Welcome to Gaia! :: View User's Journal | Gaia Journals

What happens if you want to take a break from the game but fear your villagers may leave?

There is ONE and exactly ONE proven method to make sure nobody leaves:

On the last day you played, if you stopped a villager from leaving, you are completely safe until the next distinct day that you load the game.

WHY THIS WORKS:
On any given day, only one villager can possibly be thinking about moving out. If they tell you, and you stop them, you are safe for the rest of that day. (If nobody mentions it, then someone is still thinking about it.) The game will not run its check again until 6 A.M. the next morning, the time when it runs all its "daily game progress checks".

The reason time-traveling will not fix this is because (from what I understand about TT) any time travel that changes the game's date will trigger these checks.

Finally: FOR BEST RESULTS WHEN TAKING A BREAK:

1: Enact the "Beautiful Town" ordinance, and wait for the following day (it will NOT take effect until the game loads a new day). THIS will prevent flowers from wilting, and greatly reduce weed growth. (If it has other benefits, I don't know them.)
2: Once the ordinance is officially in effect, wait for someone to tell you they are moving out. AND STOP THEM.
3: You may now take a break. You are completely safe until the next day you load the game, whether that is tomorrow, or ten years from now.

Just remember that if you load it at any future day, someone will be "thinking about" leaving, so to take ANOTHER break, you have to get someone to mention it, and then stop them.