Ah crud.... *spoilers* *stoy mode, On&Off*

[Bluepheonix]

Well i just kinda had a spoiler, i decide to play the online story mode chap 3, cause figuring that i didn't get the last 2 chapters and well nothing really spoiled. I'm on chap 8 or 9 offline, and well maya's friend is wit me. Now in online mode Hyuuga, saod to laia that maya's friend died and turned inot a seed.

So now that sucks, and well teches me to complete offline first, so i'ma go do that cause now it turned interesting.

anyone else do this? -_-

[VanHalen]

no i played offline story mode first then i went online. except everytime i play the online mode one its filled with so many plot twist that im really confused now.

[Bluepheonix]

On 2007-02-10 18:12, VanHalen wrote:
no i played offline story mode first then i went online. except everytime i play the online mode one its filled with so many plot twist that im really confused now.



thats what i mean i have no idea what is going on, but then again it could be because ii havn't completed offline mode.

[MT7218]

I never really cared much for the offline story mode. And because I wanted to keep up to date with the online story mode so I don't have to play catchup/rush like I did with the offline quests in PSO many a time to unlock certian things, I saw that spoiler. I didn't care, as in my eyes the offline story/extra mode is a waste of time in comparison to the online game. So all in all, the spoiler had little effect on me.

[VanHalen]

nope i completed story mode its just they throw every screwed up think at you every chapter ethan is the bad guy but why? or magashi is alive again wtf? and then human supremacy? or the biggest one of all you have to fight all these while the SEED are still attacking

[Kaydin]

I went online first, but didn't do the story mode quests until I had completed offline.

[Bluepheonix]

On 2007-02-10 18:19, MT7218 wrote:
I never really cared much for the offline story mode. And because I wanted to keep up to date with the online story mode so I don't have to play catchup/rush like I did with the offline quests in PSO many a time to unlock certian things, I saw that spoiler. I didn't care, as in my eyes the offline story/extra mode is a waste of time in comparison to the online game. So all in all, the spoiler had little effect on me.



so your saying that offline stor is practicl, crap and a complete waste of time? If so then i won't bother playing it and just continue.

and i know thats hwat confused me, why is ethan the bad guy? i though i missed somthing on offline mode, but clearly now i didn't

[XCOPY]

In the online story, the Ethan "heel-turn" is the narrative hook....one that worked quite well, imo. It immediately sparks interest when you see the supposed hero is suddenly a villain. So far, the online story has been much more interesting, imo....but the offline story was still essential so you can get the full effect of what's going on now online.

[pineapple]

The only person I really wanted to die was Hyuuga. I totally thought it was going to happen for a second too.
I've only played the first two chapters of online story mode, it is kind of weird and boring.

[Bluepheonix]

On 2007-02-10 20:14, pineapple wrote:
The only person I really wanted to die was Hyuuga. I totally thought it was going to happen for a second too.
I've only played the first two chapters of online story mode, it is kind of weird and boring.



it does get intresting later on, but the story is so predictable, and then suddenly it's like a huge gap and you missed a chunk of story...

[Proff]

I thought all of the "Olson" talk at the end of online chapter 5 was interesting. Offline story has you believing that he's dead, and now I'm starting to think that Olson may be alive...

[Zer0_ConvoY]

well #1 anyone playing/ed through extra mode? if so do you get any info on whats up with ethan ? also, I'd like to play offline, but i know every second I am I could be working on my todo list online, so anyone know if there is a recording of the offline story events on the web? i found the dark falz fight and ending and a few snippets here and there but not much else.

[A2K]

Extra Mode takes place roughly the same time as Story Mode, with your created character as a different Guardian. Aside from the set up, though there isn't actually any story at all in Extra Mode: it's simply an extra free play mode.


it does get intresting later on, but the story is so predictable, and then suddenly it's like a huge gap an you missed a chunk of story...

Exactly what parts of the online story missions did you actually predict?

[Bluepheonix]

On 2007-02-11 00:13, A2K wrote:
Extra Mode takes place roughly the same time as Story Mode, with your created character as a different Guardian. Aside from the set up, though there isn't actually any story at all in Extra Mode: it's simply an extra free play mode.


it does get intresting later on, but the story is so predictable, and then suddenly it's like a huge gap an you missed a chunk of story...

Exactly what parts of the online story missions did you actually predict?



I ment offline lol, you could so tell Karen was related to the divine maiden as soon as you saw her, but the after that it kinda get 'huh...what just happend?'

[BigGoldRobot]

I was so put off by the offline story I didnt want to try the online ones. Plot twists? Ethan is bad? I have to check them out now. Ethan may be evil but he is still a dork though http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif

[omegapirate2k]

I'd finished the entire story mode by the time they started releasing story missions online, so I was well prepared for it.

