And you thought Tom Nook was the dodgiest capitalist
June 25, 2020 7:40 AM Subscribe
I never understood the appeal of Raymond, but I'm personally biased against him because he looks like my awful ex in cartoon cat form
posted by airmail at 8:01 AM on June 25, 2020 [6 favorites]
posted by airmail at 8:01 AM on June 25, 2020 [6 favorites]
I really don't get it. There are no goals and winning in ACNH? I play it, but I have no desire to do any of the trading or bidding for items etc. What's the point? It's just a way to pass time during lockdown.
I will say though Tom Nook might be the most evil villain in all of video games. Seems like a nice guy, but really evil when you break it down.
posted by jmauro at 8:05 AM on June 25, 2020 [2 favorites]
I will say though Tom Nook might be the most evil villain in all of video games. Seems like a nice guy, but really evil when you break it down.
posted by jmauro at 8:05 AM on June 25, 2020 [2 favorites]
What’s with the floating balloon present overlays? Are they an AC thing?
posted by zamboni at 8:07 AM on June 25, 2020
posted by zamboni at 8:07 AM on June 25, 2020
I'm fine with people wanting to optimize how they play a game, but only so much as that is a thing that you set for yourself. You should be able to play the way you want to play.
It becomes toxic when you start demanding this of others or insisting that "this is the right way to play" which is absolute bullshit. Sadly, in any game, in any gaming community, you'll find people who insist that there's a certain way to play and that if you aren't playing exactly as they are, that you're somehow doing it wrong.
On repeat and saying it loud for those in the back. There's no RIGHT or WRONG way to play a game. Play how you want, and just be chill about it.
posted by Fizz at 8:09 AM on June 25, 2020 [24 favorites]
It becomes toxic when you start demanding this of others or insisting that "this is the right way to play" which is absolute bullshit. Sadly, in any game, in any gaming community, you'll find people who insist that there's a certain way to play and that if you aren't playing exactly as they are, that you're somehow doing it wrong.
On repeat and saying it loud for those in the back. There's no RIGHT or WRONG way to play a game. Play how you want, and just be chill about it.
posted by Fizz at 8:09 AM on June 25, 2020 [24 favorites]
Also, I've stepped back from the game because I went hard at it for so long in the early months and I kind of burnt myself out. I'll come back to it (I'm sure my villagers will be upset and annoyed at me), but for now I'm not in any rush, the game isn't going anywhere and my islanders can chill on their own.
posted by Fizz at 8:11 AM on June 25, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by Fizz at 8:11 AM on June 25, 2020 [4 favorites]
There is a part of me that cannot make peace with spending all day locked in a room, anxiously doing electronic work so that I can pay a mortgage and bills while, in the next room, my kid spends all day cheerfully doing electronic work so that he can pay a mortgage and bills.
That the game would become predatory and driven by materialist competition is not that surprising. I mean, it has capitalism built right in there.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:14 AM on June 25, 2020 [13 favorites]
That the game would become predatory and driven by materialist competition is not that surprising. I mean, it has capitalism built right in there.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:14 AM on June 25, 2020 [13 favorites]
I played it a ton and then burned out and haven't played in a bout a week. A few observations:
There isn't really that much actual gameplay. A lot of the core gameplay loops are inefficiencies, so it doesn't surprise me that people work to bypass the random shit. RNG to get that last little bit to perfect your room sucks.
There's a surprisingly large community devoted to keeping things free and fun. If you don't like people getting pseudo-capitalist over it, go that way. On the other hand, the game is (once again) inefficient, and traveling to islands or hosting is a bigger pain than it needs to be. So it doesn't surprise me that people expect tips or "entry fees."
Optimizing the bits like growing flowers? Some people like the naive experience and the surprise of one day getting a blue rose. Other people just want a goddamn blue rose for their blue room and don't want to spend 80 real life days hoping one will spawn if they don't do the farming optimally.
Toms Nook in previous AC games took the role of capitalist landlord, but in New Horizons, he really takes the role of a community organizer. Even Nook Miles and Bells feel less like "company store scrip" and much more like "local economy currency." Your US dollars are no good here, work within the community and put some actual labor in like everyone else, and we'll have a nice community.
The game puts it in terms of a "loan," but at 0% interest with no payment terms, it's really the up-front cost of the next tier. So basically, you *really* get a free tent, a one-room house just for doing a bit of community service, and then you're good. Upgrades cost Bells, yes, but you're the capitalist monster for wanting more. The other villagers are perfectly content to enjoy their one-room house, what's your issue, gamer?
posted by explosion at 8:24 AM on June 25, 2020 [35 favorites]
There isn't really that much actual gameplay. A lot of the core gameplay loops are inefficiencies, so it doesn't surprise me that people work to bypass the random shit. RNG to get that last little bit to perfect your room sucks.
There's a surprisingly large community devoted to keeping things free and fun. If you don't like people getting pseudo-capitalist over it, go that way. On the other hand, the game is (once again) inefficient, and traveling to islands or hosting is a bigger pain than it needs to be. So it doesn't surprise me that people expect tips or "entry fees."
Optimizing the bits like growing flowers? Some people like the naive experience and the surprise of one day getting a blue rose. Other people just want a goddamn blue rose for their blue room and don't want to spend 80 real life days hoping one will spawn if they don't do the farming optimally.
Toms Nook in previous AC games took the role of capitalist landlord, but in New Horizons, he really takes the role of a community organizer. Even Nook Miles and Bells feel less like "company store scrip" and much more like "local economy currency." Your US dollars are no good here, work within the community and put some actual labor in like everyone else, and we'll have a nice community.
The game puts it in terms of a "loan," but at 0% interest with no payment terms, it's really the up-front cost of the next tier. So basically, you *really* get a free tent, a one-room house just for doing a bit of community service, and then you're good. Upgrades cost Bells, yes, but you're the capitalist monster for wanting more. The other villagers are perfectly content to enjoy their one-room house, what's your issue, gamer?
posted by explosion at 8:24 AM on June 25, 2020 [35 favorites]
I think its totally possible to have fun optimizing the AC experience. I have friends who are really into figuring out the best way to grow all the flower colors (including charts), and other friends who like trading ideas or hoarding bells. Really the nicest thing about AC is that you can set your own goals. I kind of don't have a problem with it because the game can be played differently by different people and it doesn't take away from others experiences.
While i'm sure there are some toxic places online but in general I don't see the issue with some people enjoying different aspects of it.
Yes the balloons are an Animal Crossing thing. In the game random balloons holding presents drift across the island randomly.
posted by SpaceWarp13 at 8:27 AM on June 25, 2020 [8 favorites]
While i'm sure there are some toxic places online but in general I don't see the issue with some people enjoying different aspects of it.
