PDA

View Full Version : The expansion.



Foxix
Aug 31, 2006, 04:48 PM
Ok after seeing a thread on this (http://phantasystaruniverse.jp/secret/) website and accompanied by this (http://ps2.ign.com/articles/729/729671p1.html) article, I thought I should make a thread about this.

So it looks like only a day after the release we are looking at an expansion of some sort. Or is this just an accumulation of things that will have been released online for offline players?

Another good question is whether or not we will be looking forward to several other updates such as these and how they will work. By this I mean the PS2 users such as myself.

I personally am not too sure about it. I really don't want to rebuy the game just to get content that should have been stored on the disc in the first place like with PSO. Normally updates are a few months later and have a LOT of new additions, or at least this is how other online games work.

Guild wars gets lots of new expansions added all the time but they don't have to pay a monthly fee so it evens out. However, for a game like this to see an expansion so early scares me. I do not want to end up paying for one expansion after another along with a monthly fee.

Please post any theories on how this may work or if you have any info on this please respond.

A2K
Aug 31, 2006, 05:08 PM
Eh, just because it's announced doesn't mean it will be here anytime soon. For all we know it won't be around until next year.

I imagine the "accumulated online content" will simply be added to Extra Mode, but there could be a new Story Mode campaign as well, we'll see.

New areas? I don't think it'll be a new planet, but rather, just more areas on the actual planets already there.

Hell, they might just add Battle and Challenge while we're on it, haha.

Doesn't Guild Wars just have ONE expansion? Factions, was it?

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: A2K on 2006-08-31 15:14 ]</font>

Jife_Jifremok
Aug 31, 2006, 05:19 PM
For all we know, this expansion thing could be in addition to all the free updates and stuff we'll be getting (er, I mean paying small increments each month for). Hopefully it won't be required to buy this to continue playing with the "old" PSU that most of us haven't even started playing yet. At any rate, if it is indeed an expansion, it's making the game even more worth playing since it's a sign that Sega gives a damn about keeping the world fresh.

A2K
Aug 31, 2006, 05:23 PM
They did say that they were caught off-guard with PSO (only expecting it to last three months) and that this time, they were planning for the long haul.

EtherForce
Aug 31, 2006, 05:23 PM
Note that we don't have any details on what, exactly "Ambition of Illumines" is. Could be an 'expansion' of sorts, could be a side-story game for a completely different platform than PSU, could simply be a small update to PSU. In fact, the title sounds like it would be an online quest to me.

Tycho
Aug 31, 2006, 05:30 PM
I really think it's just an online Story Mission (arc), though maybe it is indeed at a fee. In what way would it make sense to announce an expansion before the actual release of the original? D:

Sinue_v2
Aug 31, 2006, 05:36 PM
I'm not sure how this is any sort of a surprise - expecially looking at how many times they expanded upon PSO. PSU is a much larger game, with a lot more room for improvement, and a lot more to get the players involved. A PSU Ep II, or various expansions were almost guanteed from the very moment the title was announced.

WiLDFiRe
Aug 31, 2006, 05:37 PM
No worries, it will be dalayed.

A2K
Aug 31, 2006, 05:37 PM
Well, it seems like a lot of hubbub making a SUPER DUPER SECRET section of the site just for an online quest. But we'll see.

ShadowDragon28
Aug 31, 2006, 05:39 PM
What I noticed, is that in the illustration. Behind Raia/Reia look closely at what might be Ethan, or a look-alike;

why do I say "may be Ethan" Look at his eye, it's blue and purple and looks artificial... maybe a Cast. Is it really Ethan but cyberneticized?, a Cast doppleganger? hm?....

I can't wait to see what story/quest missions will be on PSU; maybe this "Ambition of Ilumines" is the first major add-on story quest?

Sinue_v2
Aug 31, 2006, 05:43 PM
Maybe Miriel hit him with her car again, but this time he didn't get off with a fractured leg.

Ethan Waber, The Six Million Meseta Man!

ShadowDragon28
Aug 31, 2006, 05:52 PM
ha ha...
looks more like a Terminator version of Ethan to me. Like he would terminate Mirei and others.

