Has anyone else stopped playing?

[Mars Adept]

I played for a little bit but I didn’t really find the game fun and haven’t played in a while. I’m angry that I waited years for this game.

I don’t know. I’m just feeling depressed and I don’t really care or think about this game anymore. I was hoping it would keep me distracted from the pandemic but that didn’t happen. I’m even skipping events because I don’t have the motivation to play. Can anyone relate?

 

[moonolotl]

I slowed down for a little bit, half intentionally so that i wouldnt get burned out.
I can definitely relate though and ive been trying to make sure i have projects to work on so i dont get too low on motivation. I do love playing, its just i sometimes lack the motivation to pick up the controller and properly sort out my island. U just gotta force yourself i guess, but if youre not enjoying it then dont go too far

 

[juneun]

It's been both a blessing and a curse that the game released when it did.

You have so much more time to play, but I think that the binging also makes the faults of the game that much more apparent. I would definitely try taking a break and try playing other games or indulge in other hobbies you have.

I've definitely also felt the same about other games in the past, and I find that breaks do wonders to help make games fun again.

And with the current situation, I think it's normal to feel a higher level of frustration and/or other negative feelings, so I hope you are able to find a way that will help relieve those feelings, even a little bit!

 

[Le Ham]

That's something it seems lots of people are feeling toward NH right now, partly because having to quarantine means quick burnout for trying to grind this game with pretty slow-paced updates, and partly because the updates/progression events are so slow and we weren't anticipating that.

I've been playing without time travel every day since launch, and while I've come up on a creative block as I'm trying to figure out how to shape my island and where to put what flowers/bushes/villagers etc, I hope the eventual moment of genius I get for what to do will make the daily grind less of a chore and more fun again. But much of my playing time is spent between those moments of inspiration, as I put on my new outfit for the day, check up on my villagers, pick all the darn branches up, so I could see how eventually I'll fall off if I don't keep myself thinking of a new project to tackle like designing clothes, improving my flag, tackling the terraforming awkwardness or what different spaces should be used as, one bit at a time.

A couple measures I've given myself to limit my grinding is stuff like limiting myself to using one NMT a day to go to an island and farm resources. Usually I do it during the day so I haven't grinded for tarantulas or anything like that - usually it's just to gather weeds, wood, fruit for energy, etc since I don't like to on my own island with all the fences and bushes everywhere. Hybrid flowers are a real treat. See, it makes it something to look forward to at least a little. Stuff like that helps me not abandon it and gives me at least something to look forward to other than exorbitantly-priced Nook's Cranny items and clothing I'm starting to be full of.

 

[sleepydreepy]

I understand what you mean. For me, I feel like sometimes the online AC community can get really stressful and face paced, and when the game first came out I really let this influence me. Thankfully I stopped myself from going down that manic path before it was too late. Now I'm trying to take it reaal slow, just like I did in NL. I'm trying to focus on my own island rather than looking at other people's island or items I don't have online because that can get overwhelming (or at least it was for me). I guess maybe try to remind yourself why you like AC in the first place and why you started playing the game, and go from there.

I am personally enjoying this game during this time because I use it as a creative outlet (almost like art therapy lol). I think of my island as my canvas and I am creating my ideal place to live. I also try not to play too much everyday (which is hard since we are in quarantine lol) and during my screen breaks have recently been enjoying drawing concept art or "blueprints" of plans I have for blank areas on my island.

Another thing you could try is to develop a daily routine on your island. It could consist of a few things you have to do everyday (like check the stores, dig up fossils, etc) and then add to work a little on an ongoing landscaping project, and when your done with those things stop playing! wait for the next day to continue working and this will hopefully make you more eager to play since you are limiting yourself!

 

[Le Ham]

If I may add something else to my ramble? Keeping my outlook on NH positive helps me enjoy it more. When reading people's complaints and the rant thread - though I have nothing against it, I have my own problems as well - it does tend to make me feel less hopeful. Like the negativity rubs off on me and I start seeing my otherwise enjoyable gameplay less positively. I'm finding the cliche of "enjoying the little things is really key.

 

[Clock]

I feel the same way sometimes with NL and now NH. I played almost the whole day ever since I got the game, now I just play it shorter and slowly like 3-5 hours or something a day so I won't get burned-out too much. I know the feeling when you play or do too much of something and when you no longer want to do it, but that's always burnout. It's the reason why some people need to take a break when they play too much or else its going to get worse.

 

[Mars Adept]

Ok, but, that’s not what I meant. This has nothing to do with the pandemic except for that making me more depressed. I mean that I didn’t like the game at all and therefore lost interest.

