Not a fan

[GeordieP]

Ive given PSO2 a good try but I dont like it, I think 30 hours is enough to judge whether a game is for you or not.
All this game did was make me wish I was playing PSU... *sniff*
Im not holding my breath but unless SEGAC delivers something spectacular for western client that wont be pulled at the first hiccup (s+10 you-tube video) then I think Im done with Phantasy Star series.

[SteveCZ]

Well I assume sega did the right thing for not bringing this to the west or the world. It's just the (majority of?) others who feel that the game is not for them aren't so vocal like you compare to those who keep wishing it to get to western market back then. Even this game did not work in southeast asia anyway.

[GeordieP]

Well I assume sega did the right thing for not bringing this to the west or the world. It's just the (majority of?) others who feel that the game is not for them aren't so vocal like you compare to those who keep wishing it to get to western market back then. Even this game did not work in southeast asia anyway.
erm.... ok

[SteveCZ]

erm.... ok

erm did I say something wrong? I'm just saying that I agree by your statement that this game isn't really for everyone and somehow sega knows it. They attempted to get to outside japan once which is southeast asia and they failed as well there. So yeah, in short it's apparently not really for everyone.

Your statement is quite rare here cause I usually only see people wishing for this game to come to the west, so I'm glad to see another side's opinion.

[Zorak000]

no game is for everybody; but I'd think this game would do pretty well if they invested more in global servers than they did for previous games. so that'll never happen hahaha.... Advertising can do a lot more work than you'd imagine

the core gameplay is what has kept me around this whole time, despite all the extra systems they tacked on, or the gatcha+recycle shop causing some outfits/accessories to go extinct, and the issues I got with EQs (the quests are good, but it could really use a different distribution system; possibly requiring a complete overhaul of every single quest in the game, so that's probably never getting fixed either)

fighting stuff just feels good in general, and it's only gotten better

[Zulastar]

Well in first place I dont know any other game with same opportunities of character cutomisation during game process.
In second - there's not very difficult gameplay process with many variations of weapons and fighting styles.

In opposition there's two main minuses: hitstops in combat and very stiff ranged combat.

[SPOILER-BOX]
I start playing Phantasy Star series from PS3 on Genesis, it was no like other games I played before.
Then I got myself PS2, remarkable fact: I was born at year of it's release.
Then was PS4, it was about year 2000 when I got original cartrige of this game in Japanese. It was like a miracle when I found a single copy in our town. Spent 50 bucks on it (pretty much for 14 year kid back then!)
Next was big time skip when I've done my professional education, and only when I start working there was PSO: AotI.
Then I played PS Portable and PS Portable 2.
And only when IP-block gone I start playing PSO2.
[/SPOILER-BOX]

[ArcaneTechs]

Ive given PSO2 a good try but I dont like it, I think 30 hours is enough to judge whether a game is for you or not.
All this game did was make me wish I was playing PSU... *sniff*
Im not holding my breath but unless SEGAC delivers something spectacular for western client that wont be pulled at the first hiccup (s+10 you-tube video) then I think Im done with Phantasy Star series.
So you didnt like it because you wanted it be laik PSU? Also western release never, people can keep waiting but it aint comin

Also theres a offline client for PSUs with JP content if you really miss PSU that bad

[GeordieP]

erm did I say something wrong? I'm just saying that I agree by your statement that this game isn't really for everyone and somehow sega knows it. They attempted to get to outside japan once which is southeast asia and they failed as well there. So yeah, in short it's apparently not really for everyone.

Your statement is quite rare here cause I usually only see people wishing for this game to come to the west, so I'm glad to see another side's opinion.
I see I wasn't sure what you were saying thanks for the clarification.

hmm I suppose at the back of my mind is the uncertainty about devoting time and possibly money into a game I could get banned from.
Maybe a western server could alleviate this concern.

Im waiting to see SEGA's next move.

[Anduril]

I see I wasn't sure what you were saying thanks for the clarification.

hmm I suppose at the back of my mind is the uncertainty about devoting time and possibly money into a game I could get banned from.
Maybe a western server could alleviate this concern.

Im waiting to see SEGA's next move.
As far as I have heard and seen, no one has been banned just becuase they played from outside of Japan, so it really shouldn't be a concern. Also, at this point, there is no point in even contemplating the possibility of a western server since odds are SEGA is already planning the next game in the series since we are coming up on year 7 of the originally planned 10 (if they don't abandon PC/Console all together for mobile gaming); if they decide to make that new project international is also up in the air.

That said, if you really miss PSU, you might want to look into the private server that is in development.

[ArcaneTechs]

I see I wasn't sure what you were saying thanks for the clarification.

hmm I suppose at the back of my mind is the uncertainty about devoting time and possibly money into a game I could get banned from.
Maybe a western server could alleviate this concern.

Im waiting to see SEGA's next move.
weigh the pros and cons of a localized server, really think about it because people have been throwing this out for years that somehow a US/EU version would make it all good. I'm not berating you but its what gets said over and over again with somehow financially backing the game throw Premium and Micro-Transactions (AC scratches) would be the better choice when reality is a majority of that money is going straight to Sega JP and what bare minimum they need to keep the West servers.

Theres an alternative to playing PSU online and offline through the private servers again if you really want to relive some of those good days.

[SteveCZ]

hmm I suppose at the back of my mind is the uncertainty about devoting time and possibly money into a game I could get banned from.
Maybe a western server could alleviate this concern.

Im waiting to see SEGA's next move.