Yes the balloons are an Animal Crossing thing. In the game random balloons holding presents drift across the island randomly.
posted by SpaceWarp13 at 8:27 AM on June 25, 2020 [8 favorites]
I don't have a Switch but I have like 2000 hours in Stardew Valley and you do find the same things there - people who have stopped growing anything but the most valuable crop and have ten million gold they can never spend, people looking for cheats to get certain artifacts or fish, etc. And those people tend to be overrepresented on forums about the game. But that's just one of many valid ways to play. It's not mandatory. You can still just build a pretty little homestead at your own pace. I imagine AC is similar.
posted by showbiz_liz at 8:40 AM on June 25, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by showbiz_liz at 8:40 AM on June 25, 2020 [4 favorites]
My favourite part of Animal Crossing is the subgame where you have to run away from the zombies, and if they catch you, they take half a minute of your time teaching you to make faces or something equally pointless and irritating.
posted by acb at 8:45 AM on June 25, 2020 [7 favorites]
posted by acb at 8:45 AM on June 25, 2020 [7 favorites]
Where is Tom Nook's wife?
posted by benoliver999 at 8:47 AM on June 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by benoliver999 at 8:47 AM on June 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
Why do you think Tom Nook is straight?
posted by Automocar at 8:48 AM on June 25, 2020 [23 favorites]
posted by Automocar at 8:48 AM on June 25, 2020 [23 favorites]
We can't be sure David Miscavige is straight, either, but we can wonder where his wife is.
posted by explosion at 8:50 AM on June 25, 2020 [22 favorites]
posted by explosion at 8:50 AM on June 25, 2020 [22 favorites]
It becomes toxic when you start demanding this of others or insisting that "this is the right way to play" which is absolute bullshit. Sadly, in any game, in any gaming community, you'll find people who insist that there's a certain way to play and that if you aren't playing exactly as they are, that you're somehow doing it wrong.
This this this. You want to power-game, min-max, whatever, that's your lookout, but if you're going to insist that everyone else has to as well, either leave or make sure that the only people who you play with aren't filthy casuals like, apparently, me.
posted by Halloween Jack at 8:59 AM on June 25, 2020
This this this. You want to power-game, min-max, whatever, that's your lookout, but if you're going to insist that everyone else has to as well, either leave or make sure that the only people who you play with aren't filthy casuals like, apparently, me.
posted by Halloween Jack at 8:59 AM on June 25, 2020
On the plus side, I feel less bad about not getting a Switch before covidmania made them impossible to find.
posted by Halloween Jack at 9:01 AM on June 25, 2020
posted by Halloween Jack at 9:01 AM on June 25, 2020
Tom Nook is really Tom Bombadil in disguise.
posted by roue at 9:04 AM on June 25, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by roue at 9:04 AM on June 25, 2020 [2 favorites]
As a person who has played a lot of AC (prior games, current game), this is ... self-inflicted? Like, there's nothing in the game that remotely forces you to push to this kind of extreme. It's entirely up to the player to decide they need to get in on this rat race.
My only interaction with online AC is, sometimes I will find someone with good turnip prices on twitter who isn't asking for an entrance fee, and I'll go sell some turnips. I'll usually tip even though they didn't ask, because seriously who needs all these people who want to set up toll gates? I'd rather support generosity. Meanwhile, I'm having fun with the game and my wife and I like our island a lot. I'm not worried about whether other peoples' islands have more expensive stuff, because who cares?
posted by tocts at 9:06 AM on June 25, 2020 [11 favorites]
My only interaction with online AC is, sometimes I will find someone with good turnip prices on twitter who isn't asking for an entrance fee, and I'll go sell some turnips. I'll usually tip even though they didn't ask, because seriously who needs all these people who want to set up toll gates? I'd rather support generosity. Meanwhile, I'm having fun with the game and my wife and I like our island a lot. I'm not worried about whether other peoples' islands have more expensive stuff, because who cares?
posted by tocts at 9:06 AM on June 25, 2020 [11 favorites]
You want to power-game, min-max, whatever, that's your lookout, but if you're going to insist that everyone else has to as well, either leave or make sure that the only people who you play with aren't filthy casuals like, apparently, me.
It's actually the opposite in the AC community. People rage at the folks who min-max or "time travel" to get what they want to decorate their island. Move your system clock to autumn to get mushrooms (which were already available for Southern Hemisphere players in March), you're doing it wrong.
I agree that time-travel and the like will ultimately hurt the longevity of the appeal for those players, but it's their game!
It certainly is a novelty to see a game community where the toxic element is anti-optimization, rather than optimize-or-GTFO.
posted by explosion at 9:07 AM on June 25, 2020 [3 favorites]
It's actually the opposite in the AC community. People rage at the folks who min-max or "time travel" to get what they want to decorate their island. Move your system clock to autumn to get mushrooms (which were already available for Southern Hemisphere players in March), you're doing it wrong.
I agree that time-travel and the like will ultimately hurt the longevity of the appeal for those players, but it's their game!
It certainly is a novelty to see a game community where the toxic element is anti-optimization, rather than optimize-or-GTFO.
posted by explosion at 9:07 AM on June 25, 2020 [3 favorites]
Ehhhh. I got the game a couple weeks after it released, and I haven't really encountered too much of the toxic capitalist/angry critical One True Way gamer stuff the article is focused on. And I even joined the MeFi fan group and joined a couple of Animal Crossing subreddits. Granted, I don't read every comment and I mostly go in the subreddits to look at pretty screencaps and fanart.
It just depends on whether someone has a min-maxing personality, I think. My husband and I played Stardew Valley for a long time together, and we also played it separately a bunch on our own individual farms. He likes to max out all of the stats and profitable crops as quickly as possible and speedrun getting the Community Center completed. I like to get the horse and buy hats for it, talk to villagers and do all the romance/friendship plotlines, and redecorate the house over and over, so the new Animal Crossing fit pretty well into my style of game play and not his. But that doesn't mean that style of playing is wrong.
I am just happy that it's possible to play and enjoy something the way I do. I like to slowly terraform and change and design my island and house over time. I like chatting with the villagers and seeing what odd/cute things they'll say and do. I like buying way too many clothes and crafting outfits and being a total clothes horse, which I'm not in real life (side note: I think someone on MetaFilter described this as being a "method player," which...fair, I do feel strongly about getting to wear a raincoat on rainy days and being seasonally attired in-game!). I like watching the weather and time of day and seasons change. I try not to spoil myself on things too much, which meant that when I was surprised that my animals threw me a birthday party in-game, I was so charmed I teared up a bit. I'm sure quarantine amplified that, but I was having kind of a crummy week and it was really nice!
