How Tales of the Shire Can Revolutionize the Animal Crossing Mailing Experience!

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The eagerly anticipated IP-inspired simulation game that’s about to make a splash is called “Tales of the Shire“. Set for release on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series consoles this July, it has already garnered attention from both expert critics and casual gamers. This increased interest may have contributed to the delay in its original March launch date. As developers at Weta Workshop use this extra time to enhance “Tales of the Shire“, there’s a possibility that the new simulation game could incorporate additional features found in other simulation games.

In the simulation genre, the Animal Crossing franchise is often considered unrivaled. However, there are areas in its numerous gameplay elements that could use enhancement, not just for future Animal Crossing games, but also for upcoming simulation titles. The newcomer, Tales of the Shire, has the potential to step up and address these issues, learning from the franchise’s shortcomings in its own gameplay design. One area that Animal Crossing‘s mail system could be scrutinized in, is an aspect that Tales of the Shire might want to explore.

Animal Crossing’s Mailing System Has Its Flaws

The method for sending mail in the Animal Crossing series has undergone substantial changes since its initial release in 2001. Previously, before New Horizons, players needed to acquire stationery first and then visit either the Post Office or town hall to dispatch their letters. In Wild World and City Folk, Pete the pelican mailman would be responsible for delivering these messages throughout the town and even to players’ mailboxes. However, in earlier games like Animal Crossing and New Leaf, players could only send gifts other than fish, bugs, and turnips along with their letters. With each game release, players could send up to five letters at a time until Pete departed from the building, after which they could send more letters again.

In New Horizons, the Post Office character was initially excluded from the mail system, but Pete, who later joined the game in version 2.0, is now available at The Roost for players to interact with. Orville, however, takes over many of Pete’s previous functions, enabling players to send up to a hundred letters to villagers and forty to other human residents daily. Additionally, Nook Shopping introduces complexity to the mail system in New Horizons, as it allows players to send items from the catalog to friends, although only two items can be sent per day.

Improvements Tales of the Shire Could Make

To enhance its mail system like Animal Crossing’s, Tales of the Shire might benefit from relaxing some of the game’s restrictions. New Horizons allows players to send more letters to both villagers and human residents, but it imposes strict limits when sending items and resources to friends. Although limiting the number of items is sensible for Animal Crossing, as unrestricted sending could potentially be exploited by scalpers, a two-item limit may feel somewhat restrictive. However, given that Tales of the Shire’s success isn’t guaranteed or its mechanics not prone to scalping, it’s wise for Weta Workshop to consider this possibility when determining the mailing system’s limitations.

Incorporating a postal service into Tales of the Shire’s gifting system could be another engaging feature. Instead of only giving in-game Villagers gifts directly, players might also send them mail containing presents. This enhancement to the mailing system would make Tales of the Shire stand out from other simulation games and potentially surpass Animal Crossing in terms of this particular mechanic.

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2025-04-03 02:34