All about PSEs and Bursts

[SirGouki]

This is my first guide I've written and posted somewhere. I'm not an expert, but I have noticed a lot of explanations are only getting part of this right, then horribly messing up everything else (including the Japanese wiki surprisingly enough).

NOTE 15JUL2014: I have resumed playing the Japanese version and started playing the SEA En version of this game. I will be correcting information in the next week or so with what I am relearning from the SEA version, which seems to have better explanations than the english/jp translation last i paid attention. Also, thank you for adding this guide to the sticky.


Please Note: If you wish to comment on something, I'm expecting you to have read the ENTIRE statement regarding the something you're commenting on. For example, In the section where I've described a reward given by a Challenge ("Title"), I expect you to read and understand what Nothing Equipped means before commenting. I also expect you to read the disclaimer, and pay attention to the dates in the Recent Changes section. Information is usually valid up to the last date listed there, EVEN IF the "Post Last updated on:" date is newer. If it's not, I will explain why.
Finally, Please read the Help Needed section.

Here is what I KNOW right now:
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Spoiler!

*PSEs can level up to 8.
*Upon reaching level 8, a countdown will start. At this point you have 1 minute to trigger another PSE level for that particular PSE. If you accomplish this, you should hear "PSE Burst!" announce the burst has begun, and the timer resets to 1 minute.
*Each PSE is associated with an element (Ice, fire, lightning, wind, dark, and light).
*The kind of PSE triggered is based on the area you are in, what monsters you are killing, and what you are killing them with.
*Each element is associated with a specific effect of the PSE, but the PSEs change depending on your area.
*You can trigger boosts to damage with the PSE system in the same manner. PSEs now have damage boosts listed in their names, I do not know when this changed due to my absence.
*The pictures that come up with a radar are telling you that you are triggering a boost to something (Red is monster spawn rate, yellow is meseta, these are all I've seen so far. I'm fairly certain green is exp boosts, but its hard to tell when it's green or yellow because of the closeness of the colors.. they both look yellow to me). This still seems to be true.
*Aside from regular PSE Bursts, you can chain burst which will add the level of the chain next to the words PSE Burst. You can also crossover burst.
* The PSE with UP in the name is the Fire element one, and as mentioned before, it boosts the monster spawn rate while in effect.
* The type of PSE triggered (element type) is based largely on the element types the enemy is weak to, or what element their drops are assigned to.
* removed info about Darkers because I'm not sure how I came to that conclusion.
* A Crossover Burst is triggered by bursting a different PSE burst during an active PSE Burst. A Crossover Burst further increases spawn rates, and boosts the Bursts that are active.

What I'm unsure of
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Spoiler!

MISC
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Spoiler!

This is information I have figured out that I thought of just now, that many people don't seem to notice.
* You cannot bring an NPC into a field if they are already in that instance of the field. Meaning: If I have アフィン　in the volcano and you join my instance of it, even through the multiparty method, you cannot also call him out.
* You cannot bring an NPC into a field if doing so would go over that field's multiparty size. If the multiparty size is 12/12, NO ONE (except GMs) can join, not even the NPCs. I'm assuming this is to keep fields from becoming the lag fests they would be if 12 of us got together with 3 npcs each. NPCs also cannot be used to exceed your maximum party size.
* You earn FUN when someone uses you as a Friend Partner. I have not tested whether standard NPC rules apply to these, but I don't think they do since you can be in a party with someone and them still call out your Friend Partner (and you can call them out, making a full party from 2 people). They will be your level when you call them out, unless your level is higher than the level the player made them at, in which case they will be the level they were created at. NPCs are created at max level.
* NPCs DO NOT level up when you do, they stay the level you were when you called them out.
* If you have a Client Order to kill enemies with a certain weapon, you only have to have that weapon equiped. If your friends or NPCs kill a monster while you have that weapon equipped, IT COUNTS. Even in multi-party areas, if you gain EXP at all for a kill, it counts as you killing it. This is really useful for the class oriented "Kill monsters with this weapon class" orders, since you can take 3 npcs into a passworded free-forest and be done in a couple of minutes. Confirmed *** All methods of killing an enemy works, including the machine gun encampments and traps as long as you get the exp ***
* If you complete a client order that requires you to use a different class, then switch from that class, the new class can still turn in that order and gain the experience points from it. I have tested this by talking to the NPC that wants you to talk to her as a force, then switched to hunter and turned it in. I also did this with Lisa and her "Talk to me as a ranger" order. The only requirement seems to be that you fulfill the order as the class it asks for first.
* This is probably common knowledge and addressed elsewhere by now, but the amount of exp MAGs gain from items is based on the type of item and the amount of stars. You cannot feed a MAG any item that is more rare than 6*s (per SEA, haven't tried recently in JP).
* you earn 100 Fun for your first 2 consecutive days logged in, then I think its 50 Fun more for every day after that. I have only got to 5 days and that was 250 FUN. I am sure that there is a cap to this. (this different per region, and I've not been watching the JP log in notification recently)

