Animal Crossing: New Horizons

[Nicktendo]

“Online subscribers only” 

Screw everybody else. Give us your money. 

Embarrassing. 

[Hero-of-Time]

36 minutes ago, Nicktendo said:

“Online subscribers only” 

Screw everybody else. Give us your money. 

Embarrassing. 

I mean, this has been Nintendo's stance ever since their online system launched. Not allowing a player to backup their save in any way without having to pay a fee is one of the more scummy practices to emerge from them this generation.

[Nicktendo]

Cloud based saving is scummy, but I understand to an extent. 

Transferring a save from the SD card or system to a new system, simply to keep your actual data (not copy or manipulate it) SHOULD be available to ALL customers as it has been since the days of memory cards. The fact this is being locked behind a paywall is really, really bad. They’re essentially holding you save file hostage unless you pay up. 

[Happenstance]

So, has everyone decided which romance option they are going for yet?

[Glen-i]

12 minutes ago, Happenstance said:

So, has everyone decided which romance option they are going for yet?

Alfonso.

So I can nick his shirt.

[Dcubed]

It sucks, but I get why it doesn’t work with the Save Cloud Online service.  It’s because of the unique way that ACNL handles its save file, being shared across all 8 users on one console.

 

The Save Cloud only backs up save data on a per-user basis; but that doesn’t work here because that save data is shared at a system level (unlike every other game on Switch).  So they’ve had to come up with a custom solution here as a workaround.

 

@Nicktendo After all four of their previous systems were hacked thanks to save file exploits? It’s really not hard to see why they have locked down the save file system on Switch and don’t let you just copy across data as you please...

Edited February 6, 2020 by Dcubed

[Hero-of-Time]

11 minutes ago, Dcubed said:

After all four of their previous systems were hacked thanks to save file exploits? It’s really not hard to see why they have locked down the save file system on Switch and don’t let you just copy across data as you please...

Surely that's on them though, right? So because they can't create a robust enough security system the customer has to pay the price? 

In terms of the AC issue, this is something that really should have been thought of at the base level, especially when they have different models of their console out on the market. It will be interesting to see if their way around the issue will be ready soon after launch or whether they've said what they have purely due to the backlash from the image that was doing the rounds.

[Nicktendo]

28 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said:

In terms of the AC issue, this is something that really should have been thought of at the base level, especially when they have different models of their console out on the market. It will be interesting to see if their way around the issue will be ready soon after launch or whether they've said what they have purely due to the backlash from the image that was doing the rounds.

Agree completely. This should have been factored in from the start. Absolutely baffling that we’re a month from release and their solution is “We’re working on it (but you have to pay 😉)” 

I bought a 256gb SD card last week and transferred everything from my old card (games and saves) from the old on to the new one. No hassle at all. Will I be able to do this with AC, if I want to upgrade to a 400gb, for instance? 

I accept security being an issue, everyone and their mum had a hacked Wii or an R4 card, but the issue is specifically with Animal Crossing Switch. Either they simply haven’t thought it through and deserve mockery OR, and much worse, they’ve found a fix but are forcing people to pay for it. Ludicrous. 

[Sheikah]

It sucks, but I get why it doesn’t work with the Save Cloud Online service.  It’s because of the unique way that ACNL handles its save file, being shared across all 8 users on one console.  

The Save Cloud only backs up save data on a per-user basis; but that doesn’t work here because that save data is shared at a system level (unlike every other game on Switch).  So they’ve had to come up with a custom solution here as a workaround.

 

[mention=2520]Nicktendo[/mention] After all four of their previous systems were hacked thanks to save file exploits? It’s really not hard to see why they have locked down the save file system on Switch and don’t let you just copy across data as you please...

 

This problem exists because they created it though. If they had let you have individual saves for each Switch user then this wouldn’t be an issue. It’s frankly ridiculous that multiple users on one Switch can’t have their completely own save. I’ve no idea why Nintendo would even want to reduce save/item duplication and so on anyway. This is in no way a competitive game with no proper market/trade economy.

[Sméagol]

I actually liked having my brother on my island (back on the Wii game).

[Sheikah]

I actually liked having my brother on my island (back on the Wii game).

There's shops and town upgrades that would happen for everyone though, right. And villagers can leave depending on what you do. So you could log off and come back, and someone else would have played/advanced your game save, pretty much.

[MindFreak]

8 hours ago, Sheikah said:

If they had let you have individual saves for each Switch user then this wouldn’t be an issue.

Hmm? Many games support one save per user on the console. Hence you have to pick the user when starting the software. I feel that should have been easy enough for them to utilize on AC. 

