Decoding the Gacha Grind: How Common is Hard Pity in Games Like Genshin Impact?
Hard pity. The term itself evokes a sense of both relief and frustration for players of gacha games like Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail. While developers don’t explicitly reveal the exact mechanisms, the term “pity” system refers to the system set to ensure the player receives a valuable item after a specific number of attempts. So, how often does that dreaded (but ultimately guaranteed) hard pity actually hit?
The direct answer: Hitting hard pity is relatively uncommon, but not as astronomically rare as some might believe. In Genshin Impact, for example, while the individual probability of getting a 5-star character on the 90th pull (the hard pity) is extremely low (reports claim 1 in 13 million), the game’s soft pity system, which kicks in around 75-80 pulls, dramatically increases the likelihood of getting a 5-star before reaching that 90th pull. Data analysis from countless player wish logs has confirmed the existence of soft pity. If one considers the chances of getting a 5-star at or before 90 pulls, most players report getting it earlier.
Therefore, while hitting the absolute hard pity is statistically rare, the impact of soft pity means that most players will obtain their desired character or item before reaching that point. However, it is worth noting that the number of pulls to achieve this guaranteed hit may still be significant enough to cost quite a bit of money, which is why many players opt for F2P (free-to-play) strategies, which may require waiting a few months to earn enough primogems, or other in-game currencies, to get a character.
Understanding Pity Mechanics
To truly understand how common (or uncommon) hard pity is, we need to dive deeper into the underlying mechanics:
- Base Rate: The initial probability of pulling a 5-star character in Genshin Impact is 0.6%. This is a very low percentage, designed to encourage players to engage with the gacha system more often.
- Soft Pity: Around the 75th pull, the probability of pulling a 5-star starts to increase significantly. This is referred to as soft pity. The exact rate increase is not publicly disclosed by miHoYo, but community data suggests a considerable jump.
- Hard Pity: At 90 pulls, the game guarantees a 5-star character. Even if the RNG gods have forsaken you, you will get a 5-star at this point.
- Banner Types: Pity mechanics are also based on the banner type. Character banners and Standard banners have 90 wishes, while the weapons banner has 80.
- 50/50 System: On limited character banners, you have a 50% chance of getting the featured character on your first 5-star pull. If you lose the 50/50 (meaning you get a non-featured 5-star), your next 5-star is guaranteed to be the featured character.
- Pity Carryover: Crucially, pity carries over between banners of the same type. If you pull 70 times on one character banner and then a new banner appears, those 70 pulls count towards the pity on the new banner.
Factors Influencing Pity Occurrence
Several factors influence how often you might encounter hard pity:
- Spending Habits: Players who consistently pull on banners are less likely to hit hard pity simply because they’re pulling more frequently.
- Luck (RNG): Of course, luck plays a significant role. Some players get incredibly lucky and pull multiple 5-stars in a single ten-pull. Others experience long dry spells.
- Banner Choices: Concentrating pulls on a single banner increases the likelihood of hitting soft pity and potentially getting a 5-star before hard pity. Splitting pulls across multiple banners can dilute your progress.
- Game Version/Updates: While less common, game developers might slightly tweak the gacha rates or pity mechanics in updates, although they rarely announce these changes publicly. These changes are often noticed and calculated by players.
Is Hard Pity a Bad Thing?
While no one wants to hit hard pity, it serves an important purpose: It acts as a safety net, ensuring that players who have been particularly unlucky don’t get completely shafted. Knowing that a 5-star is guaranteed within 90 pulls provides a sense of assurance and encourages players to continue engaging with the game. It also serves to entice players to spend money to ensure they reach the goal.
For free-to-play players, understanding the pity system is crucial for resource management. Knowing that pity carries over allows them to strategically save their primogems (or equivalent currency) and plan their pulls around banners that feature characters they truly want.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some frequently asked questions to further clarify the nuances of hard pity and gacha mechanics:
1. Is hard pity guaranteed in Genshin Impact?
Yes, hard pity guarantees a 5-star character on your 90th pull on character and standard banners, and an equivalent item on the weapons banner at 80 wishes.
2. Does pity carry over from banner to banner?
Yes, pity carries over for banners of the same type. Character banner pity carries over to new character banners, and weapon banner pity carries over to new weapon banners. Standard banner pity also carries over, but it is on a separate track.
3. What is soft pity, and when does it start?
Soft pity is the point at which the probability of pulling a 5-star character increases significantly. This typically starts around the 75th pull in Genshin Impact.
4. How much does it cost to reach hard pity?
Reaching hard pity requires 90 wishes, and each wish costs 160 primogems. Therefore, it costs 14,400 primogems to guarantee a 5-star character. This converts to around $200 USD if you buy primogems directly, but it is much lower if you get them for free and save up.
5. Does getting a 5-star reset pity?
Yes, pulling a 5-star character resets the pity counter back to zero.
6. What is the 50/50 system?
The 50/50 system applies to limited character banners. When you pull a 5-star character, there’s a 50% chance it will be the featured character on the banner. If you lose the 50/50 (i.e., get a different 5-star), your next 5-star is guaranteed to be the featured character.
7. Does the 50/50 carry over?
Yes, the 50/50 guarantee also carries over between character banners. If you lose the 50/50 on one banner, your next 5-star on a subsequent character banner is guaranteed to be the featured character.
8. Does pity expire?
No, pity does not expire. Your pity count remains the same regardless of how long it’s been since your last pull, as long as you remain in the same banner type.
9. What is the pity rate in Honkai Star Rail?
The pity system in Honkai Star Rail is similar to Genshin Impact. Hard pity is at 90 pulls, and soft pity starts around 75 pulls.
10. How do I calculate my current pity?
You can track your pity by going to the “History” section of the Wish menu in Genshin Impact. Count the number of pulls since your last 5-star character. This will tell you your current pity count.
11. Can I get a 5-star before 75 pulls?
Yes, it’s possible to get a 5-star before 75 pulls, although it’s statistically less likely. Remember that the base rate is 0.6%, so there’s always a chance of an early pull.
12. Are some 5-star characters better than others?
Yes, the power levels of 5-star characters vary. Some characters are considered more versatile or powerful in certain team compositions.
13. Do weapons and characters share the same pity?
No, weapons and character banners have separate pity counters. Pulling on one type of banner does not affect the pity on the other.
14. What are the chances of getting a 5 star at exactly 90?
While there is a chance, the hard pity will guarantee a 5-star character, but the chances are low. Community research states it is 1 in 13 million chance to actually hit hard pity at 90 pulls.
15. Why didn’t I get a 5-star after 90 pulls?
If you didn’t get a 5-star after 90 pulls, double-check the following:
- Make sure all 90 pulls were on the same type of banner (character, weapon, or standard).
- Confirm that your pity counter is actually at 90.
- Contact customer support if you believe there’s a genuine issue.
Embracing the Gacha
The gacha system in games like Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail can be both exciting and frustrating. Understanding the pity mechanics, including the likelihood of hitting hard pity, allows players to make informed decisions about their spending and resource management. While hard pity itself is relatively uncommon, it provides a crucial safety net for unlucky players. It is the player’s knowledge and resource management skills that help them to get the best results for their gaming experience.
To learn more about game mechanics and design, consider exploring resources like the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org, which offers valuable insights into the world of game-based learning and design.