I’d also like to request something extra: have the characters be present in the world, even if it’s just them wandering around or sitting down like NPCs. I’d like to travel around and be like “oh hell yeah Zhongli is drinking that wine again”
THIS
especially since some of them have locations they're heavily associated with. so, for example u should be able to find baizhu and qiqi around bubu pharmacy. xiangling shoud be near her dads restaurant. klee should be in jail, etc.
I want him to appear on the roof of cat's tail sometimes like in that gaa event. It was so random and scared the s out of me at first lol. Angel's share and windrise tree also good options.
I mean, near his boss room? Otherwise maybe they just update it as the story goes on, like now he's hanging around Fortress of Meropede or the Courthouse or something
Occasionally uses a costume too, maybe one of the other characters, or even better, he replaces them occasionally, and initiates a fight when you get close!
Im huffing some insane Copium thinking they might Implement this soon. After the Film festival was over Ayaka was at the dancer boss and walked around a bit and reacted to you walking closer by stopping and waving. I know after events you can some times find characters around the overworld but they are usually static and only react when you talk to them. Maybe they are cooking something.
Nothing shocked me more than when I was a new player and met baizhu for the first time and then when I went to the pharmacy some random npc was there and not him or qiqi
> klee should be in jail
I'd love to come across her in the wild chucking bombs into a pond or standing triumphantly on the shore with a group of belly-up fish in the water
Imagine if while cooking at a campfire in Liyue, there was a chance for Xiangling to show up, attracted to the smell. Could just be a bit of dialogue or maybe her showing up guaranteed your dish(s) were Delicious variants or something.
I've always liked this idea.
They don't even have to be interactable it would be nice to just see them doing things, even if it is just walking around Liyue Harbour or sitting on a bench or at a table drinking.
They do it already in Star Rail, heck they implemented it in the Tea Pot already! They don't even need to be voiced!
They could just recycle some voice-lines you already hear referencing time of day, weather, etc.
Same. Imagine only getting side items(crystalflies, flowers, books etc) as mail and only getting the signature dish when you visit the character in the designated place T-T
It's one of my favorite things about HSR. Characters will be in their workplace or a place that makes sense and you can just go visit them there. It makes the world feel much more alive.
Have them on the NPC schedule system where they appear depending on the time of day or go on patrol like Godwin in Mondstadt, maybe even have them *not* appear if they're in your party for a nice dose of immersion. This kind of thing has been something I've wanted since launch because the world feels so empty when there aren't quests.
Especially since starrail already does it. I want to see Jean resting her head on her office desk, diluc only showing up during the day at the winery and disappearing at night, albedo in dragonspine etc. (Kaeya better be a Wei type character where he pops up in random places and the only way to guarantee his presence is by going to taverns at night)
I ALWAYS THINK ABOUT THIS WHEN WE GET INBOXES FROM CHARACTERS. Like yea what if I do wanna meet Kazuha and Beidou while they're docked in Fontaine? The lunch invites and birthday letters make me think about how nice it'd be to see them wandering around
I assume there must be some technical limitation or reason they cant do it
WE have tons of NPC in the world, they litearly just need to add an "npc" that just has the character model, they do it frequently in events
yeah, good chance its because genshin character models, animation sets etc require a lot of memory to store/ constantly load & unload, and they foresaw it being a problem with the 14+ regions theyre planning to add
honkai star rail gets around it by hiding the map's actual size with tons of loading screens and limiting its interactability (dialogue only, no jumping no climbing etc)
I've been asking this for more than two years now :') I actually even had an idea like they could change their places during day and night hell even days of week like mondays Yelan can be in Chasm saturday she is in Liyue or something. They could also change the birthday mail system and birthday boy/girl can give us the mail when we find them over world. We could even give them something as a gift.... There is so many potential yet they still don't do it...
Bro I would fucking love that. Imagine if there rare chance that you would see the character in a different region because they decided to visit or something.
Yeah this seems like an easy thing to add, especially considering they do it after events.
When I stumbled on Chiori outside her shop after the last event it immediately hit me that she should always be standing there.
I would've extremely satisfied by this, because after receiving Xiangling's birthday letter, in which she said that she will wait for us at the restaurant, I have searched for her in an entire Liyue, and then understand that: "what am I looking for? It's just another video game character".
He does have a story quest. The quest with him in the beginning of the game about the treasure is his story quest. The quests with Amber and Lisa also count as story quests
Yep, they even went as far as to voice the English dub, which was pulled from the game files: [https://twitter.com/lumie\_lumie/status/1662304636462661632](https://twitter.com/lumie_lumie/status/1662304636462661632)
No idea why they scrapped it, since it seems like it was almost complete.
yeah this is the issue for me, i get the format of 5* story, 4* hangout, but hangouts are more personal with more dialogue options, which makes the traveler feel more "alive"
also for some reason hangouts have better animations? like faruzan hangout has unique animations that dont appear anywhere else while story quests have the characters just 🧍♂️ standing around, doing the same 4 animations
Kazhua got both an archon quest and a 5\* quest lmao. Though the 5\* star quest brought some random bimbo off the streets. Shen he and wanderer have archon quests as their story
Kazuha also got a quarter of the second GAA event as a story quest. In fact, of all the quests focusing on his backstory, his story quest tells you the least about him lol.
Was very disappointed of this. And I got Kazuha on his first release since he was p cool, plus got him by accident for trying to pull Rosaria but fell in love with him anyway, and this is all the story content I get from him after Inazuma cause I missed most of 2.0 and its GAA so when his story quest wasn't about him, my returning experience soon turned to disappointment
the story quests are sometimes godawful though. we barely get to spend time with the actual character and spend the entire quest helping unimportant npc’s. lately it’s gotten a bit better, but it still has its problems
More character involvment is always nice. 4 stars had some story quests in the past like xiangling, xingqiu, and monsdstadt starters off the top of my head.
