Notice
This post is updating in real time. Contents are subject to change.
January 1st & 12th Update
New Years and Quaint Ensemble
Central City New Year's
- Central City will be decorated into a New Years theme
- Mischief symbols will be available.
New Year's Special
- New Year! Throwback Collection
- Popular LAs, motions, hairstyles and accessories.
- New versions of previous outfits with partial changes to models and colors.
- New Year Mag / Weapon Camo Memories
- Revival scratch of Mags and Weapon Camos weapon in PSO2 Specs.
- New Year! M-Voice Memories and New Year! F-Voice Memories.
- Voice Tickets will be delivered with Japanese voices regardless of audio setting.
Winter Event
- Snow will be falling all over the place.
- Central City will be decorated again.
- Xiandy will be wearing a winter outfit.
Winter Event
- Mission Pass Season 4 includes Mag Forms, Stamps, Accessories, and Retem Region Special Ability Capsules and Battle Triggers.
Winter Event
- Tempesta ★5 Weapon Series are wind element.
- Seasonal Point Exchange Shop include weapons and special abilities to gain the upper hand.
- Get Weapon Camo versions through Point Reward Titles.
- Seasonal enemies will appear with elemental weakness to Wind.
- Retem and Aelio EQ bosses will also become seasonal enemies.
Quaint Ensemble
- Variety of unique Japanese style outfits and parts.
- Lobby Action: Ninja 2
- Masked Face: T2/B
- Motion Glide – Mini Glider
January 19th Update
World Trial
Seasonal World Trials
- January 19th ~ January 26th
- Winter-themed Stellar Grace with SG tickets added.
- Rare Drop Rate will increase based on how many items collected individually and collectively.
SG Scratch: Resolute Warrior
- A completely revamped SG Scratch lineup.
- Dress up as Nadereh, Hadi, and Retem City locals.
- New Finger LAs
- Motion: Idle – Hand on Hip 2 (Scratch Bonus)
- New Feature: Stage Bonus (Step Bonus)
- Drop rate for featured items will increase after certain # of plays.
- For example: Stage 2 increases Featured Item Rate (x1.2)
- Featured items will often disappear once the SG lineup is updated.
January 26th Update
Winter Event and Streetwear
Winter Event
- 2nd Half begins January 26th
- New Daily Tasks and Weekly Tasks
- Items added to Exch Shop include SG Tickets, Special Scratch Tickets, and new accessories.
AC Scratch: Edgy Underworld
- Streetwear and sci-fi inspired outfits.
- Lobby Actions: Commemorative Photo
- Motion: Landing – Frozen
- Motion: Dash – Skate
Nadereh Concert
Nadereh sings a Big Band Jazz Tune
Dark Falz
February 2022
Operation Report
Q&A Session
Could you increase the rarity of the Battle Triggers?
I often don't notice that they have dropped.
As players suggested, in a future update we plan to change the rarity of Battle Triggers to ★4 so they display a rare drop effect when dropped. With that, we are also discussing adding a function to filter the rare drop effect by item category so you can easily tell if it's a weapon or armor.
We want more perks for joining a party.
We plan to implement a party bonus feature with boosts that increase the amount of EXP and meseta you gain, as well as the rare drop rate.
Battle Triggers are rare and Battledia are difficult to complete,
so I don't want Battledia included in Limited-time Tasks.
We are discussing how to make it easier to get into Battledia when we include Battledia Quests as a requirement for limited-time tasks in the future, such as by sending out the amount of B-Triggers you need to play once.
According to the info released before the NGS launch, Summoner was to be released following Spring 2022, but there were no plans included in the roadmap from early December. What happened?
Before the NGS launch, the goal was to release Summoner around Spring 2022. However, we've had to lower the priority of its development to focus on improving content and expanding adventuring elements based on the feedback we've received post-launch. Thus, we estimate that the release of Summoner will be in late 2022.
Players' Survey
October 27th Content
Many survey respondents stated they were dissatisfied and very dissatisfied with the game.
The development team humbly acknowledges that various bugs have caused trouble for the players, and the current quality and volume of content is unsatisfactory. They will make further efforts to improve for the future.
They will take appropriate measures against the issues to prevent them from reoccurring.
As for the content they released the Retem region in December but feel they have a long way to go to meet everyone's expectations.
Based on the comments and suggestions from the roadmap, they plan to improve and release more content in addition to those revealed in the roadmap.
