Phantasy Star Universe [PC/PS2]

[Terria]

Everything Gorf said. Seriously, you get to level 8-10 in next to no time then you can join in to De Ragan C and Relics C runs and level up along side people as high as 30 who're only running it for cash & job xp.

[Space Renegade Ulala]

I refuse to believe for a second that Dev isn't level capped on every race-class combo imaginable. Thing is, I know it's silly but it bugs me. It bugged me in Eve (Sabe was flying all really cool shit while I was messing about in some bucket of bolts with no skills), it bugged me in FF XI (the late start meant that PC probs only compounded matters and I fell behind even the other new guys, though picking a dull job didn't help either, admittedly), it nearly did for me in WoW (I first started on ER then packed it in due to being so far behind). Yes, I have lowbie issues or something but hey, we all have our flaws!

I'll still get it but only for the solo player story gubbins.

[Terria]

I'm over level 30. I was playing with Gorf and Dev's RA, and Totoro's HU when they were all level 8. Levels only affect what stats you have for what you can equip, and what rank of missions you can go on.

Poopsockers can hit level 50 within 4 days, then it's capped. That's why we're all taking our time, I powered away ahead of everyone here with my Hunter but realised that running random groups isn't as much fun as the challenge of somewhere tougher with great players, like when Gorf and Myself duo'd Grove of the Fanatics, it was tough going and great fun. Even then there was a level difference of over 10, but it was still amazing fun. You'll be level 5 in about an hour or two, then you've got prettymuch all of Parum open to you for levelling in, and it gets quick to level up, especially with a group of guys like the ones on here who'll be happy to help you out.

[Gorf King]

I'll still get it but only for the solo player story gubbins.

That would be...a mistake. Seriously.

Anyway, weren't you the one who had the US GC import and was (along with Sabe and others) way along by the time I picked the game up on EU release? And then, when I'd levelled like mad (no level cap or content lock in EPs1&2) to catch you up, at about level 47 or 50 or something, you remember the fate of Mike Drac Senior I, brought to a very terminal end by some gf's kid yanking out the GC memory card whilst in play? And how the chaps helped me get back on terms yet again starting completely from scratch with Jnr, who iirc ended up as a right old C-Mode mofo and went into retirement at level 160ish?

Of course you do. And that's why we'll be having none of this "I'm only going to play the really crap single-player offline" nonsense. There's only one game, and that's online, where you'll be playing it with all the rest of us.

(Actually, if it were up to me, I'd expunge the single-player game from the disc altogether: it's far too quick to give you all the skills and weps worlds and levels and bosses and other content - I've stopped playing it for that reason. It's far too easy (over in about 20 hours or so, I'm told) and from what I can see it's just caused consternation for some who whizz through it and than finally get online to discover that 80% of what they've already seen and done is locked and/or otherwise unattainable. Bad balancing job from Sega there, and I'm finding it's far more satisfying to have to work for the new areas/bosses/drops and stuff without having seen them all before.)

And another thing about online...well, let's just say I've discovered that you can buy an eyepatch online.

An eyepatch.

[MW_Jimmy]

I am interested but Dev levels like a motherlover, Gorfy's probably right behind and I really, truly, madly deeply hate playing catch up. That's why I really wanted them to hold off for until the EU release, I admit it.

I shall excuse the use of the forum cunts' favourite emoticon this one time but any future use shall see you brought up on charges and executed. You have been warned, Jimmy!

Heh. I don't know which one that might be, but all the cool kids are digging this one now apparently:

Seriously, you've got nothing to worry about coming late though. I find it an odd complaint because it's not like PSO was whereby if you were late you couldn't join up in certain parties because they all played on Very Hard and everybody had a bunch of rares.

At this moment in time theres only something like 10 rares available, a few interesting weapons for each class and a couple of techs. The monthly content unlocking is going to be keeping everybody level for quite a while.

I can think of much bigger, more important excuses for not bothering with the game than this.

[Devdas]

[Gorf King]

[V3zna]

So the reviews are slowly starting to trickle through. IGN has given it a 6.4:

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/744/744378p2.html

I havn't read it yet but who wants a bet they'll be marking it down for not being an MMO and being simple and dated.

These people are cunts.

They haven't grasped at all what Phantasy Star online games are about. They may be based on a simple concept but considering I got a full year+ out of PSO on the DC and I lasted 2 months on WoW I know which one I have fonder memories of.

[MW_Jimmy]

Finally - I have Extra Mode open: Now I can do what I set out to do and create my character.

Meet Juliet:

I might still change her hairstyle and I'm not happy with her proportions yet (small characters move really odd now). Here she is waiting at her favourite meeting place:

The cafe in Holtes City. Currently very lonely waiting for some lovely Hunter to keep her company. Ill be waiting here for you on the 24th November

[MalevolentPanda]

She mings.

