How the Amazon Map Could Look: Balancing the Dense Jungle with Open Landscapes

[low hazel]

I know this suggestion has been discussed before, but I'd like to clarify something important beyond just the animal options (which have already been proposed in many great suggestions). If the map were solely focused on the Amazon Rainforest, it would end up being very dense and full of thick vegetation. This could make hunting difficult and might lead to a frustrating, even monotonous experience for some players.
To counter this, one option is to introduce a contrasting biome: the Llanos Orientales ( Eastern Plains). This would allow for a map with two distinct ecosystems, one lush and dense, the other open and expansive, while representing two ecosystems typical of northern South America. Located primarily in Colombia and Venezuela, the Llanos provide a great contrast to the jungle, with their wetlands, rivers, and wide plains. By adding this open biome alongside the dense Amazon Rainforest, it provides opportunities for a different type of gameplay experience—offering both challenging terrain and easier navigation through the open plains.
In the first comment I explain this better.

The Map and Main Regions
The map can be divided into three main regions (inspiration from Sundarpatan):
• ** Flooded Plains:** The northern part of the map could feature the Eastern Plains (Llanos Orientales), vast areas of wetlands and plains, dotted with isolated moriche palms and towering saman trees. Open spaces full of rivers, lakes, and marshes. I know this area may sound very similar to the new "Salzwiesen Park," but here, in addition to having completely exclusive waterfowl, we would also have Medium/Big game (capibaras, deer and caimans), as well as a completely different type of vegetation.
• Transitional Zone: Situated between the open plains and the dense rainforest, This middle region is where the wetlands and savannahs gradually give way to the dense rainforest. The Transitional Zone would feature a mix of forests and open patches, with areas of shrubs, scattered trees, and wetlands that blend into denser jungle.
• **Amazon Rainforest: **The southernmost part of the map, characterized by its humid jungle, a perfect environment for the jaguar to stalk you. Here, the vegetation is more thick, making hunting challenging but rewarding. Is bisected by a major river, similar to the real Amazon.

The animals
Previous suggestions have introduced a wealth of species that could enrich the experience of this map. Here, however, I present a more conservative and realistic list of animals that I believe are both essential and feasible for EW to implement. While species like anacondas or ‘tree-climbing monkeys’ would undoubtedly add excitement, they may pose significant challenges in terms of mechanics or development priorities. For this reason, the following list focuses on species that fit the established systems of the game while still capturing the essence of the region. Animals and their corresponding regions within the map. The proposed classes for the animals are provisional, as I am not an expert in determining their precise classification within the game's mechanics.
• Class 1:
o Black-bellied Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis) – Flooded Plains
o White-faced Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna viduata) – Flooded Plains
o Brazilian Teal (Amazonetta brasiliensis) – Flooded Plains
o Orinoco Goose (Oressochen jubatus) – Flooded Plains
o Crested bobwhite (Colinus cristatus) – Flooded Plains
o White-throated tinamou (Tinamus guttatus) – Amazon Rainforest
o Spix's guan (Penelope jacquacu) – Transition zone, Amazon Rainforest
• Class 2:
o Crab-eating Fox (Cerdocyon thous) – Flooded Plains, Transition zone
o Spotted paca (Cuniculus paca) – Transition zone, Amazon Rainforest
• Class 3:
o Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) – Flooded Plains
o Collared Peccary (Dicotyles tajacu) – Transition zone, Amazon Rainforest
o Red brocket (Mazama americana) – Amazon Rainforest
• Class 4:
o South American White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus apurensis) – Flooded Plains, Transition zone
• Class 5:
o Spectacled Caiman (Caiman crocodilus) – Flooded Plains
o Puma (Puma concolor) – Transition zone
• Class 6:
o South American tapir (Tapirus terrestris) – Amazon Rainforest
• Class 7:
o Black caiman (Melanosuchus niger) – Amazon Rainforest
o Jaguar (Panthera onca) – Amazon Rainforest
As you can see, there are animals that are found throughout the Americas (puma, white-tailed deer), as well as animals that would require different mechanics than what we know, such as capybaras, which spend most of their time in the water. This would also be the only map with two crocodilians, and the apex predator would be the jaguar, stalking through the jungle (similar to the Sundarpatan tiger).

