Important Note: Gacha machines are no longer allowed in Second Life. You can still buy and sell things on the Marketplace that were aquired via Gacha, however it is now against the Second Life TOS for creators to sell an item that is completely random. By the new policy buyers must know what they are purchasing at the time of purchase. There are new purchasing systems (such as MiePon) that have come out as an allowed alternative.
I’m keeping this post up as a reference for when Gacha was allowed, however the content in it is outdated and this specific post won’t be updated further.
Based on the Japanese game of the same name, Second Life Gacha machines are a huge hit in world. Gachas offer the chance at multiple items for very cheap, usually less than what each item is worth. The inexpensive shot at high quality products has spawned various Gacha themed events, some of which keeping sims competitively full for days or more. Note: Almost everything my avatar has on in this post is from Gacha events!
How Second Life Gacha Works
The easiest way to sum up Gacha is by imagining those little quarter machines found in supermarkets and other real life stores. An image at the top shows the products contained within. You put in a small amount of money and out pops one of those items. You never know what you’ll get!
In game Gachas are very similar. Gachas will have an image on or near the machine showing you what’s inside. Most will tell you which items are rare, some will even show the percentage chance it has to drop. A script in the machine is used to give you a random item when you pay based on these percentages (whether they are displayed or not.) The odds of winning a specific item depends on what you’re going for and the rarity of the product. Remember, if you have a 1 in 3 (33%) chance to get a specific item, that doesn’t mean you’ll get it in 3 tries. It simply means that each try gives you 1 in 3 chance to get it. And that’s for Gachas with even odds. Some will have rare items that have a smaller chance to drop than the rest. Gachas with Common, Uncommon, and Rare chances are not at all unusual. Make sure to weigh those odds before splurging!
Strategy: Is There Really One?
So if it’s all random, is there really any point in planning anything out before giving it a go? I think so, though the “strategy” may really be more about determining if each machine is worth it to you. Here are some things to think on when deciding if a specific Gacha is right for you.
What’s Inside?
- Before playing you can see what items you have a chance to get. Give them a good look.
- Is there anything in the machine you’ll use? If not, move on.
- Are you likely to get something you’ll use? If not, are you willing to possibly play a lot to try to get the item(s) you want?
- Some Gachas offer demos. If they do, give them a shot to ensure you like what’s inside before playing.
- Before playing you can see what items you have a chance to get. Give them a good look.
What’s the price?
- Check out the cost per try.
- Are the items inside worth the cost?
- What’s worth it for me may not be worth it for you and vice versa.
- Would you be happy with any or most of the items within for the price per play?
- If you want a specific item, how much are you willing to spend on it?
- This can be very helpful when shooting for a certain product.
- Personally, I try to figure out what the item is worth to me. Would I pay 500L$ for that rare backpack? If yes, I have no issue trying 10 times at 50L$ per roll.
- This can be very helpful when shooting for a certain product.
- Is there a buyout option?
- Some gachas will allow you to purchase a fatpack of all the items for a high cost. If you want more than one thing or the item(s) you want are worth the price tag that may be your best option!
- Many gachas allow reselling. Checking the marketplace to see if the item you want is available might save you some time and lindens!
- Are the items inside worth the cost?
- Check out the cost per try.
Is There A Resell or Trade Demand?
- Gachas tend to give out transferable items. As such they can be given away, traded, and sold.
- If trying for a specific item, would you want to trade or sell any other items you get?
- Is there an active area to do this with the specific brand? The more popular the maker the easier it is.
- If there is no interest from others in trading or selling will you regret the purchase?
- If trying for a specific item, would you want to trade or sell any other items you get?
- Gachas tend to give out transferable items. As such they can be given away, traded, and sold.
What To Do With The Extras
One of the huge draws of Gacha is the aftermarket. As mentioned before, Gacha items are usually transferable. This way if you get a bunch of items you didn’t want (or the inevitable doubles) you can trade, sell, or give them away to others who may want those specific pieces.
Trading
Many Gacha machines sell a set of items that are meant to go together. If you get all but one set piece it may be worth trying to trade your extras for that piece you want. Other people may be specifically hunting for those spare parts you have! If the item is credited to a specific brand try joining the brand’s group to see if anybody is interested in what you have.
Selling (and Buying!)
Transferable items can also be sold in world or on the Marketplace. Instead of taking the chance to play, some people would rather outright purchase the items they want. This lets you set your price and earn some of that money you spent back. This works the other way too: If there is a specific piece you want it’s worth checking to see if it’s for sale for a reasonable amount!
Giving
If you neither want nor need to get something in return, giving away the items is always another option. If none of your friends want your free goodies consider the brand’s group to see if anyone is interested.
Where To Play
Gacha can be found from various stores to giant sims dedicated only to the game and everywhere in between. If there is a specific brand you love check out their store to see if they have any. In addition to stores, Gacha has spawned various events to check out.
Keeping Up On Events
Gacha Events have become so popular that many are be tough to get into the first few days. Events themselves are a huge draw and often feature many high quality content creators. Usually the demand for event items is higher than other items, especially if there are exclusive products up for grabs. There are a few methods for keeping track of upcoming events.
