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[Teknoman]

Oh and once again, the official online MP organization topic (with friendcode spreadsheet)

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=18455493&posted=1#post18455493

 

[Foxix Von]

Well his factors are legit in that he hates Ds 3d, and the controls are pretty godawful bad (But you can get used to them) There's also the camera too. I've gone over this with him in the jp thread.

Hmm, the camera does get in the way occasionally but it's basically the same as playing PSO. Just gotta have a very happy trigger finger.

Is it annoying? I guess maybe for some but I certainly haven't been bothered by it. It's possible my skin has been thickened due to playing the original so much. And the controls haven't really presented an issue to me, it feels a bit "stiff" you could say but that same stiffness was, for me, what makes this type of game so fun. I know that sounds sort of odd but I guess it's just sort of has to do with how I like the pacing of my dungeon crawlers.

I can't honestly think of any better way to handle the controls given the setup. A d-pad only goes so far in a 3d game like this and I would say that this is more a fault of the system than of the game itself. I adapted to the controls in about 5 minutes or so, swapped the attack to A and the hard attack to B and it was just like playing it back on the gamecube, well aside from the animu art style and the significantly smaller screen.

All pretty much nitpicks though, I really love this so far :lol

VQ

 

[d0c_zaius]

i can't even tell what the enemies are supposed to be! and the controls + ice skating + gibberish textures + hideous saturn-grade special effects = DEAR LORD WHY AM I PLAYING THIS

cause its PSO

 

[RedSwirl]

Game seems to be way more generous with item drops than PSO. Not even level 5 and I'm already decked out with a poison glaive and a few scape dolls. First spell I got was Resta lvl 3.

Oh and the controls are fine for me. I'm actually impressed at how well PSO's controls fit the DS. Then again I dealt with PSO's controls for 250 hours.

 

[bomb_jack]

Did they take out the ability to send people picture messages in game?

 

[Foxix Von]

Did they take out the ability to send people picture messages in game?

No, it's still there you just need to be in a private match with friends. Got in a nice public game, with a couple high levels. Relatively lag free, really impressed

VQ

 

[BlazeHedgehog]

gibberish textures + hideous saturn-grade special effects

Uh, it's a DS game. If you have a problem with these two things specifically, maybe you should sell your DS, because there isn't any sort of magical "beautiful high-res 3D graphics" mode that Sega decided to just turn off. This is how DS games look. And for a DS game, it looks pretty nice and runs smoothly.

The controls are a bit weird, though, but not unmanageable by any degree. The camera is the PSO camera. If you've played and enjoyed any amount of PSO over the years, it doesn't take much to get back in to the groove of using the camera-recenter button.

 

[the_painted_bird]

Y'all got drinky crow'd. I want to play this game!

 

[kiryogi]

Uh, it's a DS game. If you have a problem with these two things specifically, maybe you should sell your DS, because there isn't any sort of magical "beautiful high-res 3D graphics" mode that Sega decided to just turn off. This is how DS games look. And for a DS game, it looks pretty nice and runs smoothly.

The controls are a bit weird, though, but not unmanageable by any degree. The camera is the PSO camera. If you've played and enjoyed any amount of PSO over the years, it doesn't take much to get back in to the groove of using the camera-recenter button.

Controls are pretty awful honestly, especially when you're switching between this and PSP2 D: I got so confused when I went back to PSP2 just a bit ago.

 

[OMG Aero]

So I've seen a few people complain about the controls buy can anyone tell me how the movement works? My DS Lite D-Pad is incredibly stiff and it makes it really hard to go in a diagonal direction in 3D games. Would this effect me much in PS0?

 

[VAIL]

So I've seen a few people complain about the controls buy can anyone tell me how the movement works? My DS Lite D-Pad is incredibly stiff and it makes it really hard to go in a diagonal direction in 3D games. Would this effect me much in PS0?

Move, hit left trigger to recenter... takes a little bit to get used to but it works once you get used to it.

 

[AzureNightmare]

Move, hit left trigger to recenter... takes a little bit to get used to but it works once you get used to it.

the left trigger button can be used to lock onto enemies for those who cant hit the broad side of a dark falz.

 

[IMACOMPUTA]

My cousin and I cant connect to eachothers games... when I go to host, it says awaiting players, and he goes to join and sees my name, but that's it. What does he have to do to join my game?

