Here we go again

[ARASHIKAGE]

*note Please don't post in this thread to say you have no comment, if you're tired of this debate simply past it by, it won't hurt my feelings. I feel in-light of new information this topic deserves a new stage.

There has been a lot of talk about the PSP game Infinity creating (out of thin air) a link between PSO and PSU (it seems this cash cow has horns). Even though in an attempt to wash their hands of PSU, Sega made it very clear in 2006 that PSU "has no connection" with PSO. How does "no conection" become "sequel"? Well they need to broaden their fan base of course, you need to include all the new players that just picked up a PSP and it is their first Phantasy Star experience. Lets face it PSO came out over ten years ago and, by dating myself I started playing PSO in high school when it came out. There are a lot of gamers playing these new Phantasy Star Universe style games, and 90% of them have absolutely know clue what PSO is, because they never played it. But I don't blame any of them, because it would have been hard to get into the first consloe MMORPG when you are only five years old at the time.

Everything I've seen from the screen shoots to the trailer has had me super pumped for PSO's big return, there's nothing that is going to stop me from playing this game! Whether it terrible with North American service, the PSO2 development staff mostly have no ties to PSO (Sakai save us!), is a possible "cash cow", or to "PSU like", PC only, or full of Beasts. I will leap every obstacle and conquer all doubt and rumor to play PSO2, for what it is; my favorite MMO.

*crawls back inside the "Fan Boy, PSO Purist" cave for protection* "There's a storm coming, which is probably why I didn't see my shadow." *Gets ready for six weeks of something, something...*

[BIG OLAF]

When PSO came out, I didn't even know what a Dreamcast was. I went straight from the SEGA Genesis, to the Nintendo 64. I played PSO about a year or so after starting my PSU career. I found it to be extremely boring in comparison. In my experiences, I've found that the only people who like PSO more than the Universe series are those that played it when it came out, or generally before PSU was released.

Like I said a long time ago: there's a "generational gap" between fanbases of Online and Universe, which is where a lot of the disagreements come from.

Also, Infinity wasn't meant to be a "sequel." It was just a "branching story", to put it that way. Besides, every Phantasy Star game is related somehow. Go read the new "Phantasy Star timeline theory" thread in the Fan Works forum.

Point is: times change. Nothing lasts forever, especially not "good" things ("good" is in quotes because it's a subjective term here). Also, what would it matter if the game had Beasts in it? How would that be an "obstacle?" It's almost a certainty at this point that they won't be included, but still.

[ARASHIKAGE]

Like I said a long time ago: there's a "generational gap" between fanbases of Online and Universe, which is where a lot of the disagreements come from.

I fully agree Olaf.

Also, Infinity wasn't meant to be a "sequel." It was just a "branching story", to put it that way. Besides, every Phantasy Star game is related somehow. Go read the new "Phantasy Star timeline theory" thread in the Fan Works forum.

I was stating that PSU was the now discovered sequel to PSO. And PSO2 is going to be the middle slice there. Which is why now I strongly believe the next screen shots are going to be the Beasts.
Edit: Sonic Team has a chance to hit he reset button so to speak, on race balancing for a 4th race. I'm interested to see what they are going to do now that the storyline is catering to both PSO and PSU fans.

[BIG OLAF]

I was stating that PSU was the now discovered sequel to PSO. And PSO2 is going to be the middle slice there. Which is why now I strongly belive the next screen shots we are going to see are going to be Beasts.

While Infinity did uncover a "connection" between PSU and PSO, I wouldn't call the Universe series a sequel, per se. They just had, once again, "connections" to each other. I think the reason PSO2 is named "PSO2" is because it will follow the PSO storyline a lot more closely. The PSO references in the Universe series were put in just to be fanservice afterthoughts, and not really taken seriously. At least not to me. PSO2 will most likely be the successor to PSO, at least from a storyline point of view. As in, a much closer "branching off" from the original PSO.

As for Beasts being in PSO2, I very highly doubt it. But, if they are, that would make my day week month year.

[RemiusTA]

Man look me and my best friend used to play Sonic Adventure 2 on my dreamcast after school all day. I was in like Middle School. One day, he came up to my house with this game with some badass art on the cover. When i asked him what it was, he said "i looked it up online because the cover looked cool, its really fun". So we played. And i begged him (literally) to borrow it when it was time for him to go.


