Feeling inadequate

[Distorted]

I have about 80 hours in the game and am currently working towards the k.k slider quest. I have also been trading with others which usually involves me going to their island and such, but when it does the fly over before landing there I see (majority of the time) AMAZING islands and when I come back to mine I just see an inadequate 1 star island. This is why I don't like to go on YouTube and searching anything horizons related because I see these epic YouTuber island and I get envious quickly. I know I don't have the teraforming or island design app yet but my island just sucks rn. I feel like I won't be able to make it looks as cool and organizied because I don't have that much of the talent. I can't even come up with a theme and it's super stressful, as I look at my island it makes me wanna give up. Any helpful tips or anyway someone could help me design would be really nice

 

[lucitine]

I think a key thing to remember is that a lot of people (not everyone) who have the gorgeous islands have time travelled to get there.

Just take it slowly and work towards it. I've personally have just been developing little bits at a time because I don't really know what I want to do with the rest of my island or I just dont have the flowers/furniture for it yet.

 

[Distorted]

I've been thinking recently and thought of like a witch/urban theme idea I just don't know how to execute it or where to start and it makes my head hurt

 

[bam94-]

I understand how you feel. It's easy to compare your island to other people's when you see images and videos online, etc. I'm about 80 hours in too and I've only just completed the KK quest and unlocked terraforming. I've barely laid any paths or fences, and I haven't had a go at waterscaping or building cliffs or anything because I don't know where to start.

What's helped me is not thinking of the whole island at once, but rather small bits at a time. For example, I'm going to landscape the area in front of my airport first. Then I'll just do little sections at a time. It's way more enjoyable for me to play the game for the actual game, rather than focusing on design all the time. Try and embrace your island for its basic look at the moment, because it will change and I know I'll look back one day and miss when my island had no paths or direction! You can change things as and when you feel like it rather than planning it.

 

[lucitine]

You can always look online for inspiration. Nook Plaza also has a great list of items/furniture that can help figure out what you need.

Honestly, I think you're putting too much pressure on yourself to make your island as amazing as everyone you see online. Just go slow. Keep in mind, you'll probably find stuff in October for halloween that has something to help you with your theme.

 

[AmyK]

I'll stick to what I've said in this thread that you should probably read because you're not the only one feeling this way!

Don't let it get to you. Just because people are ahead of you it doesn't make you inadequate. You're just in a different spot on the timeline. Be patient with yourself and your progress, your island will grow and change! It'll be frustrating at times, but you'll work on it bit by bit and turn it into the place you want it to be.

You could gather ideas and make plans while you're waiting for everything to unlock and look for items you want to use! That way your time won't be wasted and you're doing something productive.

 

[Distorted]

Thank

I'll stick to what I've said in this thread that you should probably read because you're not the only one feeling this way!

Don't let it get to you. Just because people are ahead of you it doesn't make you inadequate. You're just in a different spot on the timeline. Be patient with yourself and your progress, your island will grow and change! It'll be frustrating at times, but you'll work on it bit by bit and turn it into the place you want it to be.

You could gather ideas and make plans while you're waiting for everything to unlock and look for items you want to use! That way your time won't be wasted and you're doing something productive.

Thank you so much! I know have figured out a theme that will ofc need tweaking but I just do not know how to execute it.. like where to start what items where to put stuff..

 

[AmyK]

I know have figured out a theme that will ofc need tweaking but I just do not know how to execute it.. like where to start what items where to put stuff..

I'm definitely not the best person to ask for advice in terms of planning a themed island, but what I always like to do is: Break it down into small portions and connect the dots/fill the gaps later. You may want to ask yourself which areas you want to be elevated and how they're connected, in case you want them to be connected. Then you could make a shopping list for those specific spots.

Slightly OT: The terraforming feature made me feel super overwhelmed, I spent several days digging holes only to cover them again. Don't get discouraged if you don't know how to approach everything yet. It takes some time to get used to it and find some kind of workflow. I was completely clueless until two days ago, then I moved my campsite (it's been bugging me for weeks) and started building around it. That naturally made the question pop up where I want my river to flow, which is now my next task.

 

[Lethalia]

Don't feel discouraged! Because a lot of people have super developed islands, doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong. People develop and create at their own individual pace, and nothing's too fast or too slow. Also keep in mind that a lot of these people time travel and are also in quarantine. So naturally, people who still work essential jobs and don't time travel will take a bit longer and there's nothing wrong with that. Just enjoy the process instead of worrying too much about the end result.