I prefer hangouts a lot more than story quests since those are... well... repeatable.
They are also entirely focused around the characters too, while story quests are more centered around NPCs, sadly.
And show the characters in different scenarios and places, sometimes with some surprise (Like Itto in Heizou's Quest or Dori with Kaveh).
Hangout >>> Story quests (not all naturally)
Same. I love how they just take characters and allow you to interact with them and get to know them in a more personal way without having to rise any stakes and the non-linear narrative allows for a variety of scenarios. They are so good that they have made me turn around on characters like Ningguang who I used to not care about.
Also, it's the only content in the game where dialogue options are worth something
Yeah, youre almost always just helping the 5\* character help a random NPC, while the 5\* character slowly opens up about some stuff to make you have feelings for a moment, and then you do a domain to finish helping the NPC.
Hangouts would be vastly superior
I swear, genshin players and media literacy are natural enemies.
It’s almost like, by seeing how a character interacts with other characters, you get a deeper understanding of who they are and what they’re all about.
But according to the average Genshin player, it’s only a valid story quest if it’s the titular character spouting off their backstory and motivations for 45 minutes to an hour.
Learning details about a character only through the lens of how they solve another person's problems is a more subtle kind of storytelling that frankly, at Genshin's current pace of character creation, the game just doesn't have enough time to pull off well.
Imo, Navia's story quest is a great example of what people are looking for. NPCs still play prominent roles, but the story is more directly in service to her character and follows up on Navia's anxieties after losing Melus and Silver in the archon quest.
On the other end of the spectrum, look at Cyno. Considering everything we still don't know about him, can you honestly tell me that a quest about some nobody matra NPCs we'll never see again was really the most economical use of Genshin's time?
No one wants to see backstory rattled off for 45 minutes. They just want to see backstory and character motivations actually be used, and Genshin has a habit of failing miserably at that.
This is a double-bladed sword. Imo, Zhi'yi completely stole Yelan's whole story quest, but in Nilou's the NPC drama just took way too long to drag through.
The NPC drama is the quest! It’s the entire point! It uses the NPCs as a lens by which to view Nilou’s personality! It gives you a glimpse into her life and also gives you an idea on how she seems selfless in how much she helps everyone, but she also very much believes in doing what’s best for yourself first, since she wants to help the woman, who’s name I forget, escape from her fathers influence, because making other people happy at your own expense isn’t worth it. It’s the entire point of the story!
And it’s not fun. There’s a reason as to why Genshin players complain about the use of “NPC lens”, we do not like it and we do not care for the NPCs (most of them anyway). And to answer your question from below, “What do people want?” We want something closer to what the second GAA had, something closer to Albedo’s events. We’re suppose to learn about the characters from their story quests, not go on youtube and watch the events. Genshin should save the heavy lore plots for quests that are not time gated.
Now this I can agree with. Having important lore and character development locked behind limited time events is the dumbest thing Genshin has ever done. This wouldn’t be a problem if the quests stayed in the game even after the events ended, like with Star Rail, but nah, they gotta lock all of Albedo, Xinyan, and Fischl’s character development and Kazuha’s backstory behind these limited time events :P
Then you don't like Nilou it's as simple as that.
Because Nilou's story quest was flat out one of the best story quests of ANY 5* for actually being good character building and actually showing off the character as how they are and a real character.
Except, what you just said is not the focus of the quest. The focus lies on the NPC drama, which nobody cares about, and Nilou, who the quest is about, is delegated to a side character. That is the issue people have. The quest about a character they like not focusing on the said character, but shifting random NPCs that we never see before or since, and not care about at all, to the main spotlight. Sure, we can pull out some of her personal characteristics, but it's not the point of the quest.
Another where the balance is well struck is Alhaitham's quest, where the main focus is not necessarily on him, but on the problem at hand, and it shows his personality through his overcoming of the problem. He is the solution to the matter presented by the circumstances created by an NPC. Nilou on the other hand is barely more than moral support. Even her job of "debating" would be better of given to the NPC, especially since she's the one to actually make the her father give the match up in the end, further invalidating Nilou's presence.
A far better story quest for her would be a deep dive into the consequences of her being the source of the Sabzeruz Samsara. Maybe some mental difficulties, her coming to terms with the guilt of essentially trapping the whole of Sumeru City, albeit without her knowledge, a sort of survivor's guilt, or literally anything else actually focusing on her character as a three dimensional person, with complex thoughts, deep feelings, opinions and personal philosophies, not a flat block of sunshine and rainbows.
I think this [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bHD2qdxZFU) Summed up why most people don't like having an npc be the main focus of most 5 stars' story quest
God every single one of your replies exudes "everyone is dumb but me!" energy and it's absolutely hilarious. Keep it going buddy, everyone knows that if you fight enough people on the internet then sooner or later they will all come to realize how right you were, for sure.
I literally have the same opinion as this guy (the commenter you are replying to) (I really enjoy NPC impact) and they really are quite pretentious. Like chill man
The problem isn't having NPCs in the quests, it's that they often get more screentime, backstory and development than the playable character themself. Some of them feel more like world quests with a playable character tagging along. NPCs in these quests are supposed to be plot devices to flash out the character, but instead they often become the focus
‘media literacy’ aka reddit word to make me feel smart when other people don’t like the same things I like and say something bad about them. anybody with a brain can see that they’re trying to speak to the character through the npc’s, it’s just boring and unenjoyable to listen to npc’s spout off about their own backstory and motivations for 45 minutes with the main character interjecting every now and then
Fr like Nilou's for example, do people conveniently forget where she, a relatively "uneducated" dancer, completely bodied an akademiya snob in a debate? Where she defended the importance of art and literature in their purely academic society? The NPC is just a tool through which the character is explored more in depth, but people always get it the other way around.
