Should I Take A Break From NH?

[your local goomy]

Hey all, I'm sitting here and debating whether or not I should step back and take a break from NH. Truth be told, the game is frustrating me...a lot. I think the addition of terraforming was one of the worst decisions that AC has ever made. Don't get me wrong, people can terraform truly BEAUTIFUL islands...but that's why I don't like it. No matter how hard I try, it's just never good enough for me and I find myself more frustrated with the game than I am entertained. I just can't make my island look how I want it to. I'm sick of resetting, sick of asking people to hold my stuff for me, and sick of finding villagers again. Each and every reset I tell myself I'm going to like this island, but I never do. It's really just...getting to me. I try to find ideas, go on Pinterest or Google, and end up feeling lousy and incompetent because I stink at terraforming.

Should I take a break from NH and focus on simpler games like New Leaf? Or should I just try to make this island work and deal with it? Or should I just start a new island and do it with just paths and no cliff/water terraforming?

 

[King koopa]

Hey all, I'm sitting here and debating whether or not I should step back and take a break from NH. Truth be told, the game is frustrating me...a lot. I think the addition of terraforming was one of the worst decisions that AC has ever made. Don't get me wrong, people can terraform truly BEAUTIFUL islands...but that's why I don't like it. No matter how hard I try, it's just never good enough for me and I find myself more frustrated with the game than I am entertained. I just can't make my island look how I want it to. I'm sick of resetting, sick of asking people to hold my stuff for me, and sick of finding villagers again. Each and every reset I tell myself I'm going to like this island, but I never do. It's really just...getting to me. I try to find ideas, go on Pinterest or Google, and end up feeling lousy and incompetent because I stink at terraforming.

Should I take a break from NH and focus on simpler games like New Leaf? Or should I just try to make this island work and deal with it? Or should I just start a new island and do it with just paths and no cliff/water terraforming?

I can understand that. My advice if it frustrates you so much, is to take a break from it. Like you said, new leaf is a more simpler game, and i would recommend that you stick with that for a while if NH is frustrating then maybe come back a couple weeks later. Then try NH agian, but if it still doesn't work out, just take a break for longer periods of time.

 

[Croconaw]

I think you answered your own question. It seems like you do want to take a break and that would be a good idea. To be honest, I feel like you created this thread to get confirmation that it’s okay to take a break, and it’s absolutely okay. If anything is stressing you out, you shouldn’t feel guilty about taking a break. Your mental health is more important than a video game.

I understand what you mean. The addition of terraforming makes Animal Crossing seem more like Minecraft and less like the game we came to love. I think natural islands were amazing and we can still do a lot with them. I saw beautiful towns without terraforming, created with patterns placed on the ground. Some of my favorite towns were actually in New Leaf. Don’t feel bad about taking a break. You deserve to be happy and if something is stressful, immediately walk away from it.

 

[Roxxy]

I honestly think taking a break would be a good idea. Do something else and go back with fresh eyes. I am hopeless at terraforming and my island will never be amazing but I do enjoy playing. I haven’t been on much in a few weeks as I have lost inspiration. Fireworks tomorrow though which I love

 

[maria110]

I really enjoy resetting islands and starting over but you could always take a break and then come back to NH and do that later, after your break. You can pretend you just bought the game.
I agree that terraforming can be a drag. Sometimes, when I've tried really hard to get a certain look and it doesn't work out, I just reset. My other big reason for resetting is when I had too many flowers to dig up, lol.

 

[xxcodexx]

i feel what you mean about the terraforming. i cant do it for anything!
i think what you should do if youre sick of playing is just play without terraforming anything. thats what ive done for the most part. i put all my shops and villagers where i wanted them to go and now im in the process of trying to figure out what i want to do with my island terraforming and im stuck there too. i figure i will just make everything prettier and Then come up with a terraform plan and if i never do then fine, nobody ever comes to my island anyways so its just for fun.
also, if your obsessed with villagers being perfect, dont be! just get whoever the game gives to you and then let them leave if they want so you get a new one. you never know, you might like certain villagers that youve never had before! plus their homes exteriors might give you a few ideas about where you want your islands looks to go.

 

[Venn]

I definitely agree that taking a break will be a good thing to do. I don't feel like you should be forcing yourself through frustration and stress. I knew I would never be able to create those beautiful islands we all have seen so I have created something on the simpler side and I enjoy it very much.

 

[tiffanistarr]

It really seems like you want to take a break, so you should! It also seems like you are comparing your island to other people's island which is really easy to get caught up in doing. There's nothing wrong with getting inspiration and looking at other islands to see how to do things, but don't feel like yours isn't good enough! Every island is great because that means someone is playing and having a good time and if you're not having a good time anymore then I think it's time to put it down for a bit and play something else.