[Sychosis]

I didn't see Mirei's death coming. She didn't seem important enough for me to give a crap whether she did or not.

I fully expected Karen to die instead. Kinda surprised me.

[OdinTyler]

Played & beat the game. I wont ruin story points but if you want to know individually, feel free to PM me. I liked the story. Some points, yeah, I disagreed with. However, overall not bad. Definitely alot longer than PSO was. I just wish Story Mode missions were available in Extra Mode. Extra has quite a few, but, not enough for me. I really do miss some of those other missions.

Ethan's not a bad guy. From what I understand, you fight him online as a test of whether or not you can become a capable Guardian. Hes most definitely a good guy offline. As for who lives or dies, PM me, if you must. The last boss (who's name I will not mention here) impressed me more than DarkFalz did in PSO & well, I saw some similarity to OlgaFlow (a good thing) in this particular boss.

[A2K]

On 2007-02-13 07:36, OdinTyler wrote:
Played & beat the game. I wont ruin story points but if you want to know individually, feel free to PM me. I liked the story. Some points, yeah, I disagreed with. However, overall not bad. Definitely alot longer than PSO was. I just wish Story Mode missions were available in Extra Mode. Extra has quite a few, but, not enough for me. I really do miss some of those other missions.

Ethan's not a bad guy. From what I understand, you fight him online as a test of whether or not you can become a capable Guardian. Hes most definitely a good guy offline. As for who lives or dies, PM me, if you must. The last boss (who's name I will not mention here) impressed me more than DarkFalz did in PSO & well, I saw some similarity to OlgaFlow (a good thing) in this particular boss.

Well, in the first story mission online you find out that he's wanted for the attempted assassination of President Dallgun, which, at the very least, makes it seem as if he's a bad fellow.

His second phase definitely had that new school PSO vibe to it, didn't it? His first phase, on the other hand, reminded me more of something else (http://moemi.mithra.to/~psu/uploader/src/psu2181.jpg).

(More reliable alternate link (http://img266.imageshack.us/my.php?image=psu2181ro6.jpg)... the JP image upload site seems to go up and down throughout the day, it seems)


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: A2K on 2007-02-13 14:47 ]</font>

[DikkyRay]

You now what confuses me?
Illuminus is a HUMAN Rdical group, planning to eliminate all other races, as so explained by gramps.
Why the hell is MAgashi, a cast, in that group? XD

[A2K]

Magashi and the remnants of the Endrum Collective are thought more so as tools or weapons to Illuminus than true members of the secret society. He's either a reprogrammed to be obedient clone (similar to how CASTs originally functioned) or just more than pleased to have an opportunity to wreak havoc, regardless of his new superiors' motives.

Or... he could be using his ties to the Illuminus and its resources as a means to further his own agenda. That's pushing quite a bit more into the realm of speculation though.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: A2K on 2007-02-13 14:50 ]</font>

[Sinue_v2]

I thought all of the "Olson" talk at the end of online chapter 5 was interesting. Offline story has you believing that he's dead, and now I'm starting to think that Olson may be alive...

I'm not really surprised by Olson's involvement in the overall storyline, if not simply because of his importance to Ethan which they can later use as a "hook". Weither he's alive or dead, though, I couldn't say at this point.


I didn't see Mirei's death coming. She didn't seem important enough for me to give a crap whether she did or not.

I fully expected Karen to die instead. Kinda surprised me.

Yes, I was a bit surprised as well. That entire part of the storyline arch is a lose reference to the deaths of Nei and Neifirst in Phantasy Star II. As soon as that plot unveiled itself, I knew one of them was going to die, and knew it would be Mirei. However I fully expected Karen to also die later in the storyline. After all Nei's theme in PSII was sacrifice, and that theme is not preserved in the reference, aside from Karen's sacrifice of her identity... which as you see later she doesn't completely abandon.

I would personally love to see Karen die later on in the storyline missions, sacrificing herself to finally defeat the SeeD. Or, as I've said before, it would be exceedingly cool (assuming the storylines are connected) if Karen's sacrifice left her alive - but trapped in the SeeD dimension where she is infected and her body used as the core for the Profound Darkness - much like Rico was used as the copporeal core for Dark Falz. At least in that way, PSU would serve to enhance the previous Phantasy Star games... and would add much more meaning (not that it's lacking in the first place, but still) to the final fight against the Profound Darkness, who's final form is definitively female. You would be freeing Karen's soul from millions of years of overbearing hatred, evil, and lust for death.


From what I understand, you fight him online as a test of whether or not you can become a capable Guardian.

