ACNH is stressful

[Ley]

I know this is probably the less stressful game ever, but not for me.
I love the game, don't get me wrong, been waiting for it and started day one, and I still play it every single day for countless hours and never got bored of it.

The main reason why the game's stressful for me, it's because I'm very bad at building, decorating, terraforming and such. I've never been good at this, and when I play a game that has these features, I feel like I have to plan everything, and every time I build something I feel disappointed, like I could do better, so I demolish everything and start over, endlessly.

I want to move some houses and buildings, because I really don't like where I placed them on my first week of playing, but I don't have enough IGB to do so. That's my problem #2. I know that if I moved some buildings, I could create something I really like. But at the same time, I have to wait until I unlock terra forming and paths, but to do so, I have to reach 3 stars rating, so we're back at problem #1.

I've tried selling stuff on here for IGB but that's not enough, and I can't find a proper way to earn a constant amount of IGB to properly build something I would be proud of and satisfied with.

Just needed to vent, sorry.

 

[Utsukishi]

honestly i get ya. I'm trying to save up a lot for bridges, inclines, and to move building around. However this game is supposed to be played at a relaxing pace so there's no need to have something done straight away. a lot of people who get a lot done in a day simply play the game for a very long time.

 

[meggiewes]

I'm sorry it has been stressful for you. To be honest, I did feel that way for a second, but I forced myself to just go with the flow. I can re-arrange however I like and whenever I like. I can take it as slow or as fast as I want. And I've allowed myself to expirament and try things.

Changing my perspective made it easier for me. Also reminding myself that I don't have to compete with other people took any stress out of planning or not planning.

 

[JKDOS]

1. Terraforming is completely optional, and not required in the slightest. If stressful, you can ignore it without repercussions.

An example personal to me is decorating the main room of my house in any AC game (minus gamecube). I simply don't do it because I can't imagine how it should look. I won't rant about how stressful it is though

2. Crafting, other than tools, and tutorials, you can ignore it for the most part.
3. Unlocking 3 stars is easy if you know the requirements. (Have 8 villagers and a few items and fences outside. Or Have 8+ villagers, and a couple bridges and inclines)
4. Making in game bells is as easy as past games, minus needing to make a new fishing rod every 20 minutes. Just go fishing. If you want faster money, hunt tarantulas on almost any Island.

 

[VillageDuck]

You have to adopt a mindset of enjoying the moment, with the potential to do something more long-term later. All of the super-impressive layouts you see online are almost certainly a result of time travelling - there hasn't been enough time since launch for 'legit' players to unlock everything yet.

Take it slow - right now you have limited bells and abilities so make the nicest layout with what you've got. It isn't perfect? No worries. You can do it again later if it bothers you.

Even if you got it just-so today, tomorrow you might discover a new DIY recipe that completely changes what concept you want.

There is no perfection, there is only the process. Enjoy it.

 

[Chachamaru]

You're right. And you should say it. What makes it worse is being on twitter/youtube/reddit, really the internet in general and seeing everyone else progress. I have seen some crazy set ups already.. Just so you know, though, a save editor is already out, and I am suspicious these people have hacked to some degree. The duping glitch def helped.

I am also starting to get anxious. I badly messed up my terraforming and that (amongst other things, SIGH) is what pushed me to reset my entire town. Turns out that was a dumb move too. Feels like theres no winning right now and I keep hoping for certain things getting straightened out with updates.

 

[Mairen]

I read an article kind of relating to this last night. How some people are stressing out in this game, because so many people are sharing their villages on social media (and it's easier to do than ever on the switch). And when people see all of these incredible put together towns where people have time travelled and got everything unlocked early, and have all of these amazing decorations, people can't help but compare their own towns and feel lackluster in return, and wonder if they are doing something wrong. I found it quite an interesting read! Am I allowed to link to the article? I put it below!

