buildings

[@vickylewis8558]

Yes, that must help! I don't have a clue how real buildings actually look! @@PlasticSwans

[@suan333]

Just the other day i was wondering how would've you been doing, if work was a little bit less busy and all that jazz. And here you are! ❤

[@PlasticSwans]

It's so great to have time to actually get back to fun stuff! I wasn't working longer hours or anything, but mental fatigue was draining me so much by the end of the work day I didn't have the energy

[@MrsTeaRex]

I remember your lion habitat it was one of your first videos I commented on 😅

[@billywalton285]

I have been playing planet zoo since 2020 and that is better than my zoos ever looked

[@PlasticSwans]

Thanks :)

[@Levimain]

I have just started playing planet zoo again (On PC) and I am still learning the basics and my zoo looks a little like this one lol, I did place bins and a lot more nature and also used tap water for the animals though lol.

[@mirandadunn3566]

The zoo is how mine looks right now been few weeks on release but I have learned a bit ill get there 😅

[@PlasticSwans]

Exactly why I've shared this! Everyone starts out the same!

[@olekklein27]

When is the next episode of the all animal franchise? Love ur vids

[@PlasticSwans]

It'll be a few weeks at least. I'm currently re-imagining all the starter habitats for the new console players

[@Obbliteration]

I like the rock pillars

[@Blwackbwrry]

9:45 did you see the albino peafowl?

[@harrydiglett1531]

When is the next episode of every animal zoo?🤔🤔

[@PlasticSwans]

It'll be a couple of weeks. I've been building starter habitats in console version to help out new players and that's taking up my spare time

[@harrydiglett1531]

@@PlasticSwansok that’s cool👌

[@CagedFlameGaming]

I remember my first zoo. My gosh absolutely horrid! Now I can say I have gotten better! Everything I've done on PC is following me to console,. Feeling good!

[@PlasticSwans]

Yep, a lot of my new designs for console are based on things I learnt on PC!

[@mixelmusprime5275]

Why aren't there any trees in the mandrill enclosure? Also, I'm pretty sure the mandrills in the game are mainly meant to have soil in their enclosure.

[@PlasticSwans]

Yeah, I'm not sure. Why have I used that one specific plant!? Also they have no hard shelter!

[@orlandoparatori1042]

Is paradiso even a word?

[@PlasticSwans]

I Googled. Apparently it's the 3rd part of Dante's Divine Comedy. It's also a club in Amsterdam. I did not know these though and likely made it up!

[@orlandoparatori1042]

Ahhh interesting