Games SEGA DREAMCAST PHANTASY STAR ONLINE V2 User Manual

Thank you for purchasing Phantasy Star Online Ver.2. Please note that this software is

designed only for use with the Dreamcast console. Be sure to read this instruction manual

Note: “Phantasy Star Online Ver.2” will hereafter be referred to as “PSO Ver.2.”

thoroughly before you begin playing.

CONTENTS

WHAT’SNEW INPSOVER.2? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -02
BASIC CONTROLS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 04
SOFTWARE KEYBOARD - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -05
SAVING - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -05
STARTING A GAME - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -06
CHARACTER CREATION - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 07
MODE SELECTION - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -08
ONLINE NETWORK STRUCTURE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 10
THE WORLD OF PSO VER.2 ONLINE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -11
A TOUR OF PIONEER 2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -16
PLAYING PSO VER.2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -19
GAME DISPLAYS AND MENUS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -21
OPTIONS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -28

PSO Ver.2 requires a memory card [Visual Memory Unit (VMU) sold separately]. 15 blocks are
required to save the main game file and 30 blocks are required to save the guild
card file. Additional blocks are required to save any downloaded files. This game saves

automatically when you quit. While saving or loading data, never turn the Dreamcast power OFF,
attempt to remove the memory card or disconnect the controller. For details about saving, see p.5.

WHAT’S NEW IN PSO VER.2?

WHAT’S NEW IN PSO VER.2?

New CH A L L E NGE and BATTLE modes have been added, and are only available online. Now you can equip we a p o n s
and use items using the SHORT CUT WINDOW. Hold down the Right Tri g ger and press the Y b u t to n .

CHOICE SEARCH allows online searches based upon player ch a ra c te ri stics. The DRESSING ROOM option will
appear on the Chara c ter Select screen if you have at least 100,000 meseta. If you choose to spend 100,000
m e s eta, you may ch a n ge some physical ch a ra c te ri stics of your ch a ra c te r.

USE CAUTION WHEN PLAYING WITH ORIGINAL PSO PLAYERS

In the ONLINE MODE, both PSO users and PSO Ve r.2 users may play on the same serve r.
PSO does not have the newly added modes and functions that PSO Ve r.2 has, so th e re are
some cases where PSO and PSO Ve r.2 playe rs cannot play to geth e r. Please ve rify which
ve rsion of soft wa re your friends are using befo re you play.

When the PSO Ve r.2 user cre a tes the TEAM, if the user selects “PSO Ve r.2”, only PSO
Ve r.2 users can join the team. If you play Go Go Ball in the Lobby, only PSO Ve r.2 users
m ay join. When exchanging items, befo re a PSO Ve r.2 user gives an item to a PSO user,
please make sure it is not and item that is exc l u s i ve to PSO Ve r.2. If this is the case, th e
i tem name will be ye l l ow. If you comp l ete the trade, the item will be conve rted to an ite m
of the same series in PSO. PSO Ve r.2 ch a ra c te rs have their names displayed in ye l l ow.
PSO ch a ra c te rs have their names displayed in white. There fo re, if you conve rt a PSO fi l e
to PSO Ve r.2, the ch a ra c te r’s name will be displayed in ye l l ow. When you conve rt a PSO
file to PSO Ve r.2 to play, you will fi rst need to enter the serial number and access key
p ri n ted on the st i cker inside the PSO packa ge. If you atte mpt to play PSO after th e
c o nve rsion, an error message will be displayed, and you will not be able to play PSO.

