Enjoying the game after a hiatus

[Wickel]

Hi all!

Now that AC is a couple years old, I think it would be nice to have a discussion about this topic.

Sometimes, I drop the game for months. When I get back into it, I just feel so overwhelmed and realize why I dropped it in the first place. Today I came back to the game after nine months of not playing (according to my villagers). I've had the same island since launch day but it's still so ugly because so many parts aren't decorated yet. It's completely overgrown with flowers and weeds, random items are scattered around the ground, villager's homes are in weird spots... I feel like there's just too much going on and the progress is so. slow. I have a ton of ideas for what to do with the island but actually doing it is much harder and slower than I'd like.

At the same time, I'm bored. I have almost all the creatures, I really need to wait for specific months to find a single fish or bug I haven't gotten yet, and then wait another 4 months for another fish/bug I haven't gotten yet. I rarely get new DIYs (although I don't have many cooking ones yet), but am stilling missing a lot which I think would make the island so much nicer. My house is almost fully upgraded, it now costs in the millions of bells which feels like is not worth it and takes forever. I finished Harv's island. There is just not much to do to distract me from my mess of an island which makes me feel sad.

As a result, I play for a few weeks on and off before dropping the game again for months.


How do you like to play the game after you come back from a long pause? What do you enjoy doing on the island? Let me know.

 

[magicaldonkey]

earlier (few hours ago), i picked up the game for the first time in a hot minute (since some point in winter) and did some stuff that i didn't get round to doing (sorting hybrids nd decorating the bit on my island near redd's beach)!! like a flash of inspiration with stuff from my storage. my relationship with finding ideas on pinterest isn't great-

i usually play the game for a bit on and off after the initial inspo ideas hit, and then may leave it for a lil' bit. may likely happen this time but i do be vibing and alright!!

 

[Pyoopi]

So far, as I've completed two major design projects on my island after (I'll say..) half a year or so of not playing. After the 2.0 update, I redecorated a lot of my island with the newer items and changed areas I found stale. My launch island is now 80% finished.

Bottom line, I just really like decorating but I'm not the type who tears down big areas. It's updating and playing with new ideas in small doses. I'm also utilizing the new tools like the Room Sketch app to test builds.

Like right now, I'm preparing to build another area on my beach. I already finished my custom design while collecting items I think would work. If I feel a bit overwhelmed, I rework other decorations or just take photos to use for my island journal (another thing on break, lol).

 

[Flicky]

I've finished my island for the most part, and I'm just down to a few final design changes in a couple of my homes.

Whenever I come back to the game, I spend a little more time trying to finish those rooms, talk to my villagers, and finish the last two Nook Mile quests that I've got (which is crafting tools and furniture). I also keep meaning to upload it for the Dream Address, but it keeps slipping my mind.

 

[IndiaHawker]

For me, I found coming back after a while refreshing - I’m (to an extent) less scared to change areas I wasn’t happy with, I’m realising how much I haven’t done yet (easy to forget as it’s my second NH island and lots of things I assumed I’d done are only done on my original island). Only got a couple of my dreamies, missing a fair few DIYs that I want, got my first lily of the valley today (it was hiding so could have been a couple of days ago I guess).

I’ve used word to help me - a document with things like the hybrids I still need, dreamies I’d like, creatures I haven’t yet caught with available dates etc. It sounds to me like it’s not the island itself you’re not happy with (eg the unchangeable things), more the things you’ve done so far/been left with to fix. If it’s any help, it didn’t take me as long as I thought to get rid of all my unnecessary flowers, and weeds especially didn’t take long as they’re stackable. If it were me I’d go through all the dropped items first, storing unorderables/anything I’d particularly like to keep, and selling the rest. It may or may not help, but helped me to know that DIYs have become storable now. Then work on flowers and weeds. Weeds are quicker and therefore more satisfying, plus plucking them is sorta satisfying compared to the digging of flowers.

Then be honest with yourself about areas you’re not happy with and don’t be scared to change them (easy for me to say but I get it, I worry I’ll mess something up - protip, take a screenshot first so you can revert if you like). If things like not having enough bells are becoming annoying, you can always trade your TBT on here for in-game bells - I have some strict rules on my island, eg self breed all flowers, collect all museum items myself and not from others - but I’m big on decorating, have multiple characters for different buildings, and didn’t want to limit myself with money when some things cost a LOT, and I’m not into the stalk market. I figure I’ve earns the TBT on here so might as well exchange them for in game benefits. I’m also not strict about getting DIYs off others too as for me it’s more of a bother than a rule with a good reason.

Hope some/any of this was helpful to you and gave an insight into how coming back to NL has been for me - honestly I’m able to hyperfixate on it again and I love/need it

 

[drowningfairies]

I’ve also come back from a hiatus of playing.
I’ve never completely finished an island, so I am determined to finish this one now.
Sometimes I stick with the game for a bit, others I drop it for a few months.

It is refreshing to come back and do some small builds while you watch your island come together.

 

[_confused_piplup_]

Same here. I play and then I stop, but then sometimes I get back playing. Unfortunately, I think that I now don't have the free time I had before. Because playing Animal Crossing can take much time, compared to some other games. I also wish they made some more little updates to keep the community more active somehow...