PHANTASY STAR ONLINE EPISODES 1&2 RANGER CLASS GUIDE By Elijah Henry (pornaga@excite.com) For Nintendo Gamecube TABLE OF CONTENTS v.1.04 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I.Gameplay Basics -Targeting -Attacks and Combos -Customization -Character Stats II. Ranger Class Characters -RAmar -RAmarl -RAcast -RAcaseal III.Ranger Equipment -General Equipment -Weapon Breakdown IV.General Ranger Strategies -General -RAmar and RAmarl (Human) -RAcast and RAcaseal (Android) -Attacking from doors V.Recommended Equipment -Weapons -Armors/Shields VI.Team Strategies VII.Credits VIII.Contact Info IX.Copyright ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------ I. GAMEPLAY BASICS ------------------------------------------------ After some consideration, I decided to put this section at the top, for the benefit of the novice. This section will introduce you to the fineries of PSO's gameplay mechanics. All veterans are excused. -Targeting ------------------------ As you approach an enemy, you will notice 3 colored triangles appear in the form of crosshairs. The enemy's name will also appear in a box in the lower- left of the screen. The colors are supposed to represent which button to press, however, you can just ignore that completely. You can't just face an enemy, press a button, and expect your attack to connect. You have to have it targeted and be able to see the enemy's name. Only then can you actually attack it. I mention this because this gives some people trouble at first. -Attacks and Combos ------------------------ PSO features a simple combat system. All you have to do is target an enemy, then press an attack button. There are 3 types of attacks in PSO, all of which are set on separate buttons: Normal- Fastest attack. Does a moderate amount of damage. Heavy- Slower and less accurate than a normal attack, but does at least twice as much damage. Heavy attacks can also knock some enemies away from you. Extra- Can only be used if you have a weapon with a special attack equipped. Generally, extra hits have about half as much of a chance of hitting as normal attacks. Extra attacks are based on the weapon, so they can range from being able to kill an enemy in a single hit to freezing them. After attacking, there is a recovery time that varies in length depending on the weapon you have equipped. You can shorten this recovery time by linking up to 3 attacks into a combo. As soon as your attack hits, you can attack again, up to 3 times. As mentioned before, Normal, Hard, and Extra attacks will be assigned to different buttons. This means you can perform attack combos that use all 3 types. For example, you could press Normal, Normal, Extra. Or, Normal, Hard, Extra. Or, Hard, Normal, Hard. Combos are a necessity, but getting the timing down can be difficult at first, mostly because of the small window of time you're given to follow up. Just keep practicing until you feel comfortable with it. -Customization ------------------------ PSO allows you to set up any combination (up to 6) of attacks, techniques, and item types to the command cluster. Each slot in the cluster corresponds to a specific button. The buttons are B, A, and X. Holding the R shoulder button brings up the second page of the cluster, which also uses B, A, and X. So, you could set Normal attack, Monomates, and Hard attack on the first page, and you could set Resta, Extra attack, and Difluids on the second page. To use Extra attack in this configuration, you'd hold R and press the corresponding button. To customize your command cluster, press start to open the menu, and go to customize. Pick which slot you want, and a list of all the actions in the game will come up. Find the one you want and press A to select it. -Character Stats ------------------------- PSO uses the following terms to indicate each character's attributes, which are expressed numerically: HP (Hit Points) Your Life total. When it hits 0, you die. TP (Tech points) Essentially, your "Magic" points. Each technique (spell) you use will drain a set amount of it. ATP (Attack Power) How much physical damage you will do to enemies DFP (Defense Power) Your defense to Enemy physical attacks. ATA (Accuracy) How likely an attack will hit an enemy. ATA will always seem low in comparison to other stats, because in this game, 1 point of ATA goes a long way. EVP (Evade) How likely you will block an enemy's attack completely MST (Mind Power) Affects your max TP, as well as how much damage techniques will do. EXP (Experience) Every enemy you defeat gives you a set amount of EXP depending on what