Usage of alt characters

[Kenbog]

how do you think pso2 would handle the use of alts?

In PSO it was perfect, every quest was accessible from the start and you could tweak your stats by using units and mags to be able to equip the high rank gear you found with your main.
Also PSO even gave motivations to make new characters because of the section IDs
In PSU it was ok but you had to take a lift with each character to unlock certain lobbies and you had to level your class for equipping high rank stuff.

The way the 4 portable games handled this was terrible ( in my opinion)
You had to go trough the same story over and over again to get access to all levels which is very tedious,..., you had to level your character until you could equip hi rank stuff, so every alt character levels equally slow...

[Captt]

To be honest, PSO had a storage space of like 200 items. So it'll take a while for you to fill up your storage space lol. Personally ive only found like maybe 100 items worth keeping for my other characters. i hope they make the storage space like they did in pso

[Dongra]

In PSO it was perfect, every quest was accessible from the start
This isn't true. The players had to complete different areas in order to unlock new areas and some quests.

[Anon_Fire]

This isn't true. The players had to complete different areas in order to unlock new areas and some quests.

I know this too because I played the GC version offline.

[Kenbog]

oh ya true... dmn BB made me soft lol... but still it didnt feel like much of an hassle then replaying the story of the portable games :x

[Arkios]

To be honest, PSO had a storage space of like 200 items. So it'll take a while for you to fill up your storage space lol. Personally ive only found like maybe 100 items worth keeping for my other characters. i hope they make the storage space like they did in pso

I would have to disagree with this. Materials, Grinders, Tech Disks, etc. could fill your bank up EXTREMELY fast. I had to use mule accounts just for additional bank space.

[Dinosaur]

I would have to disagree with this. Materials, Grinders, Tech Disks, etc. could fill your bank up EXTREMELY fast. I had to use mule accounts just for additional bank space.

Me too. I clearly remember not even knowing what character had what items simply because I had too many.

[Masterflower]

This is a MMO guys. Of course you have to do the same thing for all the characters :p

[ChronoTrigga]

Storage in Scthack's PSOBB > Storage in Segac's PSOBB.

[HeartBreak301]

Pretty nice on PSOBB private servers seeing as how all quests are unlocked for all modes right off the bat, not to mention that having a common bank in PSO is incredibly useful so you don't need to get anyone to help you transfer gear. (Unless it's between accounts and you only have 1 PC.)

[Mike]

In the alpha, you needed to do everything again when you started a new character.

[SELENNA]

Makes sense. I mean, it's a new character after all. But I liked how it was handled online with PSOBB.

[Zorafim]

Is this just concerning unlocking new content? From what I played, the only one I didn't like was PSP2's system of, play a mission to unlock another mission. ONLY because there were so many of them. I thought PSOep1 was fine, since there weren't many missions to go through, and that's the most fun way to level anyway. Maybe it might get to be too much come ep4, when you had to go through three games per difficulty to unlock everything, and go through all the quests to get access to them all, though.

I like the idea of unlocking stuff, but only once. After that, it becomes a tedium.

[Serephim]

In the alpha, you needed to do everything again when you started a new character.


Lame.

[yoshiblue]

Alphas are to test if it even works. Maybe in the beta is when you can keep a char.

I didn't like how everything was open. I lost track of what and where I left off.

[Masterflower]

I think people are a little confused about content unlocking or availability. In the MMO world, everything (items in shops and stuff) is there on day one. The only content you unlock was basically story progression missions and new areas and maybe personal armor. PSO2 is too me has the potential to be a true MMO of Phantasy Star because all the others before it are really just online rpgs. PSU wasn't a MMO because you didn't really unlock anything, Sega did it for you. PSOBB I would say is a stepping stone for a MMO. Even tho it was online only, it was still an expansion to an online rpg. Sure the company can lock out half of the story missions at first, but the items that come from the game or expansion are there from day one.

Now the PS games before PSO2, the way unlocking stuff was for character base not overall base. The reason this is practice is because it increases replay value. I don't know why this is an issue when you have a shared storage box (or at least now). Just buy the stuff from your old character and transfer it to you new character. Now Story and Free Missions are again unlocked by character, not overall. Even then online mode has most if not all missions available to you at the start.

We already have enough easy games out there that give us everything. I want some difficulty and also something to do. Do some work people, its not that serious.

[Anon_Fire]

In the alpha, you needed to do everything again when you started a new character.

Meaning you have to choose a server for a second character?

[Captt]

I would have to disagree with this. Materials, Grinders, Tech Disks, etc. could fill your bank up EXTREMELY fast. I had to use mule accounts just for additional bank space.

Well then lol, i never really left them in my bank i always used them, Then again i always played with 2 other people in offline mode so we should always share.

