Xenoblade Chronicles 3 has several systems in place that can make your journey through Aionios less of a trudge, with almost every activity you can take part in rewarding you with crucial resources, stat boosts, and more. For example, the Affinity system tied to the game's many Colonies is one of the most critical side activities you can do in the game.
Raising your Affinity for each of the Colonies can seem daunting or tedious, and, on many occasions, it can be, but the rewards and payoff for doing so are well worth the time and effort it takes. Being able to traverse the enormous regions with much greater speed, being harder to detect by enemies, and much more make this system one you must pay attention to in Xenoblade Chronicles 3.
Affinity Overview
Affinity is a type of experience you can earn in Xenoblade Chronicles 3 by carrying out specific side activities for Colonies found throughout the several regions of Aionios. Each Colony has a star-based ranking system that goes from one star to five, with each rank providing you with stat bonuses that will help you out with exploration, traversal, and much more. You can find the list of every Affinity Bonus and their effects below!
Affinity Bonuses
|
Affinity Bonus |
Bonus Effect |
|---|---|
|
Speed Jogger |
Movement Speed is increased when outside of combat. |
|
Item Retriever |
Item Magnetism range is increased, drawing items in from a greater distance. |
|
Silent Steps |
The range at which monsters can detect you is reduced, making it harder for them to spot you from a distance. |
|
Shiny-Hunter |
Rare Monsters appear more frequently. |
|
Slow Digestion |
Stat Boosts and Effects from eating Meals in increased. |
|
Swift Swimmer |
Swimming Speed is increased. |
|
Caravan Call |
Nopon Caravans will begin to appear in Colonies. |
To view your Affinity Bonuses, do the following: Open the Menu with 'X' > Select 'Party Skills' > Tab over to 'Affinity Bonuses'
Affinity Chart
Since there are seven types of Affinity Bonuses and only five ranks in each Colony, you will have to lend a helping hand to many Colonies if you want to level up specific Bonuses. Furthermore, some Colonies may not even offer the Affinity Bonus you want, so be sure to check the Affinity Chart to see what each Colony offers for reaching specific ranks before you start grinding.
To access the Affinity Chart, open the menu with the 'X' button, then scroll down to 'Affinity Chart' and select it. Once in the Affinity Chart menu, you will see every Colony you have discovered spread across a map of Aionios. Hover over each Colony to see what each rank offers, and use the chart above to identify the Bonuses.
It's also crucial to note that you must liberate a Colony before you can start earning Affinity for them. So, if you see Colonies on your map without a ranking system, you probably haven't fully liberated them yet.
How To Earn Affinity
You can earn Affinity in several ways, allowing you to accumulate it as you thoroughly explore each region. While it will take quite a bit of time and effort to max a Colony's rank out, we think the results are well worth it, as being able to move throughout the vast world at a much greater pace makes exploration less of a pain. Nonetheless, you can find every way you can build Affinity up below!
See Off Husks, Off-Seer
As Off-Seers, Mio and Nioh are trained to usher the fallen into the afterlife, which they do by playing the flute. When you're out exploring, you will see motes of red light rising off Husks, indicating that you can see them off as an Off-Seer. This will also be marked by a yellow flute icon on your map and mini-map, allowing you to return to them later if there are challenging enemies in the region or you cannot reach that area yet.
Whenever you see a Husk out on your travels, simply approach it and hit the 'A' button to have Mio or Nioh (sometimes both) usher them into the afterlife with their flute, having the red motes of light turn into white orbs that ascend into the heavens above. The region you're in determines which Colony you gain Affinity for, and the amount of Affinity earned varies from Husk to Husk.
Side With A Colony In Skirmishes
Speaking of stumbling into things while exploring that can grant you Affinity, Skirmishes can act the same way depending on who or what the groups are in the scuffle. If you bump into a Skirmish that has a Colony in it, siding with them will reward you with Affinity Points for your help. However, while this is a decent way to net Affinity, some rewards such as the Nopon Coins pictured above are hard to come by, so make sure you want or need the Affinity Points before making snap judgments.
Additionally, while Skirmishes will respawn each time you load a checkpoint, they will never offer more rewards after you already claim them. Your choice is final, so be sure it's the best one for you. You can get Bonus EXP, Affinity Points, and Gold by doing many other things. In contrast, Nopon Coins only come from defeating Unique Monsters or opening some Yellow Containers, making them much harder to come across in comparison.
Collectopaedia Cards
Next up is probably the best way to earn quick Affinity. That is, as long as you have the materials. Collectopaedia Cards are Request Cards submitted into a browsable forum from various NPCs from every Colony you have liberated. There are tons of Requesters and Requests just waiting for you to Register and complete.
The first time you complete a Request will typically grant you a reward, Affinity, and EXP, with each subsequent completion offering Affinity and EXP only. However, some Requests have multiple tiers, offering you unique rewards upon each completion in addition to Affinity and EXP. If you have the materials or items to spare, this is an excellent method to earn lots of Affinity in a short period.
Clear Colony Quests
After liberating a Colony, you will suddenly have tons of quest opportunities at your disposal that it can almost be overwhelming. The vast majority of these quests will be obtained through the game's 'Investigation' system, where you can listen in on conversations between Colony members to learn of an issue that may need to be solved.
Once you obtain this information, you will go to a Rest Spot and 'Discuss' the topic, allowing you to begin the quest. Completing the quest will reward you with Affinity for its respective Colony, even if the 'Quest Details' page doesn't explicitly state so. Furthermore, some quests are picked up by speaking to NPCs with a blue or yellow '!' above their head, leading you to a Standard or Hero Quest, resulting in Affinity when completed.
Speak With Colony NPCs
While on the subject of speaking to folks in the Colony, talking to NPCs for the first time will grant you a small sum of Affinity, which can add up over time. If you see a yellow chat bubble with a star, speak to them! This typically indicates that they have something important to say or that you have yet to talk to them, making it worth your while either way.
Another crucial thing to note is that some NPCs will roam around at different times of day, allowing you to select your preferred time from the System Menu by doing the following: Open the Menu with 'X' > Select 'System' > Select 'Change Time.' This method allows you to change the time of day to catch NPCs at all hours of the day, making it possible to speak with everyone with little time or effort.
...Don't Forget The Merchants
Lastly, make sure to speak with the merchants that have set up shop in the Colony. This is easy to forget as you may not always need to purchase anything, but speaking with a merchant, quickly browsing their wares, and exiting the conversation will reward you with Affinity even if you didn't buy anything. Sure, they might call you cheap or get bummed out if you don't, but gaining free Affinity comes first!