Having recently discussed the fact that “Phantasy Star Portable 2 – Infinity” provides some crossovers between the periods of “Phantasy Star Online” and “Phantasy Star Universe,” I wanted to examine this in a bit more depth and discuss how some of these games might fit together.
First, I should note that back in 2006, when “Phantasy Star Universe” was released, Sega made it clear that this new MMORPG series within the Phantasy Star realms had no real connection to the “Phantasy Star Online” titles. The game (and subsequent expansions and follow-ups) took place in the Gurhal System, which, if not in a different universe altogether, was very far away from Ragol or the Algol System. Moreover, the titles within the Universe series use a completely different calendar system.
Why is the calendar significant? Well, the original quadrilogy and the Online titles use a calendar system with dates of either BW (Before Waizz) or AW (After Waizz), based on the unification of Palma under King Waizz. The Universe titles, on the other hand, use a system of dating of either BA (Before the Alliance) or AC (Allied Century).
There are many resources out there (official and fan-based) that give you good breakdowns of the calendar system, but this post here does a good job of showing you the chronology of the older, single-player RPGs (“Phantasy Star” through “Phantasy Star IV”). Likewise, this article shows the history of the Gurhal System.
IS THERE A CORRELATION BETWEEN THE ALGOL CALENDAR AND THE GREGORIAN CALENDAR?:
No, not officially. The best we can do is make estimates of when some of these events take place. Some sources come up with completely arbitrary dates to assign to AW 1, but I don’t really like that.
We do know that these events are relatively far into the future, however, and in the next section I will discuss the role Earth and the “Earthmen” play in the story.
Based on what you will soon read, I tend to believe that AW 1 correlates with 2001 AD.
This makes calculating dates much easier, but it also makes sense. Humans arrive in the Algol System in 846 AW, after their planet was destroyed and made unlivable about 200 years in the past. If this occurred in the mid-2600s AD, it is likely by then that space travel to distant systems would be much more possible (even without faster-than-light capabilities). Moreover, Humans had the ability to manage the climate of Earth, something we are quite far away from today.
WHERE DO THE EARTHMEN FIT INTO THE STORY?:
Around the year 846 AW, Humans from the planet Earth arrive in the Algol Star System after a 200-year journey aboard Noah. It is apparent in “Phantasy Star II” that the reason for their departure from their home was that their planet was deemed unlivable (and in some translations completely destroyed!) due to their efforts to control the planet’s climate.
This makes sense, because sometime in the centuries between their arrival and the year AW 1284 (the events of “Phantasy Star II”), the Earthmen have taken over much of the Algol System’s worlds and have implemented a computer system known as the Mother Brain, which essentially rules the planets and makes everyone complacent. It is likely that this has much to do with what happened to their home world.
After all, after the destruction of the Mother Brain later that year, a series of environmental disasters strike the worlds of the system, which does lead to the destruction of Palma, which plays a role in our story later on.
WHY ARE THE EARTHMEN EVIL?:
There is a lot of speculation on this topic, but in my mind “Phantasy Star III” provides us with a good answer.
The game has different endings, but in one of the endings (the one believed to be canon), one of the world-ships, the Alisa III, travels through a black hole and ends up in the Sol System very far into the past, having traversed both space and time. It is uncertain of when they arrived, but we know that it must have been before AW 646, which was when the planet was destroyed and Humans fled elsewhere.
The ship had been invaded by Dark Force, and he was temporarily sealed away therein. Thus, by traveling back into the past, it is very possible (and this seems to be implied by Sega) that Dark Force subsequently was brought to Earth. It is speculated that the ship they use, Noah, was likely based on the designs of the Alisa III, so perhaps in their interactions with the people of the ship, Dark Force was later released and corrupted their minds.