Not really. You're on your first training mission, and Ethan steps in as a non-combatant. He doesn't want to fight, but he has to do something in order to keep Laia from killing the Vol Brothers and recapturing the Divine Maiden who is vital to their plans. It is Laia who initiates the fight against Ethan.


His second phase definitely had that new school PSO vibe to it, didn't it? His first phase, on the other hand, reminded me more of something else.

Yes, the second form most certainly did. I can't view the link you posted, but the first form seems a throwback to the Dark Force's of Phantasy Star II & IV. Expecially since he is fused with the HIVE control room and A-Photon reactor machinery.

http://www.rpgclassics.com/shrines/genesis/ps2/images/monsterpics/darkforce.jpg
http://www.rpgclassics.com/shrines/genesis/ps4/images/Monsterpics/darkforce1.gif


He's either a reprogrammed to be obedient clone (similar to how CASTs originally functioned) or just more than pleased to have an opportunity to wreak havoc, regardless of his new superiors' motives.

Probably a little of both I would assume. Lou makes mention of his power levels being much weakened since he is a degenerated Cast Clone - which explains why he can never die. In this, he actually shares quite a bit in common with Lou herself.

However...


Or... he could be using his ties to Illuminus' and its resources as a means to further his own agenda.

That's quite possible as well. He is a degenerated Cast clone, after all. Errors in the reproduction process could have lead to instabilities. Who knows how many times Megashi has been destoryed and recreated over the years, and it's possible that those errors which have crept in have driven him insane. He may be using the Illumines's ambitions to his own goal of wiping out all life in the Gurhal System. This is expecially true if it's found that the SeeD and Dulk Fakis are controlled by a greater power or conciousness which "whispers" corruption and malice to those it chooses to manipulate - such as Rulakir in PSIII or Ult in PSO. The Illumines are likely just pawns of a pawn, and in classic style (hopefully) it will be the Darkness's ambitions which are truely behind shaping the events in Gurhal.





<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Sinue_v2 on 2007-02-13 14:41 ]</font>

[OdinTyler]

Hearing that there is more in fact, to the story, just leaves me with more questions. This, I suppose, isnt so bad, as I know theres actually more to the story that awaits me when I get online. I guess what I want to know is:

1) Is it true to story mode? Continuity & the sense that theres more still to do?

2) Is there more old PS references or hints at such? (Those are always fun)

3) Ive heard there are multiple episodes. Does all of Story Mode offline count as Episode 1? If so, how many episodes are after it (online, that is)?

[Proff]

Episode II (online story mode) has 5 chapters right now, and I think the JP have around 7 or 8. I would guess Episode II will have 12 chapters like Episode I (offline story).

[PrinceBrightstar]

Actually i think the PSU perfect bible gave an indication somewhere in the 20s of chapter numbers.

[NDkEwL]

There are multiple Lou units around the galaxy connected to a main Lou system (probably a distant satellite controlled by yet another CAST named Wren). Magashi could be the same way except that Illuminus stole his file from the main computer but was not fully capable of taking the whole file as someone (Ethan maybe?) stopped them. I think Ethan is still a Guardian on the inside but had to infilitrate Illuminus and so there is a ploy which Headmaster Nav and President Dullgan both see through but yet are playing along with. Of course, Laia won't understand this until a later episode where Ethan saves her from something (Magashi super-robot, anyone?) and then runs away because someone else not trusting (introduction of yet another NPC hopefully, a newman i hope) tries to attack.

By the way, back in PSIV, wasn't the computer that was the dad of Rika named Seed? Could it be that after Seed sealed itself in the cave at the petrified city that the Profound Darkness sent in a Dark Force to overtake it. Or, the Dark Force inside of Zio went underground and went to Seed. Could Seed not be the originally a-photon reactor from a different universe transported after the Algo solar system seal was redone or something...

[Caliban_King]

I played story mode thru chapter 5, I think. I tried the first Guardians mission online, and all of a sudden Ethan wants to kill the pres. Hooray! He's 63?? Damn! And that beast chick was still one of those badly written bitches without reason the Japanese seem to love.

So my lvl 10ish self fought ethan for 10 minutes before I realized I'd have to go on like I was for maybe another 40min, so I quit;p

[Sinue_v2]

I'm not going to bother marking spoilers... so this is your warning.






1) Is it true to story mode? Continuity & the sense that theres more still to do?

Yes, it follows the continuity of the offline mode, but as of right now it feels very "tacked on". The offline mode storyline is fairly complete in it's own right, and in order to bring back the threat - the online storylines had to "ressurect" many aspects of the offline story which were thought to be closed cases. For example, the dimensional seal was pretty much completely ineffectual - as the SeeD attacks continue. (At a slower pace, they say, but you don't notice that when you're fighting wave after wave of them repeatedly). There are multiple hives, multiple Dulk Fakis, and multiple Megashis.

