Treating Villagers Like Items: Why?

Snowtyke

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This is something that's been annoying me for a while? I always see people auctioning villagers because they're their 'dreamy', and I think it's stupid. We're treating villagers like furniture! Why? They're meant to be treated like they're real, and when people sell villagers and do things like that, it sort of makes it seem like people don't care. I don't mind if you do this, but why?
 
To put it simply, it is because these villagers are as "real" as you want to make them to be. Some people may look at them and love them despite their looks or personality, while other's view them as nothing more than a 3d computerized design. These "villagers" really aren't real though. They are a game and a game should not be confused with reality at most. A game is usually played by how the gamer wants to play it, whether it be right or wrong in the eyes of others, as it simply their opinion.

I have a lot of dreamies in my town that I have acquired through the use of this site simply because I liked certain ones in comparison to others. That person didn't want a villager so I helped them by giving them what they wanted, and thusly giving me what I wanted. It was mutual and each party was accommodated with what they asked for, so both parties win. It's the same with Pokemon. You don't have to like all 700 of them, as people only have a select few they love. Same applies to this but apart from the battling, leveling up and so forth.

Now, when people get rid of a certain villager, how do you know that it wasn't just the villager's time to move after being in a town for 2 years and the gamer just wanted to sell off the villager instead of letting it go to "the void" where there are gone forever? I have known plenty of people who were so attached to their villagers that when it came time for them to move, whether by choice or accident, they wanted them to continue on "living" by having someone who loves that villager as well, adopt them. It isn't all about making money mind you. While there are people who could use a pretty bell for their own desire, there still is a majority of AC gamers who loved that villager that they are "selling" or "trading" and just wanted the villager to be loved in a town where the gamer wanted that character. People have dreamies for one reason. to pretty much keep a village of their desire, the villagers they desire to stop the useless moving of other villagers who they don't want or plot where they don't want them to. Remember, AC is mostly about the villagers and the town itself, so if you don't like who lives in the town, what use is the game? Not saying you need villagers o play the game as there are people who don't care about who they have and that is fine, as everyone can play the way they want to in the end. People vary.

Now I do agree with you also to some extent. I do believe every villager should be treated fairly, but what is the point of a villager being wasted on somebody who doesn't even care for it? I remember when I was young and I had played the original Gamecube version, I had villagers who just annoyed me and I disliked them. If I could've traded them back then I would've but alas, online wasn't available back then so I was stuck with them. I did however, learn to deal with them, but it never really made up for the part of me that thought they were creepy, weird, etc. So, as there will be many different answers to your question, mind remains as it just the way people want to experience the game for themselves and there really is no "right" or "wrong" way in doing so, just as you believe villagers shouldn't be traded.
 
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There's no right or wrong way to play the game, so as long as people aren't hurting anyone, it doesn't matter. If you want to play "in character" and treat the villagers like they're real even when you're not playing, that's fine, but it's also fine if people don't think of the villagers as real when they're not playing. You can say that the point is to become attached to the villagers or to interact with lots of different villagers, but that would be the point for you. There are people who don't feel very attached to all their villagers and if the point were to like all the villagers the same way, people would be forced to accept villagers moving in and out without being given any control over that. The fact is that the villagers aren't real and aren't being hurt when people trade or auction them, since they're not real people or animals, so it's equally fine to do it and to ignore that aspect of the community entirely.
 
I don't see what's so wrong about wanting specific villagers living in your town, I mean do you know how long it would take to get them naturally? o.o
 
My town is my dollhouse and my villagers are my dolls. They are pretty much items if you ask me.
 
because they're animals, not people

and animals are treated as goods to be bought, sold, bartered, traded, and etc all the time
 
I'm certainly one of those who likes to treat villagers very very kindly (considering I run a "rescue" town for abandoned villagers!), and I like playing the game with that as a focus. But I also fully understand those who sell, trade, and buy villagers. It's like Pokemon - I value my SS starter Feraligatr, my shiny Larvesta, and my traded 6IV Noivern immensely - even if each one came from very different places and for different purposes.

Even if I just wanted to complete my catalogue, have the prettiest town, or just get to know the different villagers, that's all part of playing the game. ACNL certainly encourages you to treat your villagers kindly, just like Pokemon does, but it also invites you to simply the game, with whatever purposes and emphases you want. I think it's alright for each of us to play the game we want. After all, the important part isn't the data within the video game, but the people involved with the video game, from creators to players. It's once we start stepping on their toes, or treating the real people poorly, that things truly get ugly!
 
Jesusfreakette: well said, I couldn't have said it better. :)
 
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Don't auctions, giveaways, and trades help the villager find a new home though instead of just sending them to no where?
 
Some people look at it in terms of wanting to complete their catalog, so they want all the villagers, just as they want all the furniture items, bugs, fish, etc. It isn't how I choose to play, so I've learned to stay out of those threads. For me, I rarely let villagers go, but that's my preference. I would suggest you avoid trading/auction threads, rather than beat your head against a wall for something that you can't change.
 
SSwSs52 - Imgur.jpg

Geez...even the Nooks are selling villagers.They had a gently used Derwin for sale a while back.


This game mirrors real life in many ways and like in real life,sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do and that means selling a few villagers here and there.There's nothing wrong with that.Like some other people have already said,at least these sold villagers continue to live on in a place where they're wanted.
 
Though it can be disheartening to see villagers treated, in the OP's words, as items, I know that once my dreamies enter my town I do treat them well and value them immensely, as the creators surely want us to. Not everyone feels that way, which is unfortunate, but understandable. Once any game develops its own economy, this is a thing that's bound to happen.

I'm certainly one of those who likes to treat villagers very very kindly (considering I run a "rescue" town for abandoned villagers!), and I like playing the game with that as a focus. But I also fully understand those who sell, trade, and buy villagers. It's like Pokemon - I value my SS starter Feraligatr, my shiny Larvesta, and my traded 6IV Noivern immensely - even if each one came from very different places and for different purposes.

Even if I just wanted to complete my catalogue, have the prettiest town, or just get to know the different villagers, that's all part of playing the game. ACNL certainly encourages you to treat your villagers kindly, just like Pokemon does, but it also invites you to simply the game, with whatever purposes and emphases you want. I think it's alright for each of us to play the game we want. After all, the important part isn't the data within the video game, but the people involved with the video game, from creators to players. It's once we start stepping on their toes, or treating the real people poorly, that things truly get ugly!

Absolutely agreed.
 
They're not real so it's A-OK in my book, I just don't really bother with bells tho cuz I just wanna get them the heck out ASAP to make room. xD
 
I think of the villagers as kinda like pets. However even though I can suspend disbelief while playing the game, I normally recognize that these 'villagers' are just bits of code and any needs or wants or individuality they appear to have is an illusion. Thinking of them as real pets or friends is just part of the fun of the game, nothing more.
 
I keep the villagers I like, I let go of the ones I don't like. What's wrong with giving a villager to someone who will love them and take better care of them than you did?
 
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