What Would it Take to Return to PSU?

[Shou]

Many people have quit PSU every since it first came out and especially recently or have decided to take a very long break. What things would need to change in PSU to make you want to pick it up again instead of just brousing the forums to play around with the barely-lit coals of PSU with a stick?

[ashley50]

regular updates every week that will NEVER EVER gonna happen? Lolz

[Skids]

Pretty much a complete over haul with the game and how sega handles it. Which most likely won't happen.

More specicic examples would be

-Like Ashley50 said. Consistant updates. Like be it weekly or every two weeks.
-For the PC/PS2 side a new billing site that doesn't have the billing errors.
-Sega staff not having techinal trouble with events, event rewards, and adding and taking away content.
-Actually Advertise
-add content that would appeal to american fan base.
-add a player vs player option
-and the big one. Release a expansion on the game that isn't on the PSP.

[Hiero_Glyph]

I only think that it would take one thing to fix PSU...

A localized staff that directly controls the server's content and can provide support/fixes in a timely manner.

Having SoJ's team control the Regional server is what caused all of the problems as the needs of the respective player bases are too varied and they seem unable to provide simultaneous content updates. So if SoJ's servers are getting an update, the Regional servers are simply neglected.

[joefro]

a miracle.

[Powder Keg]

I'm the type who just needs more players around....if I have that, I can enjoy myself. It's not fun playing alone all of the time and struggling to find or form a party.

I think the majority want new items and/or missions. As much content needs to be pushed as possible as the population is worse than ever...unfortunately, we're on a course for the same history as PSO where the game met it's end without everything available, only this time will probably be much worse.

[White Midnight]

Actually fixing stuff on time, and getting it right the first time...and if they don't, then not being lazy about it. Actually buying extra servers and not locating all of your vital servers in different time zones would probably help immensely.

We had a very sharp drop in population during the horrid mishandling of updates during the first year of AoI, most notably during MAG during the 065 crisis. It was during this time that the usual Uni2 population on PC/PS2 fell below the four stars that it usually had a majority of the week, if not all week.

But thats all in the past, PSU has more competition these days in the form of more modern games...an update of the engine with less emphasis on repetitive instancing could help it, but then it would be almost an entirely new game.

With all that said, my personal reason for hiatus...and likely quitting by the end of fall will be the lack of players to associate with.

[Tetsaru]

OHHHH man, where should I begin...

- merge ALL the servers, ALL regions, ALL consoles. Make everyone get their updates simultaneously so that there's no segregation. There'd be PLENTY of people to play if we were all together in the first place.

- stop having Sonic Team manage the game! Bring in the guys that did the PSP games, or leave PSU in more capable hands.

- stop slowly unlocking content off the disc from offline mode. You're not impressing anyone here.

- eliminate the synthing system. We don't need it, and it just creates frustration and a massive timesink for most players. Just make items drop made with random %'s and stats, and make some of those items account-bound so the market won't be fucked up.

- overhaul the grinding system. You find a grinder, you grind a weapon, the weapon gets stronger - THAT'S IT. no grinder base synthing bullshit, no random outcomes, no breaking weapons.

- balance PA's, classes, and stats better. I'm sick of always seeing melee and gun classes always plowing through everything while the poor techers and their nerfed graphics keep getting one-shotted and can't do near as much DPS because they can't achieve the same elemental %'s on their weapons.

- bind different PA's to different button combinations instead of having to go through menus, bind them to specific weapons, and switch them out all the time. Hell, you could implement macros too.

- NO RESKINNED BOSSES, ENEMIES, OR MAPS THAT CAN BE ZERGED THROUGH IN 2 MINUTES.

- more exploration, less instanced combat. Get rid of those stupid lobbies, I want to be able to FULLY explore all 3 planets, the colony, and Rykros, not just do missions that lead from lobby to lobby. I want to jump, climb, RIDE TANKS AND LUNGAS AND SPACESHIPS.

