i keep comparing my island with other people "aesthetic" island on twitter and instagram. It clearly makes me lose my mind because i already torn down my island and flatten them all up because its not as good as the others. i never have a dream address because of this. in fact, i have torn down my island in total of 12 times! ive played 450 hours. i keep feeling my island is ugly than other people, and i need help to not feel about thisss!!! ... i feel not as confident... i just need help to stop comparing my islands!
i keep comparing my island with other aesthetic islands on twitter and instagram and keep destroying it! help me : (
- Thread starter inazuma
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Cakecrazy909
森に住む
i know how hard it can be to overcome those feelings about your island :[ ive got two different types of advice stuff i could give for this!
this one just takes a lot of time to come to terms with (at least it did for me), but its the fact that what truly matters in animal crossing has never been perfection- its been crafting a safe space thats all your own that you can unwind in anytime in your life, thats a constant for years! every little thing is personal to you, and that honestly matters more than the subjective aesthetic appeal of it to strangers on the internet.
however, theres another point that i think really helped land the point for me: have you ever seen the meme with homer, where he looks skinny but he's actually pinning his fat together behind his back? the photos you're seeing are essentially skinny homer. most, if not all, of these aesthetic islands i've heard about are actually far less enjoyable in game. there ends up being lag, cluttered streets, dead ends, and a generally reduced everyday play experience. theres even one popular aesthetic island that just has half of it hidden and covered in dropped items, like a dump area- theres probably many more like this one!
and remember that your glimpses of these islands are also heavily staged photos- these areas might only look amazing at that one camera perspective, but wonky in general play (like those illusion buildings and all that). some of these photos are also edited, with fancy backgrounds and general enhancements. islands do often catfish!!
i hope some of this can help!
this one just takes a lot of time to come to terms with (at least it did for me), but its the fact that what truly matters in animal crossing has never been perfection- its been crafting a safe space thats all your own that you can unwind in anytime in your life, thats a constant for years! every little thing is personal to you, and that honestly matters more than the subjective aesthetic appeal of it to strangers on the internet.
however, theres another point that i think really helped land the point for me: have you ever seen the meme with homer, where he looks skinny but he's actually pinning his fat together behind his back? the photos you're seeing are essentially skinny homer. most, if not all, of these aesthetic islands i've heard about are actually far less enjoyable in game. there ends up being lag, cluttered streets, dead ends, and a generally reduced everyday play experience. theres even one popular aesthetic island that just has half of it hidden and covered in dropped items, like a dump area- theres probably many more like this one!
and remember that your glimpses of these islands are also heavily staged photos- these areas might only look amazing at that one camera perspective, but wonky in general play (like those illusion buildings and all that). some of these photos are also edited, with fancy backgrounds and general enhancements. islands do often catfish!!
i hope some of this can help!
I also visit a popular Japanese island and Its so hard to navigate and i don't know the way... Keep circling the same area hahaha! Thank you so much for the kind advicei know how hard it can be to overcome those feelings about your island :[ ive got two different types of advice stuff i could give for this!
this one just takes a lot of time to come to terms with (at least it did for me), but its the fact that what truly matters in animal crossing has never been perfection- its been crafting a safe space thats all your own that you can unwind in anytime in your life, thats a constant for years! every little thing is personal to you, and that honestly matters more than the subjective aesthetic appeal of it to strangers on the internet.
however, theres another point that i think really helped land the point for me: have you ever seen the meme with homer, where he looks skinny but he's actually pinning his fat together behind his back? the photos you're seeing are essentially skinny homer. most, if not all, of these aesthetic islands i've heard about are actually far less enjoyable in game. there ends up being lag, cluttered streets, dead ends, and a generally reduced everyday play experience. theres even one popular aesthetic island that just has half of it hidden and covered in dropped items, like a dump area- theres probably many more like this one!
and remember that your glimpses of these islands are also heavily staged photos- these areas might only look amazing at that one camera perspective, but wonky in general play (like those illusion buildings and all that). some of these photos are also edited, with fancy backgrounds and general enhancements. islands do often catfish!!
i hope some of this can help!
your local goomy
goom?
Yeah, I agree. Those photos are usually edited, and even if islands are aesthetically pleasing, daily play is difficult. This is something I'm still learning, but you have to do what YOU like. My island is never going to be like those ones, but I'm okay with that. I'm a full-time student taking 18 credits, so I can't exactly sit and spend hours terraforming my island. But I try my best to make it something I love! I think if you just learn to love your island the way it is, that makes the game fun.
I understand the feeling. My simple advice is to stop comparing yourself to others. I know, that’s lame and everyone says this, but it’s true. The first step is understanding that your island is unique. That is what makes Animal Crossing a great game. Design your island unique to you. There are so many ways to be creative with your island with crafting and terraforming that the possibilities are literally endless. Focus on your hobbies and interests, then make those your starting point.
I have a hockey rink on my island because hockey is my favorite sport. My island was themed around the hockey rink. There were a few unique parts of my island, of course, but the overall theme was hockey. It’s good to take note that not everyone can possibly invest hundreds of hours into their islands. Do not feel bad if you have a life outside of gaming. This game is a way to relax and wind down. Nobody should be stressing about their progress. You play how you want to and advance at your own pace. It’s okay to look at other islands for inspiration, but try not to compare it to your island. It’s easier said than done, but you’ll get there. Good luck with your island.