[MW_Jimmy]

She mings.

I'm not letting your shitty character talk to her. I bet you make some gay bloke. Infact I hope you do then you won't have to chat up Juliet

Infact, heres a sneak peak at Panda's character:

He's a Pre-Op guy who goes by the name Anne. Keep yer eyes peeled lads.

[Pungee]

Can someone send me a save file or something? I just want to create a character and play extra mode without having to listen to another witty Ethan Waber comeback.

[MalevolentPanda]

Obviously my character will be a girl. A proper girl.

[Gorf King]

Can someone send me a save file or something? I just want to create a character and play extra mode without having to listen to another witty Ethan Waber comeback.

Sorry Punge, I didn't get anywhere near that far through offline. And I'm not going to.

My apologies for labouring the point and in a way some might find patronising, but for those who don't have the game yet I'd have to say - stay clear of offline. The more I think about it, the more it's clear that ST made a grave mistake in creating an offline mode that takes you through all the places, monsters, skills, weapons, equipment, rares, techs, and right up to the end boss, all within 20-30 hours of stupidly easy gameplay.

Remember every previous iteration of the game - where you'd have to work for weeks offline to solo, for example, Ruins on a 'proper' difficulty and see Falz in his third form? How you always first killed the dragon/de rol/whatever-the-biggest-baddest-mofo-was online in a group who dragged themselves to the confrontation through weight of numbers, tactics and sheer bloody-mindedness? And the glorious celebration of teamwork that followed? Remember that first sight of Ultimate Forest, and the shock of the sunset - which was invariably online, reached after much struggle with your teammates? The rares that only existed there? The group dance after beating a big boss for the first time? The fact - *gasp* - that the well-worn dragon had changed into an ice form?

Well, if you take the few days to utterly finish the game off in offline mode you'll have seen and done everything that's to come for months online, much of which isn't even unlocked yet; and when it does get unlocked it'll be a bastard to get to. Rightly so, in fact. The more I think about it, the more the stupidly easy offline mode (allied to the overly-zealous locking of content online) is the single worst thing about the game and the most liable to cause disappointment with the online game. It's a really horrible imbalance.

If you haven't got the game yet, do yourself a favour and don't bother with story mode. You'll only spoil the thrill of the new and have ruined all the surprises which you should have only seen after you'd worked for yonks to get there.

Just imo, like.

[Pungee]

Deal.

I've played about 20 minutes of the single player and don't plan to go any further. Just as long as you don't mind explaining to me what I'm supposed to be doing when I finally get online.

There are far too many scary new words being used here.

[MalevolentPanda]

Hmm, see I was planning to play a bit of the single player when it arrives. Particularly if it comes a day or two early, and SEGA won't sell be a license until the 24th. I'm going to be completely lost otherwise, having never played any iteration of Phantasy Star ever. Would you still suggest not even giving the single player a little go for a total noob? Would I spoil a lot if I just played a couple of hours?

[Terria]

Online mode is incredibly quick to pick up. The only complicated bits are working out the controls at first, and then learning about synthing. Other than that, you have 3 planets open at the minute, each of them you can go to and do a mission from the flyer base, after that you arrive in a field lobby that gives you access to another 1 or 2 missions depending on which.

The basics of synthing, are you find, or more likely buy, synth boards which are Calibur for an example, you go to your room and talk to your PM and pick the second option down that I can't remember. Insert the board and go back and choose Synthesise, go to the board you want and it'll give you a list of the materials it requires. Materials you can buy at the synth shop / player shops and find in the field. Only when your items are in storage on your PM will they show up as present for the materials for the board.

Weapons/armour boards all have a set % chance of success, unlike consumables which are guarenteed.

Anything I've missed I'm sure the others can fill in, as it's past 3am and i'm getting tired now.

P.s. I haven't tried offline mode at all. And it doesn't appeal to me, especially after hearing what Gorf had to say. One guy I know that played offline seems to be not really that active online, probably due to the fact that there's currently not much variety in what you can do. But it doesn't take away from the fact that it's SIMPLE and FUN to do. It's everything I always imagined PSO could be if I'd played at the same time as other people, and now I have other people in PSU.

[Gorf King]

Would you still suggest not even giving the single player a little go for a total noob? Would I spoil a lot if I just played a couple of hours?

A couple of hours - no, I don't suppose so; it's maybe a good idea to do chapter 1 just to get used to some of the the basics. In fact, playing the whole thing through and seeing all the content might not spoil things for you.