• A l p h a n u m e ric ch a ra c te rs for the access key

2

NOTES ON SERIAL NUMBERS

When playing PSO Ve r.2, you will need the serial number and access key for PSOVe r.2. It is pri n ted on th e
inside of the packa ge, so please make sure to keep it in the safe place to avoid losing. Also, please do not let
a nyone else know them.
When ente ring the serial number and access key, please make sure not to enter them incorre c t ly.

n

NOT E SON NUMBERS:

• A l p h a n u m e ric ch a ra c te rs for the serial number

Nu m e ra l s :0-9; Alphabet s :A- Z

• A l p h a n u m e ric ch a ra c te rs for the access key

All numbers and alphabets (both upper and lower) exc e pt the fo l l ow i n g :
Numerals:0,1; alphabets: i,j,l,q, O

PLAYING PSO VER.2 ONLINE

In order to play PSO Ve r. 2 online, besides having an ISP prov i d e r, you must purchase a HUNTERS LICENSE. To
p u rchase a HUNTERS LICENSE, select WEBSITE at the title screen, and select the button "PURCHASE HUNTERS
LICENSE." Please note that a valid credit card is re qu i red. The fee for the Hunter's License does not include ISP
and possible telephone fees. There is re g u l a rly scheduled maintenance on We d n e s d ay-T h u rs d ay each we e k.

R I G H TSR E S E RV E D TOT E M P O R A R I LYO RP E R M A N E N T LYBAN AC CO U N TS

S e ga Corp o ration/Sonic Team/Isao re s e rves the right to te mp o ra ri ly or perm a n e n t ly ban a user's account if th e
p l ayer logs onto the PSO Ve r. 2 serve rs with an invalid item and/or re p e a te d ly disturbs other playe rs by violating
the rules of conduct (see page 32 and www. s e ga.com/pso/help). The ban for a fi rst offence, such as owning an
i nvalid item may be a single day (even if the item was given to the player by someone else) and the player will
be allowed to reconnect a full day after deleting the item. Re p e a ted violations may result in a permanent ban of
the player's account at Sega Corp o ration/Sonic Team/Isao's discretion. Refunds will not be given for banned or
te rm i n a ted accounts.

WA R N I NG ON FA LSE DATA / N E TWORK CO N N E C T I O N

A warning message for using false data will be displayed. Read the message and select YES to confirm. If
you select NO, you will return to SELECT MODE screen. If YES is selected, you will be connected to
network. At this point, you will not be able to connect if you do not have the Hunter’s License.

3

BASIC CONTROLS

SOFTWARE KEYBOARD

PSO Ve r.2 is a one-player game (fo u r- p l ayer when playing online). Connect the controller to be used to Control Po rt A.

Never touch the Analog Thumb Pad or
the TriggersL/Rwhile turning the
Dreamcast power ON. Doing so may
disrupt the controller initialization
procedure and result in malfunction.

To return to the title screen at any time
during gameplay,
simultaneously press
and hold the

X,Y

A,B

and Start Buttons.

CAUTION

,

ANALOG THUMB PAD

DIRECTIONAL PAD

START BUTTON

TRIGGER L TRIGGER R

Insert a memory card (sold separately) into

Expansion Socket 1 of the controller.

X

BUTTON

Y BUTTON
B BUTTON
A BUTTON

When using the Jump Pack (sold

separately), always be sure to

insert the Jump Pack into

Expansion Socket 2.

It is not possible to play PSO Ver.2 without a memory card. Insert one before starting gameplay.

TITLE SCREEN/

GAME MENUS/

SHIP SELECTION SCREEN

ANALOG THUMB PAD SELECT MOVE CHARACTER

D I R E C T I O NAL PAD (D-PA D )

L

TRIGGER

R

TRIGGER

A

BUTTON

B

BUTTON

X

BUTTON

Y

BUTTON

START BUTTON

NOT USED ROTATE CAMERA
NOT USED NOT USEDROTATE CAMERA TOGGLE ACTION PA L E T T E

GAME START RETURN DISPLAY THE MAIN MENU

IN BATTLEONLY: DISPLAYSHORTCUT WINDOW (Rto change display contents)TRIGGER R+YBUTTON

CHARACTER

SELECTION

V I S UAL LO B BY /

WITHIN THE CITY

IN BATTLE

SELECT SELECT

CAMERA VIEW (Reset to behind character)

ENTER

CANCEL

NOT USED

ENTER USE LOWER ACTION PA L E T T E

CANCEL USE RIGHT ACTION PA L E T T E

DISPLAY INFO USE LEFT ACTION PA L E T T E

NOT USED D I S P LAY SOFT KEYBOA R D / WORD SELECT (TOGGLE = X)

4

Use the software keyboard to chat with other players while playing PSO Ver.2 or connect a Dreamcast
Keyboard (sold separately) to Control Port B, C or D.