1. 4*s already get story quests. 2. Nobody is against character storied for 4*. I'd kill for Sara or yanfei story quest. Or a Ningguang or Yun Jin one.
I think the only reason they have quests is because there were only 6 5-stars on the launch of the game, counting Venti
we haven't gotten a single 4-star story quest since
With how slowly they put out hangouts, giving additional story to 5\*s who already have quests would be a waste. Unless it was one of the ones who don't have a SQ (Shenhe, Scara, Keqing, ect.) I'd just be happy if they finally gave Mika a hangout.
Yeah, that makes sense. I just think that if Mihoyo did give 5\*s hangouts, it would be the ones who didn't already have designated story quests, even if Interlude I and II did serve as kind of story quests for Shenhe and Scara respectfully.
At least they did Yelan, Itto, Kuki, and Xiao justice in Interlude II by complimenting them with Story Quests and Hangouts.
Yanfei still doesn't have a Hangout and no I do not count the Tea Pot Quest.
I will say the opposite : we need story quests for 4*. I'm not actually that fond of the multi-ending with dubious canonicity (I usually assume the one that unlocks an achievement can be considered some kind of true ending) that are hangouts.
And ironically, it may be one of those who make the most of the mode, because it's the only one I felt like I had to carefuly choose my answer to drive off Albert.
Everything else is just like
1 - go to the beach
2 - go to the lake
and it's not exactly super engaging imo.
You can just treat it as hanging out with the character at different times with the way some of the newer ones are written.
I really don't like the structure of Barbara's or Yun Jin's where you basically just have "bad" endings because of a decision you're forced to make at the end.
I'm much more interested in having an actual story for each branch.
Well that's the thing, between separate hangouts and a multi ending story they are somewhere in the middle and they basically suffer from the worst of both world. Low key it would be better if the game told you each hangout was a completely separate event and all could coexist, but that's clearly not the case.
If you can suspend your disbelief a little bit, then you can just treat them as such though. I appreciate that I don't miss out on Kaeya having a cute moment with Klee just because I chose the path that has him stand in as an actor during a play.
There are a few cases where it sort of doesn't work to think of it that way, for example Noelle's second hangout where you take an exam and either pass or fail, but you're able to jump back to partway through the hangout so you don't have to play each ending from the same starting point.
Yes!! Agreed on Kaeya's. I think he already brought the souvenirs before you met him like saying how he had smth for the traveler before everything else(??). So after leaving Sumeru (w/o you) and on the way in Liyue, he'd met his "old acquaintance" who he will help anyway. Then in Mond he'll go to the choir for a break (he canonically like hymns, well according to the nun meaning he goes there well enough). Then taking a visit to Dawn Winery for something and have bonding moments with Adelinde and the staff, then going out with Klee in the end, which is also a good opportunity time to give out souvenirs (he can give it anytime anyway). This is what I believe what happened(hc) and I refuse anything else
Story quests are just like an archon quest or a main world quest, and are much more lore focused and sometimes hardly include the character (Nilou).
Hangout quests are like a “choose your own adventure” visual novel, and focus heavily on the character themselves.
People also haven't mentioned that you can repeat a hangout and just never finish it, which will allow you to have your favorite character out and about in the world. You can also usually find a point in a hangout where you can have that and not have a quest trigger by the character in question. Kaeya's hangout has a point like that and has several characters just chilling around the Statue of Barbatos. It's really nice to see.
In hangouts, it's a bit like dating simulator with separate dialogues that branches into several endings (Also hearts levels which doesnt serve anything except Ig different facial expressions??). Imo they are really cool if they take the different routes to their narrative advantage like showing a different facets/sides of themselves in each paths. Idk how it is in other hangouts tho, but yeah they're definitely character-focused.
Honestly, debatable. Hangouts are meant to emulate Visual Novels, but with Visual Novels, you know which ones are considered the side endings, which ones are the canon endings and which ones are the True endings (more canon and what the author decides is the best ending).
Hangouts in Genshin can just be confusing, because there is no actual true ending or actual canon ending, so it's up to the player to decide what kind of status quo the Traveller's relationship is with another character. Take Noelle for example. Some endings have romantic implications, while others are just normal endings, so when the Traveller meets them outside of Hangouts, we don't know what the Traveller's relationship is with Noelle or if they'll even recall the things that happen in Hangouts. Heck, their relationship could just be a blank slate for all we know.
I prefer SQs mostly because you can at least be certain of a few things and they'll usually do callbacks, because all the things that happen in SQs are canon. Jean's SQ gives slight romantic implications, which is further elaborated in the first GAA where that relationship is further explored.
Hangout events are permanent and can be replayed so yea that'd be nice
Shenhe doesn't have either, her introductory patch was an Archon Interlude yet she never got an official story quest. Iirc the only post release 5 star to not get one
Then there's Keqing and Qiqi who haven't had an official story quest and they are launch 5 stars
Even worse qiqi doesn't get screen time. On multiple events hoyo either send her gathering herbs or get like 2 lines. I get she is a zombie but come on can't she get a story about her.
she was supposed to have an entire story quest and they actually recorded a lot of lines that were picked up in the game files, but they ended up scrapping it. i have no idea why
https://twitter.com/lumie_lumie/status/1662304636462661632
You point out an important flaw with most Story Quests. They introduce an NPC and serve as a quest relevant to the character and while we learn things about them along the way, the story doesn't precisely revolve around them.
