Most of Animal Crossing: New Horizons is pretty perfect - even if there are one or two things that have really upset some players - but this one little idea could go an awfully long way in terms of making the daily grind more enjoyable.
The latest game in the series has introduced item durability, whereby your "trusty" fishing rod, net, shovel and more will break after a set number of uses. The idea adds to the realism of the island experience - tools don't last forever in the real world, so it does make sense - but we always find ourselves letting out a little groan of exasperation as our axe breaks and we have to go and make another one.
Perhaps part of this annoyance comes from the fact that it's difficult to predict when an item is going to break. Unless you make a note of exactly how many hits your item has taken and count as you go, you might find yourself frustratingly far away from a crafting bench just when you really need one. This idea would fix that in a heartbeat:
Shared to Reddit by site user Evagast, this concept presents the idea of a durability meter. The idea's pretty straightforward - by keeping an eye on the meter, you'll know when each of your tools are on the brink of destruction and can therefore plan ahead before setting out to harvest more materials.
The replies to the Reddit post present more great ideas, too.
cyberscythe: It's nice to know the durability of items. I'd like it to change the look of the in-game item though instead of having an abstract health bar, like if your shovel's about to break it would have noticeable cracks on it. I think it'd help with the immersion of the game because it's something you'd have to notice the fine details of.
NinJOy_da_JOy: Or just a notification like in Zelda "Your weapon is about to break"
We particularly like the idea of the tools having cracks or dents to show that its durability is low. This way, the game's focus on realism would be kept intact, but we'd still have a rough idea that our fishing rod is just a few catches away from breaking into pieces.
Earlier this month, we ran a poll to see which quality of life-style updates you'd like to see in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. There were a number of great ideas, so we'd urge you to have a read through if you're interested.
Would you like to see Nintendo add a durability meter in some way? Or do you prefer it how it already is? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
[source reddit.com]
Comments 89
This needs to be implemented ASAP.
I just carry a bench with me. That way I can build whatever I want wherever I am. Problem solved.
Short term, the tool durability and not knowing when they'll break is a minor nuisance. You can mitigate it by placing a few spare tools around the island as decoration (try putting fishing rods on a pier), or carrying a few spare crafting resources and placing a few extra crafting stations in key areas.
Long term, the real nuisance is going to be recipes. There are hundreds of recipes to acquire and their distribution is a slow trickle through messages in bottles, Isabelle's whim when doing her daily announcements, chatting to villagers at home, red balloons, or events.
The slow trickle is one thing, but what really kills it is that you have no means of sharing recipes you have learned.
Everyone can send a recipe directly to your phone, or give you a recipe card, but you cannot do the same. All you can do is hope to receive a duplicate recipe card and give that to another player, but even then those recipe cards can't be stored for some reason!
I have a bunch of duplicate recipe cards just sitting on the ground outside my airport now because of this issue. This isn't okay, I want a recipe sharing system for players!
A durability meter is preferable to visual cracks but I'd rather have both to be honest. I also just carry around a workbench with me for when I need to craft more tools.
The tools showing signs of wear and tear is an idea, but how do you do that with an item as small as a slingshot? But this is a relatively small thing in the game.
If you disperse DIY benches around your island, then it’s not bad at all. And the materials are common for the standard tools.
@RupeeClock I like that you can only share duplicates. I'm enjoying slowly collecting as many recipes as I can and if you could freely share any that you've learnt that'd just ruin it as it'd be way too easy. They definitely should make it so you can put them in storage though as I don't like leaving them lying around on my island.
It would be good. Similar to MineCraft.
@BenAV
Receiving duplicates is a hassle in of itself.
The process of receiving cherry blossom recipes from balloons was so slow and painful that it becomes impossible to get a complete set of recipes unless you spending multiple hours over a ten day period farming balloons.
That is not how I want to spend my time, doing busy work and keeping an eye out for balloons and hoping for that small chance it drops a recipe card which has limited availability.
The distribution of this particular recipe set is awful, which is why player sharing should exist, to fill in the blanks that other players have.
