So, about pre-PSO phantasy stars...

[HUnewearl_Meira]

Keep in mind, Obscenity, even in Japan, they haven't yet gotten all of the remakes-- apparently 3D Ages was doing an ass-shitty job getting each title done, and Sega finally fired them. Supposedly they're still planning to release Phantasy Star Generation: 4, but it's been delayed because of all this, and may turn out entirely different from the other two remakes.

[Zorafim]

On 2007-02-13 23:11, Sinue_v2 wrote:
Seriously - go read the PSII Manga over at Ill-Intent. Just the first few chapters of that are far better (imo) than PSU's entire plotline.

I'm going to have to thank you for this. Like, alot.

[Zorafim]

Hm, I think I'll go ahead and restart PSII. I can tell it's a quality game dispite its age, and it's annoying that I haven't finished it. Of course, I'm so lost in the game right now it would be much better to restart than to start from where I am (plus that gives me more time with Nei).

Though since it's been a while, I may need a suggestion for a team. Would Rolf/Rudo/Anna/Amy work? Or should I try one of the other members in there as well?

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Zorafim on 2007-02-15 12:25 ]</font>

[Jonty]

Nice manga by the by.
I've never played any of the original phantasy stars, but I really really want to =(

[Zorafim]

There's a Phantasy Star collection for the game boy advanced that has the first three phantasy stars. They're really interesting, and would be better than Final Fantasies if not for a few flaws in them (they don't give you information on spells or equipment that you have, for instance). I wouldn't suggest playing them without a guide that tells you need to know information, and perhaps one with a few maps and such. PSIV is new enough that it tells you what you need to know, and anything that it doesn't tell you you can probably figure out. Of course, it's not on the collection, so you'd have to download it.

[Sinue_v2]

Hmm, well my party kept changing depending on the time and the circumstance. Usual staples are Rolf, Nei, Anna, Amy, and Rudo. Hugh and Josh are both rather specialized characters (Hugh has great BioMonster affecting attacks, and Josh is a wiz at destorying machines), so take one or the other in places you know there's going to be a lot of a certain type of enemy. Shir is an underpowered character, to be sure, but she's still very workable I think. Most people just use her to steal stuff that you normally couldn't buy, such as the Vision Phone (Visiphone). Though it gets a bit annoying when she steals from a Dezolian shop and you have to backtrack all the way to Paseo to get her again. (After stealing, she dissapears from the party and you have to pick her back up at Rolf's home)

Also, it might heighten the game a bit for you if you read up on the character bios on the Wiki. The game itself didn't dwelve too deeply into the characters, which were rather well fleshed out, simply because of space limitations and because they percieved that there was not much interest for that sort of thing in RPG's. (Remember, at this time, FF's main character was still generically named "Fighter") They published the info in various printed sources however, and the demand for narrative though those helped inspire PSIV's more character-driven plot. So it'll be worth a look to get some of that background.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Sinue_v2 on 2007-02-15 15:51 ]</font>

[Nai_Calus]

The only RPGs I can think of that I might want to play instead of one of the PSes are Final Fantasy VI and Chrono Trigger, and that's some pretty fucking stiff competition.

It would be nice to see them get a full current-gen update, but I fear the voice acting. You're welcome to disagree with me, but I found PSU's voice acting for the most part horrible except a couple of characters, and fear what a voiced remake would do to PS - Valley girl Alis, or worse, hardened tomboy Alis? Surfer boy Rolf? Gangsta Chaz? Myau sounding, god forbid, like Pete? *shivers in horror* Yeah, hopefully it would be entirely silent.

But yeah, fleshing out of those early plots would be great. Especially fleshing out of characters in game.

[Sinue_v2]

Agreed... but part of "doing the job right", includes proper voice actors. Unfortunately, I doubt we can trust Sega to do that good of a job, and of course - you're not going to please everybody. Even in the generation 1 & 2 remakes - a lot of people complained about the artwork and redesigned characters.

If it were to happen, hopefully they would at least add in the option to shut voices off and just read subtitles. I had to do that with Star Ocean III and it worked wonders for the context of the game.

[opaopajr]

actually, i'm rather over voice acting in general. i think the tack sega did in PSO ep3, with the manga panels cut scenes, would obviate the need for voice acting. i dig voice acting, don't get me wrong, but i think people obsess over it on an unhealthy level lately. and, since you can't please everyone on how they individually hear the voices of the characters in their heads, just like when books are turned into movies, it might be better to circumvent that entire issue entirely.

that said, PS series, even PSO series, has a fantastic story, far more complex, mature, and nuanced -- even if incomplete at parts and leaving a lot to the imagination -- than the general gordian knot, "the game needs another 40 hours, write up 20 more senseless plot twists -- and give me mini-games!" schlock we've been spoon-fed these many years. if someone ever got around to doing true justice to those stories, i would be a very happy camper. PS series is in dire need of an AAA+ quality re-release, and PSO is in dire need of a manga or fan book series along the lines of some of the other great sci-fi/fantasy series of our time.

[Nai_Calus]

I actually didn't like Ep3's manga cutscenes, go fig. Probably because of too much grey to the palette. Yes, it's not a happy era, but grief.

I'd rather have in-game model cutscenes ala PSO or FMV cutscenes ala PSX-era Final Fantasy games with no voice-overs.

Mind you, PSG1 and PSG2 went with something of the same idea as Ep3's cutscenes, albeit with an anime style rather than manga, so that idea has already been done, so if we're going for a big glorious step up from previous versions you'd have to go with the FMV/in-game model idea, heh.

Oh, there's a fun one. Battle systems and keeping people happy. >D Upgrade to the new-fangled running around like it's an action game stuff, or stick with traditional turn-based?

No matter what they did with a remake they'd piss somebody off, heh. I'm surprised that nobody has ever yet as far as I'm aware of started an argument over the true nature of Alis Landale's hair. (Which appears depending on the source as either straight or wavy. XP ...Then you have the sprite having black hair. Oh snap!)

As long as they kept the production values better than whatever led to Lutz apparently having at least three distinct different shades of blue hair in PSG1... XD;

But yeah, PS and yes, PSO too, have some great storylines, even if they're not usually fleshed out that well. (PSU being in my opinion a wild departure from this in that the storyline and characters don't interest me at all... Actually, come to think of it, PSU is the third PS series, isn't it? PSIII, Ep3... PSU? Well that explains everything...)

But yeah, voice acting, especially in video games, can really suck. x.x

(Pardon any incoherence. I have a sinus infection, and my head feels like how the first form of the Profound Darkness looks.)