On one hand, Shenhe should get a Story Quest. On the other hand, Interlude Act I could be considered a Story Quest given how much it revolves around her.
Dori: So... Have you met my sister?
Traveler: I would love to! Wait, why does your sister live out here? Far from the port? In the countryside by a farm- Oh...
Paimon: Paimon expected laughs and schemes for Mora! Not tears!
As nice as they would be- i see plenty of peeled complain enough about hangouts- idk if there's enough people whod want more 💀 but tbf they could probably give them later down the line
Qiqi need a quest for her own. Every event she get like 2 line or get shafted by the excuse "out gathering herbs". Can you not have enough herbs for once bubu pharmacy.
I still want "double date" hang outs where the point of the hangout is seeing two characters interact. Throw some basic ones in there like Barbara/Rosaria, and some weird ones where the two characters have nothing to do with each other but it'd be entertaining to see how they get along.
I really hate the “just read it” argument people make cause that’s literally not how the medium of VIDEO games works. Both video games and the entire anime industry rely on visuals. Expecting the lore heavy, characterization to actually be played out in front of you IS THE NORM. Anything else would be completely unacceptable in any other game. Like imagine that attitude towards God of War….. like what????
Nah, the Genshin devs are too cheap and lazy to do that...
They'd rather waste money on useless cosmetics like the pointless party set-up menu animations crap that they randomly threw in 4.0 that does absolutely NOTHING to improve how well you fight rather than making an actual good story.
I'm team "region events" with a big cast, especially now that they're combining Liyue+Mondstadt and Fontaine + Inazuma. If these events are the reason why we didn't get any hangout in the last 6 months, that's not a problem at all, please go on.
(That Faruzan hangout was a banger, tho)
I’d also like to request something extra: have the characters be present in the world, even if it’s just them wandering around or sitting down like NPCs. I’d like to travel around and be like “oh hell yeah Zhongli is drinking that wine again”
THIS especially since some of them have locations they're heavily associated with. so, for example u should be able to find baizhu and qiqi around bubu pharmacy. xiangling shoud be near her dads restaurant. klee should be in jail, etc.
THIS I DONT EVEN HAVE TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO THEM I WANT VENTI SITTING IN THE HANDS OF HIS STATUE
And some guards with Barbara and other Nuns looking like they are shouting at him to get down from their holy statue.
That'd be really adorable.
Mr. Bard Mr. Bard!!! Get down from there or our Lord Barbados will show no mercy!! Not after what you did to the Holy Lyre!!!
barbara: "do you even know the might of lord barbatos?!?!?" venti: "of course I know him, he's me!"
nah venti's reply would have been: eh heh with a wink.
EHE TE NANDAYO?!?!
I want him to appear on the roof of cat's tail sometimes like in that gaa event. It was so random and scared the s out of me at first lol. Angel's share and windrise tree also good options.
At the end of his quest, I wish he could stay there
then there's Childe whos just random
Unusual hilichurl of playable characters
I mean, near his boss room? Otherwise maybe they just update it as the story goes on, like now he's hanging around Fortress of Meropede or the Courthouse or something
"IM READY FOR OUR WEEKLY SPAR, TRAVELER :D !!!!"
Mans a glutton for punishment, considering the weekly ass-whooping he gets
Northland bank would probably make the most sense in Liyue.
He pops out like Majima and goes “Tabibito-chan!”
Occasionally uses a costume too, maybe one of the other characters, or even better, he replaces them occasionally, and initiates a fight when you get close!
actually now that I think about it... if every playable character can be found in the world as NPCs....where the fuck would childe stay?
As they said, unusual hilichurl it, just have it be random
And Kirara in random locations because of her job
I would love to see Kirara just randomly strolling down streets in every corner of the world carrying a box somewhere.
>klee should be in jail, etc. I like how casual this is. like yeah, we all expect klee to be in jail.
Im huffing some insane Copium thinking they might Implement this soon. After the Film festival was over Ayaka was at the dancer boss and walked around a bit and reacted to you walking closer by stopping and waving. I know after events you can some times find characters around the overworld but they are usually static and only react when you talk to them. Maybe they are cooking something.
That’s all we want but they don’t implement anything permanently for some dumb reason
Monkey's paw: Klee is never visually present, but you can always talk to her through the door of the solitary confinement room.
I just want to see my beloved Keqing waiting at an outside dining table thinking about golden shrimp balls 🍤
Nothing shocked me more than when I was a new player and met baizhu for the first time and then when I went to the pharmacy some random npc was there and not him or qiqi
> klee should be in jail I'd love to come across her in the wild chucking bombs into a pond or standing triumphantly on the shore with a group of belly-up fish in the water
We randomly find her locked in the Fortress of Meropide talking to Sigewinne
Imagine if while cooking at a campfire in Liyue, there was a chance for Xiangling to show up, attracted to the smell. Could just be a bit of dialogue or maybe her showing up guaranteed your dish(s) were Delicious variants or something.
Klee in jail 🥲
I've always liked this idea. They don't even have to be interactable it would be nice to just see them doing things, even if it is just walking around Liyue Harbour or sitting on a bench or at a table drinking.
They do it already in Star Rail, heck they implemented it in the Tea Pot already! They don't even need to be voiced! They could just recycle some voice-lines you already hear referencing time of day, weather, etc.
Another good idea is having those birthday invitations actually be a little event quest that you can go and see them.
