How do you feel about players starting to be mean to their villagers after the latest friendship datamine?

[Bcat]

I’m actually a sadist that will occasionally whack all of my villagers with a net from time to time. Just once. Let’s them know who’s in charge lol although I’ve been more sensitive lately and can’t bring myself to do it anymore

 

[cheezu]

^ I agree with a lot of what you said.
As I said before, if I were younger and had the opportunity to play one of the earlier AC games (my first one was NL) then I'd probably find hitting the villagers or trapping them in pitfall seeds super amusing.
Maybe, with age, I have grown to be more sensitive.
I guess to me, these villagers are "friends" in a way - and I know some might find it lame as they aren't real- but even those that I don't intend to keep in my game forever, I do tend to grow fond of over time.
For example, right now, I wish Hazel would move. She's one of my starters and she hasn't had one single move-out thought bubble and though I have grown to like her, I really can't wait to have her leave just to go Island hopping and experience someone fresh,
Still, she's the 3rd villager who gave me her photo and I had worked hard over these last few months to get to that point. It would seem really odd and counterintuitive to start being abusive towards her all of a sudden.
I have opted to just ignore her for now, which I believe is the next best thing if you want to lower friendship but still can't bring myself to hit her.
The thread wasn't started to shame people - I suppose there are just some ways of playing that I would find unpleasant and as it currently stands, many people seem to agree.

I do get that everyone is entitled to play how they want though and not everyone forms the same kind of bond with their villagers - some have their permanent favorites, others cycle villagers in and out regularly while others are probably just playing out of boredom.

Post automatically merged: May 30, 2020

Not sure how many violent video games you've played, but typically the enemy is non-human, or, if they are human they are portrayed as either an enemy soldier of an evil empire or an evil person bent on world domination/destruction. Very few games allow you to kill innocents and when they do it's highly controversial (e.g. No Russian level of CoD), it's to prove a point that you're actually the bad guy (e.g. Spec Ops, The Last of Us, Fallout), or it's treated as a banned game for sociopaths (e.g. Postal, Hatred, Active Shooter, and one whose name I can't write here). Games generally don't let you kill children - they're immune to damage.

It's a bit of a different thing, attacking a mutated bug monster vs. attacking a friendly anthropomorphic animal. They would transfer differently to irl interactions with humans and animals, so I don't think that's a fair comparison and it's so easily brushed off.

Wow... Agreed.
And I had no idea that some of these games existed, to be honest: especially the last one.
That's highly disturbing and sad.

 

[Nefarious]

I’ve watched a few of those “funny animal crossing compilation”, and they’re filled with people and streamers hitting and making fun of their villagers. Don’t find them funny so much, I just cringe at those stuff.

With how nice these characters are to you no matter how you treat them, I don’t like seeing them being picked on. They don’t fight back, they even let it go after a few minutes. I have a few friends that act the same way in real life. The villagers might not be real, but the way they act is similar to friends I have, and like that, it rubs me the wrong way seeing them being abused.

 

[Yeatu]

Honestly I just don't care too much about it. I can see how it may bother some people, but making the villagers that I really hated mad was highly amusing.

 

[brutalitea]

Nope, I don’t care either way. I don’t think any more or any less of people for doing what they want in their own game. It’s just a bunch of pixels at the end of the day.

 

[John Wick]

I couldn't harm an animal.

Real, or in-game.

My moral conscience doesn't stop working because I'm playing a game.

 

[Hsn97]

Everybody is entitled to play the game however they want - even if it’s whacking villagers with nets. I can’t say I personally target villagers cause quite honestly there aren’t many I hate. But Marina does get a whack from time to time when she doesn’t stop her horrific singing

 

[Sharksheep]

I feel like the people that do hit the villagers to get them to move out didn't read all of the datamine. They just saw decreasing friendship means higher chance of moving out.

Villagers that just moved to your island has a base friendship point of 25. Best friend level with a villager is at 200+ points. Your last moved in villager won't ask to move so you have to kick them out with a camper or an amiibo so you'll have this villager for 30 days at minimum without TT. You are better off just ignoring them and giving gifts to the villagers you want to stick around.

