Let me tell you about the moment I truly understood what makes 3jili special. I'd been playing for about two weeks, grinding through missions and feeling like I'd hit a performance plateau. That's when I discovered the credit system's deeper mechanics, and honestly, it transformed everything about how I approach the game. The shop system in Operation Galuga isn't just some tacked-on feature—it's the beating heart of what makes 3jili's gameplay loop so compelling. I remember staring at that upgrade menu, calculating whether to go for the immediate gratification of extra health or save for the bigger game-changers.
What most players don't realize initially is how intentionally the risk-reward system is designed. When I started playing on higher difficulties despite my initial reservations, my credit earnings jumped by roughly 40-60% per mission. That's not just a slight bump—that's the difference between buying basic upgrades in five missions versus two. The system actively encourages you to push beyond your comfort zone. I used to play conservatively, always choosing the safe route, until I realized that turning on one-hit kills—while terrifying at first—actually improved my spatial awareness and reaction times dramatically. After about fifteen missions with that setting enabled, my overall accuracy improved from around 65% to nearly 80% even when I turned the feature off.
The real magic happens when you start combining perks strategically. Early on, I made the mistake of buying cheaper upgrades randomly without considering synergy. My breakthrough came when I saved 3,500 credits for the automatic weapon upgrade transformation—the one that instantly gives you the enhanced version of any weapon you pick up. This single purchase changed my entire approach to weapon management. Suddenly, I wasn't desperately clinging to my current weapon anymore; I could adapt fluidly to whatever the battlefield presented. But here's what's fascinating—this perk alone isn't enough. I paired it with the upgrade that lets you keep your enhanced weapon after taking damage, which cost me another 4,200 credits. This combination essentially created my preferred playstyle: aggressive weapon experimentation without punishment.
I've talked with other dedicated players, and we all seem to arrive at different perk combinations that suit our individual approaches. One friend swears by the extra lives perk combined with weapon retention upon death, creating what he calls his "persistent assault" build. Another prefers maximizing health regeneration speed with faster reload times. What's brilliant about the two-perk limit is that it forces meaningful choices rather than allowing players to eventually become overpowered with every advantage. I probably spent three hours just testing different combinations in various mission types before settling on my current setup.
The economic balance deserves particular praise. Basic upgrades like expanding your health bar or purchasing single extra lives cost between 800-1,500 credits—achievable within 2-3 standard missions. But the transformative upgrades, those true game-changers I mentioned earlier, range from 3,500 to 5,000 credits. This pricing structure creates a natural progression curve. New players get quick wins that help them survive longer, while experienced players work toward more strategic advantages. I've noticed that most dedicated players hit their stride around the 20-hour mark, once they've accumulated enough credits to purchase their ideal perk combination and have learned to maximize risk-adjusted credit farming.
What often goes unappreciated is how this system elevates 3jili from a straightforward action game to something with genuine RPG-like customization depth. Before I understood the perk system, I viewed missions as isolated challenges. Now, each mission feels like part of a larger progression journey. I'm constantly thinking about how my current approach will contribute to my next upgrade goal. This meta-layer of strategy has kept me engaged far longer than the core gameplay alone would have. I'm currently saving for what many consider the endgame perk: the ability to choose your starting weapon regardless of mission parameters. At 6,200 credits, it represents the ultimate expression of player agency.
The beauty of 3jili's design is that it respects your time while rewarding mastery. Even failed missions earn you some credits, ensuring progression never fully stalls. I've had sessions where I failed three consecutive high-difficulty missions but still earned enough to purchase a meaningful upgrade. This careful balance between challenge and reward exemplifies why 3jili maintains player engagement long after the initial novelty wears off. After approximately 45 hours with the game, I'm still discovering new perk combinations that subtly shift my approach to familiar missions. That's the mark of a truly well-designed system—one that continues to reveal depth to dedicated players while remaining accessible to newcomers. If you're feeling stuck in your 3jili progression, I'd recommend focusing less on immediate mission completion and more on understanding how each risk factor contributes to your long-term upgrade strategy. The difference isn't just quantitative—it fundamentally changes how you experience the game's design philosophy.