prowler_ said:
Phantasy Star Zero is okay, easily the most time I've spent on a DS game. (clearing all storys)
It was fun when it was released and I played with a few people here regularly.
The problem with PSZ and PSP2 is that you will not have a good online experience randomly searching for people, you need to either go with friends or find a group yourself (pso-world).
Edit: Also Alpha testing starts next month.
PSO v1/v2 for Dreamcast is what got me hooked into online gaming, even when I play PSO BB I don't play the Gamecube or Episode 4 content because I love the original Pioneer and am still compelled to grind the same old crap I did for weeks and months in 2001/2002
In PSZ, I got a RAmarl to 64 very stubbornly mostly through grouping with people I met from PSO-World forums and my ex boyfriend. I was pretty pissed that I didn't really become aware of how it's truly the worst grouping class in the game until after level 50.. I forced myself to get it to 60+ for Super Hard mode runs anyway. Then I just got frustrated at how useless I was.
PSZ's single greatest flaw wasn't it's lack of content in my opinion, having good people to play with in a multiplayer game will always make up for that. I just despised the lack of utilization of the touch screen, which made it impossible to move while using items not on your action palette. (Using menu) It was what made me go back to schthack PSO BB and not load up PSZ ever again. I had been intending on leveling up a force to replace her before I found out I could play Dreamcast content with a RAmarl (not possible in Dreamcast PSO) in PSO Blue Burst.
On PSO2: If they keep it on PC ONLY until it is very evidently a profitable game, they won't be digging their own grave yet again. I've been pissed about the shutdown of Phantasy Star Universe PC/PS2 servers because I permanently lost my character in addition to losing access to a game I bought for my PC. But I love the game series so much I wouldn't hesitate to preorder the most expensive collector's edition package they might possibly offer for an English/NA PSO2 release..
I hope they take their time and perfect their Japanese release before introducing it as a Western one, no matter how badly I want to play it ASAP. I don't want to experience losing a character again because they can only profit from having one of the platforms or regions server open.
I hope they also have as useful a translation tool (or better).. The ability to generate phrases with PSO v1/2 made it truly possible and effective to participate in cooperative play with Japanese players in timed content even if you couldn't speak or read it at all. The tool wasn't just English to Japanese either, it also functioned with French, Spanish, and possibly also German. I just remember there being a lot more Japanese players doing Challenge mode back in the day than anyone else... anyway
On Multiplatform/International release: There's NEVER been a successful multiplatform simultaneous launch of a MMORPG. FFXIV did so poorly that they still don't charge a subscription fee, (did it ever even come out on PS3/XBOX360??), but FFXI did great in comparison (long-term analysis) because they were only able to develop/port for one platform at a time. Additionally they did not take on the monumental task of an international simultaneous launch with FFXI, they localized for English after the Japanese release was generating income..
like a 250 dollar kit back when DDR4 was Intel only