However, it does fill in some of the prior story's plotholes - such as Megashi's continual ressurection and the reason why the Endrum Collective was put in the role of the antagonist. However, with all this talk of government conspiracies, A-Photon Bombs, SeeD engineering, it's all starting to feel a bit like PSO where the real villans within the corrupt government are always hinted at - but never revealed. This may change later, but for now it feels very much "been there, done that".


2) Is there more old PS references or hints at such? (Those are always fun)

I can't recall any offhand, but there are some parts of the online storyline which solidify or expand existing references. Hugya Right has always been seen as bit of a mixture of both Josh Kainz and Hugh Thompson's character - though more Hugh than Josh. In Ep II Chapter 4, he mentions that he's extremely well versed in dealing with machines. Also, in Chapter 5, Lucam Nav mentions that Moatoob used to be a green and terran planet several hundred years ago when it was still under Human control. This could be seen as reference to Motavia's terraforming and then reversion to a desert state.


There are multiple Lou units around the galaxy connected to a main Lou system (probably a distant satellite controlled by yet another CAST named Wren).

I wouldn't bet on a "Wren" model android being the control unit for the LOU system. Besides, Wren is already referenced by Fullyen Curtz which is phonically similar to "Forren", which was Wren's Japanese name.


Magashi could be the same way except that Illuminus stole his file from the main computer but was not fully capable of taking the whole file as someone (Ethan maybe?) stopped them.

Ethan wasn't a Guardian when Megashi was installed (no pun intended) as Endrum Harness. I don't even think he was alive at the time, although Olsen Waber was... and it seems he's being brought back into the picture as well. At any rate, it's so far been made fairly clear that the Endrum Collective was only a branch of the Illuminus. They were the created to act within the Alliance Military under secretive conditions - so that they had the authority to enter and "preserve" Relics sites. However they were dismantled after the truth of their actions at the Relics sites was revealed - and they have folded back into the Illumines group itself.

As it stands, Megashi was, and always has been, a creation of the Illumines.


I think Ethan is still a Guardian on the inside but had to infilitrate Illuminus and so there is a ploy which Headmaster Nav and President Dullgan both see through but yet are playing along with.

That's quite possible. The MOLE did mention Ethan's name as a member of the Illumines.


By the way, back in PSIV, wasn't the computer that was the dad of Rika named Seed?

Yes, SEED created Rika as a modification of the Numan project which Mother Brain had started. He was only a sub-system of GENE, until Chaz and Nei destoryed GENE and NM-2011, at which time SEED took over the project and changed the Numan project's directive from that of being disposable bio-soldiers - to breeding partners to Motavians, spreading genetic information that would help the human population survive Motavia's changing climate.


Could it be that after Seed sealed itself in the cave at the petrified city that the Profound Darkness sent in a Dark Force to overtake it.

No, SEED destoryed itself after Rika left to prevent his functions from restarting the Numan Bio-Soldier project. Although autonamous without a control system (Mother Brain), he was still liable to be subject to Daughter's directives. Daughter was Mother Brain's backup system that was left half-complete. It wasn't finished and activated after Mother Brain's defeat because the Earthlings were nearly ready to launch their assault, after which Mother Brain would be obsolete.


Could Seed not be the originally a-photon reactor from a different universe transported after the Algo solar system seal was redone or something...

Highly Doubtful. SEED and GENE were both AI's that controlled the Biosystem's Labs, which was pretty much strictly genetic manipulation.. creating new plants and animals habitable to Motavia's terraformed environment. They had (or at least, were not even hinted at having) anything to do with energy production. Algolian society was never stated to have used Photons. Although it's possible that photon technology was available waiting to be discovered - the vast majority of Algolian technology was decended from Earth (our own) technology, which does not rely upon Photons. (barring lasers, fiber optics, solar energy, ect)

Also, A-Photon Reactors are not "alien" technology to PSU. They are relics and reminants of a previous civilisation that was far more advanced than it currently is. They are just now being "rediscovered".

As for Algol's seal - it was never "re-sealed". After the defeat of the Profound Darkness, there was no reason to try resealing it. When the Profound Darkness perished, so did most of it's minions barring a single Dark Force aboard the Alisa III.


So my lvl 10ish self fought ethan for 10 minutes before I realized I'd have to go on like I was for maybe another 40min, so I quit;p

You can't beat Ethan. You simply fight him for a minuite or so until Laya mentions something like "He's as tough as they say". Then the fight ends in a draw.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Sinue_v2 on 2007-02-15 17:20 ]</font>