Story Patch Thread (Updated 3/31/2014)

[Renvalt]

Spoiler!

I'm surprised there are actually valid points in there. My main problem isn't the actual story in itself it's the haphazard way they go about it. Arks is a civilization that has mastered inter-galactic travel and they do't have a life form scanner for the Lilipans? Fourie has to get out on foot?

I thought about that too - the one vehicular installation in the game actually gets the least amount of valid use. I mean, I think those gun batteries have a lot of potential, if you get what I'm saying.

And so far Gettemhult is the only character that actually has any back story motivations or development.

That's interesting. I had merely considered him Kenpachi in PSO2 form (only without the whole Yachiru-kindness thing going for him). So there was another reason why he was doing the shit he did?

For me it's not the story it's mostly how it's told.

Wasn't it the same way in PSO1? I mean, it only took you guys until somewhat recently to piece together everything about Kireek and co. right? And that was even in translated English for ya!

I mean it would be a lot cooler if you could visit the broken down lab and infer what happened for yourself. Or if consumed by anger Kuna vows vengeance against the Arks for betraying her friend.

With the recent datamining material, and Hadred being dead by Kuna's hand (not to mention how she looks at Casura in disgust), that's a very likely scenario.

Or if Afin determined to track down his sister finds his way to a darker den and get's possessed by darkers himself.

Considering how Elder isn't exactly dead (we saw as much in that event plate), I'm like to believe Gettemhalt might be able to troll Afin from the grave. Question is, with Afin's latest transformation brought about by Apprentice's appearance, will it work?


There are so many possibilities, and so much they could do and yet they seem to always find the most bland way to get through the game using nothing but character dialog.

It was the same with PSO1. SEGA likes being vague with PS writing.

Like Ulc being dead? Didn't know about that? Yeah, Theodore mentions it offhand in a blue tablet scene.

Ulc? Dead? Well, first off, she was mysteriously inducted into the Arks on a special permit - I think someone gave her that spot to use her as meaningless fodder. With her lack of combat skills, she wasn't getting in anyway.

I mean hell, Theodore joined the Arks because it was a big fad (scoring with Ulc being his ulterior motive), whilst Ulc tried to join out of worry that Theodore was getting in over his head (when it was in fact her that didn't know what the hell she was doing)

I realize that actually going as far as making environment like a lab or something would probably cost quite a bit and they're using what resources they have.

Seabed would like to have a word with you.


But still they could be using them a lot more effectively if they did small things like developing characters more or gave them motivations, feeling and personalities rather than just flat character traits.

Well, lemme just use Hadred's death here as a way to expand this:

Hadred's dead. He's a Human trapped in a Dragon's body with Darker-tainted blood.

With Sanctum out, the next move made will be that the Dragonkin will take him to be judged as a heretical dragon. Of course, the Darkers won't stand for this, as he could be useful to them. That will initiate a quarrel between Dragon and Darker.

So far, that's tense enough as is, but what if we add Kuna's desire to save what little of her friend's dignity remains as another plot point? Out of everyone, she knows more about Hadred than anyone (she was the closest).

Goranzoran, Herald of the Sanctum (the way he fights screams Necromancer or Warlock), will be a story boss or important NPC down the line, despite being so darn Engrish-y.

They've still got room to expand on Kuna, now that I look at it. Especially since we're now only finding out that the Council gets their orders from someone else, and that Sakai has their demise slated for future content.

As for Xion and the plot as a whole. This image is from the guidebook. Around the year 500 and Arks ship disappears while investigating a black hole. About 100 years after that darkers start appearing where ever Arks goes, and Arks becomes an organization devoted to wiping out Darkers. In the post side chapter where Afin meets Apprentice she mentions offhand that we're only your enemy, because you're ours. Also the stupid D-Arkers translation from the english version kind of gives that whole plot away. Xion i think is likely someone from the original science vessel. She keeps saying, "I and we", so the "we" might refer to her colleagues?

First off, my ISP is Comcast. Try not linking that site for images next time, okay? I'm 403'd if I try.

