{"id":29513,"date":"2023-06-16T11:00:21","date_gmt":"2023-06-16T03:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/?p=29513"},"modified":"2024-04-03T10:08:24","modified_gmt":"2024-04-03T02:08:24","slug":"what-i-learnt-from-playing-honkai-star-rail-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/what-i-learnt-from-playing-honkai-star-rail-2\/","title":{"rendered":"What I learnt from playing Honkai: Star Rail"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Gamer Mary Wu reveals beginners\u2019 tips, hidden features and how this massively popular video game can help you level up in life.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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TEXT & PHOTOS: MARY WU<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u201cAs a \u201csemi-retired\u201d gamer girl with a busy IRL (In Real Life) schedule, I\u2019m extremely selective about the titles I pursue in the virtual world. Of late, I’ve been plugged into the virtual worlds of HoYoverse, a Chinese video game developer known for open-world action role-playing game (RPG) Genshin Impact<\/em>, and recently, Honkai: Star Rail,<\/em> another RPG that was released in April.<\/p>

It is a wonder the game doesn\u2019t lag, with a deluge of gamers flooding its servers 24\/7. According to reports, it has been a runaway success, and recorded over 20 million downloads in just one day. Many of these players include HoYoverse returnees like me, who were enraptured by the cute yet realistically animated characters, smooth gameplay (even on mobile), intricate storyline and easy-to-learn battle mechanics. Did I mention that the graphics are gorgeous?<\/p>

But before you dismiss Honkai: Star Rail <\/em>(available on PC and mobile devices) as another battery-draining, storage space-eating monster (you need at least 10GB), here are some life lessons<\/a> I\u2019ve gleaned from this surprisingly thoughtful masterpiece.\u201d<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u201cAs with life, not everyone is on equal footing and we all want to start out strong<\/a>, right?<\/p>

I start my journey in Honkai: Star Rail<\/em> as a disoriented Trailblazer who has no recollection of who they are. Rescued by a faction that goes on space missions (and that I eventually join), I discover that there is a mysterious power imbued within me. I\u2019m intrigued by such \u201cchosen one\u201d plots, so let\u2019s go!<\/p>

An RPG with a \u201cgacha\u201d system \u2013 inspired by its namesake toy capsule vending machines \u2013 Honkai: Star Rail<\/em> entices players to purchase in-game mystery items as they advance. You can obtain new characters and Light Cones (items that provide boosts) by spending tickets. The game calls this Warping. New players will get their first Warp for free, but the character they get is totally random. However, players can earn their tickets to roll for characters and Light Cones as they play – but of course, it would take a lot more effort and time.<\/p>

Thankfully, in this game, rerolls for a better outcome are possible! There is a pity system<\/a>, in which a player will be guaranteed a 5-star character after a certain number of rolls. So, players can technically save their tickets for a future character that they want through playing the game.<\/p>

By the way, Patch 1.1 just dropped on 7 June, bringing you three new playable and strong characters, as well as other fantastic in-game items. This is why \u201cgacha\u201d style online RPGs never get boring.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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I didn\u2019t get Bronya, but I got four-star Herta (pictured, middle).<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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If you\u2019re aiming for a top-tier, ultra-rare character like Bronya, time and patience must be on your side. She\u2019s awesome not only because she\u2019s a five-star character but also as she excels as a powerful support for the team, especially in the game\u2019s late stage, when enemies are much stronger. One of her most sought-after skills is enabling your hard-hitters to have two turns per round.\u00a0<\/p>

To reroll, not only do you need to create new game accounts, you\u2019ll also need to keep replaying the lengthy tutorial (think, 30 minutes or more, depending on your gaming style).”<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u201cI\u2019ll admit that my impatience has gotten the better of me, in reality as well as virtual worlds. Having played other RPGs, I sped through Honkai: Star Rail\u2019s<\/em> tutorial and skipped as many stories as I could to save time (please don\u2019t, the content is rich).<\/p>

Did I tell you how many times my entire team got pawned on the battlefield? Sometimes, we lost to even low-level minions just because I didn\u2019t bother to read or upgrade my characters and barrelled through the game, hack-and-slash style, using the auto-battle function.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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While this is just a game with little consequence, playing Honkai: Star Rail<\/em> reminded me that impatience and over-confidence won\u2019t get me anywhere. I need to understand the situation before rushing in headlong, without a plan.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The importance of teamwork was another crucial takeaway. Your most powerful character can\u2019t tank all the enemies alone, just as the most capable person can\u2019t do everything on their own. It helps if you understand your character\u2019s strengths and weaknesses, and figure out how your team would help make up for that weakness.<\/p>

In addition, synergy is key. There\u2019s no point combining four top-tier characters in a team if they can\u2019t support one another. I needed a mix of the following: a main damage dealer, characters for healing and protection, and one that can execute an area attack.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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LIGHTEN UP, MAN<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u201cYou know those games that are so relevant, pop culturally speaking, it feels like you\u2019re interacting with a friend? Playing Honkai: Star Rail<\/em>, I\u2019ve encountered references to the metaverse and \u2014\u00a0 possibly \u2014 Netflix animated series Castlevania<\/em>, which players can banter about on a messaging system that looks like WhatsApp. It\u2019s nice to have a game that stays on trend, and this is possible due to the frequent updates available to those with a stable internet connection.<\/p>

I\u2019ve also read about Easter Eggs such as (spoiler alert) the appearance of twins that pay homage to the movie:\u00a0The Shining\u2019s<\/i> creepy sisters \u2014 definitely not looking forward to encountering them while playing at 3am!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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So far, the game\u2019s hidden surprises have amused me to no end. I wonder if I\u2019ve invited weird stares on the MRT for giggling to myself. But why take things so seriously when you can have fun?\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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VERDICT: HONKAI: STAR RAIL<\/em> \u2014 SUPERSTAR OR SUPER BLAH?<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Having spent a significant amount of my spare time engaged with Honkai\u2019<\/em>s heroes and riding its Astral Express (the space train that allows you to travel across galaxies), I can safely say that I regret nothing. Yup, it kept me up till 3am. My phone overheated on one occasion. And it took time for me to get used to the in-game terminology for the usual character boosts, skills and levelling up. But it was all part of a process that uncovered a new virtual world and levelled up my patience and determination.<\/p>

If you\u2019ll excuse me, I\u2019ll get back to my game now.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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ABOUT THE WRITER<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Back in her university days, Mary Wu spent time levelling up in video games instead of her studies (oops). Thankfully, she turned out okay and now has since evolved into a casual gamer who balances virtual reality with life and work.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Healthy gaming habits from Mary Wu<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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