PSU Site Update January 20, 2006

[lostinseganet]

There is new info in the party section of network. It seems to concern the various instances you have the oppertunity to chat with others.
Can a mod change that "I" to a "U" in my header?

EDIT: Fixed title

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Ryna on 2006-01-20 4:333 ]</font>

[Ryna]

The first page of the "Party" section seems to be related to the process for creating a game. First, you find some friends, Second, exchange guild cards. Third, you make a game. Some of that was covered in the latest Famitsu scan. Of course, the pictures here are definitely better than what was in the Famitsu scan.

I'm not sure whether the second page of the section contains anything that could be considered new. We've seen these screenshots before. However, in looking over them again, you can definitely see instances of in-game six player parties.

So, could someone extract the images from the first page of the party section and provide translations? I would also be VERY interested in having full translations for the screenshots, especially the third screenshot.

[Lovejuice]

http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/5593/image14hp.jpg http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/7869/image26me.jpg
http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/9591/image32xu.jpg http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/4255/image49ie.jpg
http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/945/image50ox.jpg http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/3078/image63bn.jpg http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/9812/image72qg.jpg

And the three screenshots:

http://phantasystaruniverse.com/network/detail/pt01.jpg
http://phantasystaruniverse.com/network/detail/pt02.jpg
http://phantasystaruniverse.com/network/detail/pt03.jpg

That third one, seen in Famitsu, is quite packed with things indeed! I'm intrigued by the 'letter ranking' system that seems to be in there..

Check out the funky HUcaseal looking Cast on the second one!

[Ryna]

Thanks for the images LoveJuice. They'll be useful when it is time to put together the news update.

[zandra117]

The first 2 images are both in the lobby because at the bottom right of the screen it says the server name, "Game Server 1". The second image is showing someone accepting a party invite. It seems that you can walk around the lobby while you are in someones party. The third picture shows a quest menu where people can select missions. I cant read Japanese very well, I can only read Hiragana and Katakana so i'll leave the rest of the translation to EspioKaos.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: zandra117 on 2006-01-20 05:55 ]</font>

[Dark_Heal_v2]

The different letter ranking system seems to be the various difficulty levels for the same quest.

and I can read kanji only, lol. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif

[EspioKaos]

On 2006-01-20 05:11, Lovejuice wrote:
http://phantasystaruniverse.com/network/detail/pt03.jpg

OK, from the top left down.

Mission Counter

Select a mission.

Secure an evacuation route C
Secure an evacuation route B
Secure an evacuation route A
Secure an evacuation route S

Moving over to the right side of the screen, having the C-rank mission selected...

A number of people are trapped in a section of the Linear Line as a result of the attack by SEED. All evacuation routes have been blocked off by SEED-forms.

Secure an evacuation route C
Linear Line Connection Terminal

* free mission
* no requirements
* lv.1 enemies

Difficulty Level: C
Party: 1 - 6
All members must join

And the boxes that are on top of everything else in the middle of the screen say...

Will you accept this mission?
Yes
No

[Ryna]

Thanks EspioKaos. That definitely gives some insight on the game creation screen. I wonder if there will be "free play" too?

[EspioKaos]

No problem. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif

Here are my translations of the three new text boxes on the official site. Nothing new, really. It's basically the same stuff that we saw in the most recent Famitsu scans.

On the Guardians Colony and each of the planets you can recruit partners and join other parties. But first you'll need to look for friends to adventure with!

After finding a comrade to adventure with, invite them to join your party. If you exchange partner cards, inviting them to join your party next time will be a snap.

At the Flyer Base and other such areas Mission Counters have been set up. At this screen, the leader will be able to select a mission and start the adventure.

[Ryna]

Your translations make it sound like online gameplay will be tightly focused around mission play. That would be an interesting twice on the open-gameplay PSO currently has.

[Alisha]

im concerned i dont want pso to become a game where you need a group to complete a mission

[Non-Toxic-Crayons]

On 2006-01-20 10:49, Alisha wrote:
im concerned i dont want pso to become a game where you need a group to complete a mission



me too ><

[Ryna]

On 2006-01-20 10:49, Alisha wrote:
im concerned i dont want psu to become a game where you need a group to complete a mission


Even in PSO, there are certain quests and modes (Challenge Mode) that require you to group with other people.

