The Official Phantasy Star Online Thread!

Started by Taboo, February 01, 2014, 09:11:49 pm

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Taboo

February 01, 2014, 09:11:49 pm Last Edit: April 02, 2016, 05:50:02 pm by KK20



Stealing Rose's idea, I have created a thread to discuss the possibility of a group of CP regulars playing Phantasy Star Online 2 together. How many of you would be willing to join and what time are you all available?



Chaos Project members on PSO2:










Chaos-Project IDPSO2 IDCharater NamePrimary Class
RyexryexanderRyexBraver
R.A.V.S.OR.A.V.S.OSesilouBraver
WhiteRoseWhiteRose16AkariForce
KK20CrisiliaIsabelRanger
DigitalSoulDigitalSoul88HirohaiForce
soulshaker3soulshaker3soulshaker3Braver
PhoenixFirePhoenixFire88YuiForce
Spoofus?SpoofusHunter



How to Get the Game:

PSO2 Tweaker Tool

There are 2 options:

The first is to download the English installer via torrent, this may or may not have decent speed for you
http://arks-layer.com/setup.php

The second option is to use the tweaker tool to down load and install the game for you, be warned the window is known to break during the process and it it a 15GB Download so if you want to be sure it's still working you will need to use a resource monitor to see the exe working and watch it's download speed but you will have no indication of progress. when it done it will open a new window to inform you it's finished.

after installing the game you will need to use the tweaker to install the English patches, there are 3.
The first 2 (the English language patch and the English large files patch can be downloaded an installed via the tweaker. there is an option in the tweaker's orb menu to install patches)
the 3ed is the story patch and must be downloaded manually. the option in the tweaker's menu will give you a link. The patch is a ~2GB file that you download from mega and then install by selecting the file when prompted by the tweaker during patch install.

before installing any patches use the "Check for PSO2 updates" option form the tweaker's orb menu to bring the game up to date. it is of note that the patches will need to be reinstalled after every game update



Signing Up:

this is actually a bit of a pain as it requires traversing a Japanese site and passing a Japanese captcha.
good thing there is a nice guide written up for this purpose
http://arks-layer.com/signup.php
if you have any trouble with the captcha this thread on the PSO2 Forums can help (it helped me, identifying those characters is hard :P)
http://www.pso-world.com/forums/showthread.php?t=203925




Learning The Game:

Here is a page with lost of helpful guides
http://bumped.org/psublog/pso2-guide-list/

for the most part the game is very strait forward, learn how to attack, guard, and dodge form the tutorial and then get good at it.

One thing that may be confusing are the difference between Quests and "quests".
what the game calls quest most other games would call missions, instance like maps for you party to traverse and complete a goal

The game also has "Client Orders" that NPCs give out which are more like the traditional "quests" of an MMO/RPG. These client order can give out massive EXP and completing the orders from the Quest counter Admin can quickly get you from lv 2 to lv 12 and beyond (as in 5 hours tops). Be on the look out from Orders form NPC and they are by far the most effective way to LV.

The game also has a mechanic called ARCS Road. It's kinda like a story line that you complete by completing Missions and quests and talking to certain people, It too can grant exp as I gather. Pay attention and it should make sense.

Also of the stuff NPC's say has been left untranslated. rest assured it not all that important and your not missing any important info on how to play, not really anyway.

If you have any specific questions that arn't covered here or in any of the guides linked to feel free to ask.

WhiteRose

I could join. I don't have bucketloads of free time, but I'm usually pretty available in the evenings and weekends. I'm not sure how much of the game has been translated, but I can read a fair bit of Japanese as well, in case I need to help translate some of the dialog or whatever so that people know what is going on. Of course, in this type of game, usually it's pretty playable as long as the HUD and central features have been translated, which sounds like it is already the case.

G_G

I think it'd be cool. It might even be funner if we could setup an official CP server.

Ryex

I'm interested, but my time might be limited and I'd only be up to joing if we got a few people who want to play regularly
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Taboo

Well, we have four people now. The video showed a group of 4, so I would say we have at least enough to get it going. If it follows normal mmo tropes, I don't mind healing for the group.

R.A.V.S.O

Sign me in, I'm available for both PSO and PSO2, (I used to be a GM on the Ultima server, now retired but I still have some goods I can part if you join there)

as for groups of 4.... well it's a bit more complex than that, allow me to explain:

the game just as PSO1 is based on 4 player instances however it can escalate even higher....

Let's say Whiterose makes a room, (password included), and 3 players join that room, Whiterose's party by definition is full and the game
then creates an instance for up to 4 players, however the instance itself is divided into 2 types of areas:

SINGLE-PARTY AREAS

These areas are designed for 4 players max at the same time, some maps are straightforward, some are not, you can view storyline cutscenes here if you wish
or carry on, some SPECIAL events might occur if you have a full party of people at the same time, but once you move to the next area you MIGHT enter this new
place called....

