The Epic Story of Stuck Marina

[ClefairyKid]

*new addition*
So this thread has kind of gone from originally being a thread asking for some TTing advice to the epic story that documents at least half my struggles to move Marina from my side game to my main game. I originally received Marina over a year ago, but because the main was full, had to take her on my spare. I then tried some n00bish attempts at TT, and eventually gave up when I couldn't get her to move. Nearly a year on I returned to the game and decided I needed to conclude this once and for all, especially since I will never be able to afford her directly. I started using the advice for TTing here only to discover that for some reason my side game doesn't ping or in any way move villagers out when it's only at a total of 9 people. Since discovering that I can only get people out when I'm at a total of 10, I've been TTing day by day, on and on, trying to balance at 10 and getting pretty much everyone BUT Marina to ping. If you enjoy watching someone struggle absurdly with something that should be so simple, you will enjoy this thread If I ever get Marina off, I will try and continue my TT experiments to discover why there are no pings at a total of 9.

-- *original post* --

I've obviously read numerous explanations I found via Google, but I wanted to ask about my specific situation since they are usually multi purpose explanations and I'm not really sure how best to go about this.

I have an old spare copy of the game that I never did anything with, and when I was offered my dreamie Marina, I had 10 villagers in my main, but couldn't possibly turn down the opportunity to get her, so I took her on the side. I tried for days and days, TTing a day at a time, running past her to see if she had the exclamation mark about leaving, and even started TTing large numbers of days at a time and looking in her house to see if it was box time, but no matter how hard I tried, I simply couldn't get her (or anyone else strangely considering I went through at least 3 in game months total) to move.

Therefore I have the following questions:

1. Would it be best if I kept going one day forward at a time, walk past her once to see if she gets the exclamation mark, then move another day and repeat?

2. Would it be best if I kept going one day forward at a time, walk past her once AND talk to her so that she doesn't end up leaving without announcing it? Or would not talking to her make her want to leave sooner? I'm just afraid that not talking to her means I might miss her moving out from her not telling me XD

3. Would it be a good idea to bring a dud villager over from someone else to bring my count to 10, making it more likely that people will FINALLY start to move out of my side village?

4. Is there anything else I should do to target her, but at the same time keep her safe? I would die if I lost her, although I honestly thought after 6 months absence from either game that she'd had long since disappeared into the ether, but she's still there and I desperately want to get her out onto my main after all this time XD I could never afford to buy her directly, so I really need to make this work, and seriously can't afford to lose her in my efforts. I need really specific instructions, I'm not an experienced TTer at all XD

*note that NONE of the other villagers, flowers, trees or literally anything else in the whole town is important, they can all be damaged by the strategy as much as needed, literally all that matters is Marina and getting her into boxes safely.

TLDR: Marina is stuck on my side game and I really need good, detailed advice on how to get her out because my derpy efforts at TTing haven't made ANYONE move even after several in game months worth of trying.

 

[Ras]

Definitely bring in a 10th. Couldn't hurt, could help.

Here's what I do, which is a modified (and safer) version of the "go ahead two days, go back to two days" method:

If someone has asked to move and you stopped them TODAY:

1. Tell Isabelle that it is two days in the future, load up, save and quit. (ex. May 4, 2014)
2. Tell Isabelle that it is the present, load up, save and quit. (ex. May 2, 2014)
3. Set your 3DS clock ahead one month and go in as a new character. Do not make a mistake and load as mayor!
4. When you get your map from Porter, see who and if someone is missing. That's your mover.
5. Set your 3DS clock back to the present, go in as mayor (make sure Isabelle says it's May 2), stop the mover or let them go.
6. Repeat step 1.

If someone has NOT asked you to move TODAY:

1. Set your 3DS clock ahead one month and go in as a new character. Do not make a mistake and load as mayor!
2. When you get your map from Porter, see who and if someone is missing. That's your mover.
3. Set your 3DS clock back to the present, go in as mayor (make sure Isabelle says it's May 2), stop the mover or let them go.
4. Tell Isabelle that it is two days in the future, load up, save and quit. (ex. May 4, 2014)
5. Tell Isabelle that it is the present, load up, save and quit. (ex. May 2, 2014)
6. Set your 3DS clock ahead one month and go in as a new character. Do not make a mistake and load as mayor!
7. When you get your map from Porter, see who and if someone is missing. That's your mover.
8. Set your 3DS clock back to the present, go in as mayor (make sure Isabelle says it's May 2), stop the mover or let them go.
9. Repeat step 4.

A lot of people do the two ahead/two back method, then they run around trying to find the mover. Going ahead a month with a new character takes the guesswork out of it. If there is ever a point where you are scared someone might be thinking to move and you missed them, look ahead a month with a new character. That step takes a lot longer, but it's a LOT safer.

===

Here's another method that some people use, but I don't completely understand. Since you don't care about anybody but Marina, this could work for you, though this guarantees a villager in boxes at the end of each usage:

http://www.belltreeforums.com/showthread.php?152911-Foolproof-Cycling-Method

 

[kite]

Try walking past her and if someone doesn't ping, Save & Quit. Go back in the game and repeat. If no one pings after a good amount of attempts, move a day forward.

