Step aside, Genshin Impact. There’s a new free-to-play open-world action-RPG game heavily inspired by Breath of the Wild, and it’s called Tower of Fantasy.
Out on Aug. 10, 2022, Tower of Fantasy tasks the player as the Wanderer, an adventurer traversing a sci-fi universe where humanity has been forced off Earth and onto distant lands. Like Genshin, crisis looms on the horizon in this strange new world, and the player will serve a first-hand role in (hopefully) averting it. There’s adorable and lovable characters to meet, monstrous enemies to beat, a little emergency food-themed assistant to hang out with, and plenty of legendary women to fight your battles on the battlefield. Yes, it’s basically Genshin, but this time in a futuristic setting.
And like Genshin, there’s a gacha system. Luckily, Tower of Fantasy is a bit more forgiving than miHoYo’s Wish rolls. Here’s what you need to know about Special Orders if you’re just getting started with Tower of Fantasy.
What is a gacha system?
The term “gacha” comes from the word “gachapon,” small, spherical toy capsules originally created in Japan in the mid-20th century. The premise at the time was simple: Put some pocket change into a vending machine, and see if you can get your preferred character from your pull.
The idea eventually made the jump to video gaming through MapleStory and Monster Rancher, Inverse reports. But it was Konami’s Dragon Collection in 2010 that truly brought gacha into the mainstream. The free-to-play mobile dungeon crawler incentivized real-world purchases for loot chests, paving the way for the contemporary roll-based system most players know today.
Tower of Fantasy is just one of many games with a gacha system, but if your main entry into the mechanic is through Genshin Impact, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find Tower of Fantasy is much more forgiving. Gaining roll currency is far easier than Genshin, and Tower of Fantasy is very straightforward about how it hands out its characters. The game even tracks how many rolls you need before you get a guaranteed character drop.
How does the ‘Tower of Fantasy’ Special Orders gacha system work?
In Tower of Fantasy, gacha rolls are called “Special Orders.” Players can unlock the system from Scrapper after finishing the early game Ecological Station Intruders mission. Afterward, the game will reward you with your first roll, which should result in the SR-tier character Echo and her weapon. You can play as her by navigating to the Simulacra menu.
Tower of Fantasy offers various gacha banners. These are the different types of rolls that you can do for different types of characters. Think of them like separate vending machines. Certain characters can only be received from certain machines.
Each banner uses a color-coded nucleus for rolls, and you can roll with either one or 10 nuclei at a time. On launch, the main Weapons Galore banner uses Gold Nucleus rolls. The Prosperity of Ida banner uses Black Nucleus rolls. The limited-time event Rebirth of Clemency uses Red Nucleus rolls.
What are ‘SSR Weapons,’ and how do I get new characters?
Every Tower of Fantasy Special Order weapon is broken down into three tiers: SSR Weapons, SR Weapons, and R Weapons. Unlike Genshin, players obtain new characters by acquiring SSR and SR Weapons. These weapons lets players don the Simulacra provided by the weapon, or the embedded AI recreations of the renowned heroes found throughout Tower of Fantasy’s lore. In other words: Get an SSR or SR Weapon, and you get the character that comes along with it.
R Weapons are your standard equips, so you won’t receive a new character with them.
Tower of Fantasy breaks down your chance percentages in each banner’s More Info tab, and, we’ll be honest, the odds aren’t in your favor for a new character. The standard banner has a starting 0.75% chance for an SSR Weapon, with up to a 2% chance overall. SR Weapons start with a 1% chance, with that number ballooning up to 12%. Those chances are even lower with the Prosperity of Ida banner, which has a 0.3% chance on SSR Weapons, and a 3% chance on SR Weapons.
In other words, most of your rolls aren’t going to get you a new character.
Don’t worry, Tower of Fantasy has a pity system, or a roll threshold where the game throws you a high-tier character. The standard banner will throw you a guaranteed SR or SSR Weapon after 10 rolls, and you’ll receive a guaranteed SSR Weapon after 80 rolls. In other words, you’ll get a solid character after you obtain 80 Gold Nuclei, so be prepared to grind (or pay) a lot for the opportunity. The same system also works for the Rebirth of Clemency event.
Remember, the pity system is only for Gold Nucleus and Red Nucleus banners, and it does not transfer between banners. Your rolls are separate. The Prosperity of Ida banner also has no pity system at all. In that case, you’ll just have to keep your fingers crossed that the odds will end up in your favor.
How do I purchase a Gold Nucleus or Red Nucleus?
There’s a special store system in Tower of Fantasy that will let you obtain Gold Nuclei and Red Nuclei without having to do any in-game exploration. The most straightforward way is to purchase Tanium, which comes in packs of 60 Tanium ($0.99) to 6,480 Tanium ($99.99). One Tanium equals one Dark Crystal, and Dark Crystals can be converted to a Gold or Red Nucleus at 150 Dark Crystals each.
The game’s Pass system also offers Black and Gold Nuclei at certain level tiers, with the latter available by purchasing a pass upgrade. Completing various Starpath Navigation achievements will also earn you points that can be redeemed for Black or Gold Nuclei.
You’d be wise to rely on free opportunities for a Gold Nucleus, given there’s already so many in the game. Otherwise you’ll need at least 12,000 Dark Crystals for a guaranteed SSR Weapon pity drop on the standard banner, which is approximately $200 worth of in-game currency. If you’re really gunning for the rarest Simulacra on your standard banner, sure, you can drop a couple hundred bucks. But it’s honestly best to keep your microtransaction purchases to a minimum if you can just collect Gold Nuclei in-game other ways.
On the other hand, Red Nuclei are far more rare to come by. You’ll need to rely on collecting Dark Crystals in-game to convert them, or you’ll have to keep an eye out for special event opportunities. Otherwise, your only option is to stock up on Tanium and purchase Red Nuclei via the microtransactions shop in some shape or form (from buying daily supply boxes and limited gift packs to dropping 150 Tanium per roll).
So if you’re really eager to spend money on something in Tower of Fantasy, hoarding Red Nucleus purchases for your coveted 80 rolls is the best bang for your buck.
(Featured image: Level Infinite)