Just to add Anduril's post related to ban, think I can (unofficially) assure you that you won't get banned just because you're from outside Japan.

First, so many people have been playing since 2012 until today. There were doubts time to time, but it's been almost 7 years now.

Second, when the game is released to southeast asia, all players from there were IP blocked. I think it's to keep people from there to play the southeast asia version instead of japan, due to contract or whatever. From what I've heard, that IP block has been lifted since 1-2 years ago, a year after the game was shut down in there, I think? Which kinda prove that they don't really mind about it.

[Sirius-91]

Just to add Anduril's post related to ban, think I can (unofficially) assure you that you won't get banned just because you're from outside Japan.

First, so many people have been playing since 2012 until today. There were doubts time to time, but it's been almost 7 years now.

Second, when the game is released to southeast asia, all players from there were IP blocked. I think it's to keep people from there to play the southeast asia version instead of japan, due to contract or whatever. From what I've heard, that IP block has been lifted since 1-2 years ago, a year after the game was shut down in there, I think? Which kinda prove that they don't really mind about it.

IP block has not been lifted. But newer ISPs in the SEA region aren't affected by it. Also, website isn't blocked anymore, so that isn't a good indicator that you're blocked/unblocked anymore.

[SteveCZ]

IP block has not been lifted. But newer ISPs in the SEA region aren't affected by it. Also, website isn't blocked anymore, so that isn't a good indicator that you're blocked/unblocked anymore.

I see, I stand corrected then in that case.

[GeordieP]

Or maybe I dont want to invest 18k+ hours into something that will be taken away against my will.

Im thinking Im still a bit salty over it.

[ArcaneTechs]

Or maybe I dont want to invest 18k+ hours into something that will be taken away against my will.

Im thinking Im still a bit salty over it.

there are people who have put thousands of hours into this game that are still playing, you know have nothing to fear but your own paranoia

[Dark Mits]

In the end we will all lose our characters and progress against our will when Sega finally shuts down the servers. When that will be is a different discussion, but with near 100% certainty later than 2023.

Unless Sega somehow allows us to "migrate" our progress to PSO3 or gives us some passive bonuses depending on our progress on PSO2.

[Sirius-91]

In the end we will all lose our characters and progress against our will when Sega finally shuts down the servers. When that will be is a different discussion, but with near 100% certainty later than 2023.

Unless Sega somehow allows us to "migrate" our progress to PSO3 or gives us some passive bonuses depending on our progress on PSO2.
Or a private server springs up.

[Dark Mits]

Or a private server springs up.But we will have to start from scratch on a private server, right? We won't have any way to transfer our characters, or prove that our characters were at a certain state when the servers shut down.

[Meteor Weapon]

Or just keep the game running like how WoW did for years. Then again I wouldnt know how would they keep up having the content staying relevant.

[landman]

Seeing how some communities are in "international" servers, seems to me people want a place to do what they are used to do, instead of being polite in a foreign place, and so, the paranoia about banning emerges. Or maybe they just want "their right" to "demand" something of the developer, and not being able to do it because language is a turn off.

[Sirius-91]

But we will have to start from scratch on a private server, right? We won't have any way to transfer our characters, or prove that our characters were at a certain state when the servers shut down.
Saving your character data via salon will import your characters, levels and weapons are trivial data. I imagine it wouldn't be very hard to import characters anyway.

[RandomTask]

Not sure you'll find many people here that don't like the game nearly 7 years in now. I played some PSU before I started PSO2 up again and the gameplay is a right bore next to PSO2. You could use the diffuse shell PA in PSO2 and pretend your playing PSU just shotgunning everything to death lol. It's the time sink that's keeping ya salty about it, there's no happy endings in Phantasy Star when it all ends, after all the time invested and ya got nothing to show for it. On the plus side, you might meet some "interesting" people along the way.

[GeordieP]

Not sure you'll find many people here that don't like the game nearly 7 years in now. I played some PSU before I started PSO2 up again and the gameplay is a right bore next to PSO2. You could use the diffuse shell PA in PSO2 and pretend your playing PSU just shotgunning everything to death lol. It's the time sink that's keeping ya salty about it, there's no happy endings in Phantasy Star when it all ends, after all the time invested and ya got nothing to show for it. On the plus side, you might meet some "interesting" people along the way.

ha I was wondering when you'd show up.

[AOI_Tifa_Lockhart]

I found PSO2 to be a mixed bag. The combat and visuals were hugely improved over PSU. However the lack of levelling up Photon Arts felt like a step back. As well as the single lobby style similar to PSOBB. Running through multitudes of quests and ending up in a different lobby each time made you feel like an explorer on PSU.

I did enjoy the spontaneous emergency codes and the EQ's on PSO2. But in general the gameplay feels a lot more dulled down. The main gripe for me however is that I'm not a fan of anime and whilst PSO and PSU were anime style, the graphics sort of prevented it from going all out anime based. Whereas on PSO2 is a fully fledged anime MMO and it's obvious by the style, the gameplay, the storyline, and of course, the player base.

Every now and then I'm overcome with a sense of nostalgia for the game. Although an MMO isn't a good fit at the best of times for someone as cantankerous and anti-social as myself, let alone one who's visual and audible hyperactivity makes me wince almost constantly.

I guess I persevere as it's Phantasy Star - I have fond memories I continue to relive on PSOBB and PSU, but after a while I burn out on those 2 games and feel the need to play on PSO2 as they're the only 3 MMO's I play.

Tifa