I had to do this because I accidentally TT'd a month backward yesterday and I didn't want to lose anyone. I think I went 8 days (1-2 hours in real time) before I was finally pinged.

 

[ClefairyKid]

@ Raz thank you so much! That's actually really, really helpful, I hadn't ever considered the benefit of using a new character to check ahead!

So let me get this straight, I make a newbie, and move the time forward by 1 month, check the newbie's map and then turn off without saving so it all goes back to how I started, then move forward slowly focusing my attention on the one who moved until they actually ask to move, at which point I can keep or get rid of them. Then repeat until it happens with Marina, at which point I'll probably just do one day at a time to ensure I don't miss her box day.

I just really wanna have this straight because I'd be so devastated to get it wrong XD

Edit: still regarding the pings though, is it better or worse to talk to them each visit or not? I heard that if you always ignore them, they don't ping, just disappear, but then I also imagine that talking to them daily makes them want to stay too XD

 

[PrayingMantis10]

How many villagers do you have in Marina's town?

 

[ClefairyKid]

How many villagers do you have in Marina's town?

9... thinking 10 might be better if I can find someone with a villager in boxes they dont need >W>

 

[Ras]

You set the time forward a month with the 3DS clock before making the new character. I do a month because it's easy to just go forward from 5 to 6 (May to June) and not have to worry about the days changing. You have to do this from the settings menu on the home page of the 3DS. Then, you go into Animal Crossing and make sure to select New Save File. Once Porter gives you the map, either a house will be gone or it won't. No house missing means nobody wanted to move when you did this process. If you know your town well enough, you should know who the mover was by which house is missing. At that point, you quit the game without saving by hitting Home and Close Software. Then, you have to make sure to set the 3DS back to May by going back into the 3DS settings. If you miss this step and go in as mayor when the 3DS is set to June, whoever is missing will be gone for good. You might be able to claim them from the void by visiting with your other mayor, but you might not.

If any of this is confusing, it might be best to not do it.

As long as Marina is friendly to you when you talk to her, she will ping you if it is her turn to move. Just talk to her and if she doesn't say something like, "So, you finally stopped giving me the silent treatment," she should be on good terms with you.

If you ever see her house missing when you are a new character a month ahead, make sure you go to her directly when you go in as mayor in the present. Don't let anyone else see you, or they may ping you for something dumb. Just make a line for her and she will be out of her house and she should ping you. If you saw her house missing in the future, and you go back to the present and she doesn't ping, talk to her, save and quit, reload the game (on the same day) and keep trying to get her to ping. I have never had a problem getting them to ping in this way.

I got Marina a few weeks ago and she is a truly exceptional villager. I really hope you have success with what you are trying to do.

===

Okay, I see that you have not gotten ANYONE to ask to move? I have read that you have to make sure you have cleared all of the tutorial dialog from the villagers before any will ask to move. This is when you first start a town and talk to villagers, and they say things like, "Did you know you could take a picture by pressing the shoulder buttons?", or "Did you know you can sell shells and fish at Re-Tail?" Once they stop saying things like that, they should be open to moving.

I don't know if this is true at all, but that's what I've read.

 

[ClefairyKid]

Well, that's mostly why I haven't done anything too drastic to get her off, other than go one day at a time and run past her for a very very long time XD

I understand what you mean though, I think I'm able to do that, I'm just wondering if maybe that's why I've been doing wrong all along, I only change the game time via the start up game menu, not on the DS itself, perhaps villagers aren't encouraged to move when it's only done in game? I just find it easier and quicker changing time that way But if I need to do it in the menu, I'll do that instead.

 

[Ras]

You only need to do it through the 3DS clock when you are going ahead a month to check if anyone is missing. Isabelle is fine otherwise. Going ahead a month is strictly a safety net so you know for sure who the mover is.

I'll reprint my above edit in case you missed it:

--
Okay, I see that you have not gotten ANYONE to ask to move? I have read that you have to make sure you have cleared all of the tutorial dialog from the villagers before any will ask to move. This is when you first start a town and talk to villagers, and they say things like, "Did you know you could take a picture by pressing the shoulder buttons?", or "Did you know you can sell shells and fish at Re-Tail?" Once they stop saying things like that, they should be open to moving.

I don't know if this is true at all, but that's what I've read.
--

I have to go to sleep now, so hopefully others will help you. Just be careful!

 

[ClefairyKid]

You only need to do it through the 3DS clock when you are going ahead a month to check if anyone is missing. Isabelle is fine otherwise. Going ahead a month is strictly a safety net so you know for sure who the mover is.

I'll reprint my above edit in case you missed it:

--
Okay, I see that you have not gotten ANYONE to ask to move? I have read that you have to make sure you have cleared all of the tutorial dialog from the villagers before any will ask to move. This is when you first start a town and talk to villagers, and they say things like, "Did you know you could take a picture by pressing the shoulder buttons?", or "Did you know you can sell shells and fish at Re-Tail?" Once they stop saying things like that, they should be open to moving.

I don't know if this is true at all, but that's what I've read.
--

I have to go to sleep now, so hopefully others will help you. Just be careful!