[Kent]

I think people are a little confused about content unlocking or availability. In the MMO world, everything (items in shops and stuff) is there on day one. The only content you unlock was basically story progression missions and new areas and maybe personal armor. PSO2 is too me has the potential to be a true MMO of Phantasy Star because all the others before it are really just online rpgs. PSU wasn't a MMO because you didn't really unlock anything, Sega did it for you. PSOBB I would say is a stepping stone for a MMO. Even tho it was online only, it was still an expansion to an online rpg. Sure the company can lock out half of the story missions at first, but the items that come from the game or expansion are there from day one.

Now the PS games before PSO2, the way unlocking stuff was for character base not overall base. The reason this is practice is because it increases replay value. I don't know why this is an issue when you have a shared storage box (or at least now). Just buy the stuff from your old character and transfer it to you new character. Now Story and Free Missions are again unlocked by character, not overall. Even then online mode has most if not all missions available to you at the start.

We already have enough easy games out there that give us everything. I want some difficulty and also something to do. Do some work people, its not that serious.
The path to progression and unlocking new content has nothing to do with whether or not a game is massively-multiplayer... But it's worth noting that massively-multiplayer games get expansions released for them all the time - World of Warcraft is on its fourth expansion now, Final Fantasy XI on its fifth or so (depending on what you consider the mini-expansions to be), and EverQuest is on something like it's 87 Bazillionth.

But that's not to say that there haven't been problems with the style of unlocking new content that was in PSU. PSO was simply an action-RPG with an emphasized online component, but everything was there from the beginning, and you just had to play and achieve the right goals to unlock things. Clearing areas in offline mode to unlock them permanently for your character in online mode, and whatnot. New content was actually added to the game as time went on, in the form of downloadable quests, but due to the nature of not having storage space, all of the on-disc content was always available to the players, and there was none of this waiting-for-the-server-to-unlock-content nonsense that we saw in PSU.

Ideally, this is how I'd like to see PSO2 work. If it's in the client and ready to go, it should be available as part of a complete game in the first place. Anything added to the game post-release should be new content not already present in the game, though I wouldn't be against them making custom-arranged versions of already-existing areas every now and then (after all, that's how Challenge Mode came to be, and how downloadable quests worked originally).

As for alt characters... I don't really see a reason to handle them any differently than they have been in previous games in the series. A new character is a new character, and should be treated as nothing more than that - though a shared storage box (in addition to individual ones, of course) would be just great. Also, materials (if they continue to exist - I kinda hope they don't), Scape Dolls, consumable items and idential technique discs should stack when put into storage. When carried on a character, weighing the usability of the item versus the inventory space it takes up can be a pretty important balancing factor... But that doesn't mean there shouldn't be a little bit of convenience for those keeping the things in storage.

[Mike]

Meaning you have to choose a server for a second character?
It's more like "Choose server -> make character for that server." But even if your alt and your main were on the same server, you'd still have to unlock stuff again.

[Anon_Fire]

It's more like "Choose server -> make character for that server." But even if your alt and your main were on the same server, you'd still have to unlock stuff again.

Sounds like FFXI to me.

[Jinketsu]

In FFXI you create your character, then specify things like server and starting class.

I gotta say, when starting a new character on a PSOBB private server and finding all quests and difficulties unlocked at the start, I was quite disappointed and felt no ambition to do anything.

[Masterflower]

FFXI should be the bases of all MMOs. >:D They did it right til they ruin the game with lv sync... Worst idea ever, ever, ever, ever....

@Kent: I know that, I was trying to prove a point a on how unlocking content on a MMO is different from a Portable game or Online Rpg.

[Porkspect]

@Kent: I know that, I was trying to prove a point a on how unlocking content on a MMO is different from a Portable game or Online Rpg.

I assume you mean MMORPG when using 'MMO', so I don't entirely understand the distinction you're trying to make between 'MMO' and 'Online Rpg'.

[•Col•]

FFXI should be the bases of all MMOs. >:D They did it right til they ruin the game with lv sync... Worst idea ever, ever, ever, ever...

Every single person that I have ever talked with about FFXI thought that the level sync was one of the best things introduced to the game ever.

And it was.

I didn't like it when you were leveling with a party, then got 2-3 levels ahead of the rest of them.... Guess what? You're kicked.

[Masterflower]

Too summarize, All of the past PS games are action rpgs (PSU being an online rpg as you cant play offline with your online character)that have the ability to go online. Content has to be unlocked for the character throughout the progression of the story. This practice will never change because it adds replay value and it also extends the life of the game. The concept of a new character is to be a new character. Fresh off with nothing.

PSU was different. You didnt unlock any content by progressing in the story nor by doing other various things. Sega unlocked everything for you overtime which was a dumb idea in my opinion. It limits alot of things you could do and also it restrict access to weapons. All you really could do was lvl up and lv up PAs. Personality I felt like I was playing a game for no good reason as no matter what I did, I was rewarded with anything and had to wait til Sega felt like releasing the weapons and missions I wanted to play.