Blogs
- Gacha Events are usually promoted through bloggers. Some of the larger events may even give bloggers access to items in advance so they can show them off and promote the event.
- Seraphim is one of my favorite resources for all event info, not just Gacha.
- In addition to posting about new events they also have a free hud to keep up with events in game!
- The Arcade is a popular Gacha hub and event in world.
- They share info exclusively about their events.
- Seraphim is one of my favorite resources for all event info, not just Gacha.
- Gacha Events are usually promoted through bloggers. Some of the larger events may even give bloggers access to items in advance so they can show them off and promote the event.
Store Announcements
- Most players are already in groups or on subscription lists for their favorite brands.
- If a store or brand is participating in a Gacha event they’ll likely advertise so you don’t miss out.
- The store may even have it on an events or announcement wall at their location.
- Most players are already in groups or on subscription lists for their favorite brands.
Gachas have become a fun pastime for so many people. It’s a wonderful way to deck out your avatar for cheap, or to get your hands on exclusive items to make you stand out! What Gacha events are your favs? What are the coolest products you’ve won?
Body – Maitreya: Lara
Hands – Vista: Bento Prohands
Shape – Regeneration: Asia
Skin – Glam Affair: Susan Europa 01 (Epiphany Gacha)
Hair – TRUTH: Fire (Gingers) (Epiphany Gacha)
Eyes – Amacci: Winter Image Eyes
Dress – Fallen Gods Inc. & Faida: Ruban, Highlands (Epiphany Gacha)
Legwraps – Fallen Gods Inc. & Faida: Cadeau Enveloppe, Highlands (Epiphany Gacha)
Shoes – KC Couture: Hedy Heels
Pose – Overlow Poses: Gifts 2 (Gift 3)
Background – Grimwood Forest
I’ve been playing gacha for a couple of years now, so here’s my thoughts.
1. They are very addictive. You think, oh it’s only 50 L$ to play and so you go on playing and in no time at all you’ve spent more than what it would cost to buy a set of clothing or jewelry or a set of furniture/decor. So be careful! Only spend what you can afford. You may have to pay rent at the end of the month.
2. Say there is a clothing gacha you like but it’s only one colour you want to collect. It’s far more cost effective to wait a few days and then check Marketplace for resellers. All you have to do is to put the designer and description in… e.g. say, “Gabriel coat # 3 olive gacha” – and Search will do the rest. I do this for most clothing and I don’t mind paying a bit extra for what I want. You can collect whole sets this way – which is well worth it for furniture/decor in particular where the items are expensive to buy the conventional way. An example could be.. a superb sofa which might cost 350 L$ conventionally but as a resale gacha piece it’s 125 L$. The pay off for the designer is that he/she’s more likely to make loads of lindens from a gacha rather than at a conventional Event and definitely more from a gacha than buying a set at a mainstore. It’s why they keep making gacha, they are not daft!
3. If you don’t want to go on collecting Commons in search of that elusive Rare, hold your horses. Look at the resellers on Marketplace, Seraphim and elsewhere as described in Asia’s article. Even if you try and sell the extra Commons, you may not find buyers for them at all. It becomes a waste of lindens after a while.
4. The Epiphany Gacha Event lets you redeem unwanted Commons and Rares for points. Each designer makes a special item that costs a number of points – and that is a Copy item that you won’t find anywhere else, so you can give them your points and receive an exclusive item that is not available in the gacha itself but matches the rest of the gacha items. I call that excellent marketing on the part of Epiphany but it also gives more interest to the customers.
5. The downside of gacha pieces is that they are transfer only. You can’t rez another copy if you lose the piece somewhere, either from inventory or by mistake and we all do it, no good saying we don’t. I’m talking about furniture/pets/decor pieces here as you wouldn’t normally rez a piece of apparel, you’d wear it.
It’s best to rez a valuable gacha piece on a prim box you’ve created so that you don’t lose it. Rez it in a mesh building and you could lose it, I know – it’s happened to me. It’s an SL glitch sometimes, especially up in the sky on a platform or in a skybox. I remember rezzing a Rare bowl of golden fruit on a mesh table, I wasn’t thinking at the time and darn me if the bowl didn’t just disappear saying something like, “hahah you can’t rez here mate, due to land permissions” in local chat. Even a relog did not get it back (which sometimes works). Neither did moaning to the designer about it and believe me I tried but he’d heard it so many times before! So just stop and think before you rez that valuable piece you’ve longed for and have at last won.
I think my favourite gacha lately has been a Rare on one of the Jian animal gachas at Arcade. I gave myself 2 attempts, the first one came back with a cute Siamese kitten you could hold (that was pretty good) and the second one was the Rare – a shoulder bag containing three of the cutest kittens you’ve ever seen! I couldn’t believe it and had to brag about it to my colleagues *laughs* And I didn’t resell it, no way!
Your points are spot on, thank you! Gachas definitely aren’t for everybody, and even those of us who enjoy them limits generally have to be set. It’s so easy to go overboard! That’s why I set a limit before I even start.
Jian has had some amazing products, they’re so stinking cute!! Did you see their group gift this month? KITTEN BOOTS!! I have them sitting in my house right now haha.