Deciding on a class

[Etherwolf]

How do you all go about deciding what class and subclass to pick? Well, I'm sure the subclass decision is all about picking whatever compliments the damage of the main, so really what I'd like to know is how you choose a class. I've tried them all out and honestly I can't decide. Maybe I'm looking for the wrong ideas when I'm deciding, but I'm no veteran. Maybe I'm just too used to Phantasy Star Portable 2 and it's flexibility in what weapons you use. Is it all just a matter of weapon and PA preference?

[Sayara]

I generally decide what I want to do when i play a game, every main class has its benefits and usefulness so it isnt an issue of this class sucks or whatever.
(Though others will tell you otherwise) for sub- i just go by what would benefit the class the best.

am i a Braver? Well Hunter gives me durability and more power,
am I a Force? Well Techer, or Bouncer give me some benefits of T-atk and damage if i use proper elements for attacking

etc
Personally from stage 1 I'd choose a style of gaming first Melee/Range/Magic so you dont end up having to make 3 mags for each type... you can then interchange between the different classes without much loss because if youre a strike class your mag will be OK.

[Rayden]

You don't have to decide. Just play them all and switch between them based on how you feel or what content you're running.

[Kondibon]

How do you all go about deciding what class and subclass to pick? Well, I'm sure the subclass decision is all about picking whatever compliments the damage of the main, so really what I'd like to know is how you choose a class. I've tried them all out and honestly I can't decide. Maybe I'm looking for the wrong ideas when I'm deciding, but I'm no veteran. Maybe I'm just too used to Phantasy Star Portable 2 and it's flexibility in what weapons you use. Is it all just a matter of weapon and PA preference?Well what do you want to do, what kind of playstyle do you want?

It's not just a matter of weapon preference though, skill trees and utility are important too, which is why I ask what you actually want to do. It's a lot harder to go for a jack of all trades kind of thing in PSO2 though because of how damage multipliers tend to work.

[Etherwolf]

I generally decide what I want to do when i play a game, every main class has its benefits and usefulness so it isnt an issue of this class sucks or whatever.
(Though others will tell you otherwise) for sub- i just go by what would benefit the class the best.

am i a Braver? Well Hunter gives me durability and more power,
am I a Force? Well Techer, or Bouncer give me some benefits of T-atk and damage if i use proper elements for attacking

etc
Personally from stage 1 I'd choose a style of gaming first Melee/Range/Magic so you dont end up having to make 3 mags for each type... you can then interchange between the different classes without much loss because if youre a strike class your mag will be OK.

I've come to realize that no one class setup really outshines another. For the most part they all do certain things equally, if that makes any sense.


You don't have to decide. Just play them all and switch between them based on how you feel or what content you're running.

I know you can do that, but still. I think having one preferred/favorite arrangement is nice. I just can't seem to get a grasp of which my favorite is.


Well what do you want to do, what kind of playstyle do you want?

It's not just a matter of weapon preference though, skill trees and utility are important too, which is why I ask what you actually want to do. It's a lot harder to go for a jack of all trades kind of thing in PSO2 though because of how damage multipliers tend to work.

I wanted to go with the whole run and gun thing, but Gunner just feels so stiff and Ranger is too long-range for me. <- Yes, I know how stupid that sounds.
So for now, I'm looking into melee. I kinda want something that's cool in general, that isn't like a generic "one hit, massive damage, repeat" type deal. Which seems to be what a lot of classes lead to. I guess a melee that doesn't rely on a single PA to deal damage?

[kuromechan]

Depends on your attack preferances

[yoshiblue]

Follow the path of gunslash and discover salvation.

[Poyonche]

Dude, I am HU/FI/BO 75/75/75, and I still can't decide which one should I "main". :wacko:

Though I bought an Ideal Partizan.

[TaigaUC]

The thing with PSO2 is you can level everything and then pick what you want after.
Only problem is Mag. If you really don't want to spend any money (it's like $4 for a Mag) you'll have to focus on either melee, ranged or caster.
Alternatively, you can just make two characters (you get two free slots) that focus on different types.
Mag exists to boost your stats and allow you to equip stuff faster. However, most people focus on attack stats (ie. pure melee, pure ranged or pure Tech damage).

