PSU: Overall Difficulty of PSU

[Eauijhkuu]

Salutations World.

Eauijhkuu here.

Sitting at the laptop after drawing nonstop for 5 tediously grueling hours (Working on my 2-pt perspective project due Tuesday *GASP* and I'm not finished!...hopefully tomorrow afternoon though...)
But yeah. To be precisely to the point.

A question for all you import players in particular, or die hard fans that just know everything about PSU already.

I'm sure the question's been asked before concerning the sheer difficulty of PSU altogether.

Personally, I want to know what each one of you think in terms of difficulty for the game overall.
Is it at all challenging enough to add to the insomnia of a nostalgic player? Or is it a cakewalk through candyland? On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate it with the difficulty of PSO?

To the import players - Have you finished the game yet? If so, what gameplay time did you finish with?


I look foward to your replies.

[Ether]

Offline: Easy as hell except for a few parts (mission 8, 11)

Online: Somewhat hard in a small group/solo, very easy in a 6 person group

[Chaobo99]

Are there still difficulties?(normal,hard,V.Hard,Ult.)
I heard they changed to C Ranks and up..Can you play the last level offline on C-Rank and then you can play it on A-rank or ARE the missions themselves ranked.?

[Tycho]

Yeah, Chaobo99, there are ranks. All free missions online should be available for different rank settings, which usually have level requirements. Currently, online C, B and A ranks are available, but one of the trailers from a few months ago briefly showed an 'S' rank setting as well.

[Chaobo99]

So I'm guessing 'S' Rank must be ULTIMATE?

[Fironial]

On 2006-09-23 17:22, Chaobo99 wrote:
So I'm guessing 'S' Rank must be ULTIMATE?




I really hope so. I'd love them to ramp up the last missions into something very hard like that.

Offline: Agreed. Very very easy. 18 hours and 43 minutes watching all but a few cutsecenes and using the importer guide on this fourm. I wandered around exploreing and spent alot of time playing in the shops but I didn't touch any of the free missions at all. I ended the game at level 57.

I could see the offline game taking 25 hours tops if you have to do every single mission, play around with everything, and possibly max out Ethan. You also get Extra mode which goes alot faster since there are no cutscenes at all. All in all... I think it's a strech for you to get 40 hours out of it unless you like to level multiple characters up in Extra Mode.

[Eauijhkuu]

That's slightly disappointing http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif

Only 18 hours worth of storyline? I'm hurt.

Well, I guess that's better than absolutely nothing.

Is there any higher difficulty after completing the storymode offline for the first time? You know, kinda like how hard mode was available after beating the offline mode once in PSO?

[krika]

As always, Hack'N Slash games are easy. If you cant beat a mission then just grind some more lvls and try again. Guess this didnt answer your question, lol.

[Zarbolord]

Ask the Chocobo...
Anyway, under my poijt of view, it's not the actualy fighting the most important, it's the team spirit and the side crafting, economy and anything that is cool. The fighting is nice, but it's not everything.

[Eauijhkuu]

I'm just anticipating things I'm looking foward to.

Anyone remember how PSO's offline mode was slightly easier than its online mode?
Monsters offline were about 25% weaker than the ones online.
Is there anything like that going on with PSU's Online VS Offline?

[wyzwun]

On 2006-09-24 10:15, Zarbolord wrote:
Ask the Chocobo...
Anyway, under my poijt of view, it's not the actualy fighting the most important, it's the team spirit and the side crafting, economy and anything that is cool. The fighting is nice, but it's not everything.



not sure i agree, there are tons of games that offer that. imo the combat engine is why i am here, if i just cared about the basics id be playing EvE or FFXI... but i care about a deep combat system, hence why im here.

To speak towards PSO community... it was not all that great, logon PSO BB and all you see is locked rooms and people who will ONRY run TTF and EP1 content... so, i can say that the pso community is rather lazy and will just eat the same old shit to get the same old XP... w/o ST needs to figure out a way to push PSO players to move on to new content because it is FACT that they will not.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: wyzwun on 2006-09-24 11:48 ]</font>

[Zarbolord]

Say what you will, but I'm still very fascinated by the entigrity of the game, and not just the combat. I have tried different things, WoW, Morrowind, etc... but none came to something I actually liked, the mix offered by SPU is looking good for what I'm expecting. The comabt engine is something new, I totally agree. I'm personally fascinated and unable to hold my glee at just thinking at what these new combat methods would bring, I am not saying it's not the big thing, I'm just saying there are many little details that make the game excellent, and there will most likely be many more to discover as Sega adds and unlocks things.