Also, crossing animals with MeFites is lovely and it's so fun to go visit other people's islands and leave things to trade and silly notes on their message boards and see what neat things they've done with their islands! Even if I only have 15-30 minutes to play, I usually have time to go see something.
posted by bowtiesarecool at 9:29 AM on June 25, 2020 [9 favorites]
It just depends on whether someone has a min-maxing personality, I think. My husband and I played Stardew Valley for a long time together, and we also played it separately a bunch on our own individual farms. He likes to max out all of the stats and profitable crops as quickly as possible and speedrun getting the Community Center completed. I like to get the horse and buy hats for it, talk to villagers and do all the romance/friendship plotlines, and redecorate the house over and over, so the new Animal Crossing fit pretty well into my style of game play and not his. But that doesn't mean that style of playing is wrong.
I am just happy that it's possible to play and enjoy something the way I do. I like to slowly terraform and change and design my island and house over time. I like chatting with the villagers and seeing what odd/cute things they'll say and do. I like buying way too many clothes and crafting outfits and being a total clothes horse, which I'm not in real life (side note: I think someone on MetaFilter described this as being a "method player," which...fair, I do feel strongly about getting to wear a raincoat on rainy days and being seasonally attired in-game!). I like watching the weather and time of day and seasons change. I try not to spoil myself on things too much, which meant that when I was surprised that my animals threw me a birthday party in-game, I was so charmed I teared up a bit. I'm sure quarantine amplified that, but I was having kind of a crummy week and it was really nice!
Also, crossing animals with MeFites is lovely and it's so fun to go visit other people's islands and leave things to trade and silly notes on their message boards and see what neat things they've done with their islands! Even if I only have 15-30 minutes to play, I usually have time to go see something.
posted by bowtiesarecool at 9:29 AM on June 25, 2020 [9 favorites]
I am new to the Animal Crossing world with this game and cannot believe how much I enjoy it, even though, like others have said, the idea of a virtual world where I bust my ass to pay a mortgage and spend all day trying to make my house look nice does feel like a weird way to spend my time. As Marge Simpson says to Lisa when they go to help out after the oil spill on Baby Seal Beach, "I've got rocks that need washing at home."
Further, in the real world, I've spent my entire life making choices so I didn't have to be at the mercy of a homeowners' association, and now I'm spending every Saturday making sure my house is spruced up before I head to the K.K. Slider concert because I don't want my points to go down. However, to be honest, I have also been motivated to clean my house and garden this summer because my brain says "dude, if you can make your fake home nice, you can make an effort on your real one, right?"
But what I like most about the game, at least from a design perspective, is that there are multiple ways to play it. And while I won't argue that other people are playing it wrong, there are certainly wrong ways for me to play it. Like the turnip market? I woke up earlier enough on a Sunday one time to buy some and found it stressful and aggravating so won't be doing that again. (I can barely deal with my 401(k).)
But the stuff other people find repetitive, I find relaxing. Sure it might be easier to get Bells by playing the turnip marker or selling Raymond (he just showed up one day on our island as a visitor and then I started seeing all these articles about how he was weirdly popular), but if I want to spend 100,000 Bells so the orchestra surrounding our plaza has a new harp or a fancy violin, I'm going to enjoy grinding out a ton of ironwood low tables or whatever the Hot Item of the Day is to make that purchase. (Also if I got rid of Raymond, my roommate/islandmate would kill me in my sleep.)
Our island is never going to go viral because of some cool design we spent tons of hours gaming the game on, and that's okay. I love it. I love that I named the island after my recently departed cat, not knowing just how often it would be referenced in the game, and that now her picture is on our flag. I love that the island anthem is now A-C-A-B A-C-A-B A-C-A-B A-C-A-B and smile a bit everytime I walk into the store and it's played. Even though it's the same one everybody else has, I love our museum and I love Blathers and I love that I have a specific "hot museum nerd" outfit I put on whenever I'm donating something or having him assess my fossils. I love that we had multiple conversations in our house about what we should get a beloved not-Raymond islander for his upcoming birthday last week. I just love this darn goofy game.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 9:31 AM on June 25, 2020 [13 favorites]
Further, in the real world, I've spent my entire life making choices so I didn't have to be at the mercy of a homeowners' association, and now I'm spending every Saturday making sure my house is spruced up before I head to the K.K. Slider concert because I don't want my points to go down. However, to be honest, I have also been motivated to clean my house and garden this summer because my brain says "dude, if you can make your fake home nice, you can make an effort on your real one, right?"
But what I like most about the game, at least from a design perspective, is that there are multiple ways to play it. And while I won't argue that other people are playing it wrong, there are certainly wrong ways for me to play it. Like the turnip market? I woke up earlier enough on a Sunday one time to buy some and found it stressful and aggravating so won't be doing that again. (I can barely deal with my 401(k).)
But the stuff other people find repetitive, I find relaxing. Sure it might be easier to get Bells by playing the turnip marker or selling Raymond (he just showed up one day on our island as a visitor and then I started seeing all these articles about how he was weirdly popular), but if I want to spend 100,000 Bells so the orchestra surrounding our plaza has a new harp or a fancy violin, I'm going to enjoy grinding out a ton of ironwood low tables or whatever the Hot Item of the Day is to make that purchase. (Also if I got rid of Raymond, my roommate/islandmate would kill me in my sleep.)
Our island is never going to go viral because of some cool design we spent tons of hours gaming the game on, and that's okay. I love it. I love that I named the island after my recently departed cat, not knowing just how often it would be referenced in the game, and that now her picture is on our flag. I love that the island anthem is now A-C-A-B A-C-A-B A-C-A-B A-C-A-B and smile a bit everytime I walk into the store and it's played. Even though it's the same one everybody else has, I love our museum and I love Blathers and I love that I have a specific "hot museum nerd" outfit I put on whenever I'm donating something or having him assess my fossils. I love that we had multiple conversations in our house about what we should get a beloved not-Raymond islander for his upcoming birthday last week. I just love this darn goofy game.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 9:31 AM on June 25, 2020 [13 favorites]
I'm also a pretty chill Animal Crossing player who doesn't care about the capitalist hellscape that's formed in parts of the Animal Crossing community. I'm down to playing the game about 15-30 minutes a day, and I'm not putting in a ton of effort, I'm just doing my island chores, talking to my villagers, buying some clothes and furniture, etc. Playing the stalk market? Nah, too aggravating and stressful. Aggressively trying to make a ton of money? Also nah, I'm on island time, baby, I'll hit some rocks for some bells, sell some fish/bugs, and that's about it. Grinding to get rare fish? No thanks, if I can't find it in fifteen minutes' worth of fishing time, too bad. Do wish Redd would show up more often though! I want more art.
I'm just not really a min-maxer, I guess. Like in Stardew Valley, on new saves I do try to get the community center done fast and get those candles lit at Grandpa's shrine, but after that, I play in a chill way that's just about building a nice farm. Plus I've gotten a lot of mileage out of mods, and the joy of those is not in min-maxing.
