# Troubles with tanning



## CaptainTutu (Jun 13, 2013)

I am a black man, and I've always hated the fact that I could never represent myself in an AC game, but this was before I knew about tanning. i played most previous Animal Crossing's and never knew about it until New Leaf. Just unlocked my Island yesterday! And I must say it's one if my favorite aspects of the game. Yesterday my island was cloudy, but I still enjoyed the hell out of the experience. So today, it was clear skies!!! And I thought it would be the perfect opportunity, I made sure I stayed out on the beach for about 4 hours straight, and I left my 3DS on while doing other things....but nothing happened, I was still the same color. If anyone could tell me if I'm doing anything wrong or if there IS a certain certain timespan or date, please let me know 

- - - Post Merge - - -

(Side-note) I did have the 3DS open


----------



## Nami (Jun 13, 2013)

Well I don't know the details, but there are various shades of skin tanning, you may have just gotten the first one and not noticed the difference. Also, we're you wearing a hat? Certain types prevent tanning.


----------



## eyeplaybass (Jun 13, 2013)

You weren't holding an umbrella were you? Haha that's the only thing I can think of... or maybe hats effect it? Or maybe tanning isn't the same on the island? I don't have the slightest clue. I do think the tanning effect doesn't take place until you go inside a building or something else that gives you a load screen. I'm curious as well haha!


----------



## CaptainTutu (Jun 13, 2013)

I did go inside the first hour while fishing to put all of my fish in the bin...I thought that was a factor at first, so I just made sure to stay out on the island the next 3 hours and I did remove my hat to make sure.


----------



## Datura (Jun 13, 2013)

As far as I remember, in AC:WW you just darkened one shade per day, so to get to the very darkest you would have to tan over consecutive days!


----------



## Isabella (Jun 13, 2013)

http://http://animalcrossing.wikia.com/wiki/Tan This might help. I think it applies to WW and CF but it's possible it could apply to NL too.


----------



## CaptainTutu (Jun 13, 2013)

No umbrella or tools in hand. I had my diving suit on the whole time...don't know if that factors


----------



## eyeplaybass (Jun 13, 2013)

The wiki page says you can only tan starting july 16th... but I doubt that applies to the Island where I thought it was supposed to always be summer.


----------



## Datura (Jun 13, 2013)

Also, the wiki says " The tan, however, will appear the following day. "

http://animalcrossing.wikia.com/wiki/Tan


----------



## CaptainTutu (Jun 13, 2013)

Oh okay!!!! Oh thank God!!! haha! I didn't know what the problem was. Datura solved it everyone thank you so much, this is all new to me, so I had no clue! I'll make sure to check the following day and update. Might just tan some more in the meantime. Need to get to level 5


----------



## Datura (Jun 13, 2013)

Yay! And, aw I got mentioned by name, that's really nice :') 

Also, I totally agree about about your skin-colour complaint, I would loooove to play a black character! Even if you couldn't tan the same way, I think having the choice is more important.


----------



## Stupefiant (Jun 13, 2013)

I like to think that everyone play the same character in Animal Crossing, hence why you can't choose your skin color. You can't customize Link's appearance in Zelda, or Mario's appearance in his games for example. That's the way I see it.
At least you can get a tan.


----------



## CaptainTutu (Jun 14, 2013)

Okay.....so I boated up New Life and my character's skin tone hasn't changed. Don't know what's up, seriously need a tanning guide for New Leaf. I did read that you have to walk around the whole time, but I don't wanna try my luck and walk around, wasting many hours just to find out that nothing worked.


----------



## Fjoora (Jun 14, 2013)

CaptainTutu said:


> Okay.....so I boated up New Life and my character's skin tone hasn't changed. Don't know what's up, seriously need a tanning guide for New Leaf. I did read that you have to walk around the whole time, but I don't wanna try my luck and walk around, wasting many hours just to find out that nothing worked.



Just tan for a few hours everyday for a week.  I have a Japanese guide with a tanning guide in it so let me look at that and see if I can deduce anything from it ( I don't speak the language).  But It does have a picture of every skin tone the whole way up.  I'm hoping it will just have a number so I can tell you how long each day to tan.  (I'm at work atm)


----------



## slpnclass (Jun 24, 2013)

^bump^ 

Has anyone had any luck tanning in New Leaf?