- don't make it to where you can buy your way out of everything. This includes gear, Scape Dolls, buff items, etc.

- KEEP BETTER TABS ON BILLING, LAG, AND GLITCH ISSUES.

- implement more PSO and Sega-themed items for nostalgia, THAT ACTUALLY HAVE ANIMATIONS AND EFFECTS ON THEM LIKE PSO DID. No one wants to pay for that Guardians Cash bullshit... much less poor normal content.

- more quests that involve EARNING and UNLOCKING things rather than just kill this and move on. If it DOES involve killing something, it should be challenging and able to easily kick my ass too.

- even MORE character customization options, from accessories, to body build, to your own colors for clothes. Making some of the clothes FUNCTIONAL would be cool too.

- have a first-person view you can move around in and engage in combat with. This would be great for gunners, or anyone else who just likes things up-close and personal.

- MORE RACE-SPECIFIC ABILITIES, RATHER THAN JUST STAT-STACKING. Beasts could run and climb faster, Newmans regenerate PP like crazy, Casts could have different FPV visions, etc.

- MAKE THE FUCKING CHAT FILTER OPTIONAL AND TRANSLATE THE FUCKING GAME PROPERLY.

I'll probably think of more later on...

[Gen2000]

Local staff with the power to actually do something and better communication between them and the players. Local GMs that actually seem more involve with the player base. I know the only last GM left is swarm with stuff (apparently) so I don't really blame him, it's Sega/SonicTeam themselves that's the problem. This game should have multiple GMs but seems Sega/SonicTeam doesn't even think this game is worth the trouble anymore.

With issues not getting as much attention as they should and combo of the PSP2 hoolah it's like Sega/SonicTeam don't really care about console/PC anymore.

It always feel like you're trying to pull a tooth to get any solid information on what is exactly going with this game. It's just the whole "I don't give a ****" vibe I'm getting from them nowadays that is making my break longer than I expected and making my drive to even try to log on less and less (I can barely play if I can even log on because of the lag/disconnects anyway nowadays).

Something needs to happen to fast or there will be only like 10 players left on the PC/PS2 side to even care about Guardian Cash/Supplement Update when it actually do arrive. At the moment of this post, 4 Universes out 10 don't even stars at all and the rest are just star outlines. Not even 1 solid star anywhere anymore.

[Kizeragi]

I only think that it would take one thing to fix PSU...

A localized staff that directly controls the server's content and can provide support/fixes in a timely manner.

Having SoJ's team control the Regional server is what caused all of the problems as the needs of the respective player bases are too varied and they seem unable to provide simultaneous content updates. So if SoJ's servers are getting an update, the Regional servers are simply neglected.

This! I'm sure many of the other things said already would help, but this is needed the most by far. And also..


a miracle.

QFT, lol. I don't expect to be coming back anytime soon without one of those. =P

[Dhylec]

This! I'm sure many of the other things said already would help, but this is needed the most by far. And also..
QFT, lol. I don't expect to be coming back anytime soon without one of those. =P
Heh, perhaps having SoA controlling the content is the miracle everyone's talking about?

[Ezodagrom]

All missions with enemies 30+ lvls higher than the lvl cap.
Regular updates.

[biggabertha]

Probably the biggest problem I have with PSU is just how my PS2 can't keep up with the game but that's really about it. I like the game the way it is - I'm pretty anti-social as it is and pretty unconfident in real life so soloing missions that can be played through solo is more or less okay with me.

Having other people are a great distraction from what you should be doing but it's really strange how the main thing tying us into PSU is either faith in the series or the visuals. That's really upsetting since I've loved visuals in games but PSU's got a very nice visual base to begin with (for a PS2) and I cannot even begin to imagine the technical difficulties associated with programming for a PS2 - let alone for online gaming without a hard drive.


