So what has changed in the past 12-18 months gameplay wise?

[Izlude77714]

recently I have been thinking about picking this game up again but it has been a REALLY long time since I played

I was curious if anyone could give a brief summary of what new features/gameplay changes there have been

I remember playing about when they added an increased level cap (75 I think?) but I don't know anything about content past that

thanks in advance

[Nyansan]

> New class Summoner
> Skill rings, which give substantial changes to a few classes such as Fi, Te, Hu, Gu
> Lots of QOL changes for skill trees
> Quite a few new EQs (PD, TD4, Yamato)
> Ult amduscia

[Cadfael]

13* weapons which you can acquire by defeating certain enemies.
NT weapons, which are upgraded slightly differently than the previous iteration of weapons.
Story mode instead of matterboards.
A new storyline, which involves Earth.

[Plaguelight]

13* weapons which you can acquire by defeating certain enemies.
NT weapons, which are upgraded slightly differently than the previous iteration of weapons.
Story mode instead of matterboards.
A new storyline, which involves Earth.

Wait, no more matterboards? Oh geez, I'm really going to feel like a noob going back into the game after being gone for so long...

[isCasted]

New 3-button control scheme that, in itself, a massive buff to melee. No more struggling with shitty combo system, you just use whatever PA you want at any point.
Collection files, which make obtaining new gear much less tedious.
Gathering, which is needed to get and upgrade skill rings. Some rings are game-changers. 12* units allow to affix skill ring abilities onto them. Special chat commands also allow to switch rings on the fly.
Lots of new PA and technique crafts that are basically essential.
Earth introduces enemy chasing gimmicks like gottagofast rings and Rideroids. Riding Quests (12-man only, sadly, so you probably won't get to enjoy them) are crazy fast-paced.
Layered wear, consisting of outer, base and inner wear. [Ou[ are like regular clothes, [Ba] and come in form of char-bound tickets (like accessories). [Ba] tickets are insanely expensive.
My Fashion allows you to save up to 10 profiles with all costume, accessory, hair and body paint combinations. You can switch them at any point outside of Makeover Salon.
There are a few new TAs that give no reward, but are difficult to do solo.
There's new, ridiculously hard [I]solo XQ consisting of 10 stages.
Expert blocks are a thing, and they require clearing 1-5 of that XQ.

[NoiseHERO]

New 3-button control scheme that, in itself, a massive buff to melee. No more struggling with shitty combo system, you just use whatever PA you want at any point.

Collection files, which make obtaining new gear much less tedious.

Can you or someone explain these to me...?

I've heard of collection files from a friend but it totally left my brain.

Never heard of this 3 button any PA thing.

[Great Pan]

Can you or someone explain these to me...?

I've heard of collection files from a friend but it totally left my brain.

Never heard of this 3 button any PA thing.

Just stick with 2 buttons and you'll be fine. 3 button-style isn't that good.

[nguuuquaaa]

Can you or someone explain these to me...?

I've heard of collection files from a friend but it totally left my brain.

Never heard of this 3 button any PA thing.
Basically Shift doesn't activate weapon action, but switch combo palette like rifle/launcher/rod/wand/talis, while weapon action can be put on combo palette like PAs/techs. Middle mouse button also joins in combo scheme, so there are a total of 5 slots for PA/techs/weapon action (actually 6 but you'll always set 1 for normal attack anyway) instead of 3 like old 2-button.


Just stick with 2 buttons and you'll be fine. 3 button-style isn't that good.
As a Fighter main, I say otherwise.

[isCasted]

There's no reason to take 2-button control scheme, unless you are attached to it on a spinal cord level. 3-button scheme grants much bigger freedom, and if you don't use it you are intentionally heavily gimping yourself.

[wefwq]

Can you or someone explain these to me...?

I've heard of collection files from a friend but it totally left my brain.

Never heard of this 3 button any PA thing.

3 Button layout grant you much bigger freedom over action button control.
Instead of cycling between PAs (mainly for melee weapons) to form combos, 3 button let you deploy any PA you want at any time you want, resulting in better combo timing. Think about old rifle weapon palette, it work like that but with additional slot for PA.
3 Button layout also give 6 button slot per weapon palette (you can ditch normal attack and weapon action if you want to).

Collection file work similar to the old "stone" gathering, though instead of collecting various kind of space rocks, you're given some kind of to-do list; each sheet has target enemy whose will drop "required" items.
After you collect every single required items, the target drop (usualy *13) will forced to drop for you, if this happen screen notification will be displayed to ""congratulate"" your hard work, thus the collection file sheet will be declared as "completed".

After you completed the sheet, you can take the sheet again though you'll need to wait for 48 hours cooldown before doing so (this can be bypassed by paying SG).

[NoiseHERO]

3 Button layout grant you much bigger freedom over action button control.
Instead of cycling between PAs (mainly for melee weapons) to form combos, 3 button let you deploy any PA you want at any time you want, resulting in better combo timing. Think about old rifle weapon palette, it work like that but with additional slot for PA.
3 Button layout also give 6 button slot per weapon palette (you can ditch normal attack and weapon action if you want to).

