[Rant] 3 things I want to change in PSO2

[Silver Crow]

I have some time on my hands, so I thought I'd rant about
three things that really bother me about PSO2. I'm typing from a mobile so I apologize for any auto correct mistakes.

1st point: Sub classess, there is no 'viable' unique build!

Spoiler!

Everyone subs Hunter for +85% ~70% damage. There is nothing unique about Gu/Hu, it's just Gunner + 70% dmg. Where is the identity of Hu in that build?

Solution:Make every skill tree provide the same FLAT damage bonuses, but differ in unique skills. Like Force PP Revival, Techer PP Restorate, Ranger Weak Bullet, Gunner Attack Restorate... etc I want all builds to be viable, so people can customize things to their preference and not because it gives the most damage

2nd point: Bosses aren't challenging, yet punish you badly.

Spoiler!

The literal definition of fun is Challenging*Forgiving, pso2 decided to go with the opposite...

The bosses in pso2 really dull your senses. The attack animations are so repetitive, slow, easy to predict, yet sometimes they knock you down and beat mercilessly on you (like when entering Dark Falz after you miss the portal countdown, only to be raped on the floor by hands)

Solution: Make bosses do less damage per hit, but increase their animation's speed, reduce animation delays to almost nothing. And add invincibility frames for when you're knocked to the ground. This will make it so you're on your toes throughout the fight, but can afford a few mistakes.

Final point: Useless Defensive Skills/Abilities

Spoiler!

No one in their right mind picks guard stance over Fury Stance. No one affixes resists to their armor. And we get one shot since I guess the game assumes we will take some defense. It's just not an exciting or fun stat, and we don't see feedback from it. For example you just affixed PP boost on your Gloam + White tail set, yay you have 170pp. Now you can dash faster, spam more Kanran's etc... With defense, you may notice taking less damage, but when you're focused on the battle you only care about your damage...

Solution: simplify the defense stat, HP is the only form of defense anyone takes because it's simple. So they need to make defense just one stat for all things (strike, ranged, tech) and forget about elemental resistances. It should just be defense and hp. HP synergises with percentage HP things like Mate items, or J Reversal Cover, Deadline Slayer etc... And Defense synergises with HP making each point worth more (might make Deadline Slayer builds viable if defense itself becomes viable)

What you guys think?

[gigawuts]

I've thought for a while that HU's ridiculous bonuses are intentional, to emulate the effects of ye master<blank> of olde. Subbing HU is like prefixing Master- to your class. MasterGunner, MasterRanger, MasterFighter, etc.

An effective, although very misguided, attempt to create an extra option for people who want them. Without a strong sub like that there would otherwise be no way to strengthen your mainclass at the expense of subclass options. What Sega doesn't seem to realize is that damage is everything, so subbing something different for weaker and conditional bonuses with another set of weapons with their PAs (that are also weak) can't compare with 2x damage.

[milranduil]

I definitely agree with your bosses point. I can't tell you how many times I die due to random stunlock from an attack with that shouldn't have even hit me in the first place due to overly large hitboxes that really shouldn't be (looking at you Ragne).

[EvilMag]

I definitely agree with your bosses point. I can't tell you how many times I die due to random stunlock from an attack with that shouldn't have even hit me in the first place due to overly large hitboxes that really shouldn't be (looking at you Ragne).

It's a lot worse when fighting them with an infection that just throws like 3 bombs at you and stun you. Fuck fighting Infected bal rados and ragne for that reason.

[gigawuts]

What's even worse is when that itty bitty bit of flinch throws off JA timing. God, that gets annoying.

[Lumpen Thingy]

its a PS game after people get good gear and to lvl cap no boss was ever challenging in any of the games period

[Walkure]

It's a lot worse when fighting them with an infection that just throws like 3 bombs at you and stun you. Fuck fighting Infected bal rados and ragne for that reason.

I got styled on by an infected Agrani in one solo SHAQ immediately into the fight because of those bombs.

He jumped, infection bombs hit me as I was switching stances, delaying me enough to get hit by a bolt, and the hitstun of that bolt + a final bomb let me get hit by his back leg sweep, which killed me even after a mag heal or two.

I've thought for a while that HU's ridiculous bonuses are intentional, to emulate the effects of ye master<blank> of olde. Subbing HU is like prefixing Master- to your class. MasterGunner, MasterRanger, MasterFighter, etc.

