why does this game feel so incomplete?

[RedPanda]

Don't get me wrong, NH is a massive improvement in many significant ways. Overall I love the game, and the number of hours I've logged already during this pandemic is probably as much as I've logged in a year with NL. (Wow... yeah.) However, the criticisms I've heard are still valid. People play the game for many reasons, and a strong reason is NPC interactions. In some ways the quality of these interactions has gone down. They've softened the tone of personalities, they've made Snooties more like Elegant Ladies and Crankies more like Old Guys. I remember having to work hard to earn my snooty villager's friendship in NL. She didn't start the game out liking me very much, but over time she warmed up to me and stopped being so harsh. When she gave me her picture, it meant a lot more. But here, snooties are sweet to you right from day one.

And as I already said, there is too much repeat dialog for daily encounters. Writing is probably far less expensive than designing hundreds of unique items and then building them into the game. But writing is the heart of the interactions. I wish there were 10, or even 5 different responses to me giving a villager a piece of fruit instead of just the same exact response every single time. That kills the immersive aspect of the experience. I'm so happy they added more life to the villagers in other ways (Singing! Dancing! Exercise! Shopping with little purses! Chomping on a popsicle!) but I just wish they added more variety to the dialog. I want this to be a long-term relationship too, Nintendo, but the stale conversation makes it less exciting.

 

[QueenOpossum]

It is incomplete, by virtue of them adding new/reintroduced items via updates. That is the definition of releasing an incomplete game, and it's not like any previous title they've released. Some like it, some despise it. I personally think it was a bad idea to lock things like shop upgrades or furniture series behind DLC updates. It reeks of them forcing us into long-term Online subscriptions. My $0.02.

You don't need a NSO sub to download updates. You need a free Nintendo Account (not just on the switch, its linked to your email but free). Thats it. The NSO sub allows you to play online.

 

[coderp]

You don't need a NSO sub to download updates. You need a free Nintendo Account (not just on the switch, its linked to your email but free). Thats it. The NSO sub allows you to play online.

I know, and that's good. I didnt mean to imply that you did need to be subscribed for updates. I'm just thinking that they planned this game to be paced out because they know that will keep more people subscribed long term, specifically for furniture which seems to be locked to one color variation per town, if they release more like that.

 

[sleepydreepy]

it feels incomplete because it is incomplete!

Nintendo has promised updates with new content for the next 1-3ish years, so we are just gonna have to wait to experience the entire game. I personally am trying to withhold judgement on the game until Nintendo has released its "final" update to complete the game, which won't be for a while so its been a little hard. I'm super inpatient, but I'm glad Nintendo does have these updates planned, because youre right, without it the game feels like its missing something.

 

[Bloobloop]

i get what you mean! the lack of furniture and npcs highlight how hollow the game can feel at times. i want more food items! i want the old sets back! i want brewster and katrina and others back! i want diving back! i get that it'll all come out eventually but i do wish that, instead of updating it for 2-3 years, nintendo had just given everything to us from the start. that's simply a personal preference, since i like to have everything to work with before i get started on my island's layout, so working on my island knowing that other buildings and decor will be added in time can be a little stressful!

 

[basicbobagirl1130]

I feel like New Horizons feels so incomplete because the game doesn’t include a lot of sets, like the rococo set, mermaid set, princess series, etc. I also miss how Gracie Grace was in New Leaf!! The closest thing we can get that is like Gracy Grace is Label, but I don’t feel accomplished when I completed the task, and all I get is pieces of clothing. I want New Horizons to add Gracy Grace to one of their updates, and also Reese and Cy-Guy as well. There was this one time where I put an absurd amount over a furniture, and my villager actually bought it!! Anyways, I also miss the update where we speak over the microphone of our 3ds and our villagers would hear us. These little things made ACNL so enjoyable, and while I understand that they can’t just copy and paste everything in new leaf, removing some of these make ACNH feel empty at times.

