will PSO2 have withheld area/dungeon content like PSU at launch?

[Saner]

Yea that was the mistake that PSU made with its online, there was so little to do online, people couldn't even experience all of the content locked away on disk because Sega planned to release the content little by little, which is is a lazy way of expanded the content, because then the launch online content is like 50% less than what the full data contains, and they treat that locked data like "expansion" data, which is silly because that's not how they will maintain interest!

I do recall turning to PSU for the Mother Brain expansion but by then they just updated not often enough and it didn't help the first month felt so bare with content and areas. So it's really Sega's fault, not the community, that PSU basically flopped (also while the SP story has some good scenes, they should have followed PSO style of letting players create protagonist they prefer and not have to wait until unlocking extra mode. So good thing PSO2, main story seems like it will be like PSO!)



The better way is like PSO Dreamcast, where all the areas, quests, etc. are all available online since launch and expand from there with added content (which nowadays things like DLC and expansion packs are easier to implement without needing to buy a sequel package.)


But any idea if PSO2 will be bigger than PSO and stuff? I wonder if by launch it will have meaty content and full access to all the areas they plan to launch with (with nothing that's completed withheld from launch).

Or they plan to deliver PSO2 story and areas little by little after launch? I wonder how massive this project will be as far as locations, bosses, and climax boss will be? All that stuff should be ready and accessible at launch so people can make full progression without having to wait for an update. Also any word if PSO2 will have offline story mode option like PSO Dreamcast? Or the story and online are kind of merged and require online even for single player?

Of course online multiplayer is the highlight but of course offline single player always helps during maintenance. =^^=


oh ya and here is a Whopper. ^_^

:burger:

[GreenArcher]

Online only.

Only Sega knows how they plan to release content.

Seems the old data mining thread was taken down, but found this:

Planet_Naberias
Planet_Lillipa
Planet_Amduscia
Planet_Num

Area_None
Area_OldUrban
Area_NewUrban
Area_Stadium
Area_Forest
Area_SnowMountain
Area_DarkfalzSeal
Area_Desert
Area_Tunnel
Area_LavaCave
Area_Dragon

[Blackheart521]

Well there isn't any "Disc" to withhold any data on so we won't be able to know if they did more and are just holding it back for new updates or if they are gonna throw all the content in at once that they have at the time... We're only gonna have level 40 for a level cap to start and I assume maybe 5-6 map types at launch including the Emergency Mission City one.

There as suspicions/rumors that they may have an offline mode when it hits Vita, but thats even less likely for PC, I think they are purely focusing on online this time.

Hope that helped^^

[Randomness]

Yeah, there's a level cap in place at launch, and something with regards to areas.

That said, replaying missions in PSO2 is FAR less stale than in PSU due to the various code events popping up. Oh, and it's got four big ugly nasties already from the beta... the rockbears and the lava snake thing are more minibosses (or bosses if you're solo, I guess?) and then there's Ragan or whatever and the dragon for bosses. MUCH better than PSU launching with only Dragon...

[Itsuki]

I'd argue the system of withholding content worked very well for PSU. It did not work in America because of the inconsistency of updates. This was not the case in Japan. For those that didn't have the experience of the Japanese server, I'll explain how they handled PSU:

First, they withhold the large majority of content, even though the content was already made and most was already unlocked offline. Instead, they chose to weekly content updates and slowly release the new content. That means almost every week, there were new missions, new items to hunt. They also had community wide events about once every 3 months, with event missions and content. It was very consistent updates, and there was always something new to do/hunt. The actual amount of content they were releasing was probably not that much, but the staggering of content made it so that feel like there was constantly new things.

This is different on the American servers. On the American servers, they released the updates in large blocks with a lot of time between them. People would tend to ignore some of the in between missions, and only play the most optimal missions. This caused the content to stagnate much quicker.

[Angelo]

There is a big difference between withholding data already packaged up on the disc and not releasing data to the client because it is not completely finished.

PSO2 may do the latter, but there is no need for them to do the first.

[NoiseHERO]

Yeah there's currently a lot of un-used data in the files. But this is only for the beta. The game is going to launch with us having like 3 planets...

Personally I'm hoping there's at LEAST like 3 areas on each planet. then there's the city invasion missions. So I guess that's not bad for a start. D:

[Kraiseson]

There is a big difference between withholding data already packaged up on the disc and not releasing data to the client because it is not completely finished.

PSO2 may do the latter, but there is no need for them to do the first.

Lets hope.

With a level 40 cap, I can see myself running out of things to do in a week or two...


