Anxiety about my Island not being good enough

[LunaLili]

I don't know if this is just me but I tend to think my Island is pretty cool and I've done a good job but when I go to other people's island and see their amazing designs amazing, grand entrances and huge waterfalls it makes me feel that my island is just plain and just mediocre. I know my social anxiety and general anxiety probably doesn't help the situation but now I second guess pretty much everything I do and worry it won't be good enough....does anyone have similar feelings and/or advice to help

 

[Xara]

unfortunately i don’t have any advice for you as i’m in the same boat, but i can at least offer you the fact that you’re not alone in feeling this way. i feel so poorly about my island that i’ve neglected picking up the game and now avoid looking at pictures of anybody’s island - it’s silly but until i’m in a mindset where this doesn’t bother me so much, i suppose this is a healthy coping mechanism lmao.

but you said yourself; you think your island is pretty cool and that, my friend, is all that matters. even if you don’t have waterfalls everywhere or some big, huge island entrance, as long as you like what you’ve done with the place, that’s all that matters

 

[LunaLili]

unfortunately i don’t have any advice for you as i’m in the same boat, but i can at least offer you the fact that you’re not alone in feeling this way. i feel so poorly about my island that i’ve neglected picking up the game and now avoid looking at pictures of anybody’s island - it’s silly but until i’m in a mindset where this doesn’t bother me so much, i suppose this is a healthy coping mechanism lmao.

but you said yourself; you think your island is pretty cool and that, my friend, is all that matters. even if you don’t have waterfalls everywhere or some big, huge island entrance, as long as you like what you’ve done with the place, that’s all that matters

I understand completely not wanting to go to other people islands cause all you do is compare it to yours, I been in the same boat and it's hard looking at all these amazing island and thinking that mine isn't good enough

 

[Millysaurusrexjr]

I try to think about it this way: the people whose islands you are admiring are also likely admiring other peoples' islands too.

And honestly, I feel like there's almost always something interesting about everyone's island. You should be proud of your island!

 

[Barney]

I assume you designed your island in a way that appeals to you?

In which case, your island is perfect!

I get that others' islands can be really impressive too, but there's a reason you designed your island in the way you did. Let's face it, if every island had huge two-tier waterfalls and grand entrances with statues everywhere, they'd lose their impact pretty quickly.

But equally, there's something to be said for understated, quieter designs...that's the beauty of this game: there's something for everyone.

 

[LunaLili]

I do like the design I'm going for, I did it inspired around my favorite manga Tokyo Bablyon so I'm doing it 80s Tokyo meets Traditional Kyoto and I really like it so far...

 

[xChives]

What’s helped me is picking a theme based on a unique story I’ve come up with for my own specific island and villagers. That way I don’t really have anything to compare it to and can explore ideas at my own pace.

I think people often get stuck in the mindset of needing to have the same fairy/cottagecore themes. They tend to look very nice but can be overwhelming with how many are out there to compare yours to.

 

[Farfle_Productions]

When I first started going on social media with AC (joining this forum, looking on Instagram) I used to see a lot of people say this and didn't get it since I was really happy with my island. But then I found as I went into Instagram and Twitter more, watched more tour videos etc I began to feel a lot more unhappy with my own island and couldn’t enjoy it, like I just became way more worried about how it looked compared to others, how I couldn’t do amazing terraforming and designing like they could.

Anyways in the end I just took a break from looking at it on social media and only followed people whose islands made me feel happy. Now I’m back to really loving my island. Might work for you too!

 

[Barney]

I do like the design I'm going for, I did it inspired around my favorite manga Tokyo Bablyon so I'm doing it 80s Tokyo meets Traditional Kyoto and I really like it so far...

That sounds really cool and you've got a pretty unique idea - don't be discouraged by other cool islands; just finish making YOUR cool island!