Second, that actually brings into mind something Sakai said earlier in PSO2's development - he said there would be a total of 6 or 7 planets. What if the Darkers' origin world becomes one of those? I mean, it would fit with that whole Rykros theme that every PS after IV featured (with the exception of Vanilla PSU).

Third, it brings an interesting question as to why Apprentice didn't just off us both at that moment. She had the power, Huey wasn't going to notice - so why stay her hand? Heck, Elder wouldn't have cared if she did.

Something stayed her hand, and it is that that probably makes me think that we have so little knowledge of the Darkers' intentions than we do about our own organization. I mean, what with them having to use a stand-in for Casura.

Replies in bold.

[Kion]

Replies in bold.

Spoiler!

Not too much on Gettemhult directly. There's a conversation with Zeno where he says, "I'd probably turn out like Gettemhult too if I lost everything like he did". He unlocked Dark Falz Elder so that he could either die or take revenge. But one thing that kind of bothers me is that he sacrifices Sheena to break the seal. And then Sheena turns out fine. I mean wasn't her life taken to break the seal? I mean, "yeah, my heart was cut out in an ancient aztec sun god ritual, but after getting a few days of bed rest, i'm feeling better."

And yeah, seabed is epic. Just epic. The thing where I value pso1's story above pso2's was the non-verbal story telling aspect of it. There were a lot of clues in the areas, in the story, and in the scenes that you could reference what was going on, where as pso2 seems to go completely on information for cut scenes. The new raging dragon EQ is an extension of the events from the story chapter 9, but you wouldn't get that unless you specifically did the story chapter. Where as seabed, with out experiencing any of the story you get that it was an old lab, something much have gone wrong, and the boss ant the end must have been the result of that. So it's more that I'd like to see more exposition told by the game design itself and not entirely through cut scenes. And vital exposition only given in a guidebook sold separately seems kind of disingenuous and lazy.

[Rien]

I wonder, maybe Shion is the one who made Hadred... Well, Hadred?

[SociableTyrannosaur]

Spoiler!

What if apprentice...IS Afin's sister?

@_@

In all seriousness I think the people writing this stuff have very little experience writing. It's one thing to be vague but Ulc's secenes make it very difficult to be attacked to her before she's offed and she seemed to say she was basically going to be doing office work. Why'd they kill the receptionist? And if they did allow her into combat, something needs to happen to make that significant even though as a character she was completely insignificant. Granted I didn't see that tablet but the sheer fact that it's not handled in the main story coupled with the implication that Theodore's not THAT broken up about it...I mean if someone I cared for was given a job everyone knew they couldn't do...even them and then mysteriously died shortly after...the only reason i would stay within that organization would be to get answers and expose them - and that's if I stayed. I mean what if Hadred is or was like Ulc and the reason she and other people who can't use photons are even brought into Arks is to get test subjects to experiment on and engineer to be weapons? And if not that, then why is the Ulc/Theodore thing even given the level of attention it is? Did Ulc's sacrifice have any purpose at all? Did she and many Bothans die to bring us any sort of information?


Too much of the story is treated like...side story. And side story is only interesting if it involves people who are significant either in plot or at least are interesting themselves.

I do think it's an interesting point that darkers are implied to be directly related to Arks. It's entirely possible that the darkers themselves are what's left of that research team corrupted by the profound darkness(nothing new here) and Xion is actually some personification of the will of that crew still fighting back even in death. It'll be lord knows how long before we figure it all out though because so much of the story is told like a 2 year old would talk about his day: half thoughts recited out of order like an ill prepared Tarantino movie. "I has cereal, do you like cereal? My mom has long hair. There's a monster under my bed. Do you like cheez-its? Sometimes daddy yells. I pet a bunny."

Maybe Sega decided to hire Kubara to write the story...sorry...storic.

[Yden]

Spoiler!

How does she know Hadred?

Spoiler!

She mentions that they were siblings right before the battle with my very loose understanding of Japanese. From what I can figure is that Haldred was involved in some experiment that turned her into the Chrome Dragon but I'm not 100% sure about that since I have a very vague understanding of the language.

[Zorafim]

I'm waiting (with bated breath) for one of the new matter boards to be 100% before I start. I think I have 9 and 11 open? You said all of the missable stuff is translated well in those chapters, but it's just the blue tablets that you can find whenever which aren't translated yet? Woo! I get to continue the story!

