Post α2 requests, gallery updates, and blog
The official website was updated with the results of the requests sent in during the second alpha. In addition, there has been a new gallery section opened for the new lobby and mags! The screenshot gallery has also been updated with some of the images from this week's Famitsu. There's also a letter from Sakai on the "after" page. He says, among other things, that the closed beta will proceed on schedule. Additionally, there will be a second media briefing similar to the first (if you remember that) at the end of March.
Battle & Quest Related
Request: There's too much lag.
Response: We lessend the amount of lag with updates over the testing of the second alpha but it's impossible to completely remove it.
Request: I never met anyone in a Multi-party area (MPA) and would like you to make it easier to find other parties.
Response: The quest counter's menu wasn't the easiest thing to understand so we've changed it so that as long you don't actively turn the feature off, it should be easier to encounter other parties in MPAs.
Request: The starter enemies were too strong.
Response: We've balanced the enemies so that beginners can play without being stressed.
Request: Solo-play is too hard.
Response: We've balanced the game so that it wont be unbalanced for solo players and small parties. You'll also be able to bring along NPCs like previous Phantasy Stars to help keep the difficulty down.
Request: I think it's a problem that you can grind for levels and items in a single area by using PSEs.
Response: We've changed the effects, duration, and chance to appear on PSEs so they won't unbalance the game.
Request: There was an Emergency Trial where enemies would continuously spawn and made it easy to level up. Please add a limit to the amount of enemies that spawn.
Response: This was a bug and it has been fixed.
Request: The quests felt like they were too long so I'd like smaller maps.
Response: We've adjusted the game so that the average quest map is smaller and takes less time to clear than before.
Request: I'd like bosses to drop boxes like they did in previous Phantasy Star series.
Response: We've changed it so that containers appear after a boss has been defeated and "boss drops" will appear from these containers.
Request: There should be more meaning to destroying parts of enemies.
Response: Destroying parts of boss enemies will cause extra containers to spawn after the boss is defeated.
Request: I'd like the "quest clear" music to finish after returning to the camp ship.
Response: The music will return to normal music after the results screen has been displayed.
Request: Grinders and synthesizers cheapen the feel of real rare drops. Give them a different icon or make it so they don't do the rare drop noise when they drop.
Response: We've lowered the rarity of these items to below six stars so they appear as normal items.
Request: There should be more sub-pallet settings. (The sub-pallet is what you have assigned to the 1~0 keys)
Response: We've added additional sub-pallets and you can change between them when the situation calls for it like the main pallet.
Controls & Settings
Request: Make it so I can play with the brand X gamepad.
Response: While we were able to increase the number of supported gamepads during the second alpha period, we have added support for even more gamepads.
Request: I don't want to have to go in to the options menu to switch between direct chat and normal chat mode.
Response: Scroll Lock will be the default switch chat methods key.
Request: I want to be able to show the entire map and switch between radar map styles even while in direct chat mode.
Response: You'll be able to do this with "Ctrl M" and "Ctrl N"
Request: I want to use the subpallet in direct chat mode so please move them from the number keys to the function keys (F1, F2, etc)
Response: You'll be able to change this as you like in the settings menu.
Request: The camera moves too quickly. Please make it so we can change the speed the camera moves.
Response: You can change the vertical and horizontal speeds for the camera in the option menu.
Request: The speed at which the camera moves when you switch to a characters front feels too slow.
Response: We've increased the speed the camera moves when you do this.
Request: I want to change the zoom level of the camera with the mouse wheel. Also make it possible for gamepad users to zoom in and out.
Response: We've added the ability to zoom in and out with the mouse wheel to the options menu. You'll be able to zoom in and out with a gamepad by using the quick menu.
Request: It's too easy to accidentaly push the auto-run button with a game pad. Make it so we can assign keys ourselves.
Response: Auto-run has been removed from the initial gamepad settings. You will also be able to assign actions to the buttons as you'd like.
Request: I want to be able to switch targets with a gamepad.
Response: You can assign a "switch targets" button to a key on the gamepad in the settings menu.
Request: Make a real full screen option, not a virtual full screen.
