Frequently Asked Questions

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Questions generally asked by people wanting to know information, or new players. If you feel something should be added to this FAQ, please do so!

General Questions

When will the game be released?

See Release.

Game cost and online fee questions.

How much will the game cost to buy?

Though Phantasy Star Universe is no longer sold new in stores, the Xbox 360 version can be purchased from Games on Demand for $19.99 (USD)/£15 (GBP). The disc can also be purchased pre-owned from various video game stores. Prices vary by location.

The expansion, Ambition of the Illuminus, is free to download from the Xbox 360 Marketplace.

Will there be a fee to play online?

Yes, there will be a monthly fee in order to play Phantasy Star Universe online. The recurring charge will be $9.99/month (USD), and the billing will be handled by the PlaySEGA website (for the PC and PS2 versions). There is also a 6-month one-time payment option, the price of which is set at $49.95. This saves $10 dollars over 6 months of the recurring one-month subscription.

• The billing for the 360 version seems to be handled on the Live Marketplace, with varying costs for different countries.
• £6.99 for UK xbox360 version

If you don't want to pay but have a PSP I advise get Phantasy star portable 2 its just as great and has free online.

Will I get a free month of online with purchase of the game?

• The Japanese version did have one free month with game purchase.
• For the US/EU release, the one-month payment plan comes with a free 15 day trial for new subscribers, whereas new subscribers purchasing the 6-month plan receive 30 free days (in addition to the 6 they buy, so it works out to 7 months for the price of 5 [for new subscribers]).
• Xbox360 users do not benefit from any form of free trials.

I heard that non-JP people cannot pay for PSU, is this true?

This is true, but only for the Japanese version. SEGA blocked all non-Asian credit cards. You can pay via Netcash or a friend in Japan and PayPal.

How can I pay for online play? Will there be prepaid cards available?

For the PC and PS2 versions, payment can be made on the PlaySega website using either a credit or debit card. Currently, only Visa and Mastercard cards are accepted. Currently, there are no known plans to release prepaid cards for the PC and PS2 versions. However, prepaid Visa or Mastercard giftcards will be accepted.

Will the PC version be available for download, or only in retail locations?

Currently, there are no known plans to have the PC version of PSU available for purchase via download over the Internet.

Server Linking

Cross-platform Linking

The PC and PS2 versions will share the same server, while the Xbox 360 version will have its own separate server. This may be due to the voice chat facility, or the Xbox Live subscription system, or Microsoft having influence over/control of the servers.

Cross-terrority Linking

For the PC and PS2 versions, US and EU players will play on the same server, while the JP server will be separate. The server for the Xbox 360 version is international, including all three regions.

So, PS2 and PC play on the same servers, is my account shared between the two platforms?

Yes; in Japan owners of the PS2 & PC games can use their account on either a PS2 or PC copy of the game.

What measures are Sonic Team taking against cheating and hacking?

On the PC version of the game, Sonic Team are using nProtect GameGuard in order to monitor computers for applications that can be used to modify the game or otherwise cheat in-game. This is the same program that was used on Phantasy Star Online: Blue Burst, and most programs used to cheat on that game do not work currently.

It can be suspected as well that Sonic Team have implemented their own internal measures against cheating as well. This may be a major difference from all versions of PSO, which did not appear to give much consideration to security (hence the rampant cheating on several versions).

GameGuard will not be used on PS2 and Xbox360, for what should be obvious reasons (you can't run other programs on them).

Also, it will be worth pointing out that PSU utilizes server-side saving for Network Mode characters. Story Mode and Extra Mode are client-side, however.

I heard that you will require a constant internet connection to play PSU, is this true?

For the PC version of the game, it is true, even if you play Story Mode or Extra Mode. The reason behind this is to prevent people from cheating before going online, and because PSU on PC uses GameGuard. The PS2 and Xbox360 versions do not require a constant internet connection.

I do not use Windows, I use Linux - can I still play PSU?

At this time, no. There will be no official Linux version of PSU released as of yet (and there has been no indication there ever will be one), and WINE (the popular Windows compatibility layer) does not support GameGuard, rendering the game unplayable on Linux until someone solves that. You WILL however be able to play if you cut your Linux partition by about 10 gigs and make a new, Windows one.

I use a Mac, can I play PSU on that?

No. There is not even any indication that a Mac version of PSU will be released. However, the ability to run Windows on the newer Macs somewhat invalidates this problem.

Do I need a PS2 HDD to play Phantasy Star Universe?

No, you don't need one. However, client patches will be stored on the Memory Card, so you will need one of those.

It has been revealed that a PSU savegame file will take up 2,680kb of space on a PS2 memory card.

Game Questions

What modes of play does PSU have?

PSU has three modes of play - Story Mode, Extra Mode and Network Mode.

• In Story Mode, you take the role of Ethan Waber as he travels across the Gurhal Star System in order to save it from the alien force 'SEED'.
• In Extra Mode, you can create your own character and travel through levels you have cleared in Story Mode. This mode plays similar to the Network Mode, but is offline. You can also call upon NPCs you have befriended with Ethan in Story Mode to battle alongside you (they will be controlled by AI).
• In Network Mode, sometimes called 'online' or 'Online Mode' you play online with other people. You can create your own character and play with friends. Little is known about the story of Network Mode, but it does take place after the events of the Story Mode. This is closest to the gameplay of Phantasy Star Online.

Is there an Offline Multiplayer mode?

No.

Can I use characters/items from the offline modes online?

No. Offline and Online are seperate.

What will PSU play like?

See Gameplay.

How many characters will I be allowed on an account?

Four per account per world for online play. (Confirmed by Beatrixkiddo)

Story & Extra mode also allow for four character saves.

Will there be an active GM Team?

It's currently believed that lobbies will be moderated by GMs. During the Closed Beta Trial GMs often made announcements which scrolled across the game screen.

How many people can play together?

The limit of players in a party is 6. (Confirmed by Beatrixkiddo)

Will there be PvP, or a return of Battle Mode?

As of yet there is no form of PvP in PSU. The emphasis is on co-operative gameplay, not PvP. It may be added in the future.

Have shared banks been implemented?

Yes! Now transferring items between characters will be quick and easy.

Will there be Challenge Mode?

Currently there is no word on Challenge Mode.

Will there be S-Rank Weapons?

Yes. Many S-rank weapons, as well as protective equipment, have been released. Most are available as monster drops and boss box drops around the system. However, they are not the PSO style S-Rank weapons, which you name and can grind to a large number. In PSU, S-Rank is the highest (For now) Photon Efficiency class for weapons and armor. Every rank of equipment covers 3 efficiancy stars.

*eg;
C Rank = 1 ~ 3 Stars
A Rank = 7 ~ 9 Stars

Currently there is no custom equipment. This may change in future. However, there is no word on it from SEGA or Sonic Team.

What's this I'm hearing about a cracked Character Creator from the Beta?

It's a hacked client, and unless you know someone from the Beta with the files, it's very hard to get hold of. Its legality is disputed, too, obviously. Posting links to the cracked client is not allowed here. This site should take care of all your character creation needs for now.