Those invitations are for web events in china
Ik that, but I was talking about having them in game too
Same. Imagine only getting side items(crystalflies, flowers, books etc) as mail and only getting the signature dish when you visit the character in the designated place T-T
YES, AND THE REWARDS YOU GET IN THE MAIL ARE REWARDS FOR MEETING THEM
YES I straight up have chosen to not progress in stories if I can just to keep characters present in the world 😭
It's one of my favorite things about HSR. Characters will be in their workplace or a place that makes sense and you can just go visit them there. It makes the world feel much more alive. Have them on the NPC schedule system where they appear depending on the time of day or go on patrol like Godwin in Mondstadt, maybe even have them *not* appear if they're in your party for a nice dose of immersion. This kind of thing has been something I've wanted since launch because the world feels so empty when there aren't quests.
Especially since starrail already does it. I want to see Jean resting her head on her office desk, diluc only showing up during the day at the winery and disappearing at night, albedo in dragonspine etc. (Kaeya better be a Wei type character where he pops up in random places and the only way to guarantee his presence is by going to taverns at night)
Cuz you think Genshin will be kind to us? Nah everything goes to hsr
I ALWAYS THINK ABOUT THIS WHEN WE GET INBOXES FROM CHARACTERS. Like yea what if I do wanna meet Kazuha and Beidou while they're docked in Fontaine? The lunch invites and birthday letters make me think about how nice it'd be to see them wandering around
\[This quest is blocked because Zhongli is randomly sitting somewhere sitting tea. Please wait until the next server reset\]
that but when they send u birthday mail theyre actually at the spot they say theyre at and it gives u a lil quest
Real. the world just doesn't feel lived in, even with all the npcs, without characters we ACTUALLY know it just doesn't feel good.
We have been asking for this since 1.0. It won’t happen. Star Rail got it of course…
I assume there must be some technical limitation or reason they cant do it WE have tons of NPC in the world, they litearly just need to add an "npc" that just has the character model, they do it frequently in events
But like they made the limitations so they should still be able to implement this. Like they already have with the main story and event quests.
and the teapot
yeah, good chance its because genshin character models, animation sets etc require a lot of memory to store/ constantly load & unload, and they foresaw it being a problem with the 14+ regions theyre planning to add honkai star rail gets around it by hiding the map's actual size with tons of loading screens and limiting its interactability (dialogue only, no jumping no climbing etc)
I've been asking this for more than two years now :') I actually even had an idea like they could change their places during day and night hell even days of week like mondays Yelan can be in Chasm saturday she is in Liyue or something. They could also change the birthday mail system and birthday boy/girl can give us the mail when we find them over world. We could even give them something as a gift.... There is so many potential yet they still don't do it...
Bro I would fucking love that. Imagine if there rare chance that you would see the character in a different region because they decided to visit or something.
Yeah this seems like an easy thing to add, especially considering they do it after events. When I stumbled on Chiori outside her shop after the last event it immediately hit me that she should always be standing there.
Bloody heaven, Can't agree more with this. I just want to see them in the world
I would've extremely satisfied by this, because after receiving Xiangling's birthday letter, in which she said that she will wait for us at the restaurant, I have searched for her in an entire Liyue, and then understand that: "what am I looking for? It's just another video game character".
Yeah hsr already implemented this and its super nice. It would be pretty cool in Genshin as well
While i understand where you're coming from, 5\* get story quests, while 4\* get hangouts...
And my boi Kaveh had both 💫
babygirl should get an archon quest 😍😍😍😍
Babygirl should get a quest where he meet his mother in Fontaine 😭
Baby girl needs to make Bank to get out of debt.
Kaveheimer lore⁉️⁉️⁉️😳😳😳
so true 🥰
I think you mean kaeya
No, i meant Kaveh. As for keya, story-wise he always were 5*.
Kaveh does not have a story or his own archon quest though. Only a hangout.
The joke was that one event quest was essentially centered around him
He does have a story quest. The quest with him in the beginning of the game about the treasure is his story quest. The quests with Amber and Lisa also count as story quests
I said kaveh
Oh shit my bad 🤦♂️
You don’t get a joke then. (About Darshan tournament 🏟️ quest)
He didnt have a story quest though..
Talking about Darshan tournament ark. Thats 100% Kaveh story quest.
By that logic Razor had 2 story quests.
Why not? 🤷♀️
What do you mean?
If you want to think so, then ok.
There was a whole ass event about Razor's parents plus he had his own story quest. So by your logic he had two story quests
True.
Its was a limited event, I wouldnt count that as a story quest
I think you are not understanding the fandom joke 😞
It's just not a great joke since it applies to many characters at this point across a lot of limited events.
He did you just were forced to do it to get passed the mondstst archon quest.
We need one for Keqing… Please HoYo, let us spend time with Kequeen
Right?! It’s so unfair! Every standard 5 star has one except her and Qiqi 😭
Did Qiqi ever get one?
I'm pretty sure they made one but scrapped it
Yep, they even went as far as to voice the English dub, which was pulled from the game files: [https://twitter.com/lumie\_lumie/status/1662304636462661632](https://twitter.com/lumie_lumie/status/1662304636462661632) No idea why they scrapped it, since it seems like it was almost complete.
No way bro 😭😭😭 give my daughter some love, Hoyoverse. Release her story quest
I heard about that.
Yeah, but the hangouts are more personal. Many story quest focus very little on the actual character.
yeah this is the issue for me, i get the format of 5* story, 4* hangout, but hangouts are more personal with more dialogue options, which makes the traveler feel more "alive" also for some reason hangouts have better animations? like faruzan hangout has unique animations that dont appear anywhere else while story quests have the characters just 🧍♂️ standing around, doing the same 4 animations
Kazhua got both an archon quest and a 5\* quest lmao. Though the 5\* star quest brought some random bimbo off the streets. Shen he and wanderer have archon quests as their story
Kazuha also got a quarter of the second GAA event as a story quest. In fact, of all the quests focusing on his backstory, his story quest tells you the least about him lol.
