PA and Gameplay Changes

[WBMike]

O dear, Producer Sakai says we won't level photon arts the same way, we have to find discs either by purchasing them or by finding them in the field.

[Waki Miko Syamemaru!]

O dear, Producer Sakai says we won't level photon arts the same way, we have to find discs either by purchasing them or by finding them in the field.

What!? Oh...oh come on! I HATED that crap! Leveling was better in my opinion because I didn't have to worry about hunting them things down! Oh thats so damn lame.

[Amherst_Wind]

The way I see it, with all these latest changes, is that you can't please everyone. Some people are bound to be happy with these changes (me included) but I can see why a lot of hardcore PSU players will probably not like it. I like the fact that its becoming more similar to PSO, and I dont want it to just turn into PSO, I just think some of the systems used in PSO such as the simple grinding and not having to level skills were much better. I think people should wait and see before they drama about how these changes will ruin the game etc.

[Akaimizu]

Interesting if it is true that PA levels are found or bought, like PSO. Especially since we have so many of them now. Can't say what I like better. In PSU, they were the main reason you had to grind 1000+ hours was the PA levelling. In PSO, you find them, and the power level likely found was akin to how far you levelled your character. Hard to say how much this will change things particularly since PSP1 had some pretty fast PA levelling speeds. Fast enough that regular character levelling could be seen as slower than levelling a whole arsenal of PAs. Quite opposite of PSU, mind you.

PSZ was the same about finding your tech levels, except it seems that all higher level techs are found on the field. (The store basically always had low level techs, but would swap around which ones they had. (What I call pity techs for sale just in case somebody was really unlucky in finding any of one particular tech or two. Just so you can eventually fill the pallette without too much time taken.)

The GOOD thing about not having to level PAs is that you can always fight with your best arsenal, without having to spend a lot of time with your bad stuff (just to level). That is, weakening yourself just because you need to level something. In this case, you always use the best things you have, at the right time, knowing the levels will come.

The BAD thing is we have no idea how they plan on distributing the goods, or what kind of timesink will really take the place of PA levelling. Then again, I have to remind myself how fast PSP1's PA levelling was. It's a good argument which way is better.

[landman]

I am one of the players not liking it, I know I can have a max level Photon Art if I train it, I don't know if I will have the luck to find a max level Photon Art if I'm hunting for it...

[Waki Miko Syamemaru!]

I ain't bashin the game or anything, everything else I'm fine with even the whole character port to PSP2 deal. That I can understand (because that spiffy Rattlesnake might be different lookin in the sequel). The thing with finding your PA disks was that I had horrid luck with that and always got stuck with some weird ass level (27, 23, 18, etc) and could never find a higher level disk. Forget tryin to barter with some dumb ass 30-year old basement dweller who releshed in the whole deal and purposely denied you the disks no matter what you offered him for the lulz (Oh XBox this is why I hate your community). So unless they're gonna be a bit generous with the distribution of the disks, I'm gonna be a bit weary about it. Everything else is Grade A Sexual Chocolate.

[Somnia]

As long as they don't have ridiculous drop rates like level 30 discs in PSO, maybe. This isn't bad for gunners and techers, even with the PS:P increased rates it was still boring as hell leveling bullets and techs. Fighters, well, it isn't that bad.

[WBMike]

I'm pretty meh to this, but on the bright side it stops boring PA leveling..

Shougai Pso
You can obtain a PA Disk with a level attached to it through the following methods;
in the mission, buy it in a shop, as a reward for acquiring a title, or as an item drop.
The maximum limit of photon arts you can learn is now gone.
So you can essentially learn All photon arts even if they are skills, bullets, or technics.

I hope we learn more about what classes use which photon arts and how easy will it be to switch.

[Akaimizu]

You got a really interesting point. The end of the 36 PA limit at one time. That's probably the best *possible* aspect of this switch.

That way, your active PAs are simply limited by the arsenal you carry, not also hampered by your PA limits. That's a pretty awesome thing to know that when I go out there, and I have this certain gun. These melee weapons, these wands, and I can freely switch to any available PA for each of them without going back to my room to swap in and out PAs.

[Amherst_Wind]

Lets not forget the drop rates in the original PS:P are pretty fair, there are very few things you would have to spend hundreds of hours hunting. Plus if they're given out as rewards then I think its pretty safe to presume the rewards for the really hard achievements or high level missions will be max level PAs.