[Authenticate]

If you want a challenge in offline, just don't use any equipment above C rank (or above 3-4 stars at least) and don't use items unless you find them in the field. Hunter is way more fun (at least for me) when played this way. You won't be S ranking any missions this way, but it's about challenging yourself anyway, right? http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif

For Online mode I wouldn't suggest gimping yourself in a team game. That's just asking to get laughed at. >.>

[Ether]

On 2006-09-24 11:05, Eauijhkuu wrote:
Anyone remember how PSO's offline mode was slightly easier than its online mode?
Monsters offline were about 25% weaker than the ones online.
Is there anything like that going on with PSU's Online VS Offline?

Yes, monsters offline are about 10% the strength of their online versions

Plus offline characters have tons more money and jacked up stats

[Saner]

is that the same for extra mode? even in S rank missions?

oh well, has anyone online unlocked S rank yet.

[Ether]

Extra mode = Story mode without the story

S rank doesnt exist online yet

[Tystys]

S-Rank must fucking rock. Can't wait till this game comes out, no matter how hard/easy, XD

[Fironial]

Is it just me or can you equip better weapons and armor offline VERY fast? Around level 10 as a Hunter you can equip the S-Rank armor from the stores if you have the money to buy it (you won't). The defense requirements are painfully low.

The overall atmosphere of the game is tons better. I would have loved to be able to talk around more and play around with Item Sythesis alot more than I did.

Oh yeah. Mission 11 had a part that WAS very hard. I think I died 4 times at that specific part.

[Tystys]

Well, yes, the offline mode is completely different, mainly because Ethan and the main chracters all have jacked up stats.

[Fironial]

Jacked up stats have nothing to do with the fact that S-Rank armor only requires 16 or so defense to equip period. Let me rephrase my question.

Does online equipment have higher stat requirements than offline counteparts? Because if they leave it the same then even online you would be able to equip most everything you come across at a low level.

[wyzwun]

On 2006-09-24 11:56, Zarbolord wrote:
Say what you will, but I'm still very fascinated by the entigrity of the game, and not just the combat. I have tried different things, WoW, Morrowind, etc... but none came to something I actually liked, the mix offered by SPU is looking good for what I'm expecting. The comabt engine is something new, I totally agree. I'm personally fascinated and unable to hold my glee at just thinking at what these new combat methods would bring, I am not saying it's not the big thing, I'm just saying there are many little details that make the game excellent, and there will most likely be many more to discover as Sega adds and unlocks things.



You are not talking about “entigrity” you were talking about what most mmo gamers like to call depth. As a veteran of EQ and FFXI, depth means nothing, I look at games like Vanguard, has all the depth in the world but I can’t “get into it” because the combat engine is more of the same old shit. Basically, allot of the past mmo devs have rarely delivered on the level of depth they promise so, I take what I can get.

PSU is one of these rare online rpgs where you play the game and not the interface, all of these in depth mmos are not games but 3d excel worksheets.

If you wish to actually speak about “entigrity” do so in the proper context. “entigrity” is very important due to past pso games dying because they lacked it, because sega never gave pso the proper funding and simply milked the game instead of supporting it.

[Saner]

On 2006-09-24 13:17, Tystys wrote:
S-Rank must fucking rock. Can't wait till this game comes out, no matter how hard/easy, XD



the highest they unlocked is B right?

[Spellbinder]

A Rank

[Losodo1976]

On 2006-09-24 16:48, wyzwun wrote:
...I look at games like Vanguard, has all the depth in the world but I can’t “get into it” because the combat engine is more of the same old shit.


You couldn't be more correct. PC MMO's have big, beautiful worlds, a ridiculous amount of things to do and thousands of people playing at once, but the combat is so bad in those games that it destroys it for me, too.

EDIT: Kind of a shame actually. An MMO with console style gameplay is needed... Of course, PSU will be close enough. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Losodo1976 on 2006-09-24 17:13 ]</font>

[Eauijhkuu]

I think that the combat systems for MMOs are designed to add a sense of challenge to the player.

It is extremely painstakingly difficult to do for a MMO, where you have to consider balance to add variety to such complexity.

