How do you feel about players starting to be mean to their villagers after the latest friendship datamine?

[Figment]

I don't think bullying should be rewarded. Even if it is a game.

Sometimes the way people treat villagers comes off like some kind of middle/high school clique and that's the one dark undertone of the community (in general. Not talking about TBT) that just rubs me the wrong way.

It's complicated, I guess.

 

[Story]

Yeah...I don’t like it...Just...you know? Morally? But people can play their game as they choose.
That datamine is incredibly interesting though.

 

[daisyy]

do i feel sad when i see videos of people hitting rocket? yes.
would i still put beardo in jail if he ever came on my island? also yes.
but it's all not that deep imo, i'd just focus on my own island and i'd rather kick/amiibo someone out than bully them if i don't like them...

 

[chlostick]

I can’t purposely be mean it doesn’t feel fun to me but I do understand it’s a game. I don’t think it’s a reflection of someone’s true self if they are mean to an online character.
I’ve never been able to be mean on other games like the Sims either. Some people love killing their sims! It’s another facet of the game I suppose.

 

[Bioness]

Oh? Is there a list to this new datamine? I thought being rude to villagers never worked like the other games. Has this been changed?

Friendship Affects Move Outs! (Villager Move Out Datamine and Calculator)

Based off datamining from Ninji: For Thought-Bubble Move outs: +- You must have at least 6 villagers for one to ask to move +- Nobody will ask to move out 5 days after you've told someone "no" +- After someone has moved out, there's a 15-day cooldown where nobody can ask +- Villagers are...

www.belltreeforums.com

 

[cheezu]

I'm not saying that people who do it are evil.
Just that it seems weird to me that someone would go through the trouble of hitting a villager for a prolonged period of time... I mean, I have other things to do in the game.
I guess since I'm an animal lover and all the villagers are anthropomorphic, it just gets to me.
Also, because the bullying and abuse are primarily due to the villager's appearance is a bit upsetting (yes, yes... I know, it's just a game but I can't help but make comparisons to real life where someone who might not be seen as conventionally attractive would be more likely to get bullied irl too).
I think with giving us the option to replace villagers via amiibo cards, Nintendo should opt for the same thing while visiting mystery Islands.
Rather than waiting for a plot to be open, let people go on tours to recruit villagers and then give them the option of politely booting someone out.

To clarify - I also love playing horror video games and RPG's and I have no problem bashing a zombie's head in or killing an enemy.
AC is just not that kind of game for me.

 

[tanisha23]

While it isn't something I want to participate in, I get that some people are doing it to help with the process of moving out certain villagers. Moving out villagers can take a while, and if this is the best way that people can speed up the process, I'm not going to judge them for doing it.
I'm willing to take the longer route if it means not hitting my villagers, but some people don't want to have to wait so long, especially if they are not time traveling, so I can understand it.

 

[Cnydaquil]

i really dont know

 

[Mephala]

You betta imma smash Tabby with a net

 

[0orchid]

I'm glad I have an amiibo stash since this game came out because I can't bring myself to be mean to any villagers.

 

[PugLovex]

the only villager i will be mean to is elise. she is rude and i’m not a fan of her design. she bullied me and all my villagers in city folk, so you gotta do what you gotta do.

 

[jiojiop]

I accidentally hit Stu in the head with my net while trying to talk to him and his facial expression made me feel so horrible that I force-closed the game so it never happened.

 

[Fendi]

This is definitely an ethics type of question - but from my own personal preference, I have no interest taking part in this type of behaviour. At the same time, I also feel indifferent if others want to do this. Obviously it IS just pixels, but obviously when villagers have the capacity to relay emotions based on your actions, I can understand as to why others would see it as being wrong.

 

[Stalfos]

Bullying "ugly" villagers just so that they'll leave seems pretty low to me. I give all my villagers positive attention, even the ones I'm looking to replace.

Although, I'm not ashamed to say that I like to play a few tricks on them from time to time. In fact, I'll be heading over to my brothers island for a pitfall seed recipe later today. ( ` ∀´)Ψ

 

[Yoshisaur]

I personally don't like being mean to mine but whatever y'all wanna do is up to you!

 

[Pyoopi]

Well.. I think it's excessive. It's more weird to me than cruel. Simmer down, Timothy!

I've definitely whacked my villagers with my net and pitfalled them because I like seeing reactions. It's funny to me.

But when I see others fence in specific villagers or just go on a warpath on one, it's like whoa. That person needs to eat a Snickers.

 

[That Marshal Fangirl]

I'm a soft-hearted person by nature, so I avoid any cruel or mean options in video games to the best of my ability. I've seen a lot of videos of people being awful to their New Horizons villagers and I feel a twinge of sympathy every time. Even if the villager is one I quite dislike, I still feel bad. To me, it's the same as if you went around abusing your friends.

 

[Noctis]

I hate when people bully their villagers whether they hate them or not. What are you going to get out of that. It has always made me uncomfortable. I feel extremely bad when I have my net out and a villager pings me and I hit them by accident.

 

[Mairen]

I'm not saying that people who do it are evil.
Just that it seems weird to me that someone would go through the trouble of hitting a villager for a prolonged period of time... I mean, I have other things to do in the game.
I guess since I'm an animal lover and all the villagers are anthropomorphic, it just gets to me.
Also, because the bullying and abuse are primarily due to the villager's appearance is a bit upsetting (yes, yes... I know, it's just a game but I can't help but make comparisons to real life where someone who might not be seen as conventionally attractive would be more likely to get bullied irl too).

I was thinking about this as well. To a lot of people, sure, it's just a video game, no big deal. But some of these people might honestly be crossing more lines than we'd think. If they are willing to bully in a game in order to gain something (that villager leaving sooner?) are they also willing to bully or harm animals or people offline if they feel they will gain something from it? My conscience wouldn't allow me to bully things in game, especially when you consider they are bullying villagers solely based off of how they look (maybe because I, myself was a victim of this?).

I of course have my own preferences as far as what villagers I like and what ones I don't like. But when I end up with one I don't like? There's no way I could harm or bully them, video game character or not. They still give an upset reaction to what you are doing to them. The whole concept just...feels wrong.

 

[Splinter]

I don't mind, I beat mine to a pulp to make them leave.