it is. Pressing start brings up your menu as well as your character information, and will show you how much EXP is required for you to ascend a level as well as how much total EXP you have accumulated. On a side note, some weapons require that you have a specified amount of a certain stat in order to use it. ------------------------------------------------ II. RANGER CLASS CHARACTERS ------------------------------------------------ -RAmar (Ranger-Human-Male) ---------------------------- The RAmar is, I believe, the most balanced class in the game. He also has by far the most accuracy (ATA) of any class. The RAmar can also cast all techniques except for Jellen, Zalure, and the Force-only Megid, Grants, and Reverser. This also means he gets the valued techniques Shifta and Deband, which are to be used liberally. His technique levels all max out at 15, and Anti maxes at 5. Maximum Materials: HP:125 Power, Def, Mind, Luck:250 total (Note for material usage: Power, Def, Mind, & Luck are pooled together. You can't use 250 of each, rather, the total amount of materials combined cannot exceed 250.) MAG: Since RAmars already have the best overall ATA in the game, it's not so important to worry about that, though putting a few points towards it wouldn't hurt (odd numbers do you no good, since every 2 points of DEX on a MAG equals 1 point towards your character's ATA). Also, MIND can be helpful, depending on your play style. Higher MST means Resta will heal more, and Shifta and Deband will boost their corresponding stats more effectively. Just be advised that a RAmar's attack techniques are for the most part useless. Focusing on POW for the most part is the most advisable way to go, also putting some points into DEX and some into MIND. -RAmarl (Ranger-Human-Female) ------------------------------ The RAmarl has the best MST of the Ranger class. She can use the same techniques as the RAmar, as well as Jellen and Zalure. All her techniques max out at level 20, and Anti maxes at 7. Her ATA is slightly lower than a RAmar, but her Evasion (EVP) is the best of the Ranger class. Maximum Materials: HP:125 Power, Def, Mind, Luck:250 total MAG: This depends on what you're preferred style is. If you want to make use of the RAmarl's MST, then it's advisable to put a fair amount of levels into MIND, but I recommend that more attention be paid to POW, as relying solely on techniques is ill-advised. Also, raising DEX wouldn't be a bad idea. Of course, you could also not focus on MIND, and instead put more points towards POW and DEX, which I think would be a better idea. -RAcast (Ranger-Android-Male) ----------------------------- The RAcast, being an android, cannot cast techniques at all. But, he does have the best attack power (ATP) of the Ranger class. Also, he gets the other bonuses Androids get, HP regeneration and the ability to use traps, as well as the advantage of being immune to poison and paralysis (not to be confused with shock, which seems to affect everyone now). His drawback is that he has low ATA. I recieved an e-mail from CBCCBC stating that RAcasts actually surpass the HUnewearl in terms of ATP. As I haven't played as a RAcast since the Dreamcast days, I can't personally verify whether this is true or not. But I can't see why he would lie about something like this... Maximum Materials: HP:125 Power, Def, Mind, Luck:150 total (Of course, using Mind materials on an android would be silly.) MAG: For a RAcast, it's advisable to pay attention to ATA, so put up your MAG's DEX. Don't put any points into MIND, and raise POW as you see fit. Traps: As with all androids, you can restore your traps in the following ways: -Have the nurse heal you at the medic on Pioneer 2 -Heal using a Heal Ring in the levels -Get a level up You will gain more traps occasionally as you level up. -RAcaseal (Ranger-Android-Female) --------------------------------- The RAcaseal has the best defense of the Ranger class. She's an android, so she can't use any techniques, but can use traps and has HP restoration, and the immunity to poison and paralysis. Her big drawback is that she has the lowest ATP of the Ranger class. The RAcaseal also boasts more ATA than the RAcast. Thanks to CBCCBC for the input here. Maximum Materials: HP:125 Power, Def, Mind, Luck:150 total (Again, using Mind materials on an android would be silly.) MAG: Since her ATP is so low, focus on POW for the most part. The RAcaseal's ATA is so-so, so raising DEX is a good idea, too. Traps: As with all androids, you can restore your traps in the following ways: -Have the nurse heal you at the