PSU: PSU: Half-Year in Review

[Helly]

It's been 6 months since the fated day of October 25th, 2006 when PSU hit US store shelves~


Online mode started small with just 8 missions available. Less than a month later access to Moatoob was granted and the mission count was doubled. Afterwards came a slew of weekly updates which included:

Advance Classes
Increased level caps
S & S2 rank versions of missions
Episode 2 Story Mode
Rebalancing Enemies and Photon Arts
Many more items and clothing
Even the mission screen interface was updated


At present there are:

25 Free Missions
4 Free Party Missions
1 Side-Story Mission
7 Episode 2 Story Missions


Complaints of "nothing to do" still persist as they have since the game started. The GM's have bothered to show their faces 4 times now, twice for photoshoots and twice to hand out items. Cheated mesata and items have come and mostly gone. And so on...


What grade would you put on Sega & Sonic Teams report card?

[ShadowDragon28]

I give an A to the online game itself.
I would give the majority of negative *attitudes* among the community a much lower grade. But I'm not going to say what grade.

[VanHalen]

S rank

[Tay]

C...It has a ton of flaws and jamming a bunch more content won't fix it.

[PMB960]

On 2007-04-25 16:53, ShadowDragon28 wrote:
I would give the majority of negative *attitudes* among the community a much lower grade. But I'm not going to say what grade.



Seriously its like that for any online game. If you go off of what people who play the games write all online games suck every single one of them. Of course other online games are a bit larger so you chances of finding these people are lower. I think Sega has done a good job with the game. I haven't even done 3/4 the stuff in the game yet and I have logged damn near 600 hours. I have played through at a slower pace and enjoyed all the content. The only thing I would fix with the game is some of the people who play it(although the majority are really nice people). It sucks when the minority tries to ruin somethng for everyone else.

[Rashiid]

A

[Kaydin]

On 2007-04-25 16:54, VanHalen wrote:
S rank


Hah! First thing I thought when I saw the poll was "Where's S?"

XD

[Dhylec]

As much as I like it, it's a B+ for now. Once PSU reaches its full potential, it's S! ;D

[HerdsmanOfYrr]

On 2007-04-25 16:57, Tay wrote:
C...It has a ton of flaws and jamming a bunch more content won't fix it.



this is like the person who at the photoshoot kept shouting "this game suck i want my money back"...if you dont like it that much dont play.

[SuperChoco]

I gave it a B for the lack of balance between the mission's rewards. I think Crimsion gets too much and Moatoob gets too little.

[Zorafim]

It's nowhere near perfect, but it's really fun. Things that are wrong with the game don't seem too difficult to fix later on, while the base doesn't seem too bad. I'd give it a B, myself.

[Helly]

[b]On 2007-04-25 17:44, HerdsmanOfYrr wrotethis is like the person who at the photoshoot kept shouting "this game suck i want my money back"...if you dont like it that much dont play.

Hmm speaking of money if you've been paying monthly like I have it has cost $59.94... more than the cost of the game (360 version not withstanding)! So far I've paid in total $112.92 for this game. Far from PSO levels but it'll get up there in time. For my money its certainly been worth it so far.

[Cz]

Bunny give it an A. If a game can make me spent more than 1000hr. to play, then that game is worth that much.

[AweOfShe]

On 2007-04-25 17:44, HerdsmanOfYrr wrote:
this is like the person who at the photoshoot kept shouting "this game suck i want my money back"...if you dont like it that much dont play.


Alternatively, they could go into a corner and cut themselves. That'd work out beautifully. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/anime1.gif

Addendum: I gave the game a B. Which is not a bad grade by any means. But we all also know there isn't such thing as a perfect game, sooooooooo... http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: AweOfShe on 2007-04-25 19:22 ]</font>

[omegapirate2k]

A, for awesome.

[Niered]

B'd.

Its great, I love, but in my book, only I could design myself a perfect game =P

[Tay]

On 2007-04-25 17:44, HerdsmanOfYrr wrote:

On 2007-04-25 16:57, Tay wrote:
C...It has a ton of flaws and jamming a bunch more content won't fix it.



this is like the person who at the photoshoot kept shouting "this game suck i want my money back"...if you dont like it that much dont play.

