F2P & Endgame

[renrinken]

Hello, I stopped playing quite a while ago and I recently started playing up again. I see AC is far more difficult to obtain now so I am wondering just how accessible endgame is without buying a shred of AC ?

I been looking through the forums and been seeing a ton of mention of 10* gear and area that drop the gear requiring AC passes and such. Description was vague so I really didn't get a very good impression.

I also assume currency generation on pure meseta drop and vendoring would be extremely limiting sense you wouldn't be able to use player shop nor trade any rares you might find. Buying 9*+ and 10+ grinding seems rather implausible on non-AC accounts but that is just my speculation. I really like to get opinions from people who are full-f2p.

[Maenara]

It is -so- irritating to see tons of those 10* units and weapons I could totally use, for sale for 1050 meseta each, and I can't even buy them.

[CyberMan]

So we need to farm them.

[musicmf]

It is -so- irritating to see tons of those 10* units and weapons I could totally use, for sale for 1050 meseta each, and I can't even buy them.

Haha, I agree. I wanted to buy some of those Falz units since I only have the legs, but I can't as a free user.

Perhaps if your a huge min-maxer, it will be hard to play F2P maxed in endgame.
You make Meseta slower, you aren't directly purchasing those boosts for adding abilities (so it all has to come from your Time Attack Meseta), You can't shop for 10* Weapons or Units so you have to hunt them yourself. Furthermore, if you play with friends who find anything you need, you can't trade them over to each other.

All of this makes it hard to have the most Top Tier of equipment, with the most godlike affix set on them.

Otherwise, it's completely playable.
Me and my two IRL friends play together, and when we're all online we tackle any of the content the game has to offer. Generally TA/Adv/Extreme Quests together (Darkers Den when it happens).
When the others aren't online, we generally do lower profile things like quick TAs, Repeatable COs, Matterboards, or Multiparty rooms with JP players.

I have a Soul+Affix3 set of equipment, +10 ElderRod+Snow Banther set.
One of my friends also runs Soul+Affix3 with her +10 (Forest ADV Stone) Mechgun, and 2/3 of a Vardha Unit set.
My last friend is unlucky with weapon drops, so he's just using the All-Class 9* Sword that he bought from the Player Shop. But he has the full Ragne Set. (Lol, after I got like 4 full sets, he finally had the full set drop)

So all three of us don't buy any AC, but we're doing alright.
Granted, we aren't sporting +10, 11*, Potential3, Soul, Affix3, Boost gear.... but we don't play too often (20~120 minutes a day depending on our mood)
It's not like you really need the best gear to clear any of the content in this game though.

Oh, but as a free user you need to think about your skill builds and Mag builds carefully before spending points in them.
I like that we've gotten 3 skill resets so far (one more coming up in Ep2), so even though I didn't mess up, I can always completely change my build in the future.
My MAG I kinda wish I could redo, but it isn't really something that makes or breaks my build.

One thing I'm really jealous of AC players though is the +50 inventory slots. Since it's a permanent purchase (I believe), I would so like to do that if I was going to buy AC.

So feel free to have fun on PSO2 again, and don't worry that your not an AC buyer.

[renrinken]

Haha, I agree. I wanted to buy some of those Falz units since I only have the legs, but I can't as a free user.

Perhaps if your a huge min-maxer, it will be hard to play F2P maxed in endgame.
You make Meseta slower, you aren't directly purchasing those boosts for adding abilities (so it all has to come from your Time Attack Meseta), You can't shop for 10* Weapons or Units so you have to hunt them yourself. Furthermore, if you play with friends who find anything you need, you can't trade them over to each other.

All of this makes it hard to have the most Top Tier of equipment, with the most godlike affix set on them.

Otherwise, it's completely playable.
Me and my two IRL friends play together, and when we're all online we tackle any of the content the game has to offer. Generally TA/Adv/Extreme Quests together (Darkers Den when it happens).
When the others aren't online, we generally do lower profile things like quick TAs, Repeatable COs, Matterboards, or Multiparty rooms with JP players.

I have a Soul+Affix3 set of equipment, +10 ElderRod+Snow Banther set.
One of my friends also runs Soul+Affix3 with her +10 (Forest ADV Stone) Mechgun, and 2/3 of a Vardha Unit set.
My last friend is unlucky with weapon drops, so he's just using the All-Class 9* Sword that he bought from the Player Shop. But he has the full Ragne Set. (Lol, after I got like 4 full sets, he finally had the full set drop)

So all three of us don't buy any AC, but we're doing alright.
Granted, we aren't sporting +10, 11*, Potential3, Soul, Affix3, Boost gear.... but we don't play too often (20~120 minutes a day depending on our mood)
It's not like you really need the best gear to clear any of the content in this game though.