I like that both of these games do have room for such different playing styles though. The fact that there's no real endpoint, no crowning you finished the game achievement, means that there's not really any wrong way to play. And the fact that the social aspects of these games are kind of optional (or wholly optional, in the case of SDV) means that it doesn't matter that other people are "power" players. It has no real effect on your own game, unless you want it to.
posted by yasaman at 10:14 AM on June 25, 2020 [4 favorites]
I'm just not really a min-maxer, I guess. Like in Stardew Valley, on new saves I do try to get the community center done fast and get those candles lit at Grandpa's shrine, but after that, I play in a chill way that's just about building a nice farm. Plus I've gotten a lot of mileage out of mods, and the joy of those is not in min-maxing.
I like that both of these games do have room for such different playing styles though. The fact that there's no real endpoint, no crowning you finished the game achievement, means that there's not really any wrong way to play. And the fact that the social aspects of these games are kind of optional (or wholly optional, in the case of SDV) means that it doesn't matter that other people are "power" players. It has no real effect on your own game, unless you want it to.
posted by yasaman at 10:14 AM on June 25, 2020 [4 favorites]
This is not my first AC game (I even got my photo taken with KK Slider at PAX East!) and i was thrilled at the new release. I'm still thrilled. I put my headphones on and listen to the surf and go fishing and hang out with my villagers, trying to make things more beautiful.
A number of friends have gotten the game, and we often get together in Discord and have shooting star parties.
I have zero objection to the data mining, honestly. I'm working on growing all the flowers, and its helpful to understand why things are failing or what I can do better.
Turnip are a lottery and I don't play. I earned by wealth the old-fashioned way, by hitting rocks and selling sharks to wandering photojournalists.
I love wandering corners of reddit for things people make in the game. Their creativity spurs mine.
Most players have no idea you even CAN to to a website to sell your Turnips. Nothing is ruined. The game doesn't force you to do anything. If you go looking, can you find terrible people? Sure. But it isn't like I'll just bump into them on a random island.
posted by anastasiav at 10:27 AM on June 25, 2020 [6 favorites]
A number of friends have gotten the game, and we often get together in Discord and have shooting star parties.
I have zero objection to the data mining, honestly. I'm working on growing all the flowers, and its helpful to understand why things are failing or what I can do better.
Turnip are a lottery and I don't play. I earned by wealth the old-fashioned way, by hitting rocks and selling sharks to wandering photojournalists.
I love wandering corners of reddit for things people make in the game. Their creativity spurs mine.
Most players have no idea you even CAN to to a website to sell your Turnips. Nothing is ruined. The game doesn't force you to do anything. If you go looking, can you find terrible people? Sure. But it isn't like I'll just bump into them on a random island.
posted by anastasiav at 10:27 AM on June 25, 2020 [6 favorites]
Love to read about online game markets but it seems weird to get a take on how markets are unexpected when a subset of the population clearly loves markets.
posted by Going To Maine at 10:33 AM on June 25, 2020
posted by Going To Maine at 10:33 AM on June 25, 2020
Interesting timing, I've been playing New Horizons since it came out and just tried my hand at trading with other users via turnip.exchange and nookazon a few days ago. Having heard horror stories about a greedy, capitalist hellscape that makes up the trading world, I was a bit nervous to try it.
Some trading is necessary to get things in game - like most fruits can only be obtained that way. I posted a villager that was moving out to a trading board, and asked only for the fruits I don't have... and somebody offered to give them to me for free? And then did so less than 5 minutes later? And then I let another user have the villager for free since I had what I wanted. Not exactly a capitalist's wet dream there. Similarly, on Saturday afternoon I was stuck with a surplus of turnips and a very poor exchange rate. So I connected with somebody who posted their island's turnip prices and sold there! I didn't have to tip, but they saved me a lot of bells so I was happy to pass a bit of that on. It was a win-win situation.
I think it's easy to focus on the toxic parts of the fandom, there are a lot of people playing the game and naturally some of them will suck. I'm just chiming in to say it isn't always that way! I have had exclusively good interactions so far.
posted by Behemoth, in no. 302-bis, with the Browning at 10:33 AM on June 25, 2020 [3 favorites]
Some trading is necessary to get things in game - like most fruits can only be obtained that way. I posted a villager that was moving out to a trading board, and asked only for the fruits I don't have... and somebody offered to give them to me for free? And then did so less than 5 minutes later? And then I let another user have the villager for free since I had what I wanted. Not exactly a capitalist's wet dream there. Similarly, on Saturday afternoon I was stuck with a surplus of turnips and a very poor exchange rate. So I connected with somebody who posted their island's turnip prices and sold there! I didn't have to tip, but they saved me a lot of bells so I was happy to pass a bit of that on. It was a win-win situation.
I think it's easy to focus on the toxic parts of the fandom, there are a lot of people playing the game and naturally some of them will suck. I'm just chiming in to say it isn't always that way! I have had exclusively good interactions so far.
posted by Behemoth, in no. 302-bis, with the Browning at 10:33 AM on June 25, 2020 [3 favorites]
There is a part of me that cannot make peace with spending all day locked in a room, anxiously doing electronic work so that I can pay a mortgage and bills while, in the next room, my kid spends all day cheerfully doing electronic work so that he can pay a mortgage and bills.
I've never played AC, but I'm still deep into Hay Day (message me if you want a friend!), and there definitely hit a point where my fake farm was more work and stress than my real job. I don't play obsessively now, but there's definitely times where I see a decoration that you can only get during an event that I missed, and I hate that there's no extra-system way to get it. So I'm guessing that having this sort of marketplace can also benefit casual players.
posted by Mchelly at 10:39 AM on June 25, 2020
I've never played AC, but I'm still deep into Hay Day (message me if you want a friend!), and there definitely hit a point where my fake farm was more work and stress than my real job. I don't play obsessively now, but there's definitely times where I see a decoration that you can only get during an event that I missed, and I hate that there's no extra-system way to get it. So I'm guessing that having this sort of marketplace can also benefit casual players.
posted by Mchelly at 10:39 AM on June 25, 2020
I think its totally possible to have fun optimizing the AC experience. I have friends who are really into figuring out the best way to grow all the flower colors (including charts), and other friends who like trading ideas or hoarding bells.
I've uh gotten really into AC flower genetics over the past week & have been spending my downtime working out how you'd breed every possible genotype starting with "mystery" flowers of the three main base colors (meaning, ones that have just been indiscriminately breeding during the flowersplosion on your island & you have no idea if they originally came from seed or not.)
There's no reason you'd ever need to do this -- flowers you buy as seed have a standardized genotype & are pretty readily available -- but it's a fun puzzle & I'm enjoying myself a lot.
Anyway, this article downplays the fact that Animal Crossing has one of the most customizable multiplayer experiences I've ever interacted with.