You know what? Just shut up and avoid looking like an idiot. Anytime theres criticism about this game it's "OMG WHY DO YOU PLAY IT IF YOU DON'T EVEN LIKE IT" As I recall, I didn't say I didn't like it anywhere, so until I do, keep your presumptuous ass to yourself.

[APEXi]

C

[DurakkenX]

I'd give it a D overall...it's a below average MMO overall. It has some stuff in it that are B or A, but when it's all combined in the package we have now and in the foreseeable future it just isn't as good as many other games ^.^ The things that really bring it down are easily fixable which is the sad part of it when we know that they won't ever be...

btw we could all sue sega for fraudulent advertising but i'd prefer a finished game than a couple hundred dollars.

[Retehi]

Solid C.

Don't scream at me for not giving it an A.

[BahnKnakyu]

Giving it an A means you believe the game is near flawless. This game is far from flawless. The release feels very rushed, lots of untouched elements in the game that are addressed with the expansion (read: paying $50 to play stuff that's already technically in the game). The core fighting system (not the technic system, that system still sucks shit to me) is really fun, and I do hope they implement more fun and crazy ways to fling monsters all over the place. Game system: B, overall: C.

[Sinue_v2]

I gave it a C as well.

I still don't see how the game warrants anything over a 7.5 rating just because of some unlocked content.

[McLaughlin]

On 2007-04-25 20:34, DurakkenX wrote:
I'd give it a D overall...it's a below average MMO overall. It has some stuff in it that are B or A, but when it's all combined in the package we have now and in the foreseeable future it just isn't as good as many other games ^.^ The things that really bring it down are easily fixable which is the sad part of it when we know that they won't ever be...

btw we could all sue sega for fraudulent advertising but i'd prefer a finished game than a couple hundred dollars.



Kinda hard to make it an aove average MMO WHEN IT ISN'T AN MMO.

I'd give it something between a C+ and a B-. AoI will probably bump it to a B+.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Obsidian_Knight on 2007-04-25 21:12 ]</font>

[Tay]

If it's not an MMO, then we shouldn't be paying a monthly fee.

[McLaughlin]

On 2007-04-25 21:20, Tay wrote:
If it's not an MMO, then we shouldn't be paying a monthly fee.



It is not, by definition, an MMORPG. It's more like an Online dungeon crawler. Sega can still charge whatever the hell it wants, regardless of the genre the game happens to fall into.

[Arika]

A.....
someone die!!?

[Polly]

D.

Took them 3 years to put this out and it wasn't even finished when they did? Blaring flaws with just about every apsect of the game that could easily be fixed but won't make it only a decent way to waste an hour or two every now and then.

lol u dun liek it dun play rite guys

[Fleur-de-Lis]

Finals already? Hm, better get out the red pen.

ST
Gameplay : Meets or exceeds expectations. B
Content : Exceeds expectations. A
Story : Unsatisfactory. D
Planning : Meets expectations. C
Visual : Meets expectations. C
Phonic : Meets or exceeds expectations. B

ST Final : B
Comment : A few significant shortcomings, but many solid aspects. I enjoy almost every facet of online play.

-

SoA
Overhead : Exceeds expectations. A
Planning : Unsatisfactory. D
Support : Unsatisfactory. D

SoA Final : C
Comment : Regarding both the handling of online exploits and regularity/dependability of content updates, they are the definition of "too little too late". The facts that the servers are consistently running and that "updates" occur as scheduled save this category.

-

Community
Legitimacy : Unsatisfactory. D
Sustainability : Unsatisfactory. D
Player Skill : Meets or exceeds expectations. B
Hospitality : Meets or exceeds expectations. B

Community Final : C
Comment: Legitimacy and Sustainability reflect the "hackers'" profound negative impact upon the economy and the players' resultant collective unwillingness to continue to contribute, respectively. (The fact that there are around 35000 registered accounts and that there are never more than 800 players online at a given time should be taken as evidence.) Party members are always at a skill level equal to are better than my own (average). A regular and varied array of player-planned events are a noted benefit to Guardian morale.

