Thinking About Importing, some questions.

[Dagger_32]

So I was on PlayAsia today when I stumbled across PSO2 for the Vita. I kind of forgot about this game for a while, assuming it would eventually come out in NA, but I am sick of waiting!!

http://www.play-asia.com/phantasy-star-online-2-special-package-paOS-13-49-en-70-5qyb.html

It is only $50 and has free shipping so I am very tempted to get it but I have a few questions:

1. How active is the English speaking community?
2. Are they n00b friendly?
3. I have played PSU, PSP, PSP2, PSZero, how does it compare?
4. Just how bad is the language barrier? Will I be able to enjoy playing it or will it just be a frustrating mess? (The only other games I have ever imported are the Monster Hunter series, I do not know any Japanese.)
5. I read that it is online only, what would happen if I were to bring my Vita to work, where I do not have access to Wifi, would I be able to play at all?
6. Should I just wait for the English version...? (I know there is a free PC version but my laptop is just too old and clunky for that. I also know you can DL it from the Japanese PSN store, but I have my US account on my Vita...and I would like to keep it that way, because I am lazy and having to switch back and forth would just be a pain, lol)

[Dagger_32]

1. Pretty active
2. Yes :3 Most of us are.
3. Better than all those (IMO)
4. You'll be fine, but I recommend playing it on the PC with the english patch while you wait for it to arrive, just so you're used to it.
5. No. But SEGA announced a new offline PSO2 game - PSNova.
6. It's probably not coming.

Well I just ordered it!!!

Thanks for the answers. I am a little upset that no Wifi means I cannot play, as I would mostly play I while on the road. I guess I could turn my phone into a wifi signal and do it that way, but I bet that would cause a TON of lag.

As for playing it in English for a while, since I cannot do that, I think I will look up some "Lets Plays" on youtube and get some tips that way.

Also, no beasts!? BOO!!!

[Korazenn]

Also, no beasts!? BOO!!!

The Beast Race might be coming into the game soon. I would say that an Episode 3 update to the game seems to be the best point in time to introduce the next race.

[Dagger_32]

^I hope you are correct. I love Beasts!

So where are the best "I have no idea what I am doing and none of this is in English, OMG HELP ME!!!" guides?

[ReaperTheAbsol]

Here: http://bumped.org/psublog/pso2-guide-list/

[YodasMaster]

I play PSO2 on my Vita using the Vita's 3G connection and there is absolutely no issue with lag. It also uses very little data. I probably played for 20 hours one month and only used 30mb.

[Link1275]

3. I have played PSU, PSP, PSP2, PSZero, how does it compare?


It's better than the italicized, about as good as the regular text, and worse than the Bold for the most part.

[Korazenn]

^I hope you are correct. I love Beasts!

You can also look forward to a ton of new areas continually being implemented into the game. If the game's title screen has anything to show for it, there are still two-three undiscovered planets, the four discovered ones being Naberius, Amduscia, Lillipa, and Vopar. As each planet will have multiple areas, you can bet that there will be a large abundance of levels to go with each to be implemented as time goes on with each Episode.

For instance, Episode 1 had eight, full-fledged levels, and Episode 2 has two levels thus far. If past games in the Phantasy Star series, namely Phantasy Star Online, have anything to show for it, it is that you can usually expect a similar amount of levels and content to be added in each consecutive 'expansion' (in this case, episodes) for the game.

Therefore, we may still have another five or six areas that lie in wait to be introduced to us until we get the next part of the game released. It's a pretty good indicator of how long the wait would be, in my opinion, which is great because then it gives SEGA an ample amount of time to work out any quibbles and make the Beast race truly diverse from other races while not overpowering them.


PSO2 (and by extension, the vita version) uses less bandwidth than loading google. So you'll be fine.

^ I can definitely confirm this as I use both the PC and Vita version and experience even less bandwidth issues than I would searching for videos on YouTube or browsing the forums here, as surprising as that sounds.

As a side note to people who are wondering, any lag in-game is really server-side. A lot of people like to shift the blame on the volume of people that occupy Ship 02 - Block 20 (the 'English' block). That's not the case. Now, if you were to gather over 30 people into the lobby, which tends to be the case for B20, you would start experiencing lag because the game is trying to render all of their character models. However, upon leaving that lobby and going into a quest field, the lag will (or should be) completely gone. Any lag that is experienced out of those highly dense and populated areas is probably server-wide across the entire ship as well.