Fleece
Aug 31, 2006, 06:00 PM
Yeah Its probably an online quest, itd be stupid to announce a 'new psu' at this time it may stop people who are 50/50 on buying it from not. So yeah its probably already on the disc but not unlocked.

vitius137
Aug 31, 2006, 06:11 PM
On 2006-08-31 15:39, ShadowDragon28 wrote:
What I noticed, is that in the illustration. Behind Raia/Reia look closely at what might be Ethan, or a look-alike;

why do I say "may be Ethan" Look at his eye, it's blue and purple and looks artificial... maybe a Cast. Is it really Ethan but cyberneticized?, a Cast doppleganger? hm?....




his clothes also look different.

PandaMasterX4
Aug 31, 2006, 06:13 PM
I wouldn't be too worried about an expansion any time soon. Most MMO expansions don't get released until like a year after announcement. Look at Burning Crusade.

DarkShadowX
Aug 31, 2006, 06:17 PM
Very interesting indeed, I also noticed in the background there was the word HIVE, so that could be something. Perhaps similar to SEED or something entirely different, who knows.

Foxix
Aug 31, 2006, 06:24 PM
perhaps we're missing something, any chance he may have gotten infected by SEED or something?

Nuclearranger
Aug 31, 2006, 07:38 PM
lol watch noone will care about PSU and only the expantion pack now XD

Foxix
Aug 31, 2006, 07:40 PM
I am not really excited for it... I am just afraid ST will screw something up again. And before you say thats unlikely take a look at their record.

vitius137
Aug 31, 2006, 08:25 PM
On 2006-08-31 17:40, Foxix wrote:
I am not really excited for it... I am just afraid ST will screw something up again. And before you say thats unlikely take a look at their record.



lets see.... at age 7 they threw up on the teachers desk.... at age 12 they stole candy from a local grocery store, at age 14 they experimented with drugs, at ages 15 and 16 they stole nearly 20 cars and at age 20 made an escape from prison to start a new life on the run. Hopefully they will kick their bad habits and everyone will leave them alone.

EDIT: on a more serious note I just wanna say that I really hope they don't release an expansion earlier than a year after the release of the origional. I don't have that much money to fork over and that would also turn a lot of my friends off from the game.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: vitius137 on 2006-08-31 18:27 ]</font>

PJ
Aug 31, 2006, 08:32 PM
On 2006-08-31 17:40, Foxix wrote:
I am not really excited for it... I am just afraid ST will screw something up again. And before you say thats unlikely take a look at their record.



A record of doing well? http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_wacko.gif

It seems like a very awesome preview image of something, but it just sounds like an online story arc, like someone else said.

Foxix
Aug 31, 2006, 08:51 PM
On 2006-08-31 18:25, vitius137 wrote:


On 2006-08-31 17:40, Foxix wrote:
I am not really excited for it... I am just afraid ST will screw something up again. And before you say thats unlikely take a look at their record.



lets see.... at age 7 they threw up on the teachers desk.... at age 12 they stole candy from a local grocery store, at age 14 they experimented with drugs, at ages 15 and 16 they stole nearly 20 cars and at age 20 made an escape from prison to start a new life on the run. Hopefully they will kick their bad habits and everyone will leave them alone.



actually, you summed up what I was thinking of pretty well.

Sinue_v2
Aug 31, 2006, 09:29 PM
lets see.... at age 7 they threw up on the teachers desk.... at age 12 they stole candy from a local grocery store, at age 14 they experimented with drugs, at ages 15 and 16 they stole nearly 20 cars and at age 20 made an escape from prison to start a new life on the run. Hopefully they will kick their bad habits and everyone will leave them alone.

Don't forget that in third grade, they cheated on their history exam. In fourth grade, They stole their uncle Max's toupee and glued it on their face when they were Moses in their Hebrew School play. In fifth grade, they knocked their sister down the stairs and blamed it on the dog... When their mom sent them to the summer camp for fat kids and then they served lunch they got nuts and they pigged out and they kicked them out... But the worst thing they ever done - they mixed a pot of fake puke at home and then they went to this movie theater, hid the puke in their jacket, climbed up to the balcony and then, t-t-then, they made noises like this: hua-hua-hua-huaaaaaaa - and then they dumped it over the side, all over the people in the audience. And then, this was horrible, all the people started getting sick and throwing up all over each other. They never felt so bad in their entire life.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Sinue_v2 on 2006-08-31 19:30 ]</font>

ShadowDragon28
Aug 31, 2006, 09:40 PM
LOL. Great "Goonies" reference.

