How do you get back into the game?

[Amherst]

I haven't consistently played New Leaf in a while and when I try to get back into it I tend to flail about not sure what to do, before I close it and give up. Plus sometimes I'm overwhelmed or frustrated by all the items and lack of space to put them and unsure of what to do design-wise with the landscaping and my house. Just. Don't know what to do anymore but there's plenty to do! Ah!!!

I really want to get into it again I miss playing it regularly.

So what do you guys do after you've taken a break from it? Any tips?

I don't want to reset my whole town but maybe I need to? But I doubt that will solve my issue.

Cryyy so many complicated feelings.

Also, I just came out of a 5 year relationship and I strongly associate this game with my ex. So that makes it harder.

halp pls. <3

EDITING TO POST AN UPDATE!

I've finally managed to properly get back into the game, though it's bee a slow process. But I'm so happy to be back and playing it regularly. I'm trying to think of a third writer for my literary town. I have Emily Dickinson and Emily Bront? so far. I was wondering what would be a nice contrast to those. Maybe Shakespeare? Maybe Sappho (so it's women writer's he he). Virginia Woolf feels to close in time to Dickinson and Bront? and too thematically overlapping, even though I have a fantastic lighthouse PWP I wanted to use. Or maybe a WoC writer? I don't think I'd do J.K. Rowling just because HP is already so represented in the Ancro fandom.

 

[LinkToTheWorld]

Any chance of posting up a picture of your town layout? Just so we can get an idea of where your villagers are/cafe/retail etc.
Honestly, it's the same with anything, the longer you leave it the worse it becomes and the harder it is to go back to.
When I stopped playing (was only like 2 weeks) I didn't have any dream villagers so I wasn't worried about losing anybody but I absokoute let dreaded the state the town would be in.
I imagened weeks everywhere, no flowers or dead looking flowers, basically like some post apocalyptic thing....
You know what? Wasn't anywhere as bad as I imagined. Yes I'd lost flowers, there was quite a few weeds, I had bed hair and my villagers were telling me off for ignoring them for so long.
It took all of a day to start getting on top of stuff. I'm now doing well and playing everyday (not been playing all that long anyway to be honest).

Honestly, post up your map or give us a few details on your town layout
Do you have many PWP's? How many villagers do you have currently?
People may be able to give suggestions which would encourage you to start up again

 

[Amherst]

Oh my god, thank you so much for your reply, I really appreciate it

Your idea of posting the town layout etc, is fantastic, so here is all that. I lost a bit of enthusiasm when I lost a lot of hybrids, too. I'll go tally and list my PWPs too, to give you an idea of that.

Any suggestions and encouragement would be greatly appreciated

Villagers: Rory, Bunnie*, Dora, Cranston, Elmer, Naomi, Monty, Ankha*, Erik*
* indicates I'd like to keep them. I'm still mourning Maple, and Muffy :3

So here is a picture of my town layout (I'm standing on Erik's house):

 

[LinkToTheWorld]

Oh I really need to start spell checking before I post. Sorry about that....it is early morning here though haha
Damn phone. What kind of PWP's do you like?
In my town I have one area which is going to be zen - all wooded area with a couple of houses that fit the theme (or I think so) I have Erik there and Witney. The other side is the 'main' area. I have all my paths there and the majority of my houses. I am going to have fairytale things in that area. I also have a hybrid garden right next to my house.
Have you decided on a place for a hybrid garden?
Maybe have them by your two houses and to stop them being ruined place some streetlights around that area?

You have a really good town map, much better than mine. I should have paid more attention when I started the game but it's too late now. I've tried to make it work though
If you could list your PWP's that would be great.

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How do you feel about doing a little wooded area? Let me know about your PWP's first though

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Also - do you have paths?

 

[Athelwyn]

Perhaps it would help if you can identify what changeable elements in your town remind you of your ex--maybe make a list. For example, if you two used to sit on a certain bench together, and seeing that particular bench upsets you, demolish it and put up something new. Maybe even a custom sign or standee with an image of something that makes you laugh!

I wouldn't restart the entire town...like you said, it wouldn't really solve the issues. Your town map is amazing! Seriously, I love it. I would just keep working with your existing town. What helps me when I'm overwhelmed with landscaping or decorating is to clear everything out! Take all the furniture out of the room in question, or cut down a bunch of trees so you can have an uncluttered view of where to go from there. (Granted, this means that my town of Ruddyoak currently has, like, five trees. But when it's done, it will be better than ever.)