I guess though the intention is that you ask other players to craft the items you want, it is a social game after all. Even so, that has its issues if you want to play the game in solitary or at your own pace.
Yes! We do need something here. I’d definitely like a visual que with cracks getting bigger in shovel and axe and maybe your net getting more and more flimsy, that way you could go ahead and customize it if you want for a repair or chance it a few more times before repairing. In the older games we did have the cracks with the axe dunno why it went away. One other thing, golden tools just should not break. For the effort you put in them, they should last and be a symbol of hard work that pays off.
This would be a welcome addition.
Tip: you can customize most of your breakable tools. Doing this will reset their durability.
You can carry a crafting bench in your pocket for easy access wherever you are.
Obviously being able to carry the crafting bench with you (no matter how convenient) kind of makes the whole durability mechanic even more pointless and frustrating.
I can’t really think of anything good about it - I actually didn’t mind the durability mechanic in Breath of the Wild because it forced you to experiment with different weapons. But that’s not a concern with Animal Crossing.
This is what annoyed me in BOTW. I hope its sequel has blacksmiths or an expanded crafting system so you can repair damaged weapons.
@AhabSpampurse Man, why didn't I think of something that logic? Thanks!
@ShadowSmile Not sure. Why does your gun run out of bullets in an FPS? Why do you need to start the level over if you fall off the ledge in Mario?
You can debate the merits of one game’s durability system over another’s, but as a game system I think it’s perfectly sound. It requires that you gather resources and think ahead.
It’s not that realistic, in real life it takes years for a tool to break. And it doesn’t make sense if you’re not being chased by zombies or skeletons. I wish only “flimsy” tools would break. It’s an annoyance rather than a feature.
Or just let you make tools that don't break? Very quickly you'll have more than enough resources to make these tools forever so what's the point in having to make them all the time?
I feel like this kinda goes against the ethos of Animal Crossing. It's a game that deliberately eschews or hides most mechanics like this, it's not about putting stuff like this upfront so people can plan and maximise their output. It's about going with the flow.
I've put a workbench by every pond on my island and always carry a few iron nuggets, if I need more tools I shake some trees and head to the nearest pond.
@ShadowSmile In BotW it forced you to experiment with different weapons and added a bit of tension (and you also got a warning that your weapon or shield is going to break soon). It was only annoying at first, but then you realize there’s way more weapons to be found than you can carry around. I found myself throwing items out to get new ones from chests constantly. The only thing I would add would be some weapon shops.
In AC it’s unneeded though. And no warning that your tool will break doesn’t help.
Crafting lamps and town fixtures is great.
Crafting tools is frustrating and boring.
Sort it out, Ninty.
Even my gold slingshot broke. Why bother?
i'm not gonna say the title sounds clickbait-y, but i'm not gonna say it doesn't either
@Ogbert basically this, going for max output 24/7 round the clock terraforming, resource collecting, and money making in animal crossing is such a weird mindset i can't wrap my head around. like, why are you in such a rush?
Idk I kinda the problem solving aspect of durability. I would welcome it I guess, but it’s not necessary.
This is one of numerous little things that would be a big improvement.
That said, I still love the game. But there really are a lot of little improvements to be made.
“This way, the game's focus on realism would be kept intact“
Are we talking about the same game? The game where you help a ghost collect pieces of himself and where you sell insects to your local convenience store? If I tried to hand over a bunch of butterflies and fleas to someone working at Tesco Extra I’d get kicked out.
Two words: Duct Tape!
Also, crafting tools is just as tedious as anything else in animal crossing, so I don’t see what the big deal is at all. People say they love their routine of shaking trees, hitting rocks, etc....making a few tools is just another daily thing to do. Fits right in imo
@SuperCharlie78 no problem, my dude. Happy to help ✌
No problem with the durability, but more taking EVERY step to
Make a new tool. Wish you could just make the new tool without making flimsy first, then stone axe etc.