Since this must be prior to AW 646, a date of AW 284 makes sense, because that would be 1,000 years prior to the events of “Phantasy Star II,” and would coincide with Dark Force’s appearance in “Phantasy Star” (since Dark Force manifests every 1,000 years). This would make sense, too, because the Dark Force from the “future” would be awakened in parallel with the one in Algol in AW 284.
A rather vicious cycle, no?
WHERE DOES PHANTASY STAR ONLINE FIT INTO THE STORY?:
While at one point these titles were thought to be unrelated, sort of like most Final Fantasy games are unrelated, there are many facts that point to the contrary.
First, evidence in the game itself shows that the game takes place in AW 3084, about 800 years after the events of “Phantasy Star IV.” The very use of the Algol Calendar seems to point to the fact that the people aboard the Pioneer ships came from Algol in the past. This isn’t even to mention the fact that in the ruins on Ragol, the symbols that represent the three worlds of the Algol System can be found around the seal that contained Dark Force!
Now, let’s look at this timeline of the game, which is based on official dates. This is a great timeline because it helps us to tie the events of the Online games with those of “Phantasy Star Zero” on the DS.
Apparently, after many years of war and destruction on Coral, the planet was becoming unlivable. Thus, in AW 3060, the Alliance of Nations sent out probes to find a suitable homeworld for their people, and in AW 3068 one was found, which they named Ragol. Pioneer 1 was sent to the world in AW 3066, arriving in 3077 (which leads us to believe it’s a relatively far distance, though not nearly as far as the distance between Earth and Algol), and in 3082 the people of Pioneer 1 finish construction of the initial colony and alert the people on Coral that they may send Pioneer 2. Yet, in 3083, animals begin to attack the people, and it was for this reason that the Hunters were established by Rico Tyrell (important later), and when the Pioneer 2 arrives in 3084, an explosion on the surface sets off the events of the first “Phantasy Star Online” title.
So, we know that there were people living on a world called Coral that became unlivable a couple decades before the events of the Online games, and we know that these people use the Algol Calendar, and thus must be of some sort of Algolian descent. Yet, where does Coral fit into the story of the Algol System?
There’s a lot of speculation on this, too, here are two equally possible theories, none of which cause any issues in the series. First, some think that Coral was colonized after AW 86, when the people of the Algol System achieved the ability to travel efficiently in space. The second possibility is that it was established with the sole purpose of becoming a new home for the people of Palma after its destruction in AW 1284.
In either case, the idea that the world was settled eventually by Palmans makes a lot of sense, and completely explains their usage of things from the Algol System in the Online period.
SO WHAT HAPPENED TO CORAL BETWEEN THE EVENTS OF PHANTASY STAR II AND PHANTASY STAR ONLINE?:
This is another good question, and one that seems to be answered by “Phantasy Star Zero” on the DS.
This was another game that people thought existed within its own place in the story, but later on in the game’s Story Mode, it is revealed that the world the game takes place on was once known as Coral. More importantly, it is revealed that after centuries of warfare, a devastating event known as the “Great Blank” takes place, rendering much of the world very hospitable and unlivable due to radiation and an overall destruction of the world’s climate system. Much of the population is destroyed, too, and what technology exists in the ‘present’ is found in the ruins of the old society.
It is later revealed that a computerized being known as the Mother Trinity was responsible for this great cataclysm, seemingly as a way to ‘reset’ the world and thus stop the conflict that had been raging on for centuries. Newmans (a race which later appear in the Online and Universe titles) are revealed to have been created long ago by the Mother Trinity, and during the time of “Phantasy Star Zero” they are charged with destroying the Humans to ensure that such a war never happens again. However, Newmans as a group existed long before these events, as Nei of “Phantasy Star II” suggests. Therefore, it’s more likely that the Mother Trinity genetically engineered the Newmans that are referred to as “her children,” either based on Newmans that may have traveled with the Palmans to Coral long ago, or based on DNA data and other materials stored in her database.
So, this seems to fit well. It seems like the wars referred to in the background of Online refer to this series of wars that was fought on Coral in Zero.