It's better than the italicized, about as good as the regular text, and worse than the Bold for the most part.

In terms of quality and quantity I would say that Phantasy Star Online 2 is better than any other Phantasy Star game before it, but saying such things bring rise to very opinionated sentiments.

Each Phantasy Star game, like any other franchise, either has something you like and/or don't like about it. PSO2 is no different as no game can ever be perfect. However, if I had to look at this from a completely unbiased point of view, the amount of content, the improved gameplay mechanisms, being a completely free-to-play game (with no pay-2-win bs in-between), and the large and diverse community that Phantasy Star Online 2 offers allows it to take the lead in those aspects.

[Link1275]

In terms of quality and quantity I would say that Phantasy Star Online 2 is better than any other Phantasy Star game before it, but saying such things bring rise to very opinionated sentiments.

Each Phantasy Star game, like any other franchise, either has something you like and/or don't like about it. PSO2 is no different as no game can ever be perfect. However, if I had to look at this from a completely unbiased point of view, the amount of content, the improved gameplay mechanisms, being a completely free-to-play game (with no pay-2-win bs in-between), and the large and diverse community that Phantasy Star Online 2 offers allows it to take the lead in those aspects.

Better than PSU and maybe PSP1 I can agree with, but there is way more stuff to do in PSP2/I and you can invest a lot more time, ie quantity. If by quality you mean graphics, then yeah PSO2 is better(on moderate settings). If you're talking about how fluid weapons are, then yeah for the most part. If you're talking about the overall quality of the game, then heck no. The game as is, is not better on counts of exp rates, drop rates, poor balancing, and little to no thought with many updates and implementations. And I'm probably missing some stuff there too. The game is also only f2p for as long as you don't need to buy 10* weapons to kill stuff effectively with, because let's face it, hunting for a rare is a pipe dream at best. Large and diverse community, let me do a rain check as I don't associate with B-20.

[Korazenn]

Better than PSU and maybe PSP1 I can agree with, but there is way more stuff to do in PSP2/I and you can invest a lot more time, ie quantity. If by quality you mean graphics, then yeah PSO2 is better(on moderate settings). If you're talking about how fluid weapons are, then yeah for the most part. If you're talking about the overall quality of the game, then heck no. The game as is, is not better on counts of exp rates, drop rates, poor balancing, and little to no thought with many updates and implementations. And I'm probably missing some stuff there too. The game is also only f2p for as long as you don't need to buy 10* weapons to kill stuff effectively with, because let's face it, hunting for a rare is a pipe dream at best. Large and diverse community, let me do a rain check as I don't associate with B-20.

By quality, it means the game itself. Not just graphics.

The truth of the matter is that you cannot even begin to compare PSO2 to either PSP2/i or PSZero because you are comparing a game built for the 'PC' to one that is optimized for handhelds and mobile play sessions.

Secondly, finding a 10* weapon is necessary to even initiate a trade for one in the first place after purchasing Premium. Finding a 'good' one is completely based on the principle of RNG, but why would it not, is my question to you? SEGA is clearly doing you a huge service by allowing you to have 2-3 characters that can be fully maxed leveled without even paying a single cent towards the game itself. We all hate the 10* weapon drops---that much is a given. But, most people who also complain about this functionality that SEGA has in place are also playing this game without contributing a single cent to it. See the problem now?

They're rare weapons and the best weapons in the game at the moment at most points in time, so it makes sense for people to have to painstakingly work hard to obtain both those and 11* equips.

If you have a problem with Block 20, then that's a personal issue. Once again, your own opinion of the community there itself, which varies from person-to-person. That said, I have found a great number of people to talk and commune with on Ship 2 during my time with the game, but the people in B20 are far more talkative, friendly, and great to play with in general than most other areas of Ship 2. The same way that you are arguing it is B20 at fault here, I could say that it is you who is just not looking in the right areas of the block and associating with the wrong group of people.

[ThePendragon]

You're both wrong. Phantasy Star IV is the best Phantasy Star game. Period.

[Korazenn]

You're both wrong. Phantasy Star IV is the best Phantasy Star game. Period.