 

[LinkToTheWorld]

The thing about your ex is tricky. It's difficult when there is something there reminding you of somebody you spent so much time with when they're no longer around....or not around in the same way.
But maybe this game would actually take your mind off it. Getting into landscaping and obtaining dream villagers, getting rid of stuff, starting new projects. Seeing it develop might get rid of that association and bring about a new one

 

[Amherst]

You guys are amazing! Thank you so much for your time and effort!​

​

I tried to do a thing where I marked all my PWPs on my town map but my laptop has no space on it, has a tiny SSD for memory and no image editing software and I can't delete anything off it because my Ext HHD isn't letting me write files onto it, so I'll just have to list them all. Sorry, I was hoping to make it more visual.​

Existing PWPs: (I've bolded the ones that I really love and feel 'me')

• 3x Cobblestone bridges (as you can see)
• 2x yellow benches
• drinking fountain
• water well (behind my house, i love it there for some reason)
• fountain
• park clock
• 4x street lamps
• stone tablet
• water pump
• zen bell
• bus stop
• illuminated arch
• lighthouse
• tower
• Stonehenge
• round topiary
• tulip topiary
• flower clock

PWPs I've unlocked, but haven't built:

• town-hall renovations (I like the original but might go for the fairy-tale one)
• zen bench
• pile of pipes
• climbing frame
• modern clock
• modern streetlight
• picnic blanket
• fire pit
• camping cot
• outdoor chair
• fence
• fire hydrant
• traffic signal
• custom design sign
• face cut-out standee
• caution sign
• do-not-enter sign
• yield sign
• wind turbine
• moai statue
• sphinx
• square topiary

I love the idea of using a lot of the topiaries throughout the town, either to structure it or something, but don't know if that's possible. I would love a hybrid area, and also a tree-dense orchard type space.​

The aesthetic I had in mind when starting out was like a rustic / bookish / floral / prairie theme meets 'Wuthering Heights'.... ? Ok, that makes no sense. But I'm a massive literature nerd so I named my town Amherst after the town the poet Emily ****inson lived in. My second villager is called Emily D after her, and my third villager is called Bront? after the Bront? sisters.​

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But maybe this game would actually take your mind off it. Getting into landscaping and obtaining dream villagers, getting rid of stuff, starting new projects. Seeing it develop might get rid of that association and bring about a new one

This hit the nail on the head, totally how I want to see this whole endeavour to get back into the game. Like this very therapeutic / cathartic process, where I also reclaim the game for myself but work through all this old junk and old feelings too.

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How do you feel about doing a little wooded area? Let me know about your PWP's first though

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Also - do you have paths?

I would love a little wooded area!! :3 Big yes!!

I do have paths but they are really messed up and the patterns are spread between my three characters so if I rub out a tile I don't have on my character I have to switch to my other one and fix it. This never happens. The paths are a brown and beige brick.

 

[LinkToTheWorld]

Oh you are so like me, all the PWP's you're keeping are ones I have or want!

What about planting cedar trees around your campsite? Is there room? Seeing as it's in the north part of town I believe they should grow there okay (or so I'm told). Have it as like a foresty feel, maybe build the fire pit there too (it's where I'm putting mine also).

Where about in your map is your zen bell?
How do you feel about having the top area of your map (excluding the camping area) used as the main area, place some paths, give it a town feeling. Could even place paths to look like roads depending on where your other PWP's are placed. I saw a lovely road pattern in a town I visited earlier this week. With traffic signals and road signs it really worked.

Maybe have a hybrid garden around your mayors house (assuming that is the one on the right with the houses in front)?.

If you have space in that little area by the cliff, just down from your town hall, how about an orchard there? You could maybe do all that area a kind of forest feel. No paths, just dirt paths you made yourself, not sure what villagers you have living there at the moment? If they would go with your theme?

You could also choose a pattern to place around each building even if you went for the bottom section as a forest area. I've done it and it kind of sets them off, I'm going to get dirt paths leading up to any buildings I have in that side again once the snow has gone - fed up of snow now.