Oh, but as a free user you need to think about your skill builds and Mag builds carefully before spending points in them.
I like that we've gotten 3 skill resets so far (one more coming up in Ep2), so even though I didn't mess up, I can always completely change my build in the future.
My MAG I kinda wish I could redo, but it isn't really something that makes or breaks my build.

One thing I'm really jealous of AC players though is the +50 inventory slots. Since it's a permanent purchase (I believe), I would so like to do that if I was going to buy AC.

So feel free to have fun on PSO2 again, and don't worry that your not an AC buyer.

Thank you for a extremely well thought out post. It really is nice to know that its possible to farm 10* yourself with some patience and luck. From your post would it be fair to assume only AC-users have access to 11* gear ? or does it have a super rare chance for everyone to drop ?

[Zenobia]

Thank you for a extremely well thought out post. It really is nice to know that its possible to farm 10* yourself with some patience and luck. From your post would it be fair to assume only AC-users have access to 11* gear ? or does it have a super rare chance for everyone to drop ?

11* gears and weps cannot be traded nor sold in the player shops. They must be farmed patiently. They are extremely rare so you have to just get lucky and consume a lot of Tri boosts and rare drop boost tickets to even have a slight chance at it.

[Z-0]

You need money to get it in a reasonable time frame anyway.

[Zenobia]

You need money to get it in a reasonable time frame anyway.

What 11*'s? Im factoring in buying rare drop tickets from the shop and the rare drop premium boost from drink?

Bout all that comes to mind as far as money is concerned.

[jooozek]

farming 11* is like
am i a gold farmer yet

[Xaelouse]

What 11*'s? Im factoring in buying rare drop tickets from the shop and the rare drop premium boost?

Bout all that comes to mind as far as money is concerned.

think he's talking about 11*s from extreme quests, which some people seem to be buying tickets off of others to actually obtain a stone shop 11* at a reasonable amount of time (among more chances at the all-class 11* weapon drops)

[Zenobia]

think he's talking about 11*s from extreme quests, which some people seem to be buying tickets off of others to actually obtain a stone shop 11* at a reasonable amount of time (among more chances at the all-class 11* weapon drops)

Nah I know what he meant but what he said doesn't really extend to just EXQ fyi. Farming anything takes time and money EXQ or not Falz being locked behind EQ is a time and money sank. People use def drinks for rare boost premium for Falz as well for a chance at his 11*'s tri boost and rare applies and the 11*'s are just as rare as his paying for tickets or not.

[Z-0]

Um...

11*s aren't "rare" if you get them from the spellstone shop.

[Zenobia]

Um...

11*s aren't "rare" if you get them from the spellstone shop.

Umm....guy im talking about the ones that drop in EXQ. Daisy Chain ring a bell? Is that int he spell stone shop? Even Machine Blade Mech Katar and thats a 11* Gunslash and I only saw one person with it in game.

Besides she asked if there are 11 that can be gotten without being premium the 11 that come from there and Falz are not locked in being premium to get them, but its nice to be it in order to buy rare drop 150% tickets and rare drop boost drink yeah...

[Z-0]

While Daisy Chain is not there, the best 11*s are all in the spellstone shop. The stones for them drop in the extreme quests, and with enough meseta, you can get them pretty easily.

[Zenobia]

That's pretty obvious and that can be done without premium, but ofc it is an obtainable goal.

[Laxedrane]

While Daisy Chain is not there, the best 11*s are all in the spellstone shop. The stones for them drop in the extreme quests, and with enough meseta, you can get them pretty easily.

Most of the EQ droppable 11*s are all class though. Only reason I want that wand.(Currently the only Good all class wand out there.)

How do you mean with enough meseta? Can you buy the stones or something?

[Bellion]

Pay meseta or stuff to people and they'll use their tickets to pay for your runs.

[Laxedrane]

Pay meseta or stuff to people and they'll use their tickets to pay for your runs.

ohhhh derp.

[SquashDemon]

On that subject, I was wondering, doesn't it set off red flags if you buy someone's 1 million meseta monomate for an EXQ run? I mean, I don't do that simply because I don't care about EXQ's yet, still getting an experience penalty and in the middle of hunting the Dragon slayer besides, but I don't think I'd want to risk being mistaken for an RMT'er and banned.