 

[tajikey]

Only because my wife asked (told) me to stop playing so much. I moved to work from home, and was a multitasking master; computer on my left side, pro controller in both hands. Wife finally called me on playing 8+ hours a day, so I've dialed back. Jokes on her, though, I now wake up at 6a to get two hours in before "work" starts! Wait, maybe the joke is on me.

Regardless, the game's shine for me is still as sparkly now as it was on day 1. My final structure moved into its rightful place this morning, so now I'm on cruise control. As long as I can get 5 people to come water my flower patch 5 days a week, I'm good.

 

[Morningowl]

Even tho I don’t share the same feelings I have no doubt that others do. No game is ever going is going to satisfy everyone. It can be hard in this case to come to the fact that you dislike the game. Its sad but its okay not to like it and your not alone.

 

[astoria]

Ok, but, that’s not what I meant. This has nothing to do with the pandemic except for that making me more depressed. I mean that I didn’t like the game at all and therefore lost interest.

I played the game constantly without time travel when it first came out and had fun with it but when it got to the town rating and how hard it was to get 3 stars and to plant a hundred flowers and fences and stuff I just time traveled. I enjoyed it with the hype for two weeks but I’ve been finding a lot of flaws in the game and lost interest. I’m surprised because I’ve been a fan on the original game but it just doesn’t have that animal crossing feel to me. Maybe I’ll come back to it but for now I wanna take a break.

 

[tajikey]

I played the game constantly without time travel when it first came out and had fun with it but when it got to the town rating and how hard it was to get 3 stars and to plant a hundred flowers and fences and stuff I just time traveled. I enjoyed it with the hype for two weeks but I’ve been finding a lot of flaws in the game and lost interest. I’m surprised because I’ve been a fan on the original game but it just doesn’t have that animal crossing feel to me. Maybe I’ll come back to it but for now I wanna take a break.

#1 reason I could/would never time travel...the shine would turn to rust.

 

[ceribells]

Ok, but, that’s not what I meant. This has nothing to do with the pandemic except for that making me more depressed. I mean that I didn’t like the game at all and therefore lost interest.

It's okay to take a break, or to stop playing altogether. Maybe it just isn't for you. Maybe you might have liked it if things were normal right now, and the pressure wasn't so high. AC has kind of always been what you make of it, and it's okay to just not be up to that right now. You don't *have* to do anything or play a certain way, or play at all.
There are plenty of other games on the Switch, too. I hope you can find something to bring a little joy into this weirdness.

 

[voltairenism]

I don't feel burn out or sad or anything, but it's been some days that I dont play for more than 1 hour a day. It's more because was going to reform my island, so I took everything out and now I'm not feeling like doing it because it will take too much work. And it's fineeeee the game is not going anywhere.

 

[cinnamonzz]

Yeah. I’ve been wanting to make my island look pretty, but I realized that I’m not very creative and I just get overwhelmed. I find using the island editor to be super frustrating, so I usually end up playing for 20ish minutes now and then quitting haha. A few weeks ago I would be playing for hours at a time

 

[texas toast]

I have stopped playing for hours on end like I used to in the last month.. I think it's because although I haven't completely done what I want to do with my island, I don't really want to complete it yet. And with all the terraforming ideas I have or want to do it sometimes feels overwhelming and like they are too much work to deal with at the moment. I feel like with the way I've been playing recently with all the time I have I have completed so much in such a short amount of time! I have already completed my fossils, which I swear it took so much more time to do in NL. In general I feel like I've done so much more in NH than I ever did in NL and it took me years to do anything I liked in my town in NL. I feel like I should be slowing down a bit because of how much I HAVE been playing. I've been going on everyday to do daily stuff, like pick up fossils, grab the diy bottle and stuff but after that I've been trying to play other games or read a book on my very large tbr pile lol or clean like I should be doing haha. I think breaks are good and the game isn't going anywhere and is meant to be slow paced, so it's fine

 

[Lurrdoc]

As someone who quit a previous game to invest more of it into animal crossing, it's natural. Come back to it when you think you're ready, if you so choose. Who knows? Maybe you might have moved onto loving different types of games, which is also natural and perfectly fine. It happens.

Sorry to hear to you are feeling depressed. Animal crossing won't help. Take a break and find something that does fill that joy for you for the time being. No need to force yourself to like it. It's a big world out there. Hobbies, other games, etc.

 

[Paperboy012305]

I don't know man, but I don't think Animal Crossing is your kind of game. Sorry if that came out as rude.

I love this game, and I don't think i'll stop playing it, even the many years to come.

 

[th8827]

Since I still have work for my regular hours, I am not suffering from the same burnout as people who are stuck Quarantined/Isolating.

If you are stuck at home, I recommend pacing yourself, and balancing Animal Crossing with other, different games.

 

[Mezzanine]

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