[Alisha]

i assume you never played ffxi and experienced the horror that is waiting hours and sometimes days for a party invite but if its just like c mode waits it shouldnt be too bad

[Ryna]

On 2006-01-20 11:03, Alisha wrote:
i assume you never played ffxi and experienced the horror that is waiting hours and sometimes days for a party invite but if its just like c mode waits it shouldnt be too bad


I never have played FF11. However, some of my cmode waiting times have exceeded 5+ hours.

Based on the third screenshot, it appears you will not have to group with someone in order to be able to play certain/most quests. Things will be harder if you play by yourself, but you will be able to solo.

[EspioKaos]

http://phantasystaruniverse.com/network/detail/pt01.jpg

The upper left says "Kyasuko," which is the name of the red-headed female character to the main's left. (Note that the main character's cursor is on the red-headed girl.)

Now the speech bubbles, moving from left to right.

Sonic (red): There aren't any rares.
Mohican Matsumoto (blue): OK, let's go!
Tabatake (orange): Shall we set out on an adventure?
Beast (green): Onma Gohg until morning.
Yasu (pink): I want to go!

In the bottom left, the character's name is Sonic. In the bottom right, it says "game server 1."



http://phantasystaruniverse.com/network/detail/pt02.jpg

From top left...

Amitie
Invite to your party

The central text box says...

Invite Amitie to your party?
Yes
No

Lower right is the same as before, "game server 1."

I find it pretty cool that one of the characters already in this party is named after (and looks pretty close to) Shou Amabane from [i]Burning Rangers. Also, the cast Sonic is talking to is named after the lead character in SonicTeam's Puyo Puyo Fever. Looks nothing like her, though. XD

[Ryna]

Thanks for the translations EspioKaos.

It looks like the game creation mechanism has been changed for PSU. I guess the basic process will be the following:

1. Find some friends.
2. Invite them to join your team.
3. Go the Mission Counter and create a game. You'll be able to select from a wide-variety of missions.

If you trade "Partner Cards," it will be easier to find the person in the future. Also, you will be able to send them mail.

Of course, this raises a few questions (some of which I've already listed):
1. Will you be able to play in open areas (think a normal Forest run)?
2. Will people be able to join your mission after it has been started?
3. Will all the players have to be present in order to make a team?
4. What happens if you need to get some supplies? Will you have to go back to the Guardian Colony/Planet (essentially the lobby) to pick them up?

Off-Topic: Heh...Sonic has blue spiky hair.

[Alisha]

wow rcaseals look neat a major improvement over pso

[OdinTyler]

I think its awesome how you can create at least a start up party & still roam around, before creating an actual game to play in. You could go shopping or explore or head to certain areas for guild meetings. Cool stuff indeed. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif

[F-o-x]

Hmm... I'm with Alisha on this one. I hope the game is solo-friendly. After FFXI, I just need some time alone.

Although, they could just be focusing on how grouping is going to work with these updates. This doesn't mean we won't be able to go down and do certain areas or missions ourselves. Also, like Ryna, I want to know if we'll be able to do "regular" runs of areas or if there'll just be mission play.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: F-o-x on 2006-01-20 12:23 ]</font>

[PhruitBaskit]

This new update is making online sound totally kick ass (as if it didn't already http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif). Nothing looks too complicated...All simple like PSO. That's very good. I'm not goona worry about online too much anymore http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif The mission select looks nice and so does that HUcaseal

[Kupi]

This game creation paradigm makes the normal missions sound much more like Challenge Mode. Get your party together and then make sure you've got everything you want to bring with you, because once you're down there, you aren't going back until A) you're all dead, or B) you finish the mission.

As usual, this is just my idle speculation. Eat the salt shaker!

[Spellbinder]

On 2006-01-20 11:03, Alisha wrote:
i assume you never played ffxi and experienced the horror that is waiting hours and sometimes days for a party invite but if its just like c mode waits it shouldnt be too bad



Gah, reoccuring nightmares of my Lv 75 Summoner. On the way to 75 I've literally spent a week just sitting around waiting for someone to invite me or trying to recruit people to form a team for experience. Not some quest or uber godly items.... just exp http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_frown.gif. That stuff's no joke.

[kazuma56]

....Sega, please tell me my "PSU inspired by Monster Hunter" topic I made on Gfaqs a few months back is not coming to a reality here.

