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Animal Crossing: another Nintendo release, another tragic online mode
- Thread starter Everywhere
- Start date
It is still cumbersome, and while making it feel like an actual airport terminal is quirky, in reality you're still waiting minutes before jumping into playing with someone else. It was a painful system in New Leaf and it is still a painful system now.
It's as if Nintendo sacrifices efficiency in order to make their online mode make thematic sense - so rather than just hopping in to someone's world, they need to contextualise it in the world by having a plane and setting off and landing sequence. I get it, but it doesn't appeal after you've seen it a few times.
It's as if Nintendo sacrifices efficiency in order to make their online mode make thematic sense - so rather than just hopping in to someone's world, they need to contextualise it in the world by having a plane and setting off and landing sequence. I get it, but it doesn't appeal after you've seen it a few times.
It's absolutely incredible that we have to pay for this shit.
I assumed something that would make sense like an island that's always open. Setting permissions for certain people with the default not allowing them to destroy things or harvest limited materials. But this... It's one thing to have to manually go open the gates... But then you get a loading screen every single time someone wants to leave or join, and I'm pretty sure you can hold people hostage by just staying engaged in dialogue with an NPC.
It's kind of mind-blowing that this game's got a 91 on Metacritic. Why's this game reviewed as if no other game in its genre exists? Every single second of the game makes me feel like the game doesn't actually want to be played. Want to sell your items? You can conveniently throw them in a box to sell them with no loading screens or anything... But they're sold at a reduced price compared to going into the shop (loading screen), digging through all the dialogue with one of the Nook kids, and then leaving the shop, which also engages dialogue and a loading screen.
Want iron, stone, or clay? Well, they're nowhere near as easy to obtain as wood, because you've gotta go travel to another island for 2k points just to get maybe 10 iron.
Reminds me of Runescape in a way, where absolutely everything is a major inconvenience to the player, and it doesn't feel like a game that was meant to be enjoyed.
I continue to play it because everybody I know is playing it, kind of like when I played Pokemon GO for a week at launch, or like how I continued to watch Game of Thrones after it became trash.
I assumed something that would make sense like an island that's always open. Setting permissions for certain people with the default not allowing them to destroy things or harvest limited materials. But this... It's one thing to have to manually go open the gates... But then you get a loading screen every single time someone wants to leave or join, and I'm pretty sure you can hold people hostage by just staying engaged in dialogue with an NPC.
It's kind of mind-blowing that this game's got a 91 on Metacritic. Why's this game reviewed as if no other game in its genre exists? Every single second of the game makes me feel like the game doesn't actually want to be played. Want to sell your items? You can conveniently throw them in a box to sell them with no loading screens or anything... But they're sold at a reduced price compared to going into the shop (loading screen), digging through all the dialogue with one of the Nook kids, and then leaving the shop, which also engages dialogue and a loading screen.
Want iron, stone, or clay? Well, they're nowhere near as easy to obtain as wood, because you've gotta go travel to another island for 2k points just to get maybe 10 iron.
Reminds me of Runescape in a way, where absolutely everything is a major inconvenience to the player, and it doesn't feel like a game that was meant to be enjoyed.
I continue to play it because everybody I know is playing it, kind of like when I played Pokemon GO for a week at launch, or like how I continued to watch Game of Thrones after it became trash.
Most people haven't even been able to play online yet. Online literally just unlocked today for most people playing the game.
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not sure if you've played the game. Online you have separate cameras, only local play on a single switch has this issue. Also to use items and tools online, you have to add someone as a best friend.
Also, I've had a group of 7 people joining islands all morning with no issue whatsoever.
Only axes and shovels, though. You can use everything else.
That's literally what it is. I don't understand how it's different. The only difference is there's no option to open it to the public without a passcode. Having to pause everything when someone is just arriving is annoying though
Yeah, online restricts "destructive" tools to best friends, for obvious reasons
I think the airport is to mask the loading. I don't think they're intentionally making the process take longer than it needs to just for the airport stuff
Though I did had issues with the local multiplayer giving errors every 4-5 minutes, my biggest complain is the huge amount of menus, dialogues and loading screens you have to accept to connect with other players. It's quite annoying.
Other than that, I'm enjoying this game a lot. I'm loving it so far.
Other than that, I'm enjoying this game a lot. I'm loving it so far.
I haven't had issues at all today.
As for the menus and NPCs to accept people, its just the New Leaf way of doing it so I got used to it.
As for the menus and NPCs to accept people, its just the New Leaf way of doing it so I got used to it.
I've had zero issues so far and it's been such an a great time playing with friends. That's a bummer some people are having issues.
Yeah, pretty much this. Once you're in, it works pretty much exactly like I'd want it to work.
I think that a platform like the Switch allows for more growth. Bigger towns, free camera, more verticality. That's what I imagined Animal Crossing to be when the Switch came out and I don't think anything like those ideas are too crazy ambitious to implement. Please note that I'm not saying the game is bad. Like I said, I am enjoying it. I also know that obviously most people are loving it too, but that doesn't mean that it could've been even better. Take Zelda for example, when the Wii U came out a lot of people would've been fine with a Zelda that was like that Giant Spider demo that they showed at E3, which is basically Twilight Princess but in HD. I don't think many people thought of a massive open world as something that the series needed but when people got it they loved it.
I figure that the servers are being overloaded on the opening days and it's mostly maintenance issues they'll work out.
For major Nintendo releases I'd rank it:
Great:
None
Good:
Splatoon 2
ARMS
Mario Kart 8
Bad:
Smash Bros. Ultimate
Super Mario Maker 2
Unknown to me:
Pokemon / Pokken
I have a feeling Animal Crossing will fall between Good and Bad.