MMOs like FFXI, content unlocking is different. In FFXI, All items are were available to you apart from the story related areas (Sky, Sea) and the NMs within those areas. For these areas, you had to play through the story to unlock access to these areas for you characters. Even with lv caps, there was many options to do. Like lv up a new job or do some crafting.

MMOs are called Massive for a reason. ALL PS games, there is nothing massive about them. PSO2 has the potential to be the first MMO game from Sega. We dont know how big everything is gonna be but since they not allowing server switching, this tells me its gonna be a big game. Massive is define not only my the population of the players but also the amount of content it offers and how big the areas are. As stated before, in the past PS games, all your doing is unlocking stuff that is on the disc. BB, like PSU, is an Online Rpg even though its not on a disc like PSU, its still within the original files from the game. Now good day to you guys. >.>


Every single person that I have ever talked with about FFXI thought that the level sync was one of the best things introduced to the game ever.

And it was.

I didn't like it when you were leveling with a party, then got 2-3 levels ahead of the rest of them.... Guess what? You're kicked.

Oh god noo...

{Party} {Valkum Dunes} {Do you need it?}
{Party} {Qufim Island} {Do you need it?}

Thats all I got... I care about my stats. If I could lv up my skills while sync sure, but I couldnt. Being at lv 50 and I didnt even have Tachi: Jinpu? Thats horrible and not only that {Too weak} monsters started kickin your butt all because you couldnt hit it why? Because you stats were utter crap. Very rarely I got invites to other areas for my natural lv. GTFO out of those two areas and lv up in your natural lv dammit -_-;

Edit: I had someone in my linkshell that lv'd from 10 to 70 in Valkum Dunes. I Lmao everytime they died to too weak mobs and omg I almost had a heart attack from laughter when Maat raped the sh*t out of them. Granted if was very useful in some ways but it really killed the game a bit, I didnt want to do extra work to lv up my skills that should have capped naturally for my natural lv.

[•Col•]

Oh god noo...

{Party} {Valkum Dunes} {Do you need it?}
{Party} {Qufim Island} {Do you need it?}

Thats all I got... I care about my stats. If I could lv up my skills while sync sure, but I couldnt. Being at lv 50 and I didnt even have Tachi: Jinpu? Thats horrible and not only that {Too weak} monsters started kickin your butt all because you couldnt hit it why? Because you stats were utter crap. Very rarely I got invites to other areas for my natural lv. GTFO out of those two areas and lv up in your natural lv dammit -_-;

Edit: I had someone in my linkshell that lv'd from 10 to 70 in Valkum Dunes. I Lmao everytime they died to too weak mobs and omg I almost had a heart attack from laughter when Maat raped the sh*t out of them. Granted if was very useful in some ways but it really killed the game a bit, I didnt want to do extra work to lv up my skills that should have capped naturally for my natural lv.

urdoingitwrong

Of course you aren't supposed to stay in one spot the entire time. That's not what the level sync was for.

And I dunno how your friend could stand leveling all the way to 70 in Valkrum Dunes. It's usually frustrating to play there with people who still don't completely understand how to party.

[Kent]

MMOs like FFXI, content unlocking is different. In FFXI, All items are were available to you apart from the story related areas (Sky, Sea) and the NMs within those areas. For these areas, you had to play through the story to unlock access to these areas for you characters. Even with lv caps, there was many options to do. Like lv up a new job or do some crafting.
Honestly, this is the way content unlocks should be handled in almost any game. It's already there, you just have to earn it or get to the requisite equipment/character/player skill level to be able to handle it.


MMOs are called Massive for a reason. ALL PS games, there is nothing massive about them. PSO2 has the potential to be the first MMO game from Sega. We dont know how big everything is gonna be but since they not allowing server switching, this tells me its gonna be a big game. Massive is define not only my the population of the players but also the amount of content it offers and how big the areas are. As stated before, in the past PS games, all your doing is unlocking stuff that is on the disc. BB, like PSU, is an Online Rpg even though its not on a disc like PSU, its still within the original files from the game. Now good day to you guys. >.>
No, an MMO is not necessarily a "massive" game based on its content or population - the classification is based on how many players it supports playing directly together: It's called a "massively-multiplayer" game, the classification officially being "Massively-Multiplayer Online [Game];" note the hyphen (it's important).

There are plenty of games out there that have genuinely-massive levels of content, but a massively-multiplayer game is, by definition, a game within which a massive (relative to the player capacities of non-massive or standard games) amount of players can be simultaneously engaged in gameplay together.

So while one may be able to consider a game massive by the amount of content it offers, it can still be a massive game that's multiplayer, without being a massively-multiplayer game. So no, it seems unlikely at this point that PSO2 will actually be an MMO - because as far as we know, there's a maximum potential of 12 players playing together at once.

[Serephim]

look, they're never going to change their own definition of the term "MMO", no matter what kind of obvious logic is applied to it, so lets just not even start this up again.

[yoshiblue]

May I propose the term True MMO then?