What's up with the 6.2 GB for the physical version? Is that the save game that takes up so much space in itself?

[Happenstance]

28 minutes ago, Sheikah said:

8 hours ago, Sméagol said:

I actually liked having my brother on my island (back on the Wii game).

There's shops and town upgrades that would happen for everyone though, right. And villagers can leave depending on what you do. So you could log off and come back, and someone else would have played/advanced your game save, pretty much.

I get wanting your own island but to be fair to Nintendo, this was always how they designed AC. It was supposed to be this shared world where things could change. It was their version of an MMO.

[Sheikah]

27 minutes ago, Happenstance said:

I get wanting your own island but to be fair to Nintendo, this was always how they designed AC. It was supposed to be this shared world where things could change. It was their version of an MMO.

That doesn't have anything to do with multiple users though - they can still make it one save per user and have things in the world change based on time of year and the passing of time. You can surely still delete your save and start over so I don't see why they're being so strict here, other than that they want people to go out and buy another Switch.

For a game where much of the progression milestones can only happen in a town once, it completely baffles that each user is forced to share the same island/town. Some people might want it, but I see it as someone else playing through my game and unlocking the content. Not for me!

[Dcubed]

9 hours ago, Sheikah said:

17 hours ago, Dcubed said:

It sucks, but I get why it doesn’t work with the Save Cloud Online service.  It’s because of the unique way that ACNL handles its save file, being shared across all 8 users on one console.  

The Save Cloud only backs up save data on a per-user basis; but that doesn’t work here because that save data is shared at a system level (unlike every other game on Switch).  So they’ve had to come up with a custom solution here as a workaround.

 

[mention=2520]Nicktendo[/mention] After all four of their previous systems were hacked thanks to save file exploits? It’s really not hard to see why they have locked down the save file system on Switch and don’t let you just copy across data as you please...

 

 

This problem exists because they created it though. If they had let you have individual saves for each Switch user then this wouldn’t be an issue. It’s frankly ridiculous that multiple users on one Switch can’t have their completely own save. I’ve no idea why Nintendo would even want to reduce save/item duplication and so on anyway. This is in no way a competitive game with no proper market/trade economy.

This is how every Animal Crossing game works.  One town has multiple residents (and one copy of the game = one town).

 

It’s the way that Animal Crossing is designed; it’s the way that it has always been designed since the very beginning on N64/GCN.  They want people in the same household to share a town; leave each other messages/items/etc.  Has been the intention ever since the original N64 version; and every AC game has been this way, even the handheld ones.

 

This is the first time that Animal Crossing has been made for a console with multiple user accounts though; so they had to come up with a custom save solution in order to preserve the intended game design that the series has been founded on since the N64 original... Unfortunately it just so happens to not play nice with Save Cloud.

Edited February 7, 2020 by Dcubed

[Sheikah]

1 hour ago, Dcubed said:

This is how every Animal Crossing game works.  One town has multiple residents (and one copy of the game = one town).

 

It’s the way that Animal Crossing is designed; it’s the way that it has always been designed since the very beginning on N64/GCN.  They want people in the same household to share a town; leave each other messages/items/etc.  Has been the intention ever since the original N64 version; and every AC game has been this way, even the handheld ones.

 

This is the first time that Animal Crossing has been made for a console with multiple user accounts though; so they had to come up with a custom save solution in order to preserve the intended game design that the series has been founded on since the N64 original... Unfortunately it just so happens to not play nice with Save Cloud.

Ok, but my argument is that this should not be how it works. Whether or not this is how it has always been as a defensive counter isn't really the point - if things must always be the way they have always been, there would never be change. Shared towns should be an option for people that want it, but some people want to play through the content themselves. I never actually felt the effects of this game design choice before because of my own personal circumstances, but now I certainly will.

And let me tell you, this is the kind of game that my wife would play the shit out of. You don't want to see her Stardew Valley save. I am certain that I will be unlocking very little by myself - and all because of a design choice that makes no sense.

Also, doing things like messaging your friends or other people on your system should be entirely possible even without a shared town. It doesn't need a shared town to do that.

Edited February 7, 2020 by Sheikah

[LazyBoy]

But for a game that is as dependent on putting in hours as Animal Crossing, is it the worst thing in the world that progress is a joint pursuit?

It's kind of the point as well right, that your town is not just about you as an individual, but a community? I just ain't fussed by this whole single save debate - it's clearly a game design choice, and any frustrations you occur (such as a wife who chops down all the trees), are surely part of the challenge of living in a community.

[Dcubed]

14 minutes ago, LazyBoy said:

But for a game that is as dependent on putting in hours as Animal Crossing, is it the worst thing in the world that progress is a joint pursuit?