Here are some tips on what to do when starting out:

1. Decide if you want to focus more on melee, ranged or caster. If you have to, try Hunter/Fighter/Braver, Force, Ranger/Gunner and Bouncer (melee, not for casting) for a few levels, and see what you think. Make sure you try every weapon, and decide which ones you enjoy most.

2. Once you decide which playstyle you enjoy the most, you'll need to decide what other classes to work on at the same time, to complement. At the very least, you will need Hunter or Fighter sub for melee. Gunner or Braver sub for ranged. Techer (and to a lesser extent, Braver and Fighter) sub for caster.

3. When you have decided Main, Sub and next class after that, you can start focusing on your main. Unlock subclass as soon as possible, and don't forget to set it. When you complete orders, turn them in as subclass+third class. Your main will receive EXP as you play, so you want the sub+third class to get as much EXP as possible.

4. Once your subclass and/or third class reach level 55 (I think that's the sub cap) you'll want to decide on a fourth class to level up.

5. When you have a melee sub (Hunter, Fighter, Braver) maxed out, you may want to try Techer main with Wand melee. It's the most effective for wiping out huge amounts of enemies at once (suck them in with Zondeel, whack with regular attacks = victory) but isn't great for bosses.


IMHO, melee is currently very powerful and fun (particularly Partisan and Knuckles). Ranged is good if you get satisfaction from aiming at stuff.
Twin Guns is more of a melee class. Bouncer is a mix between melee and support Techs.


For reference, here are some of the skill trees I'm currently using.
You'll want to aim for utility and damage multipliers first (ie. stuff that you're sure you wil come in handy immediately).
http://pso2-skill.pwnedgalaxy.net/skillcalc.php?10fbxImbxImbxImbxImbxImbxImbxImbxIm0 jdOdBdoIbi2dBeKINdndnIdJksNI20000006dodAI2bndAbofJ krxHoIndnIo00000fdBboIbIdIoiocAfqKJkdK00000jdoIbid 2OgXqqGAJkIbdAI200008dBbniN2SGA2K8cKIk00000ioIncKb DjGAqBIkIkGAcAin000006dOIo4Ni2HsrFJkIeloI200000fdo IbkIHnqBfrBeFrAfakdoIb00000f
http://pso2-skill.pwnedgalaxy.net/skillcalc.php?10fbxImbxImbxImbxImbxImbxImbxImbxIm0 jdOdBIbl2dBeK8JksXI20000006doIn0000000jdoib0000000 fdo0000000dBbniN2SJI2KlkGA000006dBdAidrBqoesqBsNIk fGAcAIn000007bIo0000000jdoIb0000000j

[HentaiLolicon]

A noob ranger here, i have been playing ranger for atleast a year and it's still a fun class to play. I have all other classes at 75 also, they are fun with pros/cons for each class, each combination of main/sub. But well, it's up to you to decide whether a class is interesting or not.

[Selphea]

Think about the expectations that come with a class and see whether you're comfortable with doing that role. i.e.


Force: Are you willing to spend a chunk of meseta and RL cash to buy skill trees, get a rainbow set and craft your techs? On the plus side Force's boss strategy typically involves pressing Tab, then holding one number while rolling your face on directional keys until you get a compound tech.
Techer: Do you want to throw on buffs every 2 minutes and Zondeel-whack every mob cluster in existence?
Ranger: Are you willing to learn every boss' AI pattern and break mechanics to decide where to WB and be able to aim it in Z aim if needed?
Gunner and Bow Braver: All the expectations of Ranger + you're expected to know where and when to Banish/Chain and make sure bosses DIE.
Fighter: Do you want to learn at least five weapons if Fi/Hu, or your chosen weapon if Fi/Bo, Fi/Br etc etc as well as be confident enough to turn on Limit Break? You will risk going splat from the stupidest things. (Please don't set up an autoword on death)
Bouncer: Main expectation for Bouncer is that if you run DBs, you need to get a rainbow set and know how to spam the Shift button. Otherwise you're pretty much just some DPS person who may occasionally need to Zondeel if there's no Techer around.
Katana Braver, Hunter: Similar to Bouncer. You're just some DPS person but make your DPS count.