I'm not sure merging all of the servers would be such a great idea... but it can definitely done with some effort. Merging the servers would be a huge problem for localisation - it means we'd be delaying content that's already natively Japanese. That's not really fair to the Japanese at all...

If Sonic Team/Sega didn't manage the game anymore, it's very likely that the game will "feel" different - for better or for worse.

Just like people that take criticisms to heart, if Sega did nothing but listen to their fans then it'd be a fan's game - not Sonic Team's game. There's ups and downs to it but the real underlying problem is that as fans, we have nothing to lose while Sonic Team have time and money to lose by just listening to those players who have nothing else better to do than criticise... on an unofficial message board at that.


Giving all content that's already on the disc probably presents other problems too - that'll mean there's little to do online anymore. Just like how it was on PSO - Wouldn't the argument just turn into: "Why aren't there anymore items..?" Because they were all unlocked off of the disc and the PS2 can't handle new ones.


As frustrating as the synth system is, I would not like to revert back to the PSO system of obtaining weapons/items. Anyone who's ever gotten a 40%+ weapon will always be extremely happy that it's occurred because it's a really rare sight (mostly..) - getting a 50% weapon's even better. Granted - TECHNIC and Ranged weapons may benefit from just dropping made... but what they did with Melee orientated weapons and RCSMs is probably the most fair way to do it - if a little bit frustrating...

A similar thing with the grinding system - being luck-based is part of the fun but I would have really liked a skill factor introduced rather than it being a random number generator. Making it skill-based could help but then there'd just be people complaining that it's too hard/easy.


Balancing's difficult to do through all levels of play without a rather large testing group. Just simple tweaks such as making such and such an attack stronger weaker/might open up other points of weaknesses. Granted, Forces really OUGHT to be the strongest damaging class in the game as a general rule but it'd just cause complete bawwing from the larger melee/gun based players out there. How many people do you know have never even touched a Force's class before..?


This is so contradicting of me but allowing you to attach other PAs to the same weapon or allowing for macros would make things more convenient - i.e. easier. Do you REALLY need to do that? I'm on a PS2 so I just use a second similar weapon on the palette or change it myself - I can only see it being useful for Time Attacks.


How creative can a group of people be..? Look at Pokémon - 493 Pokémon and most of them are generally the same... it's not easy to come up with something completely new, program the model for it, create all of it's attack animations AND come up with the music that needs to be associated with it. It's possible, yes but it requires an incredible amount of resources. Seeing as how all gaming companies aren't making games for gamers anymore, it's perfectly plausible to see that there is no revenue at all for making games for gamers.

SO many things just keep going back to comparisons...

"Make things more like PSO! Make more Sega things for memory's sake! I want my memories! I liked how it was back in the good ol' days!" That really just says how much things have changed over the times and that you're getting old now.


But yeah - granted, the billing issues are something I can't really come up with some kind of argument for - but issues make sense if communications are not exactly prominent - besides, there's a LOT of other things that could be affecting it too - maybe they're just unlucky, like their random number generators are with us most of the time.


Race specific things would be a welcome addition but it'd also promote a real form of elitism that's already much greater than it already is now.


No... actually, my only complaint with the game is how a puny laser fence that's barely any higher than my knees/thighs (probably stomach or shoulders for some characters) stops you from progressing any further... Maybe some sort of visual representation of a line shield wall to obstruct further access would be suitable... but most things that sound easy usually aren't.

[The_Brimada]

Plain and simple. Content.

[Tyreek]

Finish your storyline SEGA. When was the last time we continued EP3? December of '08? (I'm not counting the sidestory missions) Let's put an end to this saga.

But seriously, everything that people mentioned sums it up. And I think SOA may make capable hands if SOJ would just relinquish their hold on this content. We have almost everything. 1 event, 1 GBR, 2 story missions, and some party mission updates + Desert Arms updates are all that's left.