*(UNSURE!) Removed the info about titles/challenges because I can confirm that this was not caused by a title, none of them have a reward that increases PP per my JP account. I have no idea why but the change seems to be account wide because I remade my character (mag issues/skill tree bad) and still have the extra PP.

Back on topic of PSEs, I'll add more info when I figure it out. If you have theories on something let me know, I'll test it and then add it to this post, or notify you if it doesn't work that way.

Aside from playing games, I'm also a programmer with sights set on game development, so I might not even have to test it. I'm also learning Japanese, and this game is helping a lot.

DISCLAIMER

Spoiler!

If you want to help out DO NOT just tell me something. In most everything here I am providing information as to why I am saying what I am saying. I expect the same thing from people trying to help, even if its correcting something I may have gotten wrong.

Valid proof is NOT:
"he/she/they are saying it's really this."
quoting someone else.

Valid proof IS:
describing your testing methods if you tested it
quoting someones test description
a picture IN A SPOILER BOX

If you didn't test it, and you quote someone without their method of testing and a description, I will either test it myself, or I will ignore your post. Being human, I cannot possibly test every bit of information by myself.
If you DID test it, or you quoted the description of someone else's testing, I will test it myself or have a close friend do so UNLESS part of the proof is a picture/video.

If and only If you provide valid information as to why something is different, will I add it to this post. Anything not in "What I know" or "MISC", to include replies not quoted in this post, should be considered speculation.

All information is subject to change in an update to the game.

SPECIAL THANKS

Spoiler!

TODO: Add credits to information I personally haven't tested.

Recent Changes:

Spoiler!

15JUL2014

Spoiler!

Removed incorrect information, began restructuring.
Updated some info based on SEA version of PSO2

Planned changes:

Spoiler!

Finish corrections, add new content.
Better content grouping.
More format editing to promote easier reading (I.E. using font colors, bolding, etc. to highlight specific information).
I'm considering moving my MISC section to another post.

[Husq]

I suspect that raising the PSE levels are related to the classic timed combo attacks.
Unlike PSO, you can technically make a infinite chain, by using a weaker weapon. I have no proof for it, but if someone wants to give it a go, we will find out. Best weapon to try it out is probably a gunslash, because it is easier to time the attacks with it.

[SirGouki]

I suspect that raising the PSE levels are related to the classic timed combo attacks.
Unlike PSO, you can technically make a infinite chain, by using a weaker weapon. I have no proof for it, but if someone wants to give it a go, we will find out. Best weapon to try it out is probably a gunslash, because it is easier to time the attacks with it.

It's more about killing enemies faster, this much I know. The only way I could see this affecting it would be if you were comparing Just Attacks with just holding the button down. On a slower weapon, Just Attacks will kill faster than just holding the button down, but on a faster weapon I can see the opposite happening. Anything that causes you to kill faster WILL cause you to burst faster. Also yes, if timed right, almost every single weapon can do an infinite chain.

As a side note, when I first started this game, I thought that killing enemies with a regular attack would grant Lightning PSEs while killing them with a PA granted Ice ones. These kinds of things DO have an impact on what triggers, as ice seems to trigger more often when using a Photon Art, regardless of the weapon element/Spell. I just haven't figured out to what extent. I am 100% sure that the monsters element does have an impact on this though, if not its the family. Evidence for it being monster family based can be seen with dagans and breeadas. I have only ever gotten red off of these types, unless I use a photon art, then it has either been red, yellow, or blue, even if the weapon was non-elemental.