You can only visit someone else's island after they click through about 20 screens of dialogue & specify whether they want to be open to friends, best friends, people with a code, friends with a code, best friends with a code, and after all that the total number of visitors is capped at (I think?) eight.
You have to opt in to the "community." There's no server chat; if you want to get yelled at by people who think you should play differently, you have to seek them out on a third-party forum.
You have to opt in to the "economy." There's no in-game auction house; again, if you want your Bells to be devalued by gold-nugget traders, you have to go to a third-party website.
I know a ton of people who play the game, but I really only play with my ex & five other ladies from my improv troupe. The latter group will sometimes host events, say, an Olympic-style series of minigames (I took silver), or a white elephant clothing swap, or a treasure hunt with both real & fake cracks on the ground.
Mostly, though, we share gameplay tips & compliment each other's design/fashion choices & help each other complete our collections. (This is largely what my ex & I do as well.)
It feels the way I imagine being a 1950s American housewife would feel, except instead of Jell-O salad recipes & vacuum cleaner upholstery attachment tricks & tips we're sharing links to tools like MeteoNook & turnipprophet so we can track our weather patterns & turnip prices. (Some of the others like to go on Pinterest for design ideas; I like coming up with my own.)
Half of us are still working; the other half are furloughed / unable to reopen their businesses & have basically moved into Animal Crossing as a surrogate for their formerly very busy offline lives. I've seen criticisms that AC doesn't fill that void very well, which it doesn't, and was never designed to. It's an Animal Crossing game, which means it's going to provide an Animal Crossing game experience & if that doesn't hit any of your buttons you probably won't get much out of it.
I love that I named the island after my recently departed cat, not knowing just how often it would be referenced in the game, and that now her picture is on our flag.
One of the improv ladies named her island after her (still living, very chonky, lets you move her peets around) cat & her (chonky) picture is on their flag also! It's VERY good.
I love my untidy rainbow flower garden & the collection of science objects outside the museum entrance & the residential area built into a natural cliff & the "KEEP ROUND BOYS WEIRD" sticker & my precious precious son Filbert.
posted by taquito sunrise at 10:48 AM on June 25, 2020 [10 favorites]
I've uh gotten really into AC flower genetics over the past week & have been spending my downtime working out how you'd breed every possible genotype starting with "mystery" flowers of the three main base colors (meaning, ones that have just been indiscriminately breeding during the flowersplosion on your island & you have no idea if they originally came from seed or not.)
There's no reason you'd ever need to do this -- flowers you buy as seed have a standardized genotype & are pretty readily available -- but it's a fun puzzle & I'm enjoying myself a lot.
Anyway, this article downplays the fact that Animal Crossing has one of the most customizable multiplayer experiences I've ever interacted with.
You can only visit someone else's island after they click through about 20 screens of dialogue & specify whether they want to be open to friends, best friends, people with a code, friends with a code, best friends with a code, and after all that the total number of visitors is capped at (I think?) eight.
You have to opt in to the "community." There's no server chat; if you want to get yelled at by people who think you should play differently, you have to seek them out on a third-party forum.
You have to opt in to the "economy." There's no in-game auction house; again, if you want your Bells to be devalued by gold-nugget traders, you have to go to a third-party website.
I know a ton of people who play the game, but I really only play with my ex & five other ladies from my improv troupe. The latter group will sometimes host events, say, an Olympic-style series of minigames (I took silver), or a white elephant clothing swap, or a treasure hunt with both real & fake cracks on the ground.
Mostly, though, we share gameplay tips & compliment each other's design/fashion choices & help each other complete our collections. (This is largely what my ex & I do as well.)
It feels the way I imagine being a 1950s American housewife would feel, except instead of Jell-O salad recipes & vacuum cleaner upholstery attachment tricks & tips we're sharing links to tools like MeteoNook & turnipprophet so we can track our weather patterns & turnip prices. (Some of the others like to go on Pinterest for design ideas; I like coming up with my own.)
Half of us are still working; the other half are furloughed / unable to reopen their businesses & have basically moved into Animal Crossing as a surrogate for their formerly very busy offline lives. I've seen criticisms that AC doesn't fill that void very well, which it doesn't, and was never designed to. It's an Animal Crossing game, which means it's going to provide an Animal Crossing game experience & if that doesn't hit any of your buttons you probably won't get much out of it.
I love that I named the island after my recently departed cat, not knowing just how often it would be referenced in the game, and that now her picture is on our flag.
One of the improv ladies named her island after her (still living, very chonky, lets you move her peets around) cat & her (chonky) picture is on their flag also! It's VERY good.
I love my untidy rainbow flower garden & the collection of science objects outside the museum entrance & the residential area built into a natural cliff & the "KEEP ROUND BOYS WEIRD" sticker & my precious precious son Filbert.
posted by taquito sunrise at 10:48 AM on June 25, 2020 [10 favorites]
“I don’t think it was ever intended to be a gigantic community where people would just come in and out of people’s islands and trade turnips and go completely crazy on that system, because it’s not meant for that. It’s meant for your friends and your family and closer social circles,” Scheurle said. “But it’s not at all how people are using it. People actually build gigantic websites where they [help players] visit strangers’ islands” to sell for higher prices.
I don't have any friends or family that play the game - so the only people I can trade with are those that use the 'gigantic websites'. Considering that trading is an actual part of the game, and that there are important items that you can't get any other way, it's really not surprising that online marketplaces would pop up. Why should I be relegated to having a sad, Pear-only island because my friends don't play?
posted by Behemoth, in no. 302-bis, with the Browning at 10:48 AM on June 25, 2020
I don't have any friends or family that play the game - so the only people I can trade with are those that use the 'gigantic websites'. Considering that trading is an actual part of the game, and that there are important items that you can't get any other way, it's really not surprising that online marketplaces would pop up. Why should I be relegated to having a sad, Pear-only island because my friends don't play?
posted by Behemoth, in no. 302-bis, with the Browning at 10:48 AM on June 25, 2020
I haven't played the new AC yet but did have the version for the DS. I consistently played it for as long as I played on my DS so I guess I liked it enough but I never did bother to optimize my town and I never did get around to finding all of the fossils or completing anything. I figure that if I end up playing New Horizons it'll be the same. I guess for some people they get enjoyment out of knowing they've done "the best" in the game so that's great for them. Their success doesn't diminish me and my relative lack of it doesn't diminish them.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 11:04 AM on June 25, 2020
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 11:04 AM on June 25, 2020
Virtual rate cut forces Nintendo gamers into riskier assets - "The central bank of Nintendo's Animal Crossing game is taking decisive action to prevent hoarding, and has slashed interest rates to near zero. Analysts say it is spurring a hunt for riskier assets like tarantulas."