The most pressing reason why players were dissatisfied was because they have run out of things to do in the game. They also felt the new events were boring.
| Ranking | Japan | Global |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | I've done everything I can in-game and have run out of things to do. | I've done everything I can in-game and have run out of things to do. |
| 2 | The new events are boring | The new events are boring |
| 3 | There are too many bugs. | I don't have enough meseta |
| 4 | I can't get weapons with the presets that I want | Content that I want to play, such as EQs and Gigantix, do not spawn at times when I want to play them. |
| 5 | Content that I want to play, such as EQs and Gigantix, do not spawn at times when I want to play them. | I can't get the items I want for character customization. |
Actions For Lack of Content
- The class level cap will be raised every few months.
- Release content and enemies with new difficulty levels.
- Add new Titles and tasks from Ronaldine on a regular basis.
Actions for Improving Events
- Release EQs for events starting with the seasonal event in March.
- Implement EQ Triggers for seasonal EQs
- Increase seasonal event rewards, focusing on avatar items.
Players selected options they'd like to see implemented in the future.
| Ranking | Japan | Global |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gameplay that makes use of the open field. | Gameplay that makes use of the open field. |
| 2 | More in-depth Character Creation | The addition of co-op content you can play with your friends |
| 3 | The addition of co-op content you can play with your friends | More quest-style content like Cocoons and Towers |
| 4 | New classes and new weapon types | New classes and new weapon types |
| 5 | More quest-style content like Cocoons and Towers | The addition of high-difficulty content that requires enhanced equipment. |
| 6 | Additional communication features | More in-depth Character Creation |
| 7 | The addition of high-difficulty content that requires enhanced equipment. | Additional communication features |
Actions for Open Field Gameplay
- Plans to implement non-battle content where you can play solo or compete with friends.
- It will take time before this will be released.
Actions for Character Creation
- Production is underway to incorporate new avatar items.
- More face options like the ones released on December 15th
- Expand the Fashion Catalog and add options we are unable to currently save.
Actions for Co-Op Content
- April will release a new form of high-difficulty quests with up to 4 players.
- Add tasks that require Team Member co-op play.
The next survey in mid-January will offer feedback for the Retem Region.
Participants will receive an SG 40 Ticket.
Merch & Campaigns
AC Shop Bargains
Retem Release Celebration Campaign
- Year-end ARKS Support Campaign
- Complete limited-time tasks to get items like Special Ability Capsules and Special Scratch Tickets.
- New Year Login Bonus
- Login 6 or more days to receive up to 250 SG and Special Scratch Tickets.
- Grind Support Campaign
- Currently active until January 5th.
Party Play Campaign
- Clear Emergency Quests with a party to get Battle Triggers
AC Shop Bargains
- Item Bundle with a new stamp with Lutina from Phantasy Star Nova
- Another Item Bundle with boost items.
Use AC, Get Items (Global Only)
- Spend certain amounts of AC to get various items.
- 500+ AC = PSO 20th Anniversary Sticker and Sodam Music Disc
- 1500+ AC = AIS Suit: Snow
- 3000+ AC = Emote 734: Enthusiastic Spectator
Lawson Prepaid Card Campaign (Japan Only)
Purchase a qualifying Lawson Prepaid Card to receive a bonus that includes Star Gems and a Rappy Karaage Boost Item.
Sympathy 2021 Blu-Ray (Japan Only)
Purchase the Sympathy Blu-Ray on January 19th to receive bonus items.
More details here!
Thanks for the update Ricardo! Ohh Yeah Dark Falz !! Here we go again! : D
So Nadereh is a local Quna. Okay.
That was pretty obvious even before the headline. Blue Hitsugi at first, then desert Quna, the question is when is Io?
Blue Hitsugi? The bluest she gets is purple and outside of the stiff English voice acting, is nothing like Hitsugi.
I sure as f*ck don't remember Hitsugi struggling with a unique power (in Hitsugi's case, that would be her purifying sword powers), singing or lamenting over the dead. Those last two make her far closer to Quna (the Hardred that Quna knew was already dead before we helped her kill the shell of his former self).
Also Hitsugi is a stereotypical tomboy while Nadereh is too stoic and introverted to have much of a personality, although like Quna, singing seems to bring out another side of her.
Aina and Hitsugi are both whining-but-I'll-do-my-best-while-hogging-spotlight-even-though-I'm-not-MC characters. And colorpicking Aina's hair and checking it says it's closest to "SteelBlue", it's not purple. Desert Quna has the same vibe as Quna. Also I'm using JP audio maybe that's why it feels so similar.
p.s. why do people use EN when JP VA quality is very high while EN can be high but usually is complete shit when it comes to dubbing anime-related stuff. For EN example I find Tanya VA (Kari Wuhrer) from Red Alert 2 great but even non profession VA in Mental Omega are good which makes me confused about why some professional EN VA are so bad.
