by Milbury » Wed Aug 4, '10, 12:36 am
Firstly, Lyla, I would like to commend you. I'm a Phantasy Star fan of over fifteen years, but I haven't been involved with the PS community in any meaningful way for almost half a decade. I'm relatively reclusive by nature, and with the downfall of SEGA, there's been very little reason for me to do more than occasional browses of the few devoted PS sites left. I've read every page of this thread, and your project has made me intrigued enough to join this forum. The screenshots you've released are of high quality and the ideas you've discussed promise a fascinating take on one of my favorite iterations of the series.
In particular, your dedication to branching out from the main storyline is admirable. I too have felt that, for all it's magnificence, PSIV was fairly linear in terms of plot, with many roads left untraveled and questions left unanswered. While being unable to closely examine the divergences you have in store, the ideas you've discussed, such as delving into Alys's childhood and exploring the 'lost Dezolis,' are tantalizing indeed.
However, I must implore you to be cautious: clearly Alys is your favorite character of the storyline, as your username of choice suggests. This favoritism, to a newcomer to your work, is quite clear: much of the new content your storyline promises is Alys-centric, teasers reveal Alys has been given significant new abilities (Grandcross and Megid), and the box art even has Alys replacing Chaz in the classic tableaux of the four heroes. Alys's role in the original game was woefully short, and seeing her stay with the party until the end of the game will be a delightful turn. I suspect she may even replace Chaz in the 'group of four', which is on its own a worthy enough storytelling tool. But when all of these influences pool together, the end result is a game less about Phantasy Star and more about Alys Brangwin. Which is fine, if what you are aiming for is a solo character piece, in the spirit the Sega CD 'Text Adventures.' But I gather that you are aiming for more, a retelling of Phantasy Star IV worthy of the fabled 'PSIV Generations' we were promised five years ago. If this is your goal, please be cautious not to focus so much on Alys that the other characters are overlooked. Characters such as Rune, Kyra, Seth and Zio in particular have massive potential for development. Please don't overlook it.
Which brings me to my favorite character: Zio. I recall reading elsewhere on this forum a proposal to see Zio as a playable character in the storyline. While you have shrouded this project in the secrecy such ambition deserves, I could not resist asking if you have any intentions of giving the Black Magician a chance at playability, or at least exploring his backgroung. Seeing Zio playable in a Phantasy Star game has been a wish of mine since 1997 - seeing it happen would be nothing short of awesome.
I'd like to thank you for giving me a reason to be excited about Phantasy Star again. With SEGA a mere shadow of its former glory, your project offers a much-needed shot in the arm for the penultimate role-playing game series of the decade. I'll be following your progress with great enthusiasm... and I'm sure I won't be the only one.