Does it ever feel the same when your dream villager moves back to your town?

[Lightspring]

I was just wondering this. I have two New Leaf towns and both of them have Maple, the first one as a dream villager and the second as a random move in. I promised two people to give both Maples away since they really seem to want her. I’m not too bothered since I’m about to restart my first town anyway. I plan on getting her back someday and I don’t think it will cost me too much. I did end up missing her since I made some memories with her in my town and she is a cute villager.

What does everyone think? I figured that this could also apply to any other AC game (New Horizons, Wild World, City Folk, etc) and not just New Leaf which is my situation. If you happened to somehow get your dream villager back into your town, will it really feel like getting them back or like a completely new villager? I already know, at least for New Leaf, that the villager will not have any memories of you or the town. I haven’t played New Horizons enough or other AC games other than New Leaf. I’m just asking you, the player how you feel and not the game mechanics. Would it matter if they don’t remember you at all?

 

[Mr_Persona]

It does feel like they're a whole new person when they first arrive for me but then after awhile when you keep helping them and doing more favors, they will be best friends with you and l feel like they're the same person again!

 

[Xara]

it kind of matters to me? it feels sort of strange having a villager move into your town and becoming best friends with them only to have them leave and when they come back, they don’t remember you at all and you have to start from the beginning. it’s sort of sad to me, i guess? i know that becoming used to them again is easy and your friendship with them will rise to what it was again but at the same time, it almost feels like they’re an entirely new villager, even though they’re not

to me, it almost feels like having a friend move away irl only for them to come back and not remember you at all - it’s normal but it’s still sort of sad aha

 

[Lightspring]

I’d like to bump, I’m really surprised that this doesn’t have a lot of answers. Your feedback is greatly appreciated!

 

[RedPanda]

I really wish they remembered living with you before, that's a shame it's not a feature of the game. Weirdly they remember you if you let a friend adopt them and then you visit, so I don't know why it's not included in other scenarios. But aside from a very brief "nice to meet you" convo their dialog is quickly familiar with you as if they've lived there a while. So it's not too bad to me.

(Side note: I also wish when you visited a dream town that the villager who lives or lived in your town recognized you and had special dialog.)

 

[Lightspring]

I really wish they remembered living with you before, that's a shame it's not a feature of the game. Weirdly they remember you if you let a friend adopt them and then you visit, so I don't know why it's not included in other scenarios. But aside from a very brief "nice to meet you" convo their dialog is quickly familiar with you as if they've lived there a while. So it's not too bad to me.

(Side note: I also wish when you visited a dream town that the villager who lives or lived in your town recognized you and had special dialog.)

That is very true! I really wish that your villagers can remember you, especially if they are the same exact villager and happened to move back to your town from someone else. Currently moving all of my villagers to my second town, no one is really going to remember me anyway in my new town, so I suppose it won’t bother me too much.