PSU vs. PSO

[Neo48]

Just curious to see where everyone stands on this topic. Now, lets not try to bring the PS series into this. I know some people prefer the classic PS style over the new online games. Lets just keep this between PSO and PSU.

Overall I can say that I enjoy PSU more. At some points I feel Sega has gone wrong, but they have righted some wrongs, and are continuing to do so in AoI. From a Hunters point of view, it is awesome. Photon Arts are a very pleasing way to fight in comparision to PSO. Character cusomization is very pleasing as well.

There are hundreds more points that can be made. But that is all I will touch on for now. Either drift away from it with osmething new. Or elaborate on these thoughts yourself. Have at er'!

[The HuBBs]

I feel that PSO is the better game. PSU just doesn't captivate me the same way the PSO did. PSU's Online seems rather weak despite it being even larger than PSO's. I suppose its because PSU's online isn't that focused on a major goal like PSO's. Its more freedom based in how you choose your missions and such. Were as PSO is just go in, kill everything, and move on to the next level. That could be a srike against PSO but i rather enjoy that simplicity.

[Neo48]

Yes, I would agree. PSO was alive in a sense that PSU doesn't seem to be. Not the way I remember it anyway. I used to play with people I knew and I also considered this community a big part of my PSO experience.

I don't feel that the simplicity has been a taken away as much though. If you choose to you can still go take a path of levels to fight a dragon. Or a path to fight against machines and then face a large mechanism. They just all lead out from different locations. I find it more enjoyable.

The large lobby locations also allow you to find areas that aren't flooded by douche bags spamming random junk. It's a nice touch.

Hubbs, I have not seen you online (so i don't know your class), but assuming you stayed a Ranger, how do you feel the two Rangers compare? I have no experience as a PSU Ranger, so I am curious as to what you say.

[Starrz]

PSU is a much better game than PSO in so many ways.

Battle System:

The battle system has been majorly improved in PSU:

- Change the direction of your combo, mid-combo.
- Hit multiple targets with Photon Arts
- Have two handed weaponry. Attack with a saber, and immediately strafe back while shooting a handgun. And that's a basic example.
- STRAFE.
- Movable camera.

Other reasons why PSU is better than PSO:

- A Looting system

This within itself makes it a better game than PSO in my opinion. The person picking up a weapon should NOT mean they get it. Period.

- My Room

I like having a personal space that I can customize (to a certain extent)

- Player Shops

Say goodbye to Trade Forums. If you want to sell an item, put it up for sale.

- Six player parties

It's a good improvement from the four person parties. The more friends in a party the better, and the more efficient, you can play.

- Non-playable Characters

You can add them to your party and get free help!

- Chat options

While this is a trade-off with Symbol Chat (which hurt me too, to be honest) this was still a cool addition. You can change your chat bubble to a thought bubble, shout bubble, or do a normal bubble. You can use cut-in chat where your character displays one of 10 emotions (GASP! Remember the one expression on your character's face from PSO that was frozen like that?) You can add sound effects or colors to your messages too.

Random stuff: kicking members from parties, inviting members to parties, automatically sorted items, blacklisting annoying fucks. Among other nit-picky things, like mass-mails, having a display showing who on your partner card list is online, instead of checking each one.

[The HuBBs]

i'm gonna go back on this friday/saturday and recreate my character. I haven't really payed the ranger class that much on PSU, but aiming seems a little less fluid than PSO.

[Neo48]

Yeah, I know what you mean. It's weird how much a lack of auto-aim can make it feel. I do use handguns in combination with claws, so I know what you're saying there.

While I agree with most of the things you said Starrz...

- Have two handed weaponry. Attack with a saber, and immediately strafe back while shooting a handgun. And that's a basic example.
- STRAFE.

I liked this addition as well. Problem is, it wasn't managed very well. As a hunter, strafing was practically useless. The enemy hit range was way to large. With their higher speeds at harder difficulties, it was impossible to strafe out of the way after laying a PA smackdown. (eg. Go Vahra)

Good news is that they are decreasing the hitbox in AoI. It was way to large. A forward attack would hit you when you were at their side. This should make strafing useful to hunters.

- Non-playable Characters

You can add them to your party and get free help!

I liked this as well. It's to bad they are reaaalllyyy dumb. Another issue that I hope will be addressed. Seriously, we're talking Mome here.

[thriwren]

I liked this as well. It's to bad they are reaaalllyyy dumb. Another issue that I hope will be addressed. Seriously, we're talking Mome here.

Well, a bit better than Mome, since some of them have the tendancy to heal once in a blue moon.

[Neo48]

Haha, so true. And they don't cower at the sight of a boss

[The HuBBs]

another issue with the AI's is they are too weak as the game progress in PSU. They don't get stronger or attack half as often as the AI in PSO.

[Prototype #6]

Well, I kinda liked the atmosphere of PSO much better, while the atmosphere in PSU seems kinda "happy-jappy-joy-joy".

Combat systems:

PSU wins by a long way. Every single thing I hated about PSO's combat system was modified, and I loved it.

Online: The online mode is huge and the social interaction is quite good to be honest, PSO's was kind of stiff.