We were working off of the original quote that only mentioned specific Phantasy Star games. My personal favorite in the franchise is Phantasy Star II, but if we are talking online games here, Phantasy Star Online 2 now takes the cake for me in replacement to Phantasy Star Online: Episode I and II back on the GameCube and Blue Burst.

[ThePendragon]

Phantasy Star II is a good choice as well. But the correct answer is IV. ;)

[Link1275]

By quality, it means the game itself. Not just graphics.

The truth of the matter is that you cannot even begin to compare PSO2 to either PSP2/i or PSZero because you are comparing a game built for the 'PC' to one that is optimized for handhelds and mobile play sessions.

Secondly, finding a 10* weapon is necessary to even initiate a trade for one in the first place after purchasing Premium. Finding a 'good' one is completely based on the principle of RNG, but why would it not, is my question to you? SEGA is clearly doing you a huge service by allowing you to have 2-3 characters that can be fully maxed leveled without even paying a single cent towards the game itself. We all hate the 10* weapon drops---that much is a given. But, most people who also complain about this functionality that SEGA has in place are also playing this game without contributing a single cent to it. See the problem now?

They're rare weapons and the best weapons in the game at the moment at most points in time, so it makes sense for people to have to painstakingly work hard to obtain both those and 11* equips.

If you have a problem with Block 20, then that's a personal issue. Once again, your own opinion of the community there itself, which varies from person-to-person. That said, I have found a great number of people to talk and commune with on Ship 2 during my time with the game, but the people in B20 are far more talkative, friendly, and great to play with in general than most other areas of Ship 2. The same way that you are arguing it is B20 at fault here, I could say that it is you who is just not looking in the right areas of the block and associating with the wrong group of people.
I actually can compare them, the drop rates in both games were much better, as were the exp rates, and they were both fun to play for long periods of time. PSO2, not so much. Not to mention that just because a game is designed for a handheld device does not mean that it's gameplay design and features are worse than a PC game's, which are what would need to be compared here.

Sega has put the game out for people to be able to play it for free. So I don't see the problem here. If the game were good then people would play it and get their friends playing it, so even if they don't pay their friends might. You shouldn't design a game around requiring you to buy tons of the best drop boosters and find 12 man MPAs to really grind, until you hit AQs. You should design it so that you can go from 1-60 in 2-3 days with boosters instead of a week, and so that rares are actually obtainable. Need I mention that you can't really get boosts to the drop rates on rares, just the chance to get a rare?

And while yes it makes sense to make players work hard to get weapons, in the past games(especially PSP2) you didn't have to hunt that one rare enemy for that one chance at a rare weapon for infinity*the square root of never to get it. In the past(hey remember the 40 cap when you could buy the best stuff without spending real cash on premium?) almost everyone had the opportunity to run around with good equipment if they put in a little time, in PSO2 you instead run TACOs to get money and then buy premium to win by trading in your junk ten star that you can't use on your class for a pass and then going and buying the weapon you want.

As for B-20, I've just heard too many bad things about it to want to go there.

[Korazenn]

I actually can compare them, the drop rates in both games were much better, as were the exp rates, and they were both fun to play for long periods of time.

Read: Free-to-Play


PSO2, not so much. Not to mention that just because a game is designed for a handheld device does not mean that it's gameplay design and features are worse than a PC game's, which are what would need to be compared here.

Once again, you are entitled to your own opinion there.

However, as I previously stated from the get-go (and look where it brought us too), these things are all very objective. You'd never win on either side. I can't convince you to like PSO2 anymore than you could ever convince me that PSP2/i or PSZero was better. There's a reason we are all entitled to our own personal opinions.


Sega has put the game out for people to be able to play it for free. So I don't see the problem here.

If you don't see the problem here, then why is this an issue you keep bringing up in the first place? It is clearly annoying you in some regard if it is the drop-rates you are irritated by, which is a result of the free-to-play mechanisms implemented.


If the game were good then people would play it and get their friends playing it, so even if they don't pay their friends might. You shouldn't design a game around requiring you to buy tons of the best drop boosters and find 12 man MPAs to really grind, until you hit AQs.

Chances are if you are having trouble getting to Lv. 60, you just aren't looking in the right places. Rares, on the other hand, are completely handled by RNG. No sense in buying the best of boosters if you can wait for boost days to occur to make better use of both your time and money. So long as you are an active player, make proper use of boosters, and remain 'social' with the community, you will build bonds with other players and have hunting partners to go down with you and even participate as other parties in quests you partake in to thereby start up 12 MPA runs normally.