Yet, many wonder why Zero takes place on Coral, after these wars. There are a couple easily possible solutions to that.
First, it has been suggested that the Alliance of Nations knew that the Mother Trinity would soon do what she did, and thus around AW 3060 they began to look for a new home world. Pioneer 1 and 2 (and maybe others, but this is not confirmed) made it off of Coral in time, but others did not make it off before the Great Blank happened. As such, Zero is set 200 years later, sometime around AW 3284 (which interestingly is about when “Phantasy Star III” takes place according to the Japanese timeline, though all other timelines date PS3 to being concurrent with PS4).
Another possibility is that the Great Blank was sometime between about AW 1284 (though most certainly not this early, but this date is listed to provide a time range) and AW 2860, and it was sometime after this event that people left Coral.
Personally, I believe more in the first possibility, and that the moniker “Zero” refers to the fact that the game explains why people left Coral to head to Ragol.
As to what group specifically located and/or settled on Coral? It’s possible that it might be one of the other worldships like the Neopalm, seen in “Phantasy Star III,” eventually settled on Coral. Yet, it is also possible that it was an unseen worldship (one of the 400 or so sent from Palma in AW 1284) that did so, which makes a bit more chronological sense.
IS RYKROS CORAL?:
This is an interesting theory that has circled the Internet for some time now.
Rykros is the fourth planet (pictured on the chart above) in the Algol System, though it has a massive orbit that takes 1,000 years to complete. In fact, the planet seems to enter the Algol System around the time of Dark Force’s revival every 1,000 years.
Yet, the planet remains invisible during each visit until the year AW 2284, when the Aero-Prism is used to see through its cloaking device. The planet is also uninhabited, save for spiritual beings who train the guardians of the system in order to fight Dark Force.
So, considering that the Palmans left the system beginning in 1284, and Rykros was invisible during this time, it’s much more likely, as stated earlier, that Coral is simply a world that was colonized sometime after AW 86, as is suggested here.
As to why Rykros appears in the Gurhal System around the time of the Universe games, well, that’s simple: The Gurhal System must fall within its massive orbit.
It’s somewhat unclear as to why Rykros has a VR simulation of Ragol on it, though my guess is that perhaps Rykros was in orbit of the system back when Parum was called Ragol, and perhaps the Hunters of Pioneer 1 (under Rico), visited the planet and set up the program as a way to train future Pioneers, particularly the ones coming on Pioneer 2.
Some have suggested that Coral might be Motavia, due to the fact that after AW 1284, the planet began to tear itself apart (reverting to a desert after Mother Brain’s destruction), but this, too, seems unfeasible. If this was true, why not simply call their world “Motavia,” instead of “Coral?” Also, Motavia still exists in the era of “Phantasy Star IV,” and there isn’t any reference to them having the resources to send probes or worldships outside their system.
IS COPTO CORAL?
Ah, now this is a better theory!
In Japan, there was a side-story game released on the Sega Game-Gear called “Phantasy Star Gaiden” that discusses some of the events in Alis Landale’s life after “Phantasy Star.” Particularly of relevance, though, is that she left the Algol System and traveled a distance of 1 light-year to the Copto System, where she and those Palmans that accompanied her founded a colony nicknamed “AlisWorld” sometime around AW 290.
It has been suggested that just as the names of various planets have changed over the years (Mota = Motavia = Motav, for example), Copta may have eventually come to be known as Coral. As a colony of the Palmans, it’s very likely that they came to know of the Earthmen and perhaps eventually also had a Mother Brain-like system governing their own world, which may have eventually prompted some of the events that led into “Phantasy Star Online” and “Phantasy Star Zero.”
Add to the facts that “Copto” can be transliterated as “Coral” between Japanese and English and…Well…We have a good possibility!
A good breakdown of these ideas can be found on this thread over at PSO-World.
