Where Will Artifex Go Next?

[Reedstilt]

I know the holidays are upon us and updates will be slow for a while. I thought this might in an interesting topic for the fans of this design team to discuss. (Artifex members, if you disapprove, I'll understand if you lock the thread). This isn't "Which island while they stop at next?"

Artifex has taken us on an Arabian adventure and we're our world cruise through various tropical islands is drawing to a close with just a handful of stops left. If the Artifex team decides to do another expansion back (and if they are, I'm sure they have already decided for themselves), what do you hope its theme will be? This is just an exercise in wishful thinking.

I have a few ideas, but I'd like to hear from others first.

[woodsy]

perhaps an Amazon Expedition or they'll travel along the Oregan Trail or a Journey in to the Austalian Outback.

[penguinman]

Thanks for starting this! Yes, Islands is beginning to draw to a close and it's fun to hear what you think we'll do next.
We have made some plans about a third project, but I'm not going to say for sure that we'll be doing something as it's just hard to know and it's possible we'll be too busy or whatever
Glad to see there's still some interest though!!

[skwrlmania]

I think the next place Artifex will voyage to is either Australia or the Orient. MY reasons for this is that there are two large island groups in those areas (Tasmania and Japan) that Artifex didn't visit. My other reason is that these are the only places that aren't being made by other Artifex members. So yeah. There's my guesses

[Daschund Dayne]

I would like to see a Carribean pack, Russia Pack or a South China Sea pack.
Carribean pack would have etc: hummingirds, turtles and monkeys.
Russia pack would have etc: Pallas Cat, Argali and Chiru
South Chna Sea pack have many weird animals like proboscis monkey...

[nhanes]

I would love to see a Mountains of the World pack. This pack could include animals from almost every region of the world.

[Reedstilt]

My guess is that, if they do another pack, it'll focus on temperate and boreal regions of the Northern Hemisphere, probably favoring either Eurasia or North America over the other.

AN was a predominantly desert pack; IE has been mostly tropical. Both were Old World. Keeping up diversity they'll probably want to focus on a new biome theme. I doubt there would be a South America-themed back because Penguinman and Mikaboshi have been handling that continent admirably. So let's consider a North America pack (I like the Oregon Trail theme woodsy mentioned) or a Eurasia pack (maybe call it Silk Road, as it will take you from Europe to Asia).

ZT2: Oregon Trail could feature a variety of animals but risks overlapping with SDU's New World Wonders and WDU's North America pack (which already has some overlap between the two). Now there's nothing wrong with someone making another version of something another person has made, but whether by design or coincidence, Artifex has avoided all by the occasional overlap. Still there is room for things like the Virginia Opossum, the Mountain Goat, and the North American Porcupine that I haven't seen anyone else attempt to make (well, there's a pretty good Mountain Goat made by German13, if I remember correctly, which I use occasionally in my zoos, but I wouldn't mind seeing Artifex take a shot at one too). For themed buildings maybe an Iroquois theme. And since I know the Penguika team can make new fish aquariums (like they did for their Amazon River pack), I could still hold out hope for a Big Darby Creek Aquarium! I'd really like to raise awareness of that place, but lack the talent for such projects.

[For those who don't know, Big Darby Creek is a small stream in central Ohio and is one of the most biological diverse locations in North America. The Big Darby Creek Watershed covers 556 square miles and the creek itself is a little of 80 miles long. It's home to an outstanding 86 species of freshwater fish (five of which are endangered -- including the endemic Scioto Madtom, a tiny catfish) and forty-one species of freshwater mollusks (eight of which are endangered).]

With the Eurasia we could get some of things that Daschund Dayne mentioned, as well as Mediterrean Monk Seal, Bantengs, Pere David's Deer, Yaks, and others. Complimenting this, there are alot of ideas for building themes from Europe and Asia.

Another crazy idea, since Artifex members are all over the place, maybe a "Backyards" pack, with animals that can be found pretty close to where people live, starting with animals that live around specific Artifex Members. If I were a member, for example, things that could be included are: Virginia Opossum, Whitetailed deer, Wild Turkey, Northern Raccoon, Eastern Cottontail, Osprey, Red-tailed Hawk, Killdeer, Canada Goose, that Big Darby Creek Aquarium I mentioned, maybe an Indiana Bat Cave as tour scenery (a local endangered species). If the combined backyards of all the Artifex members doesn't provide enough diversity, they could start looking elsewhere to see what other people find in other parts of world might find hanging out near their homes.

[Mighty Shakespeare]

It seems Artifex likes to do exotic places like Arabia, and Islands so I'm guessing they might do something like The Arctic, or Amazon River.

[animalkid11]

AFRICA OR SOUTH AMERICA


i'd love to see a canadian wilds!

[Reedstilt]

Here's an idea for something I've really been wishing I had for my zoo, and would go well with that Eurasia XP idea I mentioned earlier.

A Greco-Roman Themed Set. I've really been wanting some Classical Architecture for my zoo lately.

[evolution]

maybe a farmyard pack wwdu never released theres or maybe a jungle pack feuturing creatures from jungles all over the world
or an ocianic coral premium pack with coral and fish like vg's that are animals not ambients......

[The Y2J Problem]

I see them taking a break. Then maybe doing an asia xp.

[Zauro]

I'm maybe wrong, but I'm not sure they'll make a new xp after IE. After two awesome but time-consuming xp, maybe they want to stop. And who can blame them?

But, if they'll make something new, I'm sure it'll be something creative and beatiful, just like AN and IE; I hope for an oceanic voyage.

[penguinman]

Hey! It's great to hear of all your speculation, but just so you don't get your hopes up too much I thought I'd say that I doubt Artifex will be doing any further work after IE. Some of us may continue designing but the team as a whole will likely finish up.

It's really nice, however, to hear that people are still interested in IE and I am so sorry that we've been so slow for a while. I assure you we are still working and IE will be released eventually.

[The Y2J Problem]

Not even considering replacing people? Or handing the Artifex name down too a successful designer such as VG or DM?