----------



## Talon (Jun 24, 2013)

I have a tan. It's a light tan but definitely a tan. I got it a few days ago and I've been watching to see if I get darker.


----------



## eeyore_witch (Jun 24, 2013)

I've got a tan without trying. So I'm not sure how I did it. I haven't wore hats but I have wore wigs...and I go to the island daily for catch fish for money.


----------



## MajorD (Jun 24, 2013)

Haha I had no idea you could tan! That's very cool. I always thought that was unfair for darker-skinned players, it's nice to be able to try to portray yourself based on how you really look - if you wanted to. No-one should be left out! I guess that's a better option than nothing


----------



## CrankyCupcake (Jun 24, 2013)

eeyore_witch said:


> I've got a tan without trying.



Same here. My girl is really tanned right now. She doesn't wear a hat or carry an umbrella.  I've been playing every day, either in town or on the island, mostly between the hours of 9am-12noon, 4pm-7pm and 10pm-11pm. It's been raining a lot, but  there were days of sunshine.


----------



## insaneluzer (Jun 24, 2013)

I didn't tan at all when I first got the game, but now I can't keep my character from tanning, even when she's wearing the type of hats that are supposed to keep you from tanning!! D: So I think maybe when op was trying to tan, it just wasn't the correct time of year yet? Was it even technically "summer" before solstice?


----------



## CaptainTutu (Jun 25, 2013)

Trying my luck today. Gonna enjoy some island fun for a few hours each day.


----------



## slpnclass (Jun 25, 2013)

So I've been following this guide: http://animalcrossing.wikia.com/wiki/Tan and I'm still not tanning  I'm not wearing any hats, wigs, glasses, or masks and I'm not holding an umbrella. I usually go to the island and try to tan from 1-4 and then I start catching bugs and stuff. I tan by just leaving the 3DS open while I'm doing other things (work, etc). Maybe I'm just not noticing the tan?


----------



## Lisha (Jun 25, 2013)

You won't see the tan until 6am the next day, it will also take a few days of tanning to get rather dark.

This is my character and she now matches my skin tone IRL, took a couple of days to get to this though:


----------



## Stevey Queen (Jun 25, 2013)

I can't get my character to lose their tan.


----------



## Lisha (Jun 25, 2013)

LoveMcQueen said:


> I can't get my character to lose their tan.



It'll take maybe a week or so for your tan to completely fade assuming you're wearing a hat/mask.


----------



## Stevey Queen (Jun 25, 2013)

Lisha said:


> It'll take maybe a week or so for your tan to completely fade assuming you're wearing a hat/mask.



I am and also I been avoiding the island during day for the past 3 days or so.


----------



## JKDOS (Jun 25, 2013)

Datura said:


> As far as I remember, in AC:WW you just darkened one shade per day, so to get to the very darkest you would have to tan over consecutive days!



Dang... This would explain why I waited hours on end trying to become 100% tanned  I never did achieve a tan on Wild World. Now I know why


----------



## XTheLancerX (Jun 25, 2013)

Tanning acts extremely strangely. I accidentally got to a level 4 tan. (The thing with tanning only from July 16th or something is FALSE) I have been playing the game since the release in NA, June 9th obviously, and have never time traveled or visited a town that was at a later date. I never was outside for more than 3 hours at a time, I was bopping around, going to shops and stuff, so I was probably outside for half an hour to 45 minutes at most before going into buildings. I did leave my 3DS on sleep mode for several hours one day though and forgot about the game, while being outside with no hat, umbrella ect... Noticed a level one tan when i opened the system! Over the next few days it got one shade darker every day until it reached level 4. I think tans can start becoming noticeable without having to wait a day, because I was bopping around a bunch going in and out of buildings for 5+ minutes and noticed my skin changing tones.

There was this trick I used on CF where you had to be outside for around 15 minutes+ with no umbrella or hat and go into a building for around 5 minutes. I tried it out and got to a level 3 tan this way. I don't remember it very well or how long you had to be outside for each level, but I would give something like this a try. Just play normally, but make sure to go into buildings for several minutes at a time every half hour or so. I suggest going into the museum or somewhere where you can keep yourself occupied  Please do not take my word for any of this information or trust it completely because not all of it will be true, as I cannot remember some of the examples I used very well...


