For nearly two years of my Genshin Impression, um, profession (for lack of a greater phrase), I had proudly stayed F2P (free-to-play), AKA somebody who doesn’t spend cash in-game.
When my colleagues, mates, and household who additionally performed the sport would inform me about how they’d spent cash to drag (gamble) for a personality, I’d crinkle my nostril in disapproval.
Now, I’m not going to get into the entire “gacha is playing and subsequently designed to be dangerous and predatory” argument on this article, as a result of whereas I agree, I imagine how affected you might be by gacha practices comes right down to your self too.
I actually have a considerably impulsive nature (in spending and doing actions) after I’m in the suitable temper, particularly for issues that pique my curiosity.
However I’m nonetheless in a position to train an excellent quantity of self-control to cease myself from “whaling”, or spending quite a bit on microtransactions and in-game purchases.
Admittedly, there’s no means of additional explaining my thought course of about this with out sounding extraordinarily “holier than thou”, so I’ll simply share how and why I used to be ready to withstand the urge to gacha in Genshin Impression.
(For the context of this text, I’m speaking purely about pulling for characters, not weapons, as a result of that’s a complete totally different degree of whaling to me.)
All of it comes right down to your mindset
How I navigated my F2P journey in Genshin Impression was by ensuring I by no means ran out of Primogems, as a result of if I by no means ran out of Primogems, I’d by no means have to purchase extra, proper?
However there was extra that went into constructing this mindset.
1. Know your faves, and pull just for them
My primary level can just about be summed as much as this: simply establish your faves and maintain your objectives laser-focused on them.
Don’t let these different fairly or good-looking characters sway you. You don’t want to have each single character as a result of realistically, are you even going to play with all of them?
Are you actually keen to speculate time, effort, and assets into constructing every certainly one of them? Will they even fit your crew builds?
And, for the file, “constructing pity” is absolute bullsh*t. You’re solely going to make your self upset whenever you really pull the present restricted banner character, and also you’ll be left poorer in Primogems on the finish of it.
2. Whereas ready, it’s okay to deal with your self, however just a bit
This would possibly seemingly contradict the above, however say I really feel my palms getting somewhat itchy whereas ready for my desired character’s banner.
Somewhat than utterly holding myself again, which may result in extra self-sabotaging habits, I’d prohibit myself to only one 10-pull, or I’d pull on the usual banner with Acquaint Fates I already had.
In all, I’d be spending only a few Primogems (perhaps even none, if I already had transformed Intertwined and Acquaint Fates).
Generally all we have to see is that one purple falling star to fulfill us and maintain us holding on.
3. Do not forget that there’ll all the time be rerun banners
I recall the primary restricted five-star I needed was Zhongli, again in December 2020. I did the entire shebang, standing with in-game mates in a selected space for some dumb pulling ritual.
I needed that I’d get him, pulled, and acquired slapped within the face with a QiQi (no hate although, I really like her now and might’t wait to C6 her someday).
Although I used to be extraordinarily disenchanted, I knew that my subsequent five-star was now assured, and I used to be already eyeing Xiao, who can be a number of months away.
To not point out, I didn’t have sufficient Primogems left to hit assured pity, as I may’ve simply accomplished anyplace between one other one to 90 pulls to even get my assured Zhongli.
Hedging my dangers and figuring out that Zhongli would have a rerun banner (albeit a lot, a lot later), I continued saving for Xiao.
All this to say, it’s okay to lose the 50-50 the primary time spherical, simply be smarter with balancing your pity depend and Primogems to get that character the following time. There’ll all the time be rerun banners, maybe a lot before you’d suppose, too.
4. At all times check out a personality earlier than pulling for them
Sure, even for those who suppose you already like them. Watching leaks doesn’t imply you really know what a personality would look and transfer like as soon as they’re launched, nor would you actually know the way good they’re to play with.
Truthfully, most occasions, making an attempt out a personality would merely affirm that I do need them as a substitute of the opposite means round.
However nonetheless, Genshin Impression actually rewards you for making an attempt out a personality first, so there’s no hurt in taking them for a take a look at run earlier than spending your hard-earned Primogems.
5. Concentrate on the sport’s different points, like exploring & co-op
There’s a lot extra to Genshin Impression than simply being a waifu or husbando gathering recreation, however all of the extra energy to you if that’s your perfect means of taking part in it.
I really like my faves simply as a lot as some other participant does, however after I lose my 50-50 or run out of Primogems, I focus my vitality on exploring, doing quests, and taking part in in co-op mode.
I merely don’t let myself mull over whether or not I ought to simply drop a number of hundred bucks into HoYoverse’s hand for the character I would like, plus, I do know there’s all the time one other probability sooner or later.
6. Construct your present faves as a substitute of all the time gathering new ones
I don’t have each five-star character within the recreation, nor do I need to have them. However after I lose the 50-50 for somebody I actually needed, I remind myself that I nonetheless have loads of faves whose builds I’ve but to optimise.
Generally, they’ve even been placed on the time-out bench for a very long time as a result of they hit the friendship XP cap, and I needed to play with different characters.
However each time I take them again out, I’m reminded why I pulled for them within the first place, and instantly not having the ability to get the shiniest new character I like doesn’t damage as a lot anymore. It’s like a apply of gratitude.
Staying F2P doesn’t imply not getting what you need
With all of the methods above, I used to be in a position to get hold of nearly each single five-star character I needed over the course of about two years, my newest acquisition being Cyno. (For these I’ve but to get, like Yelan, I’m awaiting her rerun.)
Being F2P doesn’t imply it’s important to prohibit your self to having only one copy of a five-star character although, as a result of understandably, some constellations for our faves are simply too laborious to withstand.
I personally have acquired some constellations for Xiao and Zhongli, painstakingly so, through the use of the above strategies and rolling for one constellation per rerun.
So, what ended my sturdy F2P run?
Skins. Extra particularly, Diluc’s Pink Useless of Evening pores and skin. Sure… not a five-star character, not a five-star weapon, not even constellations.
You’re most likely scratching your head in confusion now, however hear me out. Why I instantly whaled for this pores and skin was as a result of, 1) pores and skin sizzling, plus I really like Diluc, 2) pores and skin uncommon (it’s the primary five-star pores and skin launched within the recreation), and three) there was no gacha aspect of threat to it.
Quantity 3 is a very powerful distinction to me, as a result of I knew that if I spent the displayed X quantity, I’d be assured the pores and skin. The identical can’t be mentioned about pulling for a personality or their weapon.
Therefore, with the lowered stakes, I used to be blissful to whale for the primary time. Or not less than, grow to be a dolphin. I’m not fairly positive how a lot one must spend to qualify as a whale.
Though I’ve now tasted the approach to life of a whale, I’m not in any hurry to proceed whaling, and I nonetheless can’t see myself whaling for characters or their weapons.
I’ve achieved all that whereas F2P, so I don’t see my now-revoked F2P standing as permission to throw my life financial savings on the recreation.
The subsequent time my financial institution sees an alarming burst of transactions to HoYoverse will possible solely be when extra character skins for my faves are launched.
So, till then, I’ll proceed saving up Primogems and taking part in the sport the way in which I all the time have.
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