[Renvalt]

Spoiler!

First up is....

I'm waiting (with bated breath) for one of the new matter boards to be 100% before I start. I think I have 9 and 11 open? You said all of the missable stuff is translated well in those chapters, but it's just the blue tablets that you can find whenever which aren't translated yet? Woo! I get to continue the story!

MB11 can be done at the same time as MB9&10, since Casura seems to only show up in MB9&10. In fact, there's one event plate in 9 that I haven't seen which has Casura in it, and I didn't do the path where he tags along for Chapter 9. I'll see what's up with that, since hardly anyone here takes all the routes.

What if apprentice...IS Afin's sister?

The signs point to it. Apprentice mentions that she hasn't seen Elder in 10 years since they woke up, and Afin's sister disappeared 10 years ago. Too much coincidence to write off.

In all seriousness I think the people writing this stuff have very little experience writing. It's one thing to be vague but Ulc's scenes make it very difficult for her to be attacked before she's offed and she seemed to say she was basically going to be doing office work. Why'd they kill the receptionist?

Originally, Falz Elder being awake wasn't affecting the ordeal. Him waking up forced them to bring all the manpower that they could - and only a handful of people actually survived the fight. Ulc could've been among those who got killed.

And if they did allow her into combat, something needs to happen to make that significant even though as a character she was completely insignificant.

Falz Elder's revival, and the fact that a decent chunk of the Arks fleet was obliterated instead of invaded. Hell, Elder even decided to use one of the ships to lay low at - that's how Darker Den got created.

Granted I didn't see that tablet but the sheer fact that it's not handled in the main story coupled with the implication that Theodore's not THAT broken up about it...

Theodore doesn't really have the time to be worrying about shit like that. Also, if she's dead, then why do I still see her in the Shop Lobby? That's.... fishy. She doesn't have the luxury of replication the way Casura does.

I mean if someone I cared for was given a job everyone knew they couldn't do...even them and then mysteriously died shortly after...the only reason i would stay within that organization would be to get answers and expose them - and that's if I stayed.

Kuna's continuing as an Arks as well. Why else would she give you her partner card at the end of Chapter 10? What's more, she takes up her true identity to fight with you, whilst remaining in the lobby in her idol persona.

It's too early to make her move - things have to be aligned JUST right before she goes and pulls the big rebellion.

I mean what if Hadred is or was like Ulc and the reason she and other people who can't use photons are even brought into Arks is to get test subjects to experiment on and engineer to be weapons?

Yet if that were true, Ulc would have brought that up.


And if not that, then why is the Ulc/Theodore thing even given the level of attention it is? Did Ulc's sacrifice have any purpose at all? Did she and many Bothans die to bring us any sort of information?

Wait a second... I'm gonna contradict my previous statements about Ulc's fate. Theodore doesn't seem all that upset, but what if that's because it isn't all that big a deal as it sounds? "Dying" doesn't necessarily mean "physical" death (unless Theo actually used the word for "death" as in "being killed" or "deceased").

Theo could mean that she's not the same person he remembers. Since they're both Arks now, he can get to her easier, meaning that he has a chance to ask her out (which was one of his goals that he DOESN'T tell you). A lot happens off-screen, so without hearing Theo's dialogue word for word, it won't make sense.


Too much of the story is treated like...side story. And side story is only interesting if it involves people who are significant either in plot or at least are interesting themselves.

First off, the events do tie together, but you have to connect all the dots yourself - it's not done for you. The things that Fourier, Aki/Light, Zeno/Echo are all doing on the three planets have correlation to the Arks' grand war against the Darkers.

And it's not really 100% related, but Jean mentions how most ARKS Initiates take the approach to the group that Theo does - they do it because it seems "cool" and only realize the true nature when it's too late.

And that's the thing - Ulc and Theo's story is VERY minor compared to the rest, and not really given a lot of attention. In fact, what, I think it's like only a small handful of scenes that they're given?