Sev
Aug 31, 2006, 09:52 PM
I've already said this but...

How long have they been working on this game? Is it really a surprise if they did have a expansion in the works? I wouldn't complain if it was something big instead of something small, because that just means more content and hopefully more Accessories for the shops like hairstyles and even more clothes and Cast parts. If it's nothing then it's nothing, but why not have it be something big?

And if it's nothing but a mission, then IGN got it all wrong. Aside from that, why would anyone release an expansion with small updates?

McLaughlin
Aug 31, 2006, 09:59 PM
Sonic Team re-released PSO while only adding 4 new quests.

Can't forget about the 11th grade when they got caught smoking on school property, and then they got suspended, which is when they decided to steal the 20 cars.

Sev
Aug 31, 2006, 10:43 PM
On 2006-08-31 19:59, Zeta wrote:
Sonic Team re-released PSO while only adding 4 new quests.

Can't forget about the 11th grade when they got caught smoking on school property, and then they got suspended, which is when they decided to steal the 20 cars.



When? I didn't hear anything about this.

McLaughlin
Aug 31, 2006, 10:46 PM
Well, it was right before that one time, at band camp, when this guy kissed this other guy who looked like a girl, and then their braces locked together and they cried.

Pitchshifter
Aug 31, 2006, 10:50 PM
Anyone think that this "HIVE" could be a new Planet (first thing I thought of since most of this is in space and on different planets) on the expansion, like that it's the SEEDs home planet or something like that?

Anyway... I'm not too good at putting my thoughts down on paper or in this case a forum so this may be somewhat confusing for some, but I understand it in my head http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif ...

I think it would be nice if it was like a whole new game, but you could use your characters from the current PSU, instead of a few new quests but everything else is the same.

Like a new planet(s) that you can only play using that disk, but if you wanted to play the ones from now, to make a new character or something, you could stick that (current) disk back in for ps2/x360. That way it wouldn't effect PC players from getting a small expansion, and ps2/x360 would be able to get a nice one that wouldn't fit in the max amount of memory they say the game will use, since the disk won't be filled with all the "old" (current) PSU info.

The one we have now would be like "easy, normal, hard" and level 1 to current max, then the expansion would be like "very hard, super hard, extremely hard" and raise the level for the 2nd disk from the current max to 200, 300, or 400 (depending on the current level max). Then maybe add some stuff like challenge that wasn't in the current PSU.

But that's probably just wishful thinking...

Naes_Siwel
Sep 1, 2006, 03:33 AM
I smell a Kingdom Hearts taking place http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif

Seriously though, I have a feeling this epdisode 2 might actually just be a Disk 2 for PSU, and allows you to use whatever you have saved from part 1. I also feel that a majority of the story might be online based, or might be mixed in between the offline story addition (if there is one).

zandra117
Sep 1, 2006, 07:15 AM
We've known about the SEED HIVE for a while, It does look like some kind of living planet. It is seen in the original E3 2004 trailer. Its the big sphere thing that opened fire on the starships.

parabolee
Sep 1, 2006, 08:04 AM
WHo else is thinking this will probably be a download for PC. A LIVE marketplace product for 360 and a expansion disk for PS2?

Clever way to get around the PS2 not having a hard drive! Just release larger updates as expansion disks! I hope they make this a regular feature! Like a new expansion pack every 6 months to a year, that would be amazing!

God I hope this game breaks through to a larger western audience, it deserves more love, the magazines aren't giving it the hype it deserves. Although EGM are having a preview next issue (and I gotta give them credit for having a PSU cover a few months back).

Ryudo
Sep 1, 2006, 10:35 AM
This is not a download or an expansion, it's a series of online "story" quests that will be unlocked over the next couple of months

SirenV
Sep 1, 2006, 01:21 PM
On 2006-08-31 16:11, vitius137 wrote:

his clothes also look different.