What Nook's rate cut reveals about capitalism in Animal Crossing - "In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, debt gives you purpose. And the Bank of Nook clamps down hard on those who refuse to comply with its capitalist idyl."
posted by kliuless at 11:26 AM on June 25, 2020 [4 favorites]
What Nook's rate cut reveals about capitalism in Animal Crossing - "In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, debt gives you purpose. And the Bank of Nook clamps down hard on those who refuse to comply with its capitalist idyl."
posted by kliuless at 11:26 AM on June 25, 2020 [4 favorites]
ACNH's multiplayer is. The. Worst. It is fine for going to do a one-on-one visit to another island, but if you go to an island with lots of visitors you are suddenly stuck in "X HAS ARRIVED / X IS DEPARTING / YOU CAN'T DEPART BECAUSE SOMEONE IS CRAFTING A FLIMSY NET" hell. I went once, got stuck, silent quit and vowed never to go to another island again. Which means all I can do is walk around the island, catch fish, dig up fossils and treasure and wait for the right bottle to wash up on the shore so I can craft a @#&^%@# cutting board.
In summation: ACNH could be so much better than it is if only multiplayer wasn't a clusterfudge.
posted by grumpybear69 at 11:53 AM on June 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
In summation: ACNH could be so much better than it is if only multiplayer wasn't a clusterfudge.
posted by grumpybear69 at 11:53 AM on June 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
Behemoth, if you want connections, you could check the Metatakk thread, and the Discord server is mentioned there.
posted by Pronoiac at 11:57 AM on June 25, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by Pronoiac at 11:57 AM on June 25, 2020 [4 favorites]
Grumpybear69 do you still need a cutting board? I can mail you one in game if you'd like (and I think a friend of mine has spare DIY in her spare DIY pile if you'd like me to check and send it to you.)
And yes the multiplayer is terrible. I used to really like the Dodo at the airport counter and now... not so much.
posted by SpaceWarp13 at 12:00 PM on June 25, 2020 [4 favorites]
And yes the multiplayer is terrible. I used to really like the Dodo at the airport counter and now... not so much.
posted by SpaceWarp13 at 12:00 PM on June 25, 2020 [4 favorites]
Analysts say it is spurring a hunt for riskier assets like tarantulas.
See I feel like this is what you get when economists write articles based on a secondhand understanding of a video game they haven't played.
Tarantulas aren't risky in the sense that you risk losing anything, it just takes longer to locate or set up a tarantula/scorpion farming island & catch the little mofos for 12,000 Bells each (when selling to Flick for 150%) than it did to log out, set your Switch clock to the 31st, log in, set your Switch clock to the 1st, log out, set your Switch clock to the 31st, etc.
Even if you're very bad at catching tarantulas, the penalty for getting bitten is having to click through some dialogue where a dodo tells you he thought you'd fought the barn this time for sure. That's it. You don't even get kicked off the island & lose the Nook Miles you spent on the ticket.
Turnips are more quickly lucrative (if you're time traveling) but also genuinely risky, in that you could get a decreasing market pattern which remains below your investment price, & have to sell on someone else's island or eat a ~50% loss if you're paying attention or a ~70% loss if you're not.
see by Thursday evening you'll be able to definitively tell you're in a decreasing pattern as opposed to a spike, at which point the price won't be lower than ~50% of your buy-in; I went through a microenthusiasm about the turnip price code a couple weeks ago, it's kinda neat, dear God why can't I shut up about Animal Crossing
posted by taquito sunrise at 12:08 PM on June 25, 2020 [5 favorites]
See I feel like this is what you get when economists write articles based on a secondhand understanding of a video game they haven't played.
Tarantulas aren't risky in the sense that you risk losing anything, it just takes longer to locate or set up a tarantula/scorpion farming island & catch the little mofos for 12,000 Bells each (when selling to Flick for 150%) than it did to log out, set your Switch clock to the 31st, log in, set your Switch clock to the 1st, log out, set your Switch clock to the 31st, etc.
Even if you're very bad at catching tarantulas, the penalty for getting bitten is having to click through some dialogue where a dodo tells you he thought you'd fought the barn this time for sure. That's it. You don't even get kicked off the island & lose the Nook Miles you spent on the ticket.
Turnips are more quickly lucrative (if you're time traveling) but also genuinely risky, in that you could get a decreasing market pattern which remains below your investment price, & have to sell on someone else's island or eat a ~50% loss if you're paying attention or a ~70% loss if you're not.
see by Thursday evening you'll be able to definitively tell you're in a decreasing pattern as opposed to a spike, at which point the price won't be lower than ~50% of your buy-in; I went through a microenthusiasm about the turnip price code a couple weeks ago, it's kinda neat, dear God why can't I shut up about Animal Crossing
posted by taquito sunrise at 12:08 PM on June 25, 2020 [5 favorites]
This is my first AC game and I've been playing since mid-April. I've so far refused to use time travel and I haven't even set up a Nintendo Online account so I can't do stuff on Nookazon or even visit anyone else's island. And, I've only bought only a few turnips so far (though it looks like there's an acheivement related to turnip transactions so I'll probably do more of that later). Nonetheless, I've not only managed to make my last payment to Tom Nook -- which turns out to be totally optional -- but I've got just over 7M in my bank account... and that's after buying the crown that costs 1.2M just today. So, it is at the very least possible to rack up more bells than you can realistically spend in-game without any kind of shenanigan. The closest thing to shenanigans I did was stripping down all the plants and rocks on mystery islands to try to make them into tarantula/scorpion islands, but I think that technique was mostly nerfed by the time I learned about it in late April.
Meanwhile, the more frustrating thing for me about the game is collecting items and recipes. Without anyone to trade with, I'm stuck with whatever happens to spawn. It's starting to feel like I'm never going to get an ironwood kitchenette.
In any case, there's some kind of bug catching event this Saturday and they just announced another update for July (which includes swimming in the ocean!), so I think I'll be playing this silly game a little while longer.
posted by mhum at 1:14 PM on June 25, 2020 [3 favorites]
Meanwhile, the more frustrating thing for me about the game is collecting items and recipes. Without anyone to trade with, I'm stuck with whatever happens to spawn. It's starting to feel like I'm never going to get an ironwood kitchenette.
In any case, there's some kind of bug catching event this Saturday and they just announced another update for July (which includes swimming in the ocean!), so I think I'll be playing this silly game a little while longer.
posted by mhum at 1:14 PM on June 25, 2020 [3 favorites]
bowtiesarecool: ooo are you on the Mefite Crossing discord or is there another Mefi player group?
posted by divabat at 4:08 PM on June 25, 2020
posted by divabat at 4:08 PM on June 25, 2020
Also, I've stepped back from the game because I went hard at it for so long in the early months and I kind of burnt myself out. I'll come back to it (I'm sure my villagers will be upset and annoyed at me), but for now I'm not in any rush, the game isn't going anywhere and my islanders can chill on their own.