----------



## Stevey Queen (Jun 25, 2013)

X_The_Lancer_X said:


> Tanning acts extremely strangely. I accidentally got to a level 4 tan. (The thing with tanning only from July 16th or something is FALSE) I have been playing the game since the release in NA, June 9th obviously, and have never time traveled or visited a town that was at a later date. I never was outside for more than 3 hours at a time, I was bopping around, going to shops and stuff, so I was probably outside for half an hour to 45 minutes at most before going into buildings. I did leave my 3DS on sleep mode for several hours one day though and forgot about the game, while being outside with no hat, umbrella ect... Noticed a level one tan when i opened the system! Over the next few days it got one shade darker every day until it reached level 4. I think tans can start becoming noticeable without having to wait a day, because I was bopping around a bunch going in and out of buildings for 5+ minutes and noticed my skin changing tones.
> 
> There was this trick I used on CF where you had to be outside for around 15 minutes+ with no umbrella or hat and go into a building for around 5 minutes. I tried it out and got to a level 3 tan this way. I don't remember it very well or how long you had to be outside for each level, but I would give something like this a try. Just play normally, but make sure to go into buildings for several minutes at a time every half hour or so. I suggest going into the museum or somewhere where you can keep yourself occupied  Please do not take my word for any of this information or trust it completely because not all of it will be true, as I cannot remember some of the examples I used very well...



Did you go to the island?


----------



## slpnclass (Jun 26, 2013)

Lisha said:


> You won't see the tan until 6am the next day, it will also take a few days of tanning to get rather dark.
> 
> This is my character and she now matches my skin tone IRL, took a couple of days to get to this though:
> View attachment 5666



Thank you for the pic. I haven't found many. This is cool I'll keep trying. Thank you


----------



## Debs (Jun 26, 2013)

I have the opposite problem, getting rid of a tan...lol. I spent a few days at the island playing the games a lot to try get medals to buy the bushes, I forgot that not wearing a hat made you get a tan  So now my character is really dark without even trying lol.


----------



## Felonie187 (Jul 3, 2013)

Hi, can u add my friend code 1934-0661-3630. My name is Felonie187 and I'm from Southern California 2.


----------



## K.K. Tori (Jul 3, 2013)

I don't know what the issue with tanning in this game is either. D:
I've tried time traveling, but only for about 3 consecutive days at the island. I'm about to try 7 days and see if that makes a difference, but I'm starting to get frustrated... If only they just let you choose a skin tone in this game!


----------



## ForgottenT (Jul 3, 2013)

if you wear any kinds of hats you won?t get tanned 

- - - Post Merge - - -



QueenJaws said:


> I don't know what the issue with tanning in this game is either. D:
> I've tried time traveling, but only for about 3 consecutive days at the island. I'm about to try 7 days and see if that makes a difference, but I'm starting to get frustrated... If only they just let you choose a skin tone in this game!



don?t wear hats


----------



## K.K. Tori (Jul 3, 2013)

7 days and still no tan. :c


----------



## Jay (Jul 10, 2013)

I've been trying to tan and I only wear a wetsuit on the island for hours..haven't seen any major results -___-


----------



## Sour of Abnaxus (Jul 10, 2013)

ForgottenT said:


> if you wear any kinds of hats you won?t get tanned



I don't suppose this goes for wigs as well? I wouldn't think so, but they do take up a hat slot, so who knows.


----------



## Lisha (Jul 10, 2013)

I wore a wig and I tanned. 

Here is a list of hats and masks that will prevent you from tanning:
http://merongcrossing.tumblr.com/notanhats
http://merongcrossing.tumblr.com/notanmasks

The best times to tan are really from 12pm to 5pm. 

This is my character, I tend to visit the island every day to catch fish/bugs so my tan is maintained.


----------



## Tiramisu (Jul 10, 2013)

Lisha said:


> I wore a wig and I tanned.
> 
> Here is a list of hats and masks that will prevent you from tanning:
> http://merongcrossing.tumblr.com/notanhats
> ...



now it's no wonder I couldn't tan, I had a gas mask on. 

Thank you for this! ^^


----------



## ForgottenT (Jul 10, 2013)

Tiramisu said:


> now it's no wonder I couldn't tan, I had a gas mask on.
> 
> Thank you for this! ^^



Are you serious? .______.


----------



## Tiramisu (Jul 11, 2013)

ForgottenT said:


> Are you serious? .______.



Yup.

Problem?


----------

