Is Blue Protocol: Star Resonance Pay-to-Win?

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Thinking about whether Blue Protocol: Star Resonance lets you buy your way to victory? It’s a valid concern, since many online games now work that way. Read on to find out the answer and learn which items, if any, give paying players an unfair advantage.

What is Pay-to-Win?

What people consider ‘pay-to-win’ varies, but I define it as spending money to get an edge over other players who don’t. This could mean getting more resources, leveling up faster, or making quicker progress. Importantly, simply buying cosmetic items doesn’t count as pay-to-win, because those items don’t affect gameplay.

Yes or No?

Yes, Blue Protocol definitely has pay-to-win elements. You can purchase in-game currencies to buy items that make your character stronger. However, purely cosmetic items don’t offer any gameplay advantages.

However, there are various ways to gain an advantage over other players without spending money.

Battle Imagine System

Imaginates are special abilities you add to your skill bar to use in combat. When equipped, they also provide ongoing stat improvements.

So, the way you actually *make* an Imagine is by combining Battle Wills and other materials – it’s a really cool system! There are basically two ways to go about collecting those Battle Wills and materials, and I’m excited to learn them both!

#1 – Free Play

  • Farming dungeons, quests, and bosses for Wills and rare resources
  • These drops are all RNG, and low-rate at that. This can cause you to have to repeat battles numerous times to achieve your goal.
  • Crafting is often tied to time-gated battles, which slow down your progression.

As a player, I’ve noticed you can only fight the bosses twice a day, which is a bit of a bummer. Plus, the materials you need from them are super rare drops, so getting everything you need takes a *really* long time. It’s a bit of a grind, honestly!

#2 – Pay-to-Win

  • You can use currency to roll on gacha banners that contain these Battle Imagines, Wills, and/or rare materials.
  • This lets you bypass grinding quests and dungeons to get the Imagines. You can quickly access the stronger Imagines.

This special banner features unique and hard-to-get Human Wills that aren’t available as rewards from defeating bosses. The chance of getting one is very low, just 0.15%. While you can eventually craft them by collecting materials, it takes significantly longer than obtaining any other Will in the game.

A great feature of the Battle Imagines banner is that it limits how much you can spend to get the rarest item. You’re guaranteed to get it after a maximum of 80 pulls. Each pull costs $2.50, which totals $200.

The Advanced Prize might actually be a better choice for your character than the Rare Prize. Take a look at both and see which one suits your needs best. The Advanced Prize has a 1.85% chance of getting what you want, making it slightly easier to obtain than the Rare Prize.

You are also able to buy Will’s through Luno on the Market, however, it is rare and expensive.

Currency

There are four currencies that rule the game:

  • Unbound Rose Orbs – Obtained only by paying.
  • Bound Rose Orbs – Obtained through daily and weekly quests. Check out our guide on why completing these daily/weekly quests is so important for your character.
  • Unbound Luno – Obtained through the daily “Guild Cargo” check-in, the paid monthly pass, and selling life-skill items.
  • Bound Luno – Currency obtained through progressing through the story.

So, unbound = monetization or gained through paying and bound = earned in game, free methods.

You can trade your extra rose orbs for Luno. Then, you can use Luno to purchase items like Wills, crystals, and books.

This game definitely allows players to gain an advantage by spending money. Purchasing items and packs lets you progress much faster than players who don’t pay. The ‘Battle Imagine System’ clearly demonstrates how much quicker you can level up your character simply by spending money instead of playing for a long time.

As a fan, I really appreciate that the game lets you earn almost anything if you’re willing to put in the time and effort. It’s cool that you can grind for stuff instead of just getting it easily – honestly, anything worthwhile *should* take some work, right?

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2025-10-08 12:37