SAME. I miss all my AC mefite buddies though. Hey y'all! (I'll be back before long, I think.)
posted by sugar and confetti at 4:19 PM on June 25, 2020 [2 favorites]
SAME. I miss all my AC mefite buddies though. Hey y'all! (I'll be back before long, I think.)
posted by sugar and confetti at 4:19 PM on June 25, 2020 [2 favorites]
So on my personal game I've been taking things day by day, no time travelling - not because I have anything against the idea, I've just not felt the need to do so. The only time I did some console-level shenanigans was when I was especially determined to kick this one specific villager out because he was being an asshole, so when I finally had a camper visit I ran the invite sequence a few times (if they suggest kicking out someone you want to keep, close the game immediately without saving and start again) to get rid of him. Stressful but worth it.
I did get into FB group trading for a while and even now enjoy going to massive cataloguing parties or visiting other folk. I started off the Mefite Crossing discord some folks here have brought up (I was hesitating on linking it since I am also the OP of this post) and that's where most of my AC socialising has been, including trading and resources and such. It's a good group, we've had a couple of arguments here and there but overall a lovely manageable crowd.
I now have a second game for an arts project for a festival, and on that one I've been time-travelling - in this case, I set my Switch clock back a month or so and just time-travelled a day at a time until I've at least hit 3 stars and have unlocked everything so I can start customizing the island to my needs. I do the bare minimum per day and sometimes work on 7ish in-game days in 1 IRL day and that's been SUPER HECTIC! I'm mainly going this route because I have a deadline to meet to get it festival-ready but god I'm not sure I'd recommend this for anything long-term. I think it's more the multiple-days-in-a-day thing that's stressful, if you time travel but keep it to one day at a time I think it's more manageable.
I get antsy at the "spoilers are bad" crowd because I'm in the Southern Hemisphere, we've got Winter now, that's not spoilers that's just how the game organically happens for us. It reminds me of the people who get annoyed that timezones exist - hello it's not breakfast time everwhere geez
posted by divabat at 4:57 PM on June 25, 2020 [5 favorites]
I did get into FB group trading for a while and even now enjoy going to massive cataloguing parties or visiting other folk. I started off the Mefite Crossing discord some folks here have brought up (I was hesitating on linking it since I am also the OP of this post) and that's where most of my AC socialising has been, including trading and resources and such. It's a good group, we've had a couple of arguments here and there but overall a lovely manageable crowd.
I now have a second game for an arts project for a festival, and on that one I've been time-travelling - in this case, I set my Switch clock back a month or so and just time-travelled a day at a time until I've at least hit 3 stars and have unlocked everything so I can start customizing the island to my needs. I do the bare minimum per day and sometimes work on 7ish in-game days in 1 IRL day and that's been SUPER HECTIC! I'm mainly going this route because I have a deadline to meet to get it festival-ready but god I'm not sure I'd recommend this for anything long-term. I think it's more the multiple-days-in-a-day thing that's stressful, if you time travel but keep it to one day at a time I think it's more manageable.
I get antsy at the "spoilers are bad" crowd because I'm in the Southern Hemisphere, we've got Winter now, that's not spoilers that's just how the game organically happens for us. It reminds me of the people who get annoyed that timezones exist - hello it's not breakfast time everwhere geez
posted by divabat at 4:57 PM on June 25, 2020 [5 favorites]
@divabat - yep, I'm in the disc (different usernames across different services). I haven't even noticed any arguments, but I also don't look at it every day? Usually only on weekends if I have a bit more time to play. But everyone has been extremely nice that I've seen. It's a very wholesome scene.
posted by bowtiesarecool at 8:40 PM on June 25, 2020
posted by bowtiesarecool at 8:40 PM on June 25, 2020
I have been adamant about not time traveling in AC since learning that it was a thing - it felt like missing the point. Most of the friends I play with aren't time travelers and I had no pressing reasons to get into it. Then Lyman spoiled the ending of a book for one of the other islanders, and suddenly I'm asking my one time-traveling friend if there's any way to boot that little spoilery shit out posthaste. (Fencing him inside his house and resolutely ignoring him wasn't fast enough, and I was getting tired of him escaping.)
Today I got a greeting card in the mail from her containing three of these, which can apparently be used in combination with some app or other and a collection of data files to spoof most of the amiibo-card villagers that can be imported into New Horizons. I didn't delve into the specifics, but I don't really care because I'm magically kicking Lyman out and replacing him with PIETRO. (Kabuki and Phoebe were also included because my time traveling friend is awesome and knows my style. Benedict, your days are numbered.)
But I didn't know that it's a three day process to replace an islander this way. I'm still resisting the instant gratification of time travel, as the bright gardens and sinuous rills and weird art installations of Xanadu still need a lot of work. Next time, though...who's to say?
posted by Vervain at 1:36 AM on June 26, 2020 [1 favorite]
Today I got a greeting card in the mail from her containing three of these, which can apparently be used in combination with some app or other and a collection of data files to spoof most of the amiibo-card villagers that can be imported into New Horizons. I didn't delve into the specifics, but I don't really care because I'm magically kicking Lyman out and replacing him with PIETRO. (Kabuki and Phoebe were also included because my time traveling friend is awesome and knows my style. Benedict, your days are numbered.)
But I didn't know that it's a three day process to replace an islander this way. I'm still resisting the instant gratification of time travel, as the bright gardens and sinuous rills and weird art installations of Xanadu still need a lot of work. Next time, though...who's to say?
posted by Vervain at 1:36 AM on June 26, 2020 [1 favorite]
I don't understand the premise that min/maxers ruin the game for non minmaxers. The article explains that some people enjoy the min/max playstyle. It also explains that some folks like a more relaxed playstyle. What I don't see is the connection between the two - how does the *existence* of the min/max playstyle hurt anybody? From what I've experienced so far there's nothing in-game that forces me to interact with min/maxers.
posted by mrgoldenbrown at 8:19 AM on June 26, 2020
posted by mrgoldenbrown at 8:19 AM on June 26, 2020
I have a pretty good set of local and message board friends who play, so when I want to chat about animal crossing, I can chat with them. But if I didn't have them, I'd have to go to the wider internet for my animal content, where it can be very hard to avoid encountering people with EXTREMELY STRONG opinions that also happen to be wrong.
p.s. mefimail me if you want to visit an island that still has no sidewalks after 3 months of play...
posted by moonmilk at 8:26 AM on June 26, 2020
p.s. mefimail me if you want to visit an island that still has no sidewalks after 3 months of play...
posted by moonmilk at 8:26 AM on June 26, 2020
I don't understand the premise that min/maxers ruin the game for non minmaxers.