Response: We've removed the virtual full screen used in the alpha and added a real full screen option.
Request: I want to be able to display details on up to 50 characters at once. (as in not that grey default character)
Response: We've increased the number characters that can be displayed at once.
Request: I want to save screenshots in a format besides bmp.
Response: BMP, JPG, and PNG are all possible now. The default setting will be JPG.
User Interface
Request: It's difficult to use items from the item pack in the main menu because there are so many item categories.
Response: We've changed the menu to be easier to understand and navigate.
Request: I'd like for there to be an easy way to understand what PA is for what weapon in the description of PAs and on disks.
Response: There will be a line added to the descriptions to tell what weapon the PA is for.
Request: I'd like already disks for learned PAs to be greyed out in the item pack and storage box.
Response: Disks for PAs already learned will appear greyed out.
Request: I want to be able to customize equipped units like I can customize equipped weapons. (This is grinding and element boosting)
Response: You'll be able to customize equipped items now.
Request: I'd like shortcuts in the quick menu to display what the short cut actually is.
Response: Shortcuts in the quick menu will display one line of text from the shortcut.
Request: I want to be able to see wether I'm in shooting or slashing mode when I use the gunslash.
Response: There will be an icon in the main pallet showing which mode you are in.
Request: The message icon is too small and hard to see.
Response: We've made it easier to see.
Request: I'd like different tabs for system messages and real messages.
Response: Messages sent from the game system, like friend applications, will be displayed in a seperate tab from messages sent by users.
Request: I want to know when a screenshot has actually finished being taken when I take one.
Response: We've added a system message that will be displayed when a screenshot has been taken.
Communication Related
Request: I want an option to be able to turn my own auto-words off.
Response: You will be able to choose if you would like to use auto-words in the options menu.
Request: I want to be able to talk to just a single person.
Response: We've added a whisper feature that will allow you to chat with just a single person.
Request: Chat bubbles that have joined together always take on the spikey form. Please change this so it takes on the form of the last person to added to the bubble.
Response: The large chat bubble will take the shape of the chat bubble of whoever said the phrase last.
Request: I want to be able to friend or black-list players I've partied with.
Response: There will be an option to display your party history where you can added friends or black list people you have partied with in the past.
Request: I want to be notified when friends I select have logged in.
Response: You will be able to recieve notifications when friends log in when you have set to do so.
My Room
Request: I want to lock my room.
Response: You'll be able to lock you room with various settings including "Friends Only."
Request: I want to be able to display weapons I've collected as decorations.
Response: There will be an item that will will allow you display weapons.
Request: I'd like a jukebox to change the background music in my room.
Response: There will be a jukebox function where you can change the background music.
Request: It'd be nice if you could interact with room goods.
Response: The only thing you could do in the second alpha was "sit down" but there will be more actions depending on the various objects.
Request: I'd like a desk to be able to place smaller objects.
Response: There will be desks and shelves you can places small room goods on.
My Shop
Request: I want to be able to trade items directly between characters, not just through My Shop.
Response: You'll be able to trade directly between characters.
Request: I don't want very rare items to be sellable in shops.
Response: We'll make it so that you won't be able to trade or sell via My Shop any very rare item that you have equipped once.
Request: I'd like to search the My Shop listings by special ability name.
Response: You'll be able to search by special ability name.
Character Creation
Request: I want to be able to use a character I've created as a base-type for other characters.
Response: You'll be able to save a character to your hard disk and use it as a base character for further character creations.
Request: I'd like to make male characters with more square-ish features and female characters with rounder faces.
Response: We've added more facial variations to both male and female characters
Request: I want to be able to change my character's features after creation.
Response: There will be a beauty shop where you can make alterations like in previous titles.
Here is a selection of screenshots. You can see more at the links above.
Mags
Spoiler!
Arks lobby
Spoiler!
Finally (since I see I was sniped during editing), we've got another official blog post. It's just a reposting of Sakai's letter on the "after" page but it has some screens of the log-on screen from the beta client.
The title screen has been given a refinishing.
As has the ship select screen.
And character creation screen.
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Originally Posted by Mike
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