@Zeke Removing means and methods to gain SG not only further takes away incentive from playing PSO2, it directly flies in the way of their "play in both worlds" marketing of NGS.

Don't get me wrong, focus will naturally shift forward. But for any newcomers, that'd be a disservice. That'd be telling them, "here, you can totally play and enjoy the 'old' game, but you can't have any of the Nice Things unless you play the new one." This would create a sense of an "inferior" product and only lead people away from playing PSO2, in a sense of "why bother?", and that's not what they've been aiming for.

As a reminder, NGS is not a death sentence for PSO2. All content releases - at least in the form of the scratches or cosmetic variations we haven't gotten yet - aren't going to come to a complete standstill. Sure, focus and player attention may shift forward into NGS heavily, but for the sake of the "play in both worlds" marketing and any newcomers/latecomers to PSO2, NGS is not going to simply halt any and all activity and support for PSO2.

ARKS Hour (and Minute) is, by design, just like any other community rep team correspondence. What will be discussed is checked and cleared well ahead of time, and this may or may not include topics or matters that may be brought up at random. For that reason, no matter how much people may ask something, no matter how valid it may be, it may literally be a matter of binding non-disclosure or simply not being given the okay to discuss, thus silence is golden. And remember, this IS someone's job on the line if they don't follow established guidelines.

Sure, this may make reps look bad or seem tight lipped at bad times, and even I don't like it myself, but when you understand that they are literally just the messengers in this and can only do what they're approved to do, you have to be a bit more forgiving of what isn't being said. Granted, this is no excuse for late/lazy correspondence, but that's an issue that stems from higher up.

I can see that happening, they seem to be busy collecting feedback during their betas but that's about it. Player surveys are rather rare and if they really cared about "improving the player experience" as much as they claim to then we would have to see a bigger survey at least on a yearly basis (with follow up surveys if necessary) and smaller ones a couple of weeks after major content releases.

One could say NGS by design is built on much of the feedback they've gotten even before people played it; an easy example being the simpler, more economical affixing system. There's far more to it than just that, but let that be something people discover for themselves if/when they play the beta, or even the full release. Also, to look at what PSO2 was in Episode 1 and what it is in 6 shows an evolution that surely wasn't done solely at the discretion of Sega alone, but then we're talking about an 8 year evolution of the game by both players and devs that we got a very condensed and remixed 1 year version of due to being so late to the party (at no fault of our own, of course), so said growth could be easily overlooked.

As it stands, I know it's popular to be cynical or harbor low expectation in the name of avoiding disappointment, but I have to say, from a different perspective, I really only keep getting reasons to be even more excited for what's to come. Maybe others will too if/when they get to actually try NGS?

@Star-Platinum Fire Swirl is, to my knowledge, an older UQ brought back for the recent anniversary (and slightly updated), but by design, it DOES show its age. Wild Easter is pretty much the same one I played on JP last year, which very well may be the same as it was previous years, but that much I can't say.

It's fine to be a little underwhelmed or even irritated by the current UQ schedule, but it would be unreasonable to expect it to always be exactly what you or me or anyone wants, any and every time. Hell, both Apprentices just recently got an Ultra Hard update on JP, and neither of those are particularly ones I'm looking forward to if and when they arrive. . . but I won't hold issue with their arrival.

In other words, and as special note to the post following yours: Can't always get what you want, but it's a little tough to complain knowing you're neither being denied things purely for being dated content (lest someone snark the usual "All the content" bit) nor completely left high and dry. . . especially when they're literally about to tack a whole new game onto the one you're already playing, FREE, and allowing you to use the same player data between both.

I can understand the idea of trying to limit focus to a controlled environment for data/feedback, after all that's really the whole point of a closed beta. I can even understand incentivizing one platform over another as business IS involved in this, thus it only makes sense for any involved to want that little extra for themselves. But as I stated, the core issue lies in what would already be limited-by-selection now being compounded with invalidation-by-choice, a consumer choice borne out of necessity at the time - and let's not be coy about the now-infamous issues with the Win 10 launch, and the severe demand for an alternative.

In the end, things will go as they may, and Sega - as a business - will protect their bottom line. But they have to know the cost of that may be the satisfaction of their intended market, and as it stands, there doesn't seem to be much satisfaction in any kind of "favored" platform where multiple options exist, and I say that AS someone who's been playing the Win 10 version all this time. Far be it for me to cast doubt or suspicion where it need not be, but it potentially could create a very bad precedent, and if people don't voice their disapproval now, they won't have that chance later.

Though I can, and very much will try to participate in the beta, I want to go on record saying I'm not happy at all they decided to go this route with it. Most of my buddies play on Steam and a few on Xbox. . . I was kinda looking forward to playing this beta WITH them, you know? I could accept if perhaps some of us didn't get into the beta, but just being completely ineligible due to choice of platform is a pretty bad feel.

Forget all the platform politics or rhetoric, the core issue is a simple one: people that currently play together REGARDLESS of platform just got told they can't, and that just sucks all the excitement out of it. A bit of clarity might be nice on this one. Is this perhaps a first run, and Steam/Epic/Xbox will get theirs later?

@Kan For the actions of one or a few immature people?

Wouldn't the easier answer be to suspend or ban the ones going too far rather than affect the larger majority who isn't doing anything wrong?

@Ryoga The only issue with the previous idea of making players wait til they're at an appropriate level to use their old gear is how it might possibly invalidate newer gear. If you start NGS with something good that you can't use til later, why bother with anything else until then?

Overall this is a healthier move for NGS as old gear isn't invalid, but by design you will eventually be encouraged to move forward and acquire new gear available in NGS, as it would only make sense to do.

Just gonna call it out that it's more than obvious you're trying to force the issue, bumping old threads like this.

Even if it's an important subject to you, this isn't the way to go about it, and will only just drive people to ignore you and anything you post/bump, not to mention the potential for higher levels of moderation.

Consider this a warning in good faith: you need to let this go.