Link to the Article

 

[Ley]

honestly i get ya. I'm trying to save up a lot for bridges, inclines, and to move building around. However this game is supposed to be played at a relaxing pace so there's no need to have something done straight away. a lot of people who get a lot done in a day simply play the game for a very long time.

I agree, but I can't help it. I'm saving for bridges and inclines too, but before placing those I want to move some buildings. I kinda want Nook's Cranny to be up a hill and such.

I'm sorry it has been stressful for you. To be honest, I did feel that way for a second, but I forced myself to just go with the flow. I can re-arrange however I like and whenever I like. I can take it as slow or as fast as I want. And I've allowed myself to expirament and try things.

Changing my perspective made it easier for me. Also reminding myself that I don't have to compete with other people took any stress out of planning or not planning.

Thanks for that. I don't really feel like I have to compete with others, I'm just competing with myself, trying to build something I really like, but it's a goal I'll never reach, imho.

 

[Kristen]

To all of you stressing out about how your island should look: it's nothing to stress about. This is your game, your island, you do what you want. If someone else has more progress than you, it doesn't matter because it doesn't relate to you at all. If you find you want to copy other people, then do it in baby steps, take your time with it. It's not a race.

I had a similar issue where I saw all these beautiful islands and I felt overwhelmed for a bit and wanted to move everything then second guessed it. I just did what felt right to me, which was leaving everything where it was except for Nook's Cranny (I moved it beside where I wanted my Able Sister's shop to go). I just designed around what I had with paths and if I needed more room somewhere because of water, I'd fill it in a bit then widen it on the other side to make it even again, so it still looks a bit natural.

My point is, I stressed about it for a bit too then just decided to have fun with it and design it how it felt right to me, totally disregarding what I had seen other people doing. I think it resulted in something really beautiful because it's something that I designed for myself and my animal friends.

(btw OP, if you ever need help with bells or anything, feel free to send me a PM. I have a few mil left over from when I was selling IGB before and I'm making more on turnips, so I can definitely work something out with you if you need some more IGB)

 

[rezberri]

i completely understand u dude. its like in the sims i tell myself "start out with a basic plan so u dont overwhelm urself" but then i cant help myself and i plan out my sims family tree to their great grandparents and plan all their life events and then i just dont feel like playing anymore because what if i cant execute the story correctly??

i also felt like u do but with acnl. things were way more limited in that game; multiple buildings had a permanent placement so it felt like u had to start laying paths and house tiles out day one (and i did, i'd do it every time after the welcome amiibo update). it got to the point where it felt like i wasnt playing the game i was just obsessing and stressing over it.

with acnh i definitely feel the pressure. just the other day i was getting so stressed over my villager's house placements, and i cant lie and say im still not feeling a bit of that stress. but many of the "mistakes" i may make can be redone this time around so im not too worried. if i take a screenshot of my land/map before i start terraforming i'll always know what it looked like in case i want to start over again. and im also more confident in my island's plan and aesthetic this time around. i was always trying to force myself to go after a specific theme (i need food villagers for a food themed town! i needed regular looking villagers for a forest town! etc.) that i didnt even know if i liked, so instead of having a cohesive aesthetic im trying to make my island match-y through the use of flowers and colors.

idk if any of this helped u, i guess i was kinda ranting in the end. its okay to feel upset at how ur island is now. no one's island is gonna look beautiful to them bc we can all see our own creation's strengths and weaknesses and we tend to focus on the negative. that pretty screenshot u saw on twitter of someone's lil fountain area? they probably have something they dont like about it!! and thats okay!! nothing we do in this game is permanent, it can always be changed again. and many of us arent gonna make good decisions with the terraforming tool when we first get it lol. its completely new to the series and ive never rly messed around with a feature like that!!

 

[Chachamaru]

To all of you stressing out about how your island should look: it's nothing to stress about. This is your game, your island, you do what you want. If someone else has more progress than you, it doesn't matter because it doesn't relate to you at all. If you find you want to copy other people, then do it in baby steps, take your time with it. It's not a race.