 

[Xara]

I understand completely not wanting to go to other people islands cause all you do is compare it to yours, I been in the same boat and it's hard looking at all these amazing island and thinking that mine isn't good enough

it’s rough but like you’ve mentioned, you seem content with your island and how it’s coming along with the theme you’ve chosen. and your theme sounds neat! but sort of like millysaurusrexjr said, everybody’s island is unique in some shape or form - even with a general plethora of ideas like parks and orchards and cottagecore and stuff like that, everybody’s island has at least one thing that is unique or special to them, whether it’s in the form of terraforming or an item placement.

your island doesn’t have to be like the islands you’ve seen other people have - as long as you like what you have - try not to fret about what other people have or don’t have. everybody’s different and unique and that’s part of what makes this game so charming - you’re in complete control and whatever you decide to do is completely okay

 

[John Wick]

Sometimes less is more.

I went through the pressure to terraform and all it got me were loud, ugly, over the top waterfalls that I didn't even like.

I ended up designing something simple, yet unique, and I like it.
That's what matters.

Islands with too many grandiose waterfalls/cliffs, etc, are nice, but they start to look the same after a while, whereas unique, tastefull, not too overdeveloped islands are a nice surprise.

If it makes you happy, that's really all that matters, because it's your virtual home.

I bet it's lovely.

 

[Underneath The Stars]

I don't know if this is just me but I tend to think my Island is pretty cool and I've done a good job but when I go to other people's island and see their amazing designs amazing, grand entrances and huge waterfalls it makes me feel that my island is just plain and just mediocre. I know my social anxiety and general anxiety probably doesn't help the situation but now I second guess pretty much everything I do and worry it won't be good enough....does anyone have similar feelings and/or advice to help

unfortunately i don’t have any advice for you as i’m in the same boat, but i can at least offer you the fact that you’re not alone in feeling this way. i feel so poorly about my island that i’ve neglected picking up the game and now avoid looking at pictures of anybody’s island - it’s silly but until i’m in a mindset where this doesn’t bother me so much, i suppose this is a healthy coping mechanism lmao.

but you said yourself; you think your island is pretty cool and that, my friend, is all that matters. even if you don’t have waterfalls everywhere or some big, huge island entrance, as long as you like what you’ve done with the place, that’s all that matters

yup yup. it's not just y'all, i'm on the same boat as well, so don't worry OP. i have to say so does a lot of people. talking about it online with other ac players can be helpful though. it's good to vent & hear people having the same frustrations. you'd find that many players feel the same way.

my sis is not really big on terraforming as she shares her island. pretty much a casual player, until i shared island tours & pics. suddenly she told me "i thought ac is supposed to be a relaxing game" and i laughed knowing i hear this a lot online. i mean, we can't lie people on this forum will say ac's relaxing, take it slow etc... but the matter of the fact is the introduction of terraforming can be overwhelming, it could give you anxiety & even stress to play by getting discouraged. they can't change that by saying "ac is relaxing" because that's how some people feel. (i'm not trying to say it isn't completely, there are aspects of the game where it's relaxing, but i find that people saying it's relaxing to someone venting about stress that's off putting to me)

ac in the world of social media has affected the gameplay for sure. think of it like instagram & how people flaunt their glamorous life, but it's just the front & it's not their whole life. it's the same with ac. they'd show parts of their island they're proud of, but probably have unfinished areas like most tbh.

i've neglected designing too recently. i'm now ok with leaving stuff on the ground & cliffs unfinished. since not a lot of visitors come now anyway, i figured it's ok to be under that work in progress state until i have time to fix my island.

like @xara said though, if you like what you've done with the place & think it's cool, it's all that matters. at the end of the day, we're not really being graded by how we design, it's just an incentive feeling. if anything those over designed island don't even have 5-stars anyway so it's not even perfect as per the game standards lmao. it's basically playing it as how you want.

i'm about to do the same though and cleanse myself from social media posts & dreams until i'm in a mindset where it won't bother me or won't compare myself to other's finished work.

