Bullet Question!

[ShadowNeo]

Ive been playing online for a bit now, and I pretty much solely use ranged weps. I notice the ammo seems to run down pretty fast, is there anything you can buy that restores it faster than just waiting for it to restore itself?

If its something that can be shop bought, could you describe it to me (icon etc), thanks!

Or if you want to show me im online now in unverse 5 on parum =D (M1-K3)

[Ryna]

There are items that can restore PP. They tend to be pretty expensive though. Just check out the item store if you are interested in buying them. You can also restore your PP at recharging cubes.

[Shiro_Ryuu]

I also heard that PP can also recharge gradually as you run around, is that true?

[Ryna]

On 2006-09-07 06:43, Shiroryuu wrote:
I also heard that PP can also recharge gradually as you run around, is that true?


That is true.

[ShadowNeo]

It just seems a bit of a shame, i tend to run out of pp mid mission lol, oh well, may have to get a sword for backup

[Ryna]

On 2006-09-07 06:52, ShadowNeo wrote:
It just seems a bit of a shame, i tend to run out of pp mid mission lol, oh well, may have to get a sword for backup


One of the major weaknesses of the Ranger is the lack of PP on weapons. To compensate, you'll either have to bring along some melee weapons or buy a bunch of spare guns to swap while you are in a mission.

[Zarbolord]

Just use loads of guns. Get elemental weapons to help you with tough enemies aswell.

[tank1]

Atleast it forces Ranger players to think ahead and adds a new dimension to the gameplay.

[Alpha-Hunter]

man, i was planning on making a pure ranger. i guess every good gun slinger should also have a nice rare back up. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif

Do armor have modules like in pso? if so there could be modules where you can add items that restore your pp faster. or a rare gun with unlimited pp or a built in faster pp recharge? either way you'd still need a nice back up gun...

[Mewn]

Get more guns, and get better guns, since better guns have more PP. And since you'll be doing more damage per shot, you'll kill monsters more quickly and will thus save even more PP.

If you really find yourself struggling for PP, try and get hold of the best Youmei guns you can afford. Youmei weapons have lowered ATP but higher PP than their GRM and Tenora counterparts.

Finally, get some melee options. Spears are very good, Daggers are good too, in my opinion. Or you can go for a Saber. Make sure you always have some way of fighting, and don't be afraid to melee weaker enemies and save your guns for tougher foes.

[ShadowNeo]

I was running with a Rifle and a Mechgun but I picked up an extra Mechgun so i'll see how this works out, ill probably keep this config until I can afford a better rifle.

[Cross]

You need more than just a backup gun to play a Ranger... From what I've seen, the depth of playing a Ranger is in having the right gun and Bullet types for every situation (whereas for a Force the depth is in having a huge amount of different Techniques at your disposal, and for a Hunter it's mainly in being able to control enemies with PA stuns and knockbacks). It's not really designed so that you use one (or even two) guns through an entire mission. Carry a Rifle for sniping/hitting weak points, Dual Handguns for burst damage, Shotguns for tagging a whole room, and probably a Handgun or Mechgun with a Saber or Dagger for being able to melee in a pinch.

[ShadowNeo]

About bullet types,

Are the guns "pre-loaded" with a specific type, or is there any way to change what type a gun has?

[Cross]

The Photon Art (Bullet Art, I guess) you have attached to the gun changes its element. There might be special cases for certain guns, but otherwise, a gun's ammunition is just neutral damage until you link it to a PA.

I just wish that guns used the PA button to hotswap between elements that you have learned. That'd make being a Ranger a lot easier all on its own.

[ShadowNeo]

(Forgive me for asking all these questions) But are photon arts learned gradually as you level? Or are they aquired another way?

EDIT - sorry just looked at the PSOW guide, they are something that is found/bought then?

As a Ranger, would the PA's I cannot learn be automatically crossed at the side (so i dont end up buying PA's I cant use?).

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: ShadowNeo on 2006-09-07 07:43 ]</font>

[Cross]

You buy (or maybe find/craft) items and use them to learn Photon Arts. They're basically like Technique Disks from PSO, except they don't have a level assigned to them. When you learn a Photon Art, it starts at Level 1, and it gradually levels up as you use it. At level 11 there's usually signifigant change in them, in cost, power, or appearance, and sometimes again at 21. I don't know how high they level up to so I can't say for sure whether there are other milestone PA levels like that.

[Mewn]

You need to buy them from a shop. The Bullets available cost 1000 Meseta, and you can get them from the Guardian's Colony Weapon Shop or the manufacturer's shops on the planets.

Currently only 4 Bullets are available for each weapon type (Fire, Ice, Earth, Thunder basically) but there are also two more for each weapon type (Light and Dark). Bullets add to the ATP of your weapon, and subtract from ATA and also use more PP than a gun with no Bullet equipped. They also give a status effect depending on the element.