-

PSU - PS2 Overall : C

[Ether]

http://www.pso-world.com/psu.php

* Three enormous planets to explore. A gigantic overworld and more than 20 enormous dungeons are featured.
* All-new enemies to fight. Along with a brand-new roster of standard opponents, there are more than 15 major bosses to challenge.
* Player-controlled vehicles. Players no longer need to travel everywhere by foot, adding a new dimension to exploration.
* The best online Phantasy Star experience to date. Features a game world that will evolve with new content over the course of several years.

I give it an F. There is no area of the game I don't have major issues with so I'm not going to list them all. The expansion does take a lot of steps in the right direction, however it fails to feel new since all the stages are still rehashes, and the game still lacks necessary functions like a looking for a group system, or a halfway decent mission counters

General opinion is "We waited 3 years for this?"

[Nani-chan]

I give myself a F on thinking this would be so great that I should buy a 360 just for this game and then giving up on it after 4 months.(Stopped logging in since I failed to plan goals for myself after getting WT to 10)

Good community here though, made some friends. Maybe a D to compromise.

We live, we learn.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Nani-chan on 2007-04-26 02:00 ]</font>

[-Shimarisu-]

This game has made me the happiest I've ever been in my life.

I won't say why.

A+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ WOULD ENJOY MYSELF TO THE IRRITATION OF WHINY BABIES ITT AGAIN



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: -Shimarisu- on 2007-04-26 03:06 ]</font>

[PrinceBrightstar]

What? No S rank?

[Sinue_v2]

This game has made me the happiest I've ever been in my life.

If that's the case, then your life = Failure.

[Tekknight]

I'll give it an B This game simply improves upon PSO in almost every way (I'd really like someone to contest me on that- maybe I'm missing something). The action rpg style is great the 3 categories of Photon Arts add greatly to this. (Also as, I'm a 360 player, having a friendly convo while doing a run is a lot of fun!)

Funny how people complained about PSU not releasing Moatoob and locking already available content; Yet NO ONE plays on Moatoob (Except Bruce) there are TONS of missions but most people run the same few over and over!

My complaints lie in the fact that there are still some glitches, not enough communication from Sonic Team (I mean come on put that update info on the "Room Vision Phone"!), connection issues. *** There aren't as many RARE and EXOTIC/UNIQUE looking weapons in the game as in PSO (<-there's ONE for the nay-sayers)!***

Oh and how can you NOT appreciate NO FSOD!?

Edit: I changed the grade from an A- to a B, to match the poll. Honestly I feel this is more of a Solid Solid B, than it is a Solid A



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Tekknight on 2007-04-26 05:03 ]</font>

[-Shimarisu-]

On 2007-04-26 03:32, Sinue_v2 wrote:

This game has made me the happiest I've ever been in my life.

If that's the case, then your life = Failure.



Oh really?

Well, you'll never know.

[Balthasar]

I'm giving this game a D. Game feels unfinished, the mission difficulties and rewards are unbalanced, they trickle out "updates" of previously completed content ridiculously slowly, everyone but the die-hards and fans of sega and the series have left, the game is waaaaayy too easy, and we don't have any real reason to hit level caps other than to brag. Not like being level 80 right now entitles you to anything special, like a HARD mission for once. This game is half-assed. No other way around it. They've got 3 whole PLANETS to give us loads of content and lots of different landscapes for different missions, but no. We get 3 small lobby cities with a mediocre diversity of missions, and then there's the Colony too.

Did I mention the story? Hello? Was I the only person who felt it didn't make any damn sense when I played through offline mode?

The core fighting system was good, and sure the game looks pretty and feels like an anime, but when you get down to it, it just isn't enough to keep me from quitting. Anyone who gives this an A should really take a better look at what's going on.

[Aralia]

Honestly, I'd say it's about a C+.

The game's alright, less grind than alot of other games I've seen but still, I can feel the grind...

the drop rate on s-rank weapons right now is beyond terrible, I been partying at fakis since his release and I have yet to see an ank dedda/black bull/ anything other than a core drop.

And of course, the apparent lack of care and lame events (I'm sure the 4 "events" we've gotten so far have left us all wanting something better...) The fact that even if you got your pic taken uring one of the photo shoots, you weren't guaranteed to have the pic on the website, and the MAJOR delay between our version and the japanese version...

