Frequently Asked Questions

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.

How much will the game cost?

How much will the game cost to buy?

For those in the UK, it's set to be (around) £35, and for American users, it's set to be around $50. Apparently JP PSU will have no free trial, unlike many other pay-to-play online RPGs, it remains to be seen if this will apply to America and Europe as well. The monthly fee is likely to be anywhere from $9-$15.

This information is not set in stone and is subject to change, of course.

Will there be a fee to play online?

Yes, there will be a monthly fee in order to play Phantasy Star Universe online.

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

Currently, people are believing Sega are blocking non-JP cardholders/importers from the US/Europe.

This, while unconfirmed, is false (information from Shimarisu), and currently pre-orderers should not be discouraged (at least until they have to write the cardholder name in Katakana).

Server Linking

Cross-terrority Linking

It has been confirmed by Takao Miyoshi that, at least, initally, the servers will be seperated. There will likely be two servers, one for JP and one for US. It is not confirmed if EU will share the same servers, but it is thought likely. It is possible that servers will be linked later on in the game's life, however this has only been hinted at very slightly, and probably will not happen. [1]

The reasoning given for the seperation is to preserve the expanding of the plot, since the game is being released later outside of Japan, and this would presumably mean that Japan would be further into the plot than other countries. However, speculation persists that the real reason for, or a least a major factor in, the decision, is the dislike and distrust between the Japanese and American/European communities on PSO (also attributed as a reason for Phantasy Star Online: Blue Burst having seperate servers).

Cross-platform Linking

At the moment, PC and PS2 users will play on the same servers. However, Xbox360 users will apparently be seperated from the other platforms. This may be due to the voice chat facility, or the Xbox Live subscription system, or Microsoft having influence over/control of the servers.

Official sources however, stress that nothing is fully confirmed as to the details of the Xbox360 version of Phantasy Star Universe. It may be worth noting that in Japan, the Xbox360 is a niche console, and does not sell very well - unlike the Playstation2. This may be a factor in the lack of clarity over the Xbox360 release.

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

All indications point to 'yes'.

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.

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.

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 2,300kb 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 for online play. (Confirmed by Beatrixkiddo)

The number of character slots available for Extra Mode is not known at this time.

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 and S-Ranks?

Currently, no. It may be added in the future.

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.