PSU equals the beta for AoI?

[Kion]

After reading all of Espiokaos' translations of AoI articles, it really seemed like PSU is just the introduction to AoI. It takes more than a year to make a game so i doubt that AoI's developement was started recently and not being able to fit it into one game; they split it into two parts. First PSU which is sort of the introduction (kind of like offline mode). It allows players to level characters, techs, classes and get an understanding of how percents, the synthing system and everything else works. Then in AoI the developement team is able to get feed back from how PSU was balanced to make adjustments to AoI (anyone else think it's alittle uncanny that we're getting everything changed that we complained about?), and allow the character at level 100 wih leveled characters and level techs to be able to start hunting S rank and finish the second half of the story that was too large for one disk.

Does anyone else think this?

[Freshellent]

Been thinking and saying that for loooong time now. Or,something to that effect.

"PSU is a glorified beta,yadda yadda."

No worries though,I still love this game.

[CelestialBlade]

I think that's how we see the current incarnation of PSU, but I'm not sure that's how Sega intended it. They're taking all of our suggestions because PSU has been far less successful than was once thought, so they're trying to keep current customers and grab new ones. Probably the same motivation for them adding in so much PSO stuff, considering so many people want PSU to be some boring "PSO 2".

I look at AoI as PSU Improved, not necessarily The Real PSU Just Kidding Guys.

[SATatami]

I really don't see anything wrong with the PSO content in PSU. It's a nice thing to have, but it's quite obvious that their focus is not to recreate PSO in AoI. They DO show more of the PSO than the new stuff as a gimmick. It's like looking at something and yelling "OH @#$!! I REMEMBER THAT!" type of thing. They're kinda looking to attract old PSO players to their game.

[HFlowen]

Beta? No.

But did they plan on making an expansion from the beggining? Of course, that's what sega is good at, making us buy 4 versions of the same game.

[stukasa]

PSU is not a beta for AoI. If anything, PSU at launch was more like a beta compared to PSU today. (I'm not saying it WAS a beta, but content-wise it was lacking http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif)

Every game has ideas that they wanted to put in but couldn't due to limitations (time, budget, etc.). AoI gives them a chance to put some of those ideas into the game that they couldn't before. Plus, based on what I've read, it seems like they really listened to what players want. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/anime1.gif

[HaydenX]

There have been many games that have done this. They have the original, it does moderately well, they ask why it wasn't huge, "sequel" comes out...and voila. Star Wars Battlefront is a good example of this. People were psyched 4 the original...then it sucked, so a "sequel" came out, and nearly fixed everything according to fan suggestions / complaints.

I have no doubt, that there are SoA people checking out these boards to give feedback to ST. Every time there's a complaint...ST thinks...hmm there might be some merit to that.

I think that beta is too strong a word, but underdeveloped prequel, sounds right.

[Arika]

well, the game will alway update a new version until it die...
AoI will be just a beta to new expansion after that too

[Zer0_ConvoY]

I think its more like sega planned on the expansion from the start, they are probably (read hopefully) planning on yearly expansions to introduce new content to keep it fresh and grab new players.

[Golto]

Photon whips were in a psu beta way back in the day. After a few years of delay it does appear instead of one large game they decided to break it into two parts.

You have to admit that online PSU was very incomplete. It still will be incomplete until late until AOI update schedule.

[amtalx]

ST dev team is sloppy, they always have been (post-Dreamcast anyway.) I'm expecting problems with AoI just like I did with PSU.

[360NyTeMaRe]

Perhaps they made PSU a real game just so that we'd take is seriously, and complain about or praise features of the game, and then fix everything in AoI. From what I'm hearing about AoI, it seems like it's going to be the good game we paid this $60 for.

[Medic]

I think that PSU was an experiment to see what we would complain about in AoI and upon fixing these, close some complaining about the entire series. Also new expansions every so often to add new planets would be a good idea. I think they might be provoking that with AoI. 4 planets doesn't make it seem like a universe. After they fix these 4 planets with AoI maybe ST will move on and make us some sweet stuff.

[JAFO22000]

The term "beta" is thrown around too much in the video game world these days. This is NOT a beta, it is it's own stand-alone game.

[-dis-]

On 2007-08-16 07:50, JAFO22000 wrote:
The term "beta" is thrown around too much in the video game world these days. This is NOT a beta, it is it's own stand-alone game.

I like to think of a lot of people's posts here as betas.

[-Kenji-]

I doubt it was intended to be a "beta" for AOI in Sega's minds. Personally I think AOI is Sega's way of saying "Sh**! We forgot to put all this sh** it PSU!".

http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_frown.gif Personally...eliminate the whole "Some classes can only use the A rank versions of weapons" thing and give us vehicles and I would come back all happy n' peachy.

[Sekani]

You know, game companies generally don't charge monthly fees for betas. If you really feel that this game was a beta, I'm pretty sure you don't think that it's worth paying for. Just saying.

[JAFO22000]

On 2007-08-16 08:47, Sekani wrote:
You know, game companies generally don't charge monthly fees for betas. If you really feel that this game was a beta, I'm pretty sure you don't think that it's worth paying for. Just saying.



...except the Halo 3 beta. The charge was Crackdown. Word.

[DAMASCUS]

The reasons for it seeming like a beta are clear to me. The casino sits there and never opens. There is a shop coming soon. Nothing. Absolute zero is blocked and may never open. 12* S-Ranks will go unreleased...and maybe other S-Ranks I haven't checked. There is only one city/town per planet; which sounds like it will stay that way lol. And um, hello Dulk Fakis??? Where is the real deal!! You know the real Dark Falz is coming in AOI...he just has to.

