Today Sakai featured the Visual Lobby for Phantasy Star Portable 2 Infinity. It’s not quite the same as Phantasy Star Online but has some similar aspects to it. Originally PSPo2′s online server was only used for creating and joining parties, but now in Infinity, the server has added a visual lobby.

The online screen opens up with selecting universes. Even though there’s 5 in this screenshot, Sakai has not decided how many universe servers the game will have in the final version.

At the bottom of this screen you will see two key items you can select. The circle button is for those who want to enter the lobby, and the triangle button is for those who wish to enter the old method of joining parties.

If you select the lobby option you’ll be whisked away to the brand new visual lobby where up to 12 players can join at a time. This is the size of three full parties meeting inside one lobby.

The right lower corner contains the lobby’s name. So in this screenshot they have entered the SKY-04 lobby. Each lobby name consists from 10 colors, with a suffix of numbers 1~30.

ロビーカウンター Lobby Counter

One can view the party list パーティーリスト just like the previous game from selecting the top choice here. You can also select the Lobby List  ロビーリスト button to choose a random list of  20 different lobbies. Use the Universe Selection ユニバース選択 to change universes.

And like we mentioned last time, you can enter the Playstation Store by selecting Online Shop オンラインショップ.

ロビー作成 Lobby Creation

In this menu you create your own lobby by selecting it’s color name and number. Though this could result in duplicate lobby names.

ロビー検索 Lobby Search

Now you can search for a lobby,  the ones which you can enter are displayed, but there are cases where there are duplicate lobby names. You can check to see who is in the lobby from the search results before you enter it.

If everyone leaves the lobby, then the lobby disappears.

大型モニター Huge Monitor

Behind the characters you’ll see this huge monitor. It contains news and information about the  latest events, contests and such. Unfortunately this lobby will not have chair races and soccer, but you can still perform lobby actions and chat.

[via: pspo2iblog]

Question and Answer Session

In regards to if you can go to your room or missions from the visual lobby…

While you are in the visual lobby you can not go to your room or directly to a mission. You must still create a party at the lobby counter to access those stuff.

In regards to if you must be in the same lobby to join the same party…

Regardless of which lobby you are in, everyone accesses the same party list (for that server). So people in different lobbies can still join your party.

If you can change your weapons and equipment while in the lobby…

You can not change your equipment while you are actively in the lobby. Since the game is showing 12 player characters at a time, some features have to be restricted in this state. You can still send emails and exchange partner cards while in a lobby. But if you want to change your equipment you should make a party.

If you can make password protected lobbies…

You can not make password protected lobbies. All lobbies are public. If you would like a private engagement you should start a password protected party.

What music does the visual lobby use….

The visual lobby uses a particular track from Phantasy Star Online titled “Day Dawns”

What colors does the lobby use?

There’s 10 colors and this post will get really long showing all ten colors so I’d ask you to see the variations on Sakai’s blog. There are the colors, RED, BLUE, YELLOW, GREEN, ORANGE, SKY, PURPLE, PINK, WHITE, and BLACK.

Orange Lobby for Phantasy Star Portable 2 Infinity.

The Green Lobby!

The Red Lobby.

[via pspo2iblog]

PSO Monuments

Remember a while back we mentioned the monuments from PSO were in this game. Here’s the small tiny screenshot from the guidebook. We’ve visited Ragol through VR recreation in Pspo2. Does this mean we have finally crossed over for real this time?

Additional Comments

Well you know how our servers seem to attract lonely singles seeking a girlfriend or boyfriend to date on a PSP game. I’m reading 2ch about the prospected exchanges that will happen in this new visual lobby. Even the Japanese players have to put up with it.

“How old are you” “Are you a girl?” “Where do you live?” “Is this (tainted) weapon ok?” “Furniture please!” “Can someone teach me how to cheat?” “The Black Guild is recruiting!”

