Phantasy Star Online 2

[Serephim]

Okay so lets get to this before its too late! We should go ahead and remake SFGHQ Heroes as a Team.

The reason is twofold, since we can get PSE Cross Bursts if we're in teams.

Im currently lv 20, if anyone needs help achieving Caves / Desert / requirements for Hard Mode, catch me online and i'll definitely help you out. Hard Mode missions are pretty lonely lol, nobody is really there.

But the drops are delicious : 3

[Asuma]

I'd be at level 1. I don't play MMOs like that. :V

[Rawr]

Edit:

Haha nevermind. If you guys spot me around, I'm all yellow and my character name is Rawr. Currently playing the free field forest mission a few times since I switched to Ranger class now.

[Serephim]

Lv28. When i get to 30 ill be running the Hard Mode free missions and rare hunting.

Eventually i'll switch to force i guess.

[ila]

BTW, official English release schedule for 2013. Like PSU, we're going to be half a year behind on content! Hooray! Can't wait for the servers to get shut down after 3 years.

[Serephim]

Yeah fuck that bullshit. If they dont just do what they SHOULD be doing (simply translating the client) and let the players choose whatever server they want to join, then im not even going to bother with the US release.

If Sega can't be bothered with translating content as they create it like pretty much every other JP developer on the planet then they shouldn't even bullshit us.

The only reason i can figure they restricted characters to specific servers is because they intended to group the players based on language and region. If this game releases over here in 2013 and is NOT perfectly synchronized with the JP content, then my character is staying on the JP server. I'll find sega beyond pathetic if they fail THREE major phantasy star localizations in a row.

And if they ever IP ban us then im not playing PSO2 : /

[ila]

Alright, I should clarify: I was joking about being half a year behind on content. Sega hasn't announced anything in that regard yet. However I do feel that it is incredibly likely.

[Asuma]

Isn't that usually the case with any or most localized game? By the time Disgaea 4 case over her, more than have the DLC was released in Japan.

[ila]

Yeah, but that's DLC, mostly harmless unimportant content. for PSU we were missing whole quests and item chains. In particular I remember some sort of big Guardians overhaul being lost in limbo until the US PC servers were just shut down completely.

[Asuma]

Were they like important content, or just good "pay to win" content?

[Serephim]

Thats the thing. PSU was Pay to Play, so there really was no excuse. We were just missing content and having maintence with no updates for no reason at all, and they would never answer us why.

In fact it was so bad that after the PC/PS2 servers went down, the Xbox version of the game (the one that was multi-region) was so bastardized that we'd not only get content updates late, but they wouldn't even have any content in them. For instance, we'd get new weapons but they wouldn't provide the newer weapon models so they'd just be reskins of ugly items. If this 2013 release brings the game over here in the state that PSO2 is in currently and not how the JP servers will be at that time, then that means they are already behind the JP and will never catch up because SEGA never takes localization seriously.

I dont even care about voice acting and such, but i think all evidence points to our release being behind schedule. That evidence being PSO/PSU/PSP2. I just really wish they took Phantasy Star as seriously as they did Sonic. Its the only other good first-party thing they've ever had going.

Edit:

Official announcement trailer:

"CHECK OUT THE LATEST UPDATEDS"

I'm losing hope already.

[Asuma]

Well, it won't matter to me. As long as I understand what I'm playing.

@Questions about Vita/etc: We don’t have any additional information about other versions of the game at this time — I promise we’ll post if we do.

@Questions about content: It’s a huge concern for us, something we realize was an issue from PSU, and something we want to do our best to address for PSO2. I do think that there’s greater opportunity for you, the players: remember, this game is free to play. I do think we have an obligation to make sure the versions are as near to each other as possible; you don’t have to spend $60 on this and you don’t have to spend for a subscription, so the game is there for you to evaluate as you see fit.

