As was foretold, we've added advertisements to the forums! If you have questions, or if you encounter any bugs, please visit this thread: https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/240191/forum-advertisement-faq-and-reports-thread/

[Game On] Phantasy Star Online

maximumzeromaximumzero I...wait, what?New Orleans, LARegistered User regular
edited February 2009 in Games and Technology
463px-Pso_cover.jpg

January of 2001 was both the worse and best month of all time.

On January 29th, Phantasy Star Online, Sonic Team's magnum opus of online gaming, was released for the Dreamcast. One of the best Online games EVER, in my opinion, it did things alot of people never thought possible on a console, and more importantly over dial-up.

For the uninitiated, think a more advanced sci-fi gauntlet or a slightly dumbed down diablo.

Wikipedia entry follows:
Phantasy Star Online (PSO) is an online RPG title, originally released for Dreamcast in 2000. A bugfix/upgrade edition, entitled Phantasy Star Online ver.2, was released for the Dreamcast the following year. This version was also later ported to Microsoft Windows, but only released in Asia.
Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II was later released for Nintendo GameCube and Xbox in 2002, featuring a whole new Episode II alongside with the original Episode I. Consequently, Phantasy Star Online Episode III C.A.R.D. Revolution was released for Nintendo GameCube in 2003, including a sole new Episode III with a changed gameplay formula, in the form of a card game. And in turn, Phantasy Star Online: Blue Burst, a port of the Xbox version, was released for Microsoft Windows in 2004 through digital distribution, featuring both Episode I and Episode II, and adding a new Episode IV, NPCs, quests, team system and server-side saving system.
The Phantasy Star Online titles are a sub-series of Sega's Phantasy Star series of games that began in 1987. With the exception of Episode III, the PSO games themselves are simple hack and slash type role-playing games where the player slays monsters, levels up, buys new equipment, etc. The online Phantasy Stars differ from the previous games of the series by offering a real-time – rather than turn-based – approach to combat, seamlessly integrating this with exploration and plot developments.

And then, two years later, SEGA decides to throw in the towel of hardware development.

Sigh.

But, Phantasy Star Online is still awesome. While all the servers for the original game(s) have been shut down officially, we now have homebrew servers.

Enter SCHTHACK, the homebrew private servers set up for the game. It can be played with all the original versions, which the exception of Episode III on the Gamecube and the Xbox releases.

For Dreamcast players, if you have the broadband adapter, all you have to do is change a few DNS numbers to tell the game to connect elsewhere, or if you have Dial-Up a couple of codes via a codebreaker disc works.

For the Gamecube, tweaks also need to be made to the connectivity settings.

But for most, the easiest thing to do is just download the PC version free of charge. I'd love to play on my Dreamcast, personally, but the lack of Broadband Adapter prevents me from doing so.

You can download the PC version of PSO: Blue Burst from the SCHTHACK website here. which includes Episode 1, 2, and 4, and works perfectly on any modern computer.

So, who wants to discuss PSO?

FU7kFbw.png
Switch: 6200-8149-0919 / Wii U: maximumzero / 3DS: 0860-3352-3335 / eBay Shop
maximumzero on
«13456719

Posts

  • DualEdgeDualEdge Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    I'm game for this. I just hope my account is still active. If it's not, no biggie.

    I think the OP should include that you should only trade with people you know if you wish to be 100% legit, since SCHTHACK mods have long since stopped enforcing anti-cheating rules.

    DualEdge on
  • WhiteZinfandelWhiteZinfandel Your insides Let me show you themRegistered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Hang on a second, completely free? Legal? Sounds too good to be true. Can someone else confirm this for me?

    WhiteZinfandel on
  • BartholamueBartholamue Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    You have to get the game client and then download any avaliable files from the above website. Blue Burst I think was free when it was released, as it was an open beta, but you had to pay something like $8 a month to play. From Sega's PSOBB website, as of now they've shut down the servers for the game.

    When I get everything set up, I'll definitely play with you.

    Bartholamue on
    Steam- SteveBartz Xbox Live- SteveBartz PSN Name- SteveBartz
  • LorkLork Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Hang on a second, completely free? Legal? Sounds too good to be true. Can someone else confirm this for me?
    If it is illegal, Sega doesn't seem to care. schthack has basically been the PSO community since before the official servers were shut down even, and they've done nothing about it.