(and honestly, is there anyone out there who actually was satisfied with the photo shoot?)
((and don't tell me I don't have to play if I don't want to, I already know that. OBV. I want to play, I just want them to care about us like they do the japanese version. Also I'm building up for the expansion, when in my opinion, most of the current issues I have with the game are gonna be fixed))

[Aralia]

On 2007-04-26 03:45, Balthasar wrote:
Did I mention the story? Hello? Was I the only person who felt it didn't make any damn sense when I played through offline mode?

There was an story mode? I thought that was their idea of a tutorial. =P

[amtalx]

I'd say C+/D-. Good game overall, and fun. The problems are that ST half-assed the QA process like they always do. If you release a product that manifests bugs on the first day, even when you had a beta period to discover them all, someone (or everyone) needs to get fired. I work in QA and deal with other developers like EA, Activision, Vivendi, etc. and if this kinda crap ever came through one of those companies, someone would get reamed. So in the end, the gameplay is great. Speaking from a design standpoint, Sega gets an A-. However, their implementation is a complete failure. Interrupt errors, game freezes, server disconnects, lag, poor frame rate, and buggy chat all contribute to dropping this games score. Luckily those are tech issues that can be fixed in the future (hopefully.) Then we will be able to enjoy what has the potential to be a really excellent game.

[Neith]

Somewhere between B and C I guess. (actually, changed later.)

I love the game itself, and would give it a B on that alone. However, my personal opinion is that the way ST have handled our release of the game is somewhat of a joke. We've had our share of mess-ups, and we still don't have the Grinder A boards, which renders 90% of Kubaras useless.

I don't mind that we're behind the JP server- that was to be expected with JP getting the game a few months before. What I don't like is that we seem to slip behind as time progresses.

We started out well with regular weekly maintenence and updates, but now we're lucky to see new content every 2-3 weeks, which is kinda disappointing.

Edit: I noticed someone saying PSU is better than PSO. Maybe it would be, if we had some content, and everyone didn't party at the mission known as TTF Crimson Beast.

Edit2: Where's my vehicles? Wheres my 15 bosses? Where is the large catalog of weapons which should have been available since release? Why are we being spoon-fed content again?

Fuck this, it's a D.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: UrikoBB3 on 2007-04-26 10:10 ]</font>

[Jasam]

D here, mostly due to lack of caring on ST's part.

Weekly updates are near non-existant now.... 3 weeks gaps are the norm
The content given is in much smaller doses
The release was a joke.... if ST tryed to get it right from the start, perhaps they would actualy keep more then just the die hard PS/O/U fans

The fact they actuly tryed to fix the hacking a few moneths late prevents them from failing.... but the entire game is a lot of wasted potential...

Seriously, give me a small development team and I'll design a verion of PSU thats 100X better, actualy maintain the game, and care about it...

And I'm sure most people here could do the same ¬.¬

[chibiLegolas]

A grade.
They are sufficient updates and fixes that makes me feel that they ARE filling our needs.
I just feel it's underhanded/frustrating that certain updates are so spaced out (not having most content released within the 1st month compared to PSO ver.1). An evil tactic to keep things fresh and "new" to keep us satisfied each month. And the delays we get compared to Jp servers is annoying without hearing officially why they chose to release/unlock various things in spaced out batches.

I wouldn't feel bad if all they said was that they ARE constantly testing/tweeking things before releasing it for us.

[Shaidar]

The online content was, in my opinion, laughable upon release. And then I still missed out on the first month due to living on the wrong side of the globe.

However! The actual gameplay is craploads of fun with all it's different races, classes and skills (PA, techs..etc.). The possibilties when creating and designing your character is without doubt the best I ever seen in an online game. Visually the game has some really beautiful moments and great character design (if you don't count most of Sonic Teams "creations/abominations"), if we put it that way. It's just a shame most of the enviroments inside the mission maps has, compared to some of some of the lobbies, little to offer in terms of eye candy and "WOAH!"-moments.

Except for the in my opinion abyssmal intro theme I can't complain too much on the music either. It's still one or two steps back from PSO's days however. None of the songs here can compete with the best of PSO if you ask me. Still, it's important to remember that just as the games are different the same can be said about the music. The world and overall design are quite different between the two, so it's just fitting that the music takes a different approach.