[Amherst_Wind]

Hmmm... if the game was free I might come back. :)

Then again it looks like I'll be getting everything I wanted from PSU from PSP2 instead, so even if PSU became free I'd probably stick with PSP2.

[Chris28]

Release everything...it'll keep me busy for 2+ years or so

[Zorafim]

That's a pretty tricky question, actually. I think the best way to answer would be to list everything I'm uncomfortable with, and go from there.

The PA system, I pretty much dislike how this works as it stands. In order to do damage, you have to wind up a huge length (yet beautiful) PA. Some may argue that PAs aren't really that slow, but contrast them with normal attacks. That's the kind of speed I want to play at.
If it were up to me, normal attacks would be the norm, while PAs would add something special. Finishers, crowd control, or what have you. To balance this, of course, melee PP would be nerfed by a huge amount, but regen at a decent enough rate, so you would be encouraged to use PP wisely. And of course, enemies would have to get more aggressive on average to warrant a hit and run gameplay style, instead of this trading hits we have now. Aggressive, but with the ability to dodge their attacks with enough skill.

As someone else said, more exploration based gameplay. However, I disagree on how they said it. I don't mind the lobbies; in fact, I encourage them. They're great for socializing. However, the maps themself I have a problem with. If you play a map once or twice, you pretty much can memorize the pattern the map has. And even if you don't, the map is made in such a way that even on the first try, one can find all the enemies easily unless there's a secret you don't know about. I'd be much more interested in seeing a more mazelike area to fight through, where you have to think a bit to get to the end instead of just follow the path. And of course, this would have to change the ranking system. The reason the maps are like they are now is because of this ranking system. To encourage exploration instead of just kill quests, ranking would have to be saved for special occasions.

And, as another person said, beef up forces. I think it's ridiculous that a class has high survivability and damage, while another has low survivability and low damage. Force damage should be high, but difficult to control. I think, while melee combat should be about reflexes, dodging and weaving and all that, magic combat should be more about placing your spells, and reward you for doing it well. Not to mention keeping aggression off you, and having ways to combat enemies defensively once you do have aggression on you.

Side stories, and main stories. I love them. I crave them. I love not knowing anything about the game when I start, and delving into the secrets of the game via quests. I sort of like how ST managed the main story progress, though I think it should have one level range as opposed to three, so you feel like you have to work to get it (and of course, be rewarded properly via both story and unique items you can only get by doing this. Which, again, they do fairly well). And just the same, having smaller scale quests where you have to do something in particular, and instead of delving into the main story, fleshes out the story we already know. HSM and Bruce are examples of this, but I'd like to see more "Rescue the civilian" things where you're graded only on getting to an NPC and getting that NPC out, and "Escorts" (Screw you, I like these) where you have to get an NPC to a particular place, where that NPC's health at the end determines your grade, and of course "Massacre" quests where you have to kill/survive against huge amounts of enemies with little regard to other points of gameplay.

More rewarding, less luck based systems. For instance, as another person said, grinding. It feels silly to have to spend all this effort to buy a weapon, then buy items, and still not be able to power it up. But at the same time, I don't like PSO's system of just buying items and powering up your weapon that way, though I do prefer it. I think I'd prefer a system where a weapon gets stronger based on how many times you attack with it. I suppose, like leveling a PA, only it's just the weapon that gets stronger.
Also, synthing. You spend a week powering up your PM to max, yet it still can't synth wands any better because you focused on strength. And even if you did, you still have enough of a chance to fail the synth, being stuck at ground zero. I'd much prefer a system where, yes, you level up your PM's synthing skill. However, instead of success rate, this leveling up is required to synth an item of a particular value. Once your PM gets to a particular level, it goes from not being able to synth an item, to having a 100% chance of synthing it.
Then there's elemental percentages. You spend who knows how much time finding an armor board, spend your fortune buying the materials for it, and yes, it succeeds. But it's less effective than even lower level item that was much easier and cheaper to get anyway. Personally, though I like the idea of having elemental equipment (yay ice and light), I think it loses its value once you realize you have to get every single element anyway (boo ground and dark). But besides this, I think elemental bonuses are too strong. I think the concept is fine for bullets and techs, since those aren't luck based. But I think being rewarded at random isn't a good strategy.

