The Evolution of Villagers

[Kristenn]

Has anyone else watched this video?

I remember I posted a thread on how villager dialogue in ACNH was disappointing and she explains exactly why that is. She explains how the systems worked in each and every game. I remember people telling me in my post that WW villagers weren't as great as I remember when this video explains WHY they actually are great and why villagers now seem so much alike. I found this so interesting that I actually started playing WW again and honestly the villager dialogue is really amazing and the hobby system really sets each villager apart. WW has so many flaws, but the villagers are the best part. Does anyone else have thoughts on this video? She also explains how the friendship system works in ACNH and I hope it changes with an update, but I doubt that The villagers are my favorite part of the game and I wish they focused on them more!

 

[neoratz]

i just finished the video and i agree with a lot of the things said!! it's really unfortunate how toned down the villagers have become, they're one of my favorite parts too. the way the villagers talk and act has been a huge turn off for me in new horizons and paired with my other personal dislikes of the game it sours my experience a little bit. i feel like the game as a whole has somehow lost a lot of the character/quirkiness of previous entries....

i don't really know about the idea that this is all a malicious business plan to turn it into a gacha cuz that seems a little out there, but it definitely sucks and i'm hoping this isn't the new direction for the series (assuming there will even be a game years in the future after new horizons). an update for villager dialogue is one of my most improbable wishes for the game v_v

 

[Radio]

I think there's been a change in emphasis as well. I found the older games (WW and Gamecube) swung more towards villagers whereas the New Leaf and New Horizon games swung more towards decorating. Even the jump from NL to NH, I felt the villager personality and dialogue got toned down even more and instead, Nintendo chose to focus on putting in outside decorating and terraforming. I think they're just adapting to what they hear people complain about. There is only so much time to be put into developing a game and some features are going to get more attention than others.

You have this userbase saying they want more decorating and being able to do things outside, so the company has to sacrifice features in other departments. I found Game Cube dialogue to be really extensive and unique and definitely noticed a drop in it when I played NL, but the sheer amount of added features into NL + NH made me think they really just decided it wasn't something they wanted to focus on and figured more people would care about more features vs more unique sentences from villagers.

 

[neoratz]

You have this userbase saying they want more decorating and being able to do things outside, so the company has to sacrifice features in other departments. I found Game Cube dialogue to be really extensive and unique and definitely noticed a drop in it when I played NL, but the sheer amount of added features into NL + NH made me think they really just decided it wasn't something they wanted to focus on and figured more people would care about more features vs more unique sentences from villagers.

YUS this makes sense.... i wish there was an easy way to find a balance between the two! TT_TT

 

[LadyDestani]

I haven't had time to watch the video but I do feel like the villagers are de-evolving with each subsequent title. I remember the villagers on the GameCube feeling so much more alive because they matched their personalities and you could actually notice the progression as you earned their friendship. I haven't played Wild World, but I really do want to try it because of all the great things I've heard about villager interaction.

After the GameCube, I didn't play another Animal Crossing game until New Leaf. I was so excited to dive back into that world. New Leaf is a great game with a lot of upgrades from the previous titles, but after playing for a few months I started feeling like something was missing. I couldn't put my finger on it at first, but eventually I realized that I was already getting bored of talking to my villagers. Instead of talking to them multiple times a day, like I had in the beginning, I only talked to them once a day because I was seeing so much repeating dialogue. Blathers no longer talked about the fossils and creatures that I donated. Everyone was so nice from the first time that I met them, so I didn't get the same feeling of accomplishment when I befriended them.

I don't mind that the newer games have added more decorating and landscaping features, but that's not why I play Animal Crossing. Those things are bonuses for me, while my main purpose is escaping into a world where I can interact with cute, funny, and interesting animals. I wish they weren't gradually taking that piece away, because to me that is the true heart and soul of the series.

 

[oranje]

Yeah, I'm not too happy either with how bland the villagers are either. :/ I do miss the "villagers drop by" mechanic that was in other past games. It kind of makes me wonder how expensive it would be to add additional dialogue for characters. I understand that changing what villagers do physically in the game could add additional costs, but I feel like adding more unique dialogue could be a cheaper alternative.

 

[Kristenn]

All of you make some great points!! I understand that Nintendo is putting their energy into other aspects of the game, however, it seems weird to me that a company of this caliber could not find the time or resources to make their 2nd best selling game a little more well-rounded. I think they're more than capable to make it happen but just think they don't NEED to.

 

[Mezzanine]

deleted

 

[Kristenn]

It makes me a little sad. There are countless town-building/decorating games out there if I wanna play them. There isn't another series where I can run around and do mundane chores and talk with my dumb little animals. We can still do that, but.. It could be a lot better
I'm really crossing my fingers that if there will be another AC title, it goes back to it's core, and maybe scales back a little bit, but that's probably just me. I feel like not everything has to be so ambitious and that was the appeal of Animal Crossing in the first place but idk

Couldn't have said this any better!!