Episode 4 Story Discussion

[loafhero]

Also yeah, I'm glad they kept softspoken Matoi because she DID say that's what she wanted to feel like, to be softer and not have to fight all the time, but they did go way overboard, I assumed Ep3 Matoi was that Matoi but i guess Sega didn't think it was enough.

Regardless, I still think she's great, she made a great stand in for Player's lack of speech in cutscenes where they were together in Ep4. It's a shame she wasn't with everyone on Earth during the actual story, she would have been a better "mentor" character for Hitsugi, and dialogue would have been more interesting because the player can sort of talk through her even if they don't speak much themselves.

I think EP2 Matoi was the right balance spot for a "graceful" Matoi. Alternatively, the Matoi in late EP3 that had her graceful personality fused with her old cockier CCII self was also pretty good too as I liked the idea of Matoi capable of being polite and softspoken BUT can dish out some nasty burns at the same time (as Sukunahime learned for herself).

Looking back in EP2 and EP3, choosing cowardly or indecisive dialogue will actually cause Matoi to speak for the Player. This can have an unintentionally funny effect where instead of speaking on the Player's behalf, its more like Matoi making all the choices and opinions for the Player. One of the very few things I like about EP4's story is how in the last Pietro cutscene, Player & Matoi now have a canon dynamic where the Player tends to be indifferent and cynical while Matoi is caring and optimistic.

They learnt to dance together in order to seal a Falz !

Either they spent time prior to being put to cold sleep rehearsing their synchronised dance routine (possibly self-thought or coached by Quna) or they are just that good as partners that they could break out in spontaneous oddly well-choreographed dance routine at any time through pure instinct like Bollywood movie characters

[loafhero]

PSO2 can honestly be alternatively called "A Tragedy of Underdeveloped Settings". The problem with expanding out into a multiple-world setting is that it's difficult to meaningfully develop every single setting simultaneously. Earth actually has more development than any other currently established planet, ironically enough.

But goddamn, it sure has some of the least developed and most unlikable NPCs ever. The non-speaking Lilipans get better character development than the Earth people, the gross but super cool Cabracan displays more intelligence than Hitsugi and Ko' Rela is a shota/trap done right unlike Aru!

I think certain setting development issues could have been resolved if Naberius, Wopar and Lilipa were made into one planet. Wopar and Lilipa look like it could fit with Naberius. The only thing that would need to be removed or altered is Wopar's large streams of water that flows upwards towards the sky. Amduscia and Harukotan would still have to be separate planets as those settings are the hardest to match with the other three.

[Zysets]

But goddamn, it sure has some of the least developed and most unlikable NPCs ever. The non-speaking Lilipans get better character development than the Earth people, the gross but super cool Cabracan displays more intelligence than Hitsugi and Ko' Rela is a shota/trap done right unlike Aru!

I think certain setting development issues could have been resolved if Naberius, Wopar and Lilipa were made into one planet. Wopar and Lilipa look like it could fit with Naberius. The only thing that would need to be removed or altered is Wopar's large streams of water that flows upwards towards the sky. Amduscia and Harukotan would still have to be separate planets as those settings are the hardest to match with the other three.

I always assumed the lilipans were originally from Naberious, because it's mentioned that they're not actually native to Lilipa at one point.

Damn it Sega, not only do you never explain some of the ruins on Naberius (implied that non-Photoner civilization was there at some point), but you never elaborate on where the Lilipans came from!

[TehCubey]

The non-speaking Lilipans get better character development than the Earth people, the gross but super cool Cabracan displays more intelligence than Hitsugi and Ko' Rela is a shota/trap done right unlike Aru!

Your hateboner for ep4 never ceases to amaze me. What alternative facts are we going to hear next, Zeno and Echo being actually good characters?

[Great Pan]

I wish I could kill dem Earthlings too... Cause we're the MASTER RACE, right?

[Meteor Weapon]

Your hateboner for ep4 never ceases to amaze me. What alternative facts are we going to hear next, Zeno and Echo being actually good characters?

The setting and concept of Earth is not bad but not great either, but it was horribly nuked by characters and the way it was written, well IMO. They, could have developed Zeno and Echo in a side story IMO....but.....none of them ever showed up even as the side storyboard.

[loafhero]

I always assumed the lilipans were originally from Naberious, because it's mentioned that they're not actually native to Lilipa at one point.

Damn it Sega, not only do you never explain some of the ruins on Naberius (implied that non-Photoner civilization was there at some point), but you never elaborate on where the Lilipans came from!

I faintly recall something during a random quest in the Quarry map where while escorting a Lilipan, one of the operators (Melita, I believe) mentions that Lilipans don't look like they are proper inhabitants of Lilipa due to their physiology being unsuited to Lilipa's terrain and that maybe something or someone (probably Luther or other Photoners) migrated the species to Lilipa. Probably for shits and giggles.

Spoiler!

Photoner 1: Hey, guys! Wouldn't it be funny if we move this weak and defenseless species to a planet that's even less hospitable?

Photoner 2: Oh, man! That'd be hilarious!

Photoner 1: Lets also inject them with this serum that makes them Hulk-out but they only ever attack other species that are trying to help them!

Photoner 3: Hey, guys. I'm bored of these self-sustaining killer robots I made and their taking up space in my crib. Maybe I should dump them into that desert planet too?

All: YEAH!!

I was also under the impression that the ruins did belong to the Photoners considering that the design theme of the ruins do seem similar to the ruins found at Wopar. The only difference being that the Wopar ruins have unnecessary RGB lighting.

Your hateboner for ep4 never ceases to amaze me. What alternative facts are we going to hear next, Zeno and Echo being actually good characters?

I never liked Zeno and Echo, ESPECIALLY Echo.

[Shinamori]

I was always under the assumption that the Lilipans made the robots on Lilipa, well mostly.

[loafhero]

I was always under the assumption that the Lilipans made the robots on Lilipa, well mostly.

Same here and their implied to be intelligent enough to repair a CAST like Fourier back to full health (assuming they didn't simply use a Mate).

[TehCubey]

I never liked Zeno and Echo, ESPECIALLY Echo.

Okay, that's fair. I'm taking that part back.

The setting and concept of Earth is not bad but not great either, but it was horribly nuked by characters and the way it was written, well IMO.

Yeah, that's my point. EP4's writing is kinda bad - but that's PSO2 standard. Every episode's writing was bad.

EP1 - "Oh no, Gettemhart is hidoi for beating up robots that attacked him"
EP2 - "Let's spend half the episode for Echo character development only to undo it all at the end"
EP3 - Hmm. Kinda overuses the "you beat the boss but then a cutscene starts and shows actually YOU LOST" cliche, but other than that ep 3 gets a pass, I guess.

Yearning for early game's plot and characters is pure nostalgia. Misplaced, delusional nostalgia.