Have You Played Where Winds Meet?

 Have you tried this game?

 I've been playing off-and-on for a few days and I'm starting to understand the complicated battle strategy.  Button mashers beware!

The developers, the artists, and everyone putting the game together have put their best into it.  It's obvious that they've worked hard on it.

 

The worst thing I've seen is the reaction to it.  People try to categorize it.  Don't!  It does so many things and you can do so many things that you should just enjoy it.  One moment, I'm in a battle.  The next moment, I'm solving puzzles.  That sounds like Genshin Impact or Wuthering Waves but it doesn't feel anything like those.  I even saw something about building a house.

I've been playing a bunch of games from China, South Korea, and Japan.  However, it's surprising to me that I'm seeing or hearing some of the same places mentioned.

I seem to find that playing one game that leads to another gives me a versatile viewpoint and I can switch to another game and find my way more quickly.  Then, I can return to the earlier games and solve problems that gave me headaches. 

This game has a Solo episode to start.  Apparently, there are co-op episodes.  It's funny how it feels a bit like real life.  However, I never thought that I'd play Mah Jong as a dog, but that has happened.  One thing I did was to activate all of the teleport/fast travel locations as soon as possible.  Trying to find the resources to finish a quest may require something far away.

 Hopefully, I can make some progress.  I've been spinning my wheels a bit on Wuthering Waves because the ability to level up the 5-star characters is a bit much using 4-star characters.  Solo Leveling: Arise is still interesting.  Finishing the stories can sometimes be too easy, especially since I've been playing from the first day.

Upgrading weapons and armour in WWM can require additional resources. 

 

 I haven't seen a need to buy anything.  I usually don't, but I did it for a while with Solo Leveling: Arise.  It made sense for a while.  However, WWM is something new and whether I will last or it will last are yet to be determined.  They supposedly had over 250,000 players on Steam at one time, but the average is lower.

 

There is a test of ascension via combat. Making it past level 20 is the trick right now.  I missed some snakes and was defeated.

Update 2025.12.14: Got through the ascension test and I'm at level 25 now.  I would tell you about what's happened but all I can say is that I'm not going to Kaifeng City yet. 

Oh, a couple of hours later, I'm at level 31 and had another ascension (breakthrough) test.  It's still weird seeing/hearing Qinghe because that's been mentioned in two other games I've played.  I've been able to tie up some loose ends and finish quests.

 

 

They sent me a survey request and I was pleased that the survey was so precise.  They asked me if I had any other suggestions and I mentioned that I'd like the iPad version to be modified to work on Mac, as Wuthering Waves is. 

 

Update 2025.12.16: I finished another breakthrough last night.  This time, it used the mausoleum trials.   I wonder if I finish trials levels 3-5 early, if it will help.  The latest only grants access to levels 50-55.

According to Steam, I have got 8 of 34 achievements.

Draining a lake was interesting. 

Update 2025.12.18: I have another breakthrough/ascension test to handle.  At this rate, I should be at level 1300 by next year (with only two weeks remaining) as long as I can surpass the tests.  I never expected that my knowledge of Daoism, Buddhism, and astronomy would be helpful in a game.

I'm not as slick with the battles and I have one battle with an angry woman in the lowest level and she isn't about to be beaten.

Update 2025.12.24: This game is a bit of everything and should be game of the year.  It requires so much of a player, as it calls on knowledge that westerners might not have, and some extra keyboard combinations (macro time?) that I don't have in muscle memory.

 It's beautiful and sometimes disgusting, but you can see that the artists went 100% to get the look and sound that make you feel something.  Then again, I'm seeing a lot of that in the free-to-play games.

Update 2026.03.16: I've been playing in Hexi, and I've done okay.  Last night, I finally tried the breakthrough/ascension again and did okay.  I'm at level 52.  I'm definitely not great at it, but some situations make so much sense and others are a reach for me.

The bigger bosses are still a problem and a world boss is going to remain a while.

Update 2026.03.26: I'm at level 55 and waiting for the Mausoleum trials.  I've been clearing outposts, which requires some strategy but isn't too difficult.  I've got 12 of the 44 Steam achievements, which is probably sufficient.  I went from 10 to 12 fairly quickly, but it took a while from 8 to 10.

Finishing some of the quests doesn't seem possible.  I keep seeing "buggy" around the bad quests.  Maybe, there are several possible directions but they didn't make allowances for the quest to work that way.  Progress is progress.  I've solved more in Qinghe lately. 

