A strange feeling - 1 Year On

[TheRevienne]

Hello Everyone!

I hope you're all doing well, I'm writing this post today to see if anyone else is feeling the same way as me 1 year since the game released.

So, a bit of backstory firstly.

My manager had told me last year I needed to take some holiday days as I'd struggle to fit them in later in the year, so I booked off the week ACNH was released. I'd saved the money for the game since my birthday in June 2019 and then preordered it as soon as I could so it came on release day. Then, the week I was off work on holiday, the UK announced that we'd be going into lockdown. I work in non-essential retail, we're a charity shop which sells furniture, so, I and my other workmates went on furlough.

Whilst on furlough, like I imagine a lot of people did, I poured nearly all my time into my island, by June I think I had about 500+ hours. I'd spend my days playing ACNH, with my window open, then go outside in the garden for a while to get fresh air, and come back to it. I was terraforming by the beginning/middle of April and got my 5*s in May. I spent a lot of time on a FB group and on here trading with people, getting DIYs, furniture etc, and aside from talking to a friend (who I kinda met through ACNH) it was my main social interaction.

We're now a year onwards from the game being released, while I could go into a long rant on how I feel the game is currently, I won't because it's not really relevant, all I'll say is that whereas this time last year my mind was constantly occupied with what I'd do on ACNH that day, what bugs or fish I needed etc, now it doesn't feature too much. I still go on occasionally, but I remember the first time in June last year where I purposely missed playing for a day and thought I was being a rebel. Now, most days I'm only on for an hour or two, some days not at all.

I opened the game up on the 20th, forgetting it was the release day until I saw my memories on Facebook, and saw the photos I shared of my island and my first day, and I felt a real pang of nostalgia. I felt a mixture of pride, but also unfulfillment. My island is finished, it's how I want it, but it's the changes I'd like to see in the game which lends to the unfulfillment.

I started the game up today, and I have my window open by coincidence, and it brought me right back to when I started, it brought back that original feeling of excitement, and wonder. I've been playing the AC games since WW, and something about ACNH was such a breath of fresh air at the beginning, maybe it was the crafting system, the fact we had a whole island to create and make our own, I don't know. But the nostalgia is mixed with something else, which I can't quite put my finger on.

Has anyone else who's played since release or near release felt the same way at all?

It would also be remiss of me to not thank people who'd helped me in my first year of ACNH, from Brian on the FB group who helped me with fruit, to my IRL friends for helping with DIYs, and letting me spend copious amounts in Able's, to Jihux who helped me with their amazing catalog store, Jhine for letting my buy so much stuff (there's going to be more, you know it), and so many others who I've got flowers, DIYs, furniture and clothes off.


To close off, I'm putting in the original Tarasaigh, and Tarasaigh now:

 

[0ni]

Man this was a trip.

As someone also in the UK during that time I relate to your feelings. The world ground to a halt but ACNH filled in the time. It was such an escape. I remember being on discord and TBT and things were always poppin' off - So many people around the world in the same position as me, stuck at home in the most extreme and bizarre global situation any of us had ever experienced. The communities were a bustling hive of activity (which has now waned considerably).

I recently picked my game back up after months of not touching it - I visited my old haunts on discord etc and it was so so quiet. It made me kind of sad. I think it was the realisation that the situation we were in during March last year is something we will likely not face again, restrictions are lifting, peoples attitudes to lockdowns are getting more lax, people are back working in the office and also off playing other games. March last year was the perfect storm. An awful situation that united us, and a video game which helped cover some of the hurt. It gave me much needed social interaction and distraction, and some really fun times in what would otherwise be a very lonely year. I don't imagine I'll experience anything quite like it again, and there is an element of sadness to that. I'm with you in that I can't really place what the feeling is - but from what you wrote I feel like what i'm experiencing is the same.

 

[TheRevienne]

Man this was a trip.

As someone also in the UK during that time I relate to your feelings. The world ground to a halt but ACNH filled in the time. It was such an escape. I remember being on discord and TBT and things were always poppin' off - So many people around the world in the same position as me, stuck at home in the most extreme and bizarre global situation any of us had ever experienced. The communities were a bustling hive of activity (which has now waned considerably).