MULTI-PARTY AREAS

These areas are considerably bigger than single-party areas, and can hold 12 players at the same time, a party itself has room for 4 people, but these areas allow
up to 3 full parties to wander around, so basically even if you put a password on your party, you CAN (not always) bump into another group here,
so for example if I want to join Whiterose's party but it's full I can still join her created instance as a second party, we can STILL meet in MP-Areas.

I'll downright say this now..... MP-AREAS are FUN and DANGEROUS XD

you see when you create your instance, you'll select a quest you want to complete, however as you wander through the map, some (randomly selected) events might
trigger... for example... a ship crashes on the ground and you have to protect it for 2 minutes, or in the worst case a BOSS itself is loose on the map
(this is where I believe the game turns into Monster Hunter XD)
MP-AREAS are random. in a nutshell, you never play the same map twice, each time is a different place (save for story missions)

also....

every now and then, the server itself will give you a global announcement all over the game, when this happens it means an [Emergency Quest] is about to begin
EQ's only happen about 4-5 times per day, and give you extra EXP and money (plus rare items), they are meant to be taken by 12 players simultaneously and
by all means could be considered as the game's raids.

here's an example emergency quest:
Spoiler: ShowHide

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WhiteRose

I download the game. Maybe we can try it together this weekend some time.
Also, I find notices like this to be incredibly stressful:
Spoiler: ShowHide


Popup: WELL??? YES OR NO???????????????????????????????????
Me: I don't know! D:

Zexion


Ryex

I take it we download and english patch the Japanese version of PSO2?
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WhiteRose

Quote from: Ryex on February 07, 2014, 04:54:02 pm
I take it we download and english patch the Japanese version of PSO2?

Yeah, I think so. That's what I'm doing, anyway. I've read that there is a way to download all of the patches in advance and that it's way faster, but it's unfortunately through a torrent, and my college ISP hates torrents with a fiery burning passion. (If I start a torrent download, my internet will go haywire for a week, even if I stop the download. It only happens with torrents, too, so I know it's intentional. Stupid ISP.) Here's a link to the torrent if you want to give it a try:

http://arks-layer.com/



From what I've read about the game so far, it looks like all of the roles are essentially damage dealing roles. (Different classes are just different ways of doing damage; no tanks or healers like some other MMOs.) I'm a little wary that this will take a lot of the teamwork out of things, but I guess it also frees up everyone to be able to play whatever class they want to be without having to worry about coordinating with others. So far, I'm thinking that I want to be a Force. Maybe a ranger, but I'm not sure. I also read that Hunters always do the most damage, though, so I guess that makes them the best for anyone who wants to really meta-game things. Hmm... Choices choices....

R.A.V.S.O

I'm a level 20 Braver, so I can help out people who want to try this game out, (kinda confusing at first even with the patch)
you might however before attempting to login keep this in mind:

since it's a JP server, most of the english speaking community is located on [Ship 02 Ur] under Block 20.
if you don't know anyone in PSO2, block 20 is a must.

also, yes there's 4 starting classes, but at lv 30 you unlock additional classes, as for healing per se.... anyone can heal as long as your class allows
you to wield weapons that work with magical skill rather than physical skill (such as the Force and Techter classes)

search me as Sesilou XD
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WhiteRose

Still downloading. I thought it was done, but I guess that the file the downloader downloaded was another downloader for the actual game. As I read more about it, it's looking like a lot of fun, but I do kind of find myself missing the "Holy Trinity" concept; I've always kind of liked the idea of each member of the group providing a vital yet separate role. I'm probably just worrying over nothing, though. Hopefully it will be done soon and then I can give it a shot.

KK20

February 07, 2014, 05:55:36 pm #12 Last Edit: February 07, 2014, 05:57:16 pm by KK20
Just checked the family desktop and it's capable of running it. No webcam or mic though, if that'd be a problem. I'll take a look at it tomorrow.
Quote from: WhiteRose on February 07, 2014, 05:40:17 pm
I've always kind of liked the idea of each member of the group providing a vital yet separate role.

How about a stipulation?

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R.A.V.S.O

Well your 3 (now 4) starting classes are:

Hunter: good for Front-DPS, they have tons of HP, (by PSO2 standards at least), good P.DEF and specialize on close-quarter combat. basically if you like
to beat the crap out of enemies from up close, this class is for you, the downside is, later magic-based enemies might give you a hard time.

Ranger: good for Ranged-DPS, they have good evasion and defense, and overall a bit more stable with M.DEF, these guys at first start out dealing rather weak
damage from afar, but as you level them up you can deal damage just as good as a hunter (with the right skills added) if you're the type of player that
likes to take down enemies from the rear, Ranger is for you, just watch out for bruiser enemies, some can one-hit-KO you if you're careless.