    If you guys want to start this up again I'm down.

    Lork on
    Steam Profile: Lork
  • WhiteZinfandelWhiteZinfandel Your insides Let me show you themRegistered User regular
    edited September 2008
    I didn't know they'd taken down all the official servers.

    WhiteZinfandel on
  • scootchscootch Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    I missed this game....

    scootch on
    TF2 stats
    PSN: super_emu
    Xbox360 Gamertag: Emuchop
  • geestackgeestack Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Man, I loved playing this game back in the day on a dialup connection with my Dreamcast. I am so definitely on this

    geestack on
  • METAzraeLMETAzraeL Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    This could definitely tide me over til the DS release. It doesn't seem to be working for me, though - after I log in and get the patch update, it freezes at the initial loading screen when I try to start it back up.

    edit: nevermind, looks like the quick start shortcut it creates goes to the wrong thing.

    METAzraeL on

    dream a little dream or you could live a little dream
    sleep forever if you wish to be a dreamer
  • ChrisDudeChrisDude Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    I played a little bit of Blue Burst when it was in beta but I never got the chance to play with other people very much. That's the only PSO I've ever played. So playing with PA people sounds like a much better time than just running around by myself. :P

    ChrisDude on
    Chris Pennell Is A Huge Nerd - My blog. I talk about nerd-ish things a lot.
  • METAzraeLMETAzraeL Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Which ship should we join?

    METAzraeL on

    dream a little dream or you could live a little dream
    sleep forever if you wish to be a dreamer
  • LorkLork Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    METAzraeL wrote: »
    Which ship should we join?
    Let's try Don't Panic block 1.

    Lork on
    Steam Profile: Lork
  • The Sneak!The Sneak! Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Lork wrote: »
    Hang on a second, completely free? Legal? Sounds too good to be true. Can someone else confirm this for me?
    If it is illegal, Sega doesn't seem to care. schthack has basically been the PSO community since before the official servers were shut down even, and they've done nothing about it.

    If you guys want to start this up again I'm down.

    That excuse isn't going to fly around here. No offense, but I'm pretty sure this thread is going to get locked.

    The Sneak! on
  • LorkLork Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    The Sneak! wrote: »
    Lork wrote: »
    Hang on a second, completely free? Legal? Sounds too good to be true. Can someone else confirm this for me?
    If it is illegal, Sega doesn't seem to care. schthack has basically been the PSO community since before the official servers were shut down even, and they've done nothing about it.

    If you guys want to start this up again I'm down.

    That excuse isn't going to fly around here. No offense, but I'm pretty sure this thread is going to get locked.
    Assuming you can even prove that this is illegal in the first place, what's it like being an officer of the fun police? Do you get a commission for every orphanage you burn down?

    Lork on
    Steam Profile: Lork
  • GilderGilder Aw snap Macaroni PartyRegistered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Awww, I want to join the PA party on Don't Panic but you guys suck and didn't make the password Pennyarcade or anything. How am I supposed to join you guys if you don't make the password obvious?

    Gilder on
  • LorkLork Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Gilder wrote: »
    Awww, I want to join the PA party on Don't Panic but you guys suck and didn't make the password Pennyarcade or anything. How am I supposed to join you guys if you don't make the password obvious?
    The universal PA password is "wang" Always has been, always will be.

    (now you know)

    Lork on
    Steam Profile: Lork
  • areaarea Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Gilder wrote: »
    Awww, I want to join the PA party on Don't Panic but you guys suck and didn't make the password Pennyarcade or anything. How am I supposed to join you guys if you don't make the password obvious?

    Did you try 'wang'?

    EDIT: Lork appears from nowhere and blocks the dunk; area goes home with ego bruised and beaten.

    area on
  • METAzraeLMETAzraeL Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    got kicked offline, I'll be right there. We're going for the first block on the most populated server if you want to join.

    METAzraeL on

    dream a little dream or you could live a little dream
    sleep forever if you wish to be a dreamer
  • ArcibiArcibi Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    downloading this

    so many summer hours wasted on the Gamecube version of this back in high school

    Arcibi on
    GameTrailers | Goozex | Check out: Arcibi's Dev Blog and Robot House Games
    tmntsigshrunkre4.jpg
    Wii: 5024 6786 2934 2806 | Steam/XBL: Arcibi | FFXI: Arcibi / Bahamut
  • ChrisDudeChrisDude Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Gee thanks video card, I guess you're too fried to even play this. Dammit.

