How to use paths to block off move-in spots?

[BamTheBoom]

I know that when villagers move in they now avoid places with paths, but I'm a little confused on how exactly to go about placing them. I know I need a 3x3 area for the villagers house, but do I have to completely cover the rest of my town in patterns? I tried doing Path-Open Space-Path but I still had villagers moving into a spot that I didn't want them in. I even had multiple 3x3 areas open. So am I supposed to put paths everywhere except where I want my villager to go, or is there a better way to place paths?

 

[vlr0316]

ii myself just covered the spots ii dont want them in, either with my actual path leading, or my 2nd qr code, ii have 2x2s just in different patches all over my town, and when ii continue with my actual path making leading where else ii want to go ill kick away the 2nd qr code, it kinda looks ugly, bht its okay with me bc my town is nowhere near done yet anyways lol

 

[katysu]

I did similar to vir0316, I only cover with patterns where I don't want a villager to go. I'm not trying for very strict particular spots to get a villager in.
Because I'm only protecting areas I really don't want a house (spaces saved for caf?, Police station, front of bridges, ramps) etc it means a house can still plot in an area I rather they didn't - so I also plot reset when I know a villager is incoming.

Plot resetting is not possible if you have 4 characters - & in towns where I have this I've basically spent the time tiling large swathes making sure I tile around trees (its easy to see these as non removable - and unfortunately they are) plus I remove any vunerable hybrids.
You don't have to cover all spaces, just make sure there are no 3x3 spaces around which could be used - its difficult as its easy to discount a 3x3 space if it includes the pesky removable trees & flowers. At the same time leave enough space for a house to plot otherwise they can take out paths/plot anywhere - its why plot resetting is such a good safety belt to have.

 

[Tim]

Hmm, can villagers really move into any space with 3x3 of free area? I thought the box was 3x3 for their house but they wouldn't move directly next to a path, PWP, wall etc. So the space needed to be more that 3x3 for them to move there? I am real worried I might have a lot of hybrids ready to be mowed over right now.

 

[katysu]

TBH I'm not at all sure of the spacing required. If there is not enough space elsewhere, a house can clip into a path. let alone sit right up next to it.
I've seen posts where players say how to place the tiles/patterns - almost like a chess board, say all the white squares you place as patterns.
Do houses need a space bigger than a 3x3 to plot - yes they might, this is where I'm hazy, its not been an issue for me as I'm not trying to put houses into exact spaces or into straight lines. (would have to search on this point - I'm pretty sure there has been BTF posts on this).
My problem has been my eyes see trees & flowers as permanent, its best to move hybrids - say to the beaches and tile around trees.
It is time consuming, tho I haven't found it unbearable, its partly as I try to combine tiling 'no go' areas with plot resetting, and I'm not overly picky as to where a villager plots.

Quick search: a villagers house needs a 5x5 space as they won't plot within 2 spaces of say a rock or building (civic or houses), but they will plot nearer than this to the plazas.

Ragdoll's post is also relevant:
https://www.belltreeforums.com/showthread.php?310996-The-precision-of-villager-plot-resetting

 

[Tim]

Ill have to do some more research on it and figure it out. I have a ton of trees on my beaches and I use the leftover space for hybrid bulk storage, mainly i'm worried about the breeding hybrids on the mainland. I will just have to be super careful I guess!

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Thanks for the quick search and link!

 

[Underneath The Stars]

Leave an open space like this for the residential area. To be safe it must be 3x3 + one open space for the "door" - it's so they won't move in randomly elsewhere as you might miss a spot somewhere & they will move in there... OR if your town is completely covered, I heard they will just randomly move in anywhere ignoring the paths. I'm not 100% sure of this, some say they will do that or move in the next day or the next when there is a spot open? Idk. (Someone needs to confirm this what happened to them. Because I always leave spaces for mine)

All over the town, it doesn't have to be ALL covered. Keep in mind of that 3x3 space, and if it's a crucial space for PWP or just a space in general that would be ruined/look ridiculous with a house (example, in front of Retail or Cafe), cover that with paths. At least 1 in a middle of a 3x3 if you don't want your town to look ridiculous with paths all over the place.

You can put flowers in between those paths to beautify them. This is what I do. Notice that it isn't crowded but there's also no open 3x3 elsewhere.

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Quick search: a villagers house needs a 5x5 space as they won't plot within 2 spaces of say a rock or building (civic or houses), but they will plot nearer than this to the plazas.

Ragdoll's post is also relevant:
https://www.belltreeforums.com/showthread.php?310996-The-precision-of-villager-plot-resetting

Yes, this is important to point out

 

[vlr0316]

@tim id def. watch those hybrids, iiwent as far as putting tiles close around my flowers bc ii had a patch full of trees @ the bottom corner thinking they wouldnt get knocked down bc a villager wouldnt move in on them.. well.......6 trees GONE!!! bc freaken cute Chevre decided to build her house there!!! ii was highly upset and confused bc ii thought they couldnt do that, bht well ii was def proven wrong and she had sooooooo many other choices to put her house, literally free open areas and she chooses to knock them down, it was awful, so in my opinion to which ii now cover empty spots ii dont want the houses, bc i ialso dont want them all bunched up in 1 group id like them all to be spavious and apart from eachother, so now ii lay out the tile wherever just to keep them from that spot, bc iam actually wanting to put pwps in those spots so thats the only reason why ii do the tile also.. so id watch the trees and flowers!!