Couple of options for camping cot and picnic blanket placement - I would personally put them in a wooded area. If you go with the idea of a big wooded area you could grow the oak trees and have a picnic blanket placed somewhere around there and a camping cot.

Topiarys throughout sounds lovely - I haven't actually unlocked them yet so they're a bit more difficult for me to think what I'd do with them. Plus it's so awkward when Isabelle keeps saying you can't put something where you wanted it!!

I put my stone table almost as near to my house as possible, I've gone for a kind of Zelda house so I thought that went well. Where about is yours?

Where about did you place your Stonehenge? Sorry for lots of questions, just trying to visualise how everything looks.
You have some great PWP's and some lovely villagers, please don't get rid of your town, even if you demolish some of them to rebuild. Get into it again and hopefully it will provide a great distraction.
I still have so much to do on my town, currently trying to grow bushes, I'm not very good at forward planning or anything like that but I do hope this helps you a bit! x

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Oh that was long!! Sorry haha
Hadn't realised I yabbered on so much....

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What about cobblestone paths?
It's so difficult when you're trying to place paths and haven't got all your villagers sorted yet isn't it!
I'm halfway there but decided I'd place them anyway as it takes so long to do - but once it's done, it's done!

 

[Amherst]

Oh that was long!! Sorry haha
Hadn't realised I yabbered on so much....

Oh my god, you are amazing :3 I have no words. Please jabber on as much as you like. I'm going to take a bunch of pictures and post them so you can visualise it all better. I had this idea of 'Wuthering Heights' in my mind, like I said, so I put the stone-y stuff south of the town on the cliffs overlooking the beach. It works really well there imo. Pictures incoming! <3

 

[LinkToTheWorld]

Aslo, don't worry about losing your hybrids. I can give you some to start you off again if you like or if you are determined to do them yourself - do it!! honestly, if I can grow them with the mess I was in then anybody can
I know what you mean about losing enthusiasm when something goes wrong though. I lost my black hybrids because I let them wilt and accidentally watered them with the gold can...so now they're gold....annoyed me as it took a while to get them but I'll get there!
When something goes wrong I try to distract myself by unlocking a new PWP or redoing a room in my house. Then I come back and have a go at whatever it is I got wrong

 

[Amherst]

Sorry, they all got rotated in the upload :/
And my town is SUPES messy. Ugh. So ugly.
xx

















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Oh you are so like me, all the PWP's you're keeping are ones I have or want!

What about planting cedar trees around your campsite? Is there room? Seeing as it's in the north part of town I believe they should grow there okay (or so I'm told). Have it as like a foresty feel, maybe build the fire pit there too (it's where I'm putting mine also).

That's a great idea, I had the idea of doing that too. And there are a couple there that I planted. But I'm going to get on that now for sure.

 

[LinkToTheWorld]

Not ugly at all!! Just need more developing (as does my town) and even then there will still be more to do!
Was actually just considering changes to my paths before I replied to you....never happy!

The stone tablet is so much like what I did with mine, by the house with a pattern around it. As its by the house I've also placed bushes and flowers around the path (the path that surrounds the tablet).
Oh and you also have the same print on your house as I have! Haha, we must be communicating telepathically or something

So on either side of the house with the stone tablet, hybrid garden? + hybrids in front of the fence to set it off.
Can definitely plant some cedars around the camping ground too - will really make it look like it's in the middle of nowhere. Place the trees how you want them and then add a fire pit or add the fire pit first? Did you even want the fire pit? Haha, I love it and intend to build it in my town soon so I was thinking you might too

Stonehenge is also in a good spot by the look of it. How about adding an orchard nearby?
Maybe remove the paths in that area and place them around your town in the top half to every house....I know you won't be keeping all the villagers, but even when they move out and new ones move in it shouldn't mess it up too badly.
It's what I did and I've replaced 5 villagers and it still works. And as I said your layout is much better than mine
The top area would work really well as a main area seeing as your cafe is there/bus stop etc.
Or do it the other way around. The way you've placed stuff makes it pretty easy to go either way. Keep your paths in the lower half and have the top half as mostly trees/woodland? Could still have the orchard by stonehenge as I think that would go lovely when it's set up.

Make sure to put a streetlight on the other side of the house if you decide to go with a hybrid garden there so nobody can move in on top and ruin anything.