Wandering around: One of the things I liked about PSO was that I could wander around aimlessly for hours, kill monsters, go back, save, reset and repeat. It was actually a good stress reliever for me, haha. In PSU, however, it's either Story Mode or Extra Mode where all I can do is level up in preset missions that don't even let me explore the pretty maps to my heart's content. For one that likes to wander around like me, PSO wins in this small area.

Story: Well, while I may have found Ethan the "reckless hothead" and Hyuga the "annoying metrosexual" completely annoying, I quite liked most of the other characters. Leo was the definition of cool, Maya was really clever AND funny, Lou was the antisocial and even Tylor was an enjoyable dude. Oh, Nav was pretty good too. The characters are much more interesting than the absolutely unidimensional ones in PSO. I forgot Karen Erra, who was actually my favorite. On other note, I LOATHE Tonnio and the Three Stooges... Worst characters ever... Ah, on the loathing, Laia goes there too... she sucks ass.

Music... On this one, I think PSO wins. Dunno why yet, maybe it was the sort of misterious feel to the music. To be honest, I haven't liked many soundtracks as much as PSO's. PSU's is okay, but just that. However, the Neudaiz tunes are definitely the winners in that soundtrack.

Character design wins in PSO as well. The characters (not the in game models) seemed much more interesting in PSO for me. The ones in PSU mostly seemed that were characters that would start singing weird ass pop music any second... Well, I picture Tonnio more like a rapper, but that's just me... =P

Creatures: Some of the PSU monsters were the coolest in games that I have played. While PSO has little variety, PSU has a decent deal of creatures, even if some are just silly like koltovas, but that's okay.

It just sucks that you can't go split screen in PSU (PS2)

What I'd like is for Sega to keep Extra Mode AND expand it. I'd like to wander around grinding! But that's just me.

So that's it. PSO is old, PSU is new, but I kinda have them tied... I wish I could still play PSO Eps I&II. DAMN YOU XBOX!!!

The classic series is still my fave, though. =P

[Neo48]

There is more area to wander around in PSU I think...however some of the areas are not as cool. In fact, I most like most PSO areas better.

Jungle and Control Area beat Neudaiz anyday.

Seabed beats the underground lab anyday.

Ruins beats the Satelite anyday.


Ethan actually became enjoyable I think. Although, he was always a little slow on the pick-up of things. Tonnio was annoying, and Laia does bother me as well.

The music was more enjoyable in PSO for sure. I really enjoyed how Bruce's dungeon featured the VR Spaceship music. It was a relief almost. same for the 1up cup with VR Temple (one of my PSO favorites).

PSU does have some cool monsters. The bosses are deffinitely on par with coolness, not on creative arena though. Every boss in Episode 1 had a different sized area to fight in. All of PSU's bosses are a big arena setting, like the Ep.1 Dragon.

Also, PSU doesn't have any form of Garanz...haha.

I do like a lot of PSU's enemies though. PSO had a typical grunt character (Boomer, Evil Shark...etc.), but in PSU, the grunts were quite different skill wise.

[Forge]

I've yet to make up my mind. I'm still new to PSU, and never properly having played either online, I shall remain the Offline-Only judge to some extent.

I still prefer PSO. It has a history with me, and I know it like an old friend. I will always return to it, and it will always feel natural. That's mostly due to the lack of a storyline, and the increased repetitiveness, but ho-hum.

In fact, one of the things I really like about PSU is the story mode. It's nice to be able to actually go through a massive story again. I felt that while PSO had a plot, it was very much hidden. My self-titlling as PSO Plot Team is really the work of an archaeologist, attempting to gather together plot strands and work out really what is going on behind the scenes. The lack of direct narrative structure is really useful in that.

The battle system of PSU, although cool, still feels unnatural. It is a nightmare to use a gun effectively, and so I am reduced to strafing and using suppresive fire with Frozen Shot to attempt to freeze my foes.

Likewise, I've not been able to create a character to test out a force yet. I've made an android to become a ranger (I want those bows), but haven't managed to create a force. Extra Mode is less fun than Story Mode of PSO.

But I do like the addition of the Pike class, even if it comes at the loss of proper Partisans. Nei started using a lot of those recently.

This is an incomplete judgement, since I am still part-way through the story, and have yet to get an Extra Mode character above level sixteen. Then again, that says a lot about the game as well, I suppose.

My judgement is still out on this, but it's likely to fall in favour of PSO. Rose tinted glasses I suppose.

[Lord Khyron]

Mm.. But the Newmans are a better breed on PSU and the double dagger animations kick ass..

Moubou-Seiren-Zan makes you an acrobat!

[The HuBBs]

well I made up my mind. I cancelled my account on PSU. I just can't get into the online portion of the game. I thought I could try it by playing it for a couple months but I could hardly find anyone to chill with and there is no direction.

[Lord Khyron]

Hubbsy.. you have to JOIN Missions to make friends. Join existing parties because..

PSU isn't about spamming in the fucking lobby for hours to make friends or chatting OUTSIDE missions.

Missions are where the dialogue and friends come in.