# How do you plan your town?



## babykas (Aug 29, 2017)

Basically how do you do it?
Do you lay paths down so villagers can only live in one place?
Plot reset?
Hack?

Do you spend endless hours scrounging the internet for the perfect path?
Do you make your own?

How about with pwps? Do you farm them for days until you have all you need or do you just wing it?


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## primandimproper (Aug 29, 2017)

The only thing I really plan are my characters' houses and the PwPs. Also my map. I find a map I like online and reset til I get it or one close to it. Other than that, no plot resetting and no farming.


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## HappyTails (Aug 29, 2017)

Not anymore I don't. I do have paths down where I'm going to put my campsite and cafe and where I don't villagers to move, but other than that, not plot resetting and nope I don't farm or plan anything, I just play.


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## BrinaLouWho (Aug 29, 2017)

Well I started off winging it because I had no idea what pwp's were, didn't want paths, I was just gonna have a totally natural town like I used to as a kid. But then I discovered everything online. I don't hack, I have plot reset, I dont always farm for pwp's but i do when I feel like it/am bored. I had paths everywhere to plot reset when I was moving everyone in. Now im landscaping around everything which I wont do next time. I'm gonna chop everything down and plan it out with patterns and paths to make it less cluttered (even though clutter is my aesthetic).


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## ashubii (Aug 29, 2017)

Oh boy... This is probably going to end up being a very long post, because there is a lot I can say about how I plan my towns (but I love talking about it, lol). For me it can depend on several different factors. I have three copies of the game, but right now I'm only focused on one copy. I'm getting ready to start a second town, though, so maybe typing this up will motivate me to work on it haha.

*Pre-Planning Stage:*

I consider this the pre-planning stage because this is typically what I do before I even make or reset a town. 

1. Determine town theme (if any) - This will also determine how much planning I put into it. If I don't plan to have a theme, or I just want a carefree casual natural town then this won't matter at all. 
2. Make a list of map features - This I tend to do with any town I make. There are certain things I like and dislike in my maps, so it's hard for me to overlook it. I usually note things like: River shape, waterfall position, town fruit, location of permanent buildings, location of rocks (there's a rock placement guide somewhere), etc.
3. Make a list of villagers - I don't really do Dreamies, but instead make a list of villagers I like for each personality type. Sometimes I will only pick villagers who's house exterior matches my town theme. I eventually have to narrow it down, which is the hardest part, lol.
4. Pick PwPs - I don't always do this, but sometimes I will make a list of PwP's I know I want. 
5. Reset, reset, reset until I find a map. Sometimes it takes me days, sometimes only a few hours. I'm super particular about my maps, because I have a habit of resetting thinking I can find one I like better; it's easier to get one I really like from the get go, lol. 

*Planning Stage:*

1. Make a gridded map - One of the _first_ things I do with a new town (if I intend to plan it out in full) is to make a gridded map. I have a blank gridded map that fits the acre number and sizes for a New Leaf town, and I use Microsoft Paint to then fill squares in. I usually start at one corner of my town and dig holes, counting where buildings, rocks, houses, ponds, etc. lie on the map. Sometimes it's not 100% accurate because I mess up, but it always works. 
2. Start planning! - Once I have the gridded map done (and saved, usually with a spare copy) I use that to brainstorm where I want what. I'll start with the villager houses most of the time, decide where I'd like to try plotting them, etc. I pretty much use the gridded map to plan everything, and it's not something I do and finish immediately. I work on it over time as I play the game, adding and changing things constantly. I'll put in where I want trees and bushes planted, too, but I don't usually bother trying to plot flowers. 
3. Villager Plotting - Once I know where I want my villagers to go I get ready to plot reset. Since the Amiibo update I _do_ place patterns down everyone *except* the spots I've decided I want my villagers. Only then do I try to being acquiring them for the town. It's much easier to do this before starting PwPs and landscaping, imo. I do plot reset, though, because sometimes I will miss a spot with the patterns lol.

*Everything else?:*

Honestly that's about it for the planning... I use the gridded map to decide where I want my paths to go. I like to try to make my own, but I kind of suck at it so I usually end up finding some online. I also have a habit of changing them a _lot_. I've only recently begun to actually farm PwP's in my main town. I used to not bother, but I haven't had as much time to play lately, so while I'm busy with something else I'll do the diving trick. My main town is set a few months back so I gradually TT day by day to do this. 

I'll probably edit this if I think of more, lol; sorry for the long post!


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## WarpDogsVG (Aug 29, 2017)

I prefer natural towns that are constructed on the fly


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## HopeForHyrule (Aug 29, 2017)

My town planning starts with the name, then picking out my perma-villagers, scouring the interwebs for the perfect paths and then just kinda wing it from there.


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## molas (Aug 29, 2017)

I plan stuff out on an app called dottable, making a pixel map of my town. I used to do it in paint, but I'm using my ipad a lot more recently, and the app gives me more freedom when saving it, having layers, etc.

Basically, when I find a map I like, I start by deciding on focal points based on the permanent structures. I then try to make real straight/simple/even paths to everything, since... that's just the style I sorta do.

With villager placement, I absolutely plot reset, but I don't hack. If I could, I'd use it for PWPs on the beach or something. Anyways. I like them all together/in groups.

I prefer making my own paths overall, but I wanna use the ingame-cobblestone match for my current town, so that's what I'll be doing. I'm gonna make almost everything else myself though.


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## ashubii (Aug 29, 2017)

molas said:


> I plan stuff out on an app called dottable, making a pixel map of my town. I used to do it in paint, but I'm using my ipad a lot more recently, and the app gives me more freedom when saving it, having layers, etc.
> 
> Basically, when I find a map I like, I start by deciding on focal points based on the permanent structures. I then try to make real straight/simple/even paths to everything, since... that's just the style I sorta do.
> 
> ...



Do you have any images of your dottable map? Or would you be willing to share one? I've been using my tablet a lot lately and I'm interested in this app!


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## will. (Aug 29, 2017)

I hacked my first town and then I realised that I hated that I got done with my town that fast. I realised that I loved to plan out my town and take it all slow and that's the real beauty of the game. I kept homebrew on (hacking software on 3ds) and so I use that to create saves and upload them to http://www.marcrobledo.com/acnl-editor/ This website is great because it lists all the items available in the game and you can just drag and drop your map into what you like. I have the option to load it into my game, but instead, make a key and print it out so I can use that as a reference. I literally restarted yesterday and so I'm in the middle of planning all my PWP's and paths and stuff so that it looks like a modern town.


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## Mellyjan3 (Aug 29, 2017)

This town i have now is the first town i've actually used paths with (tbh i didnt even know they existed before belltree) and I'm procrastinating so hard but when my paths are finished i want them to connect to every house/building and some pwps. I've definitely never "hacked" the game but the idea does tempt me, but not enough to risk corrupting my game and losing everything.


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## will. (Aug 30, 2017)

Mellyjan3 said:


> I've definitely never "hacked" the game but the idea does tempt me, but not enough to risk corrupting my game and losing everything.



Hacking can be completely safe if you know how to do it. Just make multiple copies of each save and then if anything goes wrong, backtrack and upload the correct save. This happened to me today haha. I was helping my brother move his Reset Center and we had to use my O3ds because it's the only one hacked. I accidentally deleted his save and we didn't have backups because we hadn't hacked his game before. Luckily, in my SD Card, I kept the original and made a backup in my downloads folder sooo....

- - - Post Merge - - -

I don't hack anymore though. Better experience to take it slow imo. I love working on my town everyday.


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