Thursday February 2, 2012 08:35

PSO2: Alpha Test 2 Status Report

We’re coming down to our last Alpha Test 2 date. I had a major HD failure while playing the game, maybe I pushed it too hard with Shader settings? Anyway today’s update from Sakai is a simple one.

Sakai came out to play for a while and participated in the “water fountain.” A term meaning a clump of people jumping together in the lobby which resembles a water fountain spouting up in the air.

On the first day the gamepad controls weren’t implemented properly, so they had to play with the keyboard and mouse. On the 2nd and 3rd day, they fixed this issue through a patch. But for all 3 days, the servers were really congested which caused considerable lag. When there are lots of people playing at the same time, the damage numbers gets delayed, and it takes a long time to pick up items. They will have to take some counter measures in improving these server problems when the closed beta test occurs.

The good news is that 70% of those accepted participated in this test, which is about the same percentage of the previous test. Sakai was expecting 50% of the winners to play.

Today’s porori images are about the prologue movie and story.

People said they didn’t understand the story after watching the opening movie, which is absolutely right. There is actually another movie coming up known as the “prologue movie” which should let you know about this whole “world” we are playing in. It would explain the Oracle fleet, as well as introduce the three races.

This movie is going to have some narration as well, post-production work is starting next week. In addition, since characters from previous series do not appear in this game, all the voice actors were replaced.

The script is about 3 volumes.

Even though Alpha Test 1 and 2 doesn’t have much of a story, you can expect by the time PSO2 comes out, a story where your character is the main character. Story development, you could say, is sort of like PSO, where major developments come into view through a fragmented story.

See you next time!

[via psblog]

Category: Phantasy Star Online 2
(8) Comments

Tuesday January 31, 2012 17:10

PSO2 Alpha Test 2: Skill Tree

The mini guide continues with the Alpha Test 2 version of the skill tree. The skill tree has some new skills added and some of the old skills were split in two. A few of these skills can be added to the Sub Palette. Review the miniguide on how to do this. We’ll have a Photoshopped version later, in the mean time, the left most skill is shown first based on the skill’s path.

Update: Well it looks like Spellbinder finished it before I did, so you can view the photoshopped images here.

Hunter Skills

HPアップ HP Up Increase HP
打撃アップ1 Striking Up Increase Striking Power
フューリースタンス Fury Stance: A Stance skill that raises your Striking and Range Power, but reduces your Defense
JAボーナス1: JA Bonus: Other than Technics, you get a damage bonus for Just Attacks
アタックPPリストレイト Attack PP Restoration: When a normal attack hits an enemy, the PP restored is higher.
フューリークリティカル Fury Critical: When you are in Fury Stance, it increases the critical hit rate.
打撃アップ2 Striking Up 2
打撃防御アップ1 Striking Defense Up 1
ウォークライ War Cry: Attract Enemy’s attention
アイアンウィル Iron Will Occasionally your HP will stay at 1 when you receive damage that would have incapacitated you.
ガードスタンス Guard Stance: Reduce Striking and Range Power but increases Defense
HPアップ2 HP Up 2
フラッシュガード1 Flash Guard 1 Striking, and Ranged Damage is reduced
ガードスタンスポイズン Guard Stance Poison: Poison is restored when you do the Guard Stance
ガードスタンスバーン Guard Stance Burn: Burn is restored when you do the Guard Stance
フラッシュテックガード FlashTechGuard: Tech Damage is reduced
ガードスタンスアップ1 Guard Stance Up1 Guard Stance’s defense power is increased
オートメイトハーフイン Automate Halfline, use -mates automatically when your HP is 50%
オートメイトデッドライン Automate Deadline use -mates automatically when your HP is 25%
ガード Guard Hold weapon in front of you and guard
射撃防御アップ1 Range Defense Up:
ジャストガード Just Guard Greatly reduces damage when you guard at the right moment.
ジャストカウンター Just Counter After you Just Guard successfully, the next attack you perform becomes a Just Attack
ステップ : Step: Nimbly rush short distances
ステップアドバンス Step advance: While stepping, your invincibility time increases.
ステップアタック Step Attack: Attack during Step
ジャストリバーサル Just Reversal: When you fall down from an attack, use jump to get up quickly.