Also you don't need to have a heavily terraformed island to have a beautiful island. There are TONS of beautiful islands that do little terraforming. Keep the natural cliffs and maybe add just a waterfall or two and go with a more natural look to the layout. There's also tons of tutorials on how to terraform certain things.

It really does sound like you need a break though. so that is where I would start. Nothing wrong with putting it down for a while and doing something else for a little bit. I usually play Sims4 on my breaks and then I get bored of that then get back into AC.

 

[Moritz]

I think you should take a break.

But more importantly I think you need to change your mind set.
You seem to be comparing your island to other people's and are trying to race to make it perfect.

My island took over a year of playing to get just how I wanted it. I just played day by day, making things up as I went along.
If I got inspiration then great I would change things (didn't always turn out good). If I had no clue what I wanted... oh well, that area can stay empty for a while.
One part of my island was a mess for a whole year. I didnt know what to do at the time so I left it.

Terraforming is completely optional in new horizons. You can do as little or as much as you want. There is no need to push yourself to make a work of art.

 

[Croconaw]

But more importantly I think you need to change your mind set.
You seem to be comparing your island to other people's and are trying to race to make it perfect.

This is where I’d start. There’s nothing wrong with getting inspiration from someone’s island, but the problem begins when you’re comparing your island to theirs. Comparing yourself to others in general isn’t healthy. Life isn’t a competition. Everybody is on their own journey in the game of life. Let people live their life while you live your own. This can apply to your island.

Your island may not be perfect in someone else’s eyes, but what is important is what you think of your island. If you’re satisfied with your island, who needs someone’s approval? And not being satisfied with your island because it’s not perfect like someone else’s you saw, that’s not really how you want your island to be, right? Every island is unique, and everyone has their own definition of perfection. What is perfect in my eyes, may not be what you like. That’s the beauty of Animal Crossing. There is so much freedom to do what you want to do. Don’t copy someone else’s and dwell on what someone else has done. Use that time to think about your island and how you can make it perfect for you.

 

[Nunnafinga]

Yeah,just because terraforming is in the game doesn't mean you have to do it.I'm not particularly skilled at creating fantastic islands so I concentrate more on my villagers and regular day to day activities.I keep my islands simple so that they are more of a backdrop for what happens with my villagers and the various island activities.I don't think decorating and terraforming an island should be the main focus.If you feel the need to take a break,then you should and when you come back,get villagers you really like and want(if you don't already have them) and keep your island simple.Don't let the task of creating your island environment overwhelm you.It's a game and games are meant to be fun,so keep it fun.

 

[BluebearL]

It's really up to you and what you want to do in the end! There is no "should" or "should not", it's entirely up to you. I would say that there is no reason you have to play the game if you don't want to, there is no contractual obligation or anything. You can always play games in the same genre (eg: stardew valley or if that isn't your cup of tea there are a plethora of other options) or an older ac game if you have access to one or play something entirely different.

I found that not playing for a long time gave me more inspiration when I later came back to the game to keep terraforming. You also don't have to terraform or take breaks though. It honestly doesn't matter one bit in the end. Try not to put pressure on yourself to meet standards with your island design, whatever you want to do with it is valid and awesome in its own right. Villagers and trading are fun too but if you are sick of it, the lassiez-faire approach can be more fun if you want to try that. I love every villager for different reasons (all designed based for me as that seems to be the only distinguishable feature) and enjoy letting rng decide who I get and making the most of it. Take your time and see how much stuff you can accumulate without trading. There are so many ways to play including not playing at all, try it all don't try any of it, just remember to have fun!

 

[ivorystar]

Terraforming is super hard!
I took a break for 4 month this year cause of the stress.
Just take a break and come back anytime that's the fun thing about this game

 

[your local goomy]

EDIT: Decided to take a break and start a fresh island in a few months, maybe when I'm not in such a sour patch in life. I may start a NL town, but right now I'd rather focus on playing other games that bring me a lot of happiness, like Pokémon, as well as getting more writing done.

 

[Candy83]

[QUOTE="your local goomy, post: 10066547, member:

Should I Take A Break From NH?[/QUOTE]

Yes.

