Weapon types

[Seth Astra]

If shields are implemented as in PSP2, I'd also like to see a buckler type gear, basically a smaller shield, that can be equipped with anything (except another shield).

[Allison_W]

You know, I think that if Spears were kept as a unique weapon type, Scythes could easily fill the niche that Partisans had in PSO.

In fact, it might even be more appropriate if they're a melee-centric weapon that, as a baseline, adds to the user's MST to boost technique power as well.

Considering this would basically let me make my old PSOBB FOmarl right down to Soul Eater nostalgia, I'm purchasing a ticket for this bus.

[Norco]

I know this is about weapon types but... as long as Double Cannon is in the game, then I'm sold!

[Drawers]

Unarmed combat and combat with every weapon type. Single two-handed big ass machine guns (one with a DBZ beam effect). All the old PSO weapon's with their signature specials and then some. NO PHOTON ARTS!! OMFG WORST IDEA FOR A PS GAME EVER!!

Androids should never be able to cast techniques, equipe force weapons, or have tp, but have traps instead and regenerate hp. CAST using techniques beats the purpose of them even being CASTs and the barrier they have in the PS world. No stupid beast or duman class. Omfg PSU is the worst thing to ever happen to PS, I hate ST with a passion because of PSU, PLEASE NO NEW CLASSES PERIOD. I know that has nothing to do with this topic, but I just have to speak my opinion.

I know this is about weapon types but... as long as Double Cannon is in the game, then I'm sold!

Thanks for reminding me, as long as they take the retarded light show every weapon has in PSU then I'll agree with you, but it looks retarded in PSP2 with the stupid light rings around it. :| I don't get how they managed to single-handedly fuck up a good game, but if they fuck this game up I will destroy the world!!

[MAXrobo]

I actually liked the big, overly complicated, and flashy weapons in PSU. i had losts of weapons i carried around just because they looked cool in that game. the thing i really hated about PSU is that all the rares did that same thing. i hope in PSO2 that most of the rares have crazy and unique abilitys like they had in PSO.

[Ryna]

I'd like to see the return of the Partisan class from PSO. I always found the longsword classes in PSO and PSU to be limiting. Partisans were generally fast enough to pull off a full combo in Ultimate mode.

I'd also like to see the PSU implementation of spears. They were a mainstay on might Hunter characters over the years.

[Allison_W]

Unarmed combat and combat with every weapon type. Single two-handed big ass machine guns (one with a DBZ beam effect). All the old PSO weapon's with their signature specials and then some. NO PHOTON ARTS!! OMFG WORST IDEA FOR A PS GAME EVER!

I'm sorry, I have to say I really like having something I can do with my weapons other than LIGHT ATTACK! LIGHT ATTACK! HEAVY ATTACK! REPEAT!

That said, the execution of PAs in PSU was terrible, if only because they left no point to using regular attacks and instead of LIGHT ATTACK! LIGHT ATTACK! HEAVY ATTACK! REPEAT! it became DUS DAGGAS! DUS DAGGAS! DUS DAGGAS! REPEAT! I much prefer the execution of PAs in PSZ, where even if most of them aren't that great, they supplement regular attacks rather than completely replacing them. And really, that's the point: there is no need to go back to weapons not having special attacks.

[Randomness]

I'd like to see the return of the Partisan class from PSO. I always found the longsword classes in PSO and PSU to be limiting. Partisans were generally fast enough to pull off a full combo in Ultimate mode.

I'd also like to see the PSU implementation of spears. They were a mainstay on might Hunter characters over the years.

I'd also like to see partisans back. But spears were useful too.

Maybe mix partisans and swords together and make em fast enough to be useful.

Axes can be the slow ass MASSIVE DAMAGE weapons.

Bows as a force range weapon were an okay idea, but I'd rather they switch to something fast shooting. Or just ditch bows and have more cards. And cards should NOT arc. Seriously.

Also, shields should be PSZ style. Smacking things upside the head with a giant shield is fun, especially when you can lolturtle afterwards. (I loved to death running heart shields in PSZ on a HUnewearl. Linear Shake was fun)

[Kent]

I'm sorry, I have to say I really like having something I can do with my weapons other than LIGHT ATTACK! LIGHT ATTACK! HEAVY ATTACK! REPEAT!

That said, the execution of PAs in PSU was terrible, if only because they left no point to using regular attacks and instead of LIGHT ATTACK! LIGHT ATTACK! HEAVY ATTACK! REPEAT! it became DUS DAGGAS! DUS DAGGAS! DUS DAGGAS! REPEAT! I much prefer the execution of PAs in PSZ, where even if most of them aren't that great, they supplement regular attacks rather than completely replacing them. And really, that's the point: there is no need to go back to weapons not having special attacks.

