the little flower boppers in acnh are the cutest thing ever I want to wear them all the time 🤭

Backing Risk

I don't buy a car before I can experience one in person. So, why am I so confident in backing games before they've been fully baked? Okay, the comparison is a bit laughable in terms of cost and longevity, but the games I'm investing in are relatively expensive and have enough content to last me multiple years. If I spend over $200 for a game that is going to takes hundreds of hours to complete, it would suck to discover in the first session that I didn't like it. It would be quite disappointing to tire of it after ten plays.

My brother is a real tabletop gamer. He likes almost any game. There are certainly games he likes more than others, and he really likes sophisticated euro games, but he would rather play a game—any game—than not play. He'll have a blast playing Terraforming Mars and then immediately turn around and play a game of Train Dice. It doesn't matter how many times or how recently he has played Ticket to Ride. If someone else is interested in playing, he'll be at the table. I love that about him.

I'm not like my brother. After playing simpler games multiple times, they bore me. I'd be okay if I never played another game of Ticket to Ride. I often pass when games are pulled out, because I'm just not interested in them. I'll play almost anything once, but there are a lot of games that I don't need to play again. The more abstract a game is, the less I'll be into it. I need something thematic: a game that will feed my imagination. And that's where my tendency to back new games comes from.

I have played a lot of different games (thanks to my brother), so I've been able to tune into what exactly I like and dislike in a game.

I know that I prefer a cooperative game to a competitive one. That's not to say that I dislike competitive games, but the more competitive a game is, the less likely it will appeal to me. So, for example, "take that" mechanics are sure turn-offs.

I prefer games with narrative elements, and the stronger the narrative, the more I'm apt to like the game. If that results in little or no replay value, I'm okay with that. If I really enjoy the game once, then I'll feel I got my money's worth. That said, a really good game is going to provide enough content to keep me engaged through many sessions.

I enjoy role-play, so if I can be a detective, a pirate, or a space alien, that's more fun to me than a game where I'm just trying to buy gems because they're worth points.

I love exploration and discovery. Give me a map, a series of rooms, or a collection of planets, and I'll be excited to reveal the next one.

And, of course, I know what appeals to me thematically. Science fiction and fantasy have always been my happy places.

So, I can read a Kickstarter campaign and have a really good idea of how well I'm going to like the game. So far, I have a pretty good track record.

3 Star Island!

So I never dreamed I would get there this fast because I barely even tried, I just did the usual things, but in like one day I went from a one star island to a 3 star island and some of you know that that means that KK Slider is coming!

I can't believe I am almost finished with story mode. It seems like it went by so quickly and I am still so often in complete awe of this game it seems unreal I've almost "finished" it. But of course it's hardly OVER as I don't have a complete museum, a 5 star island, all the islanders I want, the exact look and style I want for my island, I'm not done upgrading my house, I believe there is a Nook's Cranny upgrade you can get as well as I think a museum one (I might be wrong on the museum but I thought maybe), my furniture catalog is far from complete. I mean, there are things to keep me busy for a long, long time. Just even dressing up differently everyday and/or running around goofing off with my sister or friends, there is plenty to keep the game fun for a while. And hopefully there will be updates that add more. Considering all the things that they left out, there is plenty more they could add back in with an update someday that would make a lot of people happy (say... diving for instance? I'm shocked that in an island getaway themed game they left out diving. Or even minigames, I am so heartbroken they didn't include minigames because my sister and I had so much fun playing those in New Leaf.) and until they do, I'll be forever waiting for the game to be "complete". So my Animal Crossing adventures are far from over.

Still there is a bit of melancholy that comes with finishing the main storyline of a game, even when there is lots left to do. And games like Animal Crossing play into that. Like really, KK slider concert as the credits roll? That is nostalgic for so many reasons, and makes your heart just break that the experience is "over". Ugh I almost want to skip that part all together to go back to just having fun.

Anyway, island update. Wart Jr. has moved in and everytime I see him I want to die. I'm not a person who usually minds the ugly characters so much, but he is like a different level gross considering his name is gross and he doesn't look too great. Maybe if he was a different color, or something and definitely he'd gain like half his points back if they just named him Kevin or something. But instead he's the worst. 100% my least fave character and he moved in automatically before I even knew how these things worked. Ugh. It's the kind of stuff that makes you wish you'd used some kind of guide. Games shouldn't make you feel BAD for /not/ using some kind of guide to avoid issues with gameplay. It should be challenging but rewarding, imo, not just punishing.

But alas, Marina is moving in tomorrow, so I can't be too mad. Actually yes, I can but I'd rather be excited. So I am. Very much so. She's probably one of my favorite characters from recently. I have older favorites but she grew on me in Pocket Camp when i was playing to tide new over until New Horizons and that's when I decided I wanted her here. So here she shall be, tomorrow, tomorrow, you're always a day away!

Roald moved in sometime too. He was just someone I moved in fast to avoid anymore Wart Jr type mistakes on the game's part again. I don't dislike Roald, but I'm not sure I'd ask him to stay if he were leaving.

Supposedly the rumor is you can move other characters out with amiibos, like once you are full the character will strike a deal with one of your residents to live there. So I am trying to move Coco IN next, and move Wart Jr. OUT. I originally wanted Tammy out but she can wait... she isn't as "gross me out" as Wart Jr. is.

And then as for island decoration, I really think I'm ready to have the path tool which I think I get tomorrow? As well as the terraforming tool? Not totally sure, but I would think so. I will then be able to start on finishing up my outdoor bath area, and starting really shaping my boardwalk by the beach area, as well as just giving the island more shape, paths and stuff the whole nine yards. I'm excited to see if I can turn what I've got into a 5 star island with time. I really hope so. I know my friends have the making of a 5 star island. I feel like my sister might even have a better start than I do. But I'm just gonna work hard, have fun, and remember it's just a game.

Oh also I have been having a lot of fun helping my sister out. She doesn't do as well saving money in these games (which is crazy to me because in real life she scarcely ever spends a penny) so I paid off the loan she was on tonight so she could expand her house, and I still have half a mil in the bank. Though I owe more than that right now myself, I just like to get it all collected before I pay. Anyway, though, I am happy to be my sister's in game benefactor as she's my real life one. I mean, while she rarely spends money, she bought us these games and some amiibo cards too, so yeah, the LEAST I owe her is a few bells.

She pays back the favor by doing things for me though too. Like she bought me the red lighthouse with nookmiles which she also struggles to make, because I wanted red and I only had the blue one. And she helps me collect materials like when I needed giant clam shells, or if I run out of stone she's there. She just does... sisterly things, and I do them back and it ends up being a really nice way to bond.

Gosh, it's a clear perfect night and I haven't seen one shooting star yet. What gives? If you have a certain amount of material saved do you not get any more chances to wish on a star until you use it? Haven't seen a falling star in a few days here. =/

And oh, I found some of the best boots and such at my sister's Able Sisters. Actually she always has better clothes than me there, but at least she let's me visit so I can get twice as much cool stuff to make outfits. I'm like... running out of storage space as I only have 400 now. Ugh. But the clothes! I love them. And my current outfit is totally rockin'.

(I had to go in Resideny Services because it was the closest place with light. And YES, I wear my sunglasses at night. It's called accessorizing. Lol jk.)

Anyway, I'm gonna see if I can find and/or make a tarauntula island and make me some bells. Full disclosure, the ingame tarauntulas scare me in real life, but I gotta make that money some way, some how, ya know? So I do it the badass way. 😎 lol, no not really that badass if you saw me die three times in a row trying to get on tarauntula. But still...