custom designs are a joke.

[mxmblo]

now i don't think acnh is updating anymore, but I'm still going to complain about this because its becoming a real issue for me personally. the entire system of custom designs are TERRIBLE. Even with the update, I'm still finding myself running out of room. Now, this would be fine if i could find a way around it. but its almost as if acnh is TRYING to limit you. for example, i tried to put a one time use custom design on a piece of furniture, when i erased the design, it erased it off the furniture; and that goes for just about anything you put a custom design on. I even made a new account on my switch to attempt to store more custom designs there but as it turns out, they keep the same custom designs on your new account as well! that's ridiculous! how would that even work if you had other people playing on your acnh island?? just let them have access to all your custom designs that they can change or delete as they please?? i don't understand why they can't just make custom designs unlimited. or AT LEAST let those loopholes work. They have no reason to limit us the way they do. I love acnh with all my heart but this really is inconvenient.

 

[Belle T]

I do think that the way custom designs are handled is a bit lackluster and could stand to be improved, but I'm not sure if I agree that the game should be obligated to hold onto designs that it needs to reference after you intentionally delete them. Perhaps having the option to create a one-time pattern that remains in the system memory but doesn't take up a slot could have been an option to have, but the custom designs are intended to have a wide array of applications, as furniture decorations, clothing patterns, custom paths, floor decorations, and a multitude of other things. So it makes sense to me that deleting the pattern from the editor would communicate that you simply don't want that pattern anymore. For me, anyway, I use custom designs to leave notes and markers for myself when planning and constructing, so removing the pattern when I erase the design is sensible to me. Also imagine that if you want to update a pattern, having to re-customize every single item that the pattern appears on would be slightly tedious. Not that New Horizons specifically has ever been adverse to being tedious, but I don't see it as an issue as far as custom designs are concerned.

I'm also not sure if I agree that custom designs should be unlimited, since the Switch's storage is already kind of a nightmare, though I'm skeptical that custom designs actually take up much space even if you have hundreds of them. But I do agree that they shouldn't be shared across accounts. Particularly since previous games do allow each player to have their own space for designs.

And sharing them shouldn't be locked behind a paid subscription service, but I've yelled about that enough already.

 

[michito]

I don't use custom designs much because no online + im bad at pixel art so I don't really have a storage problem, but they could've doubled the slots super easily by just making the pro/clothes patterns work as plain designs to display/customize stuff with.
It worked that way on all previous games, including ACNL where you can customize furniture with your own patterns including pro ones, so I dunno why they removed that feature on this game.
Maybe it's because the clothes have shape guides now, but it is as easy as making the whole grid visible while keeping the cloth guide lines. The game saves all the pixels you have drawn anyways even the empty pixels/outside of the guide ones, it seems kind of silly.

 

[Dunquixote]

I’m okay with the custom designs for the most part, though I do feel like some looked better in NL and it was also easier to do in NL with the stylus. My problem is with the general customize furniture and the patterns sable gives us; in NL we were able to use shirts to customize furniture and custom patterns; for example i was able to use a custom outfit pattern for the loom in HHD/NL, but we don’t have that option now; i liked using the sandwich shirt and other gracie shirts to customize furniture (sad about no gracie stuff and so much recycled stuff). I don’t like the patterns sable gave us.

I do agree it would be nice to have more room for custom designs, but i think they gave us a good amount. My concern and dissatisfaction lies elsewhere, but that is for another thread.

 

[VanitasFan26]

Oh man....I am so mad that I lost that custom KH Stain Glass design that I used to have on my old island before it got deleted. I wanted to use it for my main island but now I cannot find the coding for it. I searched the Kiosk in the game didn't find it. Its so restrictive though how you need to have an NSO just have get other designs. If only there was a way to enter a Design Code in the game and download it to your Custom Design app this would not be such a problem.

 

[Corrie]

I hate how the custom paths don't have the sound. It's just silence. It bothers me to no end because I want to use those paths but can't stand the silence.

 

[Brookie]

I hate how the custom paths don't have the sound. It's just silence. It bothers me to no end because I want to use those paths but can't stand the silence.

Extra work, but you can put regular paths underneath to get the effects (plus it shows up on the map!). Really annoying and tedious workaround but it's something I thought of.

 

[WaileaNoRei]

While I have never had the time to devote to fully exploring this feature, I think the custom design feature is pretty great.

It seems like they added significantly more spots compared to new leaf and the other prior games.

Even though I did not play new leaf, I agree with what @Dunquixote said, the patterns tend to fit more seamlessly with the graphics in that game. Even with some of the most intricate design/ artwork, it is hard to not notice the stark difference between the 3D rendered clothes and paths in the game and the mort flat look of most of the custom designs. Especially with clothes. Even considering this though, I have found some really wonderful patterns.

I also agree a stylus would make drawing easier and faster.

In terms of sounds, while I mostly play the game at low volume or silent, so it isn’t something I notice much, I think it is too bad that it couldn’t have been added as a part of the ‘soundscapes’ function, with maybe just a few options to choose to apply to designs.