I had a similar issue where I saw all these beautiful islands and I felt overwhelmed for a bit and wanted to move everything then second guessed it. I just did what felt right to me, which was leaving everything where it was except for Nook's Cranny (I moved it beside where I wanted my Able Sister's shop to go). I just designed around what I had with paths and if I needed more room somewhere because of water, I'd fill it in a bit then widen it on the other side to make it even again, so it still looks a bit natural.

My point is, I stressed about it for a bit too then just decided to have fun with it and design it how it felt right to me, totally disregarding what I had seen other people doing. I think it resulted in something really beautiful because it's something that I designed for myself and my animal friends.

(btw OP, if you ever need help with bells or anything, feel free to send me a PM. I have a few mil left over from when I was selling IGB before and I'm making more on turnips, so I can definitely work something out with you if you need some more IGB)

I feel like that's not the point tho. It's more like, getting inspired or starting out with your own original idea, then starting to do things, and it comes out messy or overdone, and to redo it is very hard (and expensive.) Then you see others having no problem and it's a bit like a nail in a coffin. No copying people involved.

 

[Raayzx]

i feel you! im not the best at structuring my island and often get disappointed at my decisions. i always calm myself by thinking i just started this game like 10 days ago.. everything cant be done perfectly straight away. Considering now that we have the option for layout changes, you should'nt feel bad for messing up!

 

[Kurashiki]

animal crossing has always been stressful for me, but it really doesn't dampen my enjoyment of it lol, i always feel vert obsessive around getting my town to look exactly how i want it, having my favourite villagers, collecting everything etc. and when something is off it really bothers me. honestly, i don't really mind that though. for me, striving for lofty goals is what makes the game really fun!

 

[Kristen]

I feel like that's not the point tho. It's more like, getting inspired or starting out with your own original idea, then starting to do things, and it comes out messy or overdone, and to redo it is very hard (and expensive.) Then you see others having no problem and it's a bit like a nail in a coffin. No copying people involved.

How do you know that others are having no problems though? You can't really but my point still stands to do it in baby steps. doing it all at once and trying to get your vision a reality could end up with it being messy. if you take it little bits at a time and do things here and there it's a lot better. if you just make something and then feel you hate it and immediately want to redo it, yeah, it will be expensive for you. I feel like people rush this game too much which makes it more stressful than it needs to be.

EDIT: by the way, copying people is definitely involved for some people. maybe not for you, but there are people who view other islands and want to copy their ideas. just saying.
What I said definitely applies to the original post. If it doesn't apply to you, that's unfortunate. I was just trying to give some advice based on what I was reading.

 

[Chachamaru]

animal crossing has always been stressful for me, but it really doesn't dampen my enjoyment of it lol, i always feel vert obsessive around getting my town to look exactly how i want it, having my favourite villagers, collecting everything etc. and when something is off it really bothers me. honestly, i don't really mind that though. for me, striving for lofty goals is what makes the game really fun!

It's what keeps us playing, too! try not to get too down about it op. It's easy to get overwhelmed, and I absolutely agree. Especially with all these new features (and missing features..) But take it one day at a time and try to work around it.. Also, AVOID LOOKING AT OTHER PEOPLES TOWNS.

 

[Ley]

1. Terraforming is completely optional, and not required in the slightest. If stressful, you can ignore it without repercussions.
2. Crafting, other than tools, and tutorials, you can ignore it for the most part.
3. Unlocking 3 stars is easy if you know the requirements. (Have 8 villagers and a few items and fences outside. Or Have 8+ villagers, and a couple bridges and inclines)
4. Making in game bells is as easy as past games, minus needing to make a new fishing rod every 20 minutes. Just go fishing. If you want faster money, hunt tarantulas on almost any Island.