Hmm it does sound like our servers…

Dengeki Magazine

Shougai PSO obtained the latest information from Dengeki Magazine. The information below is currently being updated…

• The six new technics
  • Foverse (Fire)
  • Sabarta (Ice)
  • Sazonde (Lightning)
  • Diverse (Ground)
  • Nagrants (Light)
  • Samegid (Dark)
• Sabarta
  • A “snowstorm” is released in a wide area in front of the player
  • The snowstorm stays in place during a fixed time.
  • The monster recieved damage once it’s hit by this snowstorm.
  • SG Comment: It is unknown whether the monster gets a status effect and is launched/knockback/etc…
  • Sabarta can add to the chain count until it disappears.
• Sazonde
  • We know that it’s a lightning ball technic that can launch and shock enemies.
  • Sazonde can add to the chain count until it disappears.
• Diverse
  • A new ground “Recovery type” technic
  • It can absorb PP from nearby enemies but gives no damage.
  • If you keep pressing down the button, the technic can be used for a longer period of time. 
• Samegid
  • A new dark technic that’s described as a “gravitational field”
  • For a set amount of time it stays at one place.
  • Damage is given to enemies, it is unknown if status effect occurs or enemies launch/knockback..
  • Samegid can add to the chain until it disappears
• Charge Shot I
  • The time it takes to charge is shortened.
  • SG Comment: It is unknown if this applies to “Full Charge Shot”
• Charge Shot II
  • Each Charge Shot II possesses a different characteristic among these three listed below:
  • A characteristic like  “Striking”
  • A characteristic like  “Shooting”
  • A characteristic like  “Force”
  • Based on these characteristics, the given damage is calculated and a “resistance determination” is performed
  • (I believe this works in the way where some enemies would be resistant to striking, or some resistant to technics so less damage was given)
  • Only with shooting weapons can you compete against all the resistances.
• Charge Shot II Rifles
  • Shoot a bullet up into the sky and it rains down on the enemy.
  • The number of hits the bullet give is amazing but the exact number is not identified.
  • There is some time before the bullet falls sort of like a bomb.
• Charge Shot II Shotguns
  • Unleash a huge bullet that collides with enemies within a short distance.
  • Since the bullet is soo big, the hit accuracy is high.
• Charge Shot II longbows
  • After jumping upwards, the arrow fires blindly as it points towards the ground.
  • The animation was described like “Dus Majara’s 3rd combo”…
• Charge Shot II machine gun
  • You fire blindly around your surroundings.
  • So if you are surrounded by monsters, you will fire all around you.
• Weapon Balances
  • The sword is tweaked a bit. From the 3rd normal attack, the photon art “just attack” is possible.
  • The axe, the number of hits in the first normal attack has changed to two.
  • Twin saber, “Blade Destruction” was weakened.
  • Longbow, First Person view will now give more powerful damage.
  • Shields, their damage has raised. Just Guard attacks even more useful…
• Fusion Codes
  • You can improve the attribute percentage of a weapon when you synth the same weapons together.
  • Fusion code can be obtained by importing PSP2 to infinity.
• Training Missions
  • Fulyen Curtz will be your instructor!
  • Learn the basics of the game for first time players.
  • You get a reward by completing all training missions.
  • SG Comment: Maybe the reward is the Partner card? Hahaha..
• Planet Treasure
  • You get treasure by completing the designated Infinity Mission
  • It assigns which Infinity Mission you should do at random.
  • It can assign multiple infinity missions you should do.
  • As long as you complete one of the designated missions, you’ll get the treasure.
  • This is sort of like Client Orders…
• Episode 2
  • There’s less chapters than the PSPo2. The exact number was not specified but it must be less than 10.
  • The script in episode 2 is 2/3 of Episode 1.
  • (PSUBlog Comment: So I know we’ve been told so far that the story is 50% more than episode 1. Either they changed their minds or we have less text and longer missions.)
• Boss Total Count
  • The amount of bosses in this game is “double the amount shown so far to the public” as said by Satoshi Sakai.
  • In otherwords we know 3 Bosses so far, Olga Flow, Geel Zohg, and Dyla Bravas.
  • (I guess now there’s 6 new bosses?)
• More Collaborations expected
  • More Collab partners are expected even after the game releases. There is a possibility more collaborations will be released as download content for the game.
• 90 % Done
  • The game is 90% done and is currently in debugging and testing phases.