Getting Started with Clementine
Phantasy Star Universe has a slightly different structure to other Phantasy Star games, so this guide is intended to help you get started and find your feet. The below assumes you have been able to successfully install the game and launch it; if you are having trouble with this part, hop on to our Discord and say hi in the #technical-support channel!
Contents
- 1 Creating an account
- 2 Account recovery
- 3 Important fixes for game performance!
- 4 Controller setup
- 5 Keyboard Controls
- 6 Optional UI Mods and English Voices
- 7 Creating a character
- 8 All about Types
- 9 Where are all the missions?
- 10 Item and weapon palette
- 11 Photon Arts
- 12 Combat tips
- 13 Your room
- 14 Shopping
- 15 Getting help from the community
Creating an account
Before you can play, you'll need to download all the necessary files here: Clementine Installer
After that you can create a Clementine account. This can be achieved through the launcher; click the "Account" button, and fill in the details. Please make sure that your username is all lower-case as the game will not let you input upper-case characters in the username field; passwords are case-sensitive. Once you've filled in the details, click the "Register" button and your account will be created!
If you see questions in Japanese after signing in for the first time, it might be because you've enabled password saving in the options menu. Choose the top option(はい), and make sure you remember your password in case you change computers! If you're having other issues, check out the FAQ on the left.
Account recovery
There is currently no automated account recovery at present and none of the staff besides the administrators can recover accounts. Due to the limited availability of the admins, account recovery can take an indefinite amount of time, anywhere from a few hours to up to several weeks. If you are uncertain about the recovery time and were not at a level of high progression (generally considered reaching level 190+ with GAS and Ultimate Weapons) on the lost account, it is generally recommended to start over on a fresh account until recovery of the main account can take place.
In order to request account recovery use the #create-a-ticket channel on the Clementine Discord. In the ticket, provide as many details about your account including any associated email used, as this will help speed up recovery. Please note that bumping your tickets will not cause recovery to happen faster.
Important fixes for game performance!
If you are having problems getting the game to run at all or experiencing framerate and performance issues, even if your hardware doesn't fall under the below specifications, still give these fixes a try. It may help just having a modern graphics API rendering the game.
First things first, if your hardware supports native DirectX 9, you will most likely need to update your DirectX Runtimes as modern Windows installations don't typically have older versions installed by default which are required to run the game. There are two you will need to try.
The June 2010 DirectX Redist SDKs should have the required version to run the game. You can download this version here:
June 2010 DirectX Redist Download
Installing this version requires a few steps. You will need to first create a new folder somewhere on your PC and name it something like "DirectX". Then run the installer and select the new folder you created for the DirectX runtimes to extract to. The installer will then extract a bunch of files into this folder, and among them will be DXSETUP.exe. Run DXSETUP.exe and it should guide you through the rest of the setup. After installation is complete, you are free to delete the folder with the extracted files in it.
The other DirectX runtime you may need is the current web installer version. This one will install any other missing newer DirectX runtimes that may be required for other external tools like the floor reader. You can download the web installer here:
DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer Download
This installation should be a lot more straightforward and doesn't require any additional setup.
After installing both DirectX runtimes, you may need to restart your PC first for them to work.
If neither of those DirectX runtimes end up working, your hardware may not support older versions of DirectX and you will need to try the following steps. Native DirectX 9 support was dropped from all Intel CPU's starting with Intel's 12th Gen line. Due to PSU's usage of DirectX 9 (9.0c) not being supported by the implementation of DX9on12 to emulate those instructions, external software is required to get the game to run by directly translating PSU's usage of DX 9 to DX 11 / DX 12. You will need to download and configure either:
dgVoodoo2 or DXVK
Pre-configured files as well as a guide to the manual setup of DgVoodoo2 can be found here:
DgVoodoo2 Guide
In addition, PSU was not developed with modern hyperthreading in mind, so you may experience some slowdown or stuttering until you force PSU to use more than one core on startup either through your task manager or using an application like Process lasso. More details on this are also included in the dgVoodoo guide.
Controller setup
Xbox Controllers
To replicate the Xbox 360 controller layout, click "Options" on the Launcher, then "Game Pad Settings", then "Default Pattern 2". This covers everything except the triggers; if you want to use those too, take a look at Bando's excellent Xinput Plus guide. This guide assumes you are using Default Pattern 2 and an Xbox controller.
If you would like to have Xbox button prompts in-game based off of the Xbox 360 version, you can find a UI mod to enable those here:
Xbox 360 UI Buttons
PlayStation Controllers
To replicate the PlayStation 2 controller layout, you must first make sure you are not using any 3rd party controller tools such as DS4windows or Steam button mapping as these typically convert direct input controllers to xinput and reorder the button layouts. PSU natively supports direct input controllers such as PlayStation so these tools are not necessary.
