Understanding the Gear Shuffle Problem
What is Gear Shuffle and Why It Actually Matters
Look, gear shuffle systems - or equipment loadouts, build presets, whatever you want to call them - should let you switch between character configurations instantly. ZZZ? Completely lacks this feature. And it"s creating some serious user experience headaches.
Want to switch Burnice from her Anomaly-focused setup to that critical-heavy “Critnice” build everyone"s talking about? You"re in for a treat. Manual swapping of each Drive Disc, reassigning W-Engines, sorting out gear conflicts between characters - players aren"t mincing words here. They"re calling it “painful” and “annoying, menu-heavy” work that actively discourages experimentation.
For those looking to optimize their experience while we wait for improvements, Zenless Zone Zero Top Up services can help you acquire resources for multiple equipment sets - because sometimes you just need more gear to work around the system"s limitations.
Current Equipment Management is… Rough
Here"s where things get really frustrating. Drive Discs all share identical visual designs - they"re just simple disk shapes. Try identifying which slot (1-6) you"re looking at without clicking into each one. Spoiler alert: you can"t.
Unlike Genshin Impact"s distinct artifacts - you know, feathers that actually look like feathers, flowers that look like flowers - ZZZ creates what one player perfectly described as a “huge mess of items” with similar color palettes between sets. Quick assessment of piece value? Nope. Available set bonuses? Good luck. Missing components for optimal configurations? You"ll be hunting.
The system also lacks “off-piece” options. That means one powerful Drive Disc from the wrong set can"t be used without breaking your 4-piece or 2-piece bonuses. It"s rigid in all the wrong ways, punishing you for getting perfect-stat pieces from the “wrong” sets.
And here"s the kicker - these problems compound exponentially as new Agents, Drive Discs, and W-Engines keep getting added without any management tools to handle the growing complexity.
Missing Features Players Actually Need
Equipment Preset System (Please, HoYoverse)
Players aren"t asking for the moon here. They want loadout systems where each Agent gets multiple build slots to save and name setups - Drive Discs, W-Engine, Bangboo companion, the works. The goal? Turn multi-step menu marathons into single taps.
What makes this particularly frustrating? Punishing: Gray Raven and Wuthering Waves already nail this feature. The blueprint exists.
Essential Features That Should"ve Been Day One
One-Click Gear Transfer: Moving equipment between characters without the unequip/re-equip dance
Build Save Slots: Give us 3-5 slots per character for different configurations (crit damage, elemental mastery, hybrid builds)
Bulk Operations: Simultaneous Drive Disc enhancement, auto-equip optimization, mass-salvage for unwanted equipment
How Other Games Actually Handle Equipment Management
Genshin Impact lets you use one flexible “off-piece” artifact, providing significantly more optimization flexibility than ZZZ"s rigid requirements. Honkai Impact 3rd? Instant-loading equipment presets for multiple stigmata configurations across different game modes.
Industry standards include visual equipment differentiation, saved loadout systems, quick transfer options, AI-suggested builds, and bulk operations. ZZZ lacks all of these fundamental features. All of them.
Real Impact on Player Experience
The Time Consumption Reality Check
Manual gear swapping takes 5-10 minutes per character for optimized builds. Managing multiple characters? You"re looking at 30-60 minutes per session spent purely in menu navigation. That"s friction that discourages experimentation with team compositions and build strategies - especially brutal during limited-time events or when you"ve only got a short gaming window.
Competitive Disadvantages (Yes, Really)
Shiyu Defense leaderboards end up favoring players who invest time in tedious optimization over actual combat proficiency. Players actively avoid certain team compositions because the gear swapping hassle isn"t worth the potential performance gains. This limits strategic diversity in high-level play.
New players? They"re spending disproportionate time in menus rather than learning combat mechanics. Not exactly the onboarding experience you want.
Current Workarounds and Community Solutions
Manual Management Strategies
Experienced players have developed some coping mechanisms: dedicated equipment sets per character, focusing on just 3-4 core characters, maintaining content-specific builds to minimize sharing conflicts. It works, but it"s a band-aid on a bigger problem.