Posted by Edward@Sega on July 9th, 2012 at 11:45 am

http://blogs.sega.com/2012/07/09/phantasy-star-online-2-is-coming-west/#comment-68053

[ila]

What I got from that "remember this game is free to play so we're probably going to have the same shit we did with PSU"

Anyway I'll try to make a point to get on the JP server some time.

[Serephim]

July 18th "Mines" update

http://youtu.be/yvZsvDPEEY4

Omfg that boss

And about that comment from Edward, what i did not hear is that the servers will be joined and that content will be simultaneous. He can "assure" us about the release all Sega asks him to, but they spout the exact same lip service trash for PSU, and you see how bad that crashed.

So i really have zero interest in the English release. Hopefully the guys working on the unofficial English translation patch will stay on it. Unfortunately they already said the quest info and cutscenes are all serverside information, so i dont know what that means for that.

Im not even going to look in the direction of the english release unless in 2013 when it comes out it's already on schedule with the JP release. If they release with only the forest and caves like the JP release did, then screw them and their lazy international efforts. I refuse to waste time on another "extra revenue" bullshit release like PSU360 and PC/PS2, with half its advertised content stripped out and below-minimal effort to adequately update.

[Asuma]

Well, I guess I won't see you on the English servers. As I've said, I don't care about content such as weapons and items. However, the only thing that concerns me is the possible lack of levels. If we don't have all the levels then I may try to learn Japanese or something. I could try to play with you guys, but I'm sure you guys are at level 30 or something and I don't like play catch up. Main reason I don't like playing MMOs. That's and I can sit for 3 hours grinding. But anyway, why don't you guys tried a to raise your voice and start petitions. They rarely work, but it seem to work for Tales of Graces F, and we're are getting Tales of Xilla. I'd say it's worth a try.

[Serephim]

No point; they dont care. The PSU community damn near slandered sega on their forums daily and they still didn't care. I personally believe they already know exactly how much effort they will or wont put into the international releases of the game.

They didnt put any effort into AotI (no voice acting, despite it being advertised on the damn case). Not to mention no real updates after a year or two. They did a great localization (translation) job with PSP2 aside from the part where all the voice acting was cut out (which I actually SUPPORT 100% because i know it would have been teeth cringing), we didn't get any of PSP2's DLC simply because they refused to take time to translate it, and we didn't even get PSP2Infinity.

They've gotten pretty good at making sure we get to play the phantasy star titles in english...but there has not been a single Phantasy Star MMO that we've gotten thats been even marginally on par with the JP version. PSOBB, PSU, PSP2, PSP2i, and probably even Zero too, i dont know. Every single one fell significantly behind the JP version before having its support cancelled while the JP version gets some huge update afterwards.

As much as I hate not being able to read content, Sega is literally the only company on this planet that could make me invest time in a title i cannot understand anything in. Im not even joking. There's no telling how disappointed i'll be if PSO2's English release turns out to be a completely different set of servers instead of a client that just receives translated information.

[Rawr]

I'm excited.

I just want to play through the levels and have a grand old time. The Western release has me giddy at any rate. Still gonna keep playing the japanese servers for a bit (not that I'm very high of a level, I think I'm level 14 or some shit) until the english servers are out and then I'll probably just migrate to the eng. server.

[Serephim]

I personally never really understood people who actually play JP versions of games when english ones were avaliable.

I just absolutely refuse to get shat on like with PSU PC/PS2 and again with PSU360. It was just too ridiculous. SEGA is probably the least respected company on my list since then, probably the only ones above Capcom.

[ila]

The pattern continues: Separate English servers. http://www.siliconera.com/2012/07/17/phantasy-star-online-2-in-u-s-and-europe-to-share-the-same-server/

[Serephim]

soooo, does anyone still bother with this?

My main character is level 42, my Alt is like 32. New update launches, lv50 cap, subclasses, Vhard mode, 10* weapons and all that other good jazz...

