Foolproof Cycling Method

[Mayor Jasmine]

this method worked for me for a while, but then villagers begun to move out on other days...

 

[Maruchan]

this method worked for me for a while, but then villagers begun to move out on other days...

In that case, you are probably doing something incorrectly.
I've been using the Modified version seen in the OP, for nearly a year in two cycling towns,
and it have never failed me, not once.
The only times that I messed up, is because I messed up by entering the wrong date/year.

Is this the method you are using? (lazy copy & paste from the OP)

"1. When a villager is in boxes, go BACK 1 year and 5 days from your current date. Save game.
2. Go forward 1 year. Save game.
3. Go forward 5 days. The next villager will be in boxes."

 

[ATotsSpot]

I've been using this, and it really does work flawlessly.

At the moment I have a villager in boxes and 9 other villagers. (Grabbed one from a friend and one from the campsite). Will it still work? (Minus the whole getting a new villager aspect, of course).

 

[Whoosh]

i really love this post! it was explained so well and i have it open every time i am cycling in my second town !

 

[MadisonCrossing]

I've never heard of this method, but it seems to work according to what everyone is saying! Great job! ?･ᴗ･`

 

[toenuki]

So basically when someone's boxed, let someone claim then save and quit, tt 1 year, tt 5 days, give villager to someone and repeat?

 

[Maruchan]

So basically when someone's boxed, let someone claim then save and quit, tt 1 year, tt 5 days, give villager to someone and repeat?

Well, you do not necessarily have to give that boxed villager out.

Whether you are using the original method, or the modified/simplified version,
(both can be found in the OP.
The simplified version let you "loop" between a FIXED set of dates, while the original one will keep moving forward)
The main goal is to cycle *someone* into boxes.
So do not use this in your main town, or towns that you have villagers you want to keep.

But, yes, basically it's rinse & repeat. Many, many, many times if you are cycling to get that one special villager you want,
or if you have cycling towns, and is cycling for other members, for giveaways or selling.

My usual speed is about 2.5-3 mins per cycle,
and in one of my cycling towns, there is a full town of auto-voids -__-|||
so depending on how concentrated I am, it'll take me at least 25 mins to cycle out ALL those unwanted villagers.

 

[toenuki]

I am doing the cycling thing where I sell villagers or move them to my other town.

That's the year by year method. So I just do that and give a home if I want?

 

[BabyBianca]

could it be someone moving in boxes or does it have to be moving out boxes?

 

[cheezyfries]

could it be someone moving in boxes or does it have to be moving out boxes?

i believe moving out.

i've been using this method (the stay on the current date one) and it's worked every time!

 

[ElysiaCrossing]

I actually love this method so much! ^.^

The only time I lose villagers are when I get distracted and lose track of what year/date I'm on. If that happens, I'll tt 5 days forward until a villager goes into boxes. Then I start again. :3

 

[Fizzii]

I can confirm the method described on the opening post; it is efficient. Not sure if the following has been mentioned in this long topic, but I observed:

1. After jumping ahead one year then another one year, you may talk to each villager once so he is on 'speaking terms' with you again, save and quit, then run around for a ping so that you can decide whether or not to keep a villager. I suppose this might matter to people like me who are considering eventually making their cycling town a 'permanent' town. So far there is only one villager I have bothered to keep in my town: Twiggy.

2. Speaking of Twiggy, I did exactly what was described above (jumped one year then another one year, then refused to let a villager go before jumping the last five days), then jumped the final five days anyway to see what happened. Another villager, Naomi, pinged me, giving as her move date five days later.

In other words, if you refuse to let a villager move after jumping two years, when you jump the five days that would have put the originally 'chosen' villager 'in boxes,' the game instead chooses another villager who will announce going 'into boxes' when you jump another five days. Another way of describing this:

1: TT one year.
2: TT one year.
3: Get on 'speaking terms' with villagers.
4: Save and quit.
5. Run around to find a villager who pings to move.
6: Refuse to let that villager go.
7: Acting as if that villager were 'in boxes,' TT five days.
8: Run around to find a villager who pings to move.
9: Accept the villager's decision to move.
10: TT another five days to find THAT villager 'in boxes.'
11: Continue the cycling as usual.

Again, I suppose this is only of interest to people like me who are open to the possibility of making their cycling town a 'permanent' town, and want to accumulate 'must-have' villagers.

After I get on speaking terms on the second year nobody pings me..

- - - Post Merge - - -

I've also talked to each villager somany times and nobody has mentioned anybody moving.

 

[Maruchan]

More players are having a 2nd or even 3rd copy now, and whoever needs a safe & effective method for their newly established cycling towns should benefit heartily from this guide / thread.

 

[iamnothyper]

does this get messed up if i invite someone from the campsite?

- - - Post Merge - - -

guess im about to find out!

 

[iamnothyper]

for the curious, the camper stays when you cycle that first year forward, leaves the second year, then moves in some time in the 5 days. this was when i invited them the same day someone was in boxes fyi. idk of this is the norm but this is what happened for me!

 

[Fighter_Kibbeh]

I recently started cycling so I could get my good villagers to someone before I reset. The method is simple to follow and really easy! I'm so glad it's not as complicated as I thought it was

 

[ch20youk]

Does anyone know what happens when you invite a villager in from another town? I agreed to hold a villager for someone while they reset their town. Not sure how this will affect my cycling...
I have to do it on a day one of my villagers is in boxes, even though I'd prefer to do it a year afterwards.
Here's how I see it going, based on my understanding of the game's time process:
If the villager moves in on a day someone is in boxes, I'll TT to the next day so that their plot is set, and then TT a year, another year, and five days. Hopefully this should have it move like normal. I'll have one more villager than I should, but seeing as this method still worked when I had 10 villagers initially, I think it should be fine?
I'd prefer to invite the villager in a year after someone was in boxes, since then their plot would show up the second year, as it does normally.
So we'll see what happens!

 

[ch20youk]

For those who might encounter this problem themselves:
I invited Bob to move in on a day I had 9 villagers in town, including one in boxes (Kyle).
I TT'd to the next day. Kyle was gone, Bob's plot was nowhere to be found.
I TT'd to the next day. Bob's plot appeared!
I TT'd to the next day, introduced myself to Bob, then got on speaking terms with all the other villagers, ran past them all to see if any pinged me, and even talked to three of them until they wouldn't talk to me any more to check for rumors.
I then TT'd 5 days at a time until someone was in boxes. Then I was back on schedule with this cycling method! So it all worked out fine

 

[Rosie :)]

this needs to get stickied or something

 

[Biskit11]

I always use this method with any cycling.