Meh, what disappoints me is really the unused potential. SEGA and Sonic Team have made a huge detailed universe with a gameplay that is so much more than the usual point and click. I for one can't understand why they haven't choosen to take it further and made an open gameworld filled with quests like for example Guild Wars (the instance based system there resemble PSU's, it just has more freedom to offer when it comes to exploring). I can only hope we'll get something like that in the future.

Meh, now I'm ranting. The game has grown and will just keep getting better. The game gets an A. Sega/Sonic Team gets a D for not giving it enough love.


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Shaidar on 2007-04-26 11:27 ]</font>

[PJ]

On 2007-04-26 10:02, Jasam wrote:
Seriously, give me a small development team and I'll design a verion of PSU thats 100X better, actualy maintain the game, and care about it...

And I'm sure most people here could do the same ¬.¬



I bet you/we could.


On 2007-04-26 11:24, Shaidar wrote:
Except for the in my opinion abyssmal intro theme I can't complain too much on the music either. It's still one or two steps back from PSO's days however. None of the songs here can compete with the best of PSO if you ask me. Still, it's important to remember that just as the games are different the same can be said about the music. The world and overall design are quite different between the two, so it's just fitting that the music takes a different approach.

Normally I'd argue against this, but I guess it's true; PSO's BEST music is better than PSU's music. But PSO's WORST music is well, really bad. PSU is a nice middle http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_wacko.gif

[AweOfShe]

On 2007-04-26 01:54, Ether wrote:
http://www.pso-world.com/psu.php

* Three enormous planets to explore. A gigantic overworld and more than 20 enormous dungeons are featured.
* All-new enemies to fight. Along with a brand-new roster of standard opponents, there are more than 15 major bosses to challenge.
* Player-controlled vehicles. Players no longer need to travel everywhere by foot, adding a new dimension to exploration.
* The best online Phantasy Star experience to date. Features a game world that will evolve with new content over the course of several years.


"Features a game world that will evolve with new content over the course of several years."

I absolutely LOVE whenever that gets ignored. 'Cause you know... it hasn't even been 3/4 of one year yet. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/anime1.gif

EDIT: Cut out your actual post, since it had nothing to do with what I said. It was just a reply to what you quoted. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif

EDIT2: mi grammer sux olo

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: AweOfShe on 2007-04-26 12:02 ]</font>

[Ash1ey]

On 2007-04-26 03:05, -Shimarisu- wrote:
This game has made me the happiest I've ever been in my life.

I won't say why.

A+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: -Shimarisu- on 2007-04-26 03:06 ]</font>


I agree with this http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_wink.gif

[Tay]

Because you met your online girlfriend there who's probably a guy?

[-Shimarisu-]

On 2007-04-26 13:14, Tay wrote:
Because you met your online girlfriend there who's probably a guy?



HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[Polly]

Shotie v2.0 in 3...2...

[-Shimarisu-]

Who the fuck is Shotie?

[Retehi]

On 2007-04-26 13:29, Triela wrote:
Shotie v2.0 in 3...2...



I LOL'ed.

[PALRAPPYS]

On 2007-04-26 13:14, Tay wrote:
Because you met your online girlfriend there who's probably a guy?



http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_lol.gif http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_lol.gif http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_lol.gif


Ok, simply I give PSU an A.

[ZeroVer01]

Hmm... Overall, I gave the game a "B".

Extra mode, and offline mode are good enough, and deserve a "B".

Between the two, I have played almost 900 hours. This alone, shows how much I enjoy the game.

Pro: The community, semi-regular updates, character customization, Photon Arts, and character classes.

Cons: Semi-regular update schedule, no Ultimate Attack, hacking problems, unbalanced mission rewards, level/class/photon art caps, limited photon arts space on characters, and not enough Cast parts.

It may seem that I have more Cons than Pros, but I also may be knitpicking, and I also view that some of my cons are fairly minor.

Story mode, on the other hand, deserves a "F".

Pro: None, I hated it.

Con: Voice actors, story, character development, crappy missions.

In my opinion, when AoI is released, I feel that this game will start reaching its potential, and I will probably bump my score up to an "A".