And for the ever important character customization, I think we should have more styles to choose from for each race (sans caseal, they have a lovely selection). Male fleshies look like a less inspired version of the main characters of the final fantasy series, no matter what you do with them. And females either have too much flesh showing, or are bubbly and cute (if not a combination of the two). Now, I think this is perfectly fine if this is the kind of character you want to go for. But if you want a strong, mature female? Or a smart male? Perhaps you want a casual cast? You're out of luck. And if you aren't, you may not be satisfied with the only selection you can make with this combination.


I suppose what I'm saying is, it'll take alot for me to get back into the game. Alot more than I expect Sega to give me. Yes, I did get a good run from the game, but I always felt like I was holding out for something better. That, around the corner, something great was going to happen. And it never did. I never expected to quit PSU, but I quickly saw that my break was never going to end.

[Arika]

Do everything that they did in PSP:2 in online mode and advertise, that is all they need.

[Zorafim]

That works too.

[hunterseifer]

All the previous statements and a bag of chips

[hyperacute]

Personally, less work and other things eating up all my free time. Game is fine.

[-Aurora-]

just give it up....just wait for the next Phantasy Star to come out....thats what everyone wants....just a fresh start...this version is gone, dead, failed and even if Sega gives you everything you wish for tomorrow a lot of people still won't be coming back permanently...

[Gen2000]

Yup, game over man. Game over.

[Zimbabwe]

Many people have quit PSU every since it first came out
Well, at least no people quit PSU BEFORE it came out.


What things would need to change in PSU to make you want to pick it up again
The game would have to suck less. Simple as that.

[unicorn]

Yeah pretty much what everyone else said.

I'd really like HUGE updates, even if its like once a month or so. People find things too quick, that all missions get dry after the end of the week. I think merging the US servers would be ideal. And general balances (races, jobs, skills, enemies).

[Kenbog]

Still playing the game (sort of) but the only thing I want is things to do,
They are releasing stuff we already had or stuff you could find and drain out in a day.
Just give something that we have to put time and effort in and a good feeling of achieving it.
Well the game could be more complex and difficult instead of just running and fighting with the best pa and weapon you have, (I can play 2 accounts simultaneously with success, ...seriously.)

[Mikura]

I think Arika pretty much summed it up best. Make an all new PSU game with PSP2's features and gameplay and release it for PC/360/PS3. And once that's done, actually advertise the freaking game and nurture it with timely updates. In other words, everything ST has done with PSU just do the complete opposite and you have yourself a fun and successful online PS game. >_> And deep down inside, I keep hoping that's exactly what they will do one day. Phantasy Star could be a great franchise for them to milk, but they just have to handle it properly next go around.

[Powder Keg]

I don't understand the hype with PSP/2 at all. I mean, I'm sure the balance is much, much better (hey, it only took three tries like with PSO!) But unless you have a handful of friends to play with, how long is that fun going to last? The idea of playing a game like PSU alone sounds absolutely dreadful.

[EclipseKhaos]

instead of haveing 10 same universes have 10 different universes each with their own individual planets which is never gonna happen

[Mike]

Free would be nice. Just take the GC to the next level and make the rest of the game free. Either way, I won't be playing until I fix my computer. If I could do that, then I'd be perfectly happy either way.