[SirGouki]

It seems people are not finding this useful.

[GrieverXVII]

I found this a good read. Still very confusing to try piecing everything togdther here. Thanks though, this helps.

[SirGouki]

It's going to be for a while. There seems to be a lot of small things that have an effect on what PSE element is triggered. I'm starting to think (and this is the original reason for my posting this info) that it's going to be too much for me to do alone, with just myself and my brother playing.

[soulpimpwizzurd]

this is a good thread and i like the info posted. learned some new stuff, a good amount i knew already though.

you could clean it up with the usage of spoiler boxes though, that's fosho.

learning about bursts is nice, but what everybody REALLY wants to know is how to activate them. it's generally no problem keeping them going when they come on, but the problem is activating them.

i understand how, it's just frustrating when there aren't enough mobs.

i'm pretty sure if i had a hive mind of 12 players i could get pse bursts non stop, but a lot of players are sheep and they won't go anywhere unless one person takes the lead, and sometimes two people will take lead so the group gets divided.

the biggest problem is that if the group is divided, not only do less mobs spawn, but areas that should spawn may not spawn, if someone was already there a few moments ago.

the main way to get pse bursts is:
1. have a leader that everybody follows no matter what
2. abuse spawn locations that are close together.
3. don't waste time breaking boxes/picking up items that you'd have to backtrack to get
4. only take "item pick up breaks" after a burst

pse lvl 7 is extremely sensitive and that's usually when groups fail to burst. it fades in like 20 seconds or so, and players end up dillydallying and breaking boxes, etc.

i would say definitely one of the biggest burst killers are when people go the extra 20 paces or so just to break open a box and get generally nothing important. but they do it anyway.

they don't realize that getting bursts requires constant mob killing asap.

i really really REALLY fucking wish you could burst solo but you can't. it's so gay.

i feel like the burst system is good and bad, but for the most part just annoying. when there's no burst and you're soloing you literally get like ZERO mobs. maybe one or two and the occasional group of 3. even with two human players you don't get that many, or a full group. it's so stupid.

back on the regular pso even when you solod the same amount of mobs spawned. it was nice. i think it should be possible to burst solo if you were dutiful enough and put forth your best effort. but it's impossible.

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btw a really good tip for maintaining bursts is to zoom your minimap so you can see mobs easier. when bursts occur they get so hectic i generally can't see anything, so i rely on the minimap a lot to find and kill monsters as fast as possible.

[jooozek]

The biggest problem is that the big map sucks ass and doesn't show other players, would be also nice if the different drops had different colours, or at least red for the 7-9* stuff.

[Omega-z]

Just had a thought in re-guards to element's when you get the Bar boosted one's in the area for element's show up, using the same element may help to boost your PSE alot when I had a wind one show up I switched to one I had and started to wrack thing's with it and got PSE with 3 more in a row with out getting to Lv.8 with any off them. I skipped the first block for the most part and kill around 30 darker's since it was the Dagan mish in the forest and about four waves of other forest one's so was a 2-4 lv. range. But it was pretty quick after switching killed like 10 foe's then got a PSE and killed 5-10 more got another did the same got another and then one more after that it was full minute one's too had 4 min's of this and was doing it Solo? is it possible or was I just super lucky that time?

[Raxrenol]

MISC
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* Some challenges award you with permanent PP. I don't know which ones, and if you remake that character (or make a new character in a character slot) you cannot get this for that character since it saves to the account. My character currently has 102 pp with no equipment on. To get rewards from challenges, talk to the NPC to the left of the Class Change NPC. Orange names are challenges you've completed, and white names are ones you've taken the reward for. Right now, there are 5 pages. I don't know what the requirements for any of these are, but they work exactly like achievements, and seem to be just like challenges in Phantasy Star Portable.

Would really like some confirmation on this, I've recently switched ships and made a new character on the same account. I played the old character a lot and would like to have not unlocked something that's non-transferable to my new character for whatever reason.

I searched as much as I could, and found that what you're referring to here is Titles, but most threads about titles have said that they're entirely item rewards, such as grinders, photon drops or synthesizers, none have mentioned anything regarding permanent PP increases.