How to Place the Windmill in the Flowers in Genshin Impact

The winds of change are blowing over the realm of Teyvat. They carry with them new adventures, quests and challenges into uncharted lands. One such challenge awaiting travelers in the recently discovered Fontaine region is the task of placing mysterious windmills within glowing flowers.

This guide will equip you with the knowledge to master the "Place the Windmill in the Flowers" objective. We‘ll cover where to find the puzzling windmills, how to pick them up, optimal placement strategies, their purpose across Teyvat, and the game design significance of these kinetic contraptions.

Read on to spin up a solutions to this winding challenge!

Overview of the Objective

Upon wandering the floral fields of Fontaine, you may notice glowing spots dotted amongst the blooms. Interacting with them activates the "Place the Windmill in the Flowers" objective. Completing it requires locating windmills scattered about the landscape and placing them in these spots.

At first glance, this seems straightforward. But many travelers encounter difficulty when first attempting to position the windmills without picking them up beforehand. Doing so results in an error and no progression towards completing the objective.

The key insight is that the windmills must be physically collected before they can be placed in the designated locations. With this fundamental rule understood, let‘s break down where to find the windmills and how to move them into position.

Locating and Picking Up Windmills

When you enter a field with glowing flowers, you‘ll notice small windmills anchored into the ground amongst the foliage. These are what you need to collect.

Each windmill consists of a mast connected to angled sails, all lodged firmly into the earth when found. To pick one up:

Approach a windmill and press the interact button when prompted.
Your character will reach down, uproot the windmill from the soil, and lift it overhead.
You are now holding the windmill, ready for transport.

Here‘s an example of Collei collecting a grounded windmill:

[Collei picking up windmill image]

The key takeaway here is that the windmills begin rooted in place. You must physically dig them up before you can position them elsewhere. With windmill in hand, we can now discuss placement.

Placing Windmills in Flower Spots

Once you‘ve uprooted a windmill, head over to one of the glowing flower spots scattered around the field. These serve as sockets where your harvested windmills can be replanted.

To place a windmill into the glowing flowers:

Approach a glowing flower patch and press interact when prompted.
Your character will kneel down, setting the lifted windmill into the soil.
A progress bar for the objective will fill up slightly.
Repeat this process, uprooting and replanting windmills until the bar maxes out.

See Diluc demonstrate the windmill placement process below:

[Diluc placing windmill image]

And just like that, the windmills once anchored in the earth are rotated into new locations amongst the flowers. As we‘ll explore later, this seemingly simple act actually empowers intricate mechanisms across Teyvat.

Why Windmills Must Be Picked Up First

Many travelers encounter confusion early on when attempting to place windmills without holding any. But this results in the objective not advancing and an error message popping up.

The reason is straightforward – since windmills begin rooted into the ground, your character has nothing to actually set down unless they are holding one. The game expects you to manually uproot windmills before being able to transplant them.

Attempting to place while empty-handed is akin to trying to set a table without any plates prepared. The game prompts you to take action by grabbing a windmill, so there is an object to position within the flowers.

Heed this fundamental rule, and you‘ll avoid frustration. Picking up windmills is the first crucial step the game requires. With this mastered, let‘s optimize your strategy.

Tips for Efficient Collection and Placement

Now that you understand the basic pickup and placement loop, here are some tips for smoothly completing this objective:

Collect all visible windmills before placing any – uproot every one you see before depositing any in the flowers. Saves you retracing steps.
Use an anemo character – their stamina passives facilitate rapidly dashing between locations.
Craft stamina foods – replenishes your sprint stamina for gathering multiple windmills in succession.
Utilize constructs for elevation – Geo Traveler‘s meteor or Zhongli‘s pillars let you reach windmills placed at high altitudes.
Clear surrounding enemies first – eliminates disruptions during collection and placement.
Place windmills near where you found them – minimizes distance traveled between pickup and deposit.

With these tips, you‘ll effortlessly harvest each windmill from the landscape and redistribute them amongst the flowers. A few cycles of this, and the progress bar will hit max. Objective complete!

The History and Purpose of Windmills in Teyvat

Now that you‘ve mastered windmill placement, you may be wondering – what are the origins and functions of these mysterious machines scattered across the realm?

The Evolution of Windmills

While windmills have likely existed in some form for millennia, the earliest recorded ones in Teyvat date back over 500 years ago to the era of Vennessa and the founding of Mondstadt.

Primitive in design, these early windmills consisted of cloth sails mounted onto wooden frames. They were used to grind grain and wheat to feed the rapidly growing population.