Click "Options" on the Launcher, then "Game Pad Settings", then manually assign the buttons by double clicking the functions and pressing the corresponding buttons on your controller as follows:
X = Button 2
O = Button 3
[ ] = Button 1
/\ = Button 4
L1 = Button 5
R1 = Button 6
L2 = Button 7
R2 = Button 8
R3 = Button 12
Start / Options = Button 10
L3 = Button 11
"Change Character Info Display" can alternatively be assigned to Button 9 (Select / Share / Create button) instead due to the PC version not having the original button's function of displaying an on-screen keyboard.
You may also need to manually reassign Camera Left / Right to "Z Axis" and Camera Up / Down to "Z-Axis Rotation" by pressing the right stick in the corresponding direction.
If you would like to have PlayStation button prompts in-game based off of the PS2 version, you can find a UI mod to enable those here:
PlayStation 2 UI Buttons
Keyboard Controls
For those of you who would prefer using a keyboard, here's a handy chart for the default controls:
Optional UI Mods and English Voices
Due to PSU being an older PC title, it doesn't have adaptive button prompt displays when using a controller. However, thanks to some hard work from the community you can find UI mods here to change the displayed on screen button prompts to your preferred controller, or even completely change the design of the UI itself. Also, since Clementine is based off of the Japanese game client, spoken dialogue used by player characters, NPCs, and enemies all use Japanese voices by default. If you would like to restore the English voices for all of these, you can find the download for the English Voice Pack on the Mods page as well.
Creating a character
When creating a character you are given the option of choosing between the four races - Humans, CASTs, Newmans and Beasts. Each race has different strengths and weaknesses, so it may be worth deciding which type you want your character to be before picking their race. There are no stat differences between male and female characters, only visual.
There are no truly unusable combinations, but a few examples of combinations to avoid unless you are really determined would be:
- CAST Fortetecher - CASTs have the lowest TP stat of all the races
- Newman Fortefighter - Newmans have the lowest ATP stat of all the races
- Beasts will struggle with Protranser in the early levels due to having the lowest ATA of all races
- Humans are boring and are OK at everything I guess
If you really want to be a TECHNIC-using CAST, Guntecher or Acrotecher may be better choices; for Newmans who absolutely must use melee, Wartecher is a great choice.
Oh no I am not cute enough
Hairstyles and body features can be changed at Lumilass, on 3F Clyez City. These services cost meseta but can be used as many times as is necessary. Changing your character's proportions can also be done here, but requires a Body Style Ticket from Casino Voloyal.
It is not possible to change a character's name, sex or race, even if you ask really nicely.
All about Types
Each GUARDIAN has a Type they begin as based on their chosen race; Humans and Beasts start as Hunter, CASTs start with Ranger, and Newmans start as a Force. These three basic types introduce you to the main methods of defeating monsters, and by completing missions you will gain Mission Points which will level up your type and increase your stats.
Right away you can switch to any of the three basic Types by talking to the attendant on the 5th floor of the GUARDIANS Colony at the back side of the main counter. You will want to try to work your way to upgrading to an "Advanced" or "Expert" type as soon as possible, as the basic types have severe stat and weapon grade restrictions in comparison.
The Advanced and Expert types all have a minimum Type level requirement before you will be allowed to select them. An Expert type like Fortefighter which focuses entirely on Melee weapons will require leveling the basic class Hunter up to it's max level of 10 before you can upgrade to it, while an Advanced type like Fighgunner that uses a mix of Melee and Ranged weapons will require leveling Hunter up to 7 and Ranger up to 5.
There are some Advanced types with more unique abilities like Acrofighter that focus on single handed weapons and Acrotecher that focuses on support techniques, each with a greatly increased attack animation speed. Protranser is another unique Advanced type which has a heavy focus on using Traps to support the party.
You will also notice "Master" Types further down the Type list in-game. Unlocking access to Master Types works in a similar fashion, you will need to level up certain Advanced and Expert types to level 10 first before you can use them. Master types do not categorize under their own unique designation, rather they are also considered an Advanced type and as such are not necessarily an end goal Type to aim for. Master types do however offer unique abilities that the other Advanced and Expert Types do not have immediate access to. For example, Master Types have the natural ability to use level 50 Photon Arts without needing to rely on GAS upgrades and have a much faster attack animation speed on par with the "Acro" Advanced types. The trade-off is that they typically have a much more limited Weapon selection, usually only able to equip around 4 different Weapon types, and they must all be categorized as an "S" grade.