I agree we should get some sort of notification that the tools are about to break and make the golden tools unbreakable as well
I swear this used to be a thing in one of the older games for axes anyway? But yes, fantastic idea, they should implement immediately! The number of times now I've started a big tree clearance project only for my axe to break on tree number two is annoyingly high 😂
I still have the same wooden and metal shovel I bought over 15 years ago so if they lasted this long in-game it would be realistic at least.
Its not a big deal at all. Getting resources for tools is so easy that it doesnt justify a durability bar imo. Just place your crafting stations at all the imporant places in your town and youll be fine.
The best update would be to have the right analog stick rotate the land. Its driving me nuts.
Moreover, give us an assistive grid to help with placing items and landscaping etc
Breaking of tools isn't enough of an annoyance to warrant durability meters except for the shovel (if it breaks while hitting a rock). I kept digging up clams yesterday because I wanted the shovel to break (so I wouldn't get burned the following day).
I always keep extras of the essential tools anyway (i.e. net, rod, shovel, and slingslot).
Realistic?? How many shovels do you break in real life??
It’s just not fun gameplay to have your tools break so often. Crafting new tools and bait only adds eye rolling to the game.
The dialogue is also annoying. Same dialogue you have to hit A 5x just to get through anything. Plus the dialogue doesn’t change. This is not a technical marvel in gaming, so it’s just laziness to not have different dialogue.
Animal Crossing can be a fun diversion. But it’s far from perfect. It’s an updated version of New Leaf and more of a slight step sideways.... not forward.
@NotTelevision
Simple. Change the color. No details needed.
The reason the tools break is that it introduces the player to the idea of crafting and forces them to think about gathering resources. It also encourages players to interact with the crafting mechanic that they may otherwise have ignored if they didn't bother gathering resources, which would not be necessary if tools didn't break.
Besides it takes a couple of seconds to craft new ones which you would still need to do anyway even if you had a durability gauge - so what would be the point? It's not as if a tool breaking ever costs you anything. The fish is still there waiting for you once you have crafted a new rod.
...or just don't have them break in the first place. Problem solved.
@WOLF13 ha ha, exactly! You’d be hard pressed to break an actual shovel on purpose!
I love the game. But the idea your tools breaking after a 100 or so uses is not, in my opinion, immersion or remotely realistic. I have tools in my garage that I use almost everyday and they are still intact.
Not to mention the idea of them breaking doesn't immerse me into the world. It's a quick way to slow or stop any momentum I have at the moment.
With all of that being said, I really do love the game. I enjoy the crafting aspect of it. I just wish there were options to craft stronger or more permanent tools in the end. Or maybe there is or it's coming in an update and I should probably be patient
I would like an update where I can build more than one item at once. I think that's even more important.
Also I don't care about realism. Give me items that won't break enventually. I finally get a recipe for a gold item and even that still breaks.
A REAL watering can could last me years.
Yes it’s wearing thin.
Every day before I start the game I just customize certain ones and they usually last me all day. The fishing rod I dont even bother to as I often catch too many and it would break anyways.
This is a minor annoyance, I just carry a couple of shovels etc with me, I would much prefer them to implement some sort of system of placing items outside, like they have in your home, it's pretty hit and miss, which is not too bad for items you can just pick up again and replace, but for buildings it's a real pain in he ass.
This game is far from perfect. It's a good game. But it has flaws and New Leaf is still the best AC by miles and miles.
@WOLF13 Exactly!! I've been saying the same thing.
Am I the only one who lolled about realism being talked about in regards to an Animal Crossing game? New Horizons is great and I agree that these changes would improve things tho.
I didn't mind this in BOTW. You had sections for each type of weapon, and could carry a lot of each type. In AC:NH I can break 6 axes just cutting wood from trees. It all uses the same inventory space and is super annoying.
I'm okay with the flimsy tools breaking, but it's ridiculous that the iron ones do. Resources either need to be significantly more plentiful or tools need to be indestructible.
I have absolutely no issue with the way the durability is handled. I usually carry 2 of everything and have workbenches dotted about. My biggest issue is that iron chairs were the hot item of the day and i had to manually craft 154 of them singularly stopping to sell my wares when my pockets got full. Im surprised my "A" button is still working the amount of time i pressed it. Multi crafting items is the bigger issue in the game for me and its starting to put me off AC.
