Genshin is a paradox for my life (made me happier and lonelier both at the same time)
I started genshin 1.5 yrs ago to test my device's capability (its my 1st proper online game let alone gacha game before it i only played angry birds , asphalt and Real cricket).. But starting from that "outlanders ur journey ends here " to the monstadt city intro and not to forget the music, that gripped me.... I reached liyue aq wayyy after i should hv as i just explored the hell outta the game... Unlocked all the non quest locked TPs and statues .....and tbh I didn't know about gacha mechanics ...i believed you have to do quests to get those specific characters...I was sort of going through a low during that time (academics, health, family,social life all was f-ed up) and the escapism this game provided was just beautiful, this game pulled me from my rough time and also gave a sort of mini purpose to lifeb sort of a trigger for me to keep on living and fighting the qualms of life ( just like transistor requirs that lil current to pass way bigger ones and yes i am pursuing electronics 😅) that I have to know what happened to the sibling, paimon, shades etc .....all in all this was and still is a really good time...but thats where the issue lies
I mean that escapism actually made me sort of angry and sad at the reality (ig all other issues like geopolitics, the hatred, the global living conditions, this that) this just makes me loathe the reality even more....also add to the fact that none of my friends play genshin (or even gacha for that matter) when i try to share my love for this game and its characters (and my cuties citlali and furina) they obviously aren't able to resonate the feeling....for them its all about a man crazy about some anime game girls, and hence sometimes all i want to do is just to log in to the game do nothing just enjoy the music while beating the mob (nod krai music is so goated tbh).... sometimes maybe just doom scroll this subreddit to atleast share the feel or get obliterated by them, but that still lacks that personal touch ig... and to add salt to the wound i am an introvert and also single .....so all roads again lead to this game....I sometimes fear that all my personality will just be about genshin and some say to take a break from it but in some ways i feel indebted to the game and also don't want to miss it (fomo ig)..... what's ur take and how has genshin IMPACTED ur life
Sorry for the yap but sometimes yiu just feel like penning down or want to share some exps and hence thiss 😁😁
I mean that escapism actually made me sort of angry and sad at the reality (ig all other issues like geopolitics, the hatred, the global living conditions, this that) this just makes me loathe the reality even more....also add to the fact that none of my friends play genshin (or even gacha for that matter) when i try to share my love for this game and its characters (and my cuties citlali and furina) they obviously aren't able to resonate the feeling....for them its all about a man crazy about some anime game girls, and hence sometimes all i want to do is just to log in to the game do nothing just enjoy the music while beating the mob (nod krai music is so goated tbh).... sometimes maybe just doom scroll this subreddit to atleast share the feel or get obliterated by them, but that still lacks that personal touch ig... and to add salt to the wound i am an introvert and also single .....so all roads again lead to this game....I sometimes fear that all my personality will just be about genshin and some say to take a break from it but in some ways i feel indebted to the game and also don't want to miss it (fomo ig)..... what's ur take and how has genshin IMPACTED ur life
Sorry for the yap but sometimes yiu just feel like penning down or want to share some exps and hence thiss 😁😁
Commentaires
If you feel like Genshin is kind of all you have and that you **fear** your personality will just be about Genshin and you're indebted to it, then I'd argue that you should invest in other aspects of your life alongside it. That could be your work and honestly I'd lean a lot more towards other hobbies as well. Especially if you'd like the escapism, books and movies and tv have even more worlds to explore. And just like any piece of art, you'll probably let go of it eventually (which is healthy). And it certainly doesn't have to be any time soon but you shouldn't be compelled to keep playing (nor spend money obv) to repay some sort of "debt." The time you played it will always be valuable to you as well.
**Anyway, as to your actual question**, I started going through a lot of feelings of loss in the second half of 2022 and I started thinking about that weird popular gacha game I heard about a few years back. I eventually started it on January 1st, 2023 and was so enthralled by the world and the voicelines and picturesque locations and *especially* the music. So it was an escape for me too until I actually got to Inazuma and started learning about Raiden. I eventually did her SQs too and those helped me a lot with the things I was going through, even if it was just kind of the feeling of not being alone and realizing the sort of "stasis" I was in wasn't really how I wanted to be.
And aside from that, I also just enjoy the stories in the game, so I end up playing it every day (unless I'm busy with work or have other stuff on the schedule which happens sometimes). I also listen to the music a lot in the car and I get into Genshin playlist moods the same as I might get into moods for Ariana or Adele or EDM
That aside, the way I would advise you to work around it is this (and I also followed this method): Ground yourself in the present and your inner circle of life. A lot of the time these days, social media and news keep you constantly concentrated on the world outside and everything that is happening around the globe. That way, your concentration is always pointing outwards, and you will tend to forget to think about yourself. When you do, you will feel a sort of sense of detachment. That is not really depression, but it mainly happens because you don't think about yourself enough, what you want, what you like, and what you feel at the moment.
Another effect of it is the thing that you described above: feeling disappointed or sad about the world around you, which is probably akin to misanthropy on some levels. What you have to do is look really—I mean really, really closely—at the immediate life around you: how the people around you behave, how people travel, and everyday interactions. If you’re like me, sooner or later you’ll realize that sometimes the world doesn't affect you as much as you think it does. Life is going on okay, people are still moving on, and everything is in order. That is the most important thing: focus on your life, and if it is the case that the place you are living in is genuinely a place you despise, find a way to move on.
The game definitely helps you to escape the world outside, but sometimes, when you are alone, it's worth noting to yourself: "Am I even escaping anything if my real world, the inner circle of life around me, is already an escape from all the bad things that are happening around the world?" If your life is already good and peaceful, escaping into the game doesn't mean anything, as you are escaping from what is already a place free from the ordeal of the world. Now, I mostly play Genshin as a piece of entertainment, and I find myself happier playing it that way.
That being said, years passed, and I've calmed down about it. Currently I'm exploring new hobbies, enjoying my new amazing workplace (wasn't aware of its existence until half a year ago), trying out new games.
What I wanna say is, sometimes a thing or a person just becomes exactly what you need in life, and especially if you are temporarily not okay enough to balance yourself alone, then it absolutely makes sense to rely on it - for a while. Stay mindful and conscious, but don't deny yourself exploring this wonder if you have the chance. And if you stay afloat, and slowly rebuild your balance, and new exciting things find you in your life, then you'll find yourself out of its codependent claws for sure.