[jooozek]

doesn't set off anything, been migrating meseta between my accounts since always

[CaptainGordon]

Haha, I agree. I wanted to buy some of those Falz units since I only have the legs, but I can't as a free user.

Perhaps if your a huge min-maxer, it will be hard to play F2P maxed in endgame.
You make Meseta slower, you aren't directly purchasing those boosts for adding abilities (so it all has to come from your Time Attack Meseta), You can't shop for 10* Weapons or Units so you have to hunt them yourself. Furthermore, if you play with friends who find anything you need, you can't trade them over to each other.

All of this makes it hard to have the most Top Tier of equipment, with the most godlike affix set on them.

Otherwise, it's completely playable.
Me and my two IRL friends play together, and when we're all online we tackle any of the content the game has to offer. Generally TA/Adv/Extreme Quests together (Darkers Den when it happens).
When the others aren't online, we generally do lower profile things like quick TAs, Repeatable COs, Matterboards, or Multiparty rooms with JP players.

I have a Soul+Affix3 set of equipment, +10 ElderRod+Snow Banther set.
One of my friends also runs Soul+Affix3 with her +10 (Forest ADV Stone) Mechgun, and 2/3 of a Vardha Unit set.
My last friend is unlucky with weapon drops, so he's just using the All-Class 9* Sword that he bought from the Player Shop. But he has the full Ragne Set. (Lol, after I got like 4 full sets, he finally had the full set drop)

So all three of us don't buy any AC, but we're doing alright.
Granted, we aren't sporting +10, 11*, Potential3, Soul, Affix3, Boost gear.... but we don't play too often (20~120 minutes a day depending on our mood)
It's not like you really need the best gear to clear any of the content in this game though.

Oh, but as a free user you need to think about your skill builds and Mag builds carefully before spending points in them.
I like that we've gotten 3 skill resets so far (one more coming up in Ep2), so even though I didn't mess up, I can always completely change my build in the future.
My MAG I kinda wish I could redo, but it isn't really something that makes or breaks my build.

One thing I'm really jealous of AC players though is the +50 inventory slots. Since it's a permanent purchase (I believe), I would so like to do that if I was going to buy AC.

So feel free to have fun on PSO2 again, and don't worry that your not an AC buyer.

Thanks for that post. I got super salty about having to get a "weapon ticket" to buy a 10 star item (who thinks this shit up?). Glad to know it isn't too bad further down the road. Other than constantly managing this Final Fantasy 1 sized inventory.

[holmwood]

As a f2per:

excess meseta > buy photon drop > buy exp boost > earn ex cubes > buy rare drop booster > farm rare

The fact that they allow you to exchange junk 10* for excubes to skip to the 5th step or let you sell valuable 10* you do not want to kick-start the 4th step makes the f2per's no-life life much easier.

It's a lengthy process that encourages spending cash, but it's not exactly difficult. Just incredibly tedious.

-----
On a side note, does PSO2 encourage digital hoarding? Gathering all these rares for no real purpose.

[UnLucky]

Most 10* units should be fairly common, with the rare ones (from the rare bosses) not really worth the stat investment anyway. That last piece you need might take a while, but it's not like being premium is far and away easier.

The best 10* weapons are really rare and very unlikely for a free player to fully upgrade. Even with premium, these things cost a ton of meseta and you need multiple copies to max out the element. Most people go for the 10* AQ trade-ins since they are very accessible and thus easy to get 50 element on, which actually makes them stronger than the better weapons with a lower element (yes, even the 11* stuff). All else being equal, these "easy" 10*s are still comparable to the best-in-slot gear, so there's not really too much of a gap between free and paid players in this case.

And besides, all the upgrade materials and things cannot be purchased directly with AC, so even paying players have to resort to the player shops just like anyone else. The only difference is they'll have stuff to sell (and a way to sell it).

Then again, that's a major limiting factor right there, a shop. There's only so much meseta that a free player can reasonably obtain, and the only way to trade with other players is by chance from the FUN scratch (which premium players get more chances at to boot). Even if everything you might want is available for free, it's easier to access if you spend AC.

The only things that are completely blocked off from free players are sold in the AC Shop (not the scratch cards) or locked options in the menus. Things like extra characters, mags, skill trees, inventory space, character customization (other than the first time), and ship transfers. If you do everything perfectly from the beginning, you won't "need" AC, but it definitely gives you more breathing room since you can correct mistakes.