I have a hockey rink on my island because hockey is my favorite sport. My island was themed around the hockey rink. There were a few unique parts of my island, of course, but the overall theme was hockey. It’s good to take note that not everyone can possibly invest hundreds of hours into their islands. Do not feel bad if you have a life outside of gaming. This game is a way to relax and wind down. Nobody should be stressing about their progress. You play how you want to and advance at your own pace. It’s okay to look at other islands for inspiration, but try not to compare it to your island. It’s easier said than done, but you’ll get there. Good luck with your island.
Like everyone else already said, comparison is the enemy to progress. A lot of those island's really aren't enjoyable. I actually know a few people who have at least two switches and copies of the game, where one is literally a 'showcase' island and the other is the island they truly love playing on, since the showcase island is almost impossible to enjoy outside of viewing/touring it. It may take some time to realize it, but your island is for you. Think about the things you like and what you want, and then go from there.
VelveteenCat
Senior Member
I agree with anyone who said that often these pretty islands aren't fun to be on.
As someone who prefers watching island tours over actually visiting DAs, I had the experience of falling in love with one specific island and watching videos on it over and over again, just for inspiration. When I decided to actually tour it myself, I got super claustrophobic and left as soon as I found my way back to the plaza in that endless maze. I felt very dizzy from it and that is most certainly not the experience I want out of a game.
So I think you need to find out what you actually want out of the AC experience: If you want one of those picture perfect islands, comparing yourself to others is a good way to get better. However, from my own experience, this type of goal can take a lot of fun out of the game due to how much time and effort it takes to focus on decoration alone. If you want an island that is playable and actually enjoy features apart from decorating, the best thing you can do is just make little areas as appealing to you as possible, taking both design and playability into account. As someone above already stated, a lot of what you see online is just well taken pictures and to achieve that, you don't need a 'perfect' (whatever that means is subjective anyway) island. And what I personally found very important to learn, is to take your time when building your island. This isn't a race, if it takes you months or even years to achieve what you personally consider the perfect mix of playable and aesthetic, then so be it. Those very picturesque islands often mean pretty much 'game over' once they're done. They can be super pretty, but they also require a specific style of playing the game that isn't for everyone.
As someone who prefers watching island tours over actually visiting DAs, I had the experience of falling in love with one specific island and watching videos on it over and over again, just for inspiration. When I decided to actually tour it myself, I got super claustrophobic and left as soon as I found my way back to the plaza in that endless maze. I felt very dizzy from it and that is most certainly not the experience I want out of a game.
So I think you need to find out what you actually want out of the AC experience: If you want one of those picture perfect islands, comparing yourself to others is a good way to get better. However, from my own experience, this type of goal can take a lot of fun out of the game due to how much time and effort it takes to focus on decoration alone. If you want an island that is playable and actually enjoy features apart from decorating, the best thing you can do is just make little areas as appealing to you as possible, taking both design and playability into account. As someone above already stated, a lot of what you see online is just well taken pictures and to achieve that, you don't need a 'perfect' (whatever that means is subjective anyway) island. And what I personally found very important to learn, is to take your time when building your island. This isn't a race, if it takes you months or even years to achieve what you personally consider the perfect mix of playable and aesthetic, then so be it. Those very picturesque islands often mean pretty much 'game over' once they're done. They can be super pretty, but they also require a specific style of playing the game that isn't for everyone.
KazooSquirrel
Squirrely Wrath!
I had this problem with my original island. I made it "perfect" and then...well...hated it. It felt so sterile. I realized that while those places are pretty, and no doubt fun to others, for my own fun what I really wanted was as natural an island as possible to take me back to my ACGC nostalgia vibes. I think the only terraforming I am going to do this time is to open up a path to Red's docking beach.
I did spend a bit of a fuss trying to get a good layout, and then got a bit burnt out on that. Finally I said aloud to the world "I am picking one of the next 4 and that will be that!"
True to my word, I did so, but was mildly annoyed. The universe tested me. Great layout...but oranges as fruit and orange airport. I am allergic to oranges. X3
I did spend a bit of a fuss trying to get a good layout, and then got a bit burnt out on that. Finally I said aloud to the world "I am picking one of the next 4 and that will be that!"
True to my word, I did so, but was mildly annoyed. The universe tested me. Great layout...but oranges as fruit and orange airport. I am allergic to oranges. X3
sarosephie
Senior Member
Never compare against others. You have your own way and they have theirs. Get inspiration from them. Maybe someone sees your island as perfection and beauty
As a lot of people said, those islands look pretty in those edited photos, but most of them look nothing like the photos. And even for those photos that arent heavily edited, they usually only look good at a certain angle/lighting.
This is a recent lesson I learned myself while I was trying to decorate my island while taking inspiration from some of those "designer islands". I loved the look of something until I actually visited the dream address provided and learned it looked awful in person unless I was viewing it from a certain angle and not moving.
Take inspiration but dont worry about recreating entirely. Make something even better that actually works in game and not just for a screenshot
This is a recent lesson I learned myself while I was trying to decorate my island while taking inspiration from some of those "designer islands". I loved the look of something until I actually visited the dream address provided and learned it looked awful in person unless I was viewing it from a certain angle and not moving.
Take inspiration but dont worry about recreating entirely. Make something even better that actually works in game and not just for a screenshot
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