The Gift-Spar loop to increase relations is unengaging.

[Yoonic]

The system is intended to create a feedback loop that give players a purpose to grind and get close to NPCs and it works, theoretically.

In practice, it create a less than favorable loop of giving NPCs items - spar to get items back - rest because low HP - spar again.
This particular loop not only destroy the sense of immersion of the world, making it "gamey" rather than immersive, but also create an unengaging loop that offer minimal rewards for time spent.

Suggestion: A system that NPCs gift the player
- Both sparing and gifting should increase relation. Sparing now doesn't give players the NPCs' items, but works as a low cost - low reward option of increase relation compared to gifting.
- NPCs gives precious items to players at relation milestones for example 40/60/80/100.
- Companions should have relation increase when players finish their personal quests, this helps differentiating them from normal NPCs, making them favorable in the players' view.

Why:
- This proposed system should lessen the time and effort players have to invest in order to get items from NPCs, letting them focus on the story of the game and other systems.
- The straightforward progression sense should also improve the incentive for players to interact with the system.

[Illyanna]

What you are proposing would increase the time it takes.... with about 10 gifts you can get someone into the 70-80s. Then just beat them and get your items back...

[Yoonic]

No, 10 gifts should still help you reach that amount, sparing will only help with increase the relation at no cost but your time.
And then they will give you their treasures, not your gifts, back when you reach relation milestones with them.

[HonsaeDorae]

Honestly, I tried to avoid the gift sparring thing as much as possible because the NPC's are boring to talk to, I just wanted to do quest. Then I realized I was never getting stringer because you don't get many cultivation methods from quest.