What do you think so far? Any suggestions you think might work?
Feel free to say if not! I just love having like 2 separate areas to my town, but maybe you want it all to be paths or all to be natural?
Or a bit of both!

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I really think if nothing else that all that little are by the campground and around it could be a forest. Maybe put the picnic blanket there too?

 

[Amherst]

Where about in your map is your zen bell?
How do you feel about having the top area of your map (excluding the camping area) used as the main area, place some paths, give it a town feeling. Could even place paths to look like roads depending on where your other PWP's are placed. I saw a lovely road pattern in a town I visited earlier this week. With traffic signals and road signs it really worked.

You can see in one of the pictures it's around the town hall, just a bit south-east of it. I like the idea of that top area being used as the main area. I'm yet to be convinced about roads and traffic lights, never appealed to me, but I'm definitely keen to check out the road pattern you saw in that town you visited? Curious to see what a well done road looks like.

Maybe have a hybrid garden around your mayors house (assuming that is the one on the right with the houses in front)?.

Yep, this is definitely a possibility. It's where I'm storing all my golden roses. (I mourn my black ones too ; U But those houses infront of mine are annoying.

If you have space in that little area by the cliff, just down from your town hall, how about an orchard there? You could maybe do all that area a kind of forest feel. No paths, just dirt paths you made yourself, not sure what villagers you have living there at the moment? If they would go with your theme?

I like that, I wasn't sure where to put an orchard but that suggestion makes sense. There's a lot of room if I get rid of the PWPs that are there. The flower clock infront of the town hall isn't that great tbh.

You could also choose a pattern to place around each building even if you went for the bottom section as a forest area. I've done it and it kind of sets them off, I'm going to get dirt paths leading up to any buildings I have in that side again once the snow has gone - fed up of snow now.

would love to see pics of this -- and ugh, same here re snow.

Couple of options for camping cot and picnic blanket placement - I would personally put them in a wooded area. If you go with the idea of a big wooded area you could grow the oak trees and have a picnic blanket placed somewhere around there and a camping cot.

Like where the camping area is, you mean? Or elsewhere? Yes to big wooded area though. A++++ super keen.

Topiarys throughout sounds lovely - I haven't actually unlocked them yet so they're a bit more difficult for me to think what I'd do with them. Plus it's so awkward when Isabelle keeps saying you can't put something where you wanted it!!

Yep! I'll have to figure out what the placement is like.

I put my stone table almost as near to my house as possible, I've gone for a kind of Zelda house so I thought that went well. Where about is yours?

Took a pic of this for you -- next to my wuthering heights house over looking the cliffs <3

Where about did you place your Stonehenge? Sorry for lots of questions, just trying to visualise how everything looks.

Took a pic of this for you too, I really liked it but when I looked back on it, the snow just makes it look bad. It's really nice with the grass around it. I might have to move it a bit closer to the cliff-face. And don't apologise for all your questions -- I really appreciate your time and attention to detail :')

You have some great PWP's and some lovely villagers, please don't get rid of your town, even if you demolish some of them to rebuild. Get into it again and hopefully it will provide a great distraction.
I still have so much to do on my town, currently trying to grow bushes, I'm not very good at forward planning or anything like that but I do hope this helps you a bit! x

Oh man, you've helped so much, you have no idea. For the first time in forever this feels totally managable. Thank you so much. I feel much more in control instead of just like, being overwhelmed and flailing and then shutting off my DS. Seriously, I can't thank you enough. I think I'll start by doing a bunch of tidying up first. pulling up plants and erasing ugly paths. I think I'll start with the camp ground first and see how that goes. But I think tidying up is a really good idea, because it will help in making me feel less overwhelmed. Pull up all flowers that aren't hybrids or ones I like particularly. But yep, definitely won't delete my town now

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Ugh I have to go to sleep now, I'm pretty beat! But I'll respond in the morning! xoxoxoxo

 

[LinkToTheWorld]

No problem at all I'm happy I could help you a bit at least.

Tidying up is the best way to start, chop trees, demolish PWP's, move stuff around.
Then do it section by section, top half first may be easier if you're going for it as your main area with paths and stuff, can kind of get more organised doing it like that.

