Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Colony Affinity: Complete Guide

This Colony Affinity guide will showcase how to increase your affinity level for players!

What Are Colonies?

Xenoblade Colony 9
Colony 9

Colonies in the Xenoblade Chronicles series, including Xenoblade Chronicles 3, are military spaces located within two main nations: the Agnus Nation and the Keves Nation. These colonies serve as important locations within the game world and are ranked according to the significance of the Castles that oversee them. Castles are considered the nation’s centerpiece and are responsible for establishing and governing these colonies.

Players will have the opportunity to encounter and explore these colonies while traversing the open world of Aionios. To interact with these colonies, players may need to engage in battles with their owners and liberate them. By doing so, players can increase their Colony Affinity and earn rewards in the process.

Players can also increase their affinity with the inhabitants of these colonies, even if they initially appear hostile. Building positive relationships with these characters is a key goal in Xenoblade Chronicles 3.

Additionally, the game features a collection of colonies that players can come across and explore. More details about these colonies are likely to be provided later in the game.

Key Highlights
  • In Xenoblade Chronicles 3, colonies are military spaces within the Agnus and Keves Nations.
  • Colonies are encountered while exploring the open world of Aionios and can be ranked based on castle importance.
  • Players can rest in colonies and liberate them for Colony Affinity and rewards.
  • Increasing affinity involves familiarizing with different colonies and can be done in five main ways:
    1. Completing quests
    2. Collecting Collectopaedia cards
    3. Husks
    4. Communicating with residents
    5. Helping during skirmishes
  • Registering and completing Collectopaedia cards repeatedly also boosts Affinity.
  • Residents with a small star symbol can be communicated with to raise Affinity.

How To Increase Affinity Level 

Xenoblade Increasing Affinity Level
Increasing Affinity Level

Moving on, the next thing that we would like to discuss is how to increase the Affinity level. The five main ways that players increase it are by : 

  • Finishing quests assigned to you
  • Collectopaedia cards 
  • Husks 
  • Communicating with residents 
  • Helping people during skirmishes 

Finishing Quests 

Completing quests assigned by NPCs in colonies is a primary way to raise affinity. These quests can be both hidden and open quests. When you befriend residents in colonies, they will offer quests and commissions for you to complete. Upon completion, you’ll receive rewards tailored to the NPC and increase your affinity level with the respective colony.

Collectopaedia Cards 

Collecting and registering Collectopaedia cards can boost affinity for colonies. These cards are associated with specific NPCs in different colonies, such as Roald, Camilla, Ellis, Pollux, and Harala. To obtain them, talk to the corresponding NPCs in Colony 9. Completing Collectopaedia cards can provide significant affinity bonuses upon first completion, with further completions gradually increasing affinity.

Communicating With Star Residents 

Look for residents in colonies with a small star symbol above them. Interacting with these star residents will increase the colony’s affinity. You can also change the time of day in the Main Menu to maximize your interactions and affinity gains.

Supporting The Colony 

During your time in colonies, you’ll encounter skirmishes, where you must defend against monster attacks or enemies. Defeating these threats contributes to increasing affinity. Additionally, you may earn Nopon Coins and other rewards for your efforts.

Husks 

Sending husks, which represent soldiers who sacrificed their lives, to their respective colonies can boost affinity for those colonies. Look for the “Send Off” option to send husks to the appropriate location, resulting in a slight increase in the colony’s affinity level.

Pros of Increasing Colony Affinity 

Xenoblade Pros of Increasing Affinity
Pros of Increasing Affinity

Increasing colony affinity comes with several benefits and rewards:

  1. Affinity Level: As you raise your affinity level with a colony, you’ll enjoy improved relationships with the residents and NPCs of that colony. This can lead to various benefits, such as access to new quests, services, and dialogue options.
  2. Flame Clock Bonuses: By increasing affinity and bringing down the Flame Clock’s negative gauge, players can unlock bonuses that aid in leveling up faster. These bonuses can be valuable for early-game progression.
  3. Quests and Rewards: High affinity levels grant access to more quests, which can provide in-game currency, character experience points, and friendship experience points. Completing these quests can help you advance your character and story in the game.
  4. Familiarity with NPCs: As you interact with residents in colonies and complete quests, you’ll become more familiar with the NPCs, their stories, and backgrounds. This adds depth to the game’s world and characters, enhancing the overall gaming experience.

In summary, increasing colony affinity not only improves your standing with the colony’s inhabitants but also unlocks bonuses, quests, and rewards that contribute to your overall progress and immersion in the game.

Rewards Offered for Raising Affinity 

Xenoblade Rewards Offered
Rewards Offered

Increasing your Colony Affinity offers several valuable rewards that enhance your gameplay experience:

  • Speed Jogger: This bonus increases your running speed, allowing you to sprint faster and explore the game world more quickly, aiding in progression.
  • Silent Steps: Silent Steps reduces enemy detection, making it harder for monsters to detect you as you navigate through the game. This can be particularly useful for stealthy or evasive playstyles.
  • Item Retriever: With Item Retriever, you can collect items more efficiently, saving you time during looting and gathering.
  • Shiny Hunter: Shiny Hunter increases your chances of encountering elite or rare enemies, which often yield higher-rarity drops and valuable rewards.
  • Slow Digestion: Slow Digestion extends the duration of your meal effects, allowing you to benefit from their boosts for a longer period, improving your combat effectiveness.
  • Swift Swimmer: Swift Swimmer enhances your swimming speed, making it easier to navigate bodies of water in the game world.
  • Caravan Call: This bonus increases the frequency of Nopon Caravan visits to colonies, potentially providing access to rare items and resources.

With that, we will wrap up our ​​Colony Affinity guide! Read our Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Voice Actors guide to figure out if your favorite voice actor has voiced any of the in-game characters!

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Mina is a Senior Guides Writer and a fanatic who’s obsessed with playing games and writing about them. She’s invested more than 2,500 hours in games like Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, she loves to write detailed guides for beginners and pros in the Gacha Games world. You can follow Mina's gaming activity on her Steam and PSN Profiles.

Experience: 3+ Years

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