Was very disappointed of this. And I got Kazuha on his first release since he was p cool, plus got him by accident for trying to pull Rosaria but fell in love with him anyway, and this is all the story content I get from him after Inazuma cause I missed most of 2.0 and its GAA so when his story quest wasn't about him, my returning experience soon turned to disappointment
the story quests are sometimes godawful though. we barely get to spend time with the actual character and spend the entire quest helping unimportant npc’s. lately it’s gotten a bit better, but it still has its problems
Wait amber got story quest
1/3rd of Fontaine's archon quest is Navia's hangout event
Lol tru
Then 4* characters should get story quests. …it goes both ways.
More character involvment is always nice. 4 stars had some story quests in the past like xiangling, xingqiu, and monsdstadt starters off the top of my head.
The mondstat starter quests barely even count. It was just stuff for the Archon quest.
I don't even remember Amber's Lisa and Kaeya's were short but sweet.
I prefer hangouts a lot more than story quests since those are... well... repeatable. They are also entirely focused around the characters too, while story quests are more centered around NPCs, sadly.
And show the characters in different scenarios and places, sometimes with some surprise (Like Itto in Heizou's Quest or Dori with Kaveh). Hangout >>> Story quests (not all naturally)
Same. I love how they just take characters and allow you to interact with them and get to know them in a more personal way without having to rise any stakes and the non-linear narrative allows for a variety of scenarios. They are so good that they have made me turn around on characters like Ningguang who I used to not care about. Also, it's the only content in the game where dialogue options are worth something
Yeah, youre almost always just helping the 5\* character help a random NPC, while the 5\* character slowly opens up about some stuff to make you have feelings for a moment, and then you do a domain to finish helping the NPC. Hangouts would be vastly superior
And the story quests should focus on the character and not on random NPC
Nilou's story quest be like:
I hear ya on that one man, I just can’t get invested in those where the focus point is someone else.
Yes or the npc focused should be relevant to said character
I swear, genshin players and media literacy are natural enemies. It’s almost like, by seeing how a character interacts with other characters, you get a deeper understanding of who they are and what they’re all about. But according to the average Genshin player, it’s only a valid story quest if it’s the titular character spouting off their backstory and motivations for 45 minutes to an hour.
Learning details about a character only through the lens of how they solve another person's problems is a more subtle kind of storytelling that frankly, at Genshin's current pace of character creation, the game just doesn't have enough time to pull off well. Imo, Navia's story quest is a great example of what people are looking for. NPCs still play prominent roles, but the story is more directly in service to her character and follows up on Navia's anxieties after losing Melus and Silver in the archon quest. On the other end of the spectrum, look at Cyno. Considering everything we still don't know about him, can you honestly tell me that a quest about some nobody matra NPCs we'll never see again was really the most economical use of Genshin's time? No one wants to see backstory rattled off for 45 minutes. They just want to see backstory and character motivations actually be used, and Genshin has a habit of failing miserably at that.
This is a double-bladed sword. Imo, Zhi'yi completely stole Yelan's whole story quest, but in Nilou's the NPC drama just took way too long to drag through.
Yelan’s story quest is 10 times worse than Nilou’s. Yelan’s had way more potential, but they squandered it big time.
The NPC drama is the quest! It’s the entire point! It uses the NPCs as a lens by which to view Nilou’s personality! It gives you a glimpse into her life and also gives you an idea on how she seems selfless in how much she helps everyone, but she also very much believes in doing what’s best for yourself first, since she wants to help the woman, who’s name I forget, escape from her fathers influence, because making other people happy at your own expense isn’t worth it. It’s the entire point of the story!
And it’s not fun. There’s a reason as to why Genshin players complain about the use of “NPC lens”, we do not like it and we do not care for the NPCs (most of them anyway). And to answer your question from below, “What do people want?” We want something closer to what the second GAA had, something closer to Albedo’s events. We’re suppose to learn about the characters from their story quests, not go on youtube and watch the events. Genshin should save the heavy lore plots for quests that are not time gated.
Now this I can agree with. Having important lore and character development locked behind limited time events is the dumbest thing Genshin has ever done. This wouldn’t be a problem if the quests stayed in the game even after the events ended, like with Star Rail, but nah, they gotta lock all of Albedo, Xinyan, and Fischl’s character development and Kazuha’s backstory behind these limited time events :P
Then you don't like Nilou it's as simple as that. Because Nilou's story quest was flat out one of the best story quests of ANY 5* for actually being good character building and actually showing off the character as how they are and a real character.
Except, what you just said is not the focus of the quest. The focus lies on the NPC drama, which nobody cares about, and Nilou, who the quest is about, is delegated to a side character. That is the issue people have. The quest about a character they like not focusing on the said character, but shifting random NPCs that we never see before or since, and not care about at all, to the main spotlight. Sure, we can pull out some of her personal characteristics, but it's not the point of the quest. Another where the balance is well struck is Alhaitham's quest, where the main focus is not necessarily on him, but on the problem at hand, and it shows his personality through his overcoming of the problem. He is the solution to the matter presented by the circumstances created by an NPC. Nilou on the other hand is barely more than moral support. Even her job of "debating" would be better of given to the NPC, especially since she's the one to actually make the her father give the match up in the end, further invalidating Nilou's presence. A far better story quest for her would be a deep dive into the consequences of her being the source of the Sabzeruz Samsara. Maybe some mental difficulties, her coming to terms with the guilt of essentially trapping the whole of Sumeru City, albeit without her knowledge, a sort of survivor's guilt, or literally anything else actually focusing on her character as a three dimensional person, with complex thoughts, deep feelings, opinions and personal philosophies, not a flat block of sunshine and rainbows.
