Still worth playing online?

[Shazam187]

I picked up Phantasy Star Ep 3 when it came out (I'm a sucker for card games), and played it (all offline) for a good 3-4 months, racked my guy up to Level 89, have some fairly entertaining decks, and then set it down after I felt I had mastered it. Since at the time I lived in an area with no high speed internet (I know...), I didn't want to bother getting an online adapter.

Well, some 15-18 months later, I've now picked the game back up and started playing it again, however, I'm sad by the fact there are many cards I can't get offline, only online, and wondered if there was any life still on the online version of the game this far after it's release. (i.e. I really don't want to go buy the whole adapter & split my broadband cable just to find out I'm the only one online...) So I have some basic questions just about things I've read in other places and so forth:

A)Is there still enough of an online group of players where I could find a game with minimal time of waiting?

B)I've read many a thread about idiots running around FSOD'ing people. Is this still rampant, and if so, does it have the ability of corrupting my save information?

C)This is the first game I've ever touched in the Phantasy Star series. Now granted, you folks might be a bit biased, but are the first two still worth picking up at a used game store and playing? Since I'll have the online adapter for this, might as well get my money's worth...

Any information you could provide would be most beneficial, as this will likely sway me one way or the other to go out and buy the online adapter for the Cube. Thanks!

[Lee-yoshi]

Episode III was never as popular as us loyal Phantasy Star Online fans wanted it to be, which was a shame because it was a great game. Therefore, playing online, you will most likely find nothing but dead EU servers. However saying this, it REALLY took off in Japan and was actually quite a big game. If you jet off to the JP servers, you should not have trouble finding others to play with - And the last time i went there, i also bumped into a fair few European players aswell.

Its not as popular as Episodes I & II, but is still popular at certain times of the day/week - It really depends how much you love the game! Of course i would say yes, but thats only because i just love PSO so much... its so cooool ^_^

Also on the note of FSOD, its nowhere near as bad as you've heard on Episode III. Its still possible to encounter, although mind you in the JP servers, i never once had a problem. If you DO recieve one of those great FSOD's, Episode III is a much more stable version of PSO and no you will not corrupt your game save as a result.

[Shazam187]

Well, even though this is a UK server, oddly, I'm sitting in the states posting this, so I probably wouldn't hit the EU servers unless I was really searching.

Considering I've actually never used a console's online system (Cube or Box or PS2), I'm not entirely sure what to expect, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to be bored for a while, so it's either this or watching paint dry, and I could use some Right Heavy Punches

So, your suggestion would be to go to the Japan Servers? Would this make my cards appear in Japanese or will I still run just fine on English cards, just with most of the chat being in Japanese?

And, without a keyboard, how much of a disadvantage am I going to be in? The y-button keyboard interface on the controller is clunky at best...

But, I'm pretty convinced that I'm going to the store tonight & picking up an adapter to hop on board. Might pick up 1&2 while I'm there. Shouldn't be too expensive at this point (you'd think...)

[Lee-yoshi]

Hehe, well if you're in the US, the US servers will be a little bit more active then the EU ones, but nothing compared to the JP servers.

If you have never been online with a console before... i highly reccommend you give it a try! Phantasy Star Online was the very 1st game i ever played online, and did it on my Nintendo Gamecube, and never turned back, or to anything else. Playing an online game on a console for the very first time is just one of those memorable moments, if you know what i mean - Its just so seriously cool, you may cry!

Also, hopping over to the Japanese servers won't convert your game into Japanese no, hehe, it'll all stay in as much english as any other server... except when players with different languages start speaking to you, such as Japanese, where their words will appear in Japanese symbols. Thats a good thing about word select, itll translate whatever you select into their language on their game, and vice versa when they reply.

Without a keyboard, the in-game keyboard will shortly become time consuming and very annoying, especially in Episode III if you want to chat in the middle of a go, when as soon as that rounds over, everything youve typed so far will just dissappear! A Keyboard is a magnificent thing! From some places you can buy a PC keyboard - Gamecube plug convertor so you can use ur PC keyboard on ur Gamecube - Best bet is eBay though with some luck!

Hope that helps!

[Mudvayne 8]

I havent gotten online yet but i really want to any tips on how to get the dial up adapter (i dont have broad band) i dont have any money either got any tips on how to get my parents to pay for it? is the dial up adapter cheaper or the fee, i dout it but hay umm... (guaa being distracted by south park)

oh i didnt know that this was a UK board haha and im all the way in crummy america hahaha seriously (damit south park is reflected in my comp screen cant pay attention) hahah do yall get comedy central? whatever its like 9 american dollars a month right hahaha sry i dont mean to sound like a pig hahaha its so funny making fun of myself (hay what do you do in the uk for the fourth of July (americas independence day) nothing right, right online worth it? probably but i cant find a damn job! 16 no experience its sad

[AznLee]

jap servers fun it RULES over here MUA HAHAHAHAHAHAHA i get a blast with playing =) bye-bye vuh!

[pink]

I'm starting to question whether it's worth it or not. I've been suffering from 102 problems for a week and a half now after 3 smooth weeks with no trouble. If I try much longer than another 2 weeks I'll personally go so insane someone will have to clean the pieces of me up from off the floor.

[darkice]

Ill make you all want to play again when i pay my fee lmao

[pink]

I so need to go over to Sega and Sonic Team headquarters and start whipping them until they go and do the proper checks and maitenance on every last PSO GCN server... and throw in some hacker protection while I'm making them do stuff .