Force: good for Magic-DPS, although they have poor P.DEF their M.DEF is pretty good and can withstand magical attacks (which enemies later on have)
they start out slow, deal poor physical damage, but they have a vast assortment of magic skills, plus unlike any of the other starting classes they
have access to the healing magic "Resta" which (if you're a bad player in constant need to heal) saves you some money you would have wasted on
getting mates. (on the original PSO, SEGA pretty much made Forces near-obsolete, but on PSO2 they're just as viable and valid as a hunter or ranger,)

Braver: a jack of all trades, capable of dealing both front and ranged DPS while having an overall good P.DEF, the downside is you don't have that big of
a weapons selection as the other classes (only katana, bow and gunlash) this is both a good and a bad thing, why? the newly added "Katana" weapon
is actually quite good with the approriate skills (such as katana combat, and stances) AND is only usable by this class only
the Braver is a difficult class to play but if you master it you can easily deal just as much (or even more) damage than a Hunter,
(*hint* katana gear skill, GET THIS SKILL ASAP if you play as braver.)

each class has it's pros and cons but if you're skilled enough the game's enemies shouldn't be too tough regardless of who you choose,
btw if you're still new I'd suggest you avoid the Duman/Dewman race, the thing is Dewman have HIGH attack, but very LOW HP, meaning one hit
can leave you near death and most bosses can one-shot you, unless you know how to perfect-guard.

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WhiteRose

Quote from: KK20 on February 07, 2014, 05:55:36 pm
Just checked the family desktop and it's capable of running it. No webcam or mic though, if that'd be a problem. I'll take a look at it tomorrow.
Quote from: WhiteRose on February 07, 2014, 05:40:17 pm
I've always kind of liked the idea of each member of the group providing a vital yet separate role.

How about a stipulation?


What kind of stipulation did you have in mind? I think it would be fun to work something out, but I definitely don't want people to feel pressured into follow arbitrary rules put in place just to keep WhiteRose happy. :P

KK20

lol
I'm not too familiar with the series myself, so I'm not exactly sure how well that would turn out. It would be something simple like "Only allowed to use supportive magic and never attack" or "If going one-handed, must have shield equipped and you must be the defender--Two handed, you must focus only on fighting, never supporting". Bringing in more traditional RPG class elements so to speak.

Also, I saw a video and it seems you can only make one character.

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R.A.V.S.O

well the game is free-to-play, but most of the good stuff (such as alternate costumes, additional player slots and services) are not available unless you spend
real money on it (arks cash, which is displayed in a red triangle icon)

arks cash related services are NOT required to clear the game, but they sure help you proceed smoothly, also you CAN get costumes without AK, it just costs
tons of in-game money,

the thing is, there are no shields in the game, because weapons (some not all) take care of shielding you,
the weapon you have equipped has a special action (called weapon action) that activates with the R key, some swords change into guns (like the gunlashes)
and some allow you to block enemy attacks (a shield indeed), if you block an attack just as the enemy was about to hit, you take 0 damage, and can counter
this is called "Just Guard" or "Perfect Block" and some classes (like the Braver) can deal insane amount of damage after doing a just guard.

afaik, you can use supportive magic as long as you have the right weapon, if you don't you can use an item called [Star Atomizer] to make an AoE heal
(regardless of class)

each class can support and attack freely, basically because all classes can heal, perfect block, and dodge (imagine KH's dodge roll, but less flashy)

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WhiteRose

Quote from: KK20 on February 07, 2014, 06:32:10 pm
lol
I'm not too familiar with the series myself, so I'm not exactly sure how well that would turn out. It would be something simple like "Only allowed to use supportive magic and never attack" or "If going one-handed, must have shield equipped and you must be the defender--Two handed, you must focus only on fighting, never supporting". Bringing in more traditional RPG class elements so to speak.

Also, I saw a video and it seems you can only make one character.


I think that might be fun to try. And who knows? Maybe it will be more fun to have everyone do whatever they want to do. I played the original PSO a loooong time ago, and I remember that it was pretty much like that but I still enjoyed it. We can all just poke around with the game a bit and figure out what we think would be the most fun to do together. That's one of the best parts of being able to play with a group of people who know each other. Having a CP group was a good idea. :)

EDIT: If this download will ever finish, that is. I wish that torrents weren't so messed up; I'm sure that would be way faster. Maybe I'll try it anyway and see what happens. Haha.

R.A.V.S.O

oh well if you're using PSO2 Tweaker, make sure to check the "translate items" box from the orb menu,
basically other patches self-install (once you order them to) but item translation is done manually from the orb menu,

also save whatever EXP/rare-drop boost items you receive until higher difficulties, nothing special drops from normal during my time leveling.
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Ryex

well it seems that if you just download the tweaker it can download and install the game for you (for me the window broke and dissapeared while it did it but it is fast)

I'm downloading the story patch right now.
I no longer keep up with posts in the forum very well. If you have a question or comment, about my work, or in general I welcome PM's. if you make a post in one of my threads and I don't reply with in a day or two feel free to PM me and point it out to me.<br /><br />DropBox, the best free file syncing service there is.<br />