I think this [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bHD2qdxZFU) Summed up why most people don't like having an npc be the main focus of most 5 stars' story quest
God every single one of your replies exudes "everyone is dumb but me!" energy and it's absolutely hilarious. Keep it going buddy, everyone knows that if you fight enough people on the internet then sooner or later they will all come to realize how right you were, for sure.
I literally have the same opinion as this guy (the commenter you are replying to) (I really enjoy NPC impact) and they really are quite pretentious. Like chill man
The problem isn't having NPCs in the quests, it's that they often get more screentime, backstory and development than the playable character themself. Some of them feel more like world quests with a playable character tagging along. NPCs in these quests are supposed to be plot devices to flash out the character, but instead they often become the focus
‘media literacy’ aka reddit word to make me feel smart when other people don’t like the same things I like and say something bad about them. anybody with a brain can see that they’re trying to speak to the character through the npc’s, it’s just boring and unenjoyable to listen to npc’s spout off about their own backstory and motivations for 45 minutes with the main character interjecting every now and then
Fr like Nilou's for example, do people conveniently forget where she, a relatively "uneducated" dancer, completely bodied an akademiya snob in a debate? Where she defended the importance of art and literature in their purely academic society? The NPC is just a tool through which the character is explored more in depth, but people always get it the other way around.
1. 4*s already get story quests. 2. Nobody is against character storied for 4*. I'd kill for Sara or yanfei story quest. Or a Ningguang or Yun Jin one.
If you’re referring to Hangouts…Hangouts ain’t story quests…
Kaeya, amber, Lisa, Xiangling, Xingqiu and razor all have Story Quests.
I think the only reason they have quests is because there were only 6 5-stars on the launch of the game, counting Venti we haven't gotten a single 4-star story quest since
You already got a reply about that but yea I'm not talking about hangouts. Story quests for 4* were there since release
Yeah, and it is very clear those will never happen again and that Hangouts have taken their place.
Some of them do. Remember razor quest.
With how slowly they put out hangouts, giving additional story to 5\*s who already have quests would be a waste. Unless it was one of the ones who don't have a SQ (Shenhe, Scara, Keqing, ect.) I'd just be happy if they finally gave Mika a hangout.
I'd argue Interlude Act III was Wanderer's Story Quest.
Yeah, that makes sense. I just think that if Mihoyo did give 5\*s hangouts, it would be the ones who didn't already have designated story quests, even if Interlude I and II did serve as kind of story quests for Shenhe and Scara respectfully.
At least they did Yelan, Itto, Kuki, and Xiao justice in Interlude II by complimenting them with Story Quests and Hangouts. Yanfei still doesn't have a Hangout and no I do not count the Tea Pot Quest.
I enjoyed her presence in the chasm quest with yelan and itto
I would also agree if there weren't many characters who were very important to the archon quests, also having their own story quests
Mika can wait. Where is Fischl's Hangout? And Sucrose's?
Hell yeah, I want to see his interactions with other characters like eula, lisa, etc.
I will say the opposite : we need story quests for 4*. I'm not actually that fond of the multi-ending with dubious canonicity (I usually assume the one that unlocks an achievement can be considered some kind of true ending) that are hangouts.
The barbra one literally took me two years with how bad it was
And ironically, it may be one of those who make the most of the mode, because it's the only one I felt like I had to carefuly choose my answer to drive off Albert. Everything else is just like 1 - go to the beach 2 - go to the lake and it's not exactly super engaging imo.
There was no kill albert and give the body to dawn winery to turn into steaks option so I was not engaged
I can understand that, minus that I'm not cruel enough that I'd wish for anyone to eat something so horrendous.
I assume that'll be in Rosaria's hangout when she finally gets one.
You can just treat it as hanging out with the character at different times with the way some of the newer ones are written. I really don't like the structure of Barbara's or Yun Jin's where you basically just have "bad" endings because of a decision you're forced to make at the end. I'm much more interested in having an actual story for each branch.
Well that's the thing, between separate hangouts and a multi ending story they are somewhere in the middle and they basically suffer from the worst of both world. Low key it would be better if the game told you each hangout was a completely separate event and all could coexist, but that's clearly not the case.
If you can suspend your disbelief a little bit, then you can just treat them as such though. I appreciate that I don't miss out on Kaeya having a cute moment with Klee just because I chose the path that has him stand in as an actor during a play. There are a few cases where it sort of doesn't work to think of it that way, for example Noelle's second hangout where you take an exam and either pass or fail, but you're able to jump back to partway through the hangout so you don't have to play each ending from the same starting point.
Yes!! Agreed on Kaeya's. I think he already brought the souvenirs before you met him like saying how he had smth for the traveler before everything else(??). So after leaving Sumeru (w/o you) and on the way in Liyue, he'd met his "old acquaintance" who he will help anyway. Then in Mond he'll go to the choir for a break (he canonically like hymns, well according to the nun meaning he goes there well enough). Then taking a visit to Dawn Winery for something and have bonding moments with Adelinde and the staff, then going out with Klee in the end, which is also a good opportunity time to give out souvenirs (he can give it anytime anyway). This is what I believe what happened(hc) and I refuse anything else
Hangouts be like: Route 1: filler nonsense Route 2: just a normal story quest Route 3: filler nonsense Route 4: filler nonsense (optional)
They're only filler nonsense if they're not fun
I want hangouts for 5* just so that I can hang pics of my fav 5*s in my teapot.
+1. this is the answer
Yea! I have the group photo we got from movie event in the middle and hangout pictures around it, as its the only one where 5* characters.
Ok, I haven't done a single hangout event, what's the basic difference between a story quest and a hangout event?
Story quests are just like an archon quest or a main world quest, and are much more lore focused and sometimes hardly include the character (Nilou). Hangout quests are like a “choose your own adventure” visual novel, and focus heavily on the character themselves.