[autumn]

- Racial, type, enemy and mission changes. A reason to play human / newman, force types and hybrid types being worthwhile, improved enemy AI, and an overhaul to enemy levels and drops in older missions. And I don't mean S3 variants, new players have a hard time leveling up anywhere other then White Beast because its the prime spot to level up low characters.
- Actual rare items. When I started playing the psycho wand was the must have for me. Me and the fiance put in the effort to hunt and hunt, then we had to hunt some more for materials. My first psycho wand [b] was the most awesome feeling, I was hopping around my living room (it subsequently failed in its synthesis but that's for the next note) There isn't too much that is rare in PSU anymore and the few things that are really aren't worth finding unless you must have the 1337est gear. I want some epic equipment that is nigh impossible to find.
- Synthesis changed. I spend over a million meseta into this pointless little loli robot only to have her still fail in making my high end equipment? Last I was on synthesis wasn't cheap for S rank items. You pay in either time or money for the board, the materials, and the PM to make it in. With items based on % a good portion of the time you'd be better off selling the board and materials and using the profits to purchase what you wanted already made. There is little else in PSU that feels worse then when your hours of work to get an item results in an okiku doll.
- Grinding. Mostly pointless, if they must have it make it similar to PSO. You get the grinder, it works, done. I'd prefer if they just scrapped it altogether.
- People to run with.

I think at this point it would better to just put down PSU and work on a new PS game. I haven't had the chance to see if the changes made in PS:P2 are as good as they look so I don't know whether to say implement those changes. I'd like to either see all players playing together or have the US/EU side either 1:1 with JPs updates or with a different update schedule altogether. There is very little exciting in US/EU PSU because everything that will come in the future already has guides written for it, youtube videos showing how to run it most optimally, pictures for the new items with all the stats listed, what missions are coming, I'm sure you guys get the idea. The only changes made between US/EU updates and JP ones are generally for the worse and take longer to get here. If this continues it is sure to make for fail in a game.

I know there is a ton more but I've lost the will to keep this up.

[Seira7]

Better Enemy AI. No waves of different enemy races moving toward me in a triangular robotic pattern. Put some elbow grease into designing enemy AI please. If the Sinow Beat in PSu2 loses
its traditional moves I give up on SEGA. really.

Take ideas from PSu2/PS0 implement them in PSU. ATA = bullet power? Hollly **** Ive wanted that a long time, then Newmans can be great rangers.

MAGS. I know some people will hate this one, but its something from PSO that I think should have stayed. They were a fun little "side game" in addition to being there to boost your stats. Include random rare forms to give people even more incentive to breed them. Yay pokemon. Nay loli-bots.

THeres a lot I love about PSU. But there wasnt enough to keep me around to play. However, with great ideas and innovation (or, copying a tried and true formula ala-PSO) the newer handheld titles have succeeded in wow-ing me. Bring a bit of that handheld goodness over into the console game thx. It does after all have a monthly fee.

[BFGfreak]

Put at least the full online component on Xbox Live's "Games on Demand", that way, those 2 full universes on the demo can actually find the game. Now granted most are playing the demo because they feel it's better than the full game (ie actually hard bosses to take on) or for the free payment and lack of sega's harmful influence, but still, some of them simply can't find the game in stores.

Hell, it's one of the top rated demo's on Xbox Live for crying out loud, if sega is unwilling to put time and effort to keeping this game afloat, Don't even bother with a sequel. They way I view it is one's an anomaly, two's a trend. if the first 2 online phatasy star games died from lackluster support, what makes you think a third one would have a different fate?

Speaking of that, get better support. sega sucks at it.

[garjian]

all it would take...


is fixing white beast...


even if only the AOTI missions were balanced... i could at least get a party AND have fun.

[panzer_unit]

I don't know what the game balance in PSU is like these days, but I'd feel a little sad if Sega decided that the next thing to do with their franchise was port PS:P2 to PC and Consoles and say that's the state of the art for Phantasy Star as a MMO.

1. the game needs to make every enemy encounter challenging for a team of players again. THIS IS WHAT PEOPLE PLAY ONLINE RPGS FOR, AM I RIGHT?
Realistically this is like 2-3 groups of 4-6 targets each, all coming from different directions. Then we can start talking about characters needing to fill specific roles for their team in a fight.