I don't think they ruin the game, but they do make online aspects less useful. As I mentioned, I don't really bother with it aside from occasional turnip sales. Part of the reason I don't bother trying to use it to buy recipes or furniture is, the min/max'ers have inflated the market to the point where if you aren't sitting on tens or hundreds of millions of bells, you are going to find it very hard to buy anything.
The rest of the "ruining" though is basically like Facebook but it's Animal Crossing: being bothered by the very amazing looking public face people put out (of their islands) full of expensive furniture and every villager you wish you had in posts to social media. And as I said, I think that's something you're sorta signing yourself up for if it is bothering you -- the game can be played for a lot of fun without spending time obsessing that someone else is "ahead" of you.
A tip I will give on the stalk market:
There's a useful website, Turnip Exchange. Its primary use is, people can set up a queue you can wait in to get onto their island, instead of just publicly posting a Dodo Code and making people fight it out to connect. You join a queue (it can be like, 2 people on-island at a time, but 20 people allowed to be waiting), and when it is your turn you are given the Dodo Code.
I have not yet failed to have the following process work out:
(1) Go on twitter and search for #turnipexchange, sorted by "recent"
(2) Ignore anyone who doesn't post a link to their listing on actual turnip exchange website (i.e. "DM me for code!", no thanks, way too much effort)
(3) Ignore anyone asking for ridiculous entry fees (there's nearly always people saying "tips appreciated but not required")
(4) Pick the option that has the smallest number of visitors allowed. Ideally they allow 1-2 visitors on island at a time. 4 is no good, you'll spend forever waiting for new people to join/sync up as you try to sell.
I haven't done it every week, but probably 2 out of 4 weeks I buy a bunch of turnips on Sunday and do this around Wednesday/Thursday if prices aren't good on my island. I have always found somewhere to sell at 400-600 bells per turnip. The higher the price, the more likely people want crazy fees (star fragments, many Nook Miles Tickets, etc), but seriously 400 is a ton, you are likely getting a 4x or more return on investment.
It takes a few minutes to arrange typically (once I didn't find an option immediately so looked again later in the day and found one), but if you aren't greedy and aiming for that one unicorn island that's at like 800 bells per turnip, you will find someplace. And often the people running the islands without entry fees are nice people who would love to gift you DIY recipes or may say they'd love certain kinds of furniture if you have it spare, so it can be a nice communal interaction.
posted by tocts at 8:43 AM on June 26, 2020
I don't think they ruin the game, but they do make online aspects less useful. As I mentioned, I don't really bother with it aside from occasional turnip sales. Part of the reason I don't bother trying to use it to buy recipes or furniture is, the min/max'ers have inflated the market to the point where if you aren't sitting on tens or hundreds of millions of bells, you are going to find it very hard to buy anything.
The rest of the "ruining" though is basically like Facebook but it's Animal Crossing: being bothered by the very amazing looking public face people put out (of their islands) full of expensive furniture and every villager you wish you had in posts to social media. And as I said, I think that's something you're sorta signing yourself up for if it is bothering you -- the game can be played for a lot of fun without spending time obsessing that someone else is "ahead" of you.
A tip I will give on the stalk market:
There's a useful website, Turnip Exchange. Its primary use is, people can set up a queue you can wait in to get onto their island, instead of just publicly posting a Dodo Code and making people fight it out to connect. You join a queue (it can be like, 2 people on-island at a time, but 20 people allowed to be waiting), and when it is your turn you are given the Dodo Code.
I have not yet failed to have the following process work out:
(1) Go on twitter and search for #turnipexchange, sorted by "recent"
(2) Ignore anyone who doesn't post a link to their listing on actual turnip exchange website (i.e. "DM me for code!", no thanks, way too much effort)
(3) Ignore anyone asking for ridiculous entry fees (there's nearly always people saying "tips appreciated but not required")
(4) Pick the option that has the smallest number of visitors allowed. Ideally they allow 1-2 visitors on island at a time. 4 is no good, you'll spend forever waiting for new people to join/sync up as you try to sell.
I haven't done it every week, but probably 2 out of 4 weeks I buy a bunch of turnips on Sunday and do this around Wednesday/Thursday if prices aren't good on my island. I have always found somewhere to sell at 400-600 bells per turnip. The higher the price, the more likely people want crazy fees (star fragments, many Nook Miles Tickets, etc), but seriously 400 is a ton, you are likely getting a 4x or more return on investment.
It takes a few minutes to arrange typically (once I didn't find an option immediately so looked again later in the day and found one), but if you aren't greedy and aiming for that one unicorn island that's at like 800 bells per turnip, you will find someplace. And often the people running the islands without entry fees are nice people who would love to gift you DIY recipes or may say they'd love certain kinds of furniture if you have it spare, so it can be a nice communal interaction.
posted by tocts at 8:43 AM on June 26, 2020
I know two turnip trading sites:
* ACNH Exchange
* Turnip.Exchange
The first has an iPhone and iPad app; I'm using it right now (527 bells on my island, woot!).
A friend liked that the second attended to itself, as the first is a bit fiddly. I haven't used it yet.
posted by Pronoiac at 10:20 AM on June 26, 2020
* ACNH Exchange
* Turnip.Exchange
The first has an iPhone and iPad app; I'm using it right now (527 bells on my island, woot!).
A friend liked that the second attended to itself, as the first is a bit fiddly. I haven't used it yet.
posted by Pronoiac at 10:20 AM on June 26, 2020
Turnip Exchange has attracted some controversy for using tech that might break Nintendo ToS. I’ve also heard too many scammer stories (I’m in a FB scam warning group) to be comfortable. The Mefite Crossing discord usually serves me well.
posted by divabat at 4:32 PM on June 26, 2020
posted by divabat at 4:32 PM on June 26, 2020
Yes and it has kept me at least 60% sane during these quarantimes!
posted by Mizu at 5:22 PM on June 27, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Mizu at 5:22 PM on June 27, 2020 [1 favorite]
The rest of the "ruining" though is basically like Facebook but it's Animal Crossing: being bothered by the very amazing looking public face people put out (of their islands) full of expensive furniture and every villager you wish you had in posts to social media. And as I said, I think that's something you're sorta signing yourself up for if it is bothering you -- the game can be played for a lot of fun without spending time obsessing that someone else is "ahead" of you.
This a much better way than how I explained it this weekend which is "Just because my instagram feed is full of guys who obsessively go to the gym doesn't mean I'm going to start working out."
posted by MCMikeNamara at 1:01 PM on June 29, 2020
This a much better way than how I explained it this weekend which is "Just because my instagram feed is full of guys who obsessively go to the gym doesn't mean I'm going to start working out."
posted by MCMikeNamara at 1:01 PM on June 29, 2020
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posted by FirstMateKate at 7:47 AM on June 25, 2020 [19 favorites]