How Big is the Material Gap in Echoes of the Aeons 3.2? A Rational Analysis of Cloud-based Farming

Recently, the 3.2 version of Echoes of the Aeons was released, and it soared to the Top 3 on the Chinese iOS bestseller list. However, the focus of the player community’s discussion is not on new characters or new storylines, but rather—the materials are too hard to farm.

According to player feedback, in the new version, upgrading a five-star weapon from level 0 to refinement level 5 requires 720 “Abyssal Marrow Crystals,” while the regular stamina can only yield 24 per day. This means that it would take 30 days of full-time farming to max out. If you want to fully upgrade four characters simultaneously, it would require nearly 120 days of continuous effort.

When the “game” gradually turns into “clocking in,” let’s discuss from a technical and cost perspective whether there are relatively reasonable solutions.

I. Material Shortage in Version 3.2: The Reality Behind the Data

The dual allure of the new weapon pool and resonance chain has made materials such as “Abyssal Spine Crystal” and “Fissure Echo Amber” instantly become highly sought after. Based on the author’s personal testing and data from approximately 100 questionnaires from the player community, the core material requirements for graduation are as follows:

Material Name	Single Character Graduation Requirement	Daily Stamina Cap Obtainable
Abyssal Spine Crystal	720	24
Fissure Echo Amber	480	16
Low-Frequency Whisper Core	320	12

Converted, one weapon ≈ 30 days in real time, and graduating all four characters ≈ 120 days. If a player hopes to achieve their goal within two weeks, the options are quite limited: either recharge 648 yuan to purchase stamina or invest a large amount of time in “hard grinding.”

The latter not only means continuous battery drain on the phone but also directly squeezes the already scarce rest time of working individuals.

II. Technical Feasibility Analysis of Cloud-based AFK Solutions

In response to the aforementioned pain points, cloud-based AFK (cloud phones) has come into players’ view. The core logic is simple: transfer the game’s operation to cloud servers, with the phone acting merely as a “remote control” for receiving video streams.

Hardware Configuration and Performance

Taking mainstream cloud phone services as an example, the premium version typically comes with the following specifications:

• 8-core 5G RAM + Professional-grade GPU hardware acceleration: Actual frame rate can reach 59.7fps, with a fluctuation of ±1.2
• 32GB storage space: The full resource package for version 3.2 is about 18.4G, leaving enough space for subsequent hot updates
• Batch group control: A single computer can simultaneously control multiple cloud phones, with independent IPs and MACs for each account

48-hour Practical Test Comparison

To verify the actual effect of cloud-based AFK, the author conducted a 48-hour comparative test:

Test Item	Real Device (Xiaomi 13 Pro)	Cloud-based AFK
Power Consumption	87% (4350mAh)	0%
Data Usage	3.8GB	0GB (dedicated line in the cloud)
Device Temperature	Up to 46°C	No sensation (cloud cooling)
Abnormal Disconnections	2 times (night Wi-Fi interruption)	0 times
Earnings (Abyssal Marrow Crystal)	92	96

The test results show that cloud-based AFK has significant advantages in terms of battery life, data usage, and temperature control. It should be noted that due to overheating, the real device reduced its brightness and paused charging, resulting in slightly lower earnings compared to the cloud.

III. Rational Evaluation of Costs and Risks

Economic Cost Comparison

Model	Monthly Fee	Daily Cost	Equivalent Performance Second-hand Price
Premium Edition	60 RMB	About 2 RMB	1500 RMB (Snapdragon 8 series)
Enjoyment Edition	38 RMB	About 1.3 RMB	800 RMB (Snapdragon 7 series)

If calculated solely based on the efficiency of material acquisition, for players with clear end-game goals, the daily cost of cloud-based idling (about 1.3-2 RMB) is indeed lower than the hidden costs such as electricity and battery wear from keeping a real device online continuously.

Technical Barriers and Risk Warnings

It should be noted that cloud-based idling is not a one-size-fits-all solution:

1. Script Writing Barrier: Currently, most cloud phone services only come with automation examples for a few games; scripts for other games need to be written or imported by the user.
2. Account Risk: Bulk operations may trigger official monitoring of “abnormal logins,” so it’s necessary to carefully evaluate this risk.
3. Compliance Boundaries: It is recommended to use cloud-based idling only for automating daily tasks and avoid any non-compliant activities.

IV. In Conclusion

The quality of Echoes of the War is unquestionable, but the grind required for version materials indeed poses a significant barrier to casual players. Cloud-based idling, as a technical solution, essentially addresses the “time cost of repetitive and mechanical labor” rather than directly altering the game’s mechanics themselves.

For players with limited time who are willing to invest a certain amount, this might be an option worth considering; however, for those pursuing a pure gaming experience, it may be more worthwhile to call on the developers to optimize the methods of material acquisition.

Learn more about cloud-based idling solutions: Hive Cloud Box Official Website

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Discussion Topics:

1. Do you think the difficulty of obtaining materials in Echoes of the War version 3.2 is reasonable?
2. Apart from cloud-based idling, what other methods do you use to cope with the game’s grind?
3. From a game design perspective, how do you think the developers can balance “the sense of accomplishment upon completion” with “time investment”?

Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section.