I recently picked my game back up after months of not touching it - I visited my old haunts on discord etc and it was so so quiet. It made me kind of sad. I think it was the realisation that the situation we were in during March last year is something we will likely not face again, restrictions are lifting, peoples attitudes to lockdowns are getting more lax, people are back working in the office and also off playing other games. March last year was the perfect storm. An awful situation that united us, and a video game which helped cover some of the hurt. It gave me much needed social interaction and distraction, and some really fun times in what would otherwise be a very lonely year. I don't imagine I'll experience anything quite like it again, and there is an element of sadness to that. I'm with you in that I can't really place what the feeling is - but from what you wrote I feel like what i'm experiencing is the same.

Oh yes, everything is so quiet now, like it's still active here and stuff but like you said discords and stuff are like ghost towns now. I think people thought the game coming out at the start of the pandemic would be great for it, and it sure was, at the start. The game sold millions, not only of the game, but the switch too, I bought a 2nd switch and 2nd copy of the game. But now things are slowly starting to reopen again, and the game is one year on, I definitely think the honeymoon period is over.

I think in the long run, the pandemic will have really hurt the game. I feel like we put all our steam and effort into it in those first months that so many of us have got everything, I know I have, for the first time ever in an AC game I have caught all the fish and bugs, and nearly all the diving creatures too. I think that's also part of the reason why people aren't happy with the updates etc. With New Leaf, you experienced everything slower, because you were at work, or school, or had other things taking up your time. But with this, it was everything all at once, ACNH was the one and only game a lot of people played because it was like real life, where you could meet up with people, but at the same time had the right amount of escapism to distract from what was going on IRL.

There's also a lack of comradery that there was. When it came out, like you said we were all in the same boat, it didn't matter where you lived, we were all at home, unable to see loved ones or friends. Now we're starting to get more freedom again, and places are opening up, it's kinda gone.

I obviously hope we never have a pandemic like this again, we probably will, but I hope it's not as severe as this one, but I think the whole situation combined was just the perfect imperfect cocktail.

 

[0ni]

Oh yes, everything is so quiet now, like it's still active here and stuff but like you said discords and stuff are like ghost towns now. I think people thought the game coming out at the start of the pandemic would be great for it, and it sure was, at the start. The game sold millions, not only of the game, but the switch too, I bought a 2nd switch and 2nd copy of the game. But now things are slowly starting to reopen again, and the game is one year on, I definitely think the honeymoon period is over.

I think in the long run, the pandemic will have really hurt the game. I feel like we put all our steam and effort into it in those first months that so many of us have got everything, I know I have, for the first time ever in an AC game I have caught all the fish and bugs, and nearly all the diving creatures too. I think that's also part of the reason why people aren't happy with the updates etc. With New Leaf, you experienced everything slower, because you were at work, or school, or had other things taking up your time. But with this, it was everything all at once, ACNH was the one and only game a lot of people played because it was like real life, where you could meet up with people, but at the same time had the right amount of escapism to distract from what was going on IRL.

There's also a lack of comradery that there was. When it came out, like you said we were all in the same boat, it didn't matter where you lived, we were all at home, unable to see loved ones or friends. Now we're starting to get more freedom again, and places are opening up, it's kinda gone.

I obviously hope we never have a pandemic like this again, we probably will, but I hope it's not as severe as this one, but I think the whole situation combined was just the perfect imperfect cocktail.

Definitely some major burnout. I have to keep that in mind when I think about complaining too much about a lack of content. I played New Leaf over the course of years, but was also going through my undergrad and whatever else during that time. AC time slotted in around about all of it.

That isn't to say ACNH isn't missing something previous games had, but I don't think I ever went at an AC game as hard as I did with this one lol. We are talking full days spent online during the peak of all this. (That being said: 'tendo, give us our boy Brewster, you cowards).

It was really crazy though - I was interacting and making friends from all over during the peak. America/Korea/New Zealand/Australia. Now with people able to actually step back out into the world to some extent, our schedules don't match up like they did. Definitely sad, but not so terrible as you realise it means that things are opening back up to them again, which is invariably better for their mental health. I'll miss them, though.