Ranger Skills:

技量アップ1 : Ability Up: increases ability stat.
ウィークヒットアドバンス1 Weak Hit Advance: Your damage given to the weak spots on enemies increases.
ウィークバレット Weak Bullet, exclusively for Assault rifles, loads a weakening bullet.
技量アップ2: Ability Up 2: increases ability stat.
射撃防御アップ1 Range Defense Up
ウィークヒットアドバンス2: Weak Hit Advance 2: Your damage given to the weak spots on enemies increases a lot.
ツールマスタリー Tool Mastery: Tool type skills increases
ポイズントラップ Poison Trap: Set a Poison trap
アッパートラップ: Upper Trap: Set a trap to launch enemies in the air.
スタングレネード: Stun Grenade: Throw a grenade that stuns the enemy.
アッパーTカスタム Upper T Custom: Increase the power of Upper Traps
ポイズンTカスタム: Poison T Custom: Increases the chance of poison in poison traps.
射撃アップ Range Up: Range stat power goes up.
射撃アップ2: Range Up 2
スタンディングスナイプ1: Standing Snipe: Ranged damage increases when you stand still.
バインドバレット: Bind Bullet: Exclusively for Assault Rifles, loads a Binding bullet
ダイブロール: Dive Roll, Dive a short distance.
ダイブロールアドバンス: Dive Roll Advance: Extended Invincibility time through dive rolling.
ジャストリバーサル: Just Reversal When you fall down from an attack, you can use Jump to get up quickly.

Force:

法撃アップ1: Tech up 1, tech power rises.
テックチャージアドバンス1 Technic Charge Advance1: Charged Technic Damage increases
テックチャージアドバンス2: Technic Charge Advance2 Charged Technic Damage increase
チャージPPリバイバル Charge PP Reversal. While charging PP restores.
フォトンフレア Photon Flare: Temporarily Increases Tech Power but decreases max hp
フレイムマスタリー1: Flame Mastery I: Fire Technic power rises
フレイムテックSチャージ: Flame Tech S Charge: Fire Technic charging time decreases
フレイムマスタリー2: Flame Mastery 2: Fire Technic power increases.
アイスマスタリー1 Ice Mastery 1: Ice Technic Power increases
フリーズブースト: Freeze Boost: Increases the rate of freezing.
アイスマスタリー2: Ice Mastery 2: Ice Technic Power increases
フリーズイグニッション: Freeze Ignition Gives heavy damage through an explosive blast to frozen enemies.
ボルトマスタリー1: Bolt Mastery Lightning Tech power rises.
ボルトテックPPセイブ: Bolt Tech PP Save: Lightning Tech PP usage decreases.
ショックブースト: Shock Boost, increases rate of shock.
ボルトマスタリー2: Bolt Mastery, Lightning Tech Power increases
ノーマルテックアドバンス: Normal Tech Advance. Uncharged Tech damage increases
PPアップ1: PP Up 1
PPアップ2: PP Up 2
テックJAアドバンス Tech JA Advance: Tech Just Attacks get a damage bonus.
ジャストリバーサル: Just Reversal When you fall down from an attack, use Jump to get up quickly.

Let me know of any issues, thanks!

[thanks Mewn for screenshots]

Magazine Roundup!

Sakai talked to a bunch of magazines this week and last week about the plans for this game, we learned a few tidbits.

When the game officially launches there will be 3 races, but considering it’s an online game, sooner or later more races could possibly show up.
Even if you max out your class level, you won’t be able to obtain all the class skills.
When you switch classes, you will keep your existing level, but when you change to a new class you start over.
The closed beta is planned to start before it gets hot. (sometime near summer…)
In the OPEN Beta, it looks like he wants to transfer your character data over to the official game.

[via shougai, shougai]

Category: Phantasy Star Online 2
(13) Comments

Friday January 27, 2012 02:19

PSO2 Alpha Test 2 Player Relay and Mini Guide

Youtube Warning!

Please add this notice to your videos on Youtube in the description area:

「『PHANTASY STAR ONLINE 2』α2テストにおいて撮影された実機動画です。

開発中のため、正式版とは異なる内容であり、今後改良される可能性があります。」

『PHANTASY STAR ONLINE 2』公式サイト

http://pso2.jp/

The problem is that Sega of Japan is probably taking down videos because they can’t read the English notice. This Japanese note should be placed before the English one.

Mini Guide!

Phantasy Star Online 2 Alpha Test 2 has begun. This post will include the more important parts of the manual as well as player feedback from the English Community. If you are in the alpha test and you want to post your uploaded videos, screenshots, and streams you can comment below and it will be added to the list.

The manual will update randomly throughout the weekend, as well as any little tidbits that were found.

TOC

Player Relay
Shop
Item Pack NEW!
Quest Counter
Transferring to My Room
Equipment and Subpalette
My Room NEW!
Visiphone My Shop NEW!
Gamepad Bug
Shader Settings

Player Relay

Enemy

Boss enemies have their own entrance sequence, but they can also appear during quests. We had a case where 4 interrupt events featuring Rock Bears all spawned at the same time.
Enemies can respawn if you revisit an area.

Item

When dropping a telepipe, it will launch from the player’s hand to a spot nearby. It doesn’t drop exactly where the player uses it.