Collection file work similar to the old "stone" gathering, though instead of collecting various kind of space rocks, you're given some kind of to-do list; each sheet has target enemy whose will drop "required" items.
After you collect every single required items, the target drop (usualy *13) will forced to drop for you, if this happen screen notification will be displayed to ""congratulate"" your hard work, thus the collection file sheet will be declared as "completed".

After you completed the sheet, you can take the sheet again though you'll need to wait for 48 hours cooldown before doing so (this can be bypassed by paying SG).

I seeeeeeeee....

Thanks guyz @ last 4 replies

[Ezodagrom]

There's no reason to take 2-button control scheme, unless you are attached to it on a spinal cord level. 3-button scheme grants much bigger freedom, and if you don't use it you are intentionally heavily gimping yourself.
With KB/Mouse, I just couldn't get used to the 3-button scheme, tried even changing some of the buttons but I just can't make it work for me...
Biggest problem for me is the middle mouse button (or a button to replace it), middle mouse button is too unconfortable for attacking (or guarding) for me, so I rather keep it as a quick menu button, but, I just don't know what KB button I could use instead, nothing I tried worked.

[r00tabaga]

Is the 3 button on vita too?? On PS4 I use that method but Vita I use 2 button cuz I can't find it.

[Zysets]

With KB/Mouse, I just couldn't get used to the 3-button scheme, tried even changing some of the buttons but I just can't make it work for me...
Biggest problem for me is the middle mouse button (or a button to replace it), middle mouse button is too unconfortable for attacking (or guarding) for me, so I rather keep it as a quick menu button, but, I just don't know what KB button I could use instead, nothing I tried worked.

This is also my problem, I used to play with a controller, and 3 button was definitely the better method, but I lost the controller, so I started using Mouse + Keyboard, and I cannot for the life of me feel comfortable using 3 button with the mouse, it's very very awkward.

[Ezodagrom]

This is also my problem, I used to play with a controller, and 3 button was definitely the better method, but I lost the controller, so I started using Mouse + Keyboard, and I cannot for the life of me feel comfortable using 3 button with the mouse, it's very very awkward.
In my keyboard layout, there's a button between Shift and Z that could maybe work well instead of the middle mouse button (either that, or using shift for the middle mouse button and that button for switching PA page), I'll have to check it out once I have my PC back (sent my graphics card to warranty 3 weeks ago, still don't have it back).

[wefwq]

Is the 3 button on vita too?? On PS4 I use that method but Vita I use 2 button cuz I can't find it.

Nope, 3 button layout only available for PC (KBM, and controller), and PS4 version.
PS Vita didn't getting it probably due to lacking spare input button.

[KazukiQZ]

Buy a mouse with the 2 side buttons (function as back/forward for browser surfing usually). You can set those as pso2 function in in-game Option > Control > Mouse setting.

Personally, I have the 1st side button used as subpalette activation (with mouse scroll to highlight a subpalette slot), and the 2nd side button for 3rd action (usually Weapon Action)

[isCasted]

With KB/Mouse, I just couldn't get used to the 3-button scheme, tried even changing some of the buttons but I just can't make it work for me...
Biggest problem for me is the middle mouse button (or a button to replace it), middle mouse button is too unconfortable for attacking (or guarding) for me, so I rather keep it as a quick menu button, but, I just don't know what KB button I could use instead, nothing I tried worked.

I usually saw controller users having trouble with it and not KB+M ones. I use KB+M myself and I put extra action on [C]. It's right inbetween dodge and jump, so it's really comfortable. I generally assign relatively immobile actions onto it (so Guard and parry actions get on [C], but stuff like S-Roll and Photon Blades are on RMB; same applies for PAs), but you'll find exceptions for yourself as you play it.

[Sandmind]

Buy a mouse with the 2 side buttons (function as back/forward for browser surfing usually). You can set those as pso2 function in in-game Option > Control > Mouse setting.

Personally, I have the 1st side button used as subpalette activation (with mouse scroll to highlight a subpalette slot), and the 2nd side button for 3rd action (usually Weapon Action)

I had been doing the exact same thing ever since late EP2 or early EP3, minus it still being on 2-button mode back then. As a FO main, the ability to jump with space while charging a tech from subpalette (otherwise B on keyboard by default) was a big noticeable improvement already.

[r00tabaga]

Ah thank you.

[Cadfael]

Wait, no more matterboards? Oh geez, I'm really going to feel like a noob going back into the game after being gone for so long...

Late reply, I know, but there are still matterboards for Episodes 1-3; in 4 it's replaced by Storyboards, which are more linear but also don't require you to go out into maps to find the story vignettes. You can switch back and forth between Episodes 1-3 and Episode 4 when you choose a character.

[Plaguelight]

Late reply, I know, but there are still matterboards for Episodes 1-3; in 4 it's replaced by Storyboards, which are more linear but also don't require you to go out into maps to find the story vignettes. You can switch back and forth between Episodes 1-3 and Episode 4 when you choose a character.

Ah, I see. Though, it seems a bit odd to not have it all together...

[Totori]

It's due to NPC placements, are different in lobby.

[Plaguelight]

It's due to NPC placements, are different in lobby.

Well, guess I know even less than I thought I did, haha...