[GuardianPoe]

I don't know if I'd classify PSU as a beta, but it was pretty much blatantly incomplete. Gameplay factors that need fixing notwithstanding, most of the areas taper off rather casually when you hit the end of the line; Forested Islands closing off at the RELICS site which just loops in on itself comes too mind in particular.

When I hit the snow covered peaks on Moatoob, I initially thought that meant there was more than what I saw in story mode. I was a bit let down, to say the least. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif

But I do give them credit for at least having the game ready to have new areas added on to where the old ones cut off. I rather like the idea of journeying as deep into a world as I can (which means Neudaiz as it is kinda disappoints, since the new areas will have to start from the Air Pavilion, from the looks of it).

[Niered]

No. PSU is not a beta. I seriously wonder how many beta's a person has played in order for them to come to that conclusion.

A beta is generally full of programming holes, meaning that there are entire sections of character creation and stat development that are unavailable to the user, on top of this, there are often a plethora of bugs or glitches in the game. And finally, beta's almost NEVER carry character information over to the final stage of the game.

PSU is not, according to many of you, incomplete. That would lead to the assumption that the programmers had originally meant for more content on the disk than what is currently on it, and going by areas, that simply isnt the case.

Now if your going to continue complaining about PSU being the "beta" to AoI, well then why dont you just go ask SEGA to not fix the problems with the game? If your all so sick of playing a supposedly incomplete game based on the sheer amount of fixes in AoI, I suggest that you start telling SEGA to stop fixing them. Then PSU wouldnt be a "beta", it would be the final product.

Stop complaining, and just be glad that SEGA recognized the flaws in its product, and is now attempting to fix them.

P.S. this isnt necessarily aimed at the OP, but at everyone that complains about this in general.

[Kylie]

On 2007-08-15 20:46, Typheros wrote:
I think that's how we see the current incarnation of PSU, but I'm not sure that's how Sega intended it. They're taking all of our suggestions because PSU has been far less successful than was once thought, so they're trying to keep current customers and grab new ones. Probably the same motivation for them adding in so much PSO stuff, considering so many people want PSU to be some boring "PSO 2".

I look at AoI as PSU Improved, not necessarily The Real PSU Just Kidding Guys.


I agree. I don't think they intended to have PSU as a beta, like it turned out to be. After so many years of doing PSO, I can't believe they would give the fanbase an unfinished game just to get feedback. Either way, I love PSU, and I'm excited to see an even better version of the game, come November. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif

[Fredrick]

On 2007-08-15 20:46, Typheros wrote:
I think that's how we see the current incarnation of PSU, but I'm not sure that's how Sega intended it. They're taking all of our suggestions because PSU has been far less successful than was once thought, so they're trying to keep current customers and grab new ones. Probably the same motivation for them adding in so much PSO stuff, considering so many people want PSU to be some boring "PSO 2".

I look at AoI as PSU Improved, not necessarily The Real PSU Just Kidding Guys.



Lmao! Boring PSO 2?

A PSO format would have been far better. See people actually enjoyed PSO and was overall a much more positive experience. There wasn't so much frustration with character development and obtaining rare items (which aren't even worth the time).

The only problem with PSO was other people ruining it with cheats.

[Sinue_v2]

Calling PSU a "Beta" is an expression - not literal, which came about by the fact that for several months after it's release we had no more content (or only slightly more) than what the 360 Demo and the original PSU Beta had.

PSU has barely enough content to make it worth playing - and that content is only NOW, on the eve of AoI's release, becoming all available.

That's one of the things about all this new content coming with AoI, is that if Sega keeps up their retarded "unlocking the game over time" strategy of holding back missions and items in order to spread them out over the game's lifespan - we probably won't see a lot of the really good additions AoI has to offer until well after it's release. So people aren't getting excited over things they'll be able to play this fall... but next summer.

I don't think that's right, and I think it's a very stupid and damaging strategy. It'd be better to have fewer content updates - maybe one a month, with just some minor things or special events locked away, and give us access to the game we payed for, and are continually paying for, to progress through at our own pace.

[KamiSori]

ever since i saw the amount of content in AoI i kinda viewed our current PSU as "training grounds" for new players and an "experimental stage" for Sega.

[omegapirate2k]

Beta or not, I could care less, I enjoy it, and I'm pretty sure I'll enjoy AOI too.

[ThEoRy]

On 2007-08-15 23:13, stukasa wrote:
PSU is not a beta for AoI. If anything, PSU at launch was more like a beta compared to PSU today. (I'm not saying it WAS a beta, but content-wise it was lacking http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif)


actually psu at launch had exactly the same content as the demo. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif

[HandOfThornz]

The current version of PSU seems like PSO Dreamcast version 1 a finished raw structured product, but also acting as a testing ground.e.g.how the game plays,balancing, if it sells,etc..
- Version 2 grow on the structure they had made. e.g adding new content, rebalancing,etc... the game started to find it's groove
- Then GC/XBOX episode 2 took it further. Adding harder content for long time players and exploits like "NOL" were fix'd(whoa)but then FSOD,grrr
- Episode 3 was a branch away from the usaul style (i did'nt like it much)
- Then episode 4, i did'nt play, but it was expanded even further. I assume closed the story?

PSU does feel a little simple and grindy at the mo., but that's the way it will feel being the raw structure, until sega find the right groove with the game with expansions.
AOI looks awesome, i'm glad it's coming and PSU is financially successful enough for ST to expand it =)