It would be useful but what would be better would be coming up with tools that do not break after X amount of hours. The article mentions realism and that's not something I associate with Animal Crossing so I'm not sure what the point was as the game is not realistic at all.
@AhabSpampurse dang! I was building them and placing a few around the island. It never even occurred to me to just carry one. Hahaha...
@Res462 That’s a great idea.
I like this idea this helps when tool DIY. Also I keep two of each on hand. Fishing rod, shovel, slingshot, net, stone hammer this also help many times but you have to expand your item box at Nook to increase this. Along this is Mult-crafting this would help with the A button and simplify DIYing more to give better user experiences.
Glad to see I am not the only one who wants those tool condition bars.
I'd say this, and the ability to craft multiples of an item, are absolutely neccessary needed updates.
Nintendo: Let’s take weapon durability out of Fire Emblem....
And put it everywhere else.0
I'd rather they take the Breath of the Wild approach, giving players a warning before a tool breaks. For shovels, if the notification comes up, it means you shouldn't start hitting rocks without a fresh shovel, but if it pops up while you're hitting a rock, it'll be okay.
@BenAV I too like that you can only share duplicates and also enjoying slowly collecting those recipes. I get excited when I see my villagers pounding on their workstation, lol!
I think those blue plastic or metal rubbish bin can act as a storage to store recipes and visitors can look through it and take from there. We can put one near the port or the cranny store.
The change I'd like to see is being able to press left/right to change the value of the "Grab 1" option in the inventory.
@UnknownReader All the bin items I have just ask you if you want to toss something and if you do it's gone. Is there something else that acts differently to this?
@BenAV No that is why I say, if they dump and retrieve acting as a storage would have been great.. like what this post said.... "The idea adds to the realism of the island experience" My irl garbage bin store my garbage for a week and my recycle bin store for as long as it's not full, lol!
It would help, as long as it came alongside the hundred or so other QoL featured the game desperately, desperately needs.
i remember how the axe in the GameCube version of the game. it actual showed some wear and tear before it broke. it would be nice to see that again.
if not, than your character should eventually pick up on how many hits a tool can take before it breaks even if it means buying an item from our local ATM at the town hall and purchasing it with some nook miles.
they should also update the game so that the different backpacks can let you hold additional items; even if they only allow you to hold a few tools.
the nook inc. bag could allow you to hold up to five additional items; maybe more but no tools in the bag. maybe some of the bigger bags that look like outdoor gear could allow you to carry your everyday tools that will unfortunately break. other bag types can allow you to hold additional items as well, however different bags may allow you to hold additional items of different types.(instead of all of the different bags giving you the same storage upgrades.)
either way, these updates to the game could allow us more ways to earn additional nook miles from everyday tasks. even if we never get these wanted updates, we should just be thankful that Nintendo never setup the game, so that the different fruits wouldn't go bad for if they weren't used by a certain day.
@UnknownReader Ah, right. Misunderstood what you meant. I'm starting to hold onto my DIYs now but for a fair while I was just selling them which is a bit of a waste. It's annoying when you're also not supposed to leave crap all over the ground if you want a good island, haha.
Animal Crossing is a game that's at its best when you don't rush through it, but a slow game doesn't need to be tedious.
@Ogbert Previous Animal Crossing games have always visibly shown pieces of your axe slowly breaking off until it broke completely. Even if you were blind, there was a sound effect every time another piece broke off.
@Ooccoo_Jr If you move away from a rare spawn, it despawns, so you have to stand close to or always carry a crafting bench with you. If your shovel breaks whilst you're hitting the money rock, you lose all of the Bells still in the rock. If any hardwood item breaks, you need hardwood, which you need a stone axe for, but if you don't have an axe, you first need to craft a flimsy axe, for which you first need to shake a tree a bunch of times to get five branches, and get a stone, but if all of your tools that can hit rocks are broken, the only way to get more stones is to fish a lot and hope for a stone, but if your fishing rod is broken you need to craft a new one, and it just goes on and on. It's a nice mechanic at the start, but after a while you should be able to craft tools that don't break. Like the golden axe in all previous Animal Crossing games.