[TheszNuts]

Go all class, in the end it pays off for when Sega throws a wrench in our skill trees or when a new OP pa comes out.

[TaigaUC]

Do you really need to learn 5 weapons as Fi/Hu?
I've been focusing mainly on Knuckles and it's been fine so far.

[Flaoc]

Do you really need to learn 5 weapons as Fi/Hu?
I've been focusing mainly on Knuckles and it's been fine so far.

i personally do 4 weps.. i would assume the 5th wep is wired lance but i have not felt a need to get one at all

double saber daggers knuckles partizan for me

[milranduil]

HC WL is pretty good for Fi. You don't really need magatsu WL unless you want to spam kaizer a lot.

[Kondibon]

I wanted to go with the whole run and gun thing, but Gunner just feels so stiff and Ranger is too long-range for me. <- Yes, I know how stupid that sounds.
So for now, I'm looking into melee. I kinda want something that's cool in general, that isn't like a generic "one hit, massive damage, repeat" type deal. Which seems to be what a lot of classes lead to. I guess a melee that doesn't rely on a single PA to deal damage?
That's kinda the nature of the game. You can certainly mix things up a bit with Katana, dual blades, and jet boots, (maybe partisans) but that's usually not the optimal way to use them anyway. I really need to start recording more videos. :/

[Poyonche]

Actually you can with Jetboots. :wacko:

For example, I have a combo palette that is "Gran Wave - Strike Gust - Moment Gale", if there is a pack of mob (or Goldrahdas close to a tower) I Gran Wave to them, I then charge Strike Gust and use it in their head and finish with a swaggy Moment Gale. :wacko:

Could just spam Moment Gale but I don't want my char to puke.

[ArcaneTechs]

Do you really need to learn 5 weapons as Fi/Hu?
I've been focusing mainly on Knuckles and it's been fine so far.
It's good to learn your what your main and sub class has to offer in weaponry but it's not necessary unless you want to be more versatile. Thing is FI is pretty dam good with its own weapons, it's your pick if you want to pick up the others (ie Partisan volg combo's)

[milranduil]

Partisan fills in a lot of gaps that Fi naturally has with just ds, td, knuck. You deny yourself a lot of potential by ignoring it.

[Kondibon]

Actually you can with Jetboots. :wacko:

For example, I have a combo palette that is "Gran Wave - Strike Gust - Moment Gale", if there is a pack of mob (or Goldrahdas close to a tower) I Gran Wave to them, I then charge Strike Gust and use it in their head and finish with a swaggy Moment Gale. :wacko:

Could just spam Moment Gale but I don't want my char to puke.I assume this is directed at me? I included jet boots in my list of weapons that mix up PAs well. 3:

[Poyonche]

Oh yeah.
But


but that's usually not the optimal way to use them anyway. I really need to start recording more videos. :/

But you said mean things to my favorite weapon, and i can't let Jetboots-Chwan be insulted without trying to protect her. _(:3｣∠)_

[Kondibon]

But you said mean things to my favorite weapon, and i can't let Jetboots-Chwan be insulted without trying to protect her. _(:3｣∠)_Well you use JBs the same way I do, so it's not like I disagree. That statement was aimed more at DBs and Katanas. Sorry for the confusion.

[Etherwolf]

The thing with PSO2 is you can level everything and then pick what you want after.
Only problem is Mag. If you really don't want to spend any money (it's like $4 for a Mag) you'll have to focus on either melee, ranged or caster.
Alternatively, you can just make two characters (you get two free slots) that focus on different types.
Mag exists to boost your stats and allow you to equip stuff faster. However, most people focus on attack stats (ie. pure melee, pure ranged or pure Tech damage).

Here are some tips on what to do when starting out:

1. Decide if you want to focus more on melee, ranged or caster. If you have to, try Hunter/Fighter/Braver, Force, Ranger/Gunner and Bouncer (melee, not for casting) for a few levels, and see what you think. Make sure you try every weapon, and decide which ones you enjoy most.

