I definitely admire those who can create symmetry within their towns! I'm going for a more natural look with some symmetrical elements. I think some people can go overboard with their natural towns and make it so detailed it's almost not natural-looking...but I appreciate that too nonetheless. Intricacy, or simplicity, can look really good in this game.
how do you feel about 〜the grid〜 ?
- Thread starter river
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When people visit my island for the first time their first comment is usually "Your island is a freaking labyrinth" so I guess that answers it lmao. I tried to avoid straight paths and so, I wanted a very natural look from the beginning (I didn't even want full paths, mine are patches of different grounds/patterns), so nothing symmetrical on my end!
You know, to be fair, I have all straight paths and I've had visitors get lost in them as well lol
Sharksheep
Senior Member
I like a mix of both. Winding paths are fun but they need to be empty in enough that I'm not going to worry about trampling flowers.
Le Ham
now please I will accept the money-payment
I definitely strive for symmetry in sections of the island and having everything organized and navigable, but lately as I've been working on creating more open spaces my grid is a bit more irregular and spread out. I have a small campsite forest area that's more natural, but it really looks more overgrown than anything XD
Yes and no. I liked the way it looked a lot (and I hated the way custom paths looked in NL, they always looked really fake and out of place to me) but I hated that I got grass deterioration around my trees and the circuit I'd make to shake them all every day. I sort of wish we had a a path that looked like the grass deterioration rather than such I AM A PATH options for the dirt paths. And I really wish we could do diagonal paths as a thing. I have an area where I snaked a one-tile dirt path up with rounded corners so it looks like steps almost and I do like the look of it as a solution to the lack of diagonals, but I would prefer the ability to make a smooth diagonal path.
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So to answer the OP's question, I think I have a bit of both.
My residential area used to be haphazard with all of the villagers in one area, loosely in lines but not really. I re-did it so that they're grouped into a rough empty rectangle (the westernmost middle row house is out of line as it's further west than either the top or bottom row, but the eastern column is all lined up as I'm going to put a fence there to delineate the residential area from the plaza and shopping area) so that I could do some cute things inside the rectangle. I gave them a pool area and I'm going to do something with the swinging bench I think next to it.
The shops are roughly lined up, and the museum is behind town hall. South of the shops I have a small market and then a bunch of flowers--I haven't finished this area, as I'm debating between some sort of park area down here or extending the market further south. I also have an area I think of as "Peach Tree Lane" which is a single tile dirt path running up a narrow strip of land, with peach trees lined up on either side. They are however deliberately not evenly spaced on either side and a tree or two is purposely one tile out line as I didn't like the effect of perfect symmetry.
My non-native fruit aren't so neatly arranged. I have an island (Avalon, the Isle of Apples) just big enough for the seven apple trees that are scattered on it, and cherries, oranges, and pears are on a narrow strip north of the river, south of the cliff. The trees are grouped by fruit, and are placed to look natural and make it easy to run through them as they curve along the cliff and river edges. Dead center on the island is an open space that I was planning to use as a park (had the soccer nets out for a playing field, a picnic basket) but then turned into my hybrid breeding ground. It's currently overrun with flowers. I need to decide what I'm going to do with flowers and do a lot of work landscaping with flowers--everything I currently have wasn't planned and it shows (in the bad way).
My second and third level cliffs are forest and there's no grid at all. Emphasis was on placing things to look natural, with enough trees to look like a forest without being hard to navigate or too hard to see if I have any fossils.
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MelodyRivers
Senior Member
I can appreciate the grid look and the time it takes to achieve it but it’s not for me. I’m a bit lazy and impatient and it’s too tedious. I also think that sometimes the grid look is a bit cluttered and crowded. I like a more natural feel. I grew up watching reruns of little house on the prairie with my mom and I really like the small town feel with everyone’s houses spread out.
heey sorry to dig this thread up but I found something on twitter I thought I'd share with all you winding paths enthusiasts...
So, this Twitter user made patterns to recreate the old natural paths and they look amazing.
It intantly reminded me of this conversation and I thought you guys might appreciate it if you hadn't already seen it
So, this Twitter user made patterns to recreate the old natural paths and they look amazing.
It intantly reminded me of this conversation and I thought you guys might appreciate it if you hadn't already seen it
Mine’s a little bit of a grid I suppose! I wanted mine to feel foresty but still functional, and I think it does! There are still some tweaks and stuff to be done but I do like my map. Although the paths are straight, they’re mossy stone or dirt with weeds, and there are lots of trees around.
And it definitely works functionally, I have no problem getting around to fish and do my dailies!
And it definitely works functionally, I have no problem getting around to fish and do my dailies!
oh this is gorgeous!!! thanks for the rec!!
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