Examining Resin Management Issues in Genshin Impact

Introduction

Genshin Impact, developed by HoYoverse (formerly miHoYo), has captivated millions of players worldwide since its launch in September 2020. Its expansive open world, stunning visuals, and engaging gameplay have garnered praise, but certain mechanics remain a source of frustration for players. One of the most debated aspects of the game is the Original Resin system, a resource that limits player progression. This article delves deeply into the challenges surrounding Resin management, its impact on gameplay, and potential solutions that could address player concerns.

Understanding the Resin System

What is Original Resin?

Original Resin is a regenerating resource in Genshin Impact, capped at 160 units. It is required to claim rewards from high-value activities such as:

• Domains: Used to farm character ascension materials, weapon enhancement items, and artifacts.
• Elite Bosses: Necessary for obtaining character ascension materials.
• Weekly Bosses: Required for rare items and talent level-up materials.
• Ley Line Outcrops: Essential for farming Mora (in-game currency) and experience books.

Players gain 1 Resin every 8 minutes, translating to a full refill approximately every 21 hours.

The Purpose of Resin

The Resin system acts as a stamina mechanic, designed to regulate player progression and incentivize regular logins. It is a core element of the game's "live service" model, ensuring sustained player engagement over time. However, this limitation has sparked criticism among both casual and hardcore players.

Challenges of Resin Management

Limited Daily Progression

For players aiming to build multiple characters and optimize their teams, 160 Resin per day feels insufficient. Farming materials for a single character’s ascension and talents can take weeks, especially when RNG (random number generation) comes into play for artifact drops.

Time-Gating Content

The Resin cap effectively time-gates progression. Players often find themselves logging in solely to spend Resin and then logging off, as they are unable to engage meaningfully with high-reward activities once their Resin runs out. This discourages extended gameplay sessions and creates a "check-in" rather than "play" dynamic.

Wasted Regeneration

If a player is unable to log in to the game for a full day, any Resin regenerated beyond the 160-cap is wasted. This penalizes players with irregular schedules or those who cannot log in daily, further exacerbating frustrations.

Impact on Player Experience

Artifact Farming Frustrations

RNG Dependency

Artifact farming is one of the most Resin-intensive activities in the game. Not only do players need to spend Resin to run artifact domains, but they must also contend with multiple layers of RNG:

1. The type of artifact piece (e.g., Flower, Feather, Circlet).
2. The artifact set bonus (e.g., Gladiator’s Finale, Viridescent Venerer).
3. The main stat of the artifact (e.g., Crit Rate, Attack%).
4. The sub-stats and their distribution upon upgrades.

The Grind vs. Reward Dilemma

Spending weeks farming for a specific artifact set often yields suboptimal results, leaving players feeling that their time and resources have been wasted. The Resin system exacerbates this issue by limiting the number of attempts a player can make each day.

Event and Content Restrictions

Limited Resin availability can hinder participation in special events and new content. Players are forced to choose between farming for progression or engaging with limited-time activities, creating a sense of "fear of missing out" (FOMO).

Player Retention Challenges

While the Resin system is designed to promote long-term engagement, it can backfire by alienating players who feel restricted. Hardcore players may burn out due to slow progression, while casual players may lose interest if they cannot make meaningful progress.

Community Feedback

Player Suggestions

The Genshin Impact community has proposed numerous solutions to address Resin-related frustrations, including:

• Increasing the Resin Cap: Raising the cap from 160 to 200 or higher to allow for more activities in a single session.
• Faster Regeneration: Reducing the time it takes to regenerate 1 unit of Resin from 8 minutes to 6 minutes or less.
• Alternative Resources: Introducing additional ways to earn or generate Resin, such as daily missions or event rewards.
• Removing Resin Requirements for Certain Activities: Allowing players to farm materials or artifacts without Resin restrictions.

Developer Response

HoYoverse has acknowledged player feedback regarding the Resin system. Over time, they have implemented minor changes, such as:

• Increasing the Resin cap from 120 to 160 shortly after launch.
• Introducing Fragile Resin and Condensed Resin, which provide limited flexibility in managing Resin usage.

However, these changes have been viewed as incremental and insufficient by many players.

Comparing Genshin Impact to Similar Games

Stamina Systems in Other Games

Many gacha games feature stamina systems, but Genshin Impact’s implementation is often viewed as more restrictive due to:

• The high Resin cost of activities relative to its regeneration rate.
• The importance of RNG-dependent activities like artifact farming.

For instance, Fate/Grand Order and Epic Seven allow players to stockpile stamina-restoring items, providing greater flexibility for extended play sessions. Genshin’s limited Fragile Resin supply pales in comparison.

Open-World Expectations

As an open-world RPG, Genshin Impact invites comparisons to games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Players expect the freedom to explore and progress at their own pace, but the Resin system undermines this sense of freedom.

Potential Solutions

Short-Term Fixes

Daily Bonus Resin

Providing players with a small daily Resin bonus (e.g., 40-60 Resin) would ease the progression bottleneck without breaking game balance.

Reduced Costs

Lowering the Resin cost of certain activities, such as Ley Line Outcrops or artifact domains, would allow players to achieve more each day.

Long-Term Overhauls

Stamina-Free Progression

HoYoverse could experiment with removing Resin requirements for non-essential activities, focusing its use on high-value rewards such as weekly bosses.

Reward Restructuring

Adjusting rewards to reduce RNG dependency would make Resin usage feel more impactful. For example, guaranteeing at least one optimal artifact drop per domain run could alleviate frustrations.

Conclusion

The Original Resin system in Genshin Impact remains a contentious issue, impacting progression, player satisfaction, and long-term engagement. While HoYoverse has made some improvements, the system’s fundamental limitations continue to frustrate players. By adopting community feedback and implementing meaningful changes, the developers have an opportunity to enhance the game’s appeal and address one of its most significant pain points.