In the game “Honkai Impact 3: Star Railway”, we welcome a new character – Na Ke Xia. He is not only a seemingly ordinary character in the virtual world, but also arouses the curiosity and “game desire” of players like those well-designed game mechanisms. When we tried to collect materials for the growth and advancement of this character, we couldn’t help but find that there seemed to be an invisible force that cleverly manipulated the minds of each player, driving them to repeat the same actions over and over again, from “light cone materials” to “breakthrough materials” to “traces materials”, each link can find its indispensable existence in the vortex of the game.
1. Na Ke Xia’s growth path: a carefully designed “desire cultivation”
If viewed from a certain philosophical perspective, Na Ke Xia’s “growth” process is essentially similar to the “desire culture” in human society. In the world of “Honkai Impact 3: Sky Railway”, players have to constantly consume, collect, and invest in order to make their characters stronger. Behind all this is not simply the “upgrade” of the character itself, but a more complex psychological mechanism. Every time we break through a level, every time we get a certain light cone or trace material, this sense of satisfaction is like a shopping spree in a discount season in a mall. It is both a “sustenance” to escape reality and a self-satisfaction generated by virtual rewards.
However, on this seemingly “achievement” path, we must also realize that these “rewards” are actually just the ingenious arrangements of the “designer”. It can even be said that the core mechanism of the game itself is a “fine carving” of the deep desires of human nature. Whenever you see Na Kexia break through from level 0 to level 80, is there a trace of sighing from the “impermanence of life” behind it? Players’ virtual exploration may be a subtle irony of the endless pursuit of goals in real society.
2. Breakthrough materials: the so-called “sense of achievement” is nothing but a castle in the air
The breakthrough materials of that moment, such as “Ethereal Omen”, “Echoing Wail” and “Eternal Lament”, all convey a kind of romantic pessimism. These terms seem to imply that every breakthrough and advancement of the game is a cognition of the “impermanent” world. They remind people of the various “ascending channels” in real life, the social ladder that seems to have clear goals and steps, but in fact may make people fall into endless repetition. Players climb again and again, repeating the monotonous actions of “brushing monsters” and “collecting materials”, and finally with the desire for success, they may also lose their original goals.
If you think about it carefully, can these materials required for breakthroughs be regarded as some kind of “social symbols”? They seem to represent some unsatisfactory roles in our daily lives, which may be “overtime materials” in the workplace, or “hypocritical ornaments” in social occasions. Every breakthrough seems to promote the “progress” of the character, but in fact, it is just to make the players more addicted to the tiny satisfaction generated in this process. Just like the ladder of human society, the higher you go, the more likely you are to feel what you have lost – such as freedom, independence, and even the original dream.
3. Light Cone Material: The Nothingness and Hollowness Behind the Glory
So, what is the meaning of the light cone? We have to look at this design from a broader perspective. The light cone exists to strengthen the character. It is like the most direct “reward” in the game, allowing players to feel their presence in the virtual world. The light cone system is not only about the combat power bonus in the game, but also seems to be a deep “philosophical argument”: that is, what humans are constantly pursuing is those external honors and halos, or the true self in the heart?
For Na Kexia, the so-called “light cone” may be just a part of the game mechanism, but from another level, it is not unlike the “social identity” in our daily life. Players strengthen the ability of the character by constantly investing time and resources, just as individuals in modern society “strengthen” their roles in interpersonal relationships by constantly adapting and catering. Whenever we get a new light cone material, this enhancement seems to be welcoming an improvement in social status, or an endless pursuit of countless awards in reality.
But the question is, can the light cone really bring the “glory” we desire? Perhaps it can only temporarily cover up the emptiness and anxiety deep in our hearts. Every acquisition is a short-term nourishment of vanity; and every advancement seems to only make players fall deeper into the game world, and no longer care about the “self” that has long disappeared.
4. Trace materials: the eternal rhythm of repetition and evolution
The trace system is another level of myth. Every player is constantly collecting and using “trace materials” to improve the character’s abilities and attributes through the accumulation and use of these materials. These trace materials, like the complicated affairs in modern people’s lives, are full of endless details and hide deep repetitiveness and mechanicalness. Sketches, dynamic outlines, exquisite color drafts… Every detail is constantly proving that our lives and games are essentially not much different.
The improvement of traces seems to symbolize our continuous improvement and pursuit of life. Just as we spend every day in triviality and boredom, after completing each small task, we need to invest more energy and time to “accumulate”. And all this is just for a seemingly higher goal, but it may be a process of “self-destruction”. Every “advanced” is an invisible accumulation of pressure, which ultimately does not bring real freedom, but instead aggravates our dependence on “social identity”.
V. Conclusion: “Chasing” in the game and “confusion” in reality
In general, although the materials and advancement mechanisms of the moment in “Honkai Impact 3: Star Dome Railway” seem simple and clear on the surface, they are a profound social metaphor from another perspective. The designs of breakthrough, light cone, and traces seem to be pursuing the improvement of character abilities, but in fact they reflect how we are driven by the “desire chain” in the real society, constantly chasing those seemingly glorious goals, but unknowingly losing our original self.
Perhaps all our game behaviors and social behaviors are a kind of endless “chasing”. Whether it is Xia in the game or us in real life, we are all stumbling and losing our way on this invisible road. As Qian Zhongshu said, “Life is like a dream, and we must not be merciful for a moment.” In the illusion of the virtual world, when can we truly wake up, abandon those insignificant vanity and desires, and find our true path?