Acromaster is a new Clementine exclusive Type with a heavy requirement of needing to level both Acrofighter and Acrotecher to level 20 to unlock. Acromaster works the same as the other Master Types, having immediate access to level 50 Photon Arts and Acro weapon speed, however their weapon selection is much more varied in comparison. To compensate for this, they have very little DFP but high EVP, making them a sort of glass cannon that can fish for heavy damage with "Just Counter" attacks, but can't take much of a hit themselves if they fail to block. Acromaster also has no access to weapons that offer Photon Arts used by most end-game players for "travel" purposes.
All types except Basic types (max level of 10) can reach a maximum level of 125. A majority of your stats are obtained in the first 20 type levels, with the biggest bonus usually being at level 20. Type levels 21-100 have a steep MP curve required for each level and only provide minimal stat gains; reaching type level 100 results with around an overall extra 10% bonus to your types major stats. Levels 101-125 have an incredibly difficult leveling curve and these extra type levels provide no stat bonuses whatsoever. Leveling a type past 100 is purely a status symbol for dedicating yourself to your type.
Where are all the missions?
Once you've created your character, you will appear in the first floor lobby of Clyez City. You're already equipped with a couple of starter weapons, so the best place to head for your first mission is the Linear Line, for Unsafe Passage C - take the elevator to the fourth floor and look for the Linear Line door at the back right.
This will allow you to start the Unsafe Passage mission, which is an ideal starter mission. Upon completion, get your rewards (press LT then A on your controller if you've set up Xinput, or the Z key on your keyboard followed by Enter), exit the mission through the door and you'll find yourself at the Transfer Terminal lobby, from where you can restock on items at the vendor. Once you're restocked and ready to go, head through the door to the right, and you'll be able to start Fight for Food C - this mission offers a little more challenge across four blocks, with higher level enemies. Watch out for the SEED-Vance in block four!
After this? Have a look at the mission list and pick out where you want to go! Once you've visited a lobby you can speak to the lady next to most mission lobbies on the three planets and 4F Clyez City, and fly back to any lobby you've previously visited for a small fee. To begin with you'll need to fight your way there (or ask a member of the community for a lift in our Discord).
Information on the most populated areas can also be found in-game - open the main menu (F1 or Start), then choose the first option (Player Information), followed by the first option again (Status). The three most populous lobbies will be displayed and are updated live.
To begin with when solo it is usually worth picking missions where you are around the same level as the enemies, but as you progress you'll find that you're able to take on enemies well above your level. You can also join existing parties to tackle missions alongside other players; to chat in-game, hit the Space Bar and type out your message! More info on what you can do with chat can be found here.
After getting situated with the game and mission structure, the mission Wicked Invasion on the 5th floor of the GUARDIANS Colony is generally the hot spot for players looking to easily form a party and grind Character EXP, Type MP, and drops. However, do not feel obligated to only run Wicked Invasion, there's a whole bunch of Missions and mid point lobbies to unlock and explore, so feel free to branch out and try something new if you need a change of scenery.
During special Events, which usually feature major boosts, most of the community and action can be found over at the current event location, so always check the main front page of this wiki to see if an Event is running!
In addition, a daily mission called Clem Camp is available from the normal mission counter on the 5th floor. This mission can only be ran once per day and resets at Midnight UTC (7:00 PM EST) as soon as you reach level 10, but the EXP earned is multiplied by 10x and the drops are very rewarding for new players!
Item and weapon palette
You can equip up to six weapon combinations on your weapon palette, and six items on the item palette. The palette gives you quick access to the stuff you need on hand the most, and can be accessed by holding B on your controller (or by holding E on your keyboard), and using the directional pad to select the item you want.
Weapon palette
To add weapons to your palette, go into your inventory, select a weapon and choose "Add to palette" from the menu. You can either put items into an empty slot on your palette, or you can "overwrite" an item in your palette; items that are overwritten or removed from the palette remain in your inventory. Weapons show in the palette as the colour that matches their element - the example provided shows two Ice-element weapons and one Ground-element weapon.
Single-handed weapons are locked to their appropriate hand - striking weapons always go in the right hand, and ranged weapons always go in the left. You can't equip a right-handed weapon in the left hand and vice versa.
Item palette
Adding items to your palette is similar to the weapon palette; select an item in your inventory, choose "Add to palette" from the menu, and pick a slot. It's usually worth having access to a healing item (such as Monomate), a status recovery item (Antimate and/or Sol Atomizer), and an item to revive teammates (such as Moon Atomizer). The remaining slots could be filled with Traps, Photon Charges, boost items (like Agtaride or Megistaride) or other stuff depending on your class and requirements.