My BIGGEST gripe with monster hunter wasn't the fact that you had to use the right analog to attack, or the fact that you couldn't trade weapons and certain items to others, but the fact that you CANNOT free roam, it makes hunting materials a real bitch because you have to keep going through load screen after load screen just to mine 1 thing, which leads many to resorting to "suicide mining/runs" in which you start a quest, mine/farm X enemy for part, if it doesn't show, quit, if it does, make enemy kill you so that you get to keep all the stuff you found on that run and lose a minor 5 or so experience.

Please tell me they have a non mission based counter for non mission based gaming.

[Kamica]

I can easily see PSU online without anything to solo. Afterall, there IS a lengthy offline mode(I wouldnt call the PSO offline lengthy).

[zandra117]

On 2006-01-20 16:20, Kupi wrote:
This game creation paradigm makes the normal missions sound much more like Challenge Mode. Get your party together and then make sure you've got everything you want to bring with you, because once you're down there, you aren't going back until A) you're all dead, or B) you finish the mission.

As usual, this is just my idle speculation. Eat the salt shaker!


I think that when you select a mission you are still in the lobby after it is selected then you have to walk to the teleporter to get to the mission area. If you need to get more items you can make a telepipe back to the lobby to go shopping. only people in your party can see the telepipe. after getting items you can go back down the pipe and continue the quest.

you can probably free roam by going down the teleporter without accepting a mission.

People can probably join you after a mission has started you just take a telepipe back to the lobby and send some invites then go back down the pipe and continue the mission with more people.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: zandra117 on 2006-01-21 13:02 ]</font>

[PhruitBaskit]

On 2006-01-20 22:51, Kamica wrote:
I can easily see PSU online without anything to solo

I can't see there being nothing to do solo online in PSU. But if there isn't it would kind of suck for times when no one is online (like that'll ever happen http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif) or when you just want to go out alone. I doubt that there isn't any soloing online...

[Brus]

I guess this answers our question about PSU having normal, hard, very hard, and ultimate. and the answer would be a very assumed "Yes."

[PhruitBaskit]

It kind of answers it. So are the C, B, A, and S the difficulty levels? I suppose we could assume yes, but...

[Brus]

I know that some people are vehemently against having the difficulties. Frankly I dont really care just as long as we have more than 4 areas to explore.

[Nash]

I liked the difficulty levels, gave you something to aim for. Wonder if they'll be a level-requirement this time, or if you can still choose the harder levels even if you will get annihilated?

And I think you will be able to solo online, that's where your Partner Machines come in useful.

[OdinTyler]

Well yeah, theyre difficlty lvls more than likely. However, did you notice the description given? Perhaps choosing those other lvls gives an alternative means in or out, which means the mission would vary slightly. It wouldnt just be harder for the sake of being harder, there would be a reason why. This I like. There could be fewer ways out or more enemies or more objectives depending on the letter chosen. Not just the same thing, harder. I mean thats what I get from it.

[Brus]

On 2006-01-22 11:49, OdinTyler wrote:
Well yeah, theyre difficlty lvls more than likely. However, did you notice the description given? Perhaps choosing those other lvls gives an alternative means in or out, which means the mission would vary slightly. It wouldnt just be harder for the sake of being harder, there would be a reason why. This I like. There could be fewer ways out or more enemies or more objectives depending on the letter chosen. Not just the same thing, harder. I mean thats what I get from it.



I am most definitely hoping for something like you described. Also like I said earlier, even if the difficulties are just a ... well difficulty increase, I dont think it'd be so bad as long as there is an abundance of areas.

[PhruitBaskit]

On 2006-01-22 12:09, Brus wrote:


On 2006-01-22 11:49, OdinTyler wrote:
Well yeah, theyre difficlty lvls more than likely. However, did you notice the description given? Perhaps choosing those other lvls gives an alternative means in or out, which means the mission would vary slightly. It wouldnt just be harder for the sake of being harder, there would be a reason why. This I like. There could be fewer ways out or more enemies or more objectives depending on the letter chosen. Not just the same thing, harder. I mean thats what I get from it.



I am most definitely hoping for something like you described. Also like I said earlier, even if the difficulties are just a ... well difficulty increase, I dont think it'd be so bad as long as there is an abundance of areas.

Yes, if the level select is someting like Odin described, it'd be pretty cool. Instead of just different difficulty levels, each mission would differ. That would be great! http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif

[OdinTyler]

Well, going on Espio's translation of the C lvl (probably the easiest), I can see where each difficulty lvl would REALLY differ. It would definitely change how we view PS online missions, thats for sure! http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif

[Sinue_v2]

One thing I don't quite understand... if missions are segmented into difficulty levels, then what is the purpose of having enemy levels at all? In a free-roam environmnet, enemy levels would indicate how tough the creature is in relation to your character. However, with adjustable difficulty levels - you could end up with a system similar to PSO.

