Synthesizing new and better Items is the core gameplay loop of Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key, meaning you will constantly be on the hunt for better and rarer materials the deeper you go into your Skill Tree. This, in turn, makes Gathering Materials and Resources an even more crucial role in your endeavors.
Like everything else in Atelier Ryza 3, you have a direct impact and influence on the quality and amount of Materials you receive when Gathering them. While it can be very easy to ignore Synthesizing better Gear for yourself in the early goings, that will almost guarantee you a bad time when you're trying to make high-quality or new, Items.
Gathering Overview
Before we get into the thick of things, the first thing we recommend doing is Synthesizing all Gathering Survival Tools, which are available right from the jump. They are the Hammer, Woodcutter's Axe, Grass Sickle, Fishing Rod, and Catcher's Net. These Tools will allow you to interact with every Gathering Node you find when exploring. Some Gathering Nodes also have multiple kinds of Materials they can give you, depending on the Survival Tool you decide to use.
After you have every Gathering Tool created, you can freely explore the world and harvest everything and anything in sight, so long as you have enough room in your Basket for them. From this point onward, we recommend consistently upgrading your Gathering Survival Tools whenever you reach a new region or feel like you aren't getting the most out of them. Doing this will guarantee you are getting the most out of what you put in and will also give you higher quality Materials when Gathering, making whatever you're Synthesizing stronger by default. It's a win/win situation.
The higher the quality of the Materials you have, and the more of them you have, will allow you to quickly fill in the Material Loops when Synthesizing Items, giving you access to powerful bonuses. Follow this link for more information on Material Loops and the general Synthesis process!
Gathering Tips And Tricks
You will want to keep a few things in mind regarding Gathering Materials in Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key. First, you should constantly check what Materials you will get from a Gathering Node by holding down L1 (PlayStation) and cycling through your Tools. This will show you a small preview of the Materials you can receive from each Tool when you hover over them, allowing you to make an educated decision on which one to go with depending on if it's something you need or a new Material.
Furthermore, when exploring, you will periodically come across Materials that have a yellow aura around them. This indicated that they have a Super Trait attached to them, a crucial aspect of the Synthesis process. Super Traits can make any Item shine, so you should always Gather these Materials when you come across them, even if it is a Material you may not need at the moment. In some cases, a specific Weapon, Accessory, or piece of Armor will be unbelievably strong under the right circumstances, and the Super Traits and Effects almost always play a role in that.
Gathering Skills And Bonuses
Another way you can get the most out of Gathering is by unlocking Gathering-focused Skills via the Skill Tree. These Skills involve increasing the size of Ryza's Basket, enabling her to carry more Materials at a time to more exploration-focused Skills, such as the Emerald Band that allows you to access new areas. You can find our complete rundown of some of the best Skills you can get early on in your adventure here, which will hopefully shine a light on the general gameplay focus and loop of Ryza 3.
You can also Cook meals in this Atelier Ryza 3, a feature that sort of gets buried under the sheer volume of everything else the game focuses on. To Cook, you must find a Bonfire, which you will randomly stumble upon in various areas in each location, and you will have to interact with it and select the "Cook" option from the menu. Once here, you can access a handful of Recipes and will earn more by doing side activities for NPCs you will encounter throughout your adventure. One of these Recipes is for White Sauce Ragu, which boosts your Gathering Quality for five minutes.
Gathering Quality can be raised via Cooking, Synthesis Effects, and more, so always keep an eye out for any chance to increase it, as it will allow you to rake in some pretty high-quality Materials, which will make your life much easier in the long run. While it seems like there's a lot to worry about when it comes to Gathering, all you really need to keep in mind are the Tools you are using to harvest your Resources and any potential Buffs you can obtain to help you get the most out of it. Other than that, there's not much to it. All you're doing is roaming around, smacking things, and taking what pops out back to your Atelier to make cool and powerful things!