 

[Teknoman]

My cousin and I cant connect to eachothers games... when I go to host, it says awaiting players, and he goes to join and sees my name, but that's it. What does he have to do to join my game?

Well as long as you're hosting, still in the waiting lobby, and you both have each others code, he should be able to join no problem. Ask him the icon next to your name looks like a person standing still.

 

[2DMention]

I was on @ 6:30pm CST last night, and there was nobody online.
What is the point of selecting the "Playing alone" option when playing online? Are you just waiting for other players to join in?

I admit using the D-Pad to move is kinda crusty, but doesn't take that long to get used to.

The graphics aren't as bad as I thought they'd be.

What's up with the game not using the X button?

 

[kiryogi]

I was on @ 6:30pm CST last night, and there was nobody online.
What is the point of selecting the "Playing alone" option when playing online? Are you just waiting for other players to join in?

I admit using the D-Pad to move is kinda crusty, but doesn't take that long to get used to.

The graphics aren't as bad as I thought they'd be.

What's up with the game not using the X button?

X is for camera. X + L or R to rotate it.

 

[2DMention]

X is for camera. X + L or R to rotate it.

Weird. I never bothered to press the button to find out. :lol
Isn't the L button for camera to center it?

Any tips for getting through the first offline level? I'm having trouble.

 

[CTLance]

Oh boy oh boy I can't wait to play this sometime in 2010. :-/

I hear a lot of whining about an octopus boss. Seems to be one of the first bosses, and very successful in wiping out entire parties. So... how's the balance? How's the grind?

Tell me. TELL ME. I need to live vicariously through you guys. Stop playing and start typing.

Also:

 

[2DMention]

I picked up a whole lot of grinders in the first level offline alone.

 

[kiryogi]

Weird. I never bothered to press the button to find out. :lol
Isn't the L button for camera to center it?

Any tips for getting through the first offline level? I'm having trouble.

Do a barrel roll! :lol

 

[2DMention]

Do a barrel roll! :lol

LoL the roll is kinda useless. Seriously tho.. Any tips for the first level? I'm stuck in it.

 

[JLateralus]

Anyone know if any ports need to be forwarded in my router in order for me to be able to host?

 

[kiryogi]

LoL the roll is kinda useless. Seriously tho.. Any tips for the first level? I'm stuck in it.

I'm quite serious. Its not as functional as it is in psp2. But its still a needed manuver against the bosses. What are you stuck on?

 

[Foxix Von]

LoL the roll is kinda useless. Seriously tho.. Any tips for the first level? I'm stuck in it.

Really? it's saved my skin on more than one occasion, and I haven't sunk more than an hour and a half into it yet.

VQ

 

[digita1alchemy]

Loving this so far. Played a quick game with sfried last night and got raped by the octopus...which was really my own fault. My main complaint is the lag on the menus. When going into the menu or changing categories it flashes white for a half second, which seems harmless but when Rayburn can kill me in 2 hits and I can't make my character run around while in the menu like in PSO, it's a pretty big deal. My only other complaints are with some online stuff. I wish it had drop-in/drop-out multiplayer like the original PSO. When I join random games it seems like one or two people always drop out before the end of the mission and no one can come in and take their place. I do like the prompts that pop up showing when friends log in and start parties. The pre-set chat phrases in random games are lacking. While I understand where they're coming from (lol penises), I hate not being able to just chat with random people normally.

But yeah, overall the game is about as much as you could hope for for this sort of game on the DS. I am going to be addicted to this for awhile. Oh and the "Cool Style" photon art on the mech guns is just plain fucking awesome looking.

 

[2DMention]

I'm quite serious. Its not as functional as it is in psp2. But its still a needed manuver against the bosses. What are you stuck on?

I've went to every section and cleared out the enemies, but I can't seem to move forward. There's a double gate that I don't have the keys for, and nobody's dropped them. There's a map where there's only a teleporter and no enemies. Am I supposed to do something there?

 

[digita1alchemy]

I've went to every section and cleared out the enemies, but I can't seem to move forward. There's a double gate that I don't have the keys for, and nobody's dropped them. There's a map where there's only a teleporter and no enemies. Am I supposed to do something there?

That teleporter likely takes you to the boss. Have you not gone through it? And the keys are probably hidden behind some boxes, plants or destructible barriers you didn't notice. But I think they normally just open dead-end side paths that usually have one of those yellow boxes.