I do think it's an interesting point that darkers are implied to be directly related to Arks. It's entirely possible that the darkers themselves are what's left of that research team corrupted by the profound darkness(nothing new here) and Xion is actually some personification of the will of that crew still fighting back even in death.

I doubt it. You saw how Gettemhalt got possessed by Elder firsthand. He was trying to summon the god to kill it (Casura saying how the lie from the Arks Directive tried to make people believe they could kill him), but Elder instead decided to devour Gettemhalt's existence and take his body for himself. In essence, Gettemhalt is "dead" in the sense that the personality that originally inhabited the body is no more.

It's the same way with Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader - Obi Wan says in Return of the Jedi that when Anakin took up the Dark Side, the personality of Anakin was no more. Same thing here.

We know VERY little about Xion. All we have to go on is what the Guidebook says, and I can't read it since I'm a Comcast user.


It'll be lord knows how long before we figure it all out though because so much of the story is told like a 2 year old would talk about his day: half thoughts recited out of order like an ill prepared Tarantino movie. "I has cereal, do you like cereal? My mom has long hair. There's a monster under my bed. Do you like cheez-its? Sometimes daddy yells. I pet a bunny."

This almost comes off as arrogant and mockingly stupid. I'm inclined to believe you're just a sourpuss when it comes to how stories are written - you want every little thing explained to you in crisp detail, like a little child.

World don't work that way.

Next up is.....

Not too much on Gettemhult directly. There's a conversation with Zeno where he says, "I'd probably turn out like Gettemhult too if I lost everything like he did". He unlocked Dark Falz Elder so that he could either die or take revenge. But one thing that kind of bothers me is that he sacrifices Sheena to break the seal. And then Sheena turns out fine. I mean wasn't her life taken to break the seal? I mean, "yeah, my heart was cut out in an ancient aztec sun god ritual, but after getting a few days of bed rest, i'm feeling better."

Sheena could've had extensive surgery to have her heart replaced. Or it could have been the blood spilling from Sheena (which isn't shown but most likely implied) which awakened Elder. In fact, that makes more sense since [Elder] references the tree in the background of the ruins, which might be a reference to the Sambucus tree. Trees grow with water, so enough blood could possibly push Falz out of dormancy.

Also, regarding her being "just fine", she could just be on light duty until she fully recovers, as per orders from the top. She doesn't, y'know, give you her partner card. And from my knowledge, she doesn't appear in the City Invasion of Chapter 9, so odds are she's off-combat duty until otherwise.



And yeah, seabed is epic. Just epic. The thing where I value pso1's story above pso2's was the non-verbal story telling aspect of it. There were a lot of clues in the areas, in the story, and in the scenes that you could reference what was going on, where as pso2 seems to go completely on information for cut scenes. The new raging dragon EQ is an extension of the events from the story chapter 9, but you wouldn't get that unless you specifically did the story chapter. Where as seabed, with out experiencing any of the story you get that it was an old lab, something much have gone wrong, and the boss ant the end must have been the result of that. So it's more that I'd like to see more exposition told by the game design itself and not entirely through cut scenes. And vital exposition only given in a guidebook sold separately seems kind of disingenuous and lazy.

From what I gather, SEGA seems to think that not many people really cared about the story of the previous PSO games, which is why they built the story so that only "intelligent" people (AKA people who work to find all the juicy bits) would really get what's going on.

It's the same way with many of Sega's OTHER games - hell, you probably don't know about the plot behind Virtua Fighter - it's more than just a generic martial arts tournament (they even made a game to expand on this plot - and it takes after PSO a LOT).

I also haven't seen this "guidebook" for myself, because you uploaded it to a site I can't access.

That's my replies. Comment and discuss.

[Ezodagrom]

That's my replies. Comment and discuss.

Re-upload of the guidebook picture:
http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/9627/up45469.jpg

[Renvalt]

Re-upload of the guidebook picture:
http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/9627/up45469.jpg

Well, crap. While I've seen the picture, I can't read Japanese Kanji - so this doesn't do me any good anyways.

Still saving it because it might be useful later.

[Tcrusader51]

Ok kind of confused here. What matterboards does the most recent update contains? Checked a blue tab in matter board 9 and it was in japanese.