Fire = Combustion
Ice = Freeze
Thunder = Shock
Earth = Silence
Light = Confusion
Dark = Infection

[princejake2]

If you learn a PA and level it to, say 10, and remove it, when you equip it to something else, will it keep the level?

[Mewn]

Yes. PAs have their own independant level.

[Kirashi]

they are bought at the weapon shop, the things u can't use will have a X to their left, just like weapons.
I would suggest you get a 1 hand dagger + a machine gun for main fighting, machine gun charges fast. a long bow for bosses and tougher enermy, a rifle probably, a canon maybe... and a 1 hand wand for attack up (it's a fire magic, a-ku...something). It should be pretty easy to approach enermy while swiping them with machine gun then use dagger to finish off whatever that's left. (dagger actually has really strong and lots of hit specials).
the trick of using the machine gun is that you hold R1 (ok, id on't know the pc version's keys) to switch to machine gun mode since it's off hand, and you can now constantly shot and move at the same time, in a move mode like you were holding L1 (you don't change your facing direction, it's like strafing left and right, but you can move forward and backward not changing the direction you are facing). With attack up machine gun is strong with the right element.

[Kaply]

When you purchase weapons you should also take note of it's intended purpose. Say you want the weapon to level up your bullet skills (this will increase it's damage and accuracy) you should focus on getting a weapon that has a higher PP. There's a specific faction that creates weapons with higher overall PP. I don't remember which one off hand though. So say you're looking at the handguns in the 2k meseta range, there will usually be 3 of them, one of them having higher ATP, one of them having higher PP and the last one... I can't remember, might be a balanced weapon.

[Cry0]

fortegunner as half a melee man. That's gonna be me http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_wink.gif

[Ryoga4523]

This is going to be interesting... because I planned on being a ranger, but no i might try and be a ranger and a hunter with a little bit of force to heal and buff...

[Alpha-Hunter]

i would still go pure ranger but just equip a slew of ranged weapons and a saber or dagger as a last resort...

[Lyrise]

2 words: weapon grind.

Not only is it a good way to save money when you can't buy the latest and greatest weaponry, everytime you grind a weapon, the Photon capacity goes up. Just grind each weapon a few times, and that should be a veritable ammo boost for you.

[Alpha-Hunter]

forgot all about grinders. thx for the reminder. great idea to have them increase the weapons pp well. but who doesn't grind up their rares anyway...? gives an extra incentive to grind those not so rare weapons on occasion as well. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif

[AC9breaker]

Yeah weapon seems really deep. I feel that people are underminding the value of Shotgun type weapons though. With the right photon bullets equiped they are extremely useful. I also personally love Partisan weapons for ranger meleeing. Give you alot of room and it looks cool. Just gotta level up a bit to learn some moves and be able to use them as well.

On a sidenote, I totally forgot about grinding. How do you grind in PSU? Do we just use an item like pso? Or Find an item and take it to some shop?

[Kaply]

On 2006-09-08 07:58, Alpha-Hunter wrote:
forgot all about grinders. thx for the reminder. great idea to have them increase the weapons pp well. but who doesn't grind up their rares anyway...? gives an extra incentive to grind those not so rare weapons on occasion as well. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif



The fact that you can lose weapons grinding may cause some people to hesistate.

As for partisans, the weapon attacks are too straight. It's very easy to miss enemies with partisans.


edit : sorry meant spears instead of partisans

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Kaply on 2006-09-08 12:23 ]</font>

[Kyuu]

On 2006-09-08 08:24, Kaply wrote:

As for partisans, the weapon attacks are too straight. It's very easy to miss enemies with partisans.
If you're worried about losing that particular weapon spend the extra cash/time to buy/synthesize a Grinder +3. From what I've heard, those have a very high rate of success, so you're much less likely to lose your weapon.

[Kaply]

On 2006-09-08 08:51, Kyuu wrote:
If you're worried about losing that particular weapon spend the extra cash/time to buy/synthesize a Grinder +3. From what I've heard, those have a very high rate of success, so you're much less likely to lose your weapon.



Sure, in storymode, the first time I tried a +3 grinder on a weapon with +2 on it already resulted in a lost item.

[Ryoga4523]

ouch... there goes a good grinder.... unless they do not cost that much to buy, or are not that rare too find.

[Kaply]

They're tiered based upon your weapon grade. They also progressively cost more. I think B rank +1 was 3000, +2 was 6000, and +3 was 10,000. This was offline though. Not sure how the prices are online but 10,000 online is a very very large amount at levels 1-10.

[Alpha-Hunter]

earlier accounts said that the +3's work every time. sucks to find a nice +3 and have the grind fail... http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_frown.gif

[AngelLight]

As for partisans, the weapon attacks are too straight. It's very easy to miss enemies with partisans.




