be friends with there sect people

Ahh ok thanks!

Originally posted by sleeve:

How to improve?

Small Talk to NPC that's from those sects.

Give storage ring (orange level purchasable from store) to higher up people in the sect (Elder, Grand Elder, Sect Master).

Always have extra storage ring in your inventory, so you can be ready whenever you bump into these people.

The best ways I've found to improve Affinity are to drink "18 Luohan" at a tavern until you get a Enhanced Stamina (+max stam. & monthly stamina regen. for 6 months).

Every tavern buff stacks per area/realm. So if you are in Hua Feng, you can get the Enhanced Stamina Buff there and teleport back to Yong Ning to get another Enhanced Stamina buff.

Using that example, Hua Feng would give you a +20 max Stam/regen monthly buff, and Yong Ning +10, meaning you will have +30 max. stamina and regenerate 30 stamina every month. So you could give 3 gifts a month in this example and still have perfect stamina next month.

Affinity gain and willingness to accept a gift -appears- to simply be tied to item value. So any item you have lots of that is worth a lot will net you more Affinity. "Interest" gift items may give a little bonus affinity, but not enough for me to notice.

One item I always have too much of that are worth a decent amount are the legendary (golden) Monster Materials. (Primeval Vine, Bamboo, Scales, Fur, etc.)

You can also see if a person is part of a Sect. BEFORE you talk to them by hovering over their face. Just simply never talk to anyone that isn't part of a Sect. Talk to everybody that is part of a Sect. If you Small Talk and they don't like you, give them a gift. Rinse and repeat and before long you will be friends with every Sect. anywhere.

Also go on every date you get. Not only can you get three free training/debates per date, if you click on the Stone Tablet in the Flower Field, you can get a free Talk (called Banter), and you can give unlimited Gifts.

If you use the free Talk during a date and talk about a "Friend" option, you have a chance to increase your affinity with that date person and the person you talk about.

It also helps if you are rich enough to buy everyone a drink at a tavern. I've learned that if they are at least a tiny sliver of a heart, they won't talk trash to your face (different people walk different ways. Get out of here) causing you to gain an enemy/rival.

Originally posted by pmm5000:

It also helps if you are rich enough to buy everyone a drink at a tavern. I've learned that if they are at least a tiny sliver of a heart, they won't talk trash to your face (different people walk different ways. Get out of here) causing you to gain an enemy/rival.

That is true, but it is not very cost effective. If you don't talk to people, they won't talk trash to your face, so no rival. Instead, use that money to buy storage ring to give to people. The you will have 2 or 3 people that really likes you, enough to give you stuffs.

Even better, befried the elders of various sects or use it to pacify your enemy who hates you enough to come after you.

Originally posted by ITalkToSky:

Originally posted by pmm5000:

It also helps if you are rich enough to buy everyone a drink at a tavern. I've learned that if they are at least a tiny sliver of a heart, they won't talk trash to your face (different people walk different ways. Get out of here) causing you to gain an enemy/rival.

That is true, but it is not very cost effective. If you don't talk to people, they won't talk trash to your face, so no rival. Instead, use that money to buy storage ring to give to people. The you will have 2 or 3 people that really likes you, enough to give you stuffs.

Even better, befried the elders of various sects or use it to pacify your enemy who hates you enough to come after you.

You're absolutely correct about it not being cost effective. Still, if you manage to get them to a full 1 heart, and then buy them a drink, they will be your friend. Just barely. And gives you the chance to make more shallow friends. Quantity over Quality in this case.

Another great thing about Storage rings that I learned was if you intend to give people a full set of resources to let them get something like Heaven Foundation, they will absolutely refuse your gifts if they don't have room to carry them. Even if that gift is a storage ring. So you have to empty their inventory.

It is true that the NPC talks to each other and can help you rack up friend over time. However, those affection also decays over time, so the friend you gain by them talking to each other is minimal.

I found this out because all the 43 friends in my list are at least 2 hearts. If they have been recruiting new friend, I would expect a few 1 hearts around. Instead, I think they are just talking to each other, negating that affection decay somewhat.

Also, getting them to 1 full heart before the drink still takes a lot of stamina talking to people. I generally talk to girls since your charisma stats seems to matter more in that case. They like you more and sometimes give 1/2 heart just with greeting if your reputation is stellar as well.

I still recommend the storage rings because you can strategically make friend with other sect's higher up. This will allow you to buy stuffs from their treasure hall and reduce the price. It starts at 6X the market price and as you become very good friend with their sect elder, the price can drop down to 1X.

About the inventory space thing, that is good to know. I wondered why in rare cases, people refused by Red rarity stuff.

Thanks for all the answers!