medic on Pioneer 2 -Heal using a Heal Ring in the levels -Get a level up You will gain more traps occasionally as you level up. ------------------------------------------------ III. RANGER EQUIPMENT ------------------------------------------------ -General Equipment ----------------------- All Rangers can equip the following weapon types: -Handguns -Rifles -Mechguns -Shots -Photon Launchers -Sabers -Partisans -Slicers Also, rangers can use every type of armor, with the exception of some rare types. -Weapon Breakdown ------------------------ -Handguns Fastest attack speed of the ranged weapons. Reasonable attack power. -Rifles Best range of all the ranged weapon types, which means they'll put up your ATA, and you can stand further away from enemies and still hit them. Generally stonger than handguns, but fire a little more slowly. -Mechguns At first, mechgun type weapons may not seem like a very good choice of weapon, as they seem to drop your ATP as well as your ATA, as well as having a slightly long recover time. In truth, they're some of the best weapons a ranger can use, provided you have enough base ATA to hit enemies with the majority of the hits. With each attack, mechguns can hit up to 3 times, which means that in one 3-hit combo, you can hit the enemy up to 9 times. -Shots Shots aren't the strongest of weapons, and they're ATA isn't too hot, not to mention they have a long recover time and a long duration between shots. They DO hit multiple enemies at one time, however, which is useful. -Photon Launchers A slow firing speed and long recovery time means that not everyone will like these weapons. Some varieties have the ability to hit multiple enemies, making them better than shots since Launchers have better ATP. -Sabers Sabers have higher ATP than most ranged weapons, but they're close range weapons. Since rangers base ATP and DEF isn't as good as the Hunter class, these weapons are more or less there to add variety. You can get some rare types, which while not practical, are strong enough to do decent damage and are a nice change of pace from shooting. -Partisans Same as the saber type, with the exception that partisans can hit multiple enemies. -Slicers Another weapon type that allows you to hit multiple enemies from a distance. They usually require you to have a high amount of ATP to use them. I'd write more, but I myself never really use the things. ------------------------------------------------ IV. GENERAL RANGER STRATEGIES ------------------------------------------------ -General ---------------------------- The most basic ranger strategy is simply to shoot enemies from a distance, then run away when they get too close. This of course works with both the human and the android rangers. Also, a high ATA means that Rangers can use attack combos that consist of all Hard hits. This is how Rangers make up for their comparably low ATP (comparable to Hunters, that is). One of the Ranger's strong points is that while their ATP and MST aren't phenomenal, their ATA is better than that of a Hunter or Force. This makes using weapon special abilities easier than the other classes. You can use weapons like a Hell Laser (possible one-hit kill) and expect it to hit reasonably often. -RAmar and RAmarl (Human) ---------------------------- The human rangers strategy differs from the androids in that the humans can use techniques. Shifta and Deband are your best friends, as is Resta. If you're a RAmarl, you will also get Jellen and Zalure. You don't start off with any techniques, however- you have to find them. They are found in the form of "Disks" in item boxes, dropped from monsters, and they can be purchased from the item shops on Pioneer 2. Resta is a handy tech, as it is the healing spell in PSO. You'll want this in your command cluster or at the top of your quick menu, as it eliminates the need for healing items. The higher the level, the more HP it restores, and it will heal nearby teammates. Shifta and Deband are especially useful, because they're "set it and forget it" spells. After casting them, they'll last for a set amount of time before you have to recasat them. Shifta raises your ATP, and Deband raises your DFP. The higher the level, the stronger the boost, and the longer they last. The RAmarl gets Jellen and Zalure. These techs drop the ATP and DFP of enemies. You have to cast it every time you encounter an enemy. The higher the level, the more effective they become, and the more enemies they'll hit. Two other techs that are nice to have are Anti and Ryuker. Anti heals status ailments. At first, it only