I noticed that as well (Clothing). His appearance strikes me as a little more sinister in that picture, especially with that funky eye and high collar. Leia's profile revealed she isn't too fond of Ethan becuase of how he conducts himself... Maybe Ethan goes bad! Maybe his conduct could lead him down a wrong path? It would sorta explain having Leia in the front and Ethan large in the back, dark, and looking back. Now THERE'S a twist you don't see every day (Besides Anakin)... I could see him being infected by SEED or something like you guys have speculated.

But who knows, it could be some big ruse to get you to think something and have it really not mean anything. Especially since we don't know how offline story mode goes anyway.

And it very well could be an online quest. The front page says:
"In addition, the deverlopers made the following points about Network Mode:

* The offline story will be continued with a series of online Story Missions. These missions will be chained together to form a unique plotline. According to the interview, new missions will be distributed periodically and you must play the previous story missions to access new ones. You will be able to meet new characters, such as Leia Martinez, and obtain their Partner Card."




<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: SirenV on 2006-09-01 11:25 ]</font>

Adamisk
Sep 1, 2006, 02:28 PM
So this story came from rpgfan.....

With Phantasy Star Universe being available in Japan since yesterday, Japanese website GameWatch has caught up with the game's producer Takao Miyoshi and director Satoshi Sakai.

The duo first talked about the Premiere disc, a demo which had been available in Japan prior to the game's release. Sega distributed 10,000 of those discs in Japan. According to producer Miyoshi, 80% of those 10,000 lucky gamers tried out the game's online mode. Director Sakai added he was rather surprised by the high number of PlayStation 2 owners who went online.

Regarding the game's (offline) story mode, Miyoshi caculated that it will take a player more than 30 hours to complete. Asked about the implementation of the story mode's protagonist Ethan, the producer explained he wanted to do something he could not do with Phantasy Star Online. With Phantasy Star Online, the team's aim was to let the player become the protagonist. This high level of customization however did not allow for the implementation of a fixed character like Ethan. Miyoshi however believes, that there are two types of RPG fans: One group that enjoys a game's scenario and world, and a second group that wants to enjoy the game's systems. With Phantasy Star Universe, Miyoshi wants to satisfy both user groups and hence the implementation of Ethan. Asked about the story mode's main theme, Sakai explained it came down to a simple question: "What is it that you want to protect?"

While the Premiere Disc only let users play three missions, the finished product's online mode will also include story missions. These missions will become even more enjoyable after a player has completed the story mode. Sega promises to release a new story mission every two weeks and Sakai likened them to a serial drama.

Another key aspect of the game's online mode will be shops run by players. These user-run shops will also be open, when the player is not logged in. Thereby the team wants to create a feeling of a dynamic virtual world that keeps moving, even if the player is offline. Producer Miyoshi also explained that only basic items will be available in city shops, where higher level items can be only be obtained through item fusion.

As far the game's development and future plans are concerned, Phantasy Star Universe has been in developed for about three years. The biggest challenge in bringing the game to PlayStation 2 was the lack of memory.

The most important know-how the team had acquired from Phantasy Star Online was knowledge and data related to a long-term administration of an online game. Originally, Sega believed users would play Phantasy Star Online for one or two months, while instead it turned out to be six years. Hence, the company is now projecting Phantasy Star Universe to be online for at least five years.

As for bringing the game to other markets, Sega is apparently thinking about bringing the game to various Asian markets, in addition to already confirmed releases in North America and Europe.

Also....

Since the story has become more of a focal point this time and release dates differ from territory to territory, Japanese users and their counterparts elsewhere will play on different servers.

Phantasy Star Universe was released for PlayStation 2 and PC platform in Japan yesterday. An Xbox 360 version is also in development, but has yet to receive an official release date. Phantasy Star Universe will go on sale in the US on October 24th.


Soooo....perhaps that is just the first new online mission or perhaps not.

Well....that's not helpful at all........

Axios-
Sep 1, 2006, 02:41 PM
On 2006-09-01 12:28, Adamisk wrote:
Phantasy Star Universe will go on sale in the US on October 24th.



Was that quoted from the interview or was that just what rpgfan had to say?

Adamisk
Sep 1, 2006, 02:55 PM
Quote:


On 2006-09-01 12:28, Adamisk wrote:
Phantasy Star Universe will go on sale in the US on October 24th.



Was that quoted from the interview or was that just what rpgfan had to say?
_________________

Yep that was also quoted from the interview