    ChrisDude on
    Chris Pennell Is A Huge Nerd - My blog. I talk about nerd-ish things a lot.
  • GilderGilder Aw snap Macaroni PartyRegistered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Well that was decently fun I have to say. I'm not sure if I'll keep playing if we don't get more PA people playing but I'm so curious to check out episode 4. It's so odd playing online and being legit though. I was so used to the hacking of the DC era and I never did go online with the cube.

    Anyone who wants to play, it's probably a good idea to use the main server. We tried a game on Don't Panic but the lag was just awful. It was fine with 2 people on the main one though.

    Gilder on
  • METAzraeLMETAzraeL Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    you guys totally ditched me :P oh well, I always did play this solo back on my GC. Oog, it's so good to be back.

    METAzraeL on

    dream a little dream or you could live a little dream
    sleep forever if you wish to be a dreamer
  • GilderGilder Aw snap Macaroni PartyRegistered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Psh, we sent you our guild cards. You could've just searched and found us. Although it took me forever to remember that the magnifying glass meant it had found the person, rather than it was still searching.

    Gilder on
  • METAzraeLMETAzraeL Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    but Lork told me to make a room and that he'd be right baaack (and I didn't think about being able to search for you chaps)...

    METAzraeL on

    dream a little dream or you could live a little dream
    sleep forever if you wish to be a dreamer
  • LorkLork Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    METAzraeL wrote: »
    but Lork told me to make a room and that he'd be right baaack (and I didn't think about being able to search for you chaps)...
    You disappeared and no games showed up for 2 minutes so I left and found Gilder. And cheated like a motherfucker by bringing over items from my old level 105 character.

    Note: Don't do this. It makes the game incredibly boring.

    Lork on
    Steam Profile: Lork
  • areaarea Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    This thread inspired me to (once more) try and get my Dreamcast back online, using nothing but love, a line voltage inducer and a dial-in PPPD server.

    Six hours later, I sufficiently hate myself to stop trying.

    area on
  • JandaruJandaru New ZealandRegistered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Oh shit yes. My brother and I sank so many hours into the Gamecube split-screen version of this.
    Hopefully he can get the PC version downloaded/going on his slow connection...

    My guild card # is 22672891 (is that how this works?).

    I was running round on Schooner only to have a ton of Level 100+ dudes ask me if I had Excalibur, and then leave when I said no...

    Jandaru on
    0ijlzpptari2.png
  • PeregrineFalconPeregrineFalcon Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    I remember wasting a lot of time with this with the DC version. And then again on split-screen with the Xbox version. (It's just easier to yell at party members in-room.)

    PeregrineFalcon on
    Looking for a DX:HR OnLive code for my kid brother.
    Can trade TF2 items or whatever else you're interested in. PM me.
  • BartholamueBartholamue Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Jandaru wrote: »
    I was running round on Schooner only to have a ton of Level 100+ dudes ask me if I had Excalibur, and then leave when I said no...
    Alternatively, I had help from a few dudes that help me do a quest that got me to level 9.

    Bartholamue on
    Steam- SteveBartz Xbox Live- SteveBartz PSN Name- SteveBartz
  • IceBurnerIceBurner It's cold and there are penguins.Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    None of the PSO servers out there are leaked versions of the official server, which is what makes typical "private" online game servers illegal. They are all homebrewed. People logged their game's network traffic from when the Sega servers were live, and from there painstakingly figured out what a PSO server needed to do. Imperfect, but they've become rather stable. Most of them actually improve on Sega's own (non-)effort because they block the destructive hacks people could use to damage/corruptyour save.

    There's a do-it-yourself homebrew gamecube PSO server out there, with PSO DC and BB support being worked on. One really smart college kid is developing it in his spare time. I wish someone would do the same for Monster Hunter 1, but I'm guessing no one has comparable records of all their network traffic to work from.

    Also, there's always offline-multiplayer on Xbox and Gamecube.