heals poison, but at higher levels it can heal other things like paralysis and confusion, as well as spread to teammates. Ryuker creates a telepipe to Pioneer 2, replacing telepipes. Of course, you also get attack techs, which are pretty much useless, unless you put a lot of levels into a MAG's MIND. Every now and again, techs like Rafoie are helpful, in that they hit multiple enemies, and some enemies are weak to certain types of techniques. In the end, you're better off saving your TP for Resta. Which brings me to another point, which is be sure to carry one type of TP restoration item (monofluids, difluids, and trifluids), though trifluids aren't really necessary. -RAcast and RAcaseal (Android) -------------------------------- The chief difference in Androids and Humans is that Androids can't use Techniques. However, there are two benefits that only androids have: -HP regeneration: If you stand still when wounded, your HP will regenerate. It regenerates faster as you ascend in levels. -Traps: Androids get to use Freeze, Confuse, Slow, and Explosive traps. As you go up in levels, you get more. Traps can be set to the command cluster just like attacks and items. They can be restored in a couple of ways: -Have the nurse heal you at the medic on Pioneer 2 -Heal using a Heal Ring in the levels -Get a level up The best way to use traps is to set them in front of an approaching group of enemies. Then, you can either shoot the trap to activate it, or you can let the enemies trigger it. Confuse traps will cause the enemies to attack each other. Explosive traps do damage. Slow traps make the enemy... slow, and Freeze traps can freeze whole groups of enemies. I should also add that Slow traps can only be used in Battle mode games. (Thanks to Harold Tessmann III for clearing that up.) Remember that since androids can't use techs, you won't be able to use Resta, so carry plenty of healing items. -Attacking from doors ------------------------------ The ability to attack from doors is one of the perks of being a Ranger or Force. When you first get to Ultimate, you will most likely be around level 60-80. Being able to attack from the doorway is a good, cheap way to gain that delicious Ultimate EXP without getting mutilated in the process. All you have to do is inch into the room until you target a monster, then open fire. Since Rangers have such good ATA, it's entirely possible to kill an enemy without it ever leaving it's spawn point. Also, since monsters can't follow you between rooms, you can retreat into the previous room and heal if the monsters get any hits in on you. Of course, this comes in handy in other difficulties besides Ultimate, but Ultimate is such a leap in difficulty when you're just coming out of Very Hard, so you'll probably find yourself using this method. And it annoys the hell out of Hunters. On a side note, you can't do this in the Ruins. ------------------------------------------------ V.Recommended Equipment ------------------------------------------------ Not neccesarily ordered in terms of usefulness, this is more or less a guide to uncommon and rare items generally sought after by the Ranger class. Note that when I say "uncommon", I'm referring to weapons that can be found in orange boxes and appear with names like "???? Rifle". By "rare", I'm referring to weapons and armor found in red boxes. These items always appear as "?SPECIAL WEAPON". For information on how to find these items (rare item finds are based on section ID, for example, Yellowboze, Viridia, Pinkal, Purplenum) visit www.pso-world.com. ------------------------------------- -Weapons ----------- King's Vulcan (uncommon)- As I mentioned before, Rangers can generally make better use of the special attacks of weapons than the other classes, because of their higher ATA. The King attribute gives weapons the ability to absorb 12% of an enemy's EXP. Furthermore, Vulcan-type weapons are mechguns, so you can steal quite a bit of EXP from your enemies. Frozen Shooter (rare)- While not the strongest gun, it's ATP boost isn't bad. This gun's usefulness is in it's special attack, which has a 98% chance of freezing enemies in one shot. It comes with a drawback, the ability to freeze it's user, though this has only caused me problems when I took it into boss fights (and no, you can't freeze bosses). Online, it has a tendency to freeze more than one enemy, which I believe to be a glitch, but it's a very nice glitch. Red Handgun (rare)- This is simply a very powerful handgun. It can cast zonde for no TP cost. Red Mechgun (rare)- A powerful mechgun with