Color picking doesn't really work on renders of high-resolution textures. You can get a wide array of colors dragging the dropper around.
As for the issues with the English voice acting in PSO2, it seems to be down to a combination of miscasting and bad voice direction. Take Kira Buckland for example, she was clearly only cast as Risa because of 2B.
Also, most of the English cast worked on SAO and Jojo's. This is the only reason I can even remotely think of that Billy Kametz was cast as Luther. Kametz. Can. Not. Do. Scumbags. And then he was cast as Dr. Zed in Pokemon Secrets of the Jungle, WTF? If they had heard him doing Luther, they'd know that was a miscast…
I'm not sure who voices Dudu in the English version but he was also miscast…
Oh and don't even get me started on the decision to have Erin Cahil in PSU. She can not emote. Not even as Jen Scotts in her civilian form in Power Rangers Time Force: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZN7USOVAS4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCH-rtsfWIc
The audio quality of the voice acting has certainly improved since PSU and we don't have anyone with no voice acting experience at all like Nick Tagas as Ethan Waber but there's a few with barely any roles at all like Larissa Gallagher (Echo), Maureen Price (Melfonseana) and Rebbeca Davis (Fourie).
There's also the questionable accents for characters like Hilda, most of the Newmans met early on and Saga. Euclyta doesn't even have Afin's accent.
That said, the casting wasn't completely terrible. Xanthe Huynh and Armen Taylor fit Matoi and Zeno like gloves and they got the absolutely legendary Wendee Lee as Aki.
Also while I don't really have a problem with their English voices, I have to say I am very disappointed that Ophiel and Bethor weren't voiced by Patrick Seitz and one of Frieza's English voice actors considering who voiced them. Weird thing is that Hagith actually sounds more like Frieza. It's probably related to how Terrence Stone shares a role with Frieza's seiyu, Ryūsei Nakao in Bleach as Mayuri Kurotsuchi.
Also it's funny, I don't remember anyone complaining when Quna and Hardred stole the spotlight for Quna's personal character arc or when Hariette, Alis, the Dark Falzes, Clarissia, Margretta and Elmir did this in Episode 5 and when almost EVERYONE did this in Episode 6. Not to mention all those spotlight-stealing moments scattered across the rest of the story. Hitsugi was hardly the only one who did this in Episode 4 but she gets focused on because everyone hates her. She, Khori, Al and the Mother Cluster disciples ALL did this, not just Hitsugi.
Wow you really know your stuff about english VAs! I should start looking into it more, it does answers some questions.
I color-picked area in GIMP but yea, even if GIMP doesn't get it wrong websites have same name for different colors and different names for same color and it doesn't really matter, can be purple Hitsugi, blue Hitsugi just sounds like player two Hitsugi (while red is player one color).
As for spotlight hogging for other characters it felt like it was part of (your) story and it didn't feel like overly forced (though it might look different now with omnibus without matterboard). Meanwhile in Ep4 MC was more about pushing forward Hitsugi's story and MC along with Sierra were busy peeking into Hitsugi's private, bath scenes included, life like some total creeps.
Hex codes are different between regular colors and web colors, that's a very important distinction. I couldn't tell you why this difference exists however. It's about as much of a mystery to me as why are there windings and webdings, don't windings work fine on the web?
Also it just took some quick looking at Behind the Voice Actors and IMDB. You'd be surprised how sometimes people who don't even normally voice act get casted for video games. FFXIV has a very British English voice cast (one of them voiced Professor Umbridge in the Harry Potter games and another voiced Professor Snape in said games) but several of the English voice actors for FFXIV normally do live action.
Course this on its face isn't necessarily a bad thing. Plenty of celebrity voice actors do pretty well with voice acting. Gorge Takei, Leonard Nimoy (RIP), John De Lancie and Weird Al (well, he's a singer so him doing good at voice acting makes a lot of sense) all took to voice acting very well. Not to that mention the English dub for FFXIV isn't terrible and certainly not on the same lower level of quality as PSO2. Square-Enix USA has certainly come a long way since FFX. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H47ow4_Cmk0
"Seasonal Point Exchange Shop include Camos of these and special abilities to gain the upper hand."
The camos are from titles, I think they said it's from seasonal point-based ones, so likely based on how many points you earn.
Thank you. I have corrected that part.
