Understanding Genshin Impact’s Character System
Understanding Genshin Impact’s character system involves several key components:
Character Acquisition
Characters are obtainable units in Genshin Impact. They come in different qualities, are aligned with an Element, and are equippable with a specific Weapon. Primarily, characters are obtained by performing Wishes using Intertwined Fates or Acquaint Fates. These Wishing Items can be:
- Purchased with Primogems,
- Earned from Events and Quests,
- Exchanged with Masterless Starglitter ×5 each in the Paimon’s Bargains shop, or
- Exchanged for a monthly limit with Masterless Stardust ×75 each in the Paimon’s Bargains shop.
Character Ascension
Characters can be ascended to their next ascension phase once they reach their current max level and the player has the required Adventure Rank. They can be ascended up to 6 times (up to Lv. 90). To ascend a character, go to the character screen and click on the Ascend button at the bottom-right of the Character Menu. A box will appear, showing which Character Level-Up Materials, Character Ascension Materials, Local Specialties, and Character and Weapon Enhancement Materials are needed, and the Mora cost required to ascend the character.
Combat and Passive Talents
Most characters have a total of 3 Combat Talents and 3 Passive Talents. Combat Talents, which include Normal Attack, Elemental Skill, and Elemental Burst, can be leveled from Lv. 1 to Lv. 10, while Passive Talents, which include 1st Ascension Passive, 4th Ascension Passive, and Utility Passive, cannot be leveled. Increasing the level can enhance the scaling and effects of Combat Talents.
Constellations
Each character has a total of 6 Constellations, which are similar to their Passive Talents and increase the effectiveness of the character or add new capabilities. To unlock each Constellation, a player must use a Stella Fortuna for that specific character, which can be obtained by wishing a duplicate of the character or buying the character from Paimon’s Bargains.
Pity System
The pity system in Genshin Impact ensures that players receive certain ranks of characters after wishing a certain number of times. This can be tracked by clicking the History button on the Wish page. Players can count the number of pulls since their last 5-star character. Genshin Impact’s 5-star characters have a low drop rate of 0.6%. However, players are guaranteed to win a 5-star character on their 90th wish on the Character Event banner.
Moreover, there’s a hidden pity system known as “soft pity,” which increases the probability of obtaining a 5-star character after a certain number of pulls. Specifically, at 75 pulls on the Character Event Wish banner and the Standard Wish banner, this 0.6% chance will gradually rise until it reaches 100% on your 90th pull.
Starting Characters
In Genshin Impact, you’ll start out with just a single character, the Traveler. As you progress, you will build out your roster with more characters, each possessing unique abilities. While you usually acquire characters by making Wishes on the gacha banners, if you want to Wish a lot, spending money may be necessary.
In summary, characters in Genshin Impact are not just about collection—they’re integral to gameplay, strategy, and immersion in the game’s world.
Is Character Creation Planned for Genshin Impact?
This is the Character Creation Guide for Genshin Impact.
At the start of the game, you will be asked to choose from one of the Twins, also known as the Travelers. You can select either the male or female Main Character, then enter a name of your choosing. The Main Character’s name can be changed in the Summon Paimon Menu.
You can also set a birthday in the Summon Paimon Menu. Setting a birthday will give you a special bonus on your entered birthdate. Note that you will not be able to change your birthdate once you have entered it.
Additionally, you can change the User Avatar and add a signature in the Paimon menu’s options.
However, you cannot change the Main Character’s appearance in Genshin Impact. It’s worth noting that you can change the look of their Wind Gliders. To do this, tap the Hanger icon on the lower right of the character’s Details Screen. This opens the list of available skins for your character’s Wind Glider.
In Genshin Impact, character creation is primarily focused on selecting pre-designed characters with unique appearances, personalities, and elemental powers. This means there is no extensive customization where you can freely modify facial features or body types. Instead, the focus is on choosing a character from the existing roster and building their abilities through gameplay and acquired items.