For major Nintendo releases I'd rank it:
Great:
None
Good:
Splatoon 2
ARMS
Mario Kart 8
Bad:
Smash Bros. Ultimate
Super Mario Maker 2
Unknown to me:
Pokemon / Pokken
I have a feeling Animal Crossing will fall between Good and Bad.
Ive since found out this was wrong
both players can use items and tools but only the leader gets a pocket and can use the menu and enter doors
You have to enter a code????
I visited two of my friends islands yesterday and no code was entered. I said I wanted to visit an island, and then selected the friends island from the list.....and I went straight there with zero issues.
I visited two of my friends islands yesterday and no code was entered. I said I wanted to visit an island, and then selected the friends island from the list.....and I went straight there with zero issues.
Online has worked flawlessly for me and 8 other friends. It takes a little long to connect "fly over", but it's not bad at all.
Been loving it so far and haven't gone online yet but I'm bummed there is no option for playing multiplayer with randoms. The island was a blast in New Leaf and I actually met a lot of cool people that way. Hopefully it's coming at some point.
how do people get through 90% of what animal crossing does if waiting for a few seconds in the airport is infuriating to them
I've had a flawless connection so far but the fact that the game has to stop every time someone joins is unacceptable. The only person that should have a loading screen is whoever to coming to an island. I don't see what would be the hangup that doesn't allow more seamless joining. It's 2020 and I don't understand how it's essentially the same as it was in New Leaf.
The online is fucking horrible
nothing like finally getting onto a island and having the game freeze action every 30 seconds for another 2 minute long arrival.
why can't people load in with out all the fan fare and constant save states.
why do i even need dodo codes and Nintendo friends codes. Just let me go to a random island to shake trees Nintendo.
when will they ever fix their online?
nothing like finally getting onto a island and having the game freeze action every 30 seconds for another 2 minute long arrival.
why can't people load in with out all the fan fare and constant save states.
why do i even need dodo codes and Nintendo friends codes. Just let me go to a random island to shake trees Nintendo.
when will they ever fix their online?
On couch coop, only the "leader" can use their menu, talk, and use doors. The leader can switch to other players but it's frustrating for gathering stuff together. I haven't tried system to system multiplayer yet
Okay but that's couch coop, this doesn't apply at all to online
If you're playing with people and plan to use in-game chat, make sure you install the Nintendo Switch Online mobile app and link the Animal Crossing sub-app in your games main menu settings. You can type on your smart device and it's much better. Message limit is a little short, but it's very easy to type this way.
??? Why the fuck would the game allow you to go a random person's island? How can you not understand the purpose of dodo codes?
They're to restrict who can go. You can always freely open your island to friends if you want and they don't have to enter in anything
This is such a bad response.
I'm sorry but you're playing it down because you like the game. I'm like what? 10-12 hours in? I adore the game
The online is bad
if you visit a island that is open to the public and you have to stop what you're doing every single time a new player joins? Is horrible game design. It's horrible. The person should just appear.
Everyone on the island shouldn't have to be frozen in place and watch the incoming players loading screen. That is poor poor decision.
I can only pray that Microsoft or Sony makes a similar game with a more seamless online experience.
if i open up my gates to my friends and me and my friends have to sit through saved screens and loading screens when we are already there on the island? That is just backwards. Why can't Nintendo get this online thing right?
I'm just used to it. It's how Animal Crossing has been since the DS version. It's not a reflection of Nintendo or their abilities. It's a design choice by the producers of Animal Crossing. There is nothing "tragic" about the online mode.
Had the opposite experience. I was actually surprised with how well it worked. My friend opened her gate and I just joined with no problems and we had a blast. Sometimes when I went to pick up weeds very rarely my character would wait a bit before picking it up due to probably syncing up with the server, but that's the only thing I even noticed. Didn't have any of those other problems listed.
They check in the dodo airport or maybe the nooklink in the NSO app too.
Had a lot of fun with the online already. But I was expecting similar to New Leaf and it is. But sending letters to friends is awesome, no longer any need to visit eachother's islands for simple swapping of items etc.
Yeah, it's pretty awful, and the issues have absolutely nothing to do with quality of internet connection. You can't join someone's game if they are in a menu or talking to someone and have to keep trying hoping that they are no longer doing those things. Then if you do manage to get in, you get a message telling you to please close your menus since someone is trying to join. You then have to watch a loading screen of that person's join progress. And then you also have to watch a thing if someone leaves. It's ridiculous.
I've actually found it to be surprisingly smooth. The only issue I've had was it couldn't find a local play session. But we had access to internet so we just did it online instead and it was fine.
As far as the NPC stuff and all that, it can be a little tedious but I like it. It gives the whole experience charm in a nice AC kind of way. I wouldn't want it to just be standard connect menu option type stuff.
As far as the NPC stuff and all that, it can be a little tedious but I like it. It gives the whole experience charm in a nice AC kind of way. I wouldn't want it to just be standard connect menu option type stuff.
Yep. You can send them to both your friends and best friends. I've sent a bunch already ;)
For real. There is no defending just how cumbersome it is. Talking to the dodo and stuff is fine, I like it. But all the extra stuff shouldn't even happen. It's bad enough when 1 person comes over but a group of 7? It's a fuckin mess. Just got done with an 8 player session and it makes me not want to do it again it's so time consuming.
It is what it is at this point, they are never going to get better. Even if you can connect reliably, which is debatable, the mechanics and design around online in their games is archaic and cumbersome. From what I've seen and read about this game, it's no different.