 

[VanitasFan26]

This is pretty much how I've been feeling recently. The burnout has gotten to me. I taken a lot of breaks and no matter how many times I come back to the game I just struggle to find any joy in it.

 

[Matt0106]

This game definitely isn't perfect, but I think the timing of when it came and the excitement I had alone makes it my favourite AC game. I still remember wondering if going to the EB Games where I lived would have been worth it, since I pre-ordered a physical copy with a poster.

The days that came after that were incredible for me. I was stuck inside, and when school work was done for the day, I would have nothing to do, but this little game kept me occupied for countless hours. Not to mention it was my first AC game that I managed to pick up on launch day, so I truly felt like I was a part of this big new thing

Now there were times when I would only go on for a bit and didn't have too much to do, but I think it was due to the fact that I got overwhelmed with what this game had to offer. I'm a somewhat creative person, so while others really wanted old aspects of the series back, I was perfectly fine with the new ones. Never got burned out, but I did get frustrated with my moments like the Toy Day season and where I got barely any DIYS.

With that said though, I am thankful that I have played almost every day and that I still keep going. I really think 2020 would have been way worse for me if it wasn't for Animal Crossing.

 

[TheRevienne]

Definitely some major burnout. I have to keep that in mind when I think about complaining too much about a lack of content. I played New Leaf over the course of years, but was also going through my undergrad and whatever else during that time. AC time slotted in around about all of it.

That isn't to say ACNH isn't missing something previous games had, but I don't think I ever went at an AC game as hard as I did with this one lol. We are talking full days spent online during the peak of all this. (That being said: 'tendo, give us our boy Brewster, you cowards).

It was really crazy though - I was interacting and making friends from all over during the peak. America/Korea/New Zealand/Australia. Now with people able to actually step back out into the world to some extent, our schedules don't match up like they did. Definitely sad, but not so terrible as you realise it means that things are opening back up to them again, which is invariably better for their mental health. I'll miss them, though.

Yeah, I see a lot of people feeling burnt out, but as I said, I think it's because we did so much all at once, because we had the time, and real life wasn't in the way.

I agree, our favorite pigeon needs a comeback, but in a lot of ways we've gotten so much more in the game than others, like the crafting and stuff. People complain, myself included like, 'we want multiple crafting options etc' which would be good, but no other AC game has given us the freedom to create like this one has.

Yeah, I have people I play other games with who live in other countries and when we had all the free time cause we were at home, that was great, but real life is coming back in now, and like you said, it's better for mental health, but people can touch your life in all sorts of positive ways, and to not have that anymore can be upsetting :L

 

[Living Fossil]

Strangely enough I don't feel a burn out yet, but that's mostly because my island is very open and natural. So I think that nostalgia right there takes me back to why I loved the previous Animal Crossing games more than New Horizons.

But I admit the only thing that makes me keep playing is collecting color variations of things online, and the excitment of either free big updates or a massive paid DLC. I just want another place to visit besides our island, you know?

I REALLY HOPE that Nintendo gives us a new area to explore with old important NPCs and new ones. Also with new game machincs such as like... Cave exploring, (real) underwater diving and more. I also wouldn't mind new bugs and fish in this new area. This to me matters more than quality of life upgrades. I don't understand why bulk crafting and such matters now that (most of us) have 100% the game by now.

 

[Serabee]

I don't understand why bulk crafting and such matters now that (most of us) have 100% the game by now.

Umm... speak for yourself? Plenty of people (like me) are in no rush to "complete" the game and don't nearly have everything, and plenty of people are, y'know, still buying the game and starting it for the first time or starting over. Those quality of life updates are a big deal for a lot of people- frankly I feel like I see way more people wanting those then other, newer, stuff (not saying a new area to explore wouldn't be cool, but it's never really been done before, so I'm not exactly holding out a lot of hope)

