Discussion

Discussions are a game mechanic in Xenoblade Chronicles 3 where the party will discuss various topics, leading to Bonus being awarded, or new s being unlocked.

Mechanics
First, the player must collect info fragments from s in the field. NPCs who have info to share will be marked with a yellow "i" above their heads. To collect the fragment, the player must either stand near them to eavesdrop on a conversation between multiple NPCs, or directly speak with them if they're alone. Some info fragments are divided into multiple parts, requiring all of them to be collected before a topic is unlocked. Some info fragments are collected by other means, such as completing a quest or progressing the story.

Once enough info fragments have been collected, a new topic will be unlocked. The party can discuss it at a. Most topics have no requirements, but some require specific Heroes to be in the party, or for the party to be at a specific rest spot. If so, the game will automatically add the required Hero to the party or give them the option to skip travel to the necessary rest spot. When discussed, a short dialog scene will be played, showing the party discussing the topic at hand and giving their thoughts. At the end, Bonus will be awarded, or a new  will be unlocked. Certain discussions, usually those part of a Hero Quest, might play a cutscene instead of the usual camp dialogue setup.