Tips after Flattening the Island?

[VanitasFan26]

Well....this is embarrassing. After I flatten the island I don't know where to even start. I tried the airport but, it didn't work and I try to terraform the river mouths but it wasn't working out. To anyone who has ever flatten their island what are some tips I can use because quite frankly I haven't done this before.

 

[. Rarity .]

Well, as someone who has flattened their island at least a billion times, I advice you start brain storming and planning out places. What I do is take the terraform tool and map out some idea with the dirt tool. It kinda gives you a piece of mind if your worried about having such an empty area.

The first thing I did was make myself a castle, because I told myself I wanted one. The next day a small area. I wanted to make, from there I did my entrance, planned out where I wanted to put side walk. I didn't bother about moving my villagers. The only one I did move was to the small area. But yeah I then had to do alot of pondering. Kinda think about what I want, run around till I find a place I might wanna place it and I make a like a square of side walk there, then if I dont like it I can just remove the side walk

It doesnt come right away when you flatten your island, even with ideas, a wide open space can be daunting. But this is also your chance to make it your own. But having an empty space can be daunting fot some, so if it does use your side walk tool, and run around thinking about where to put things. So its a new opportunity to make something you really like.

 

[VanitasFan26]

Well, as someone who has flattened their island at least a billion times, I advice you start brain storming and planning out places. What I do is take the terraform tool and map out some idea with the dirt tool. It kinda gives you a piece of mind if your worried about having such an empty area.

The first thing I did was make myself a castle, because I told myself I wanted one. The next day a small area. I wanted to make, from there I did my entrance, planned out where I wanted to put side walk. I didn't bother about moving my villagers. The only one I did move was to the small area. But yeah I then had to do alot of pondering. Kinda think about what I want, run around till I find a place I might wanna place it and I make a like a square of side walk there, then if I dont like it I can just remove the side walk

It doesnt come right away when you flatten your island, even with ideas, a wide open space can be daunting. But this is also your chance to make it your own. But having an empty space can be daunting fot some, so if it does use your side walk tool, and run around thinking about where to put things. So its a new opportunity to make something you really like.

Well for me I prefer to put down stone patterns where it makes to where you're going and I would want to put in areas where its more open. One of the biggest problems I had with my island is that it felt a bit too cluttered with all the fencing and it just made navigation a bit rough. So I am thinking mayble if I start out as like a small pattern maybe I can do it

Its easier said than done and now I have to figure out about making better rivers and of course trying to make better cliffs and waterfalls.

 

[. Rarity .]

Also, dont worry about clumping up one single patch close to you, start in any where you want. I still have so much open space, my castle was made all the way on the other side of my island. Its a very l9ng walk xD the smaller area was waaay closer to the entrance but nothing else for awahile.

Dont feel like you have to fill it up right away. Just take your time, theres no rush or preasure. So just ponder, try out things. Theres no point to fret about making it perfect the first time. Just fiddĺe around until you like things. Then your island will come together.

Good luck!

 

[. Rarity .]

Well for me I prefer to put down stone patterns where it makes to where you're going and I would want to put in areas where its more open. One of the biggest problems I had with my island is that it felt a bit too cluttered with all the fencing and it just made navigation a bit rough. So I am thinking mayble if I start out as like a small pattern maybe I can do it

Its easier said than done and now I have to figure out about making better rivers and of course trying to make better cliffs and waterfalls.

Yeah that can happen. Esspecially with side walk. Call me crazy but for my island all my side walk is three layers across, smallest is two. It makes things flow easier. I dont use much fencing much to isabelles distaste, unless I want fencing.

But having wider side walk is great because you also wont have to worry about bumping into your villagers and just go around them. It also doesnt take up as much space as people think, and look as clunky. So wider side walk would defently help. Or open scartered pathes. I can show you what I mean with some screen shots if you want

 

[VanitasFan26]

Yeah that can happen. Esspecially with side walk. Call me crazy but for my island all my side walk is three layers across, smallest is two. It makes things flow easier. I dont use much fencing much to isabelles distaste, unless I want fencing.

But having wider side walk is great because you also wont have to worry about bumping into your villagers and just go around them. It also doesnt take up as much space as people think, and look as clunky. So wider side walk would defently help. Or open scartered pathes. I can show you what I mean with some screen shots if you want

Yeah that will nice.

 

[Olimar]

You can also use this tool: https://eugeneration.github.io/HappyIslandDesigner/

It's called Happy Island Designer, and it lets you pick out your island's map (or upload a screenshot and trace over your map) and then you can draw/edit to sketch out ideas. I've used it a lot and even if I don't end up following it exactly, it still helps me better visualize how things can be laid out.

My biggest advice if you do use it though is to give yourself more room than you think you need. Sometimes it can look like 8-10 spaces for a path is plenty of room, but then you put it down and it looks really short in-game. Same with spacing between buildings, flora, fencing, etc.

I personally try not to rely on HID for planning everything, but as a starting point and general reference. I looooove getting to draw on the map, it's kinda therapeutic!

 

[. Rarity .]

Yeah that will nice.

I'll send them to you in Pm, just so it doesnt take up this post.

 

[VanitasFan26]

I'll send them to you in Pm, just so it doesnt take up this post.

Fair enough.

 

[VanitasFan26]

Update: I managed to make River Mouths and I kept some of my cliffs alive. (I really didn't want to redo that Rock Garden) and so far I am just planning out where the buildings are going to go and then work on the pattern I like.

 

[sugoi]

You can also use this tool: https://eugeneration.github.io/HappyIslandDesigner/

this tool saved me so much headache!!

 

[azurill]

I haven’t flatten my entire island but I did flatten parts of it a time. My advice is for if you are making cliffs. I had the hardest time getting my cliffs right and constantly built and rebuilt them. Until I flatten the area I was working on. I used the in game paths to map out how I wanted the cliff this way you can see on the map how it will look. It took so much less time building the cliff when I knew exactly where to build it.
This is from when I was making a crescent cliff. I was able to fix what I didn’t like about it easier with in game paths then trying to rebuild it.

 

[Captain Jigglypuff]

I flattened a huge section of my current Island to start an orchard and gardening section. You could also create a little park with a fountain and seating.

 

[Lanstar]

I just flattened my island recently - It no longer has cliffs. However, it still has replacement waterways and a natural look to it. I still haven't figured out how to decorate it, though.

How I recommend the process is to make sure there is replaced scenery to each part you flattened, even if it's just naturally scattered greenery. Don't just mutilate the entire town - Keep your town in tact in some way, as it's still the environment you play in, even as you decorate it.

Planning in advance will help cut the stress out, as you won't have to take such stressful action. I like to sketch the layout of all waterways and cliffs with a paint program in advance, as they often control the shape and struture of the island. Then I choose where the buildings and attractions will be, and adjust the water/cliff layout to them somewhat.

 

[outofwrlds]

A lot of people are recommending using various apps and art tools, and those are incredibly useful. When it comes to actually building, I recommend working from the back of the island to the front. I feel like it helps you see what the view will be like as you're running around the island, since the camera angle shows what's above you more than below. A new cliff can sometimes block a view to an awesome area you've put together, and you might not realize until you're in the middle of setting it up.