Anyway, I can't say I relate to this feeling. Yes, there are updates and things I'd like. But there's still plenty to do in the meantime. But, early on, I decided I wouldn't try and "finish" my island. I wanted a dynamic island I'd be able to change when I wanted to as I played, to keep giving myself stuff to do. Frankly, I've been putting off finishing decorating for Bunny Day, but I need to get it done. I find the game a lot more enjoyable when I know I always have SOMETHING I can do. The crafting mechanic and the ability to decorate outside have made all the difference to me in this game. Yes, sometimes I get bored with the game, but that happens to be with literally any game- I just move on to a different game for awhile. Like I always do. Then I come back to ACNH, and the cycle continues. I don't see it as a failure on the games' part- frankly, no game will keep my attention forever, that's just not possible, and seems like a very unfair thing to ask of a game. Frankly, ACNH held my full attention for longer than any other game I can think of (maybe Dragon Quest Builders 2? I really like games that involve building and decorating, lol)

Also, I guess maybe because I remember how things used to be, but for me just the fact that there WILL be updates is enough to keep me interested. Back in my day, when you bought a game, you bought a full game. If it was missing features you hoped for? Too darn bad. You had to hope for a sequel or paid expansion- expansions that didn't exist for games on Nintendo consoles. The fact that, not only are we guaranteed to get access to more features and updates eventually, but that we know any big glitches will eventually get fixed, is huge for me. Like I said, I have an ebb and flow when I play games- that's natural for me. The way this game is being updated sporadically fits my playstyle perfectly.
But, most importantly, when I think of something I wish the game had I don't have to tell myself "maybe next game"- I get to tell myself "maybe next month"!

 

[TheRevienne]

Just wanted to add something as an additional point to this.

Just been to a NMT island for the first time in quite a while to catch my last diving critter and harvest some materials, and it brought everything right back to me. When the game first came out I'd stay up till like 3am playing, gathering materials, and going to random islands all night to fish and catch stuff. While I was chopping trees, and whacking rocks, it gave me a fuzzy feeling. We all get caught up I think on the things we dislike about the game, or what could be changed or added, I myself haven't done anything like resource collecting or anything like that for months, mainly due to my early stockpiling and also getting them from here. But hitting those rocks for stone, iron, and clay just made me really happy. Sometimes we need to remember the simple things to appreciate the larger ones

 

[Xara]

this was lovely to read - thanks for sharing with us! i’m awful with words but i feel the same way, too. i’ve had new horizons since launch day and while i’ve taken a few breaks and have gotten a bit burnt out at times, i still play regularly for the most part. looking back at all the photos that i took during the game’s first few weeks leaves me incredibly nostalgic and filled with that same nameless feeling. i didn’t know what feeling that was until now.

i still remember the day that i learnt of the first lockdown - it was about a week before new horizons launched and seeing as how i don’t watch the news, my mom found out first and casually texted me that schools would remain closed for an additional two weeks following spring break. i’ve spoken about this a few times before but school is a genuine nightmare for me - with my mental health, family issues and the fact that school makes me want to un-alive myself, i had been absent since early january and was terrified about having to go back after march break.

all this time, i thought i had just been happy to have an extra two weeks to enjoy the game but i realize now that when i look back on last march, that nameless feeling for me is relief. this pandemic has been awful but now that i do school entirely online, my mental health has improved quite a bit which i never thought would happen. ;;

 

[VanitasFan26]

Umm... speak for yourself? Plenty of people (like me) are in no rush to "complete" the game and don't nearly have everything, and plenty of people are, y'know, still buying the game and starting it for the first time or starting over. Those quality of life updates are a big deal for a lot of people- frankly I feel like I see way more people wanting those then other, newer, stuff (not saying a new area to explore wouldn't be cool, but it's never really been done before, so I'm not exactly holding out a lot of hope)

Anyway, I can't say I relate to this feeling. Yes, there are updates and things I'd like. But there's still plenty to do in the meantime. But, early on, I decided I wouldn't try and "finish" my island. I wanted a dynamic island I'd be able to change when I wanted to as I played, to keep giving myself stuff to do. Frankly, I've been putting off finishing decorating for Bunny Day, but I need to get it done. I find the game a lot more enjoyable when I know I always have SOMETHING I can do. The crafting mechanic and the ability to decorate outside have made all the difference to me in this game. Yes, sometimes I get bored with the game, but that happens to be with literally any game- I just move on to a different game for awhile. Like I always do. Then I come back to ACNH, and the cycle continues. I don't see it as a failure on the games' part- frankly, no game will keep my attention forever, that's just not possible, and seems like a very unfair thing to ask of a game. Frankly, ACNH held my full attention for longer than any other game I can think of (maybe Dragon Quest Builders 2? I really like games that involve building and decorating, lol)