 

[Drinky Crow]

Uh, it's a DS game. If you have a problem with these two things specifically, maybe you should sell your DS, because there isn't any sort of magical "beautiful high-res 3D graphics" mode that Sega decided to just turn off. This is how DS games look. And for a DS game, it looks pretty nice and runs smoothly.

The controls are a bit weird, though, but not unmanageable by any degree. The camera is the PSO camera. If you've played and enjoyed any amount of PSO over the years, it doesn't take much to get back in to the groove of using the camera-recenter button.

i really oughtta, although i wound up enjoying nostalgia in spite of itself. i just can't tell what's going on in ps zero, though -- it's like it's TRYING to defy my eyes, and the fact that it plays a lot like PSO-with-a-dodge while looking like a massive downgrade really fucks with my sense of what PSO should feel like after 1000+ hours before the wheel, as it were.

is psp2 gonna get a us release?

 

[digita1alchemy]

is psp2 gonna get a us release?

It's not been officially announced, but I think that is mainly because if they announced it right now it would take the piss out of PSZ's release. I know a few people who have said they're going to just skip PSZ and wait on PSP2. The main complaint for PSP1 over here was that it didn't have proper online play, and since PSP2 added it I would bet on it getting localized. I think the bigger question is fucking when...I am tired of Sega taking a year or more to localize these games.

Also of note, I grabbed the strategy guide for PSZ a couple days ago and in the back there's a short interview with Sakai where when asked about the future of the series he says they're planning something big for next year since it is 10th anniversary of the original PSO. Take that as you will.

 

[TheSeks]

Good:

It's PSO/PSU

Bad:

N64/DS 3-D graphics (sorry, I could never stomach blocky)
Terrible textures
Terrible controls
Terrible chat system (Drawing is nice, but you have to fumble with the touch screen to pull it out. WHY ISN'T IT IN A MINI WINDOW NEAR THE STATUS/MAGIC MENUS?)
Terrible camera (worse than Monster Hunter, I can't believe this shit)
No lock-on to relieve it and actually make it better than Monster Hunter like PSP ()

I just tried the first boss and fucking died because I couldn't hit him despite fumbling with the camera and knowing I could hit him with that goddamn spear. What?

Yeah, I think I'm going to return this and put the credit toward PSP2. It'll be better (esp since the analog nub will help greatly). But hey, PSO nostalgia goggles wielded on their face perma people that can't see some of the things PSU did right and that PSP did better will probably play this to death.

 

[SecretBonusPoint]

Terrible controls
Terrible camera (worse than Monster Hunter, I can't believe this shit)
No lock-on to relieve it and actually make it better than Monster Hunter like PSP ()

There is lock on but you have to essentially be right next to the monster and be holdind L down to lock on, even then it slips off often. A far better system would have been to tap L on and off to enter an Auto-Lock On mode.

But yeah the controls are awful, and I'll probably pick up PSP1 for a bit more of a play to get PS0's unpleasantness out of my mind. About the only thing I liked about it was the gangster rap dance in lobbys you can do :lol

Also someone needs to tell the dev team that no-one plays Phantasy Star Online games for anime bullshit textbox stories. Get rid of them entirely please and just focus on the Online portion, and if you must, tell a cryptic story through message discs in the stages and the occasional BRIEF NPC comment here and there.

 

[2DMention]

Played a little more 1PL and beat the first boss. It's the same boss as PSO!

I agree about the story text - make it cryptic like the original

Where do you heal yourself in town, or do you?

Still can't find people to play with online.

 

[SnakeSlashRO]

:lol What a bunch of bitches! Some of you guys are acting as if this was Segas answer to making a true Phantasy Star Online 2 or something. ( The way I see it, they are using these games to really see how popular the franchise is, and score with new people)

This game is great, I think the real issue is the D Pad... But thats on Nintendo, Sega didn't design the DS, they are just working with what they got. It isn't any worse then the Analog Nub used to play Phantasy Star Portable.


Edit: Also for those complaining about the text heavy story, Sega was just generous enough to add a skip button. I think it works perfectly no?

 

[Gospel]

It's a tag.

It's Drinky

 

[AzureNightmare]

i really oughtta, although i wound up enjoying nostalgia in spite of itself. i just can't tell what's going on in ps zero, though -- it's like it's TRYING to defy my eyes, and the fact that it plays a lot like PSO-with-a-dodge while looking like a massive downgrade really fucks with my sense of what PSO should feel like after 1000+ hours before the wheel, as it were.

is psp2 gonna get a us release?

