PSO or PSU?

[Jay72]

With AoI coming out, I'm considering getting it. But I also don't have PSO I & II (I only have Ep 3).

Since I have a gamecube, I would only be able to play PSO offline. But if I got PSU, I could play online. So I'm wondering which to choose - PSO is a lot cheaper but might be harder to find nowadays.

And I've been very curious about PSU and I love online games, but I keep hearing that it's not as great as it could be. But maybe AoI is changing that?

Let me know what you all think!

[Kanju]

Allegedly.

[Jaspaller]

They're both somewhat different games. You can still get online through PSO through the private servers but you'll have to find those one your own. Discussion about them isn't allowed here.

Even with the expansion, I don't think that's gonna change too much on the formula. Just counter seems to be the only thing that will make the combat a little funner (besides new weapons and classes). No extra modes either like Challenge and battle...

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Jaspaller on 2007-08-29 13:43 ]</font>

[james_b]

Wait till they have everything released in PSU(1-3 years lol)

[VPudding]

I personally like PSU better, but I have both of the games and I enjoy playing them both. I don't have online for either of the games, but what I'm wondering is will AoI be offline multiplayer?

[xoyv]

PSO has the launcher WITHOUT having to go online

[Jaspaller]

On 2007-09-03 10:54, VPudding wrote:
I personally like PSU better, but I have both of the games and I enjoy playing them both. I don't have online for either of the games, but what I'm wondering is will AoI be offline multiplayer?



PSU will NOT be getting offline multiplayer at this point. The PS2 is not powerful enough, the PC version would PROBABLY require a hell of a computer and a load of coding for SEGA (Which we all know that SEGA are pretty lazy bastards). 360 would probably have the best chance... but it's not going to happen anyways.

[SStrikerR]

pso.


and about psu going online, no i doubt it will happen, but ST are assholes just because they dont realise how much more people would buy it, even if they dont go online, thats still an easy 40-50 bucks just by working a bit harder.

its part of the reason i dont play psu much, i dont have any ability to play with my friend. he cant go online, and since theres no offline multiplayer, he didnt even buy psu in the first place.

[Esufer]

PSO is awesome if you wanna sit around with friends and grind a few dungeons.
PSU is awesome if you want hours of your life to disappear hunting for 1 item. Seriously. It's worse than piping for freaking lavis cannons.

I'm personally with PSU, and i really love it, but only because I accept they are two seperate games.

Incidently, we're getting Episode 1's levels in ambition of illuminus, as well as all the original costumes.

http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_wacko.gif

[Darkly]

psu,because its evolving, its something new and is slowly getting better, and unless you got some friends to play pso with, its really boring until ultimate mode where the game kicks in with all the s-ranks etc.

(then again i always thought episode 3 was better than 1 and 2, so only take it if you view phantasy star differently)

[Kelvie]

PSU, because the gameplay is just way better than PSO's.

I started playing PSO again on PSOBB for fun with a friend, and while I was surprised to see that the graphics are still really cool, and that the level design of some areas is just way better than PSU's (CCA owns PSU so bad), I could confirm to myself that the gameplay is outdated by far, and in no way as enjoyable as PSU's.

As far as I know, the Sonic Team seems to want to release all, or most, of PSO's areas in PSU, along with some weapons and clothes.
If they finally choose to adapt all the contents of PSO in PSU, there will be no reason (but the monthly fees) to chose PSO over PSU.
Oh, yeah, you could choose PSO because PSU's gameplay is quite different, but that would be really dumb if you ask me. I will NEVER understand peoples shouting that PSU's gameplay sucks, those who choose PSO over PSU for gameplay reasons (and I know some >_>).
PSU's gameplay got so much more fun and possibilities than PSO's one...

(Sorry for the bad engrish, I am french, and I kinda sucks on long statements like this.)

[Weeaboolits]

PSO and PSU are pretty different, I'd recommend both of them, but suggest you get PSO first as it's a bit harder to find, but is cheaper.

[Tykwa]

On 2007-09-04 23:02, Ronin_Cooper wrote:
PSO and PSU are pretty different, I'd recommend both of them, but suggest you get PSO first as it's a bit harder to find, but is cheaper.



Yeah what he said.