SOFTWARE KEYBOARD

D-PAD/ANALOG THUMB PAD - - - - Select Characters

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Enter (to display text)

ENTER

B BUTTON - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Delete 1 Character

B S or

X BUTTON - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Toggle Screens
Y BUTTON - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Close Keyboard

EXIT or

TRIGGER L/R - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- Toggle Symbols

SIGN or

SAVING

A memory card is required to save PSO Ver.2game data. 15 blocks of free space are required to save
the main game file and 30 blocks are required to save the guild card file. Additional blocks are required
to save any downloaded files. To save your game data, select “Quit Game” from the main menu. Never
attempt to turn OFF the Dreamcast power, remove the memory card or disconnect the controller while
saving. Also, the data may not save correctly if the memory card is removed/re-inserted during gameplay.

SAVING ONLINE

When playing online, select “Quit Game” from the main menu. To confirm disconnection from the
Network, use *@ to select “YES” or “NO” and press A to enter and save your game. If you are playing
with a team, you will disband from the team. At this time, any experience points gained in battle or items
collected, etc. will be saved. If you disband from your team while on a quest and should the team
complete the quest without you, the entire team may not be eligible to receive the reward unless all
members go to claim it together.

SAVING OFFLINE

When playing offline, select “Quit Game” from the main menu. You will be asked if you wish to sa ve.
Use *@ to select “YES” or “NO” and press A to enter.

CAUTION

any reason you are disconnected from the server while playing online, any items or money (Meseta) held, left in
the city or game field will be lost.

If you quit the game without saving properly (via “Quit Game” on the main menu)or if for

5

STARTING A GAME

CHARACTER CREATION

NEW GAME

Select to begin a new game sta rting from ch a ra c ter creation. Select the memory card to which you want to save
the main game data. Only one main file (one ch a ra c ter) can be saved to any one memory card. If a PSO fi l e
a l ready ex i sts, you will be asked whether to ove rw ri te the older file. Also, it is not possible to save game data
w i thout a memory card. If you would like to tra n s fer an original PSO ch a ra c ter to a PSO Ve r.2 ch a ra c te r, do not
choose this option, choose CONTINUE instead. If yo u’re creating more than one ch a ra c te r, the Seri a l
Nu m b e r / Access Key Input screen will be displayed each time when “Chara c ter Select” is selected. The curre n t ly
re g i ste red Serial Number and Access Key will be displayed, so you only need to ve rify the conte n t s .

CONTINUE

Select to continue playing a prev i o u s ly saved file or to tra n s fer an original PSO ch a ra c ter to a PSO Ve r. 2
ch a ra c te r. Once the memory card selection screen appears, use *@$ ^ to select the memory card conta i n i n g
the PSO file you wish to play and press A. A mini-menu with the options “OK” or “DELETE” will appear. Select
load (“OK”) or delete the file. Press B to cancel.

OPTIONS

Here you can modify the various game settings. See p.27 for details.

WEBSITE

Use this link to access the official PSO Ver.2 website or the SONICTEAM homepage. If you have a
Broadband Adaptor attached to your Dreamcast (sold separately), when you select WEBSITE, you will be
able to configure your Broadband Adaptor for play online. PSO Ver.2 does not support PPPoE, which is
what many DSLs use.

For Broadband users, to purchase a HUNTERS LICENSE, you must either insert your modem, select the
WEBSITE option, and go through the process of purchasing a HUNTERS LICENSE, or use a PC and go to
the following website: https://www.dricas.com/pso/signup_top.html

6

You will need to create a character whenever you start a new game.