    IceBurner on
    3DS: 3024-6114-2886 | NNID: Rabites | Steam: IceBurner
    PSN: theIceBurner, IceBurnerEU, IceBurner-JP | X-Link Kai: TheIceBurner
    Dragon's Dogma: 192 Warrior Linty | 80 Strider Alicia | 32 Mage Terra
  • maximumzeromaximumzero I...wait, what? New Orleans, LARegistered User regular
    edited September 2008
    For you guys playing this:

    You want a gamepad. It's better.

    maximumzero on
    FU7kFbw.png
    Switch: 6200-8149-0919 / Wii U: maximumzero / 3DS: 0860-3352-3335 / eBay Shop
  • DualEdgeDualEdge Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    The Japanese Item patch for US PSOBB installs seems to be borked since it keeps telling me:
    jp-en.rar: CRC failed in data\ending_jp.pae. The file is corrupt

    When I go to extract it.

    DualEdge on
  • augustaugust where you come from is gone Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Downloading...

    august on
  • maximumzeromaximumzero I...wait, what? New Orleans, LARegistered User regular
    edited September 2008
    DualEdge wrote: »
    The Japanese Item patch for US PSOBB installs seems to be borked since it keeps telling me:
    jp-en.rar: CRC failed in data\ending_jp.pae. The file is corrupt

    When I go to extract it.

    You don't need to install the japanese item patch if you're installing the game fresh from this site, the top link on the downloads page already has it rolled in.

    Said patch is only if you have a retail copy of Blue Burst you need to upgrade.

    maximumzero on
    FU7kFbw.png
    Switch: 6200-8149-0919 / Wii U: maximumzero / 3DS: 0860-3352-3335 / eBay Shop
  • IcemopperIcemopper Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    So wait... there is no monthly fee... or... anything!?


    Thats incredible

    Icemopper on
  • Dr SnofeldDr Snofeld Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Oh man.

    Oh man.

    Had such fun with the GCN version. My Human Sniper (I forget the class name, but I gave him a rifle and he had high enough accuracy to never miss with charged shots, so he's a sniper) still lives on my memory card. Gotta recreate him I think.

    So, I download the full install, then the windowed client, but do I need anything else?

    Dr Snofeld on
    l4d_sig.png
  • maximumzeromaximumzero I...wait, what? New Orleans, LARegistered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Dr Snofeld wrote: »
    Oh man.

    Oh man.

    Had such fun with the GCN version. My Human Sniper (I forget the class name, but I gave him a rifle and he had high enough accuracy to never miss with charged shots, so he's a sniper) still lives on my memory card. Gotta recreate him I think.

    So, I download the full install, then the windowed client, but do I need anything else?

    All you really need to do is download the "full install with the patch rolled in" file and register on the site.

    That's it, really.

    maximumzero on
    FU7kFbw.png
    Switch: 6200-8149-0919 / Wii U: maximumzero / 3DS: 0860-3352-3335 / eBay Shop
  • DualEdgeDualEdge Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Man rolling Force after spending all my time with a Hunter is so different. Actually having to retreat and spam monofluid is something I haven't grasped yet.

    DualEdge on
  • Dr SnofeldDr Snofeld Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Dr Snofeld wrote: »
    Oh man.

    Oh man.

    Had such fun with the GCN version. My Human Sniper (I forget the class name, but I gave him a rifle and he had high enough accuracy to never miss with charged shots, so he's a sniper) still lives on my memory card. Gotta recreate him I think.

    So, I download the full install, then the windowed client, but do I need anything else?

    All you really need to do is download the "full install with the patch rolled in" file and register on the site.

    That's it, really.

    Woo, fun times!
    FUCK Dark Falz though.

    Dr Snofeld on
    l4d_sig.png
  • PeregrineFalconPeregrineFalcon Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    Dr Snofeld wrote: »
    Oh man.

    Oh man.

    Had such fun with the GCN version. My Human Sniper (I forget the class name, but I gave him a rifle and he had high enough accuracy to never miss with charged shots, so he's a sniper) still lives on my memory card. Gotta recreate him I think.

    So, I download the full install, then the windowed client, but do I need anything else?

    RaMar (Ranger/Marksman)? I can't remember the class names either. :P

    Yet another free game in mah PC, eatin' mah time.

    PeregrineFalcon on
    Looking for a DX:HR OnLive code for my kid brother.
    Can trade TF2 items or whatever else you're interested in. PM me.
  • METAzraeLMETAzraeL Registered User regular
    edited September 2008
    I'm all about the HUcaseals

    METAzraeL on

    dream a little dream or you could live a little dream
    sleep forever if you wish to be a dreamer
Sign In or Register to comment.