But not what I said "Get it for the story"

[Jaspaller]

On 2007-09-04 20:23, Kelvie wrote:
Oh, yeah, you could choose PSO because PSU's gameplay is quite different, but that would be really dumb if you ask me. I will NEVER understand peoples shouting that PSU's gameplay sucks, those who choose PSO over PSU for gameplay reasons (and I know some >_>).
PSU's gameplay got so much more fun and possibilities than PSO's one...


Part of the reason people left is BECAUSE of the gameplay of PSU. It's like I said in another post... The gameplay is all fine and dandy but it all feels like a hollow shell. I'll admit they went a few steps forward, but it also feels like they took a huge jump backwards too on many things.

[otana_uk]

Get PSO Ep1&2 (try for +) for very addictive offline gaming until AOI comes out, and then get PSU for very addictive online gaming =)



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: otana_uk on 2007-09-05 11:20 ]</font>

[Kelvie]

On 2007-09-05 08:55, Jaspaller wrote:
I'll admit they went a few steps forward, but it also feels like they took a huge jump backwards too on many things.



Please develop ? What is that huge jump backward you are talking about ? O_o
Some peoples didn't like the fact that you can now make combos just by spamming the attack button, without any need of correct timing, but is there more ?

[Jaspaller]

And here comes a long post.

Well lets see. Yes, the game DOES feel like more of a button mashing fest than PSO was. But it's not only the actual battling itself that's most of the cause.

Sure the gameplay is sped up and improved in such a way, but I (and I'm sure a majority of people would agree) don't like to keep attacking monsters for five minutes straight to kill something. They sure as hell could've lowered enemy HP and boosted the amounts of mobs for rare drops. This would make my runs and the teams runs a lot more fun. It's sad when I run into a Deljaban of equal level and sit there using half my mechgun's PP to kill it.

Photon arts I'll say were a brilliant idea. I don't really have much to say... but another attack button would be nice to the button mashing http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_wink.gif. Otherwise it gets kind of boring when it's all button mashing. Just attack/counter sounds like it MIGHT make the game a little more enjoyable.

Rare drops that's another thing. The drop rates are feel pretty horrendous and especially with the amount of time it takes to kill all these enemies in a run.

PSU seems to be more about style or who can seem to carry the most S-ranks and yell "ZOMG LOLOLOL LOOKIT MAH RARZ". They really need to fix this and make S-ranks a lot stronger than A ranks. Otherwise no one has a reason really to get it besides using it as a trophy (at least until the expansion). S ranks are supposed to the pretty uber, not weapons that can be outdone by A ranks that are grinded.

Grinding weapons. Well, grinding pretty much plain and simple sucks, but I admit it's rewarding. Breaking weapons wasn't such a good idea. Good thing this will at least change in AoI.

A few of my buddies have already stopped playing.

I knew one person back from PSO. He solo'd basically all the way to 71 on PSU. Had a Creadoubles, and was searching for the Rucar before he got bored. Now he just checks in now and then to see how much cash he's got. His response? PSO was much funner, I wish I could go back.

Another guy who I met on PSU. He had done offline PSO and played online once. He quit for FF11 after hitting around 20ish. I have no idea where he's been. His response as well was that PSO was better.

A third person I know from a friends friend in real life... He quit the game as well after hitting around 60. Game was boring to him. Never touched any other real dungeon crawler game before that either (as far as I know).

I'd give more but there's not really much point.


My main point is that the gameplay just feels too reptitive. There's nothing really sparking my interest to TRY to actually push further. I don't play this game for the game. I play it for community and people I know. That seems to be the only REALLY pushing me to go further right now.

A lot of things need to be changed if they want to keep and also attract new players. The game has its perks... but it also has its downsides.

I don't think of PSU as a bad game, but it still feels like it has a lot of things to change if it wants to compete with various other online games and prove its worth among the crowd.

Feel free to call me a whiner, I don't care stfu lol. The only way Sega will improve on the game is if people DO whine and they listen to what people want.

Lack of updates is another reason why people quit (I guess you could add that to the boredom of the game), and where the hell is the PvP Sega http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_rolleyes.gif

I can't really think of anything else off the top of my head now.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Jaspaller on 2007-09-05 12:32 ]</font>

[Udkedae]

On 2007-09-05 11:39, Kelvie wrote:
Some people didn't like the fact that you can now make combos just by spamming the attack button, without any need of correct timing, but is there more?

