[MUD-Dev] Phantasy Star online article

[Koster]

http://gamespy.com/articles/february01/pso/

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Phantasy Star Online: Consoles Hit the 'Net

Are you a console bigot? If so, GameSpy gives you six good reasons to
pack up your PC and take look at Sega's ballyhooed MMORPG: Phantasy
Star Online.  By - Craig Wessel

As a die-hard PC game fan, it's at least somewhat likely that you're a
console bigot. If you are, you know what I'm talking about. Sure, you
may own a console, but you never actually consider playing serious
games on it. You probably say things like, "Well, sure I have a
Dreamcast (or PSX, or N64), but I only use it to play _________ (f
find the pattern battles, character dialog sometimes suffers due to
the fact that it was translated from Japanese, and NPC interaction is
limited. Remind you of any other MMORPGs? If you're honest, you'd have
to say that at least two of those things are true of Asheron's Call
and EverQuest, as well as the online versions of Diablo and Diablo 2.

Now that I've deeply offended you, let me get to the point. Here are
the top few reasons that PSO is important to you, whether you own a
console or not.

1. PSO's online and offline games are fully integrated.

PSO is one of the few titles on the market that lets you create one
character and play with it offline in a series of missions, and take
that same character -- with all items, skills, and experience intact
-- online, and adventure with up to three other people. Items you find
offline can be used online. Money makes the transition to, making the
PSO universe unique. Need to level up your character so that you can
beat a particular boss offline? Go online, and adventure with some
higher-level characters to gain rare items and experience, then drop
offline and take that boss down alone. Or, if you choose, kill the
same boss online with your friends to practice. It's nothing new to
Diablo 2 players, but keep in mind -- this is a console game we're
talking about, folks.

In an interesting twist, you can also download quests for the offline
game while online. These quests are saved to your Dreamcast's VMU
(memory unit), and you can choose to play them at your leisure. This
makes the offline game's replay value better than most RPGs on the
market.

2. PSO is truly a worldwide role-playing game.

Players can choose one of several lobbies to launch online games from,
including Japanese servers. How do you talk to players who speak a
different language? Using an easily accessible interface, you can
customize sentences from a list of existing phrases, and each player
will see them in their own language. For instance, you can say, "Hi,
who wants to start a game? I'm new here." Or "I have a Double
Saber. Will trade for XYZ." Everyone in the lobby with you will see
that text in their own language. There is a fairly extensive
vocabulary that you can use in this manner.

You can also send players you meet online your Guild Card -- a visual
representation of yourself that you can customize. There is an
address-book function that lets you search your Guild Card list for
players you've met online previously, so you can meet for new
games. Finally, you can also type text via your controller, or with an
optional Dreamcast keyboard, although this won't be translated. By the
way, if you're playing the game, I highly recommend that you spend the
$20 on a keyboard, since it makes it so much easier to carry on a
conversation above the 1st grade level.

3. There are no player killers in PSO.

As you'd expect in any online game, it's rumored that there are people
frantically working to hack this, but as of this writing, players
can't kill one another. They can't even hit one another -- other
players are not even obstacles to you as you walk around. PSO is a
truly cooperative online world. Yes, there are people who will grab
all the items and leave. Yes, there are people who have hacked cheats
to give them mega-experience, unlimited cash, etc...but they can't use
it to make your online life miserable. It really doesn't affect you,
since you don't have to play with them -- you can start a game with a
password and never have to deal with them. Cooperation is stressed
throughout the game, and it has a lot to do with the game's Japanese
roots. If you want a truly amazing experience, play on one of the
Japanese servers -- you'll be taught a lesson in honorable gaming.

4. PSO's graphics are top notch.

You have to see the PSO world to understand what I'm talking
about. When you first teleport down to the forest on the planet Ragol,
you can't help but say, "This is beautiful." Transparent water
effects, light flares, etc...all the buzzwords you've come to expect
from high-end PC titles are there. Prior to the PS2, the Dreamcast was
hands-down the king of console graphics, and Sonic Team has squeezed
every ounce of its abilities out for this game. Weapon and Technique
(spells are called techniques in PSO) effects are incredible, and the
characters are very well modeled. In short, the graphics are head and
shoulders above those of the MMORPG competition -- Asheron's Call or
Everquest -- and a far cry better than Diablo 2's best isometric
efforts.

5. PSO's gameplay is equivalent to the best PC MMORPG titles out there.

Think of PSO as 3D-action-meets-Diablo 2, and you've got a pretty good
idea what it's like. Your perspective is behind your character, and as
you adventure, you can spin around 360 degrees to target enemies
behind you. For PC gamers, the interface will probably take some
getting used to, but after a few minutes of play, you'll get the hang
of it. The game is played in a series of areas that are populated by
monsters. You gain experience for everything you kill, and when
online, you gain a portion of the experience no matter who kills a
creature -- as long as you hit it at least once, that is. The player
who deals the killing blow gets the most experience, but anyone else
who hits it gets some as well. As you clear an area (and you may have
to kill multiple waves of monsters to do so), doors are unlocked that
lead you deeper into the labyrinth. Ultimately, you'll face a boss at
the end of each set of areas.

6. PSO's character creation is very robust.

There are three races (Human, Newman, and Android), and you can use
those to create a character that's either a Hunter (hand-to-hand
fighter who uses swords and such), Ranger (long-range expert who is
good with guns), or Force (PSO's equivalent to a Magic-User). This
gives you nine possible character combinations, all with their own
strengths and weaknesses. Sonic Team has done an amazing job balancing
the game, and you're free to choose any character combination without
feeling that the game is biased toward one particular class.

There are more reasons that PSO is an important game. Of course, it
has its weaknesses too, just as any game does. Boss fights are
repetitive, monster AI is sadly lacking for some creatures (lower
level monsters just wander at you to be killed), and adventures are
basically find-the-key to open the door affairs.  <9s.jpg> To make
matters worse, you have to put up with 56k modem speeds -- Sega forgot
to include official support for the Dreamcast's Broadband Adapter in
PSO. You can still use it, but Sega doesn't support it for this game
-- ouch! Although I haven't noticed lag in any games I've played
online, it can happen in a heated battle.

Still, even with its faults, PSO remains a turning point in gaming. If
you've got a Dreamcast, you owe it to yourself to check it out. Oh, I
did forget to mention one thing -- there are no monthly fees to play
PSO online -- now that's something truly unique for a MMORPG.

Essential Links:
  Phantasy Star Online Review
    http://www.planetdreamcast.com/games/reviews/phantasystaronline/
  PlanetDreamcast 
    http://www.planetdreamcast.com
  Sega
    http://www.sega.com

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