My two cents on where PSO2 is going to have to put in work:

This game is going to need to feel like AN EXPERIENCE AGAIN.

It's going to need that old "DREAMCAST" effect, you know? That old Shenmue, JGR, Powerstone, Sonic Adventure, "Wow this game is neat i cant wait to get to the next level" experience feeling. It's been lost in videogames for what feels like a decade, man...



I feel this is the most important aspect, hands down. In PSO, the fun in starting the game came from the feeling of being thrown into a new world, slowly learning how to manage yourself. Your skill in whatever other videogames you played simply did not help you. If you and your freaking sister started playing the game together, you were both at floor 0 for the most part.

You practice the 3-hit combos on the boxes where you spawn. You attacked an enemy, and he hit you and knocked you on the ground. You get up, and instantly say "shit, im about to die, how to heal myself". You heal yourself, and finish off the enemy. A box drops. You pick it up and ask, "what does this do?" "Why is the text green?" "What is a barrier?" "What is this floating thing over my shoulder do?" "How do i use my handgun?"

As you continue to play PSO, from the Forest to the Ruins, the entire game is slowly letting you experience more and more unique things. You fight rappies and boomas until you finally run across a giant enemy that you cannot knock back with your hard attack, and a dragon that flies and goes underground. Hunters find their first giant Sword that can wack multiple enemies at once. Rangers equip their rifles and (probably) are the first to use the Extra Attack feature. Forces slowly build up their magic list, and then slowly start to realize that it literally changes as it levels. Rangers start using sabers, Forces start using handguns, and hunters start using magic. Everything is like a constant experience, and you are consistantly (and VISUALLY) growing.

You begin to understand how to feed your mag, and how it will evolves, and then later how it can actually help you in battle. (which is always a "HOLY SHIT WHAT'D I DO" moment for everyone i play with)



The other titles? They just did not achieve this level of immersion with the game. (NO, im not talking about graphics or clothing.) By Immersion, i mean "you grow with your character". In PSU, you are given 2 buttons to attack with, and quickly learn for yourself that "if i press the Triangle Button, i'll probably kill the enemy"...and thats what you do for the rest of the game. This is exaggerated a bit, but for the most part, it's absolutely true and you know it. The most "exploration" or "experience" you will get from PSU will come from the lots of different Photon Arts you can use for each move. But that is not the same as true character growth.


Things like this? It's the reason PSU and PSO follow pretty much the exact same pattern, but people complained about PSU's monotony FAR before they would say the same for PSO, which seeming has less features. It's because when you strip them down, they really aren't even the same.

[Griffin]

Everything I've seen from the screen shoots to the trailer has had me super pumped for PSO's big return, there's nothing that is going to stop me from playing this game!

That's the spirit, guy! All you really need is that, in my opinion. I'm not much for number-crunching and theories, but I say Sega should give it their all this time around for everyone!

[NoiseHERO]

Theres 3 things I'm paranoid about but after those are clear, this game looks perfect to me.

1:Character and Class Customization + Outfits choices(Please god no, not PSO's system)
2:My room + Lobby system(I think I'm the only one who liked PSU's lobby system)
3:Weapon choices...(The weapons we seen before look like they have a LOT of uses, which I hope doesn't mean less weapons)




Wait WAS this a "What do you want in PSO2?" thread?

[ARASHIKAGE]

@RemiusTA: I'm really impressed by your take on the topic.
It almost makes me a bit sad though. If I were a "PSO Purist" (and I'm not saying I'm not) well then I would want everything PSO had to a tee and forget PSU ever happened. You're so right the experience PSO had was like no other, but time goes on and that was ten years ago. PSO2 can't capture that feeling of wonderment if it copies it's predecessors (PSO/PSU), it must be new, it must change, so we can achieve that same wonderment once again.

So far I'm impressed by the new subtle changes I've seen thus far to; the game play mechanics. But mostly to the; map shuffling along with the cut-in events, giving the player a sense of a real-time fresh environment. I believe that will go a long way in this game.

[THLPSC]

PSO has outdated mechanics. Guess that is all I am going to contribute to this discussion.

[Angelo]

They can muddle the game up beyond all reason and I'd still fork over cash to give it a shot.

I've been crazy about every online Phantasy Star game since DC's 'vanilla', save for Ep. 3.