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| [Jump] |
| 1. Question the Commitment |
| 2. Question the Purpose |
| 3. Question the Cost |
| 4. Set Your Budget in Advance |
| 5. It’s Good to Be Stingy |
| 6. There is no Carry-Over |
| 7. Think Cheap |
| 8. Stick with Guarantees |
| 9. Don’t Let the System Play You |
| 10. Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself |
The following list is a series of tips and guidelines to help players protect their financial and mental health while playing gacha games.
!!!DISCLAIMER!!!
Gacha games have many different systems and applications. Similarly, players have different financial situations and mental health backgrounds.
Gacha games can be played and engaged with without issue, but they can also be incredibly unhealthy for you.
This list can only serve as a series of loose tips. Please do not take them as professional financial or health advice.
Before you spend any money on a gacha game, ask yourself:
If the answer to any of these is no, maybe keep your wallet closed for now.
Another question you should ask yourself is: Why do you wish to spend?
Are you spending because you want to, or because you feel pressured to?
Only spend when you’re already enjoying yourself with the game. Not because you think spending will help you enjoy a game you’re not enjoying already.
Don’t spend money you don’t have. Make sure that whatever you intend to spend does not infringe in any way on your quality of life.
Gacha games typically use a live service format. Every few weeks, a new update drops with a bunch of new content.
As new updates come, so do new banners where you can pull for new items or characters. Often with various fun trailers and shiny advertising to draw you in.
But be careful! Don’t let this tempt you into wild spending!
If you notice you often find yourself spending on the game, or if you plan to do so in the future, try and set your budget in advance. And draw a HARD line.
Set your budget to 20 bucks for the next update? Do not exceed it! If you’ve spent your 20 bucks, it’s over. No more spending this patch.
If you set your budget to 100 bucks for this patch, that does not mean you should try and meet that 100 bucks. If you can get what you want with just 15 bucks, then only spend 15 bucks.
If you do not spend your entire budget, do not carry what remains over to the next patch. The rest goes back into your wallet for your savings.
Make sure to compare the game’s different packs and systems. If you plan to spend money, figure out what options have the best bang for your buck.
Commonly, gacha games have some sort of monthly system that’s cheaper than straight top-ups. But make sure to do your homework before a penny leaves your wallet!
Gacha games are often likened to gambling, and that is for a reason.
If you rely on chance to get what you want, you are vulnerable to many of the same dangers as when playing a slot machine.
However, most modern gacha do have pity systems or direct purchase store systems.
If you want to keep your wallet intact, always wait until you can guarantee the result you wish for before you spend anything.
If the game guarantees the character you want at 90 pulls, and you have enough budget for 30 pulls, do not spend any money until you are at 60 pulls. Can’t reach 60 pulls before the banner’s over? Your wallet stays shut.
Each gacha game has a set of rules to their banner system. ‘Pity’ systems are systems where the game gives you improved odds and guarantees depending on how many times you’ve used a banner.
A VERY important rule to check up on is whether or not the banner’s ‘pity’ carries over to future banners.
Use knowledge of these rules to your advantage. Save your currency for characters you really want.
If pity carries over, you’re safe to use your free currency on a banner even if you can’t reach the max pity. But if it doesn’t carry over, always make sure to save your currency until you can reach max pity.
DON’T pull on banners just to increase your pity if you don’t want the characters on the banner. That’s a recipe for disaster.
If you have decided to follow any of the above guidelines, or other rules you have set for yourself, make sure you stand by them. This is a promise to yourself and to your wallet.
If you find yourself *breaking* your promise, it’s time to shut the wallet entirely. You go free-to-play. You cannot spend any more money. Take some time to reevaluate what happened, and manage your self control.
If, and only if, you are confident you can stick to your rules, you can open your wallet again.
If you find yourself breaking your rules repeatedly, or generally overspending, then you must become free-to-play permanently. If you find yourself still painfully tempted to spend, then consider quitting the game entirely. Games are fun, but they should never come at the cost of your quality of life.