Lost my Rosie *cries* Questions about cycling

[RainyCat]

So I had been busy with other things and rarely ever went on ACNL...only maybe once a week to stop movers. I forgot this week and I got a letter from Rosie.

NOPE.

She was a random move in that I really liked and had for a few months, and her moving away wreaked my BroTP (Rosie and Pango) and I didn't even see her in boxes (which would have been heartbreaking but at least she wouldn't have gone to the *shudder* Void).

I'm think about cycling to get her back...I really did like her...I mean she's not my favorite villager but...

*cries*

I've been away from ACNL for a long time so...

Questions about cycling

1.I'm going to be busy for a long time. I'm probably gonna be busy for the rest of my life. Any tips to keep your villagers from moving away while you're not able to go on frequently or for a long period of time? ._. I swear, if I get Rosie back and Freya moves...I can't say this accident won't happen again.

2. I really do want her back but I've only got two open spaces to cycle...I'm giving up Lolly so I can have more cycling room...is this remotely possible? Or too risky? I'm terrified I'll lose another dreamie...

3. Is it easier just to...replace the villager with a similar one? I'm worried about cycling...

4. How long does it take to fully cycle if you have no villagers you want to keep in your town? How long does it take if you only have 1 to 3 spaces open?

 

[CuddleThePumpkin]

Why dont you just look on the trading boards and see if anyone has her up for trade or sale ^^

 

[RainyCat]

Hehe, did you know about the 16 villager cycle? If a villager moves, you can't get them back unless 16 other villagers move in and then out of your town.

 

[Vizionari]

Well for your first, if you stop someone from moving, then you can take as long as a break as you want and no one will move.

About the 16 villager cycle...I've never done it, but it's best to have at least 2 spaces open so it's faster to cycle. Use villager rumors to let you know whether someone is moving or not. If you do decide to get Rosie back no matter what, I wish you luck, she's definitely a sweetie <3

 

[leeaboo]

How long the villager cycle takes depends on how much time you're willing to dedicate to cycling. I did a cycle with two spots open and it took me about 3 days, but I was cycling while doing other things (homework, eating etc) so it was pretty constant. As long as you're very careful, it's rare that you can lose villagers while cycling. Try to look for some methods (such as the rumor method) that allow you to check your town casually. You will probably have to check every 2-3 days though just to make sure that everything is okay!
Odds are, if you're really worried about messing up your town / accidentally losing someone else, replacing Rosie with another villager is probably best. You'll still see her on main street, and who knows, you might find another villager that you like just as much as her (like she was a random villager you came to like!). Good luck!

 

[tae]

i used the rumor method for a week straight to get kidd to ping out of my town. i had 9/10 dreamies and i needed him and only him out. it'll take time and dedication but with two slots instead of one, it shouldn't be too hard to do the 16 villager cycle for her back.

 

[JessaBelle]

Hehe, did you know about the 16 villager cycle? If a villager moves, you can't get them back unless 16 other villagers move in and then out of your town.

I've always been kinda confused by this whole thing. I'm sorry if this is the wrong place to ask this (as I realize it's kinda off topic) but I have a few questions about this cycling thing.
So, if you lose a villager and make it through the 16 cycle thing, does that mean that the villager will automatically come back to your town or just that it's possible to get them back?
Also, I wonder what happens if you were to ask said villager to move in from another town before the cycling was up?

 

[tae]

I've always been kinda confused by this whole thing. I'm sorry if this is the wrong place to ask this (as I realize it's kinda off topic) but I have a few questions about this cycling thing.
So, if you lose a villager and make it through the 16 cycle thing, does that mean that the villager will automatically come back to your town or just that it's possible to get them back?
Also, I wonder what happens if you were to ask said villager to move in from another town before the cycling was up?

i believe after you finish your 16 villager cycle after losing villager X.. you can visit someone else's town / if they're in your campsite you may then again ask villager X to move back into your town. ( correct me if i'm wrong please )

 

[JessaBelle]

i believe after you finish your 16 villager cycle after losing villager X.. you can visit someone else's town / if they're in your campsite you may then again ask villager X to move back into your town. ( correct me if i'm wrong please )

Oh, that makes sense! And you can tell that the villager has been through the cycle because they will stop showing up on main street, right?

 

[RainyCat]

Yes, I've heard that when they don't show up on Main Street anymore, you can have them in your town again.

 

[leeaboo]

Yep! If you ask someone to move in before you've gone through 16 villagers, they simply won't ask you if they should move in. After cycling through 16 villagers, they will seem to have forgotten that you had them previously and you'll be able to ask them to move in either when they're in boxes in another person's town or through the campsite

 

[Hypno KK]

1.I'm going to be busy for a long time. I'm probably gonna be busy for the rest of my life. Any tips to keep your villagers from moving away while you're not able to go on frequently or for a long period of time? ._. I swear, if I get Rosie back and Freya moves...I can't say this accident won't happen again.

I wrote a guide on how to safely take breaks from ACNL (both expected and unexpected breaks). H

2. I really do want her back but I've only got two open spaces to cycle...I'm giving up Lolly so I can have more cycling room...is this remotely possible? Or too risky? I'm terrified I'll lose another dreamie...

Yes, it is possible, if you use methods that allow you to be pinged by one villager at a time so you get more control over who moves out. Just keep in mind that when you're down to 9 villagers, the new move-in will be your 10th and less likely to ping. You should do it by switching back and forth between villager #9 and #10.

For example, let's say your current cycling spots are taken up by Gayle and Tutu. Gayle moves out and Chadder moves in. Chadder will be less likely to move, so it's easier to move out Tutu first. After she moves out, Octavian moves in. He's your new 10th, so Chadder will have a normal chance to ping and you can move him out. When Chadder moves out, Gala moves in. That's when you move out Octavian.

I used random villager names but I hope you get the point anyway. As long as you're cycling using at least 2 villagers, it shouldn't be so bad, though it might require extra time and patience. There are people who do that, though.

3. Is it easier just to...replace the villager with a similar one? I'm worried about cycling...

That's technically easier but I can't think of many that are similar to Rosie. If you like similar ones, it could be fun to mix things up and give them a chance. But if you really like Rosie, cycling is your best option.

4. How long does it take to fully cycle if you have no villagers you want to keep in your town? How long does it take if you only have 1 to 3 spaces open?

Both of these depend on the method you're using, whether you're time travelling, and just how lucky you are. Villagers ping at different intervals so it's hard to estimate, plus some methods take longer than others. If you're cycling with a full town it will be quicker, but it doesn't mean that it will take forever to cycle using fewer spaces.

For example, I don't cycle but I've tried to move specific villagers out. It takes me about a couple of hours depending on the villager (sometimes less, sometimes more) but I'm usually targeting only a specific one, they're villagers that don't ping me as much when I'm playing normally, and I take breaks. Let's say that it took you one hour per villager. If you play two hours a day, that would be 8 days.

Of course, that's probably quicker if you're moving out villagers from a group of 2-3 or even your whole town. It's slower if you're not time travelling.