Hello everyone,
I have been playing MMOs for over 30 years, and Phantasy Star Online has always had a special place for me. Phantasy Star Online Version 1 was my first online game, hands down. I remember working a terrible job for 25 hours a week while going to school full-time just so I could buy a used Dreamcast and a copy of the game.
One of the things I have always loved about Phantasy Star Online is that it brings me back to that time. I imagine that is probably one of the reasons many people still play on this server today.
With that being said, one of the things that eventually pushed me away from the original experience was how common power leveling became. I want to be clear: I do not care how other people choose to play. If someone wants to rush to Ultimate or power level, all power to them. That is not my place to judge.
My issue is simply that I do not want to play that way.
What I would love to see is a new room option or mode that supports legitimate leveling. You could call it “Legit Mode,” “Purist Mode,” “Hardcore Mode,” or something else entirely. The basic idea would be similar to level sync in Final Fantasy XIV: allow a player to create a game room where higher-level players cannot enter if they exceed the level range of the room creator.
At the very minimum, I would love the ability to create a game room strictly for legitimate leveling. If I create a room at a certain level, the game would prevent anyone above that level range from joining. This would allow players who want a more natural progression experience to avoid power leveling without affecting anyone else’s preferred playstyle.
To be clear, I am not asking for a hardcore mode where death deletes your character or forces you to start over at level one. I am not looking for that kind of hardcore experience.
As a larger idea, it would be amazing if this mode had its own tagged equipment or item rules. For example, items found in “Legit Mode” could be used in that mode, but outside items could not be brought in. Maybe these rooms could even have slightly better drop rates or some other incentive, though I understand that may be a pipe dream.
The core request is simple: please consider adding a room option that prevents power leveling and allows players to experience Phantasy Star Online in a more traditional, progression-focused way.
If something like this were ever implemented, it would genuinely help me feel closer to the way I experienced Phantasy Star Online when I first played it at 17 years old. I do not want to have to buy a Dreamcast again or set up something complicated just to recapture that feeling. I would love to have the closest possible version of that experience here.
Thank you for reading, and I look forward to seeing you all in-game.
Take care.
I have been playing MMOs for over 30 years, and Phantasy Star Online has always had a special place for me. Phantasy Star Online Version 1 was my first online game, hands down. I remember working a terrible job for 25 hours a week while going to school full-time just so I could buy a used Dreamcast and a copy of the game.
One of the things I have always loved about Phantasy Star Online is that it brings me back to that time. I imagine that is probably one of the reasons many people still play on this server today.
With that being said, one of the things that eventually pushed me away from the original experience was how common power leveling became. I want to be clear: I do not care how other people choose to play. If someone wants to rush to Ultimate or power level, all power to them. That is not my place to judge.
My issue is simply that I do not want to play that way.
What I would love to see is a new room option or mode that supports legitimate leveling. You could call it “Legit Mode,” “Purist Mode,” “Hardcore Mode,” or something else entirely. The basic idea would be similar to level sync in Final Fantasy XIV: allow a player to create a game room where higher-level players cannot enter if they exceed the level range of the room creator.
At the very minimum, I would love the ability to create a game room strictly for legitimate leveling. If I create a room at a certain level, the game would prevent anyone above that level range from joining. This would allow players who want a more natural progression experience to avoid power leveling without affecting anyone else’s preferred playstyle.
To be clear, I am not asking for a hardcore mode where death deletes your character or forces you to start over at level one. I am not looking for that kind of hardcore experience.
As a larger idea, it would be amazing if this mode had its own tagged equipment or item rules. For example, items found in “Legit Mode” could be used in that mode, but outside items could not be brought in. Maybe these rooms could even have slightly better drop rates or some other incentive, though I understand that may be a pipe dream.
The core request is simple: please consider adding a room option that prevents power leveling and allows players to experience Phantasy Star Online in a more traditional, progression-focused way.
If something like this were ever implemented, it would genuinely help me feel closer to the way I experienced Phantasy Star Online when I first played it at 17 years old. I do not want to have to buy a Dreamcast again or set up something complicated just to recapture that feeling. I would love to have the closest possible version of that experience here.
Thank you for reading, and I look forward to seeing you all in-game.
Take care.