2. make synthesis and grinding work 100% of the time with a small chance of getting EVEN BETTER results instead of working most of the time and then letting you down every now and then.

3. equipment needs random special effects. PSO's low-level gear had a diablo-style item system. PSU ditched it in favor of something more controllable, which is a plus, but took the magic away.

4. GBR style bonuses for doing missions in lobby order should always be in play, to fix the problem of everyone in the game farming the same mission forever.

5. frequent content updates and events and special stuff. Like EVERY WEEK. It doesn't need to be good... it can be really wierd, that's fine, as long as people have something to log on and do every week. I mean geez, just pick a map and throw a random assortment of enemies on it, and think of some ridiculous reason for players to do it. Have it drop the board for a blue pallet swap of Gur Bazga with like 150 PP and silly-high attack power. Then a week later take it away in favor of something else.

[Deissa]

I was never comfortable with the fact that Sega was still going with "unlocking stuff on the disc slowly over the years = updates lolz"

They should have left the PS2 in the dust and use consoles that were guaranteed to have HDs so they could actually patch in new content regularly over the years... or they'd just run out eventually. And then we get this.

[Skye-Fox713]

I agree with what most of the people have already said. I think that sega has saved some of the features that should have been in PSU from the start, and instead they have put it the DS and PSP titles such as PS:P2 with the sheild, charged range shot, and a SIDE ROLL. You would think these features should have been in PSU from the start, yeah.

I might end up taking a break from PSU till the next PS comes out, then Sega might have their stuff straight from the get go.

[Cathbar]

Note to the forum: Sorry guys, somewhere in here in went from "What I'd like to see fixed" to "Ranting at the game creators and operators"... So don't think I'm yelling at anyone here.

---

Character customization needs to be better. Yes, this game had extremely good (to my knowledge) customization for the time. But now, it just seems pretty lame. "Create your own Barbie or Ken!" Everyone, no matter how "different" they look in this game, all look the same... Kick it up a notch by giving certain traits to specific races. As an Example: Beasts! They're humans that are part animal! So why not give different types of animals to choose from? It doesn't have to be 50 different choices, but say 4 or 5 would be nice. They could even have unique abilities based on which animal you choose. Who knows! But it would be fun, yeah?

Techers... make them useful for once. I mean, really! You make a hunter and he not only has the best offense, but he has great defense as well! And after a certain level, accuracy is pointless and they hit everything anyway, regardless of racial stats. SERIOUSLY, fix the class stats.

Which reminds me. Races! Why do some work and all the rest don't? Newmans have great evasion!.... except everything else has way better accuracy... to sum it up in 1 word, Worthless. They're only good a 1 class type anyway and even then that entire class branch is not nearly up to snuff. Humans? Only slightly better.... depending on class, but at least they don't get 1 shot'd all the time. Beasts and Casts are the only real worthwhile race. Good defense AND good power. Guaranteed to take anything down in 1 or 2 hits after a certain level.... especially with those SUVs and Nanobalsts... <_<; SERIOUSLY, fix the racial stats.

How about we get some skill type mechanics in this game? Personally, I'm a Monster Hunter fan. I like how the fight isn't necessarily won by being the highest level, or having the most powerful PAs, Armor, and Weapons. Don't get me wrong, those certainly play their part, but when you're just scooting around the floor and trading blows... it gets REAL old REAL fast. How about adding Dodging, rolling, jumping, and swimming? Any or all would add a new dimension to the fights. Heck, even adding a block mechanic would work. (And I don't mean the evasion animation that most people hate, but a move or "attack", if you will, that would block or lesson the damage you receive from incoming.)

