Gacha Guide: A Quick & Dirty Primer for Gacha Games
Chances are you’ve heard of “Gacha games” by now. A popular genre of mobile game that usually involves the player trying to collect characters through a process often referred to within the genre as “rolling”, which is essentially gambling, considering the player always has the option to pay real money in exchange for chances to roll.
Gacha games are also known for offering a wide variety of content to consume for as low as the price of “free”. This genre of mobile game makes use of other business models to part players from their actual real life money, but you always have the option of playing these games for free — up to a point.
The world of Gacha can be a slippery slope, and it’s easy to get in over your head if you’re not careful. But chances are you’re reading this article because the genre has caught your attention for one reason or another. So in an attempt to spread some basic information, and some of my experience with the genre, I’ve made this handy little guide for you! Isn’t that nice?
f2p or p2w?
“Free to play” or “pay to win” are two opposing ideals within the Gacha genre. On one end of the spectrum anyone is able to download any of these games and play them entirely for free. Whether you enjoy them in the long run is entirely up to you, and the game you’ve decided on.
On the other hand, the concept of “pay to win” can often be found when it comes to games that generally have a more competitive aspect to them. In which case, a player might find themselves becoming a “whale”, and being unable to resist the temptation to spend copious amounts of cold hard cash in an attempt to build the very best characters and or team around.
However, the concept isn’t entirely competitive in nature, as the nature of Gacha games usually involve individual players being drawn to the game for different reasons, some of which might not have anything to do with “winning”!
Pick your poison
There are many, many Gacha games out there, and all of them provide different reasons that a player might find appealing. A lot of them tend to share similar gameplay mechanics, but certain ones can offer unique and robust playstyles that might appeal from a mechanics based perspective.
In a lot of cases, Gacha players tend to play games that offer characters that interest them. This can be for a number of reasons, but it usually involves the game’s aesthetic. A Gacha game might adhere to one cohesive style, or it might feature many talented artist that contribute to it. But it’s definitely a genre that will be more inviting to people that have an interest in “attractive” characters.
Or maybe it’s a game based on a much larger series that you’re already invested in. In which case there could be any number of hooks that brought you to the game, or keep you coming back with each and every paycheck.
How lazy do you want to be?
Many, if not all Gacha games eventually devolve down into some form of repetitive gameplay loops, or “grinding”. Whether it be as simple as leveling up your characters, or trying to farm rare drops, or materials. Gacha games are designed to keep the player coming back over and over again. Beyond this, many games will employ special timed events which you can only participate in for a limited time. Often if you play through the event you’ll get some exclusive character or other reward that can either be extremely rare, or in some cases it might be your one and only chance of getting said rewards.
On some level, you’re going to have to grind though, but the level of participation on the player’s part can vary from game to game. Some games will have a very involving combat system that can’t be easily automated. Others might have extremely long story segments that require a respectable chunk of the player’s time to fully appreciate. And Fate/Grand Order is both of these things, huh!
Others games will allow you to take a much more casual approach, and they can even be distilled down into a glorified “Idle Game”. It’s really up to you on the level of commitment you want to have to the game.
How thirsty are you?
In most Gacha games, there’s a concept known as a “banner”, and each banner will feature a pool of possible rewards you can obtain. In many Gacha games, this will be individual characters. But many Gacha games like to include some sort of “filler” item that isn’t necessarily what most people set out to get.
In a lot of cases these sorts of items will be equipment, or summons that ultimately are an important part of building up your arsenal, but they’re typically not the most exciting thing to get. Unfortunately, you will get a lot of them, and you will hate it.
There are also a number of reasons you might be interested in a banner, and that largely depends on the kind of player you are. In the world of Gacha, you can either set out to build the very best team you can to conquer any and all opposition… …or you’re just a simp for some waifu or husbando.
Whether you’re thinking with your head, or thinking with your heart — it always helps to be mindful of The Desire Sensor.
The Desire Sensor — Knowing when enough is enough
There’s a well known concept within the Gacha genre sometimes referred to as “The Desire Sensor”. As mentioned previously there are a number of reasons someone might be drawn to one of these games, but most of the time, any player is going to find themselves at least a little invested in what kind of rewards they’re “rolling” for.
The Desire Sensor comes into play most of the time when you really, really want a certain character and or item. Whatever reward you’re after, you have to be mindful of this devilish mechanic.
Now let me be clear, I’m not saying that there are any hard coded methods of denying you what your heart desires, but more often than not The Desire Sensor will detect how badly you want something, and it will do everything in its power to deny you the satisfaction you so desperately crave.
From the outset, I said that you can play these games entirely for free, or you can invest money into them. Unfortunately, the shady side of the business model for Gacha games tend to lean heavily towards “predatory”, and if you’re not careful you may find yourself making some very poor financial decisions.
My advice is just to leave things to the luck of the draw. If you can help it, play the games for free. If not, spend responsibly. But never let yourself fall into the trap of “Just one more roll…” it can lead to much unneeded stress and agony over something that is little more than a fancy JPEG. Don’t let this happen to you!
May Your Rolls Be Blessed!