Btw. Thanks for the invite.

[Blackheart521]

Lets hope.

With a level 40 cap, I can see myself running out of things to do in a week or two...


Btw. Thanks for the invite.

the thing is if they have some kind of sub class system there might be a use to leveling up multiple classes with one character, so we'll be able to level 3 times to 40 if we want to which hopefully by then there'll be more content and a higher cap^^

[Ezodagrom]

Yeah there's currently a lot of un-used data in the files. But this is only for the beta. The game is going to launch with us having like 3 planets...

Personally I'm hoping there's at LEAST like 3 areas on each planet. then there's the city invasion missions. So I guess that's not bad for a start. D:
Based on the data found on alpha versions, I wouldn't expect more than 2 areas per planet at launch.

[jmanx]

Well PSO2 gameplay is hello fun regardless this will be harder to get old on and PSU'd sucked already it wasnt the locked content it was just a failure

[Angelo]

The thing is that there is literally no reason for them to trickle content that is ready to go out the door.

The reason data was purposely withheld in PSU was because we were paying a monthly subscription and the only way to get money from the playerbase was to string them along for as long as possible.

Since PSO2 is free to play with a cash shop they actually make more money by pushing out content once it's ready, since it will get people to buy more AC.

[Kurushii]

With premium being a set time period for each purchase they'll still most likely do it the same way so that your premium runs out and you'll want to buy again for the new content. Releasing all the content at once is not optimal business strategy for a f2p title.

[Vashyron]

As a general answer to the whole thread, undoubtedly yes they will withhold content, question is how much though.

[Quatre52]

Some of you worry with this stuff way to much, especially in this case, when the game is free. Just play what they make available and enjoy it. If you stop worrying about what "could" be out and just enjoy what IS out, you'll enjoy these kinds of games far more.

[Angelo]

With premium being a set time period for each purchase they'll still most likely do it the same way so that your premium runs out and you'll want to buy again for the new content. Releasing all the content at once is not optimal business strategy for a f2p title.

There is no 'all at once'.

The content literally isn't finished.

[Rath-Kun]

If they released the same amount that they did on the Beta at launch. I would be pleased. I did get two classes to 20, and with making two more characters I could see it lasting quite a while.

With the 40 level at release and this game taking the longest to level in my opinion, without EXP modifiers. Will take quite sometime.

They did do a terrible job on PSU, especially making you pay 50 dollars, then the 8-10 a month to play the 1-2 levels.

Then we got PSO2, free to download. Free to play. With a good group of content at the beginning. I like it.

[Chik'Tikka]

the lack of the game being hard-coded on a disk means they could completely change the engine and graphics via a patch if they so chose (they won't, just saying)+^_^+ wouldn't make it hard then to make it have better graphics at all then!!! it also means they can release content in a drizzle, starting us off with 3GB or so of game and as new content is made it can be patched in at content launch to help protect the content from hackers and data miners+^_^+
[spoiler-box]Google translated my own post for the lulz!!
"Lack of games that are hard-coded into the disc, (although they do not, saying simply) so they are if you choose, it means that they can change the graphics engine and through the patch completely. ^ _ ^ + +. It, it will not have as hard, and it has excellent graphics at all! It is also, for the game or its 3GB, new content is created, it protects the content from the mine workers and data hackers, off us is you can apply the patch in the launch of content departure, which means that you can release the contents of the drizzle. + ^ _ ^ +"[/spoiler-box]

[Itsuki]

There is a big difference between withholding data already packaged up on the disc and not releasing data to the client because it is not completely finished.

PSO2 may do the latter, but there is no need for them to do the first.

There is no 'all at once'.

The content literally isn't finished.
If you think that the content isn't going to be done before release, then you are tricking yourself. Even for the beta, there is probably much more content that is ready, that they just aren't giving you yet.


The thing is that there is literally no reason for them to trickle content that is ready to go out the door.

The reason data was purposely withheld in PSU was because we were paying a monthly subscription and the only way to get money from the playerbase was to string them along for as long as possible.

Since PSO2 is free to play with a cash shop they actually make more money by pushing out content once it's ready, since it will get people to buy more AC.
This doesn't make entire sense. I can see the point you are trying to make, but its updates that keep people playing games. Regardless of if it is free to play or not, you want to keep your player base playing for as long of a period of time as possible. Whether or not you agree with this method doesn't change whether or not it works.

Here's the deal though. Having a lot of cash shop content be limited run increases people's desire to buy it, because they feel if they don't, they won't be able to later. This doesn't mean all AC shop items should be limited, but many will likely be.