This is one area where Phantasy Star Portable 2 saw improvement.

There was a meter, essentially a stamina meter, that your PAs would take a chunk out of whenever you used them. You could get only a few out of it before it bottomed out (approximately, it's been a while since I played the demo of it). It's a low-capacity meter that could refill pretty quickly on its own, but it refills faster if you hit with normal attacks, and even faster if you use precise timing with them.

On top of this, there was also a combo you could rack up with normal attacks that would boost the power of the next PA used on that target - but you have to build up the combo first with regular attacks. The only unfortunate implication of this was how it worked in regards to techniques, but that was really a stipulation due to the fact that techniques are still idiotically tied directly to weapons (square-button technique builds the combo, triangle-button technique depletes it and gains its bonus).

I would propose that the proper solution to the idea of how such things could work in PSO2, could be something like this:

Spoiler!

• In addition to HP and TP, all characters have a third meter, essentially an aforementioned stamina meter. This meter does not grow in size through levelling up, but may be increased by equipping special equipment (such as armor units that add to max stamina).
• Stamina recovers at a set rate, but receives small additional returns for every successful normal/heavy attack (heavy attack hits probably returning slightly more, since they're riskier/slower).
• Every weapon type has several basic skills that can be used with it, and may be able to chain into themselves or each other (giving the entire chain the boost from the combo).
• Techniques can be charged to unleash a more powerful version of that technique (note: this is not how one would go about using different techniques of the same element - charging Foie doesn't turn it into Rafoie, it just makes it a more powerful Foie).
• All skills and charged techniques consume stamina. All skills and charged techniques aren't very much more powerful than their standard versions (standard attacks and uncharged techniques) at a base level. However, they do get a bonus from the combos built up by regular attacks/techniques on that enemy, and can be far more powerful than normal, should a substantial combo be built up.
• While any player is finishing a combo on an enemy using a skill or charged technique, other players in the game can also use skills or charged techniques on the target at the same time or in close succession, so everyone can take advantage of it. Each player can only exploit the combo once however (though, it may be possible for characters to chain together both skills and a charged technique).

I think something like this could end up working well - especially with the separation of Stamina and TP as player resources. This way, we'd get enhanced team-play aspects, significant additional depth to the combat system and players would still get a variety of different special attacks they can do for different situations. There's already a wide variety of techniques for use, but melee and ranged combat could still use something else they can do with their weapons. Something as simple as providing these per weapon type as "Extra Attack A/B/C" that players can map to their action palettes, could easily help alleviate this.

For example, if we're talking about Sabers, Extra Attack A could be a wide horizontal slash, Extra Attack B could be a powerful vertical slash with slightly extended forward range than normal, and Extra Attack C could be an upward slash that knocks enemies into the air, temporarily disabling them (not as much airtime as similar attacks from PSU, but enough to prevent enemies from moving, while still being able to be hit and juggled). These would each have their own individual chains of using the same Extra Attack in a row, or allow players to mix-and-match and make different chains out of them. However, they'd be limited to either a specific number of attacks per chain, or until they run out of Stamina or stop attacking.

I'd also like to see partisans back. But spears were useful too.

Maybe mix partisans and swords together and make em fast enough to be useful.

Axes can be the slow ass MASSIVE DAMAGE weapons.

Bows as a force range weapon were an okay idea, but I'd rather they switch to something fast shooting. Or just ditch bows and have more cards. And cards should NOT arc. Seriously.

On Spears and Partisans: I still think that Spears should be in as, well, Spears, but Scythes could easily replace Partisans in that functional niche. They could also be a melee-AOE Force weapon (as in, requires MST to use, has some sort of Force-like bonus, such as bonus MST, when equipped), but also be usable by Hunters (should someone decide they want a weapon that will work well in melee, on top of boosting MST).

I could see Axes having their own niche as a two-handed, slow weapon that hits a single target. Of course, they'd have to hit pretty hard to be able to be a viable substitute for a good Saber for single-target big numbers. Perhaps the best way to think of them, on the sliding scale of speed vs. single-target damage would put Daggers and Axes at opposite ends, with Sabers somewhere in the middle.

I think that Bows are slightly redundant when there are Rifles, because they're almost identical from a functional level. Cards were a very interesting and fun weapon type in PSO, and I'd really like to see them return in that form, not the silly little fan-things from PSU. Especially since, as a ranged weapon, they had an interesting bonus to using them at melee-range (because the third attack in the combo threw three cards at once, all of which can hit the same target - effectively making it a hybrid melee/ranged weapon that could really only be used by Forces).

[Adriano]

One thing I loved that they added in PSU
...Crossbows