Post automatically merged: Jun 3, 2022

Extra work, but you can put regular paths underneath to get the effects (plus it shows up on the map!). Really annoying and tedious workaround but it's something I thought of.

Actually, applying any custom paths over in game paths removes the sounds from them.

 

[Sid]

Actually, applying any custom paths over in game paths removes the sounds from them.

yeah, I just found this out recently. very disappointing.

I've tried so hard to like custom pathing, but I just can't. I find the pictures I see on Pinterest and the videos on YouTube always have some kind of filter applied to them. But when you download the codes and actually start trying to incorporate them on your island it never looks as good.

I guess I'm just not doing it right. Because I've been to islands that look great with them. It just feels fake to me. I spent a week playing around with some of Collin Crossings codes , which are supposed to be the best from what I can tell. I was trying to make a simple neighborhood with road, sidewalks, etc.

I thought I was going to like it at first but the sound thing really started getting to me. And the more you live with the designs , the more they start sticking out. They look great on videos but when I'm playing it just feels so artificial and incongruous with the villagers, houses, trees, grass, everything.

So I've just flattened everything again.

 

[azurill]

I didn’t think I would ever use all the custom slots. Now that I’m decorating and finally liking my island again I’m running out of space. It definitely would be better if the other playable characters could have had their own slots. I do miss using the stylus for making patterns.

 

[nightglow]

All my slots I just used for clothes or flower patches. I tried the cool paths but I'd run out of room or they looked weird and didn't feel like paving the same thing twice and I prefer the sound effects of actual paths. And having some custom clothes, even if they look a little off, helps save on item storage space.
Personally I have more of an issue of flower containment than the amount of custom slots. I don't like using custom designs to contain flowers, or just to be able to have an opening in a fence to get to the flowers without them taking over the island. For some reason, gates don't exist, flowers don't die, and we have two variations of brown dirt that don't contain flowers.

 

[Bluebellie]

I used the game paths throughout my town, and then used the custom paths to create some signs here and there. I’ve also added custom paths to different areas. Apart from the regular game paths, I downloaded two different paths. Each path taking up about 9 slots. Then I also added borders for the in game path that also takes about 9 slots. I still have so many slots left. Every so often I also delete something old and make new space. So far it’s been enough. I like to have one main path, and then whatever is left is for custom paths. I don’t particularly have an issue with new horizons here. If I remember it correctly, on new leaf I only had space for 1 path. It’s definitely an improvement for me.

 

[WaileaNoRei]

yeah, I just found this out recently. very disappointing.

I've tried so hard to like custom pathing, but I just can't. I find the pictures I see on Pinterest and the videos on YouTube always have some kind of filter applied to them. But when you download the codes and actually start trying to incorporate them on your island it never looks as good.

I guess I'm just not doing it right. Because I've been to islands that look great with them. It just feels fake to me. I spent a week playing around with some of Collin Crossings codes , which are supposed to be the best from what I can tell. I was trying to make a simple neighborhood with road, sidewalks, etc.

I thought I was going to like it at first but the sound thing really started getting to me. And the more you live with the designs , the more they start sticking out. They look great on videos but when I'm playing it just feels so artificial and incongruous with the villagers, houses, trees, grass, everything.

So I've just flattened everything again.

I have the same trouble, it is hard to find paths that fit into the game when I’m actually playing my own island, even if I like them in theory. What I have found is the tile designs don’t bother me as much, where things that need natural looking textures it tends to be hard for me to find one I actually like. To me the color palette and styling need to be a specific fit for any stone, brick, street, or dirt paths in order to work for me. A lot of the more ‘realistic’ ones just don’t work, because they don’t match the animation style/ color palette of the game. I also just cannot personally deal with using much faux dimension on the paths. They might look great from a certain angle, but I see my island from all angles and so it just bothers me, even if I appreciate it can look good in pictures online.

It is always important to remember that photos online are pretty much all filtered so things blend better.

 

[Sid]

Then I also added borders for the in game path

which path borders do you use? I've been wanting to try that.

 

[Bluebellie]

which path borders do you use? I've been wanting to try that.

You definitely should! They make the game paths look complete, and nicer.
I use these:
Ma: 3829-2450-5786, and MA: 3075-4138-0954.

I like the cobblestone path, but I find that the it looks a bit unfinished without any border. They are very simple. I like to just enhance the natural paths,but without additional decoration on the borders.

 

[Sid]

You definitely should! They make the game paths look complete, and nicer.
I use these:
Ma: 3829-2450-5786, and MA: 3075-4138-0954.

I like the cobblestone path, but I find that the it looks a bit unfinished without any border. They are very simple. I like to just enhance the natural paths,but without additional decoration on the borders.

thank you! I will try them out for sure

 

[Mr_Persona]

Extra work, but you can put regular paths underneath to get the effects (plus it shows up on the map!). Really annoying and tedious workaround but it's something I thought of.

I tried that and it doesn't work

 

[QueenCobra]

Personally I find the designs fun, but I can also see how someone would be disappointed. Then again, this is my first Animal Crossing game, so I have nothing to compare them to.