SO, WHAT ABOUT PHANTASY STAR UNIVERSE?:
Before information about “Phantasy Star Portable 2 – Infinity” surfaced, I believed Sega when they said that the games in the Universe storyline had nothing to do with those of the Online storyline.
Yet, in PSP2i, two characters from the Online games (including the famed “Red Ring” Rico Tyrell) and one of the Pioneer ships make appearances.
Since the series started in 2006, fans have speculated that the planet Parum might actually be Ragol, due to the similarities in ruins found there, geographical locations, and even the terrain and climate. This seems to now be backed up by the fact that one of the Pioneer ships (possibly Pioneer 1 or 2) rises from somewhere below the surface of Parum during the events of PSP2i.
If this is true, it may very well be that the ‘Ancients’ spoken of in the backstory of the Universe games are the settlers from Palma, which is easily feasible since somewhere between 6,000 and 11,000 years have passed between the time of the Ancients and the events of the Universe titles – more than enough time for Ragol’s name to eventually become Parum.
This seems further backed up by the presence of the planet Rykros, which has virtual-reality simulations of events and places from the Online story. Moreover, Rykros appears as the fourth planet of the Algol System, but it has a very elongated orbit, only appearing within the system once every 1,000 years. Could it be, then, that in the timeframe of the Universe titles that Rykros happens to be within their system’s orbit? If so, then while Gurhal is likely a very long ways away from Algol, it is close enough to fall within Rykros’ orbital ring, which would mean it was close enough for the Palmans to eventually settle.
If that is true (and I now think it is), then that would mean that the Universe games take place anywhere between approximately AW 9084 and AW 14084.
IS PHANTASY STAR UNIVERSE JUST A V.R. SIMULATION ON PIONEER 2?:
This is an interesting theory, as some believe that the V.R. simulations on Rykros may point to Gurhal being a simulation, perhaps to train the Hunters of Pioneer 2. Some use the fact that it was said that the Ancients can possess the bodies of the people of Gurhal to take part in major events.
Is it possible? Sure, anything is possible. It’s been done, after all (see: The Matrix or “Star Ocean: Till the End of Time”)
Do I think this is the case? No, I really don’t quite buy into it. *shrugs*
A FINAL NOTE ON DATES:
“Phantasy Star” is dated to “Space Century 342″ in the non-Japanese version of the game, whereas the Japanese version dates it to AW 342. No other games use the “Space Century” dating system. Some sites claim that it is an actual system, and that SC 342.00 correlates with AW 284, but the very fact that the Japanese game uses AW 342 seems to contradict that.
While AW 342 may have been the canon date of the game at the time, this seems to have been retconned with the release of “Phantasy Star II,” which claimed to be 1,000 years after the events of “Phantasy Star,” giving a date of AW 1284. The English-language version has various hints throughout (such as the image above) that hint that the game is after AW 1284, most likely AW 1286. Would that mean that the English version of PS1 took place in AW 286? And regardless, if the game was 1,000 years later, wouldn’t that mean it had to be AW 1342?
To answer that, I stick with the Japanese date in this case, and assume that AW 342 was retconned back (regardless of the date given in “Phantasy Star: Gaiden” or any re-releases) to AW 284, and the continued use of AW 342 and AW 813 (in “Gaiden,” which was 471 years after PS1) is now in error.
So, thus, it makes more sense to date PS1 to AW 284 and PS2 to AW 1284, keeping “Phantasy Star IV” in AW 2284 (a date agreed on in both Japanese and English versions).
“Phantasy Star III” is listed as AW 3284 in the Japanese version, which is 1,000 years after PS4, but the English date of AW 2284 makes more sense, as that would be 1,000 years after Palma’s destruction and the exodus of their people.
THE TIMELINE OF EVENTS (only major events, based on English-version dates):
BW 13: Waizz Landel, one of Palma’s Kings, begins a war to unite the people of Palma under one government.
AW 1/AD 2001: Waizz succeeds.
AW 86: Space Flight perfected in the Algol System by Palma.