Do you mean spears? Didn't think parts were in PSU...

[Kaply]

On 2006-09-08 12:18, AngelLight wrote:




As for partisans, the weapon attacks are too straight. It's very easy to miss enemies with partisans.




Do you mean spears? Didn't think parts were in PSU...



Sorry, I did mean spears.

[Kyuu]

On 2006-09-08 08:55, Kaply wrote:

Sure, in storymode, the first time I tried a +3 grinder on a weapon with +2 on it already resulted in a lost item.
Well I didn't say they're foolproof, and I'm pretty sure that the more grinds a weapon already has, the greater the chance for failure. So if you're trying to push a +2 to a +3, then even a Grinder +3 has a good chance of failure.

[TheStoicOne]

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: TheStoicOne on 2006-09-08 15:45 ]</font>

[Sgt_Shligger]

Slightly off topic, but can rangers still use twin headed sabers?

Now by losing amo fast are we talking around 100 shots for weapons with PA's?

[AC9breaker]

Spears, partisans. Same difference.

Besides, I don't understand how you would miss when you have the lock on function. Unless your trying to poke from too far away. The amount drained from guns with PA varies with guns element and level of PA.

[Jife_Jifremok]

On 2006-09-08 19:00, AC9breaker wrote:
Besides, I don't understand how you would miss when you have the lock on function. Unless your trying to poke from too far away.

If a spear user has some guts and doesn't use the lock-on function, there may be a few accidental mispokes, especially if inexperienced with spear use.

Also, I'd imagine there's a possibility that enemies could jump out of a poke's way, and I hope that'll happen.

[AC9breaker]

Sounds like you havent been playing with the spears in PSU. They enemies dont really jump out the way, and the lock on button is also the camera center button, I dont see how it would be awkward to hold especially if one has already played PSO

[LoneVandal]

You can level up PA for any weapon you can equip up to L10 I think after buying it. HU go to higher. When you buy bullet types they level up as you use them also, which I think makes them activate more often, as in increasing your proc rate of freezing enemies and stuff.

So yeah, if I were you I'd buy a spear for stabbing multiple small enemies and a knife for dancing around larges and poking them to death. Or a Saber, they're stronger per hit and more accurate but slower. Knives have 1 more hit in their combo so the damage kind of evens out.

If anyone knows more about any of this please share.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: LoneVandal on 2006-09-08 22:46 ]</font>

[Jife_Jifremok]

On 2006-09-08 21:35, AC9breaker wrote:
Sounds like you havent been playing with the spears in PSU. They enemies dont really jump out the way, and the lock on button is also the camera center button, I dont see how it would be awkward to hold especially if one has already played PSO

You're right. I haven't even played PSU. Too bad enemies don't jump out of the way...well maybe they would in harder missions? Or has that been ruled out already?

I forgot that lock-on shares buttons with camera center. That could wind up pissing me off sometimes, unless a mere quick tap (as opposed to a hard tap or holding) makes the camera face where I'm facing (this isn't the case htough, is it?) or I'm always already facing the enemy whenever I press it. Well if ST did a good job with the manual camera controls, that right there makes a good alternative to locking on.

I don't see how playing PSO could make a spear any less awkward to hold, because PSO had that awkward targeting system that made it (too) easy to hit enemies but all too easy to hit the wrong target sometimes. Is the spear in PSU already an easy-to-use weapon and a lack of experience with that particular weapon not a problem in the least? (I always viewed the spear as kinda hard to use at first simply because poking covers way less horizontal ground than slashing. Skill compensates for that.)

[LoneVandal]

In this enemy "lock on" doesn't seem to force your direction. It is easy to change direction mid-combo. Overall the controls are much better. Also there are no combo attacks with guns, so just fire and move, fire and move.

Actually what is this lockon business?

I haven't ever done it I guess in getting to L10.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: LoneVandal on 2006-09-09 02:18 ]</font>

[Kaply]

Lockon is the same button as moving the camera directly behind your character. It looks like it's only available for melee weapons.

I wasn't used to having to use the lockon button for when I wanted to attack every enemy. I suppose if you could get used to it then it may be useful however the weapon still only attacks forward and will never hit two enemies side by side facing you. This is true even with the bought PA for spears (at least the first part)

[mechatra]

Spears are meant for direct linear attacks, so crowd control with them takes alittle more thought.

3 enemies side by side comming at you? lock on to one, wait for them to begin their attack animations and circle strafe to the side, this way you can stab at all three of them at a time (or at least two of them)

The spear's basic PA and its chains from is again quite linear in its attack pattern, however, we've seen two other PA strings for the spear, one which is a 360 spinning skill, and the other being a rough 90 degree in front of you assault.

Which makes me curious as to why I've only seen one type of PA for blade weapons atm.