Combat style is an indifferential component for me personally.
Wouldn't it be interesting to have an online MMO that had turn based combat? http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif
I'm all about strategics when fighting. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif

[LoneVandal]

MMO combat sucks because you're basically playing a MUD with graphics. The game can't support 100 players + monsters using real hit detection with real-time attacks and movement because it would kill most peoples' internet connections even in this broadband day and age. I mean shit, look at how hard even PSU struggles with just 6 players (the sync errors, etc..).

Edit: To answer your original question, difficulty is based on your perception. If you think struggling to do damage while playing in reletive safety is difficult, then RA is hard even if you'll never die.

If you think doing rediculous amounts of damage and AoE from range but dying very quickly is hard, thats FO for you.

If you think being in the thick of it with monsters that can still probably kill you in 4 hits if you're playing in an A Rank mission is hard (of course you can probably kill them almost as quickly from your massive Photon Art / melee damage), HU.


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: LoneVandal on 2006-09-25 01:16 ]</font>

[Sev]

Vandal makes everything so easy to understand.

If they can't understand that, then they can't understand anything. They shouldn't even be able to turn on a computer, let alone type, or read your post to begin with.

[LoneVandal]

I can't tell if you're trying to flame me or what. I'm too tired to keep up with the influx of questions from people who haven't played PSU tonight -_-

[wyzwun]

Right now, the mmo genre is just one clone after another. Way back when, EQ was an amazing experience, it was so because it was Lord of the rings but online, it was fun because it was lotor but without the rules. Problem is, the genre has been done to death, its boring and stale. One of the issues is that, these devs are now trying to be orginal, case in point EQ2 , the minute they tried to make there own lore instead of stealing, the game world became bland and stale. They need to give the SCI-FI genre a chance. Often you here people use the word “niche” to describe certain mmos, and I always laugh when I read that, because before WoW, the whole genre could be seen as niche lol.

We need to stop supporting narrow band users, stop supporting the soccer mom with the onboard vid card and start pushing this actual hardware. What we have right now is a group of engineers trying to pose as game designers. Every time a new mmo comes out, its always the same BS specs, push the hardware I have, write better code… These devs focus and work so much on the infrastructure side because they don’t know wtf there doing yet.

ST are actual game designers, We need to focus less on MASS and more on QUALITY. Focus on the points of interest and not on trying to populate an empty vast space.

[Eauijhkuu]

On 2006-09-25 01:50, Sev wrote:
Vandal makes everything so easy to understand.

If they can't understand that, then they can't understand anything. They shouldn't even be able to turn on a computer, let alone type, or read your post to begin with.



Personally, I want to know what each one of you think in terms of difficulty for the game overall.
Is it at all challenging enough to add to the insomnia of a nostalgic player? Or is it a cakewalk through candyland? On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate it with the difficulty of PSO?

Yeah...sounds more like an opinion thread to me. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif
...And then came rants of how MMO's combat systems are so prehistorically bogus.

[Sev]

On 2006-09-25 08:38, Eauijhkuu wrote:
[quote]
On 2006-09-25 01:50, Sev wrote:

Personally, I want to know what each one of you think in terms of difficulty for the game overall.
Is it at all challenging enough to add to the insomnia of a nostalgic player? Or is it a cakewalk through candyland? On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate it with the difficulty of PSO?

Yeah...sounds more like an opinion thread to me. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif
...And then came rants of how MMO's combat systems are so prehistorically bogus.





Basically... Any job can be difficult depending on the situation. I won't say that PSU is a cakewalk, but if you do things a certain way it'll make it easier or harder on yourself. It all depends on your own playstyle and more importantly, what you view as a struggle. Any job can have it's hard times, in a nutshell, that's just how it is.



On 2006-09-25 02:21, LoneVandal wrote:
I can't tell if you're trying to flame me or what. I'm too tired to keep up with the influx of questions from people who haven't played PSU tonight -_-



I'm not a flamer, I don't flame. If I wanted to argue, I'd make sure that it's known I'm trying to do so. Seriously though, you can take most of what I say at face value because I normally specify sarcasm... Since you can't see the kind of face I'm making to determine it. So no man, I'm not tryin to flame ya.

[Sexy_Raine]

It's all about your dedication to this game, and you adjusting to the gameplay. Some people may find it easier than others, that's just how it is. Frustration sucks, I know, but it's up to the player to overcome it. If the current set-up/strategy isn't working try something else, or hell even a different character.

People say offline is very easy. Should I believe them?. The only way to tell is to play game. Everyone sees it differently.