As has been mentioned, exploration. At the very least, let's get some original level designs. When maps start looking like the mazes you find on the back of a cereal box that 3-year-olds can do, you know something's wrong. I don't expect an 'ENTIRE WORLD TO EXPLORE AT YOUR FINGER TIPS!!!!' like some games out there, but, I don't know, less of the "follow the simple paths in each level to get from City A to Level/Lobby X". It gets old, and has no draw. Or, if that seems too difficult to comprehend or change, why not make each lobby have more than 1 level attached to it? Like Paracabana Beach... It has 1 level which leads to it, and 1 level that leads out of it (This may have changed since I was last able to play, but I doubt it).... Give us some options! <_<; ;>_> SERIOUSLY, fix your maps/levels/lobbies.

Bad guys/mobs. They're all the same. They act the same, they move the same, they spew forth the same attack (albeit a different flavor occasionally), and they look the same. I know there are some problems with fitting information on the discs, but shouldn't that tell you it's time to beef up your information storage medium? IE console and disc. When you get that all worked out *cough* PS3orsomething *cough*, make the monsters different from area to area. Even boosting the AI would be better than what we have now. "There's a player, lets walk towards it from wherever we happen to be standing and then attack in a uniformed manner" Really? Because that hasn't been done in every game up till now, anyway? Why not make them run around the players? You know, try to confuse them. Make 'em attack in a direction in which the enemy no longer is at? Or *gasp* introduce simple battle strategies! The horror o_O; Oh, and having the monster attack, walk around in a circle... in front of the player...., and attack again is NOT a strategy. It doesn't even have a point except to make it easier for the player to kill it... which is already pretty easy.

Levels... They need to be updated just like anything else in the game, especially since these levels give bonuses depending on how well the player gets through them and the like. But the "Year 1" levels versus something like "White beast", just seem pitiful. There's no point doing them except to chat with friends about the "Good ol' days" or something. The mission rewards need to be fixed and updated so people will start doing more than the same level over and over and over and over and over an- You get the idea... We like having multiple places to run and kill things. If there's only 1 level that gives the best rewards, and everyone knows it, they're all going to be at the same place doing the same thing and everyone will hate it because there'll be 2 types of people that form out of this huge mass of players. Those who want to form a team with other people and play the game but can only find team mates in this 1 place, and those who just want uber stats so they can rub it in everyone else faces. It's not pretty and it's very dull....

Updates. I don't care who thinks it's a good idea, but when you have 2 major servers, each containing a half of the world, and 1 updates, and the other sputters and idles around pretending to be productive, the players of that server are going to riot and complain and stop playing. It's pretty simple. Customer support is equal and proportionate to how happy and how many players you'll have. Regular updates, content updates, advertisements, and communication with the player base, are going to make us happy and want to stick around. We'll even pay you our hard earned money. However, No updates, no new content, no advertising, and no information on what is going on will have an equally opposite effect. It will make us irritable and not play. Not playing means no money for you from us. And I know you like our money, because otherwise you'd have shut the US/EU server down a LONG time ago, if you had even bothered sending the game our way in the 1st place.


I'm not even going to bother listing "Item Rarity", "Item Synthesizing", "Ease of Leveling Up" or "Voice acting", but just so they're at least mentioned, they need to be fixed too.

Rant recap:

Here's what we like :D

Timely updates
Content
Space enough to hold and create content as needed
Good fighting mechanics
Good enemy AI
Unique enemy looks and actions
Unique character customization
Unique levels and or world
Balanced mission rewards
Balanced racial stats
Balanced class stats
Originality

Here's what we don't like D:

How you're currently running things.....

[Delete]

OHHHH man, where should I begin...

- merge ALL the servers, ALL regions, ALL consoles. Make everyone get their updates simultaneously so that there's no segregation. There'd be PLENTY of people to play if we were all together in the first place.


This is what I was thinking. If not all regions then at least all consoles.

[Ithildin]

I know some friends would probably return if PSU was free. That aint gonna happen so regular updates would probably bring them back.