[keen kestrel]

Oh I so want devs to take their time with Amazon!

[keen kestrel]

Couple of things tho for devs, we definitely need Macaws as class 1 species here and if we ever going to get snakes in this game, this is the map to start it on.

[low hazel]

Other potencial hunting animals/ Decorative and environmental animals
Still, I’ve included a secondary list of other possible animals. These would be fantastic additions but are perhaps less likely due to their unique demands or the need for entirely new mechanics. Furthermore, with these animals included, it would result in an overwhelming number of species for a single map, making careful selection essential to maintain balance and quality.
Birds that are endangered or that I’m not sure are usually considered for hunting:
• Black curassow (Crax alector)
• Great Egret (Ardea alba)
• Cocoi Heron (Ardea cocoi)
• Scarlet Ibis (Eudocimus ruber)
Climbing monkeys, which would require a new mechanic and compartment, but would undoubtedly be a game-changer, for example, being able to shoot them while they're in the treetops and watch them fall. These are just two, but there is a variety of New World monkeys to choose from:
• Red Howler Monkey (Alouatta seniculus)
• Common Spider Monkey (Ateles belzebuth)
The giant snake that could live in the great river, but it would have to have a reduced population or a different dynamic, as it would be rare to see players grinding for anacondas.
• Green Anaconda (Eunectes murinus)
Other species:
• Nine-banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus)
• Common Opossum (Didelphis marsupialis)
• Agouti (Dasyprocta fuliginosa)
• Ocelot (Leopardus tigrinus)
• Jaguarundi (Herpailurus yagouaroundi)
• Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)
• Giant Otter (Pteronura brasiliensis)
Animals like herons and ibises, if they’re not viable for hunting, would be excellent additions to decorate and enhance the immersion in the Flooded Plains zone. Similarly, macaws could be non-huntable animals that would add even more life to the Amazon jungle with their colors. These animals could also serve as subjects for missions or photography challenges. Even if they’re not visual elements, their sounds could be added. It would also be crucial, at the very least, to add the sounds of howler monkeys in the jungle.
To truly reflect the biodiversity, small animals could be added that lower health when touched, or as seen in another suggestion, something similar to poisoning. This would be the case for poisonous frogs and spiders.

Missions, Narrative and Outposts
The Llanos are the cattle capital of northern South America. Vaqueros herding cattle through the flooded lands of the Eastern Plains are an iconic image of Colombian culture. There could be missions to track down predators attacking local livestock. Additionally, outposts could be based on ranches or cattle rancher estates in the Llanos.
The Amazon rainforest is known for its isolated indigenous tribes, who have no contact with the outside world, providing potential for missions. Since there wouldn't be conventional houses or settlements in the Amazon region, an indigenous village could serve as an outpost. There could also be a treehouse outpost. To cross the great river of the Amazon jungle, players could use canoes (similar to how boats work in Revontuli Coast) or hanging bridges.
If it isn’t feasible to add anacondas as huntable animals, they could still be mentioned as part of a mission, such as investigating the local legend about sightings of a giant, man-eating snake.

[magic thorn]

While this has a lot going for it and it really well put together with a fantastic species list, I doubt we will get a reserve set in a country that has banned sport hunting/trophy hunting (like Colombia, China, Kenya and India to name a few examples) and Venezuela, the other country your reserve is based on, has seen its wildlife put at risk thanks to its economic crisis which has resulted in a spike in poaching and wildlife trafficking, plus there are parts of the Amazon that are open either due to natural occurrences (savannahs, floodplains, secondary forest and wildfires caused by lightning strikes) or man-made causes (logging, agriculture, mining, roads, wildfires caused by human activities etc). Its one thing to have normally protected species on a reserve set in a country that allows hunting like tigers on a reserve in Nepal (Sundarpatan) or European bison on a German reserve (Hirschfelden) but its another to set a reserve in a country that has either banned sport hunting (Colombia, the Brazilian Amazon) or is in a situation where wildlife conservation has been effectively screwed (which apparently happened in Venezuela).