An example personal to me is decorating the main room of my house in any AC game (minus gamecube). I simply don't do it because I can't imagine how it should look. I won't rant about how stressful it is though

Thank you so much for the tips, I'll work on having 8 villagers now.
I know terraforming is optional but it's a great addition to the game, and if I don't use that I might as well go back to NL, where it wasn't even a thing. Maybe I just have to play less and work on less things every day, because I'm trying to do everything in a short amount of time.

You have to adopt a mindset of enjoying the moment, with the potential to do something more long-term later. All of the super-impressive layouts you see online are almost certainly a result of time travelling - there hasn't been enough time since launch for 'legit' players to unlock everything yet.

Take it slow - right now you have limited bells and abilities so make the nicest layout with what you've got. It isn't perfect? No worries. You can do it again later if it bothers you.

Even if you got it just-so today, tomorrow you might discover a new DIY recipe that completely changes what concept you want.

There is no perfection, there is only the process. Enjoy it.

Great advice, thank you. I'll try to do that instead of rushing things and coping with an insane amount of pressure for a game that's supposed to be relaxing and slow paced.

You're right. And you should say it. What makes it worse is being on twitter/youtube/reddit, really the internet in general and seeing everyone else progress. I have seen some crazy set ups already.. Just so you know, though, a save editor is already out, and I am suspicious these people have hacked to some degree. The duping glitch def helped.

I am also starting to get anxious. I badly messed up my terraforming and that (amongst other things, SIGH) is what pushed me to reset my entire town. Turns out that was a dumb move too. Feels like theres no winning right now and I keep hoping for certain things getting straightened out with updates.

Exactly, I see a lot of amazing builds and tell myself that I'll never, ever, be able to do 1% of what they're doing. I'm not going to TT (or hack) either, that's just anti-fun for me. I'm not against TTing, because people can enjoy the game however they want, it's just not for me. I also promised myself not to reset a 2nd time, even less after 12 days of playing.

I read an article kind of relating to this last night. How some people are stressing out in this game, because so many people are sharing their villages on social media (and it's easier to do than ever on the switch). And when people see all of these incredible put together towns where people have time travelled and got everything unlocked early, and have all of these amazing decorations, people can't help but compare their own towns and feel lackluster in return, and wonder if they are doing something wrong. I found it quite an interesting read! Am I allowed to link to the article? I put it below!

Link to the Article

Thank you for the link, I'll check it out and yeah, that's how I'm feeling right now, I guess.
It's crazy really how I'm not really stressed while playing competitive games, but only on AC and chill/relaxing games.

 

[Marshmallows]

"Comparison is the death of joy."

I think that a lot of the stress or feelings of inadequacy come from comparing to others. Try to enjoy the game at your own pace - take inspiration from others, but if you feel social media is getting you down, spend more time in your own world. We often don't give ourselves enough credit.

 

[Xara]

i feel you - the thought of terraforming stresses me out, too, to the point where i might not even do it beside from a few things - i’m just so scared i’ll mess up lmao

 

[Kristen]

i feel you - the thought of terraforming stresses me out, too, to the point where i might not even do it beside from a few things - i’m just so scared i’ll mess up lmao

the bright side with terraforming is that if you make something you don't like, it doesn't cost anything to undo it

 

[Imaginetheday]

I read an article kind of relating to this last night. How some people are stressing out in this game, because so many people are sharing their villages on social media (and it's easier to do than ever on the switch). And when people see all of these incredible put together towns where people have time travelled and got everything unlocked early, and have all of these amazing decorations, people can't help but compare their own towns and feel lackluster in return, and wonder if they are doing something wrong. I found it quite an interesting read! Am I allowed to link to the article? I put it below!

Link to the Article

Oh, man. That article is depressing. I've playing AC since the Gamecube and I'm now seeing the advantage of taking my time and enjoying the journey. I understand want everything now, now, now... but then you burn out on the game way too quickly.

If anybody is finding the game stressful, I want to encourage them to stop looking at what other people are doing/have and just enjoy what can be a very laid back, quiet game.