Over centuries, windmill engineering advanced considerably. Materials shifted from wood and cloth to metals alloys and synthetics. Sail designs became more efficient at capturing wind momentum.

By the modern age, windmills took on a variety of shapes, sizes, and roles across the lands. Let‘s explore their many functions today.

Windmill Uses and Mechanics

On your journey, you may notice windmills of all types – some small enough to be carried, others large enough to shelter inside. Despite their diversity, most windmills today serve one of five primary functions:

Milling – Grinding grains, ores, and other materials between rapidly spinning millstones.
Pumping – Drawing underground water to the surface for irrigation and hydraulics.
Electricity – Converting kinetic energy into elemental particles used as electricity.
Transportation – Providing lift force for airships, gliders, and other aerial vehicles.
Kinetics – Powering moving platforms, rotating constructs, and puzzle mechanisms.

Modern windmills utilize complex gearing and mechanical principles to amplify the rotational force of their sails. This allows them to take on grinding, pumping, generating, and other mechanical roles.

Advanced windmills can self-regulate the pitch of their sails to maintain optimal RPMs despite fluctuating wind speeds. Their robust but lightweight designs withstand the most intense gales across storm-prone areas like Minacious Isle.

Through ingenious engineering, the chaotic winds of Teyvat are harnessed into controlled, uniform rotational power. This allows windmills to serve as critical infrastructure across cities, farms, and industrial facilities.

So while their placement may seem like a puzzle, remember that redirecting windmills helps energize communities across the realm!

The Thematic Significance of Windmills

Beyond their mechanical functions, windmills also hold symbolic significance in Genshin Impact. As the name implies, windmills represent mastery over the element of Anemo – the winds and the sky.

Rotating as fluidly as the air currents, they exemplify humanity and nature cooperating in harmony. This reflects Genshin‘s core themes of elemental mastery and balance.

leurance, the Anemo Archon, is said to bless regions where windmills proliferate with fair weather and bountiful harvests. As such, they are revered by farmers, sailors, and others who rely on the winds.

So as you seek out windmills to place amongst Fontaine‘s flowers, appreciate that you are spreading good fortune across the land!

Troubleshooting Tips for Windmill Placement

Despite understanding the basics, you may still encounter issues while attempting this objective. Here are some troubleshooting tips:

Problem: Unable to pick up windmill.

Solution: Check no objects/terrain are obstructing access to the base. Some windmills are wedged into tight spaces. Switch to a smaller character if necessary.

Problem: Keep running out of stamina during placement.

Solution: Make sure to craft stamina restoring foods. Use an Anemo character for faster stamina regen. Activate the Anemo Resonance effect if possible.

Problem: Windmill placement won‘t advance progress bar.

Solution: Double check you are placing the windmill in an actual flower patch glow spot, not normal terrain. The glow is subtle – watch carefully!

Still struggling? Consider re-exploring the zone to reveal any windmills missed. Patience and thoroughness are key!

In Summary

And with that travelers, you now have all the knowledge needed to smoothly "Place the Windmill in the Flowers" in Genshin‘s splendorous new Fontaine region:

Windmills must be picked up before they can be placed. Uproot them from the ground first.
Glowing flower patches serve as sockets to deposit picked-up windmills.
Use an Anemo character and stamina restoration to swiftly gather and place.
Appreciate that repositioning windmills helps energize infrastructure across Teyvat!

The winds of wisdom now flow through you. Go forth and redirect them to spread prosperity across the land! Please let me know if you have any other questions.

Frequently Asked Questions About Windmills in Genshin Impact

Here are answers to some common questions about windmills in Genshin Impact:

Q: Do windmills respawn after being picked up?

A: Yes, windmills will respawn in their original locations after a set amount of time, allowing them to be collected again.

Q: Can you keep windmills in your inventory permanently?

A: No, windmills will automatically be removed from your inventory after a short duration if not placed. You cannot permanently collect them.

Q: Do I need to place windmills to progress quests or the story?

A: Generally no – windmill placement is entirely optional. However, some may open access to treasure or other rewards.

Q: Can windmills be damaged or destroyed?

A: Yes, windmills have HP and can be damaged by both weapons and elemental reactions like swirl and overgrown. But they will respawn undamaged.

Q: Is there a limit to how many windmills I can place in one spot?

A: No, there is no limit to the number of windmills that can be concentrated in one flower patch. Keep adding more to quickly boost progress.

Q: Do I get rewards for placing windmills?

A: You‘ll receive some minor prizes like mora, crafting materials, or companion XP. But it is primarily for puzzle satisfaction.

I hope these answers help explain windmills‘ purpose and mechanics in Genshin Impact! Let me know if you have any other windmill questions.