Time Traveling Guide
The Time Traveling Guide allows you to collect all Fish, Bugs and Diving Items, make huge amounts of Bells and get Golden Tools in the shortest amount of time possible. How? By changing the clock!
Warning: Changing your clock forward or backwards will make weeds grow faster in your village, and village folk will leave.
How Time Traveling Works
For those unfamiliar with Animal Crossing, the passing of time may feel odd compared to other games - in that the game progresses in real-time. The game is tied to the internal clock of the 3DS, and gameplay will unfold minute to minute, hour to hour - even when you aren't playing. The game's real-time system makes for some interesting features. Day will turn to night, shops will open and close, summer will become fall, trees will grow, and even flowers will wither away.
While there are many upsides to this method of gameplay, there are also a few downsides. If you have set the game's clock to your current time, you may find that the game won't always cater to your playstyle. Because time passes when you aren't playing, it is possible players wishing to play early in the morning or very late at night may find less to do than playing in the middle of the day, when most villagers are up and about, and the shops are open. Players wishing to experience snow may also be disappointed when their clock is set to June. But there is a way to circumvent this problem - at a price. It's called Time Traveling.
After choosing a character, but before entering the town, ask Isabelle about other things, and choose to set the time. Here you can change everything about the current time - from day to minute to month to even the year. With this option you can change the time to suit your playstyle. You can play in the snow at night while its the middle of the day in June where you live, or only play at night in the game to catch a rare bug - the possibilities are endless.
Another, Better Way to Suit Your Playstyle As most beginners find out soon enough, as mayor, you're able to enact an ordinance from a list of preset ordinances for 20,000 bells. Among these choices inclue early-bird or night-owl community. This is self-explanatory; villagers will rise early for the former, and will stay up and out late at night if the latter is chosen. No need to time travel.
Time Traveling Pros and Cons
Here are a few things you can take advantage of while Time Traveling:
- Fast Forward - Done everything you can do your first day in town? Can't wait for the Able Sisters to change their inventory? Fast Forward to tomorrow - today! By jumping forward a day, you can speed up things like the inventory selection in shops, housing upgrades, or even get to a holiday! You hop days one money rock at a time for some serious cash! Fossils and fruit will also appear faster!
- Rewind Time - Didn't get a chance to play the day before and missed out on the Fishing Tournament? Set the clock a day or more behind to revisit events you've missed!
- Day/Night Cycle - Whether you're an early bird or a night owl, you can have it both ways with time traveling! Catch that rare insect or fish that only appears a certain time of the day, or enjoy watching a meteor shower in the summer night sky.
- Seasons Greetings - While the drawbacks may be more obvious, you can change from Summer to Spring to Winter to Fall as you please! Not only are some fish and bugs only available certain times of the year, but you can also attend special events like New Years Eve and Hallow's Eve back to back!
Of course Nintendo knows how to keep time travelers in check. Among the drawbacks of time travel abuse, here are some things to note:
- Villagers may move away faster if they are neglected for periods of time. They may even move out before you have a chance to talk them out of it!
- When Time traveling for long periods, villagers may even forget you! They may like you less as a result.
- Weeds will increase throughout the town at an alarming rate! Flowers may also die, and any planted trees will also disappear.
- Your mailbox may become stuffed, and any other mail will not be able to be received.
- Any turnips bought will immediately go bad, negating the benefits of the Stock Market.
- The players house will become infested with cockroaches. And nobody likes cockroaches.
- Your character will emerge from his/her house with a serious bedhead - which may be a good thing if that's your style.
- Rapid time traveling may take away from appeal of the game relating to real life.