To be exact it's one universal camo that's given as a reward from a title you unlock by earning 300,000 seasonal event points during the event.
Source: https://pso2na.arks-visiphone.com/wiki/Portal:New_Genesis/Limited_Time_Titles
Is Sega really gonna make it snow in the desert?
Ever heard of the term "Cold day in Hell?" Well, there you go! lol
Pretty sure it's just Aelio. They specified Central City but didn't mention Retem aside from the UQ.
I don't know who was asking for more party bonuses but that was literally the worse part of PSO2. Being constantly gimped on EXP gains if you're not in a party and being spammed with party invites if you so much as take a piss outside of the lobby. I understand someone's gonna respond to me with "It's an online game" But let's be 100% honest here. There's more to an online game than just being in a party, and PSO2 had the worst implementation of encouraging parties. Just ending up in a team that begrudgingly got together because you don't have enough friends online at the moment to play with buds and everyone is always either dead quite or you get that one annoying dude that's roleplaying a commander and just won't stop spamming orders. Someone always drops out after two minutes of playing and you're back to either being gimped or having to sit for god knows how long to wait for the team to fill up. This is just horrible design ultimately. If people aren't teaming up enough, then the problem lies in gameplay, not the reward. If you need to lock full EXP gains or drop rates behind a full team then you're not fixing the gameplay problem, you're just putting an extra inconvenience hoop for people to jump through. And while I'm being completely honest here, if nobody wants to party with you to the point you have to run to the developers to demand more incentives for people to party with you. Chances are people still won't want to play with you even with more incentives, they'll just find someone else.
There are no party bonuses in NGS atm, so it's more of "asking for any bonuses" and how good/bad it'll be depends on how big those bonuses will be.
And I actually liked it. Sometimes I went solo even on exp quests coz I felt like it, other times someone joined party and didn't say a word to anyone and only rarely I was randomly invited (how are you so popular?) and it was fine parting with people made grind less boring and sometimes it was really fun to chat with new people. Outside changing team that most likely wouldn't have happened if not for these bonuses.
"being spammed with party invites if you so much as take a piss outside of the lobby"
I've never had this happened. In fact I've rarely ever felt compelled to have a party with other players outside of content that requires more than one player and/or doesn't allow partner characters like urgent quests and buster quests. I mostly just used friend partner characters.
NGS is thankfully easy enough that I can solo most of the content save for battle sectors, battildia and urgent quests. I don't really care much for battildia myself as both a nigh-casual avid and an introvert.
I think it is very telling that only the jp version has many players complain about bugs, not to mention that almost 2/3 of Japanese players are unsatisfied and only 11% are satisfied. Sega has to really get their shit together for the JP version.
Of course no wonder when the game freezes or lags out constantly and just using the world map teleport function is very likely to require re-launching the game and getting into the NGS game beyond character select menu can take up to 8 tries and over half an hour of waiting, killing the process and trying again, not helped by the fact that you always have to wait a minute or more during the warp screen before you can tell if the game is just being slow or if it actually broke and you cannot reach Central City without relaunching the process.
PS: Also telling that so much of the new content is scratch and single eqs Sega has no idea how to manage anymore without schedules, along with the rest of the game it's like they think they will be able to coast along of the hype of a new release for years when it's not a real new release and frm the very start a lot of the bs of a new release like being super grindy or locking a lot of features behind paywalls won't do well with players that were used to a lot higher quality, a lot more content and a lot more f2p features for many years before.
I hope the current director gets fired from this position and someone who knows what they are doing will be chosen instead. Or whoever makes made the final decisions that turned NGS into the buggy, briefly entertaining mess it currently is.
The person in charge is the person responsible for the much maligned episodes 5 and 6, the notorious Hiroki Hamasaki, better known as HMZK for reasons that escape me.
How he hasn't been fired yet when he's way worse than the last director also escapes me.
HaMaZaKi
Is it solely due to HMZK? Really?
The game freezing/crashing moments, despite all technical measures on on my side whether a full windows reinstall or moving to a completely new machine, seems to happen to an unfortunate few. And this causes the support staff and/or your fellow players ignoring you or worse, blaming the problem on your tech illiteracy.
Ended up uninstalling this thing as JP suffers the same thing. Even to something as dumb as crashing while AFK'ing on central city.
The crashes as well as the communities attitude is way more disgusting than what the much hated EP5 director is doing.
"it's like they think they will be able to coast along of the hype of a new release for years when it's not a real new release"
I agree, this NGS feels uninspired and sold out and I genuinely miss the experiences I had on this game
or something idk man. i took a crack at it.