Nintendo's Animal Crossing: New Horizons is incredibly popular, being the most-discussed game on Twitter this year. One of the reasons for that is a new addition to the series: DIY crafting. While the concept of creating one's own decorations to populate a deserted island is undoubtedly a net positive for New Horizons' reception and longevity, one of the system's biggest pitfalls is how it hinders the creation of tools.
Many have pointed out that there should be an option to craft certain items in bulk, with fishing bait being the biggest offender. A player named Josh Carrier, who goes by jswing42 on Reddit, decided to take the matter into their own hands by creating a 3D-printed robot that automates the repetitive process of crafting pieces of bait.
For the uninitiated, a piece of bait spawns one fish in any ocean, pond, or river across a player's island. This is helpful for anyone seeking out one of Animal Crossing: New Horizons' seasonal rare fish or looking for high points in a Fishing Tourney, but having a lot is necessary because spawning is random. The button-pressing robot, shown off on the r/NintendoSwitch subreddit Sunday, makes it easier to stock up on supplies.
My 3D-printed robot for crafting in Animal Crossing. Makes 1 fish bait every 12 seconds! from NintendoSwitch
This trick would work on any DIY item, but fishing bait is likely what Animal Crossing: New Horizons players need in bulk most often, which creates a monotonous loop of digging up Manila Clams and spamming the 'A' button. Carrier posted the instructions for how any able and interested party can create their own robot to Thingiverse, saying it "crafts Fish Bait ... in about 12 seconds (about 8 minutes for a full inventory)."
If Nintendo does not implement a quality of life adjustment to make bulk crafting an official function, self-made robotics seems to be the best way for players to avoid the monotony of bait crafting. The lacking local co-op functionality of New Horizons makes it impossible for players to add on a second pair of hands to cut down on craft time.
At least there's plenty to do for those who are not interested in filling out the fish wing of their museum. The latest Animal Crossing has gotten people's creative juices flowing, and island facelifts creating other gaming locales like Melemele Island from Pokemon Sun and Moon can be found all over the Internet.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available now, exclusively for Nintendo Switch.
Source: Thingiverse