SELECT A CHARACTER TYPE

Use $ ^ to select the type of character you wish to use and press A to enter. A brief summary is
displayed under each profession/species header alongside a graph indicating the attributes of each
character. Press A again to proceed to the CHARACTER CREATION screen or press B to cancel and
return to the previous screen.

MODIFY YOUR CHARACTER

To customize the appearance of your character, use *@ to select a modification item and press A. Then
use $ ^ to select a style for that item (the available settings will vary among different character base
types). Use L/R to rotate the character. Press A or B to return to the previous screen. Note that if you
press the Start Button while on the CHARACTER CREATION screen, all of your settings will be erased and
you will return to the CHARACTER SELECT screen. Once you press OK your character will be assigned
one of the 10 available SECTION IDs. Press A to continue. (It is not possible to cancel after entering OK.)

The character attributes graph will give you a general idea of the strengths
and weaknesses of each character type for the following attributes:

Health Points availability.

HP

Accuracy rate when attacking.

Hit

Technique Damage - rate at

TD

which TP decreases when used.

Technique Points availability.

TP

Armor Class - level of defense

AC

against enemy attack.
Attack Damage - level of damage

AD

inflicted upon enemies.

CHARACTER ATTRIBUTES GRAPH

7

CHARACTER CREATION

MODE SELECTION

CHARACTER PROFESSIONS

In the world of PSO Ver.2 each of the nine character types is one of three species (human, newman or android)
whose profession is either Hunter, Ranger or Force. While members of each profession start out with the same
equipment level, the attributes of each character vary according to their species.

HUNTER

we excel in close-ra n ge combat.

P ro ficient with
blade weapons,

RANGER

we excel in long-ra n ge combat.

P ro ficient with
gun-type we a p o n s ,

FORCE

b e st suited for combat support .

P ro ficient with
te ch n i ques, we are

MODE SELECTION

After you have created your character you will proceed to the mode selection menu. Use *@ to select
whether to play PSO Ver.2 online or offline and press A. The content and how to proceed will vary
according to which mode is selected.

OFFLINE MODE

GAME DIFFICULTY

you play PSO Ver.2. After you clear the game at this level, this screen will appear the next time you play.
Use *@ to select either NORMAL or HARD and press A. Press B to cancel. Clear the game in HARD to
earn the right to attempt VERY HARD. After completing VERY HARDmove onto ULTIMATE mode.

ONLINE MODE

SERIAL NUMBER & ACCESS KEY

The first time you connect to the PSO network to play online you must input the unique serial number and
access key from the label that was included inside your PSO package. Use *@ $ ^ to select each
character and press A to enter. Press B to cancel. Enter the serial number as it appears on the label and

8

The NORMAL level is automatically selected the first time

select the enter key, then do the same for the access key. When you have input both the codes, select
ENTER and press A. This information will then be sent to the PSO Ver.2 server and once verified, will be
saved to the main file in your VMU so that you won’t need to input the serial number and access key
every time you connect. However, it is very important that you do not lose these numbers or allow

a third party access to them before you can register with the PSO Ver.2 server. You must
use the same Dreamcast to play PSO Ver.2 in the online mode.

CO N F I R M ATION OF CH A RG E S

A screen displaying information of charges to play will be displayed. Select YES to confirm and advance
to the next screen. Select NO to return to the previous screen.

WHEN YOU SELECT ONLINE MODE FOR THE FIRST TIME

If this is your fi rst time playing the ONLINE MODE, select the WEBSITE option, then choose the HUNTERS
LICENSE option. Then fo l l ow the inst ructions on your screen to set up your account.
If you have played PSO Ve r.2 alre a d y, please select “TAKE OVER DATA FROM PSO”. If you don’t, yo u
c a n n ot ta ke over the Guild Card Files and Hunte r’s License Info to PSO Ve r.2. When selected, the screen will
ch a n ge to Serial Nu m b e r / Access Key Input scre e n .
If you have not played PSO Ve r.2 befo re, please select “YOU HAVE NOT PLAYED PSO BEFORE”. Seri a l
Nu m b e r / Access Key Input screen for PSO Ve r.2 will be displayed. Please see the section on Playing PSO
Ve r.2 for the fi rst time for details on how to ente r. Once re g i ste red, this screen will no longer be displaye d .