 

[Bloobloop]

i don’t really like the idea of abusing the villagers i don’t like, it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth (even if they aren’t real) ;; i just ignore them

 

[Dim]

it breaks mahhh heart! T^T

 

[Fey]

Seeing some responses here, I’ll be completely honest:
letting people play however they want does not require having no opinion about how they play. Judging somebody is not the same as telling them what to do. I don’t need to approve of or like everything another person does, plain and simple. I wouldn’t shame anyone directly, I wouldn’t even mention it if it weren’t a question up for discussion—but I can definitely have a negative reaction to somebody’s ingame choices.

I think the ones pretending they would never judge another person’s behavior are the ones actually acting (more) morally superior.

 

[thegunpowderincident]

Not sure how many violent video games you've played, but typically the enemy is non-human, or, if they are human they are portrayed as either an enemy soldier of an evil empire or an evil person bent on world domination/destruction. Very few games allow you to kill innocents and when they do it's highly controversial (e.g. No Russian level of CoD), it's to prove a point that you're actually the bad guy (e.g. Spec Ops, The Last of Us, Fallout), or it's treated as a banned game for sociopaths (e.g. Postal, Hatred, Active Shooter, and). Games generally don't let you kill children - they're immune to damage.

It's a bit of a different thing, attacking a hostile mutated bug monster vs. attacking a friendly anthropomorphic animal. They would transfer differently to irl interactions with humans and animals, so I don't think that's a fair comparison and it's so easily brushed off.

My point about violent games not necessarily making people act violently IRL was just a light comparison. All I'm trying to say is that people often do things in video games that they would never do IRL, even in 'innocent' games (see: removing pool ladders to make sims drown in The Sims, attacking cuccos in Zelda to anger them). Obviously everyone can have whatever opinion they want on the idea of doing those things. But I don't think it's fair for anyone to treat others as if they have secret abusive/violent tendencies because of some inconsequential thing they do in a game. (and, to be clear, I'm not saying that anyone is treating others that way, I was only speaking in response to the post that I had originally quoted).

 

[N a t]

Seeing some responses here, I’ll be completely honest:
letting people play however they want does not require having no opinion about how they play. Judging somebody is not the same as telling them what to do. I don’t need to approve of or like everything another person does, plain and simple. I wouldn’t shame anyone directly, I wouldn’t even mention it if it weren’t a question up for discussion—but I can definitely have a negative reaction to somebody’s ingame choices.

I think the ones pretending they would never judge another person’s behavior are the ones actually acting (more) morally superior.

If someone says they won't judge another person for a specific act such as villager smacking, how does that equate to feeling morally superior? I'm asking as a genuine question. I for one do not feel like I am judging any one person off of this act because even though I don't like smacking my villagers and I feel bad when I see sad comics about it and stuff, I don't judge anyone as violent or mean or anything, I'm also not judging them as a bad person, to be honest I don't think about it long enough to form any opinion on someone who does it. This will sound hypocritical but sometimes I do find some humor in it too. I simply do not care for the most part and it is not enough information in my opinion for one to judge another off of. I think some people like to say that they do not judge others based on such a small act because some people probably do judge each other on this kind of thing, and I personally do not like confrontation or making others feel bad, or lesser for doing something that I dislike for myself. I'm not trying to be superior or make myself feel like I am. It's more like something that I add at the end of an opinion to let others know that I'm okay with them regardless of their thoughts or certain choices. Is it okay that I wanted to discuss this? I do not have an opinion of you either since I do not know you very well but I also do not like what you said about morality. It did not feel good to me, but I am not very upset either and wanted to discuss it. Thank you.

 

[Hirisa]

I've searched the entire thread for the post where someone is forbidding players from treating their villagers like **** and I haven't found it. The OP asked how people felt about players abusing villagers and people responded. As it turns out, a lot of people think it's distasteful or character revealing when someone hits a non-hostile character in a non-violent game for not being good-looking/popular/insert reason here. Wow, whodathunkit?