 

[McRibbie]

I think that people are somewhat missing something here: by design, this game is on a deserted island. You're going to start off with the kind of bare basics in terms of NPCs, and eventually, you're going to get more people come along as time goes by... so while the game feels kind of incomplete now, in a year or three it'll feel much more rewarding because more stuff has come to the island. Maybe we'll have actual shops for the travelling merchants (although I'm actually a big fan of having travelling merchants?), maybe we can change the size of our houses, maybe there'll be some stuff like the lighthouse in GC or Boondox in WW... we don't know!

It's still kinda frustrating, tho. There's tons of furniture I miss from the older games that hasn't turned up yet, and while the actual dialogue itself's improved over New Leaf imo, the fact I can't do much for villagers very often is kind of annoying (although I like the gift feature), and the decision to drag holidays over a longer period of time, although they're much more in-depth than before, hasn't been done very well?

 

[buny]

I think that people are somewhat missing something here: by design, this game is on a deserted island. You're going to start off with the kind of bare basics in terms of NPCs, and eventually, you're going to get more people come along as time goes by... so while the game feels kind of incomplete now, in a year or three it'll feel much more rewarding because more stuff has come to the island. Maybe we'll have actual shops for the travelling merchants (although I'm actually a big fan of having travelling merchants?), maybe we can change the size of our houses, maybe there'll be some stuff like the lighthouse in GC or Boondox in WW... we don't know!

It's still kinda frustrating, tho. There's tons of furniture I miss from the older games that hasn't turned up yet, and while the actual dialogue itself's improved over New Leaf imo, the fact I can't do much for villagers very often is kind of annoying (although I like the gift feature), and the decision to drag holidays over a longer period of time, although they're much more in-depth than before, hasn't been done very well?

aaaaa i love the gift feature as well .w.

i have to agree about holidays :c i like the wedding event with Reese and Cyrus, but i was hoping it would be something different each day >.>

 

[Dewasa]

I am wondering, is there a known number of unique furniture count in New Leaf? Not talking about color variation since NH allows for customization, simply the models. Interested to see how many actual furniture are available in both games.

 

[Arckaniel]

I agree, something seems missing, I can't really point it out really well but something needs to be added tbh, I think it's the lack of furniture sets? I mean we already have a lot but not as much as in NL, I would like some of the furniture sets back or maybe redesigned to fit other sets better and not just their respective sets? That'll be great tbh as I want more variety in terms of furnitures! Plus some shops and certaim features and aspects present in the game before were removed, so I really get the feeling of it being incomplete...

 

[katineko]

It makes me wonder that since NH is relatively young, that maybe some people haven't experienced or seen certain things as of yet. For example, weather patterns like thunderstorms, things you could find like four-leaf clovers, etc. I mean, even certain sections of some of the bigger online guides on games sites don't have their information complete in certain sections of the game yet. I don't know, maybe it is also because some people TT a lot and rush through, playing hours at a time for reasons mentioned before, and the feature/content is marked as simply not in the game. Not to say that there is actually content missing of course.

One of my concerns have been the fact that Nintendo did say 2-3 years of updates and so on, but will they stick to it despite all the other new games coming out? And, they also seem to be focusing more on Pocket Camp for some reason. Was there more than one team working on NH? I heard something being the same as Splatoon 2 earlier. I wish that we kind of had a rough timeline with the coming updates.

 

[Dewasa]

It makes me wonder that since NH is relatively young, that maybe some people haven't experienced or seen certain things as of yet. For example, weather patterns like thunderstorms, things you could find like four-leaf clovers, etc. I mean, even certain sections of some of the bigger online guides on games sites don't have their information complete in certain sections of the game yet. I don't know, maybe it is also because some people TT a lot and rush through, playing hours at a time for reasons mentioned before, and the feature/content is marked as simply not in the game. Not to say that there is actually content missing of course.