 

[Teknoman]

2d, did you add everyone on the spreadsheet so far?

 

[2DMention]

Yep.

When does everybody seem to be playing. I was on at 12:30pm CST and 2:30pm and nobody was on. I'll try again tonight after Survivor.

 

[Seraphis Cain]

Oh boy oh boy I can't wait to play this sometime in 2010. :-/

I hear a lot of whining about an octopus boss. Seems to be one of the first bosses, and very successful in wiping out entire parties. So... how's the balance? How's the grind?

Tell me. TELL ME. I need to live vicariously through you guys. Stop playing and start typing.

I beat the octopus boss with a Lv. 4 HUnewearl having never used one in any PSO game ever. It's tough, yes, but as long as you know what you're doing you'll be fine. He IS a lot harder than most of the other first bosses you could possibly face (your stage order is determined by the class you choose).

Also, the amount of hate in this thread is making me sad. Kinda wish Sega hadn't announced PSP2 yet...think that's playing into the hate a little.

 

[Teknoman]

Yep.

When does everybody seem to be playing. I was on at 12:30pm CST and 2:30pm and nobody was on. I'll try again tonight after Survivor.

Probably in the evening. I know the only times (weekdays) i'd be able to play would be... 4pm CST or later.

About weapons: Whats better? Higher ATP and ATA, or enemy weakness percent? Or just try for an even mix of both? And should I just try to have a good weapon for each situation? Playing as a RAmar, but its been awhile.

Anyone?

 

[digita1alchemy]

I am going back and forth between the story and wifi, but I'll normally show up online between 8:00 and 12:00 EST through the week. Probably more sporadically on the weekends.

If you're not playing the story, you can play alone or with random people online and you'll get popups for when friends sign online.

About weapons: Whats better? Higher ATP and ATA, or enemy weakness percent? Or just try for an even mix of both? And should I just try to have a good weapon for each situation? Playing as a RAmar, but its been awhile.

I'd just worry about ATP mainly starting out. The %s will be more important at your stats get higher and enemies become tougher. If you find a good weapon with high %s to the enemies in a certain area, all the better but I wouldn't worry about it right now. I am playing a RAmarl and using some Twin Carbines+7 (mechguns) with no %s and making pretty quick work of everything.

 

[Teknoman]

Gotcha, also im getting a ton of grinders early on...still trying to decide whether I should just use them now, or horde them for rare weapons like past Phantasy Star Online series games.

 

[sethcheek]

Anyone have any good, visual Mag Evolution charts or tips? I can find lots of text-based ones, but half of the fun is working towards one you like the LOOK of.

 

[2DMention]

Got in my first online game at 5pm cst and it was lag-free. Too bad you can't use the chat feature with strangers. :\

 

[RedSwirl]

Anyone have any idea what each Photon Blast does?

 

[2DMention]

Anyone have any idea what each Photon Blast does?

How do you even get those? Do you have to play the story mode quite a bit first?

 

[ckohler]

Anyone have any good, visual Mag Evolution charts or tips? I can find lots of text-based ones, but half of the fun is working towards one you like the LOOK of.

I found this. It was written in Jan using the Japanese version. It includes pictures however you have to copy and paste the links.

http://www.gamespot.com/ds/rpg/phantasystarzero/show_msgs.php?topic_id=m-1-47444698&pid=953869

 

[Teknoman]

I need to progress more in story mode, apparently there are more shops that open up depending on how far you are.

 

[B!TCH]

So I go to play this on my Japanese DSi and... it's region locked. Bummer


But then I figured out a stupidly easy way to defeat Nintendo's region lock and the game booted up! :lol I'm hoping to put more time into it this weekend. Hopefully the region lock doesn't prevent me from playing online. I don't want to have to dust off my DSLite.

 

[baka kitsune]

I need to progress more in story mode, apparently there are more shops that open up depending on how far you are.

Me too. Besides, I'm tired of doing the same three fields. XD Progressing will give us more fields to party in.

 

[NeOak]

But then I figured out a stupidly easy way to defeat Nintendo's region lock and the game booted up! :lol I'm hoping to put more time into it this weekend. Hopefully the region lock doesn't prevent me from playing online. I don't want to have to dust off my DSLite.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ADItHYhyFM

D:

Yeah, its a JAP copy, but who knows.