good ATA. Spread Needle (rare)- Since the Spread needle is a shot-type weapon, it can hit multiple enemies at once. This particular shot is superior to the rest, as it is not only strong, but has the firing speed of a rifle. Twin Psychogun (rare)- While this mechgun is not quite as good in terms of ATP and ATA as the Red Mechgun, the Twin Psychogun is still a solid weapon. Wals MKII (rare)- one of the earlier rare rifles you may find (as it can be found in Very Hard), this gun can be a blessing when the only other rifles laying around are blasters and beams. Justy 23ST (rare)- Though it's found in Ultimate, the Justy is one of the easier rare guns you'll find. Definitely a step up from the Wals MKII. Yasminkov 9000M (rare)- A difficult to find gun, as only characters with a Purplenum ID can find one. The "Yas 9k" as it is commonly called is a mechgun with a good ATP boost and the range of a rifle. Generally one of the more sought-after weapons. Guld Milla (rare, rare, RARE)- The Sange and Yasha for rangers, this weapon requires that you find the rare guns Handgun Guld and Handgun Milla, then you combine them. It's the strongest mechgun in the game - it puts your ATP up by as much as 200, wheras the Yas 9k puts up ATP by 40-80 and the Red Mechgun puts it up by 50. -Armors/Shields --------------- Pretty much any rare armor and shield that can be equipped by the Ranger class are good to use. Emphasis never seems to be placed on defensive items so much as weaponry. In truth, you'll do just fine with the regular blue box armors and shields. As a matter of fact, I generally find good armor in the armor shop on Pioneer 2. As with all classes, pay attention to how many slots an armor has, as each slot allows you to equip units that can put up stats. In case you didn't know, you can find items called Addslots to increase the number of slots in armor, up to four slots maximum. ------------------------------------------------ VI.Team Strategies ------------------------------------------------ This section refers to the role of Rangers in the team setting, of course meaning online and offline multiplayer. The primary function of a Ranger is to lay cover fire for other players. (This is not to say that there's no other way of playing, of course.) The type of attack you use makes a difference. Using a Hard attack will push enemies back, which will help Hunters who have to be right in the enemy's face. Also, Normal hits, especially with handgun-type weapons, will cause enemies to pause. You can keep Hunters from being hit if you shoot as soon as they finish an attack. Also, since you can hit enemies from a distance, if a player gets surrounded by enemies, you can help them escape without wasting time running over to them. The primary thing you have to do to be effective in a team is to keep an eye on your teammates. If playing as a RAmar or a RAmarl, you can provide some support with techniques. If there are no Forces playing, the fact that you can cast Shifta, Deband, Anti and Resta will be very helpful. If playing as a RAcast or RAcaseal, your traps will also be helpful, especially the freeze and confuse traps, since they can immobilize an entire hoard of monsters, allowing you and your team to decimate the opposition. ------------------------------------------------ VII.Credits ------------------------------------------------ I would like to point out that I used www.pso-world.com for the ATP info for the Equipment section. 9/20/03 - Harold Tessmann III for info pertaining to Android traps and for correcting a silly oversight regarding Armors and Shields. 12/03/03 - CBCCBC for his information regarding RAcast ATP and RAcaseal ATA. 8/9/04 - Laucian1 for recommending that I point out that androids are resistant to poison and paralysis. Since this is a guide that could potentially help novices, and for the sake of completeness, it warranted an update. ------------------------------------------------ VIII.Contact Info ------------------------------------------------ If you have anything to add or if you spotted an inaccuracy, please feel free to contact me at pornaga@excite.com. You will be credited for your contribution. ------------------------------------------------ IX.Copyright ------------------------------------------------ Copyright 2003 Elijah Henry At the time of this document's writing, it is intended to be posted only at www.gamefaqs.com. If you wish to use any part of this guide on your personal site, please e-mail me at pornaga@excite.com, and be sure to list your intentions for using it. In all likelyhood, I'll agree.