2. Once you decide which playstyle you enjoy the most, you'll need to decide what other classes to work on at the same time, to complement. At the very least, you will need Hunter or Fighter sub for melee. Gunner or Braver sub for ranged. Techer (and to a lesser extent, Braver and Fighter) sub for caster.

3. When you have decided Main, Sub and next class after that, you can start focusing on your main. Unlock subclass as soon as possible, and don't forget to set it. When you complete orders, turn them in as subclass+third class. Your main will receive EXP as you play, so you want the sub+third class to get as much EXP as possible.

4. Once your subclass and/or third class reach level 55 (I think that's the sub cap) you'll want to decide on a fourth class to level up.

5. When you have a melee sub (Hunter, Fighter, Braver) maxed out, you may want to try Techer main with Wand melee. It's the most effective for wiping out huge amounts of enemies at once (suck them in with Zondeel, whack with regular attacks = victory) but isn't great for bosses.


IMHO, melee is currently very powerful and fun (particularly Partisan and Knuckles). Ranged is good if you get satisfaction from aiming at stuff.
Twin Guns is more of a melee class. Bouncer is a mix between melee and support Techs.


For reference, here are some of the skill trees I'm currently using.
You'll want to aim for utility and damage multipliers first (ie. stuff that you're sure you wil come in handy immediately).
http://pso2-skill.pwnedgalaxy.net/skillcalc.php?10fbxImbxImbxImbxImbxImbxImbxImbxIm0 jdOdBdoIbi2dBeKINdndnIdJksNI20000006dodAI2bndAbofJ krxHoIndnIo00000fdBboIbIdIoiocAfqKJkdK00000jdoIbid 2OgXqqGAJkIbdAI200008dBbniN2SGA2K8cKIk00000ioIncKb DjGAqBIkIkGAcAin000006dOIo4Ni2HsrFJkIeloI200000fdo IbkIHnqBfrBeFrAfakdoIb00000f
http://pso2-skill.pwnedgalaxy.net/skillcalc.php?10fbxImbxImbxImbxImbxImbxImbxImbxIm0 jdOdBIbl2dBeK8JksXI20000006doIn0000000jdoib0000000 fdo0000000dBbniN2SJI2KlkGA000006dBdAidrBqoesqBsNIk fGAcAIn000007bIo0000000jdoIb0000000j


Think about the expectations that come with a class and see whether you're comfortable with doing that role. i.e.


Force: Are you willing to spend a chunk of meseta and RL cash to buy skill trees, get a rainbow set and craft your techs? On the plus side Force's boss strategy typically involves pressing Tab, then holding one number while rolling your face on directional keys until you get a compound tech.
Techer: Do you want to throw on buffs every 2 minutes and Zondeel-whack every mob cluster in existence?
Ranger: Are you willing to learn every boss' AI pattern and break mechanics to decide where to WB and be able to aim it in Z aim if needed?
Gunner and Bow Braver: All the expectations of Ranger + you're expected to know where and when to Banish/Chain and make sure bosses DIE.
Fighter: Do you want to learn at least five weapons if Fi/Hu, or your chosen weapon if Fi/Bo, Fi/Br etc etc as well as be confident enough to turn on Limit Break? You will risk going splat from the stupidest things. (Please don't set up an autoword on death)
Bouncer: Main expectation for Bouncer is that if you run DBs, you need to get a rainbow set and know how to spam the Shift button. Otherwise you're pretty much just some DPS person who may occasionally need to Zondeel if there's no Techer around.
Katana Braver, Hunter: Similar to Bouncer. You're just some DPS person but make your DPS count.


After reading both of those, I think I have in mind what I should be doing then. I'll probably end up making a new character, then. I had always planned to, because from my skills to my mag I'm all over the place. And then I ripped skin off my lips because of this stupid icecream bar so now I'm eating bloody lime icecream. I'm not necessarily sure what class I'll start with, in terms of weapon preference I suppose it'll be Braver.

What melee weapons do you guys say have the best PA's in relation to it's coolness, risk, and rewards?