Like I said, there are a couple of options for the orchard, by Stonehenge or by the cliff are. Either would look great. If you went with the cliff area you could make Stonehenge into a picnic area/pretend camping spot!

Oh I have too many ideas in my head, haha!
Let me know what you decide sleep well x

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The whole top half that is, but section by section. Like you said, start with camping ground and work your way down!

It will take a while but it will be so worth it once you're all sorted

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You know I completely forgot we can build a fenced in area....maybe that could go on your lower half of the map too wherever you find space? Would look lovely with some hybrids growing inside.

Anyway, I'll be quiet now....haha x

 

[LinkToTheWorld]

Was trying to upload you some photos but can't do it from my phone. Will try and get on the laptop later and show you what I mean a bit better or you could always visit. Feel free to add me if you want to.

And regarding my comment about the picnic blanket location - I was thinking either the camping area or the bottom half of your town if you're going with the woodland area there.

 

[Athelwyn]

As a librarian, I love your literary theme so much!

I did some brainstorming, and came up with some suggestions--i.e., what I would do if it were my town, so feel free to disregard (of course) if you don't care for them. Either way, it's fun to come up with ideas.

First of all, I was going to suggest the stone tablet next to the Wuthering Heights house to represent the graves, but I see you've done that, haha! I think a mossy cobblestone path would fit the feel of your town very well (I think LinkToTheWorld suggested cobblestone, actually). I would most likely demolish the tower and illuminated arch, just because they feel very modern and might not fit as well with the feel of your town. It might be fun to have a face standee of a portrait of Emily D. or one of the Bront?s.

For Emily's house, I would build either the fence PWP or a few flower bed PWPs to represent Emily's garden, and I would fill it and the area around her home with Jacob's ladders and pansies (she had Lily of the Valley and pansies in her beautiful garden). I would plant either azaleas or hydrangeas around her home, too. Just a general overgrown garden feel all around her home. Oh, and I would have her wear white! I thought of the well being built near her house, because of her poem, "I know where Wells grow -- Droughtless Wells," but you've said that you're happy with your well being behind your mayor's home...so I'd build the water pump there at some point, maybe? The round topiaries might be nice in that area, too. (I mean, to fit Emily's theme...not sure which house is hers on the map.)

Also--and this may be too far-out for your taste--if you were looking for interior ideas, I have one for Emily's home. For some reason, "I heard a Fly buzz -- when I died --" is her poem that always come to mind when I think of her. So I'd make a mourning room in her home, with a fly (displayed in its buggy container) and a blue violet (like those that were placed on her coffin) on a table...dark walls and floor, pipe organ, stained glass window, maybe also mannequin dressed in black with the black veil hat?
What else...oh, I would def. have the typewriter, large bookshelf, and the letter set from the Post Office somewhere in her home!

I am actually pretty excited about your town, haha!

 

[MillySoSilly]

I took a break from Animal Crossing for about 6 months. I stopped playing because my bf sold his 3DS. When he got a new one this past christmas, I was like, "Hmm...maybe I'll play ACNL again." I picked it up and played all day. I haven't stopped playing ever since. My town was kinda a mess but not really. So, what I did was I made a list of what I wanted to do in my town, what I wanted- furniture wise, and basically everything that was bothering me about my town. Anyway, rather than thinking of everything that needs to be done all at once, just set back and take a breath and do "everything" in small steps. After doing this and you still don't like your town, I'd reset. I did that with my second town. I gave it a shot and tried and tried. I ended up not liking anything so I reset. Now it's just a cycle town, for now.

 

[Rabirin]

All I can recommend is just picking the game up and playing it again. I find that after long breaks I tend to resume the game for long periods of time, and eventually I get into the swing of things again and find myself playing constantly. I also tend to draw up new dreamie lists of animals to achieve in my town, so I can feel some sense of accomplishment when I achieve them all, it's pretty fun actually.

 

[nami26]

I created a sort of park, using benches, a fountain, lots of fruit trees, orchards, street lamps, bamboo, flowers, flower clocks, etc.. just to brighten up my town a bit

 

[beaver]

I just started playing again, after like a six month hiatus. What I'm finding really helpful is replacing my villagers. I liked who I had, but they definitely weren't my favourite. Now I've got four new villagers, and the challenge of reworking my towns set up because of where they decided to settle in!