ATTN: Plot-resetting Ninjas (need advice)

[Ras]

I really like where Clay has his house, but I want to eventually swap him out for Erik. I wouldn't even consider it if plot-resetting wasn't a thing, but now I need to know if in *most* circumstances (and with a lot of patience) you can reset a plot into the exact space of a house that was there before.

1) Is that a pretty time-consuming thing, or is getting it into a slot like that easier than finding a good random spot? The reason I ask is that when I was plot-resetting for Erik, he did land in Hugh's old spot during one of the resets. And, Rudy ended up in Chief's old spot without me even trying.

2) Is it possible that a spot that the game once considered fine for a villager is now somewhere it won't consider somebody? I'm kind of thinking of the "PWP or villager could go near a bridge, but now a bridge can't be rebuilt there" thing.

Clay was one of the original five, so the game didn't mind that he's sort of close to the plaza, a permanent rock, Re-Tail and a pond. It also didn't mind me placing an illuminated heart sort of close to his home, but now I'm wondering if that would keep another plot from going there. Let me show some photos:

The rock and Re-Tail:

The pond and heart:

The plaza and heart:

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Can you see any potential problems there? When the house is gone, should I temporarily demolish that heart just to make double sure, or should it be fine left there?

I built the heart in honor of Flora, but it's between Clay's and Fauna's houses. I think it would be really funny if Erik is there and it basically says "Erik loves Fauna."

If the odds of the plot landing there are not very good, I can deal with it. I can rework the path to Re-Tail to be more direct. But, I really like it the way it is.

Thanks.

 

[Twisk]

I don't see any problems with the area surrounding Clay's house. If a house can be there, a house can be there -- so no need to worry about if it's possible or not. A house can be two spaces away from a PWP, and one space from a rock or other natural obstacle (rivers, cliffs).

However, it might take you a long time! In the past, when I first started house plot resetting, it could sometimes take days to get the house where I wanted it to go. After that experience, I started spreading PWPs around town solely for house-repelling purposes (like streetlights next to paths) so that house plot resetting would become easier. Now it just takes a few hours at most to get a house where I want it to go. So for you, it might depend on how many good empty spaces there are in your town for a villager to move into. If there are many spaces available for them to move into, it might take a long time to get them into the exact space you want to.

But it doesn't hurt trying! I recommend you try it out, you might get lucky. And if it gets too frustrating you can always just settle for a different location.

 

[momayo]

His house seems to be in an okay location! If you build a new PWP at/on/very near his house, then that might cause some problems, but as it is everything looks fine.

I've also had similar experience where a move-in placed a plot exactly where an old resident moved out. I've heard a theory that they're more likely to move on dead grass areas, so an old villager plot becomes an ideal place for the new villager to build. I'm not sure if this is true, though, and I haven't done enough resetting and move-ins to verify this.

 

[Ras]

Thanks guys. Ironically, this has become quite timely as Clay has decided to move out! I hope I can get Erik to agree to move before the grass grows just so I can test that theory.

If it does take days to get him in the right spot (), do I just keep resetting the clock to the day in question? So, if it's January 20, and by 6am January 21 he's still not in the spot I want, I just roll it back to January 20? Or, will it try to place the plot every day I start up as the new character and it doesn't matter if the day changes (as long as I don't save/go on as mayor)?

 

[Twisk]

I usually keep the clock on the same date when I'm plot resetting, just because this seems most safe to me. Maybe someone else can verify if it really matters whether a day passes or not, since I don't know for sure.
Good luck!