...and i already find myself bored and completely unmotivated to play the game. All of the new content is hollow -- Lv11 discs provide no visual changes (only more power), Very Hard enemies are the same as Hard mode enemies (which are the same as Normal) just with more HP (and still get zergrushed in multiparties), and worst of all, not a single rare weapon in the game, even the new 10* weapons, have any unique abilities to exploit.

Even Phantasy Star Universe built upon its existing content better than this during level increase, but PSO2 seems to change nothing but your ability to murder things faster the longer you play....and you have to play for a really long time to even accomplish that.

I think it's a problem that i feel like i've exhausted a whole monthly update worth of content in less than 3 days. Very Hard mode does not provide even the illusion of a challenge, and none of the new weapons are unique in any way other than their model and abysmal drop rates. The only new enemies are Rare enemies, and in the 2 levels worth of experience i've been playing around in Very Hard mode, i've only encountered one. And from what i hear, even the Rare variants have no real differences aside from attack strength and health.

[Rawr]

I started again on Ship 10 (because I was playing with a few people that ended up getting too busy too), twice. I have one level 20 RAcaseal and one level 18 FOCaseal, though I had initially started her as a hunter.

Quite frankly I am addicted - the only thing that I am bothered by is the fact that not a lot of people I know play the japanese version and are holding out for the english release. I'm gonna hop over to the english servers too when it comes out, but I just can't get enough of this game.

The only qualm I have about it is how difficult/redundant it is to unlock new areas. I would have preferred it that instead of unlocking new places by doing the same missions a couple times over to get S ranks it would just be "BEAT THE BOSS MOVE ON" or at least if the quests like that only effected the boss areas.

I still rather like it and wanna keep playing it but I mean between my new office job (fuck off retail you can suck my nuts now) which I work a full 40 hour work week, and then living at home again because I had no money before creating family obligations to go with that whole shit, its hard for me to find time to work on personal projects. Which is why PSO kinda has taken a backseat for me lately. But I really wanna keep playing it.

Finally had a chance to fight Big Vader the other day in a multiparty emergency quest and I was like ;o;

[Serephim]

I long since gave up MMORPGs, especially Free ones, since they stretch their content so thin for the sake of making the game longer. Avid MMORPG players will actually complain if they're able to level too fast because it "makes the game too easy". Which is stupid, but whatever.

I think my issue with this game is that my expectations are high considering how PSO aged itself. I was blown away by how solid the gameplay and collisions are in this game, and quickly fell in love with the combat system. But what has fueled both my addiction is pretty much the same thing that's fueling my rapid withdrawal...im expecting to see things, new and cool things, but all we're getting is more of the same.

Very Hard mode has just been overwhelmingly disappointing for me. It's probably just my expectations from PSO/PSU betraying me. But they're valid concerns, because without those features, PSO2 will eventually just become one huge action grindfest, which is essentially all it is the moment you unlock Hard Mode and realize nothing changes.

The Ruins will launch in November, and then eventually we'll get the Darker Den, which is looking like the final stage of the game. Im very excited for those stages...but only for the stages. My fun with this game comes from battling new enemies and seeing new content. But notice how i didn't say "finding new items", because all the weapons on this game are static and generic, despite how rare they are and how neat their model looks. Im excited to get my ass kicked by the new boss and play the new maps, but i have no motivation at all to hunt for anything, and thus no motivation to grind.

Guess i should point out:

Vhard mode requires level 40. Forest Freefield Lv req. is 41, Caves and Desert 42. VHard Tundra/Mines/Skyland hasn't been released yet.

We still drop bosses like Dark Ragne (Hollow Shell : Dark Ragne too, although he takes a bit longer) in MPAs in less than 2 minutes on spawning (less than that sometimes), And almost nobody on the server (at the time of yesterday at least) is higher than lv 44, if even that. And with the access to lv 11+ Discs (some abilities have DRASTIC attack increases) and now Subclasses, the Hard > Vhard jump is almost easier than what you'd encounter in Normal mode.