Ohhhhhhhhh THIS might have a lot to do with it, I didn't know that, and Marina has still been telling me things like that occasionally so that might be why no one is moving o w o omg well I guess it did at least keep her safe for the 6 months I was gone XDD

Edit: problem now is that because I've only been changing time with Isabelle and not the DS itself, the DS is significantly out of step with the Isabelle date o w o

 

[ClefairyKid]

Ok sorry everyone to have to bump this up here again but I've done some extensive TT testing and come to the realisation that:

1. Even though I have tried to get rid of all the tutorial type conversation and am getting favour requests from villagers, as well as have an upgraded nook store, I'm still not getting any pings.

2. I tried 1 month, 2 month and 1 year jumps and checked in with a new player to see if anything happened and literally NO ONE MOVES. NONE. NOT 1. This is on top of my previous 1 day at a time and running in front of everyone type attempts from earlier.

How will I ever get Marina on my main if not a single villager ever moves no matter what you do? Is my game glitched??

 

[Chibi.Hoshi]

Do you still have 9? Like the glitch that happens sometimes with the 10th villager/newest villager I have heard that they never move out. However if someone new moves in the one that was the 10th villager can finally ping. Maybe that might help? IDK.... Sorry.

A strange glitch you got there, I bet people would want it lol.

 

[ClefairyKid]

Yeah it'd be great if your town already had your dreamies in it XD
It's 9 people, like I've said before, but it's not a matter of some moving and others not, I'm trying to tell people, it's literally NO ONE. I'm not exageratting, I wrote an exact list of my villages, and went as much as a year at a time and tried several times and no one EVER moves.

I'm trying to find a 10th person now to see if that gets at least 1 person moving, but as far as I can tell so far it's not possible for anyone to move out of this town...

 

[Chibi.Hoshi]

Yeah it'd be great if your town already had your dreamies in it XD
It's 9 people, like I've said before, but it's not a matter of some moving and others not, I'm trying to tell people, it's literally NO ONE. I'm not exageratting, I wrote an exact list of my villages, and went as much as a year at a time and tried several times and no one EVER moves.

I'm trying to find a 10th person now to see if that gets at least 1 person moving, but as far as I can tell so far it's not possible for anyone to move out of this town...

Man, there is a person who had a similar glitch to this but more worse. Good luck. She also had 9 villagers and none would move out or in. I could look it up for you if you want to read about it.

 

[ClefairyKid]

Ohh that'd be helpful, didn't know if anyone had had it before >W>

 

[Chibi.Hoshi]

Ohh that'd be helpful, didn't know if anyone had had it before >W>

Ok I will try and find it now. I remember commenting on it so it might take me a few mins to find within the history.

- - - Post Merge - - -

Found it.

Original Thread: http://www.belltreeforums.com/showthread.php?98762-Glitched-Game-invisible-villager-house
Thread on the Thread: http://www.belltreeforums.com/showthread.php?151053-Invisible-quot-Ghost-quot-Villager-House

The story is she had Wolfgang moving in and during the time of waiting invited another Wolfgang from her campsite (thinking the first Wolfgang wasn't going to arrive taking so long). Later the two clashed making an invisible house, both randomly picking the same moving in day and since its the same villager messed up the data. She is not the only person to get this glitch! She wasn't able to invite any new villagers in (all just giving her a sorry letter), and no one would move out. In the end it is rumored she deleted her town and started over.

This glitch is also likely present on the Japanese carts.

The 10th villager also has a glitch, sometimes never moving out until someone new moves in. Not everyone gets this glitch, it all depends to random luck.

 

[ClefairyKid]

Thanks for the link C:
Sadly it's not a related glitch, hers was because of trying to get a campsite person to move in after she'd already ask the same person to move in from elsewhere, I am not expecting anyone in and have no camp site at all.

Just did another year jump and nothing...

 

[Chibi.Hoshi]

Thanks for the link C:
Sadly it's not a related glitch, hers was because of trying to get a campsite person to move in after she'd already ask the same person to move in from elsewhere, I am not expecting anyone in and have no camp site at all.

Just did another year jump and nothing...

Yes I can see how but maybe in someways your game is glitched in some odd matter of speaking... meaning something has set it off. She also had 9 that reminded me of your glitch. Try and get a 10th villager and see what happens. I will try and help you get a 10th, and see what this glitch is all about.

 

[ClefairyKid]

Thanks, I'm really hoping that a 10th might get someone to go somewhere at least, even if it means I have to cycle through a 10th villager over and over until I get Marina out OTL I posted in the villager forum but I think people are too busy looking for dreamies, rather than giving out spares/duds

 

[Chibi.Hoshi]

Thanks, I'm really hoping that a 10th might get someone to go somewhere at least, even if it means I have to cycle through a 10th villager over and over until I get Marina out OTL I posted in the villager forum but I think people are too busy looking for dreamies, rather than giving out spares/duds

lol yeah. I found this: http://www.belltreeforums.com/showt...away-Margie-the-Normal-Elephant-is-MOVING-OUT
...and that's about it. Serudesu hasn't replied yet.