I had only got her ONCE in my old game ( + Cartridge) I had that one since I got the game. I seemed to have problems with her fashion checks as in she would never come but she was supposed to. I spent enough, got everything she needed done for her to show. She never did no matter what.
I was starting to think its the cartridge, since NONE of my villagers would suggest PWP aswell. SO i started a new game on a new cartridge to see.
It seems to me that my cartridge before the WA update, Gracie was a lot more sporadic in her appearances than she is with the WA update. Also, the Police Station took months to be suggested before and in my new towns it's been suggested within a few weeks.
It would be interesting to hear what your comparison is. I started my old cartridge (well, it was really the digital download that came with the special 3ds) on release, so it's been a few years for me. But I'd definitely wondered about the same thing.
My first copy of ACNL started in 2013 had a problem with Gracie. Checked in the morning and Gracie wasn't there. The mayor and my 2nd player checked with the police station and Gracie wasn't mentioned. Save/quit.
Played later in the night and a villager mentioned that Gracie was in the Event plaza. Not sure why Gracie didn't appear in the morning. In my main town I didn't time travel so I had to wait awhile for Gracie to appear 4 times. Getting Katrina out of the event plaza helped. It's one less special guest appearing for the week.
With the update the meow coupon thing lets you know that Gracie is in town. Noticed that I got the police station PWP fast in my Casual town. It was the 2nd PWP. Before it became a Casual town it was just a spare town growing weeds with villagers in tents.
This week my spare town had Gracie appear a week after buying items. Since it was a spare town I did all 4 checks. Passed a check, tted a day ahead and than tted back one day to pass another one.
Last time I saw her I was washing her car.
