I unlocked terraforming a while ago, since I only bought the game April 24th, and I have been dreading starting terraforming because it seems like such a huge task. I have a vision for my island, but I just have no idea where to start!
How did you begin terraforming and what are your tips for people who are just starting, or maybe restarting their terraforming?
Section off what you want to do and just work on a little area bit by bit! It might help to move all your flowers out of the way to the beach so you can properly landscape as you go or when you're finished with an area!!
Personally I decided to level my island except for areas I wanted to keep (which took so many hours but I came up with ideas I never would have before if I hadn't! so maybe that might help inspire you??)
If you're going to be moving houses or buildings, I'd recommend planning where you want them to go and make a custom design so you can block out the 4x4 square you need to move villagers so its ALWAYS in the right spot and not one title off (which drove me crazy before I decided to figure out what sizes everything was)
I know we live in a digital age but... PEN AND PAPER. Sketch out what you want and then work on it piece by piece. I think plans naturally change based on how things shape up in reality so don't bite off more than you can chew. And yeah, like Everdeen said, you can use custom designs to plan out the details. You can make the custom design transparent when you're done.
Depends on your playstyle and your personal preferences. Some level off their entire island. This method is not for the weak or faint of heart. Seeing your island barren for quite a time makes you feel things like instant regret and panic which may lead you to wanna reset. If that’s the kind of person you are, take the other route which is terraforming section by section. That’s less overwhelming. The least overwhelming of all, don’t terraform. Or do it but in the bare minimum. Some people kept their maps and just used terraforming to correct some river shapes to put bridges and stuff. Remember that terraforming is just an added feature of the game for those who want to try their hand on it but it’s not a requirement so if you’re adventurous and creative, go for it. But if you’re not, don’t stress over it. It’s just there but it doesn’t mean you’re forced to make drastic changes.
I super recommend having a small area to experiment with terraforming to get used to it. In no way do you need to start going for a full plan at first. Try creating a few things in a practice area of your island and get comfortable with the possibilities. Then from there on out you can start doing sections of your island in the vision you have, once you've built up some confidence.
Start with a small area of what you want to build, such as campsite, fishing area, orchard, park, garden etc. I suggest get used to the tools and pathing and try experimenting a few times before you think about big projects.