It seems like it would be within their best interest to slowly release content, as they release more and more AC shop content, to keep people for as long as possible.

[Konflyk]

As long as Sega doesn't reskin bosses again, I can care less.

[Hayde]

the lack of the game being hard-coded on a disk means they could completely change the engine and graphics via a patch if they so chose (they won't, just saying)+^_^+ wouldn't make it hard then to make it have better graphics at all then!!! it also means they can release content in a drizzle, starting us off with 3GB or so of game and as new content is made it can be patched in at content launch to help protect the content from hackers and data miners+^_^+


I just hope Sega doesn't run into the issue SE had with FFXI/FFXIV with its ps2/ps3 limitations--I'm referring to the Vita. So many plans they had gone array because the said consoles couldn't handle it. That being said, the Vita is relatively new, so I suspect it will be capable of handling most things thrown at it (maybe some things might need to be toned down...although the thing is more than fine if you're comparing it to recommended/required specs).

I'm not too worried about the Android/iOS versions since they're said to be offline anyway.

[NoiseHERO]

As long as Sega doesn't reskin bosses again, I can care less.

Already reskinned rockbears into yeti's...

But lets see if they AT LEAST have different battle strategies...

[Eggobandit]

They are almost guarnteed to withold content. There will probably be weapons present that wont be unlocked years from launch, or stuck in the cash shop or something.



And im not too worried about reskins on this game in the slightest. PSU reskinned enemies but they actually had unique AI patterns. about 90% of the PSO Episode II enemies were reskins of PSO enemies, although most of them were too cleverly done to even tell. Like the monkeys in the Control Center actually having Savage Wolf AI.


Then, there's the Phantasy Star Portable 2 Dragon (the PSO version), reskinned into the SEED-Infected version, which teleported and grew wings and all kinds of awesome shit

[Vashyron]

Already reskinned rockbears into yeti's..

Ssshh. :wacko:

[Dabian]

JP handling of PSU updates was done right, so withholding content didn't adversely impact the game/community.

NA handling of PSU updates was done horribly, and withholding content exacerbated the long lull periods that sapped the community's goodwill.

[Rath-Kun]

NA handling of PSU updates was done horribly, and withholding content exacerbated the long lull periods that sapped the community's goodwill.

Left us as dried decrepit corpses.

Until PSP2 was released, if only PSU was released like that it would of been so much better. And y'know.. they didn't mess up on the content.

[Taitu]

I think the thing many people forget is that PSU was also released on the PS2. The reason they withheld content in the way they did was that simply adding truly new content was an impossibility unless they went the Square route and required all PS2 users to use the PS2 HDD which at that point was no longer being sold and only worked with the fat PS2. You'll notice that until AOI released any 'new' content added to the game was actually just re-tiled maps and re-skinned bosses. They didn't add any new art resources to the game through downloadable content, everything was already on the disk and they had to make the most of it.

I'm not worried about this being the case with PSO2 though. The PC is a non-issue altogether, and the Vita already has massive memory capacity up to the digression of the user without any absurdly obtrusive purchase necessary.

[Dabian]

Indeed, hence I suspect, the decision to only release the game on platforms they know they can apply updates without hassle.

Now I can hear the screams already. Vita isn't as easy to patch as 360 you say...
Well, understand that handheld gaming is huge in Japan. More so than consoles. Space, portability, a whole host of reasons contribute to that. And with Nintendo shooting themselves in the foot time and again with system specs and dev-unfriendly formats, Vita was a natural fit.

[Rauten]

the Vita already has massive memory capacity up to the digression of the user without any absurdly obtrusive purchase necessary.

No, it's just obtrusively expensive.

[Dabian]

When I am, Vita will launch this month at a price even more expensive than if I had imported. :o

[LightBreaker]

Definitely. Unlike PSU though I don't have an issue with it.

:ketchup:

[Kent]

It's very likely that it will. Or, you know, they could patch it in every single time they add new content (like real companies do it).

However, it's not a problem since unlike PSU, this is a free-to-play game that you don't even have to buy in the first place. So it's not like they're selling you a disc with a bunch of content on it, and then telling you that you can't use 80% of it.

[BWS-1]

I think the thing many people forget is that PSU was also released on the PS2. The reason they withheld content in the way they did was that simply adding truly new content was an impossibility unless they went the Square route and required all PS2 users to use the PS2 HDD which at that point was no longer being sold and only worked with the fat PS2.

It didn't stop PC JP servers to be granted loads updates... o wait, that might be because the PS2 had been killed off long ago <.<