One of my concerns have been the fact that Nintendo did say 2-3 years of updates and so on, but will they stick to it despite all the other new games coming out? And, they also seem to be focusing more on Pocket Camp for some reason. Was there more than one team working on NH? I heard something being the same as Splatoon 2 earlier. I wish that we kind of had a rough timeline with the coming updates.

Pocket Camp is an old game tho. They launched back in 2017 so even comparing its current state of the game is a bit tough due to the dev hours already spent. PC is no slouch either with it's revenue. As of Jan 2020, it's Nintendo's 2nd highest revenue generating mobile game IP. Brought in about 131 million, above Mario Kart Tour and Mario Run.

 

[visibleghost]

i feel like we lack a lot of things and it is in some ways unfinished but i also think it's better that we got it at this release rather than having to wait longer. one of the main things i think we are lacking is normal furniture, like tables, beds, dressers etc. pretty much all new leaf sets are gone and i don't expect all the furniture from previous games to be in this game but come on, can't we get something at least? and the missing events, yeah okay... i get that it's long until the real life events will happen so i get postponing adding them to the game but if it had been a finished game those things would be in the game from the start.

 

[issh0mans]

i love new horizons. but the lack of furniture items does suck pretty hard. i love the event sets don't get me wrong, but i miss a lot of the old furniture sets. :/ i miss the sloppy set and the sweets set. i also feel like it feels kinda empty because we're missing so many old npcs. no more pelly or phyllis, no copper or booker, no resetti or don (outside of just their voices).​

 

[QueenOpossum]

I am wondering, is there a known number of unique furniture count in New Leaf? Not talking about color variation since NH allows for customization, simply the models. Interested to see how many actual furniture are available in both games.

I went on VillagerDB.

NH has just over 1,000 furniture entries. NL has about 1,700.

Initially New leaf had ~1200 vs Initially New Horizons ~1,100. The Welcome aiimbo update brought the New leaf total up to ~1,700.

 

[Sephiroth]

Each game should build from the previous, but I agree this game feels incomplete.

I get the idea they want this to be an evolving service game. I dislike the roadblocks of them making things only accessible from being online.

The loss of set furniture items is devastating. The NPCs being withheld for month long events is dumb. Even this game's excuse of long events just pushes that in game stuff came at the end in lieu of the crafting mechanic, which is just an improvement to pocket camp.

 

[Morningowl]

I went on VillagerDB.

NH has just over 1,000 furniture entries. NL has about 1,700.

Yes you can complain about lack of furniture but at least make it a fair comparison. Initially New leaf had ~1200 vs Initially New Horizons ~1,100. The Welcome aiimbo update brought the New leaf total up to ~1,700.

 

[Chachamaru]

Bruh I just want more furniture. Everyones houses be looking the exact same. On my instagram explore page, my god. The same cutesy rooms from a million different people, because there's hardly enough of anything to get creative.

Everyones islands, starting to look eerily similar too. (Not talking terraforming, im talking outdoor ideas, etc) It's sad. We really need more furniture, and that's my biggest gripe. I really feel jaded about so many classic sets being booted. For what. Why.

There shouldn't have to be a once a month update for more furniture/items.. The wedding event, so cute, but.. I need more. I have hit a creative roadblock thanks to the lack of furniture.

Also wouldn't mind some classic animals returning from the series. Can't wait for harriet to come as a wig seller or something, I want longer more feminine hair options.. Bring back isopods and deep sea diving.. Lobsters. Egh...

 

[QueenOpossum]

Yes you can complain about lack of furniture but at least make it a fair comparison. Initially New leaf had ~1200 vs Initially New Horizons ~1,100. The Welcome aiimbo update brought the New leaf total up to ~1,700.

Thank you for the clarification - I've updated my post with your information.

 

[Dewasa]

Yes you can complain about lack of furniture but at least make it a fair comparison. Initially New leaf had ~1200 vs Initially New Horizons ~1,100. The Welcome aiimbo update brought the New leaf total up to ~1,700.

Oo, thanks! That's not too bad.