[Rawr]

I guess for me I have no problem with this, because in PSO Episode I and II I never played it aside from offline. I only owned the gamecube version when I was younger and played offline with family members/friends, so it wouldn't be until about last year when I would actually play through some of blue burst with people. The joy for me is simply playing in areas and destroying enemies with friends. Because I was never online I guess I don't really have much of a drive for item hunting. Yes I like getting newer items but I'd rather just buy them tbh from the player shops lol. To me I just like seeing new enemies, hearing new tracks, fighting new bosses.

Which is why my only real gripe is the fact that I can't get there faster due to all these client orders ;o;. Of course I bet it'd go a lot faster if I was always in a party of 4. I mean by the time I hit level 20 or so in the original PSO, I could be in the ruins and shit. Here I am level 20 and I'm in the desert area grinding to get myself out.

I also wouldn't mind dropping some money down on it for some shop features and rooms and other kinda extraneous crap that I don't really need. Since the game is free and I am highly enjoying it, I wouldn't mind putting some cash into it basically. It being japanese right now is kinda ruining that a bit for me haha too haha.

Edit:

I also get a kick out of the awesome characters I see sometimes in the lobby:

[ila]

I miss Phantasy Star Universe.

[Serephim]

I guess I just miss the varied and dynamic gameplay of the original. It's something I just can't get over after having played it before. I can understand it being undetectable if you never played the original, but it sticks out like a sore thumb to me. PSO2 isn't lacking features or depth, it's just not using any of it.

F2P gimmicks aside, these are the ones that bothered me the most throughout playing. These aren't issues that should bother anyone from a gameplay standpoint, but from a Phantasy Star standpoint they really suck to me.

The elimination of unique animations between race/gender. This could have just been laziness on Sega's part, but it's probably equally due to Phantasy Star's new desire for Fanservice and allowing you 100% total freedom in your character creation, which (since the portable games) have had their effects quickly seep into the gameplay as well.

Piggbacking off that, there are no more Racial differences. The stat differences are so useless in this game that i really cant understand why they even exist in the first damn place. This pretty much made me feel like a complete tool after i bought a second character slot. There is zero reason to have a second character other than pure cosmetics. Which is a pity, because with such a solid action engine they could have really used their brains for some cool ideas this time around, ESPECIALLY for the Cast race.

Subclasses allow you to mix 2 classes together, except limit your Subclass weapon choice to pre-determined weapons. This is fucking stupid. This WOULD have made sense from a balance standpoint if they didn't make it a point to separate Striking, Ranged and Tech damage into their own stats. I figured from the very start this was a deliberate move in anticipation of subclasses. Apparently i was wrong.

Ranger Weakshot is dreadfully OP, and the entire population of PSO2 knows and acknowledges this, yet nothing has been altered. And now with the inclusion of Chain Attack, i highly doubt there will EVER be a boss in this game, in any mode, that will survive longer than one weakpoint exposure in an MPA. Single Ranger+Gunner players can easily achieve 50,000 damage solo.

The Ability/Tekker system added from PSO1 is complete and utter bullshit. It only adds number stats to weapons and is usually more trouble than it's worth. i'd wager 9/10 players feel no impact from this system's existence. Rare weapons have NO unique traits, and thus also provide nothing but number increases, which get very old after a while. The extremely difficult transfer system would have been amazing and interesting if weapons had tangible traits like they did in PSO. But alas, none do.

And as a consequence of the lacking ability system, i feel no desire to hunt for special weapons anymore. There isn't a reason. You can just grind a regular weapon and get the same results. And since i have zero interest in min/maxing damage potential as it only makes shit die even faster, this kills one of the biggest reasons i got into phantasy star in the first place -- FINDING COOL SHIT.

So yeah once again, I can definitely see how this doesn't really matter to anyone who hasn't played the original Phantasy Star Online. I assume it feels something like someone trying to enjoying a movie, confused at the guy slandering it because he happened to read the book first.