Third-Party Tools (Use at Your Own Risk)
AdeptiScanner-ZZZ provides OCR-based inventory scanning, though it requires windowed mode (1600x900), administrator privileges, and no color-altering software running. It exports GOOD format data for external optimizer tools.
Community spreadsheets track character configurations, equipment locations, and upgrade requirements. The fact that these exist highlights just how inadequate the in-game tools really are.
Quality-of-Life Improvements Beyond Gear Shuffle
Credit where it"s due - Version 1.4 introduced the “Special Training Plan” with detailed upgrade plans, material calculations, and quick navigation. Individual ultimate gauges replaced the shared team system, significantly improving combat flow.
Version 2.0 (June 6th, 2025) brings persistent minimaps, complete travel interface overhauls, and optimized button layouts. HoYoverse has acknowledged “negative feedback” on TV Mode, reducing its presence since 1.2 and adding “Fairy Auto Explore” options.
Developer Response and Community Feedback
Producer Zhenyu Li states the team actively listens to feedback, acknowledging ZZZ as HoYoverse"s “youngest” game with “a long way to go.” The rapid responses to TV Mode and ultimate system concerns have led players to call them a team “who actually listens.”
That"s encouraging, honestly.
Season 2 (Version 2.0+) will rework older characters for long-term relevance through strategic improvements rather than just numerical buffs. Community priorities remain clear: equipment loadouts (highest demand), inventory management, auto-battle features, skip animations, and enhanced farming efficiency.
Optimizing Current Equipment Management
Efficient Build Planning (For Now)
Focus upgrade materials on 3-4 core characters during progression. Use “Tuning Orientation” in the Bardic Needle Music Store for specific Drive Disc set drop rates. Test characters via Cooperation Exercise tutorials before committing materials.
Priority Character Examples
Nekomata (Physical DPS): Steel Cushion W-Engine, 4-piece Woodpecker Electro + 2-piece Fanged Metal, optimize for critical hits.
Lycaon (Stun Support): Hellfire Gears W-Engine, 4-piece Shockstar Disco + 2-piece Swing Jazz, focus on efficient dazing and energy management.
Consider Recharge Zenless Zone Zero resources toward Polychrome for Exclusive Channel banners, W-Engine enhancement materials, Drive Disc farming during double-drop events, and combat-focused Bangboo development.
Future Outlook and Expected Updates
Version 2.0 Combat Evolution
New mechanics include Rupture specialty dealing “Sheer DMG” that bypasses defenses, Auric Ink sub-element for enhanced interactions, and greater off-field agent contributions. Character Yixuan represents the complexity leap with unique Adrenaline resources and multiple Ultimate attacks.
Predicted Timeline (My Best Guess)
Based on their development responsiveness: Short-term (2.0-2.1) interface improvements, Medium-term (2.2-2.3) potential equipment presets, Long-term (Season 3+) advanced automation and AI-assisted optimization. Community feedback directly influences priorities, which increases the likelihood of faster implementation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: When will ZZZ actually get equipment loadout presets? A: No official timeline exists, but given the team"s responsiveness, improvements could realistically arrive around Version 2.2+ (roughly September 2025).
Q: Are third-party gear management tools worth the risk? A: AdeptiScanner-ZZZ provides OCR inventory scanning for external tools. Use at your discretion while ensuring terms of service compliance.
Q: How does ZZZ"s gear system stack up against other HoYoverse games? A: More flexible set combinations (4-2, 2-2-2) than Honkai: Star Rail, but lacks Genshin"s visual clarity and has zero “off-piece” flexibility.
Q: What"s the most efficient management strategy right now? A: Focus on 3-4 core characters, farm dedicated sets to avoid sharing conflicts, use the Training Target system for material tracking.
Ready to optimize your experience while waiting for those much-needed improvements? Buy Zenless Zone Zero Monochrome for the resources needed to build multiple equipment sets and experiment with character configurations - because sometimes you need to work around the system until the system works for you.
