Even though Alpha Test 2 is over, there's still some features left to discuss. Phantasy Star Online 2 inherited a feature from Phantasy Star Portable 2 called Autowords. These Autowords allow you to say phrases whenever certain things happen during missions.

 

In the main menu, go to Community, and select the last option, "オートワード設定" and then choose オートワード

 

The cool thing about PSO2's version of autowords is that you can say up to 3 phrases in one event, breaking up the monotony of constantly saying the same thing over and over.

 

Autoword list

There are three tabs, Event, Member, and Action. Corresponding Autowords are underneath these tabs.

Event:

• クエスト開始時 At the start of the quest.
• クエストクリア時 At the end of the quest.
• Ｅトライアル発生 Start of the Emergency Trial
• Ｅトライアル成功 Emergency Trial Completed
• Ｅトライアル失敗 Emergency Trial Failure
• ＰＳＥ発生 PSE Occurs
• ＰＳＥレベルアップ PSE Level Up
• ＰＳＥバースト PSE Burst
• クエストを受注した Received a Quest
• キーを拾った Pick up a key
• ロックを解除した: Unlocked (a gate/door)
• 罠に引っかかった: Caught in a trap
• 罠から救助された: Rescued from the trap
• 罠から仲間を救助: Rescued party member from the trap.

Member

• 自分がレベルアップ I leveled up
• 仲間がレベルアップ Party Member Leveled up
• 回復してもらった Healed
• 補助してもらった Buffed

Action

• 戦闘不能になった Incapacitated
• 復活 Revive
• 瀕死になった Near Death
• 残りＨＰが３０％未満 HP less than 30%
• 残りＨＰが１０％未満 HP less than 10%
• 回復アイテム使用: Used Healing Item
• レアアイテム取得: Got a Rare
• 小ダメージ: Received Light Damage
• 中ダメージ Medium Damage
• 大ダメージ: Heavy Damage
• アタック: Attack
• フォトンアーツ発動 When doing Photon Arts
• ジャストガード成功 Just Guard
• 緊急回避時: Dodge Rolling
• スキル発動: Doing a Skill

 

 

 

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 have changed places.

 

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]

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]