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Players have several ways of farming gold in Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Gold itself is far more common than the Nopon Coins, which is the other form of currency in XC3. Gold can be used to buy accessories, but is utterly useless when it comes to crafting. Despite this, it's extremely easy to farm gold if players take the time to explore the many areas of Aionios.
Compared to the Nopon Coins in Xenoblade Chronicles 3, gold may not be as useful to some players. Most upgrades and crafting can be done with the right materials or by paying Nopon Coins. Like anything else in-game, gold has its purpose, making it a useful resource in its own way.
Methods Of Farming Gold
The easiest way to get gold is to fight. Each time Noah and his group partake in battle, they're given a random amount of gold if they win. While it's entirely possible to get into the thousands simply by defeating enemies, the process can be long and tedious. That's where these methods of farming money come in:
Containers
Containers are bins with a yellow beam of light sticking out of them. Opening one gives various items such as Nopon Coins and, of course, gold. Containers are usually hidden and require players to uncover more of the map, in which they'll appear as a yellow bin icon. If players are close enough, one of the characters will spot the Container and rush over to it.
In later areas of Xenoblade 3, Containers are usually placed in areas that can't be reached. These require players to unlock a certain game mechanic, such as the ziplines. One example is the Container in Colony 4, which is located on top of a building with a zipline attached to it. While players will be able to reach the area where the zipline starts, it'll be impossible to use until they've unlocked Juniper of Colony Tau. Other Containers may be sitting atop sand dunes or climbable walls.
Later on, players will unlock Dropped Supplies, which may be spotted by a party member. Hold down ZR when prompted to track it on the map. Looting Dropped Supplies gives Nopon Coins, rare items (such as Gemstones), and of course, gold.
Intervene In A Skirmish
When exploring, players may come across a red symbol featuring interlocked blades. If they're close enough, they can hold down ZR button and see two groups of enemies battling one another. Get close enough, and players will be prompted to choose a side. This is called a Skirmish.
During a Skirmish, players team up with one group to take down the other with the promise of rewards. As most would expect, some groups will give a money/gold reward in addition to Bonus Exp. Fight with them and win to get the money. However, not all Skirmishes offer money. As players make their way through Xenoblade 3, they'll notice some Skirmish rewards will have Affinity Points instead. Players can back out of a Skirmish simply by refusing to take a side.
Defeat Elite Monsters
There are different types of enemies in Xenoblade 3. For example, Lucky Enemies that have better item drops are characterized by their glittering name/level. Enemies that have blue markings in their name are considered Elite Enemies. These are more-challenging enemies that might take longer to defeat - especially if players are under-leveled. However, doing so will give a 350% increase in money reward, making them worth the challenge.
This also applies for Unique Monsters, which are monsters with orange nameplates. These are far more challenging than Elite Monsters, so make sure to draw them away from any nearby enemies before fighting. When first starting out, it's best to avoid Unique Monsters and just go after the Elite Monsters when farming gold.
Cook Meals
Eating a meal gives an effect(s) for a set amount of time. For example, some meals will increase the gold drop from enemies by 15% or 20%. While players can have Manana cook a meal free of charge as long as they have the right ingredients, other meals can be bought for a few hundred gold at Colonies.
Once players liberate Colony 4, they can buy the Mixed-Veg Torpedo Wrap from the Canteen. This meal gives a 15% gold boost from enemies for 26 minutes. Be sure to check the Canteens of each liberated Colony to see what they have to offer.
Where To Spend Money
Money can be used to buy Accessories from a Colony Commissary Shop or Nopon Caravans. Most of the Accessories early-on can be easily overshadowed by Gems, which players unlock midway into Chapter 2. However, they're good to equip thanks to their various effects. Some will boost the critical hit rate while others extend the duration of Canceled Attacks. One idea is to stock up on gold and save it for better Accessories locked behind Colony Commissary Shops.
Gold can also be used to "buy" rare items from the Fabricators at Ferronis Hulks. The items generated from the Fabricators are random, but it's a quick way to get materials without having to search for them in the wild.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is available now on Nintendo Switch.