This is easier to do when you create or join a team of dedicated PSO2 players.


You should design it so that you can go from 1-60 in 2-3 days with boosters instead of a week, and so that rares are actually obtainable. Need I mention that you can't really get boosts to the drop rates on rares, just the chance to get a rare?

I'll just imagine you never said that and stop reading from there. :wacko:

[Houten]

While this thread is on the topic of importing, I'd like to confirm that I do not need a Japanese PSN account and a separate memory card if I have the physical game in the Vita?

[Korazenn]

While this thread is on the topic of importing, I'd like to confirm that I do not need a Japanese PSN account and a separate memory card if I have the physical game in the Vita?

That is correct. :D

[Link1275]

Read: Free-to-Play



Once again, you are entitled to your own opinion there.

However, as I previously stated from the get-go (and look where it brought us too), these things are all very objective. You'd never win on either side. I can't convince you to like PSO2 anymore than you could ever convince me that PSP2/i or PSZero was better. There's a reason we are all entitled to our own personal opinions.



If you don't see the problem here, then why is this an issue you keep bringing up in the first place? It is clearly annoying you in some regard if it is the drop-rates you are irritated by, which is a result of the free-to-play mechanisms implemented.



Chances are if you are having trouble getting to Lv. 60, you just aren't looking in the right places. So long as you are an active player, make proper use of boosters, and remain 'social' with the community, you will build bonds with other players and have hunting partners to go down with you and even participate as other parties in quests you partake in to thereby start up 12 MPA runs normally.

This is easier to do when you create or join a team of dedicated PSO2 players.



I'll just imagine you never said that and stop reading from there. :wacko:
@underlined Just because someone doesn't have the ability to pay to support the game doesn't mean they should be penalized from being able to enjoy the game. If game designers want their games to make a ton of money like that then they should just charge a subscription fee or a flat out sum to buy a copy of the game up front, rather than resort to this unethical bullcrap where they constantly try to make their game miserable if you don't pay 100+ USD a month to win.

As for not knowing where to look, that simply boils down to opinion. B-20 is filled with incompetent players based on what I've heard, so going there to level is generally a bad idea. In my case my team is currently undergoing renovations and needs some new blood so no one is online atm. As for friends, I don't have any IRL friends that would ever be interested in playing a JP game(and I know the same can be said for a lot of people in the west).


@bold You should seriously consider becoming a f2p mmo designer, you seem to be the type of person they look for.

[MetalDude]

The rates are terrible because the weapon system kind of blows. The fact that most of the higher end 10*'s tend to be the only thing worth hunting for and at the same time are annoyingly hard to hunt because of how shit the quest content is in this game is why it's not even ok in the first place. There's no factor of hunting something if you can't reliably find your target and if the rates are especially bad. It's also not ok that these weapons, outside of some exceptions, tend to be obsoleted 1-2 months later meaning the amount of effort being demanded for hunts is disproportional with the time that will ultimately make them useless or undesirable.

[Dagger_32]

So I posted this on 9/11/2013, I went ahead and bought it from Play Asia that day.

It is now 10/09/2013 and it has not arrived.

It is being shipped airmail so I cannot track it. Is it too early to start freaking out? Is there hope that it will actually show up...soon...?

[blace]

That's the price of airmail. It took roughly a month and a half before mine came in the mail.

You'll have to be patient a bit longer.

[Dagger_32]

It finally showed up yesterday!

...which...well I went to YesAsia and bought another one last week, patience is a virtue I do not have... so now I will have 2 copies, lol.

Hopefully I can convince one of my local friends to play it with me.

[r00tabaga]

Dagger: Did you have to register the Vita version with the stupid capcha? I can do everything but that on the PC. I'd like to someday try it & would get this version if that's the case.

[Ouranos]

Dagger: Did you have to register the Vita version with the stupid capcha? I can do everything but that on the PC. I'd like to someday try it & would get this version if that's the case.

You do need to go through the capcha when registereing for a Sega ID. After that, just link your Sega ID with your PSN account on the Vita and that's it. You don't even need to log in your uname and pass again when starting the game .

Edit: If you already have a Sega ID you don't need to go through the capcha again. Just link your Sega ID to your PSN account one last time.

[r00tabaga]

Goddammit