I just know it would for me, and it's certainly a big break from the dynamic of earlier games where you'd have to wait a fair old while to learn how everything works and see everything, and generally have all the 'big' experiences (e.g. the bosses) first time in the company of others.

[V3zna]

Hmm, see I was planning to play a bit of the single player when it arrives. Particularly if it comes a day or two early, and SEGA won't sell be a license until the 24th. I'm going to be completely lost otherwise, having never played any iteration of Phantasy Star ever. Would you still suggest not even giving the single player a little go for a total noob? Would I spoil a lot if I just played a couple of hours?

I am currently playing through the single player as I've no choice as there are still no hunters licences available on the marketplace . I would recommend playing it if you've never touched a Phantasy Star before. It'll gently lead you through the core mechanics of the game and there's no way you'll see to much of the games locations in a couple of hours. Single player is lengthy but ultimately pointless in the face of the online game.

[Beertiger]

Out of interest, what extra online content is there that goes beyond the beta version? Any new missions on that third planet?

[MW_Jimmy]

Why do I feel that Gorf is talking to me. Please don't hit me Gorf

I don't think theres any harm in playing as far as I have to Chapter 4 to get Extra Mode. I've only had 4 different areas (one of which was so small it didn't really count) a couple of bosses and I've only visited 2 out of 4 planets. Not planning to play any further.

I agree with Gorf - don't plough through offline. I've not been playing the game properly at all (simply running through as fast as I can, buying no new weapons or armour or anything) and I've not had a single problem so far. You could probably clock it in 20 hours easy. Which is not good.

Pungee; I don't know where the save files are stored, but if you let me know Ill zip them up and send them tonight.

[Pungee]

Pungee; I don't know where the save files are stored, but if you let me know Ill zip them up and send them tonight.

Awesome, thanks Jimmy.

I've had a quick look and the only possible file I can see which might be what I'm after is the 'psugame' file in My Documents\Sega\PSU\Backup. I'll investigate and see if that is the one I need.

[Gorf King]

Out of interest, what extra online content is there that goes beyond the beta version? Any new missions on that third planet?

I'm afraid it's identical to the beta, from what I can see. There has to be at least 70%+ of the game still locked - which is pretty poor really.

I'm all for you having to take time and effort to reach a lot of this content - MMOs would be pretty poor if they lasted 20 hours, to be fair - but the content should at least exist tangibly in the universe, and the majority of stuff that actually came on the disc shouldn't be locked away like this and released in dribs and drabs. Maybe a bit of it, yes. New quests? Yes. Further expansions? Yes. But not this - PSO had way more content than this when it first came out. This is more like the PSO:BB strategy - but at least the game client in that case was free...

As I've said, this to my mind the one major criticism of the game that's pretty much indefensible.

Btw, the JP version took a month from release before the first few missions on the last world were unlocked. And there's the expert classes there too, and some other stuff; I guess you could be looking at a similar timescale, so like PSO we'll probably lag behind for content again.

Then again, if we do get the US/EU server PC/PS2 linkup (please God, don't let that have been more bullshit) then I guess EU subbers will probably see the game more or less from the time of the first unlocking - of world 3 and the like. And that'll apply to 360ers regardless, of course - so it's only really the Yanks and importers who'll get the worst of the content drought.

[Pungee]

MW_Jimmy I could kiss your face. Since he was lovely enough to provide me with a save file, I can now play extra mode.

I've created a character and wandered around the lovely looking spaceship.

Question 1: Where do I go to start killing things?

[MW_Jimmy]

MW_Jimmy I could kiss your face. Since he was lovely enough to provide me with a save file, I can now play extra mode.

I've created a character and wandered around the lovely looking spaceship.

Question 1: Where do I go to start killing things?

On the starting spaceship go up to the 4th floor and go to the Linear Line which is in the far right hand corner. Other exits on that floor take you to other planets with other missions (but I've only got the planet Parum open so far).

Post character pics plz!

[Caz-chan]

I really need the 24th of this month to hurry up

[MW_Jimmy]

I bet you're getting the 360 version

[Caz-chan]

I bet you're getting the 360 version

I am Im afraid and I am guessing you arent? And I wanted to go on runs with Juliet, she is pretty.

[MW_Jimmy]

I am Im afraid and I am guessing you arent? And I wanted to go on runs with Juliet, she is pretty.

She'd lez it up with your character in a flash I'm sure, and play kiss-chase in the lobbies

I might be on the 360 version one day....one day...

[Caz-chan]

She'd lez it up with your character in a flash I'm sure, and play kiss-chase in the lobbies

I might be on the 360 version one day....one day...

I'm going to hold you to that...well both, she can lez up ParvatiIV when I get round to making her AND you getting a 360.

Fuck it, if I win the lottery this weekend I will buy you one!