@nintendoknife I have had literally none of that happen to me but fair enough points, although I always carry a bench and plenty of materials but I guess you need to have maxed out your pockets for that to be practical. For the stone you do at least get a new spawn everyday next to one of the rocks. I do agree that you should be able to eventually craft unbreakable items but I guess Nintendo painted themselves into a corner by offering Nook Miles based on how many you break. In any case it's a minor annoyance at best.
just let us craft tools that don't break at all.
and i still think certain tools, like a watering can, shouldn't burst into a million pieces just by me pouring water out of it 30 times lol
@nintendoknife yeah the tool visibly distressing is fine it’s the bar that feels very against the game.
I will say though my axe broke in New Leaf and for weeks nobody had one in stock so I couldn’t move any trees. Now you pick up some twigs and a stone and you’re done. So knowing it’s about to break might not be as clear but getting a new one is a whole lot less frustrating.
@AhabSpampurse You can also paint the items to reset durability.
@tseliot Ah, is that true? Mind blown. Nice one, person who appreciates excellent poets.
I hate item durability. It does not add to the realism to have metal tools completely disintegrate after a few uses. Quite the opposite.
I’m back on botw ......
Yes please, it really helps, For example botw and FE has made it wonderfully.
On the flip side, a lot of people argue that Animal Crossing is supposed to be inconvenient with many hidden game systems. These aren't oversights by the developers but deliberate design decisions.
@Mountain_Man I don't mind having hidden systems that I can figure out and rewards me for doing so, like plant breeding. Those are pretty cool.
However, manually keeping track of tool durability so I can reset its durability instead of having to craft it again - that's more annoying than rewarding. Indeed, the whole concept of durability is not very rewarding.
I would argue that hidden systems work best when they work like a puzzle and provide a reward. Durability is not very puzzling or rewarding.
It would also be nice if a crafting bench in your house had access to all the materials in your storage.
Then there are the "Let me craft 100 bait at once!" folks, but the argument against is that the developers don't want bait fishing to be a superior method, simply an alternative. So you can either walk the banks and look for fish in the water, or you can dig up clams, craft bait, and fish from one spot. Each method has its trade offs.
Awesome idea on a meter...seems fair and balanced as far as gameplay- the tool still breaks, you still have to make a new one, just allows for time so you are not in your timed rock striking (8 seconds?) to come up short of what could of been had.
I want the ability to craft a tool without first having to craft the flimsy version as long as I have the required materials that would be needed for the flimsy one plus the standard one.
I always store all my crafting materials away at my home so it's annoying when one breaks because then I need to go back to my house and craft some more there. I have started carrying backups for tools that seem to break often on me.
@AhabSpampurse what a cracking idea. Never even occurred to me to do that...
@Mountain_Man Basically, you're saying "never improve".
@nintendoknife Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying.
/sarcasm
In previous games the axe would show cracks depending on how damaged it was.
The tools should last longer in general, especially the golden ones! I don't come across gold nuggets everyday!
@Ogbert Fair enough, I don't think a bar would be a necessity either if they'd at least include visual deterioration. It's really surprising that instead of making all tools visibly deteriorate instead of only the axe, they actually took that visual indicator away from the axe.
You're right about New Leaf's tool problem. Luckily the golden axe is pretty easy to obtain, and if there's no axe in the Nooklings' store you can still check out the island shop in case they have a silver axe in stock, but if you get unlucky it can definitely become really annoying.
I don't really need a fix though, considering most of what happens in Animal Crossing is random anyway, I feel it fits the game's architecture.
@Ogbert ... and the choir says “Amen!”. You are so very right. I have to say that I get a bit confused by folks trying to “win” in AC or power game their little hearts out . It’s not the ethos of the game as you very rightly said and it’s not worth raging about either - unless raging is your bag. I can wait for updates, and like you, I have a couple of crafting stations on my island that I use if I need to, plus a couple of spare tools as a back up. Stress free.
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