Hopefully, the difficulty levels aren't "static", and monsters will change their stats in relations to your own character's advancment. C would make all creatures an even match, or a few levels below you... but S difficulty games would feature enemies which are several levels higher than your character.

I.E. A lvl 5 character playing a quest at S level would yeild enemies around lvl 10 or 12 - whereas a lvl 50 character playing the same quest at S level would yeild enemies that are lvl 60 to 70.

However, if that's the case - it would be a heaven for power-levelers. A situation very much like FFXI may arise where you have to be similar levels to join the same party to preserve balance. This would also give rise to grouping problems, and long "LFG" waits.

I guess we simply don't know enough about the situation as it is.

[Kimil]

I'm guessing its going to be like PSO's four difficulty levels, because, come on, its made by the SAME people, I doubt they strayed to far off from each other. Sides, I don't like the idea of having level rstrictions in parties.

[Ryna]

On 2006-01-22 23:25, Sinue_v2 wrote:
One thing I don't quite understand... if missions are segmented into difficulty levels, then what is the purpose of having enemy levels at all? In a free-roam environmnet, enemy levels would indicate how tough the creature is in relation to your character. However, with adjustable difficulty levels - you could end up with a system similar to PSO.


Another possibility is that the missions with higher-level difficulties will have a greater number of enemies. For example, a S-Rank mission may have 10 times the number of enemies that the corresponding C-Rank mission has. That means you'll either need a group or be a higher-level in order to finish the S-Rank one.

[Yummi]

On 2006-01-22 23:25, Sinue_v2 wrote:
One thing I don't quite understand... if missions are segmented into difficulty levels, then what is the purpose of having enemy levels at all? In a free-roam environmnet, enemy levels would indicate how tough the creature is in relation to your character. However, with adjustable difficulty levels - you could end up with a system similar to PSO.


I can see this being relevant. Considering the size of the 'worlds' and you actually having to travel to the ruins, and dungeons you will definately encounter monsters during your travels. The further you go the higher the level the monsters will likely be. So even if you went the easiest ranking possible, maybe further in will be occupied with monsters of higher level making going further really dangerous or just near impossible. Possibly a good way to level up with a group too till you're ready to try a different rank. As you rank up the overall levels of the monsters may change, but the levels will still vary monster to monster as the difficulty changes. Or maybe, this only applies to the dungeons themselves, this is all speculation of course we won't know till very least JP release.



Hopefully, the difficulty levels aren't "static", and monsters will change their stats in relations to your own character's advancment. C would make all creatures an even match, or a few levels below you... but S difficulty games would feature enemies which are several levels higher than your character.

I.E. A lvl 5 character playing a quest at S level would yeild enemies around lvl 10 or 12 - whereas a lvl 50 character playing the same quest at S level would yeild enemies that are lvl 60 to 70.

However, if that's the case - it would be a heaven for power-levelers. A situation very much like FFXI may arise where you have to be similar levels to join the same party to preserve balance. This would also give rise to grouping problems, and long "LFG" waits.


I can see that, but in one of the screenshots didnt it mention the level of starting enemies in one of the modes? So in S mode would probably have more monsters, and enemies that are level 60~70 (example) if they are level 5 or 50.

[PhruitBaskit]

Ryna has a very good point. There will very possibly be more enemies at higher difficulty levels. Maybe at the highest level there will be both higher-level enemies and more of them. Very challenging. If there are both higher-level and more monsters as ranks progress I would see a 4 difficulty level working like this:
1. Basic Enemies
2. More Basic Enemies
3. Higher-Level Enemies
4. More Higher-Level Enemies
I don't know...It's just some more of the speculating that we do so much of http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif

[PrinceBrightstar]

I hope there's still a way to free roam the world in online besides this grouping system.

[PhruitBaskit]

Do you mean like going out and exploring solo? Cuz if that's what you want, you can do it offline now http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif

[EJ]

he meant doing it online like how you can go down to the planet without making a party.

[PhruitBaskit]

On 2006-01-23 14:23, PhruitBaskit wrote:
Do you mean like going out and exploring solo
Like going online and exploring the planets solo!?!