Update 2026.04.02: Cleared all of the Qinghe outposts the other day.  Even cleared a World Boss, the Puppeteer.  I came close on the drunken boss with the enormous wine jug but was killed just before the finish.

I've been trying to clear quests, but suddenly, there is dialogue during a fight and I can't fight any longer.  My character can be hurt but can't respond.  I first noticed this during a gold leaf quest but it's happened a few times since then. There have been two large patches since version 1.5 was released.  Haven't been able to complete the photos quests in Hexi. 

Update 2026.04.07: The odd thing about photo requests is that Qinghe looks about the same but says "complete".

Is Hexi Sexi? 

In Chinese, they don't sound anything alike He=huh and Xi is like She with your tongue behind your teeth. 

I've been into the snowbound areas of Hexi, and made some decent progress.  I've activated most of the teleport locations.  I did not arrive through Whitecrown Fortress, so I can't active the desert teleports.  There is a sandstorm.

I haven't been to all of the "cup" locations, although everyone has to make it to the Governor's Mansion regardless.

Most of them don't seem to have any combat.  One only seems to have combat.  Remember to have your "Q" ready when you're falling hard.

I was impatient during the Moonlight Wine quest and advanced the clock too far and I'll have to try another day. 

In the past week, I noticed that a lot of the Kaifeng quests have fallen into place and they're finished now.  Perhaps, WWM is impatient with my progress. 

 

Update 2026.04.09: The cups are overflowing with bloody wine.   I completed the Moonlight wine bit with a lot of retribution.

I've completed Whitecrown Fortress and the path from desert to snow.  It's strange how I was so close and my defeat caused me to believe that I wasn't close to finishing.  However, the first defeat is automatic, regardless. 

Update 2026.04.14:  I met that angry woman below Blissful Retreat again and I taught her a thing or two.  My Snowbound Spear and Blade helped me quite a lot.  Having a weapon at over 300 somethings has helped.  I completed the Palace of Annals the other day, with help.  I'm not sure how the co-op thing works, but I seemed to have some help exactly when I needed it.  With the new weapons, I'm not sure I'd need the help.

 Is the Bag a problem for anyone else?  I want to dump the lower-ranked stuff but it isn't easy to do that.  Occasionally, I actually replace my good stuff.  Don't right-click.

I tried the Vernal Umbrella and it was helpful but not powerful enough.  Finding a set of four of anything kind is difficult.  The sword and spear I'm using are not quite matched, even though the name would suggest that they are.  I have three Jadeware pieces and the blade/sword is not one of those.  Still, I'll go for results, since I'm not a collector. 

I'm back to the Governor's Residence tonight and after what seems like three hours of history, there is a five boss fight.  I got close the second time and became worse a third time.  I need rest.  I can only do so many boss fights per day.

 

Update 2026.04.29: This new area is gorgeous and troublesome right from the start.  It should be interesting. 

 

Update 2026.04.30: I saw some achievement about a fish in the tallest tree and attempted it.  Unfortunately, I'm not sure what the actual achievement is. 

Update 2026.05.02: Finished An Unholy Prophecy after a bit.  Frustrated that I turned on the mashers in the hallway because I had to return.  Finding the short sword (spoilers?) was difficult.  Got into Mistveil City but that seems like another three hours to complete.  I don't care about the chests at this point, except for the final one saying that I've completed the quest.

 

I'm up to Level 13 Universal View, which was the top level until version 1.6.  I'm also at level 87 but my gear is at level 81 until the shops reset on Sunday (or Monday in Asia).  I will switch to Tier 86 gear and get it tuned to 300 or so.  

 

Update 2026.05.04: Star Wars Day?  I went to level 90 and Level 14 and using Tier 91 gear.  I just updated to level 86 gear yesterday. I defeated a bunch of outposts since the previous breakthrough.  Being at the top level of breakthrough is interesting.  Picking and choosing weapons and armor should be interesting, as well.

 The thing about tuning gear is that you can compromise yourself by not placing gear right away.  I did that around Tier 81 gear, IIRC.  I put the spear into place, and tuning it took away the sword and other gear.

If you haven't seen, there is a way to upgrade your Tier 86 weapons to Tier 91, but it keeps you from improving the skills all the way to 95.  Is it me or are there just so many levels and they're not clearly different in nomenclature? 

I have expanded the Bag several times and never seem to have enough room.  Can't get rid of the old stuff for some reason.  I tried that and got mail with low-ranking gear, as though I lost them.

 

Things are going quickly and I'm surprised.   I finished the Buddha's Light campaign and have two more gold categories.