- Key aspects of Genshin Impact character creation:
- Pre-defined characters: Players choose from a diverse cast of characters, each with a distinct appearance, backstory, and elemental abilities.
- No extensive customization: Unlike some RPGs, you cannot freely adjust facial features or body type; each character has a set design.
- Cosmetic customization: Players can acquire different outfits and accessories to visually personalize their chosen character.
- Elemental powers: A key part of character selection is choosing an element (like fire, water, or electricity) which determines their combat style and synergies with other party members.
Exploring Existing Character Customization Features
Character customization in Genshin Impact is actually pretty disappointing. If you were hoping to be able to change up your character quite a bit, then you’re going to find that the options available in the game are very lacking.
Thankfully, each of the 24 playable characters you can acquire all look pretty nice already. However, being able to change up their appearance with new outfits and the like would definitely add another layer to it all.
Because of the limited appearance options, what you see is essentially what you get. There is a small thing you can change, which is basically just the character’s wind glider. You unlock this fairly early in the story; however, it doesn’t actually make any kind of change to the character model itself.
You can change up the wind glider by heading into your character menu and then pressing the icon in the bottom right that looks like a hanger. There are three options available, though you’ll need to unlock at least one of them. The options include:
- First Flight
- Companionship
- Descension
Aside from this, there aren’t any other character customization options.
In Genshin Impact, character customization is primarily limited to choosing different playable characters with pre-set appearances. Furthermore, you can customize their look by acquiring alternate outfits (skins) for each character, rather than allowing direct modification of facial features or body types. Essentially, you can’t change a character’s base appearance, but you can change their clothing style through cosmetic items.
The outfits system was introduced in the Genshin Impact 1.6 update, following months of pleading from the community. These outfits give you the chance to dress your favourite characters in brand-new clothes.
Overall, while customization options exist, they are pretty limited in Genshin Impact. You cannot change your character’s appearance, like their hair or clothes.
The Role of Gacha in Character Acquisition
In Genshin Impact, the most common solution to acquire more characters is to make a Wish on Character Banners using an in-game currency called Fate. You can obtain Fate by playing the game or purchasing it from the game shop. However, it’s important to note that it’s not guaranteed you’ll get the character you want. The pull rate for a five-star character is only 0.6%. A pity rate is designed to increase your odds as you make more Wishes, encouraging you to invest in in-game currencies.
There are two types of Character Banners where you can make a Wish: Standard Banner and Character Event Banner. Accordingly, there are two types of Fate required: Acquaint and Intertwined. The Standard Banner is permanent with no rate-up, whereas the Character Event Banner is limited to 3 weeks with a changing line-up that includes an exclusive character. Notably, the odds of obtaining a four-star or five-star character increase as the number of Wishes increases.
Additionally, there are eight free characters in Genshin Impact that you can unlock by completing required tasks without spending any money. Although none of them are five-star characters, they possess special weapons and skills that enhance your exploration experience. While characters can be unlocked for free without making Wishes, only a few four-star characters can be obtained this way.
To acquire a five-star character, the only free method is to collect a substantial number of Primogems by playing the game and making numerous Wishes. This process involves considerable effort and time.
As a Gacha game, Genshin Impact permits every new player to make ten Wishes for characters or weapons from the Beginner’s Wish after completing part of the game. The character acquisition gacha system operates on a seed generation process, which is highly random and can be influenced by various environmental factors. Whenever you obtain a five-star character, there’s a 50 percent chance it will be the featured character. If you lose the 50:50 chance, your next five-star character will be guaranteed to be the featured unit, and this guarantee remains even if the banner expires.
Players require 1,600 Primogems for a 10 pull. Due to Genshin Impact’s free-to-play model, players can earn Primogems through gameplay or can purchase them with real money. The gacha currencies known as Acquaint Fates and Intertwined Fates are used for wishing for characters and weapons. Essentially, Wishes are the gacha system in Genshin Impact, consisting of two main types: the permanent Standard Wish and the limited-time Event banners. The Gacha system is similar to loot boxes in other games, where players spend currency to roll on a banner in hopes of acquiring the desired character.
