Here's the one thing that PSO2 has to nail to interest me, and (probably) you.

[lostinseganet]

Gotta want gotta need! Same servers for jpn EU and USA. I can't STAND the way jpn has been treated compared to us. I could stand it if it was the same treatment but nooo it is not. I pay money noo excuses.

[Chimeria]

This is a great topic. I've seen many "I hate PSU, PSO was superior" threads but the points you brought up pretty much hit the nail on the head.

Like the OP, I reserved the game and got the bonus soundtrack and was pissed off with what I heard too. Music was one of PSO's strong points. I loved how when before a fight or when there were no enemies around, the music was calm. The jungle BGM is still one of my favorite BGMs from a videogame. And I was happy to hear it in PSP2. I don't know why ST got lazy and didn't do the music like that in PSU.

Also the story was garbage in PSU. I have never seen such a cast of unlikeable characters. I did not once feel sad or bad for any other them and
at all like I did in PSO. And whats worse was that the side characters in PSO (Ash, Kireek, Donoph, Rico, Flowen, Alicia Baz, Matha Graves) You
get a small dosage of them only in the missions but their situations were very dark...and heartbreaking. I feel like in a game like this there shouldn't be much of a main story and that it should be kept simple but mysterious like PSO was. The only background you really had came from the capsules you find outside of missions and the briefings from Principal Tyrell. Episode 2 was more cinematic but never once was I bored and wanted to skip the talking parts like I do in PSU.

A couple things I will give PSU over PSO is smoother gameplay though. I was playing PSO with my sister a couple days ago and it is kind of slow. The targeting system kinda sucks too. I also like how much customization PSP2 gives you. You can literally make your own classes pretty much. I've always been a sucker for changing my character's appearance too and PSU gives you many options for that as well. But once again, ST got lazy and didn't add many individual clothing and parts to the game so you'll see many Judgement Coats, Ethan Coats, Illuminus Coats, etc online unfortunately.

PSP2 did correct alot of PSU's mistakes though. The biggest things for me are the chain system so people don't overuse their PA's, the fact that higher level technic, skills and bullets have to be bought or found adds more fun of treasure hunting to the game (something that PSU had removed) and the whole weapon/armor hunting aspect. I think that was what we all loved about PSO...staying up all night looking for that REAL agito...XD

Hopefully PSU becomes more like PSP2 (Its seriously alot like a faster version of PSO to me) I don't even play the console version anymore. And hopefully PSO doesn't borrow too much from PSU. I already heard there was going to be PA's. I want the old Palette system back as well and the ability to use techs without a technic weapon. That pisses me off to no end!

[Drawers]

I hope that in PSO2, I won't have to deal with teenaged heroes. I know in Japan it's all big and junk but goddamn, seriously? A 14-year old can weild a weapon better than a 26-year vet? Anyways, here is my 2-cents what should be in PSO2: Online with a Vengeance.


Music: Get some variety. Viva variety. Throw some jazz in there. I'm talking REAL jazz. Not techno, not synth, no fakey jazz. Bring in some saxaphones, some bass, and tear that mofo up. I wanna look out into the city background, lightly luminated by the setting sun, and listen to a soft jazz tune. Hell maybe while running through a sakura forest have a catchy japanese-esque melody play then suddenly flow into it's arranged version as I fight a trio of Goboomas. What I'm tryin to say is, even though PSO's music got bland after a while, it had the right feel. PSU made me wonder who face-rolled on the sound board.

Combat: PSP2/PSP2i I will admit improved upon combat. However I would like to see an option on traps that allowed you set it's detonation. Choosing between Timed, Manual, and Proximity. Also an option to "kick" said traps towards far away enemies would be nice.

Minigames: There needs to be them. Not side quests. Not just casino. But actual mini games. The soccer lobby was nice but hardly ever used. I say we have Phantasy Star themed arcade games or hell, take a clue from No More Heroes 2 and have little 8-bit style minigames.