But then how would you MasterHunter, MasterForce, or MasterTecher (okay meleetecher works for this analogy)?

[Symphie]

Won't lie, I'm a bit nervous about sharing my opinion on this particular point but I'll give it a try. (sorry if my reply come off as rude or anything, its not my intent in any way/shape/form);

Final point: Useless Defensive Skills/Abilities

Spoiler!

No one in their right mind picks guard stance over Fury Stance. No one affixes resists to their armor. And we get one shot since I guess the game assumes we will take some defense. It's just not an exciting or fun stat, and we don't see feedback from it. For example you just affixed PP boost on your Gloam + White tail set, yay you have 170pp. Now you can dash faster, spam more Kanran's etc... With defense, you may notice taking less damage, but when you're focused on the battle you only care about your damage...

Solution: simplify the defense stat, HP is the only form of defense anyone takes because it's simple. So they need to make defense just one stat for all things (strike, ranged, tech) and forget about elemental resistances. It should just be defense and hp. HP synergises with percentage HP things like Mate items, or J Reversal Cover, Deadline Slayer etc... And Defense synergises with HP making each point worth more (might make Deadline Slayer builds viable if defense itself becomes viable)

What you guys think?

I don't think there is a need for "you're not right in your mind if you pick defense tree" thing. Its a sort of play style, really. Just as people enjoy watching them-self do bigger numbers, there are those who enjoy watching taking smaller numbers of damage. But naturally, people more often than not have an ego that's all about the bigger, harder and faster. Its a pick of either lots of damage, or being resilient. And people will always prefer damage, always, and is the same reason in games with the "holy trinity" that tanks are in low supply. Being a meat-shield ain't considered fun to a vast majority. Only time people would branch into Defense if they have the option, is if it became glaringly OP or a possible requirement for progress. Even if Fury were slammed down to do half the power it does now, I fully doubt people would opt for Defense, regardless, for reasons mentioned.

In a game I was the CM for a few years that is closed down now, it was the same case. You could go so defensively that you could AFK almost anywhere in the game and still kill mobs in 1-2 swings, yet people opted for overkilling mobs for 10 times their HP just because it let them kill bosses in 1-2 shots instead of fighting it for maybe a minute.

Spoiler!

(As far as its usefulness is, I'm not going to bother talking about that since from lurking these forums for longer than my reg date, it always turn into homo-erotic phallus measuring contests and name calling, reason I was hesitating to reply in the first place. But its far from useless, really, and I personally enjoy fighting the bosses, hear their BGM and not almost get instagibbed from the slightest sneeze they make.)

[gigawuts]

But then how would you MasterHunter, MasterForce, or MasterTecher (okay meleetecher works for this analogy)?

I did say misguided.

[SakuRei]

Final point: Useless Defensive Skills/Abilities

Spoiler!

No one in their right mind picks guard stance over Fury Stance. No one affixes resists to their armor. And we get one shot since I guess the game assumes we will take some defense. It's just not an exciting or fun stat, and we don't see feedback from it. For example you just affixed PP boost on your Gloam + White tail set, yay you have 170pp. Now you can dash faster, spam more Kanran's etc... With defense, you may notice taking less damage, but when you're focused on the battle you only care about your damage...

Solution: simplify the defense stat, HP is the only form of defense anyone takes because it's simple. So they need to make defense just one stat for all things (strike, ranged, tech) and forget about elemental resistances. It should just be defense and hp. HP synergises with percentage HP things like Mate items, or J Reversal Cover, Deadline Slayer etc... And Defense synergises with HP making each point worth more (might make Deadline Slayer builds viable if defense itself becomes viable)

Man, I really want to see a "Panzer Armor"/ a REAL Tank character for once... Like "Screw the damage, I'm a vanguard, a pain lover. I'M A TANKING MASOSCHIST!" kind of character with Guard Stance path, Pure S,R,T-DEF increase Stats, Either Vol or Dragon EX Souls, etc. EVERYTHING that increases HP and DEF and Elemental Resists. (Especially Male CASTs with beefed and bulky armor kind of look) Buuuuuut... Too bad Just Guard ruins the whole "Panzer Armor" thing or so...