 Update 2026.05.05: Finished the Granary campaign.  It must have been buggy.  Now, I need to deal with a big fish twice.  Now, I'm going to regret not taking training in Japan for o-sushi.

Update 2026.05.07: I decided to start the Jinming Pool campaign.  I just learned that I need to use Touch of Death, so I need to configure for that.  I've got Meridian Touch, Tai Chi, Celestial Seize, and Wolf-like Frenzy on 1, 2, 3, and 4.  I suppose this is about panache instead of outright violence, so Touch of Death can go on 4.  It didn't go terribly wrong so far, but I know I'm going to need a few hours to complete it.

I've got Touch of Death and I believe that it works when I drop behind an enemy and press the F key.  I've also got Cloud Steps but didn't have them configured.  I switched out Ghostly Steps at Alt-3.  I'm going to need all four on the set of 1-4 keys without Alt.   Cloud Steps had an upgrade available so, it's at Tier 3, level 9 now.

Update 2026.05.09: I'm no a co-op person.  However, this week, I had some help with a boss and I made a friend who is leader of a Guild.  I joined the Guild and that requires some co-op time to accomplish goals.  I thought that I was joining a group battle and I found that it was just me.  I died four times.  I tried it today and died two times.  

I had some co-op time with another friend and took on the Twin Lions.  I died several times, but the friend can resurrect the dumb.  We were victorious.  We took on the Snake Doctor and were victorious, as well.  He wanted to retrieve a box in a pit of snakes.  I did my best to draw them away from him.  I died several times.  Notice a theme?

I need my Sword Morph shield to be much stronger.  I need my keyboard to perform all of my Mystic Skills with just one key.  I'm vicious once I get going, but I fail too often because I don't have my equipment up to higher levels and the same applies for Inner Way and Mystic Skills.  I'm working on it.  I'm also working on another blog entry to get new players on the right track quickly, to avoid my mistakes. 

Update 2026.05.11: I'm at character level 95, so I cannot go higher, although there is a Solo level 15 in "30 days" whatever exactly that means, probably 31 May.

I've spent some time tackling bosses with guild mates.  I'm so aggressive, and I don't care if my character is killed.  It sounds as though the other three were on Xbox or Playstation.  Certainly, that would be better since Microsoft doesn't have AI running in the background, even when you try to turn it off in Windows 11 Pro.

 I've finished a few more Encounters and easy quests.  Playing in the Guild Hall is different. 

Update 2026.05.13: I beat Dasan Pass lion on my own.  Feels better.  Tried wireless earbuds.  Microphone still not working.  Every Windows 11 Pro update seems to mean more glitching and lower performance.  WWM provides plenty of heat from RTX 3050 Ti.

Playing co-op is good, gaining assist points, even Sect points.  Martial Mastery still just under 23,000.  Waiting for Sunday and chance to find better Inner Way notes, and mystic skills upgrades.  Professional development has got Paragon Doctor 2.  Didn't have enough extra for Scholar upgrade. 

Trying my best to stay positive.  So much to do, although with some bug fixes, my Campaign completion is growing. 

 

 

Update 2026.05.14: Woke up, got another couple of games started, closed.  Went to WWM.  Was called to Guild Party and after that, got called for a 5 person fight, first with Puppeteer and second with Drunken Martial Artist.  Was killed and revived.   Went from a total of around 380,000 in the first to 730,000 in the second.   Breaking the wine jars helped.

 Out of everyone, I was the lowest with only physical skills that could be used.  It's interesting playing on a team. 

There is one problem I've noticed from playing on a team in strong graphical circumstances: my Windows 11 Pro machine is overheating.  This is a creator's machine, not a gaming machine and it's over three years old now, playing a game that's not six months old.  Still, I want to replace my Mac laptop with another Mac laptop, not replace Windows 11.   Ordered an MSI Crosshair HX 16 that's about three years newer, because this machine is from 2022.  It's not a 2026 machine but the AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX and Nvidia RTX 5060 should be a huge upgrade.

Update 2026.05.15: I've played almost 400 hours according to Steam.  Compare that to Unreal Tournament that I've had (again) since 2017 with 10 or so hours more.  I've really been playing too much.

I upgraded Ghostly Steps with the final Young Fungus.  Equally fun picking Jade Tower Peony for Wolflike Frenzy upgrading.  Those, plus some Gear updates caused me to beat a Martial Mastery number for Talents, and now, I'm at HP + 1000.  I might have a little more breathing room before my character is killed.