Hot Take: villager conversations in this game are actually Not That Bad

[pikajuanca]

The main problems for me with the dialogue are:
a) Extremely repetitive initial daily dialogue. Every first or second time you speak to a villager, at least in my case they only tell me how beautiful this day is or talk about what I did yesterday or talk about other accounts on my island. It's not that bad, but imagine that for 10 villagers: you have to go over LOTS of absurd conversartion just to get a CHANCE to get meaningful dialogue (not asking new, just a meaningful set of sentences)

b) No favours at all. In New Leaf, they usually started the dialogue asking a favour, and I miss that so much! They gave you things to do daily and you really felt like you were improving the relationship with them! Then you could just speak a bit more with them or just leave, but it all felt like a REAL INTERACTION and not just boring dialogue about the weather

 

[bebebese]

seconding the above. i'm sure there's good dialogue buried somewhere in all the small talk, i just don't have the time to sift through it all i don't see why they can't leave the small talk with the first one or two villagers you speak to. i know what i did yesterday and what i'm wearing/holding/standing next to, i don't need all 10 villagers to remind me

 

[naviwing]

For me it's an odd mix of dialogue being repetitive, even at high friendship levels, but also, I have to wonder what the devs initial vision of the game was? Probably not so, so many people playing it sun up to sun down every single day for a year. Perhaps it is repetitive for me, but did they intend for me to be playing/interacting so frequently and for so long? I don't know!

 

[Starfish10]

For me it's an odd mix of dialogue being repetitive, even at high friendship levels, but also, I have to wonder what the devs initial vision of the game was? Probably not so, so many people playing it sun up to sun down every single day for a year. Perhaps it is repetitive for me, but did they intend for me to be playing/interacting so frequently and for so long? I don't know!

I think you’re right! There are very few pieces of media that are able to provide consistently new and non-repetitive entertainment for 1000, 1500, 2000 hours or more. For reference, if a person sat down and binged watched every single episode of The Simpsons, a TV show that has been running since 1989, without stopping, it would only take about 340 hours. I just don’t think it’s reasonable to expect any video game to supply enough non-repetitive dialogue for 2000 hours worth of play. I’ve played about 350 hours of NH so far, and I don’t feel like the dialogue is repetitive. But if ever get to 2000 hours of play, I bet it will feel repetitive by then!

 

[JKDOS]

My problem with the dialogue in a nutshell. This conversation could use more depth and involvement from the player. Right now it's just a throw away line that felt pointless.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1358583501314875393

 

[RollingAntony]

Throwaway lines are expected, don't think any game ever is free of them- not every single piece of dialogue should be thought-provoking or life-changing. More than that, I don't think they are an example of all the dialogue; there are also examples like this:

This conversation wasn't Oscar-worthy for sure, but I like how they were imagining being rich and proceed to ask me. But I'm not gonna say the majority of the dialogue is like that, because there are many different kind of lines.


I love all the posters who are sharing some screenshots because I keep seeing dialogue I haven't encountered myself.

 

[RoxasFan25]

My problem with the dialogue in a nutshell. This conversation could use more depth and involvement from the player. Right now it's just a throw away line that felt pointless.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1358583501314875393

Oh yeah thats lame too. Also they say things like "Today is already fun!" I mean they could've said more things other than that.

 

[ripley4O77]

Villagers can talk about so much, they have hobbies, drama, love and they can make comments about ANY item you put out, any building, any villager's homes! It's CRAZY good and varied!! Maybe less edgy, but by FAR a MASSIVE improvement over older games!

 

[Bilaz]

I just opened my new leaf game and talked to the first villager I saw a few times, Fang.
I have it on video for proof so if you know how to upload it let me know but it was
- same line about my ordinance I’ve heard since forever
- Sahara
- tutorial dialogue about retail and streetpass
- bland line about how much he likes his house
- comment on suspension bridge I’ve heard over and over
Then I stopped recording but I thought I’d see what happens if you keep talking to them
- the famous rumour dialogue line everyone uses to find out if someone is moving
- Sahara, again
- Line about having caught all fish which I’ve heard very often
- tutorial dialogue about using the lockers at the station
- the streetpass tutorial dialogue again???
then he didn’t want to talk to me anymore
:/ just saying but I think New Horizons is a vast improvement

 

[Living Fossil]

There's a difference between good conversation and repetetive dialogue.

New Horizons have great dialogue, but so much less content that it's repeating itself to death. This is my main issue how dead the villagers feel in this game. Like they are on a script.

They just feel less alive, and that's a big let down to ALL previous games.

 

[Solio]

What I dont understand, is that people grill NH for the issues they have with the dialogue, when pretty much most of them were present in the other games as well.
Repetition has always been a thing. It's bound to happen in a game you're supposed to play regularly, and with the way villagers are handled.

 

[Jam86]

i don't have a problem with the dialogue, i just think it's kinda repetitive at times
i do still like it and i actually think the lazy dialogue is pretty cute ^-^

i've posted these before but they're still pretty funny

Spoiler: some of my favourite conversations

 

[Corrie]

In my experience, I've encountered far less tutorial dialogue compared to NL. In NL, even five years later, villagers were still talking to me about pressing the A button to do this, etc. It was annoying. I know NH has it too but I find it isn't as frequent which is refreshing.

 

[Shellzilla_515]

I agree. It's just that the dialogues that have something to do with one-liners, HHA scores, furniture, and others take priority over the unique ones. You just gotta keep talking to them to get the good stuff!

 

[RoxasFan25]

Okay so I went back to the game and I am not surprised this the dialogue I keep getting everyday with my villagers. After when they said that they asked if I've been into someone's home already, pointing out the items on my island, and of course reminding me what I did yesterday:

 

[nightglow]

Okay so I went back to the game and I am not surprised this the dialogue I keep getting everyday with my villagers. After when they said that they asked if I've been into someone's home already, pointing out the items on my island, and of course reminding me what I did yesterday:
View attachment 354929View attachment 354930View attachment 354931

Pleather pants for the whole island.