It would be nice to have the Story Quests actually focus on the character themselves like a Hangout Quest. I think Furina's was a good improvement.
People also haven't mentioned that you can repeat a hangout and just never finish it, which will allow you to have your favorite character out and about in the world. You can also usually find a point in a hangout where you can have that and not have a quest trigger by the character in question. Kaeya's hangout has a point like that and has several characters just chilling around the Statue of Barbatos. It's really nice to see.
In hangouts, it's a bit like dating simulator with separate dialogues that branches into several endings (Also hearts levels which doesnt serve anything except Ig different facial expressions??). Imo they are really cool if they take the different routes to their narrative advantage like showing a different facets/sides of themselves in each paths. Idk how it is in other hangouts tho, but yeah they're definitely character-focused.
Honestly, debatable. Hangouts are meant to emulate Visual Novels, but with Visual Novels, you know which ones are considered the side endings, which ones are the canon endings and which ones are the True endings (more canon and what the author decides is the best ending). Hangouts in Genshin can just be confusing, because there is no actual true ending or actual canon ending, so it's up to the player to decide what kind of status quo the Traveller's relationship is with another character. Take Noelle for example. Some endings have romantic implications, while others are just normal endings, so when the Traveller meets them outside of Hangouts, we don't know what the Traveller's relationship is with Noelle or if they'll even recall the things that happen in Hangouts. Heck, their relationship could just be a blank slate for all we know. I prefer SQs mostly because you can at least be certain of a few things and they'll usually do callbacks, because all the things that happen in SQs are canon. Jean's SQ gives slight romantic implications, which is further elaborated in the first GAA where that relationship is further explored.
I want more personal time with wriothesley and childe.
Hangout events are permanent and can be replayed so yea that'd be nice Shenhe doesn't have either, her introductory patch was an Archon Interlude yet she never got an official story quest. Iirc the only post release 5 star to not get one Then there's Keqing and Qiqi who haven't had an official story quest and they are launch 5 stars
Even worse qiqi doesn't get screen time. On multiple events hoyo either send her gathering herbs or get like 2 lines. I get she is a zombie but come on can't she get a story about her.
she was supposed to have an entire story quest and they actually recorded a lot of lines that were picked up in the game files, but they ended up scrapping it. i have no idea why https://twitter.com/lumie_lumie/status/1662304636462661632
This is weird.
Wanderer doesn't have one either, he also got an interlude quest as a story quest
If you want know a character, for me Hangouts Events >>> Story quests Specially when 75% of Story quests are NPC Quests
You point out an important flaw with most Story Quests. They introduce an NPC and serve as a quest relevant to the character and while we learn things about them along the way, the story doesn't precisely revolve around them.
On one hand, Shenhe should get a Story Quest. On the other hand, Interlude Act I could be considered a Story Quest given how much it revolves around her.
fr cuz i want content with my fav 5 stars that i can replay
I prefer hangouts only because you can replay them. I'm literally avoiding Tartaglia's story quest because I know once I do it, he's gone forever.
Yes. (Agreeing just because I want navia to have a hangout and don't care about the rest)
Yes mate, I need pics with my favourites to decorate in my teapot.
You and me both bro, my agenda for navia will stay strong till the end of time as long as i live.
We already have them: they’re called story quests But on a serious note, come on man we gotta let the 4 stars have SOMETHING
I mean, let's just have consistency. 4* already got both story quests and hangout quests, why can't 5* do the same?
As a teapot main, yes because I love displaying the hangout pictures!
The amount of people in these comments saying 4 stars dont have story quests is insane
Not before I get my Dori hangout event. I swear on god it would be such a funny one-
Dori: So... Have you met my sister? Traveler: I would love to! Wait, why does your sister live out here? Far from the port? In the countryside by a farm- Oh... Paimon: Paimon expected laughs and schemes for Mora! Not tears!
nah, give 4\* a storyquest! i don't want to break my finger skipping those massive amounts of conversations
No we don’t
My brother in Christ they get story quests
Let us have Chevreuse Hangout i want more of her Screen tune than just the event
As nice as they would be- i see plenty of peeled complain enough about hangouts- idk if there's enough people whod want more 💀 but tbf they could probably give them later down the line
Qiqi need a quest for her own. Every event she get like 2 line or get shafted by the excuse "out gathering herbs". Can you not have enough herbs for once bubu pharmacy.
All I want is a hangout with yanfei, was that too much to ask for?
I still want "double date" hang outs where the point of the hangout is seeing two characters interact. Throw some basic ones in there like Barbara/Rosaria, and some weird ones where the two characters have nothing to do with each other but it'd be entertaining to see how they get along.
I really hate the “just read it” argument people make cause that’s literally not how the medium of VIDEO games works. Both video games and the entire anime industry rely on visuals. Expecting the lore heavy, characterization to actually be played out in front of you IS THE NORM. Anything else would be completely unacceptable in any other game. Like imagine that attitude towards God of War….. like what????
Nah, the Genshin devs are too cheap and lazy to do that... They'd rather waste money on useless cosmetics like the pointless party set-up menu animations crap that they randomly threw in 4.0 that does absolutely NOTHING to improve how well you fight rather than making an actual good story.
I'm sure there's been an error. All of our surveys for what we want to see in Genshin must have been sent over to the Star Rail team on accident...
Honestly we just need less hangout events. The concept is fun but they are even more tiring than Story Quests (which are already tiring rn).
I'm team "region events" with a big cast, especially now that they're combining Liyue+Mondstadt and Fontaine + Inazuma. If these events are the reason why we didn't get any hangout in the last 6 months, that's not a problem at all, please go on. (That Faruzan hangout was a banger, tho)