 

[Dracule]

Hey all, I'm sitting here and debating whether or not I should step back and take a break from NH. Truth be told, the game is frustrating me...a lot. I think the addition of terraforming was one of the worst decisions that AC has ever made. Don't get me wrong, people can terraform truly BEAUTIFUL islands...but that's why I don't like it. No matter how hard I try, it's just never good enough for me and I find myself more frustrated with the game than I am entertained. I just can't make my island look how I want it to. I'm sick of resetting, sick of asking people to hold my stuff for me, and sick of finding villagers again. Each and every reset I tell myself I'm going to like this island, but I never do. It's really just...getting to me. I try to find ideas, go on Pinterest or Google, and end up feeling lousy and incompetent because I stink at terraforming.

Should I take a break from NH and focus on simpler games like New Leaf? Or should I just try to make this island work and deal with it? Or should I just start a new island and do it with just paths and no cliff/water terraforming?

I’d definitely recommend taking a break from NH then. At this point, it seems more stressful than peaceful for you to play this game when it shouldn’t. I totally get that burn out from terraforming. I’m not the greatest either, so I take breaks a lot or focus on little areas at a time. You’ll get there though! I think it’s important to focus on what you know you can do or can’t do and work with that. If you’re not feeling confident in the terraforming, then I encourage you to do a non-terraformed island or very little terraformed island once you come back from that break! There a quite a few people who’ve made beautiful islands from sticking to these restrictments—it was more how they decorated and made things overgrown and cute.

Most importantly though—and I say this for myself, too—you should focus on how you like your island. Inspiration is meant to help make your island how you want it, so that should be the most important person to please. I have to tell myself that I like my builds and how they fit into the story of my island that I made for myself. It’s really hard to do that, cus it takes constant refocusing. But I just wanted to give you some hope that what matters is what you want, and that in itself makes your island unique. >-<

 

[WaileaNoRei]

Seems like you have already decided, but I think you should definitely take a break. Since it is a game, the only point in playing is if you are enjoying it.

I would say, to echo what others have said, that it seems like the idea that you have create a ‘perfect’ island is causing you a lot of stress. If you to play in the future my advice would be to not look at social media for inspiration at all. There’s no need to decorate or design at all unless you want to. If you do want inspiration, I have found getting inspiration from real places and designs or from literature, history, or movies/tv is more creatively inspiring than looking at other islands. Figuring out how to translate a place or look that you like on your island can be really fun.

from my perspective, one of the biggest the differences in this game from previous games isn’t within the game itself, but the prevalence of social media, which makes people feel a lot of pressure to play the game in a certain way, which is often artificial, rushed, and focused on what other people like.

it was months before I did anything but the most minor terraforming, and terraforming has not been central to my game play at all, though I think it is a great feature. Instead I have spent most of my play time talking to my villagers, and just wandering and doing little activities as I feel like it. I decorate when I want to, and I love decorating, but don’t set big goals of making my island finished right away. My island will never be finished really, until I tire of the game.

I think the relaxing, open game play is still very much there in the game, but social media culture tends to thrive on feeding dissatisfaction and setting unrealistic standards.

By all means though, take a break and take care of yourself first. You have no obligation to play this or any video game.

good luck and I hope you feel better soon.

 

[your local goomy]

I'm thinking of actually starting a new island but playing it the way that NH was meant to be played. No TTing, no social media, and no real worrying. If I terraform, it's only going to be minor. I have terrible self-esteem issues and I'm very depressed after a breakup, so I do think I want to play some form of Animal Crossing, but I'm just not going to stress out over a game anymore.

 

[Kate86]

I'm thinking of actually starting a new island but playing it the way that NH was meant to be played. No TTing, no social media, and no real worrying. If I terraform, it's only going to be minor. I have terrible self-esteem issues and I'm very depressed after a breakup, so I do think I want to play some form of Animal Crossing, but I'm just not going to stress out over a game anymore.

I just wanted to let you know that you have inspired me to restart my island after 18 months and well over 1000 hours. I'm in the same boat as you with terraforming (seriously I suuuuuuck at it and my island is ruined), and I realized I've been spending all my time grinding to get stuff to either open a shop here on the forums or host cataloguing events, but the truth is I just don't have the time to do any of that. So thank you for starting this topic, and here's to fresh starts and finding our joy again! ❤

 

[your local goomy]

I just wanted to let you know that you have inspired me to restart my island after 18 months and well over 1000 hours. I'm in the same boat as you with terraforming (seriously I suuuuuuck at it and my island is ruined), and I realized I've been spending all my time grinding to get stuff to either open a shop here on the forums or host cataloguing events, but the truth is I just don't have the time to do any of that. So thank you for starting this topic, and here's to fresh starts and finding our joy again! ❤

I'm super glad I could help you out! Best of luck with your new island ☺