If it's MvC2 quality Jazz then maybe, but if not, imo hell no! I'd say keep it traditional but fresh and new. PSO had the perfect music for it's theme, we just need that but new and no remixes, the music of every episode is just right on, you can't perfect it anymore. I just hope they don't bring back a bunch of stuff from PSO in a desperate attempt to attract vets, and actually give us something new and refreshing.

Idk about the kicking traps thing, sounds unecessary to me. o-0 Besides that, only CAST should be allowed to set traps, because they have no soul/spirit energy or whatever to cast techniques, and they need an emergency thingy for those close calls since they can't just cast resta to save theirselves.

I 100% agree on minigames, and I mean Mario Party 2, like actually fun minigames and ST used to be good at stuff like that.

Telepipes. Nothing more to say about this subject, just please, bring them back.

[BIG OLAF]

I'll be happy with PSO2 if I get:

PSO's music style
PSO's atmosphere
PSU's character customization (yes, that means the clothes)
PSU's (I should say PSP2's) combat, including Photon Arts, etc. (the game would be shit w/o them)

[MAXrobo]

I'll be happy with PSO2 if I get:

PSO's music style
PSO's atmosphere
PSU's character customization (yes, that means the clothes)
PSU's (I should say PSP2's) combat, including Photon Arts, etc. (the game would be shit w/o them)

I agree, except i think the PAs in PSP2 are still to spammy. they need to ether cut the speed PP regenerates almost in half, or just give you less PP.
also dont make guns have ammo and just make the charge shots cost PP.

[Allison_W]

[ . . . ] Besides that, only CAST should be allowed to set traps, because they have no soul/spirit energy [ . . . ]

If you're going to nitpick, I can nitpick, too: no one has a soul or spirit energy, because they don't exist.

That said, I should distinguish between the old concepts of souls and spirits, here. Souls are a primitive explanation for consciousness before things like the brain were understood. Spirit, however, actually descends from the Latin word spiritus, which meant breath, and is a primitive attempt to explain the difference between life and unlife before things like heart attacks and strokes were understood: one minute someone's alive and the next minute they're dead and no one can tell why! Their "vital principle," or breath, just up and left them.

Thus, it's more plausible to say that androids don't have spirits (a primitive attempt to explain biological life, which androids are not) than to say that they don't have souls (a primitive attempt to explain consciousness, which free-willed androids could actually be assumed to have), if you actually buy that sapient biological things have anything of the sort to begin with. From there, you only need decide whether techniques are powered by the woo-woo of the body or the woo-woo of the mind. If the former, androids probably don't have them. If the latter, then sure, why the hell not.

[Dragwind]

I'm primarily hoping for the dark, mysterious, and depressing atmosphere of PSO, with a mix of the upbeat pace of Ep.3, and various elements of the PSU series mixed in (primarily gameplay).

[ColonD]

I can only pray, dream, and hope that Sega knows this.

Also, incidentally, I hope that the person who did the artwork for the cover and character portraits of PSO is used again, or at least modeled after.

[Dragwind]

I can only pray, dream, and hope that Sega knows this.

Also, incidentally, I hope that the person who did the artwork for the cover and character portraits of PSO is used again, or at least modeled after.

I sure hope they keep that same art style as well, perhaps modernize it a bit. If they don't, I think it's easy to say it wouldn't feel like PSO.

[Chimeria]

Besides that, only CAST should be allowed to set traps, because they have no soul/spirit energy or whatever to cast techniques

I kinda did like that fact that CAST had immunity to poison and were the only ones who could use traps and see them. It mad alot more sense and kinda of made it cool to be the CAST of the group. I mean, people would have trap visions but in the situation that they forgot, a CAST could destroy them before they do any damage. And even though magic isn't as useful or as easy as it was in PSU as it was in PSO, I do think that CASTs shouldn't be able to use it. Besides the stats, it sort of gives a reason to choose one race over another.