Community Reactions to the Lack of Character Creation
The Genshin Impact community has showcased significant engagement and creativity regarding character creation. For instance, one Reddit post highlighted a remarkable fan creation that left users in awe. Players praised its seamless editing and animation, which felt curated specifically for the video.
Moreover, users admired the portrayal of the character, noting how the community’s perception of the character had evolved positively. The community engagement was evident in the comments, with users expressing their love for the fan creation and showcasing their enthusiasm for the game.
Additionally, Genshin Impact has ignited a creative spark in its community. Players are actively sharing their latest creations on the subreddit, leading to an influx of positive remarks. Users express admiration for the talent and creativity displayed in these shared works.
Specifically, MajinPrint3D’s creation has left the community in awe, with comments praising the impressive work as a masterpiece. Creativity and talent shine through the shared creations.
However, critiques have emerged, focusing on color choices and minor details. While some appreciate the intricacies, a few users feel that the color choices in the creations could be more vibrant to enhance the overall appeal.
Despite the limited customization options in Genshin Impact—where players can only pick the character they play as (the MC) and their name—the community continues to
Future Possibilities for Character Customization
In the latest Developers Discussion (September 2024), HoYoverse has announced several new features and changes that will be part of upcoming Genshin Impact updates. These include:
- New limited-time rewards for exploring the Natlan region.
- A skip feature in the Spiral Abyss.
- An optimized character-building experience.
Notably, a one-stop interface will be added to the Crafting Bench. This enhancement will make character level-up material calculation progress easier. Players can click on the four-square icon in the bottom-left corner of the Crafting Bench interface and select a character to find all the items needed to level them up.
Moreover, players will be able to create custom Artifacts Filter Plans for every character in Genshin Impact. When sorting and filtering the artifact stats in the artifact selection menu, the selections will be saved. Therefore, the next time the artifact selection menu is opened for that character, the artifacts will be sorted based on the saved data.
This update also comes with a host of optimizations for increased convenience. Players can set Level-Up Plans for their characters in the Training Guide. Once these goals are set, the required materials and their sources will be clearly displayed. Additionally, the filter systems for both Characters and Weapons have been streamlined, reducing the steps needed to navigate the interfaces. An Auto Add button has also been added to the Weapon Refinement interface to expedite the process.
In terms of new character introductions, Yumemizuki Mizuki will debut in the first half of Version 5.4’s Event Wishes alongside Sigewinne’s rerun. Subsequently, reruns for Furina and Wriothesley will take place in the second half. Mizuki is set to join the Standard Wish banner after the Version 5.5 update.
Furthermore, the Genshin Impact 5.4 update brings exciting events such as ‘Travelers’ Tales: Anthology Chapter,’ which offers players a glimpse into the captivating slice-of-life stories of their favorite characters. This update will also feature mini-games including:
- The film editing challenge ‘Reel Ad-Venture.’
- The fishing game with cooperative and competitive modes ‘Invasive Fish Wrangler.’
- The combat event ‘Realm of Tempered Valor.’
The Genshin Impact 5.4 update, called “Moonlight Amidst Dreams,” is scheduled to launch on February 12, as announced by developer miHoYo. It will include Mizuki’s Story Quest with no keys required to unlock Story Quests. Additionally, Automatic Artistry will return to the TCG.
During the Version 5.3 Livestream, seven character silhouettes were revealed for upcoming releases over the next six months. These characters will likely be released in groups of two or three from Version 5.4 to 5.7, following the usual update pattern for Genshin Impact.
Lastly, players will now have the ability to add characters as “Companions” in the Serenitea Pot using Realm Dispatch. Yanfei has also been added to the Wanderlust Invocation item pool.