What? No button masher http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_eek.gif? Seriously that SUCKS!

I'm a great fan of the button combos, such as combining normal/quick attacks with heavy/slow attacks...

I think I'm gettin PSU in a few months (hopes it wait for 3 more months) but if the gameplay doesn't fit, I'm out!

Anyway, PSO is my first Phantasy Star experience so I'm a big fan of this game...

I'm spanish http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_lol.gif! Rate my spelling! [x/10]

[Kelvie]

Hum well... Interesting post, but a lot of your arguments seems to fit both PSU and PSO.
If I did read you right, the main flaws that PSU got when compared to PSO are :
1. false rares (in stats), being too rare.
2. too much monster grinding, with so much hp.

About the first argument, I agree about the stats, but about the rate, I don't really know. S-ranks are not such of a rare find once you are in high S2 missions (the ones featuring lvl100+ monsters), the flaw would be in the fact that you have to synth them, and risk to lose them. If S-rank synth rate were 100%, or if it was the weapon itself that drop directly, I think that would make them as rare as were back in PSOV1. Don't forget that PSU is still quite new, rares of today will become a lot more common in the future.

About the second, I agree, but only if we consider the first part of the game. Personally, I felt that in the beginning, but I don't feel that anymore, maybe because I only play with strongs friends. (I usually play with two or three friends)
Monsters never last a long time, even if they got more lvls than us, and a group of monsters will hardly survive us more than 15 seconds. Considering the respawn, I would say that a room can keep us busy for a minute, if there is multiples mid-boss spawns.
It sure takes a freaking long time to solo, but it doesn't bother me since I never solo.

Oh, and, I already knew that most ex-PSO players thinks that PSO was more fun than PSU, I simply don't see the reason why. Maybe because PSO's universes and gameplay were brand new when it was released, while PSU is more like an (huge) improvment in the gameplay with a different and too classical universe ?
Nostalgia may play its part too.

[Jaspaller]

Why do people think PSO was more fun? You'll get a different answer from different people, but I'll try to sum up my reasons here.

I personally enjoyed being able to cast techs without a wand. A downside which can slow you down when you have to switch to a different rod especially with this terrible pallette lag in a 6 man party.

PSO's battle system was a bit slow... but it was enjoyable! Plus, it felt less like a button masher than PSU. The three hit combos were great mixing up your attacks using Light, Hard, and Extra attacks. Making the next part of the combo improved accuracy for the attack which was a cool idea and basically made you want to get to the final hit of the combo.

I don't know what else to say about the gameplay really.
6 man party? Improvement.
Economy? Improvement.
Photon Arts? Improvement.

They need something to help improve the gameplay besides Just Counter, and Just attack. It sounds like a version of the hard attack, while saving a button.

They need to add something Fresh, and something new to the game. Like two photon arts on the same weapon or combining photon arts to make a superior unique photon art. There's so many possibilities out there that SEGA can do but aren't going to do.

I agree with you it might be the Nostalgia or the fact that it was revolutionary. Take a look at OoT for the N64, regarded as one of the best games, yet there are various games that use the same formula and surpass it in every single way... yet OoT was the best.

[Kelvie]

Hum... Not being able to cast magic without a wand is a loss, but AOI will propose, imo, a fine substitute.
With both wands and magoods, coupled with the dual weild ability, it will be as easy than it was in PSO to combine ranged or melee attacks with magic (and acrotecher since to be a perfect class to both). Yeah, you lose two buttons in the proccess since PSO's config' used to have 6 configurable slots.

About the gameplay's variety, I personally don't miss the charged attack so much, I enjoy the photon arts much more than the "similar but charged" attack. But being able to launch a photon art IN a combo, and not always in the end, would be a nice addition.
Photon arts replace the charged attack, and the special attack is replaced by the eventual right-hand gun's SE.
Seems different but as much rich to me.

To me, the only thing that really stink in PSU is the lvl design... While the graphic engine is kinda similar to PSO's one to me, slightly improved of course, the level design is far behind what we saw in PSO2, with Seabed and the CCA, and even way behind the forest. >_>