Also, I guess maybe because I remember how things used to be, but for me just the fact that there WILL be updates is enough to keep me interested. Back in my day, when you bought a game, you bought a full game. If it was missing features you hoped for? Too darn bad. You had to hope for a sequel or paid expansion- expansions that didn't exist for games on Nintendo consoles. The fact that, not only are we guaranteed to get access to more features and updates eventually, but that we know any big glitches will eventually get fixed, is huge for me. Like I said, I have an ebb and flow when I play games- that's natural for me. The way this game is being updated sporadically fits my playstyle perfectly.
But, most importantly, when I think of something I wish the game had I don't have to tell myself "maybe next game"- I get to tell myself "maybe next month"!

Now now, lets not get too defensive. Yes I understand that there are people out there who really want these quality of life updates and I will say I am one of those people who want bulk crafting in the game. Yes I know that the updates will come but, the biggest issue is that we really do not know when its going to come hence the reason why we always have to keep guessing. If Nintendo was smart and showed us what to look forward to in the future of 2021 we would not have this much speculation.

While I do understand that there are people out there who prefer to play at slow place, there is that one group that wants things to be done quicker. I know this has been a hot topic because Animal Crossing is supposed to be played on a slow basis. I get that, but the problem is that when you've done all of this for the longest time and you played the game for a year you want to hope that something gets improved and its taking longer than before.

The point I'm making is that regardless if you like the game or not, its very important to acknowledge the improvements that will make the game good for different people who plays the game differently. I know everyone has their own style of playing the game and there is nothing wrong with that, but there still needs to be improvements. We really don't know when its going to come so all we can do is just wait and hope.

 

[Living Fossil]

Umm... speak for yourself? Plenty of people (like me) are in no rush to "complete" the game and don't nearly have everything, and plenty of people are, y'know, still buying the game and starting it for the first time or starting over. Those quality of life updates are a big deal for a lot of people- frankly I feel like I see way more people wanting those then other, newer, stuff (not saying a new area to explore wouldn't be cool, but it's never really been done before, so I'm not exactly holding out a lot of hope)

Anyway, I can't say I relate to this feeling. Yes, there are updates and things I'd like. But there's still plenty to do in the meantime. But, early on, I decided I wouldn't try and "finish" my island. I wanted a dynamic island I'd be able to change when I wanted to as I played, to keep giving myself stuff to do. Frankly, I've been putting off finishing decorating for Bunny Day, but I need to get it done. I find the game a lot more enjoyable when I know I always have SOMETHING I can do. The crafting mechanic and the ability to decorate outside have made all the difference to me in this game. Yes, sometimes I get bored with the game, but that happens to be with literally any game- I just move on to a different game for awhile. Like I always do. Then I come back to ACNH, and the cycle continues. I don't see it as a failure on the games' part- frankly, no game will keep my attention forever, that's just not possible, and seems like a very unfair thing to ask of a game. Frankly, ACNH held my full attention for longer than any other game I can think of (maybe Dragon Quest Builders 2? I really like games that involve building and decorating, lol)

Also, I guess maybe because I remember how things used to be, but for me just the fact that there WILL be updates is enough to keep me interested. Back in my day, when you bought a game, you bought a full game. If it was missing features you hoped for? Too darn bad. You had to hope for a sequel or paid expansion- expansions that didn't exist for games on Nintendo consoles. The fact that, not only are we guaranteed to get access to more features and updates eventually, but that we know any big glitches will eventually get fixed, is huge for me. Like I said, I have an ebb and flow when I play games- that's natural for me. The way this game is being updated sporadically fits my playstyle perfectly.
But, most importantly, when I think of something I wish the game had I don't have to tell myself "maybe next game"- I get to tell myself "maybe next month"!