Environmental Hazards

The forest area has lightning which can shock the player. This shock status effect makes the character trip and fall to the ground.
Traps can randomly appear. You can deactivate certain traps by going near to them and clicking on their switch.
Lots of hazards in the Volcano area, Stalactites from the ceiling can drop on the player, as well as lava hazards and random fire spouts.

Force Gameplay

Forces use PP when they use Techs. I felt I ran out of PP way too quickly and had to rely on striking with the rod to do anything significant.
The timing to Just Attack techs were a little cumbersome.
It was a little awkward shooting techs in TPS style.

Low End Graphics

The game ran well on Radeon HD 4250. Slowdown occured with Technics and too many enemies on the screen.
Turning down the Shader setting in the options helped make the game go much smoother.

Bugs

Numerous cases where Gamepads refused to work properly making the game unplayable. Please see workaround below.

Mini Guide Manual

Shop!

Press the [E] or “Chat” button on your gamepad to talk to a shopkeeper.

アイテムを買う Buy Items
アイテムを売る Sell Items
倉庫へアイテムを買う Buy Items to Storage
倉庫からアイテムを売る Sell Items From Storage
買い戻す Buy Back Item you sold
ショップを出る Leave Shop

When you are buying items it will display a list of items currently purchasable. Use the + or – buttons to change what amount of items you want to buy at the same time. Click the left button 購入 to purchase items.

Please Choose [はい] to purchase the selected
items at this confirmation screen.

If you are selling items, please choose アイテムを売る Sell Items or 倉庫からアイテムを売る Sell Items From Storage.

You will see this window in the above screenshot. Click the button 売却 to sell items, press [はい] to sell the items at the confirmation screen.

The second to last option in the shop menu: 買い戻す, lets you buy back your sold items. The repurchase price is different from the price you sold them at. In the manual screenshots, a monomate sold for 20 meseta, but the buyback price was 100.

Item Pack

From the main menu, your item pack is the first icon to your left. When you open it up you will see your item list, by default it will list all of your items, until you sort them.

Item Options

[使う] Use
[倉庫へ送る] Send to storage
[ロック] Lock
[置く] Drop
[捨てる] Discard

Please note that you can not drop all items.

Quest Counter

At the quest counter, you can join or create parties and accept quests.

クエストを選ぶ Choose a quest
クエスト中のパーティーに参加す Join a Party in a quest.

First you will see a quest type, クエストタイプ一覧, choose アークスクエスト for Arks Quests. You will then see your available quests. If you click on one of them you will see :

新しいルームを作成 Create a new room
クエスト中のパーティーに参加する Join Party in a Quest (to join other player rooms)

If you are creating a party you can set up the room by:

[パーティー名] Party Name
[パーティーコメント] Party Comment
[プレイスタイル] Play Style
参加パスワード] Password
[レベル制限] Level Restrictions
[フレンド限定] Friends Only

Use the + and – signs to set the maximum player level first then the lowest player level second. The Friends Only button can be ticked on.

If instead you are joining a party, you can select whether you want to see a list of all parties or just your friends you registered on the friend list.

[すべてのパーティー] All Parties
[フレンドがいるパーティー] Friend Parties

You can see the list of parties that are active. Just press [はい] after you select them to join them. If a party requires a password, type in the password then press [決定]. When you join or start a party you can then head to the space port into your camp ship and into the telepool to start the quest.

But if you did not accept any quests, you can then start フリーフィールドの探索 Free Fields. Head to the space port and select a Freefield quest to start.

Transferring to My Room

When you are in the Arks Lobby, off to the side you will see the Block Teleporter that transfers you to different blocks. From here you can select to go to your room by choosing:

マイルームへ移動 : Transfer to My Room

Additionally you can go to your room from the Quick Menu. The Quick Menu can be activated by pressing the [Middle Mouse Button] or [Select Button] on Gamepads. When you are here:

Click マイメニュー My Menu,
Then click 自分のマイルームへ行く Go to My Room.

Gamepad Bug > Direct Chat Setting

When your gamepad isn’t working, and you want to play with the keyboard, you must turn off Direct Chat. Choose the Gears Icon in the main menu, click オプション > Scroll down on the first page and look for ダイレクトチャット, and choose 使用しない.

Equipment

Open the Main Menu with the [ESC] key and click the second button for equipment 装備 menu.

When you open the menu you will have three choices to equip with.

武器装備 Equip Weapons
防具装備 Equip Armor
サブパレット Sub Palette

When you click Equip Weapons, a weapon palette window 武器パレット will appear on the left. This lists your 3 slots of weapons you will use during battle. If you click on a weapon slot it will display your equipable weapons. Just select one and it will be added to that slot. (You can also drag and drop weapons into the slots.) You can remove weapons from slots by choosing [外す] on an already equipped weapon. You can see this button at the bottom of the window in blue.