AW 86-284: Dezoris and Motavia are colonized by Palmans.
AW 284/AD 2284: Events of “Phantasy Star.” Alisa III arrives at Earth from the era of “Phantasy Star III.”
AW 290: Alis Landale founds a colony on the planet Copto (nicknamed “AlisWorld”), approximately 1 LY from Algol. Alis brings Lars, her Robotcops, a cryochamber, and the sacred Laconian items (approximation).
AW 295: After years of fighting, King Kaburon of Copto is defeated and sealed away. Sensing his return in the future, Alis goes into cryogenic sleep (approximation).
AW 646/AD 2646: Humans have rendered Earth unlivable and depart on on Noah, possibly based on Alisa III’s designs.
AW 755: 471 years after the events of “Phantasy Star,” Alis is awoken from cryogenic sleep on Copto and the events of “Phantasy Star Gaiden” take place. After defeating Kaburon, Alis returns to the Algol System to deal with a new, unknown threat that she senses, presumably bringing the Laconian treasures with her.
AW 846/AD 2846: Humans from Earth (the “Earthmen”) arrive in the Algol System.
AW 1284/AD 3284: Events of “Phantasy Star II.” Palma is destroyed, which sparks the exodus of her people to find a new home. War breaks out between two rival factions, one led by the swordsman Orakio and the other by the sorceress Laya, and the conflict lasts for 1,000 years.
AW 1284-2860: Palman worldships arrive at Copto, a known settlement 1 LY from Algol, and soon it becomes known as “Coral.” Mother Trinity is created, along with Newmans referred to as “her children.”
AW 2284: The events of the First Generation of “Phantasy Star III” (on the Alisa-III). Events of “Phantasy Star IV” (in the Algol System).
AW 2304: The events of the Second Generation of “Phantasy Star III.”
AW 2324: The events of the Third Generation of “Phantasy Star III.” The Alisa-III is drawn through a black hole via Dark Force’s power and transverses space and time, ending up near Earth 2040 years in the past.
AW 3060: Alliance of Nations on Coral sends out probes to find a new home after centuries of warfare have nearly destroyed Coral.
AW 3068: Ragol is discovered by probes.
AW 3076: Pioneer 1 is sent from Coral to Ragol.
AW 3077: Pioneer 1 arrives on Ragol.
AW 3082: Colony is finished by Pioneer 1 on Ragol. Pioneer 2 begins its journey to Ragol.
AW 3083: Monsters attack colonists on Ragol’s surface. Hunters founded by “Red Ring” Rico Tyrell.
AW 3084: The “Great Blank” occurs on Coral (approximation).
AW 3084-3105: Events of the “Phantasy Star Online” games. The government on the Pioneer 2 breaks relations with any remaining forces on Coral.
AW 3284: Events of “Phantasy Star Zero” on Coral.
AW XXXX: Events of “Phantasy Star Online 2,” presumably after the “Phantasy Star Online” entries, but before “Phantasy Star Universe.”
AW 9084-14084/AC 0100: Events of the “Phantasy Star Universe” titles in the Gurhal System (in which Ragol has since been renamed Parum).
CONCLUSION:
So, there you have it. That was a very long article, but it was great to get all of these things finally down and out there, and to clear my mind a bit.
While I do think this timeline and explanation makes the most sense, it’s not without holes. But, for that matter, neither is the storyline as presented to us by Sega.
I’m still waiting to see what role Rico plays in PSP2i, and maybe once we know for sure, some of our questions will be answered.
In the meantime, 2011 marks the 10th anniversary of the release of the original “Phantasy Star Online” (makes you feel old, doesn’t it?), and this likely explains these efforts for crossovers, and I firmly believe that “Phantasy Star Online 2″ (due out in late-2011) will answer even more of these questions for us!
I hope you all enjoyed it, and will look forward to your thoughts on all this!
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Originally Posted by GoldenFalcon
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