People have as much right to think hitting villagers is wrong or bad as players do to abuse their villagers for their amusement. As someone said upthread, being judged for playing the way you want to is not the same as being prevented from playing the way you want to. Have at it. Just don't expect folks to bite their tongues when they are asked their opinions about it.

 

[sleepydreepy]

I have never and will never be physically abusive to my villagers, even if they are not "real." Yes some of them are weird and ugly, but I don't put jail bars around their houses. I personally take my relationship with them seriously, and it really makes me sad to hear that people are gifting them garbage, etc because they are so cute they don't deserve that :c One of the main reasons I enjoy playing animal crossing games are for the characters. When I was in high school my NL villagers were some of my only friends (lol). But seriously, their cute little faces and sweet dialogue always make my day. Why would you hit them with a net for 2 hours to get them to move? There are other ways besides bullying to get them out of your town...

 

[AkaneDeath]

I mean, one could argue that ignoring them is also mean as I can imagine that nobody would want to be purposefully ignored because of their looks either but I don't really feel one way or the other about it. They're not real people and if it's not my island then it doesn't really affect me no matter what people do with their's

 

[Aliya]

It's your game so your call. I personally don't like it and won't ever hit my villagers since it makes them sad and me sad too.

 

[Enxssi]

I’m pretty sure that just ignoring them will get them to move out faster.

 

[Fey]

If someone says they won't judge another person for a specific act such as villager smacking, how does that equate to feeling morally superior? I'm asking as a genuine question. I for one do not feel like I am judging any one person off of this act because even though I don't like smacking my villagers and I feel bad when I see sad comics about it and stuff, I don't judge anyone as violent or mean or anything, I'm also not judging them as a bad person, to be honest I don't think about it long enough to form any opinion on someone who does it. This will sound hypocritical but sometimes I do find some humor in it too. I simply do not care for the most part and it is not enough information in my opinion for one to judge another off of. I think some people like to say that they do not judge others based on such a small act because some people probably do judge each other on this kind of thing, and I personally do not like confrontation or making others feel bad, or lesser for doing something that I dislike for myself. I'm not trying to be superior or make myself feel like I am. It's more like something that I add at the end of an opinion to let others know that I'm okay with them regardless of their thoughts or certain choices. Is it okay that I wanted to discuss this? I do not have an opinion of you either since I do not know you very well but I also do not like what you said about morality. It did not feel good to me, but I am not very upset either and wanted to discuss it. Thank you.

I think you misunderstood what I mean. It’s totally fine that you asked, so no worries.

I don’t think somebody is acting morally superior for not judging somebody. I meant that saying it’s wrong to judge somebody is acting morally superior. Like, I think it’s alright for people to have and politely express their opinions, and they shouldn’t be treated like bullies for it. Does that make sense?

Also I’m not defending every opinion or judgement here. Saying “people beating villagers makes me uncomfortable” isn’t the same as saying “if you beat your villagers you’re a violent monster”. Those are very different things.

To me, judging a behavior also isn’t quite the same as judging the whole person. I might dislike something a person does, but that doesn’t immediately make me dislike or distrust them. It all depends on circumstances.

Again, I don’t mind that you wanted to discuss it. I’m sorry I made you uncomfortable in the first place!

 

[trashpedia]

Sometimes the way people treat villagers comes off like some kind of middle/high school clique and that's the one dark undertone of the community (in general. Not talking about TBT) that just rubs me the wrong way.

I’m going to be real blunt and say some people on TBT are kinda like that and need to be called out on it but knowing the nature and mindset of this forum, it’s probably going to create a 4 page argument and I would honestly rather avoid it than deal with that. But I will agree and say it’s more apparent on other social media than on TBT though.

Anyways, I don’t really care because it’s their game and it’s just pixel animals, but as some people have said, it kinda does kinda say about person themselves than the villagers. Yeah, I’ve had some ugly villagers before but I end up getting attached to them or liking them more than if I haven’t met them. But it’s rlly not that serious so whatevs.