I'm in a rut

[2kimi2furious]

Basically, Fujimori is almost finished, but I can't do anything to it unless I really step up my TBT trading game. I also need to get some villagers to move out so I can put the new permanent ones in. But I've been so busy irl with my job and with this house business, that I haven't really wanted to get online and be sociable within my game. I've been posting on the forums, which is fine, but trading for some reason feels like a bigger deal and I don't want to do it.

Gracey still needs a lot of work and I don't have to trade to get that done, but I'm getting discouraged because I do need my villagers to start either suggesting things or moving out and they seem to have all decided NOT to do that. So I am making no headway. Just running around maintaining things while my villagers contribute nothing.

It's all really been making me not want to play. But in my heart of hearts, I know I still do want to play. It just kind of feels fruitless right now. I don't know how to make myself want to play when I don't feel like I'm actually accomplishing anything in my towns. What would you guys suggest I do? How do I make myself want to trade again? What should I do to make myself feel like I'm making a difference in town?

I'm just feeling really discouraged right now.

 

[Lynnea]

Maybe you can take a break, even if it's just for a day or two. I was having trouble feeling motivated and sometimes it can feel like a chore to get on every day and deal with your town, so I took a three day break, looked up some pictures of what I wanted my town to look like, got some inspiration on new patterns, watched some videos on new horizons and just took a break for myself.

Hope everything goes well!

 

[carackobama]

Definitely have a break! I’ve just done that and it’s really helped with my motivation and enjoyment of the game c:

 

[2kimi2furious]

I’ve been on a break, tho. It’s making me not want to go back. ;_;

 

[LadyDestani]

I'm so sorry that you're feeling this way. I can understand about the trading thing. I also need to do some trades for my new town, but haven't felt up to it the past few weeks. I think if you just give yourself time, real life will eventually give you a break and you can get that stuff done.

As for Gracey, maybe just give yourself small goals that you can accomplish in a day. I don't know how far along you are, but opening up shops on Main Street, decorating your house, things like that. You could also build placeholder PWPs in spots where you want the real ones once they're suggested. It may cost you some extra bells, but I've found that my villagers are more likely to suggest PWPs after I've just built one.

Good luck with your towns. I hope you can start making progress in them again soon.

 

[CHA1N]

What I did to get my PWPs once a day was to fill my pockets with flowers and dump all my bells in the bank, then run by the villager I wanted a specific request from. If they didn't ping me I'd save and quit, then restart and run by them again. Sometimes I got a lot of annoying catchphrase and nickname requests but eventually I'd always get my PWP. It's a fairly quick process, and I usually got it in under an hour every new game day.

As for villagers, if you're not too attached you can just let them cycle out until you find one you like, but you can also get some rare items from them with high enough friendship. A few of my villagers keep stopping in my house uninvited but when I talk to them they'll sometimes give me something from the sci-fi series or an obscure piece of furniture I don't yet own. Perfect fruit netted me a throne from Angus.

I'd take it easy and go your own pace, see what you might be interested in doing and just kind of hash things out as you go. Remember there's no time limit to building your town, and sick of it as you may be you'll eventually get that "Aha!" moment when things just come together. Keep on trucking!

 

[RedTropicalPeachyFish]

rut :

an annual period of sexual activity in deer and some other mammals, during which the males fight each other for access to the females.​

Rut was a new word to me so I asked about it to Google concierge, no joke.
So, I know this isn't answering anything to the question but.. why do you even need to push yourself to ignite the motivation?
I'm partially a person of trading, had thousands of trades and still do regularly. So I see what it is like - "trading feels bigger deal" at times. This happens to me too every now and then and usually it most likely to do when it's too hectic irl or when I'm feeling physically tired out. When this happens, I likely to allow myself to not get on or play, and would just let myself do whatever I feel like doing. And when I get content with it after awhile, I realize I do want to play my towns, wanting to play just to play. And it feels great when I get back to my towns like that.

 

[2kimi2furious]

rut :

an annual period of sexual activity in deer and some other mammals, during which the males fight each other for access to the females.​

Rut was a new word to me so I asked about it to Google concierge, no joke.
So, I know this isn't answering anything to the question but.. why do you even need to push yourself to ignite the motivation?
I'm partially a person of trading, had thousands of trades and still do regularly. So I see what it is like - "trading feels bigger deal" at times. This happens to me too every now and then and usually it most likely to do when it's too hectic irl or when I'm feeling physically tired out. When this happens, I likely to allow myself to not get on or play, and would just let myself do whatever I feel like doing. And when I get content with it after awhile, I realize I do want to play my towns, wanting to play just to play. And it feels great when I get back to my towns like that.

Haha, Yuki noooo! I’m not in that kind of rut!!! XD

This actually makes a lot of sense. Life has been crazy since I started my new job and trying to sell our house has been stressful! I will probably feel like playing again when real life doesn’t make me want to pull my hair out. I hope things get better soon, tho.

 

[Blood Eclipse]

This is one of the main reasons I time travel. Somethings in this game are too slow paced for me. I have a bunch of villagers I'd like to get rid of, but they refuse to move out and I refuse pay $5-9 price tag for an individual amiibo card online, even if it my favorite villager, so I time travel (but only a day or 3 ahead.)

So far my method hasn't gotten any of my favorite villagers to move out.

I think you should give acnl a break, too, if it's causing you too much stress. Work + Stress aren't a good combination.

Play another game to get your mind off of it and keep rewinding time if you don't want any villagers to move out. Then when and if you decide to come back, slowly foward time (1-3 days ahead, talk to villagers to see if any want to move out, if not foward again until you're game is aligned with the current time again. (If you care about it being so.)

Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[Nougat]

I know what you mean, I've been less active on here the past few months as well since life has been really busy and I couldn't bring myself to make time for the trades and even playing sometimes. I have had some weeks where I haven't played at all, and I noticed that allowing myself that time off is best. It'll find its way back to you, it did for me too! And I still have small breaks now and then, since I didn't want to make it a burden somehow and force myself to play and trade. That would definitely be worse in the long run.