[green compass]

I like the idea and even if it’s not the location BECUASE of the legality of it it’s still a great idea BECUASE if it was thick and lush it would be hersh 2.0 with better species

[low hazel]

Thank you for the comment; I was unaware that they were strict about countries with banned hunting. I could have saved myself from writing all this haha.
While it’s true that rainforests can include some open areas due to natural features or human activity, the inclusion of the Flooded Plains goes beyond simply providing open spaces. It introduces a distinct biome with its own unique wildlife, terrain, and gameplay challenges. Hunting waterfowl and capybaras in the Flooded Plains offers a different dynamic. This approach focused more on the inclusion of both the Eastern Plains and the Amazon Rainforest is like killing two birds with one stone, much like what was achieved in Sundarpatan, where the Himal (mountains) and the Terai jungle coexist on the same map.
It also drove me to write this from a personal preference, as I enjoy waterfowl hunting feeling more like Salzwiesen Park than Te Awaroa. Well, it's just a suggestion; maybe something from here can be taken.

[low hazel]

How the Amazon Map Could Look: Balancing the Dense Jungle with Open Landscapes

[quaint lily]

I was sold at capybaras

[low hazel]

We definitely need them in the game.

[frank smelt]

It could be worth checking if there’s a country in the area where hunting is allowed and that has this type of landscapes; it would be a fantastic map.

[keen kestrel]

Suriname 🇸🇷
https://discord.com/channels/393040947006406657/1207357430963507281

[low hazel]

The Amazon's area of influence is very large; there’s bound to be something.

[arctic folio]

Very few except Suriname and Peru

[magic thorn]

Guyana also allows hunting and its in the same region as Suriname

[arctic folio]

Isn’t it mainly just birds legally hunted in Guyana? That’s why I didn’t mention

[magic thorn]

From what I was able to find its pretty similar to Suriname with animals like white-tailed deer, red brocket, green iguana, agouti, capybara, pacas and ducks

[frank smelt]

Yes, I’ve seen them mention Suriname or French Guiana; they would fill the gap in northern South America.

I think it would be better to leave Peru for other types of biomes (Andean Mountains), as it’s also farther to the west. In that case, Chile might be a better option, although I'm not sure if hunting is legal there.

[split nacelle]

Honestly Black Caiman are massive, like one of the largest crocodilians on Earth big. I like this list, but Amazonian peoples and therefore us hunters could benefit from having both Collared and White-lipped Peccary present.

[low hazel]

Thinking about it more, for this map, if I could only choose one, I would go with the White-lipped peccary to introduce a new species.

[split nacelle]

Oh, I am sincere that both not only could play like a "prey role" for us, but quite literally both are important to people in the Amazon 🙂

Of course if both is too much I'd go with White-lipped Peccary too

[low hazel]

Yes, those countries would be the right ones, this suggestion is just a concept; it doesn't have to be specifically there.

[pastel apex]

Hello @low hazel

Thank you for your in depth description of a new reserve you'd like to be added. Rest assured, your suggestion will be taken into consideration. If you'd like to share something more with us, feel free to do so here: https://support.thehunter.com/hc/en-us/requests/new

[low hazel]

Thank you

[hot gyro]

Jaguar and capybaras are all I ask for man. Make it happen EW

[warm haven]

Very well thought out and researched, thumbs up

[grim tendon]

Yess

[rain jasper]

This was well thought out and researched. Good stuff.

[low hazel]

Thanks

[willow hazel]

I want a sr albino Capybara

Pls

[low hazel]

x2

[arctic folio]

They would make such an awesome bowhunt!

[low hazel]

Black caiman preying on a collared peccary

[low hazel]

Eastern Plains (Llanos Orientales), the perfect combination for the Amazon jungle

[frank smelt]

Rain plays a bigger role on this map. it’s way more common than in the North American reserves, but it doesn’t get in the way. You can keep hunting through heavy showers without thick fog, and now and then you might even get caught in a tropical storm that makes things feel more alive. After all, this is a tropical rainforest zone.

[hot dove]

At elevations particularly, just a half hour deluge of rain (~05:00) that knocks down the jungle ants to the jungle floor. Then the humidity spikes setting off thermals at the edge of clearings and river banks providing cover for feeding.

The ants become food source for small to medium game.

After that, cats and larger predators could go to work for a mid-late morning snack before all of the fog clears.

[brisk creek]

I would want snakes if we get an Amazon map.

[hot gyro]

I’m not quite sold on the idea of snakes, feels a bit bizarre to me IMO. But who knows