 

[niko@kamogawa]

The moment you start comparing yourself with others is already a big mistake.

And you now have an idea of why social media is poisonous.

 

[*The Oakboro Mayor*]

Yeah, I feel like that a lot. I want dont really have a theme and I don’t have a lot of fancy places and things on my island. I kind of just feel like no matter how hard I try, it won’t be anything like those dream islands I visit. But don’t worry!! I know that if you work hard for your town and you love the way it looks, then great! Those people have gone above and beyond, and they just wanted something much different than you. I had to realize that the hard way, unfortunately. I’m sure your island is lovely, because you don’t need a grand entrance to tell people that you put a lot of work and heart into your town. Once I finish my town I’m going to try and look at some dream islands again, because they really cut down my creativity. I hope you keep loving the work you do and your island, I’m sure it’s super lovely and super cute too

 

[bam94-]

I understand, I used to feel that way. I've just accepted now that my island will never look like most of the ones I see on Instagram and Twitter, etc. because 1) those islands just aren't my style and 2) I'm not creative enough nor have the time to sit down and design like that!

I try to think of it as my island being ME and not a version of what is popular, you know?

For example, a lot of "cottage-core" islands are really popular, but I really don't like that style and find them way too cramped to walk around. Also, I really don't like waterfalls that come out of the walls, out of nowhere!

Every island is so personal to that person and it doesn't mean it's "bad" or "good"!

 

[Manah]

Remember that you're the one who spends the most time there.

Social media islands look nice, but that's kind of all they do. I always wonder how these people don't lose their minds trying to fish or catch insects or just get anywhere. My paths are always at least one square wider than planned and mostly undecorated, because I know I need the space to run around to feel comfortable playing.

Your island will be good enough because it's yours, not because you copy the same old cottagecore theme for the five hundredth time. I don't know anything about Tokyo Babylon but just from reading your post it sounds a million times more interesting than half of what I've seen on Twitter.

 

[TheSillyPuppy]

You're definitely not alone in feeling this way. I struggle with comparing my island to ones I see online as well.

While I can't offer any advice on how to stop comparing your island with others, it might help to reflect on why you do it. For example, comparison is how I push myself to improve, so it's not a completely bad thing to do. However, comparing excessively others is when I (we) start to hurt ourselves.

Your island seems to hold a lot of meaning in your heart, so I have the feeling that deep down, you're happy with it when you're not caught up in the comparison mindset. As long as it means something special to you and you're content with it, then that's all that matters in the grand scheme of things.

 

[Mikaiah]

don't compare yourself to others. I'm sure your island is gorgeous (at the very least, much better than mine LOL) and has your own unique flavor to it!

Also, your island should make *you* happy because *you* are the one spending the most time in it. Open areas are great! It means that your balloon presents don't get eaten by weeds, and you can roll snowballs MUCH more easily come wintertime.

 

[milkie]

i 100% understand what u mean like i recently joined ac twitter so i have to constantly see people doing the same concept as me but better

what i do in these moments i just tell myself something like "my island is pretty im having fun" to remind myself that ultimately ac is just about having fun.

also like a lot of islands that are gorgeously terraformed all look very similar like make a list of things u like about ur island like how acessible it is or how u can actually catch fish and bugs stuff like that

 

[bam94-]

Remember that you're the one who spends the most time there.

Social media islands look nice, but that's kind of all they do. I always wonder how these people don't lose their minds trying to fish or catch insects or just get anywhere.

This is so true, some of them are honestly unbearable to even walk around let alone fish or catch bugs.

You do so much more on your island than just look at it, your character lives a daily life there. It can be yours to live in, not decorate for others to see.

I used to get pretty down about the way I've arranged my villager's houses, and how straight all of my paths are. But then I thought about why I made it that way - because it's so easy to visit everyone in sequence, and there's always a clear path to everywhere on my island for myself and visitors to use!