I have to be honest here and say that maybe I should have written my post a bit better than I did. Of course I know there will always be new players and the ones that take their time with games. Heck, I'm one of those players. Except that since I played NH daily I got caught up with pretty much everything as the seasons rolled. So I acknowledge your point and I'm sorry if I made it seem like small quality of life updates were "useless". They matter. For one thing, we need more NookPhone apps. One being an airport app to open and close our gate anytime anywhere. Also since we're on to the topic: Make it possible to deposit or withdrawl money at the Nook Machine on ANY ISLAND. This baffles me. Either that or bring back the credit card from City Folk.

So of course quality of life improvements are really something that Nintendo needs to add urgently: But I feel like that could be considered like game patches more than anything. Not like a priority. If they truly want their audience to keep playing this game, meaning the hardcore players, and the newcomers from quarantine: They need to throw in freshly new game mechanics to keep up the momentum and hype for the game. So a new area with new collectables is my biggest hope.

Post automatically merged: Mar 28, 2021

Now now, lets not get too defensive. Yes I understand that there are people out there who really want these quality of life updates and I will say I am one of those people who want bulk crafting in the game. Yes I know that the updates will come but, the biggest issue is that we really do not know when its going to come hence the reason why we always have to keep guessing. If Nintendo was smart and showed us what to look forward to in the future of 2021 we would not have this much speculation.

While I do understand that there are people out there who prefer to play at slow place, there is that one group that wants things to be done quicker. I know this has been a hot topic because Animal Crossing is supposed to be played on a slow basis. I get that, but the problem is that when you've done all of this for the longest time and you played the game for a year you want to hope that something gets improved and its taking longer than before.

The point I'm making is that regardless if you like the game or not, its very important to acknowledge the improvements that will make the game good for different people who plays the game differently. I know everyone has their own style of playing the game and there is nothing wrong with that, but there still needs to be improvements. We really don't know when its going to come so all we can do is just wait and hope.

I guess my fear is that they will always do small updates at their own pace. I just want the old content from previous games back such as furtniture and important NPCs. The rest can be in monthly updates or in my hot take: Paid expansion content. DLC is such a dirty word for so many, but if Nintendo were to add NEW important characters, NEW villager species, and NEW areas... Than to me that's absolutely okay to pay for.

As long as they don't make old content behind a paywall, like furniture and Pocket Camp items.

 

[Romaki]

I started playing on release date, but I lost interest around autumn. I don't know, New Leaf kept me hooked with the shop upgrades and all, I love New Horizons but I find more enjoyment in starting a new island than playing an old one. I tried a couple of things, but for this year I restarted on the anniversary.

Maybe it's because I'm not a child anymore, but I just can't get myself to play the game every day like I used to. Maybe it's the evolution of the internet and not wanting to. I do want my new island to get me through the year without time traveling (just speeding up the first days because I restarted yesterday), but Animal Crossing isn't my sole interest and I can't really divide my time properly tbh. I love ACNH though, but I've never been the player to perfect an island/city and then just roleplay the entire thing. Maybe I don't enjoy AC as much as I used to due to anxiety, putting too much pressure on myself.

 

[Silkfawn]

I played around mid June, but played quite extensively everyday until about a month or so ago.
I would open the game, wander around aimlessly for like 5 minutes, then close the game and skipped playing for days.

I did burn out quite badly, but that's my fault because I TT'd a lot, and played for long hours.

However, now that they added additional custom design slots, I found myself picking up the game again.
That gave me the opportunity to change a lot of things on my island, something I wasn't able to do before due to the limited CD slots.
I don't know how long this feeling would last though.

 

[Tiffany]

I'm in the US and my pandemic experience was very different than most. I am a mail carrier and we are considered essential so I worked through the whole thing. And because of the pandemic and everyone else being stuck home online ordering skyrocketed and we were slammed everyday. Been that way for a solid year. And we haven't been paid for all the extra work either. So lots of frustration and exhaustion on that front. The upside is I'm a homebody anyway so not going out and seeing people doesn't bother me. I haven't put nearly as many hours in as some but I've played pretty regularly since the game came out(I think my longest break was 2 weeks in oct). I still enjoy the game but would like some updates to give us more to do now that we are so far along.