[Kondibon]

What melee weapons do you guys say have the best PA's in relation to it's coolness, risk, and rewards?Katana, Jet boots, and Dual Blades are probably what you're looking for, just don't try to combine braver and bouncer to use all 3 at once. Coolness is subjective though since I personally think pretty much every melee weapon is "cool" in some way. :wacko:

[KLMS1]

Swords are pretty awful though.

[Cortte]

I am on the brink of capping all classes, but I have been a Gu main since the class came out. For me I like having high mobility and attack speed. Gunner gives me this and rewards me for S-Rolls at the right time. But as a melee class I generally can't stand it because I hate being stunned, or flinching from attacks. So generally I run builds with Massive hunter to correct this if I go melee based.

Just think about what makes you feel the most comfortable when you play. Damage in my opinion comes second to comfort, because what's the point of playing a high damage class, and hating it, when you can just aim for moderately high damage on a class you love.

[Etherwolf]

Do some of you like to just mix things up for the hell of it? Using random hybrid setups to suit a specific archetype or something? I'm sure it'd deal a blow to your damage, but what say you about the idea? I'd suspect that a melee class with a tech or force subclass would benefit from the buffing, mob control, and healing techs.

[ArcaneTechs]

Partisan fills in a lot of gaps that Fi naturally has with just ds, td, knuck. You deny yourself a lot of potential by ignoring it.
I was saying that in the event this guy decides not to sub HU and does something else, Im fully aware what Partisans can do for FI. It was aimed to Taiga when i posted (if this isnt directed toward me then forget what i said)

[Maninbluejumpsuit]

For me I like having high mobility and attack speed. Gunner gives me this and rewards me for S-Rolls at the right time. But as a melee class I generally can't stand it because I hate being stunned, or flinching from attacks. So generally I run builds with Massive hunter to correct this if I go melee based.

Most Hu subs run massive hunter anyway. Even when it's down, it's not like Gu has the monopoly on SA attacks. You pretty much described katanas ever since they got guren tessen as having everything you want...

[elryan]

Think about the expectations that come with a class and see whether you're comfortable with doing that role. i.e.


Bouncer: Main expectation for Bouncer is that if you run DBs, you need to get a rainbow set and know how to spam the Shift button. Otherwise you're pretty much just some DPS person who may occasionally need to Zondeel if there's no Techer around.


Revising the points about Bouncer.

If you can get your hands on a 13* DB (Slave / Ares / Ideal) on 60% element, fully grind and affixed, you can run Break Stance effective and efficiently.

If you plan on running rainbow set, usually the options involves:

Budget: crafting a set of Lextear or Granfol
Pricey: obtaining a set of Sange Yasha / Nox Dinas
Use Jet Boots instead and unleash Vinto Vigue after tech cast then few kicks.

[TaigaUC]

I didn't know icecream could rip your lips off. Hope that cures quickly.

Not sure if you've already read it, but I wrote a Class/Weapon guide for people having trouble deciding what to do. It's only a little outdated.
You can check it out by clicking Class/Weapon in my sig.

I mix things up because I get bored quickly, but I won't bother with weapons that feel weak.
That depends on my luck for obtaining good weapons of that type.
It's one of the reasons I've been using Knuckles, because I have the Ideal Knuckles maxed out and they hit hard as hell.
I enjoy being able to down most bosses by punching them a few times.

My other weapons are pretty strong (11-12 stars), but they aren't the "best" (ie. 13 stars).
It takes a lot of time and money to get the best stuff.
If you're poor, what you should do is focus on one (or maybe two) weapons, and then branch out slowly.
Store potentially useful stuff for later, or sell it if it's valuable and you're not going to use it for a while.


In terms of coolness, risk, rewards...
One-shotting bosses with Bow or Rifle can be pretty risky, cool and rewarding.
Chain Trigger is difficult to use alone (much easier in groups) and yields massive reward.

Katana is pretty cool with Guren Tessen right now (although that PA isn't high damage, it's great for travelling around).
Katana overall is a little weak, but will be getting buffed soon.

Anything with Limit Break is risky (and usually rewarding).
Knuckles is probably one of the riskier options because it doesn't have guard, and its range is short.
I personally like the huge numbers from spamming Backhand Smash.
It's not always the best option for sustained DPS though.