Version 4.4 Achievement Commission Changes
What Changed?
In the Version 4.4 update details, there is a single sentence under the "Other" section:
"If related achievements of a Commission Quest are not unlocked yet, the probability of that Commission Quest appearing will increase."
There are no other details given.
To understand what changed, you will need to understand the previous system.
After Version 2.8, commissions came in what is called a "cycle".
Basically, each region had a checklist of commissions.
Each NPC commission in that checklist had a count.
After completing each commission the specific number of times, that was it.
You would not receive the commission again until you cleared the checklist.
Once you cleared the cycle, the game gave you another checklist.
Version 4.4 adjusts this system.
If a commission has an achievement tied to it, then you will be able to receive that commission until you get the achievement.
It does not get "checked off" until you get that achievement.
This update also increases your chances of getting those commissions through 2 ways.
- By going through your cycle, you will clear commissions with no available achievements over time, lowering possibilities.
- The change also seems to increase the probability of achievement commissions being picked over others.
Positives
For the vast majority of commission achievements, this change is positive!
We will use "Whispers in the Wind" as an example.
After completing "Whispers in the Wind" 5 times, you will get the achievement For the Love of Godwin.
"Whispers in the Wind" shows up 2 times in a Mondstadt commission cycle after Version 4.0.
That means it will be completed in the 3rd cycle at the earliest.
Mondstadt's cycle is around 60-80 commissions.
Since you have to clear out the cycle every time, a new player can easily take over half a year to get this achievement!
However, after this update, For the Love of Godwin can be completed in just 1 cycle.
Remember this:
If you keep receiving the same commission over and over again, then it might have an achievement waiting for you!
Negatives
There are a handful of commissions where the new system is a drawback.
The best example is "Tales From the Court" which gives the achievement Office on the Avenue.
In reality, "Tales From the Court" is a name shared by 3 separate commissions:
- Tales From the Court (Isadora Version)
- Tales From the Court (Livre Version)
- Tales From the Court (Staelle Version)
Previously, they had a quota of 1 each per cycle.
This meant that you were guaranteed to receive the achievement after completing each only once.
Now, since the quota is infinite until you get the achievement, you may repeatedly get the versions you have already completed.
This increases the overall time needed than before.
It will behave normally after you get Office on the Avenue though.
There are some other minor side effects.
Currently, evidence suggests that the infinite counts may be part of the cycle.
This means that the cycle cannot be cleared until you get all commission achievements in a region.
For non-achievement commissions, this delays their progression.
An example is "What is the Meaning of Life?" which takes 2 cycles.
Another example is "O Shrine, Show Your Power Once Again!" which leads to the world quest "O Archon, Have I Done Right?".
If, however, the infinite counts are a separate priority pool, then there should not be any issues.
Note: There is another issue that may happen with chained achievement commissions.
For example, This Novel Is Amazing! leads to For Old Time's Sake after 3 completions.
However, This Novel Is Amazing! itself has an achievement tied to it.
The infinite cycle boost is tied to the achievement This Novel Is Amazing! and not the next achievement.
That means you should wait to receive This Novel Is Amazing! until after 3 completions.
Otherwise, you will not benefit from the cycle boost for 2 out of the 3 needed.
Is Cycle Theory Still Useful?
For those familiar with cycle theory, you may be wondering if it is still useful.
The answer is "Yes!"... but for very specific cases.
First of all, commission cycles still exist.
It just seems to exist underneath the new infinite quotas.
However, this is not useful if you only care about the achievements.
Because commission cycles still exist, though, commission skipping also still exists.
In short, commission skipping is when you use Encounter Points or Co-op to avoid completing an NPC commission.
This prevents you from removing it from your cycle, allowing for more attempts at a specific commission.
Basically, it allowed you to reroll a commission.
This was useful for many commissions before Version 4.4, especially ones which had random variations.
One such commission is "When Flowers Bloom" and its achievement Up by the Roots.
This commission is what we call a "chain" commission.
"When Flowers Bloom" is unlocked after completing 3 instances of "The Flowers That Won't Grow".
Up by the Roots is only granted after the Whopperflower version of "When Flowers Bloom".
If you did not get the Whopperflower version, it was recommended to skip it until you did.
So why is commission skipping still useful?
Because this is a chain commission!
After Version 4.4, if you complete the Sumeru Rose version of "When Flowers Bloom" then you will be sent back to the start.
That means you must complete 3 more instances of "The Flowers That Won't Grow" before another attempt.
This will take at least 3 more days.
Instead of doing that, you can use Encounter Points or complete a commission in Co-op to reroll "When Flowers Bloom".
This saves you the minimum 3 days necessary to start over.
Another example is "Gold Devouring and Mora Gathering".
It is also a chain commission.
However, the logic is a bit more complicated.
Ultimately, what you want to do is follow the Start -> Cider -> Fortune route.
If you take any other route, then you will need to restart and take more days than necessary.
You can read more about it in my Sumeru Commission Cycle Guide.
Below is a graph of what the commission chain for "Gold Devouring and Mora Gathering" looks like.
Big thanks to everybody at the Adventurers' Guild Discord!
Give them a visit if you want more detailed info!
Discord: Kramiel