Next to each weapon slot is the Photon Arts/Technic. It is indicated by 3 horizontal slots which represents 3 combos. Click an empty slot as highlighted in the screenshot to add a Photon Art.

The next window shows the available photon arts for that weapon. You can then apply these photon arts into the empty slots.

However some photon arts work slightly different with Techs and Bullets. They will have a BL and BR slot. This is called the back palette. You can switch to the back palette by using the Extra Action button or SHIFT key during quests.

Equip Armor menu has three specific areas

コスチューム: Costume
リアユニット: Rear Unit
アームユニット Arm Unit
レッグユニット Leg Unit

Exactly like equipping weapons, you will click an empty slot, where a list of units will display, and you can drag those units into the correct spot.

The last menu is the SubPalette, again, just click an empty slot, which will open a new window and drag whatever icons you want into these slots. You can also add Skills and Technics by clicking on the respective tab icon in this window.

My Room

At the item shop you can buy room items, let’s go through the list of what reform items are available. The rest of the room items are self explanatory because the icons show you what they are! Neat!

First 4 Reform Items in order:

ベーシク　スタイル Basic Style
ゴシック　スタイル Gothic Style
リモデルームＳ Remodel Room Small
リモデルームＬ Remodel Room Large

After you visit your room, you can set your room items and change the style of each room.

On the left side of your main room, you will see the room setup terminal. If you access it, you open the My Room menu マイルームメニュー

My Room Menu

ルームグッズ設置 Room Item Placement
ルームカスタマイズ Room Customize

Either choose your Item Pack アイテムパック or storage box 倉庫, a new window, a list of your room items ルームグッズ一覧 will pop up. Choose the item you want.

After you set it down you can choose to:

(Contextual Interaction)
グッズを動かす Move the items
撤去する remove them from the room.

If you are customizing the design of your room, choose the second option ルームカスタマイズ Room Customize, in the My Room Menu.

中央の部屋 Center Room
左の部屋 Left Room
右の部屋 Right Room

Choose which room you want to customize, by using your remodel items. Expanding the size of your room requires Remodel Room L. You can also use the Remodel Room items to add a left and right room. Use Basic or Gothic style to change the style of your room.

Remodel Room L

Gothic Style

Visiphone Shop

In the Arks Lobby, you can access your Visiphone ビジフォン, this will access your:

アークスサーチ: Arks Search to search for a player by the ID name
マイショップ: My Shop to sell items in your shop

In the My Shop menu

商品検索 Product Search
ショップ検索 Shop Search
フレンドのショップを探す Search Friend’s Shop
マイショップ管理 My Shop Management
ショップメニューを閉じる Close Shop Menu

In Product Search there are various ways to search and filter search listings.

アイテム名 Item Name
カテゴリー Category
サブカテゴリー Sub Category
属性 Attribute
属性値 Attribute Value
強化値 Grind Value
特殊能力数 # of Special Effects

The bottom portion lets you checkmark the minimum and maximum value. Push the blue button to change the price. In otherwords according to the picture, 100 meseta is the minimum and 10,000 is the maximum.

In the Shop Search menu you can search by:

プレイヤーIDネーム Player ID name
キャラクター名 Character Name
広告文 Advertisement

If you choose the フレンドのショップを探す, it will display your friend’s shop.

マイショップ管理 My Shop Management Menu

アイテムパックから出品 Display items from the Item Pack
アイテムパックへ取り下げ Put back item to the item pack
倉庫から出品 Display from the Storage Box
倉庫へ取り下げ Put back item to Storage Box
広告編集 Edit Advertisement
売り上げ確認 Sales

When you choose any of the options above to display an item, an empty list window will pop up. You will then choose which items you want to sell.

価格設定 Set a price for your item

If you don’t set a price, you can’t sell that item in the shop. Afterwards when you are done click the left blue button 出品する to sell your items.

Once someone buys your items choose the second to last button 売り上げ確認 Sales

You can claim your earning by pressing the bottom blue button 売り上げ金回収 Collect Money

Shader Settings

The game essentially has two major graphical modes. Complex and Simple Shader. If you can run complex shaders already there’s no point in reading this section. However those who may be mid-range to low end graphics may want to try out shader options.

Your shader settings is in the launcher on the 4th tab and right colomn. When setting shaders to complex, your FPS may take a considerable hit, but there are ways to lower the shader settings in game, as long as you can reach to the lobby.

テクスチャ解像度: Texture Resolution [Left Column]

高解像度 High Resolution
通常 Normal
圧縮 Compressed

シェーダー品質: Shader Quality

標準 Complex
簡易 Simple

The first blue button at the bottom of the window will save, and the last blue button will exit.

Click 2nd entry: オプション Options from the system menu.

This will open the options menu, on the left side you’ll see 4 major drop downs, the 2nd one in particular has three sub menus. They contain the following settings: