Phantasy Star Online - Online Gaming Guide - Guide for Phantasy Star Online

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PHANTASY STAR ONLINE - ONLINE GAMING GUIDE
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Copyright 2001 by BattleM@n (13/08/01)
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Version 0.2
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Changes since version 0.1d

+ Updated Contact Details
+ Added to Private Games
+ Added to Speaking The Language
+ Added to Quick Text
+ Updated Players To Avoid...
+ Removed 'CHEATING' section

Changes since version 0.1c

+ Added to quick text
+ Added to How Do I...
+ Corrected 60/50Hz info.

Changes since version 0.1b

+ Changed formatting (sorry about before)
+ Corrected various mistakes
+ Added a few details here and there

Changes since version 0.1a

+ Corrected a few mistakes
+ Added some more stuff

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CONTENTS
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+PLAYING WITH FRIENDS
+SPEAKING THE LANGUAGE
+ANTI SOCIAL PLAY
+HOW DO I ...
+CONTACT DETAILS

PLAYING WITH FRIENDS
====================

INTRODUCTION
------------
As you go through the online world of PSO, you'll develop loads of playing
buddies. In fact, eventually, you'll have so many you won't know who to play
with :) - Here is a quick guide to tell you how to keep in touch:

GUILD CARDS
-----------
Everyone in PSO has his or her own unique card - even you! When you meet
someone online that you enjoy playing with, you must give him or her your
card so that they can find you again some other time. To do this go to the
CHAT menu and choose GUILD CARD/ MY GUILD CARD/ SEND. You can also customise
your card with a small message. It may be wise to include your email or
webpage, so that a more formal meeting of players can be arranged.

PRIVATE GAMES
-------------
When you and your friends want to go on a private mission you must create a
password-protected game and tell the others what the group name & password
are. You can do this by sending a simple mail to whoever is in your card-list
(CHAT / SIMPLE MAIL). If you intend to have a lot of games online together
you may want to specify a permanent password so other members of your group
can simply join in.

Make sure that you don't tell anyone on the ship what the password is.
Someone may take it upon themselves to join your game without asking you
first. It's always best to mail people individually. It's also not wise to
create a password that is too obvious. Here are a list to avoid:

* The name of the team. If your team is called "Jon's Game" then it's not
wise to use the password "Jon".

* The name of a player. If people have just seen Paul create a game then
they'll probably try entering "Paul" as the password.

* TV Shows & Films. It doesn't take a genius to guess that JEDI might be the
password for a team called "Darth Vader"!

* Other passwords often used are: qwerty, pso, fbi, cartman, kenny and 1234.

If you think that someone has entered the game without permission it may be
wise to ask who invited them. It's better to be safe than sorry!

SPEAKING THE LANGUAGE
=====================

INTRODUCTION
------------
With the advent of online games comes the problem of language. Not everyone
can speak English. This can cause problems, so I recommend taking a little
of the following advice:

* Always check if you aren't sure. Ask people if they can understand you.
If no one understands then it may be worth leaving for another game. Talk
to people in the lobby and ask if they want to join you on an all Spanish/
French/Italian/etc... game. You'd be amazed by how many are willing!

*Help foreign speakers out when you can - If some players are having problems
understanding the language, try and translate for them. It helps keep the
game running smoothly rather than having people frustrated.

*Use the Icon Text & Simple Message system - These are simple forms of
communication. They will alert people to your situation. Check the manual
to find out how to set-up and use them.

*Don't mistake foreign speakers for people without keyboards - People may
be slow to respond to you because they are unable to type quickly using the
on-screen keys.

QUICK TEXT
----------
As not all players own a keyboard, and it isn't easy to talk in mid-attack
it is worth knowing at least some of the following abbreviations and what 
they mean:

:)
I am happy/smiling.

:(
I am sad/something is wrong.

LOL
Laughing out loud - the equivalent of "Ha! Ha!"

C U L8r
See you later - the person is about to leave the game.

K
Okay.

???
What/I don't understand.

PSO
Phantasy Star Online.

NP
No Problem.

THX
Thanks!

TY
Thank You.

NE1
Anyone.

RUOK?
Are you OK?

BRB
Be Right Back

O
Oh!

G2G
Got To Go

Dupe
Duplicate

ANTI SOCIAL PLAY
=================

INTRODUCTION
------------
Don't be an anti social player! Going it alone will help nobody in PSO.
Working as a team is what it's all about with the online game. If all you
want is weapons, items and level ups then it is better just to work on the
off-line game. Here are a few general rules to help you avoid becoming an
anti-social player:

*Always answer people when you can - Communication is a key element in PSO.
If you ignore people they simply won't want to play with you and will find a
game elsewhere.

*Stay with the group - This isn't always possible, but when it is do so.
There's nothing more annoying than having to wait for a person to catch up
so you can open up a door or warp to a boss!

*Share what you can - If you see/have a weapon that you don't need/want then
let someone else have it. Don't just leave it in your inventory when it has
the potential to be helpful to someone else.

*Be kind to beginners - If you have someone who is new to PSO, help them out.
Tell them what they need to know and always answer their questions however
trivial they may be. This is also helping you in the long term.


PLAYER TYPES TO AVOID
---------------------

"FRAG AND BAG" PLAYERS
----------------------
Beware of these players. These people are the lowest of the low in PSO.
F&B players are so-called because they wait until you are killed (FRAGGED)
and then take all your meseta and your equipped weapon (BAGGED) which they
sell off at a later date or keep for themselves. Unfortunately, these players
are far from rare. They can be found at any level and at any stage. The only
real defence against these players are to make sure that you never carry
around too much meseta (store it at the bank) and never equip your most
valuable weapon. This is a sound strategy when playing with anyone you don't
know - never assume!

ITEM SNATCHERS
--------------
Although not quite as common, be aware that these people are about. Item
Snatchers go looking for boxes and nothing else. Rather than help in battles
they go straight for the boxes and take every item. They can also take items
that you have dropped for another player! The best strategy here is either
to encourage them not to do it with a quick message (being polite helps -
sometimes!) or else simply leaving and finding another game.

AVERAGE BLAGGER
---------------
Your average blagger simply plays with you in the (often-vain) attempt to
get weapons and money off you for free. Usually they try swapping items for
money and then won't pay-up! Blaggers often just come right out and ask for
items as soon as they enter a game without even having met you first ("Hi U
Guyz - N E 1 ave A spare Mag?"). Good protection against these people is to
do a "half now, half later" deal where the buyer drops half the payment
first, the weapon is then handed over and then the final payment is given.
Another form of protection is to swap guild cards. If someone does welch on
their deal then you can always trace them.

BSOD BLAGGER
------------
The worst does sometimes happen - and when it does it's usually in the shape
of BSOD (The Black Screen O' Death) where everything hangs. If this does
happen to a player it can sometimes mean the loss of weapons/items etc. Some
scam artists have picked up on this fact and have started to use it to their
advantage. Here is the scenario:

After 10 or 20 minutes playing time a character will suddenly stop. A
minute or two later they'll disappear only to come back on after a while 
saying that they got the BSOD and have lost all their stuff. Naturally the
players (who may have experienced this themselves) are sympathetic and offer
weapons, meseta and items to help out.

What really happens is the blagger sees that a higher-level character has a
range of good weapons and would like to get his hands on one. Therefore, he
puts his control pad down and waits a few minutes. After people have noticed
the lack of communication he then quits the game. Minutes later he goes back
online and into a new game where he de-equips all his stuff and puts it in
the bank. He'll then rejoin the original game claiming he's lost all his
things to the BSOD! With any luck, people will start to give him their hard
earned items and weapons.

To avoid this you can do several things. Firstly, don't give your best items
away. Most real BSOD-ers will be happy if they have anything given to them
for free. Secondly, don't flaunt your weapons about even if you are at what
seems a relatively low level. Finally, rather than offer items and weapons
give the player meseta. This way they can go to the shop and buy what they
can around their character's present abilities.


HOW DO I ...
============

INTRODUCTION
------------
This is a quick FAQ of the most commonly asked questions by people who are
new to Phantasy Star Online. If you have any other questions, then why not
email them to me (see the information in CONTACT DETAILS):

Q. How do I give people Items?
A. You cannot give items directly to people. Instead, go to the menu (ITEMS /
ITEMS) and then select the item you want to give. Choose DROP and then wait
for it to appear on screen. Now another person can pick it up. Be careful
not to give the item to the wrong person, because there is no way to get it
back unless that person also drops it.

Q. How do I restore/revive/etc..  other people?
A. You need the appropriate disk. Firstly, you must use it on yourself
(ITEMS / USE ITEM). Once you have done that, you need to either use it from
the Techniques menu or equip it from the customise menu. To use it - go to
TECHNIQUES and then USE. To equip it - go to CUSTOMIZE and select it from
the list.

Q. How do I know where everyone is when joining a game?
A. Ask the players. They will tell you where they are. Sometimes they may
open up a telepipe for you to go down. Telepipes are always situated just to
the right of the Deposit Bank. It may be worth making a shortcut message that
you can send whenever you enter the game.

Q. How do I send a private message?
A. Firstly, make sure that you own that person's guild card. Next, go to
CHAT / SIMPLE MAIL, and choose SEND MAIL. Type in the message and then send
it. To open any mail you may be sent, go to CHAT / SIMPLE MAIL and then
choose RECIEVED MAIL. You can also click on the received message to send a
reply. This is easier than selecting the contact in the card list.

Q. What's a Trade room?
A. A Trade room is a game that people join if they just want to trade items.
It may be worth waiting a while when joining these rooms to see that everyone
gets treated well and no one is ripped off. Be warned that many of these
trade rooms are full of 'illegal' items that people have created on their
Game Sharks & Action Replays. There are no guarantees that the item you
receive will even work. My advice is to take items & money only from the
people that you trust!

Q. How do I find people on-line?
A. Go to CHAT / GUILD CARD and then select CARD LIST. Choose the name of
the contact that you want to find and then press A. If the contact is online
a small hexagon will come up with a magnifying glass in it. To find out where
they are go to CHAT / GUILD CARD and then SEARCH RESULTS. You will now be
able to either send a message to them or meet them at their present location.

Q. HELP! I've just erased my VMU by accident!!!
A. Unfortunately you'll have to start again :( You'll also have lost all
your contacts. I too have done this once before - so if you are looking for
Lola, I'm afraid she's dead!

Q. I try and enter a game but the server says that I can't join! Why?
A. There are several possible reasons. Firstly, the server could be full up.
You'll simply have to wait a while for some people to leave - give it two
minutes and try it again. Secondly, the game that you are trying to join
is in the middle of a quest. These games cannot be interrupted, so it is
worth finding a different game to play in for a while. Thirdly, the maximum
number of people are playing the game (MAX = 4) - try a different game. It
may also be that the server has reached its capacity. Try using a different
block. Lastly, it might be that you've got some form of unauthorised
weapon/item. If you have been given an Item by another player who's been
cheating online you may have to get rid of it before you can start another
game (some guy once gave me a GOD/HP++ that was too high - once I got rid of
it, all became well again!)
 
Q. I've arranged to meet a friend, but they weren't there!!!
A. Make sure that you are both using the same TV mode. People on 60hz
mode cannot enter into all the servers on a 50Hz game. Try disconnecting
from the server, resetting your dreamcast and then trying to connect again
using the other video mode. If your friend still isn't there then try waiting
a while. They could be having difficulties getting on to the server (see the
question above for more details)! Don't rule out the possibility they could
have stood you up :(

Q. PSO keeps on asking me to enter my serial and registration numbers before 
I go online - what's that about?
A. Each copy of PSO has a small square of paper with both the Serial number
and registration number written on it. You must type both these in before
you can go online. If you haven't got this piece of paper then you need to go
back to the store you purchased PSO from and demand a copy! If you don't have 
a valid copy of PSO (IE an illegal one) then you won't be able to get online!

Q. Why do some people have white names and others have orange names?
A. People who are playing the normal version of PSO have white names whilst
those with version 2 of PSO have orange names.

Q. People keep on talking about 'Duping' items - what is that?
A. Characters who are using cheat devices can put in a code that allows them
to duplicate any item they are carrying as many times as they like. Remember,
Sega do not condone the use of these kinds of codes and people have been
known to lose their access because of it!

CONTACT DETAILS
===============
If you'd like to get the latest version of the guide either:

1)Visit My homepage:
http://members.fortunecity.com/battleman100/

2)Visit GameFAQs:
http://www.gamefaqs.com/

3)Visit Cheat Codes:
http://www.cheatcodes.com/

or if you'd like to contribute/comment on this guide,
drop me a line at this email address:

[email protected]

Special thanks go out to the following people:

Sonic Team, SEGA, Jon, Snowblower99, =A3ON=, Tony, tak!TAK!, Viper, Zero,
Jimbo, RAY, SASH, Randog, RECKLESS, Mongeeee (Muff), diablo 7, FUBAR,
Red Claw, Magica, Jonathan, KAY'L, LUCIFER, Loco Latino, Seedy, kassard,
"BornStar", Smoke (Big Up To Ya Smoke Dog!), D#LORD (Lola misses you!),
and all the other people I've played PSO with!

Copyright 2000,2001 BattleM@n