PLAYING PSO VER.2 WITH A PSO FILE

When you select “CONTINUE” from the Game Menu, if you have a memory card with a PSO file (main fi l e
[ ch a ra c ter] or Guild Card files) atta ched, you must select either CO N V E RT or GO TO TITLE SCREEN. P S O
ch a ra c te rs cannot be played in PSO Ve r.2 unless the file is conve rted to a PSO Ve r.2 file. Once the PSO file is
c o nve rted to a PSO Ve r.2 file, you will not be able to play PSO with it. Also, upon conve rsion, all illegal items
will be deleted and attri b u tes may be adjuste d .

9

THE WORLD OF PSO VER.2 ONLINEONLINE NETWORK STRUCTURE

CONNECT ONLINE

SHIP SELECTION

Move to
Another

BLOCK

Move to Another SHIP

SHIP

SHIP

Once you have organized your team, you will be transported to the city Pioneer 2 to begin play.

Here you and your team members can equip yourselves at the shops, etc. to prepare for your
expedition. When your team is ready, proceed to the main transporter within the city. Once inside,
select a destination on the planet Ragol (the game world) and your team will be transported there.

In the event you are felled by an enemy (p. 17), etc. you will be transported back to the city.

Each SHIP is comprised of various BLOCKS from which the
city can be accessed. It is possible to move between BLOCKS
or to a different SHIP via the BLOCKS and join a team within
the same SHIP.

SHIP

BLOCK

V I S UAL LO B BY (p. 21 )

INFORMATION

COUNTER (p. 11)

TRANSPORTER

(p. 17)

TRANSPORTER (p. 17)

ORGANIZE TEAM

(p. 11-12)

Move to
Another

VISUAL

LOBBY

C I TY (PIONEER 2 - p. 16 )

PLANET RAGOL (Game Field)

Proceed to the main game story.
Embark on quest missions from

the Hunter’s Guild (p. 18)

SHIP & BLOCK SELECTION

Use *@ to select the SHIP you wish to join and press A. To see how many players or teams there are on
a SHIP, select that SHIP and press X. After selecting a BLOCK, you will be transpor ted to the visual lobby
there. You can move between SHIPS and/or BLOCKS by selecting TRANSPORT from the information
counter. Use the transporter located in the corner to move between visual lobbies within a BLOCK.

Another feature available on the SHIP selection menu is a quest downloading service which you can use
to download and save new quest missions to your memory card. Select “Download_Server” to display a
list of the available quests. Use *@ to select a quest to download press A. If there are not enough free
memory blocks available, a message will appear and you will automatically return to the previous screen.
For details on accessing newly downloaded quests, see p.18.

V I S UAL LO B BY INFO R M ATION CO U N T E R

Once inside the visual lobby you can move around and chat with other users within the same block in
real time. Visit the information counter and select “Organize TEAM” when you wish to create a new or
join an existing team. Another form of communication called Simple Mail is available (see pg. 27).
Select “Transport” to move to a different SHIP or BLOCK. Use *@ to select menu items and press A to
enter your selections. Press B to cancel.

TEAMS

You need to belong a team in order to investigate the planet of Ragol. To do so you can either join an
existing team or create one of your own.

JOIN A TEAM

about the members in each team by pressing X. Select and enter a team to join in and you will be
transported to the city in the field where that team is currently playing. A lock mark will appear next to
teams that require a password to join. If you do not know the password, you won’t be able to join that
team.

Select this to display a list of the teams available in this BLOCK. Display information

10 11