As for advice when it comes to design, people use that one site I never knew the name of to create their map. Maybe using that will help you visualize what you want for your island. I personally focus on one little area at a time and then I'll work on connecting everything later. The only semi-developed part of my island is my villager neighborhood in the back. I'm taking my time with that, and once I'm ready, I'll eventually path it back to everything else in the center of the island. I'd recommend after a bit of thinking to just take the ideas floating in your head, make a mental checklist and just work on these things bit by bit. Breaking everything down into smaller tasks might feel more gratifying.

 

[Raz]

Honestly, I wasn't feeling like this before I decided to drastically change the whole layout of my island. And this comes after having moved 6 houses, built 3 stairs, 4 bridges...

This feeling is worsened by the fact that even if I know what I want to do with my island, I think I'll probably have some problems when it comes to some events (for example, I know I should leave some open space to be able to roll snowballs when winter comes in a couple months here in the SH).

 

[moonolotl]

Different people have different goals, like some people want to immediately make their island beautiful and some are taking it slow. I'm about 265 hours in and my island is almost completely bare because, again, im taking it slow and enjoying the ride. Don't feel guilty or bad about it! Just enjoy the journey of decorating and getting to that beautiful island

 

[Daisuk]

Don't worry about it! I know that alone isn't going to help, but just remember that playing this game isn't a competition, and people will think differently about different things. My island doesn't look great either, but good enough! Think about the insane amount of islands that looks just like yours or way worse! You just see the stars and glimmer on Youtube - kind of like Instagram for real life, people only showcase the absolute best stuff, and it gives a skewed version of reality. Most islands suck (or, rather, are probably nice enough!)! Just remember that, and don't feel bad. You can make it feel whatever way you feel with time - just don't stress it, the game has only been out for a month! People that have made these insane dream islands are probably fed up with the game already due to putting in probably 1000 hours and lots of time travel. Take it slow and enjoy the ride, it's not a competition - and you can do it your own way.

 

[Clock]

It takes time actually,I know so many islands are already nice because they time travelled. If I got it finished sooner, it would be a bit boring so it’s nice to enjoy the game. Right now, my town looks a bit bad and it takes a while to get a nice layout as well.

 

[Farfle_Productions]

Enjoy the process! Look for islands that can give you inspiration for now. I loved my island even before I started terraforming because of the way I had decorated it. Remember it’s a marathon not a race.

 

[sunshinesnekdeceit]

Remember to try and have fun with building your island and even if you don't have terraforming yet, you can make your island beautiful in a unique way

 

[Santana]

I completely understand how you feel, I definitely felt like that too. Just know that your island will come along, day by day, if you add something everyday. I hope this helps

 

[Figment]

I had around 150 hours in the game before the inspiration hit for my ideal island.

It was honestly a mess. I had already moved several buildings (50K for each building), and then I decided to do something completely different. And I don't regret it.

Don't judge yourself by other people's islands and just have fun and draw inspiration from what you like. Don't look at it as a negative, but as an opportunity.

Considering the updates with bushes and perhaps potential stores in the future, you may be in a better position than some people with fully developed islands

 

[Tako]

When I was 80 hours in, my island looked boring as heck.

My advice would be to first decide where you want your villagers to go. Do you want them to all be packed into a few specific parts of the island, or would you prefer to have them scattered all over? Consider how much space you want to allocate for their houses too. Are you going to give them backyards and/or front yards?

Then move on to the other buildings like your house and the shops and museums. Once you have a general idea of where you want the buildings to go, you can start thinking about decorating the island. Take it slow and do a small area at once. Don't be afraid to relocate any building, bridges, or inclines as you go! Ideas change all the time. There were a couple of times where I've spent an entire day just relocating my flowers or a whole patch of forest. :'D

Take breaks in between if you run out of ideas. Write them down somewhere if you suddenly get an inspiration but can't get to the game yet. Visit your friends or someone else's island for inspiration.

Little by little, you should start to see your island take shape. ^w^

 

[DJStarstryker]

I've been playing the game since March 20 and have put hundreds of hours in the game. I'm farther than you, OP, but I still only have a 3 star island. My island is not fancy like a lot of those that you see on YouTube. I still don't have a solid plan.

What I would suggest is to just keep playing naturally and try to collect items as you go. When you see what's available to you to use, that can help spark ideas.

And honestly, even though people have very different islands, they keep doing the same things. I am not talking about things that would've been caused by lack of furniture or anything. So many people use custom designs on the beach to look like towels. So many people use the stalls to make similar looking marketplace areas. So many people put their villager houses together in some almost HOA-looking (Homeowners Association) suburbia.

If you don't watch those videos and do what you want to do, more likely you will get something more unique.