It's kind of the point as well right, that your town is not just about you as an individual, but a community? I just ain't fussed by this whole single save debate - it's clearly a game design choice, and any frustrations you occur (such as a wife who chops down all the trees), are surely part of the challenge of living in a community.

Exactly.  It's not even like you can't have your own town still; you can still each have your own individual town on your own individual Switches if you want to (Hell, you can even share the same copy of the game across two Switches for free if you are both NSO members - so it's actually MORE customer friendly than previous games!).

 

This whole thing is the definition of making a mountain out of a molehill.  Oh no! Animal Crossing plays like Animal Crossing! The Horror!!

Edited February 7, 2020 by Dcubed

[LazyBoy]

1 hour ago, Dcubed said:

(Hell, you can even share the same copy of the game across two Switches for free if you are both NSO members - so it's actually MORE customer friendly than previous games!).

What's this? So I can buy a copy for myself, and my brother can play in my town for free without buying a copy? Explain please.

[Glen-i]

10 minutes ago, LazyBoy said:

What's this? So I can buy a copy for myself, and my brother can play in my town for free without buying a copy? Explain please.

If I'm right, you get a physical copy, and if you have two Switches, you should be able to play together through local play?

[Dcubed]

4 minutes ago, Glen-i said:

If I'm right, you get a physical copy, and if you have two Switches, you should be able to play together through local play?

Nope.

15 minutes ago, LazyBoy said:

What's this? So I can buy a copy for myself, and my brother can play in my town for free without buying a copy? Explain please.

Basically, if you own a digital copy of a game, you can share it with one other person.

You just need to download the game to both Switches using your user account.  Then if you want to both play the one copy at the same time, log into your Secondary Switch as the user that purchased the game and then, on the Primary Switch, you can start up the game using any account other than the one that purchased the game.  Voila! You are now sharing the one copy of the game across two Switches.

[LazyBoy]

16 minutes ago, Dcubed said:

Nope.

Basically, if you own a digital copy of a game, you can share it with one other person.

You just need to download the game to both Switches using your user account.  Then if you want to both play the one copy at the same time, log into your Secondary Switch as the user that purchased the game and then, on the Primary Switch, you can start up the game using any account other than the one that purchased the game.  Voila! You are now sharing the one copy of the game across two Switches.

Nintendo don't make it easy do they? But that's great news, it's just made this a must buy for me. Thanks for the info.

[Sheikah]

But for a game that is as dependent on putting in hours as Animal Crossing, is it the worst thing in the world that progress is a joint pursuit?
It's kind of the point as well right, that your town is not just about you as an individual, but a community? I just ain't fussed by this whole single save debate - it's clearly a game design choice, and any frustrations you occur (such as a wife who chops down all the trees), are surely part of the challenge of living in a community.

Yep, it's a problem for anyone with multiple users on their Switch who play disproportionate amounts. Which I imagine is most users, since it's rare two people ever play the same amount. My wife isn't going to vandalise anything but I know she likes to play these sorts of games a lot. It wouldn't leave very much for me to work towards or unlock.

A large part of Animal Crossing is working to unlock new town buildings, finish museum collections, upgrade shops and build up your villager relationships (or purposefully destroy them). Having someone else on who is ticking those objectives off means you're not playing a large part of the game. And if they're playing more than you, you potentially miss out on a lot!

I don't see how anyone can argue that this enforced system is better than having the choice between their system and having separate towns. Heck, they could make it so that you can have separate towns but visit each others town at whim via the train station. That way, if you do end up buying separate Switch consoles at some point down the line you are not fused on one account, so should be able to play with each other at the same time.

[martinist]

I'm probably just going to buy this digitaly if i'm going to be playing it everyday. It's getting annoying switching out cartrages again and again. I might take up that gamepass ticket system thing they have going on the eShop and use that to preorder it and cancel my phisical preorder from ShopTo. It just means I won't be getting it a day early >_>

Also I've hardly seen anything about this game besides the E3 stuff and the character renders that came out. Hopefully theres a direct or something around the end of Febuary.

[Hero-of-Time]

17 minutes ago, martinist said:

I'm probably just going to buy this digitaly if i'm going to be playing it everyday. It's getting annoying switching out cartrages again and again. I might take up that gamepass ticket system thing they have going on the eShop and use that to preorder it and cancel my phisical preorder from ShopTo. It just means I won't be getting it a day early >_>

Also I've hardly seen anything about this game besides the E3 stuff and the character renders that came out. Hopefully theres a direct or something around the end of Febuary.

The digital version of the game is also on Shopto. They were selling it for around £38.