Photon Arts
Photon Arts are, effectively, special abilities that attach to your weapons. For striking weapons, they provide powerful combo attacks; for Ranged weapons, they allow you to attach elemental damage to your bullets; and for TECHNIC weapons, allow for various different styles of elemental attack. It's also worth noting that while Striking and Ranged weapons can be used without a Photon Art, it's generally not recommended to do so. TECHNIC weapons literally do nothing without a Photon Art.
Your Photon Arts level up with continued usage, and increase in power and utility at set intervals.
- Skills (Striking Photon Arts) increase in power and accuracy with each level.
- At level 11, nearly all Striking Photon Arts gain a second part to their combo.
- At level 21, nearly all Striking Photon Arts for two-handed weapons gain a third part to their combo.
- Bullets (Ranged Photon Arts) increase in power and accuracy with each level.
- At levels 11, 21, 31 and 41, the elemental bonus of the bullet increases.
- Shotguns and Crossbows gain an additional bullet at levels 11 and 21, and Crossbows gain another at level 31.
- TECHNIC Photon Arts increase in power and element% with each level.
- TECHNICs also increase in size and/or radius at levels 11, 21, 31 and 41, and some also gain additional targets. More information on this can be found on the TECHNIC Photon Arts page.
Melee types will generally find that they want one or two Photon Arts per weapon type they are using, while gunners and techers will want to diversify the elements available to them and eventually have access to all elements to switch between. When you're starting out, you can find a wide range of Photon Arts available at the weapon store on the second floor at Clyez City, as well as the manufacturer weapon shops on each planet.
Some Photon Arts are only available as part of exchange missions, for PA Fragments. You'll get some of these from title rewards, but mainly once you hit Level 70 and can start running S-rank missions, so don't worry too much about these when starting out!
To learn a new Photon Art after purchasing it, open your inventory, move to tab 3 and you'll find the disk there. Select it and choose "Learn" and it will then be added to your list of learned Photon Arts. There is a maximum of 36 Photon Arts that can be learned at one time, and these can be returned to disk for storage at any time if you want to change things up later.
To equip a Photon Art to one of your weapons, open your inventory, select the weapon, and choose "Link Photon Art". When linking a Photon Art to a TECHNIC weapon, you'll be given the option of linking it to one of two slots, as this category of weapon can equip two at once. One is used with the X button on your controller (down arrow for keyboard users) and the other with the Y button (right arrow for keyboard users). Striking PAs are always activated with the Y button (right arrow for keyboard users) and Ranged PAs replace the normal shot on your ranged weapon.
Using Photon Arts uses PP (Photon Points) from your weapon. When your weapon has run out of Photon Points, it can be refilled with a Photon Charge in mission, or you can refill some/all of your weapons at the purpleish charge crystals.
Combat tips
Most enemies in the game come as one of six elements - Fire, Ice, Ground, Lightning, Dark and Light. Fire and Ice are weak to each other, same for Ground and Lightning, and Dark and Light. Generally you want to use a weapon/Photon Art of the opposite element to the enemy you're fighting. For instance, if you are running a lot of missions on the GUARDIANS Colony, investing in Light-element weapons will improve your damage numbers. Conversely, using a Dark weapon on Dark-element enemies will reduce your damage! Using non-affiliated elements (i.e. Dark weapons on a Fire enemy) will give the same damage as a Neutral weapon.
Neutral weapons and attacks are green; these don't carry an elemental damage bonus so have no strengths or weaknesses. The only exception to this rule is for Neutral striking weapons; these carry a 30% damage bonus against Neutral element enemies.
Striking weapons have an innate element and elemental percentage; Ranged weapons take their element and percentage from the Photon Art which is equipped to them, which improves as it levels up; TECHNICs have 1% elemental attribute per level, and you can also get an elemental bonus if you stack multiple TECHNICs of the same type on the same weapon.
Line Shields also carry an element; best practice is to equip a line shield of the same element as the enemies you are fighting, as that will reduce incoming damage.
You can also upgrade your weapons via the Grinding system. Especially in the early game, grinding a weapon a couple of times is usually enough for you to see a significant increase in power. Check out Tiller Look for an extreme example of a low-rank weapon that really shines after a few grinds.
Your room
Outside of all the lobbies and fighting, each player also has a customisable room space. This can be reached via the orange crystals dotted around most lobbies and offers a few useful facilities:
- Partner machine, who can do some stuff for you:
- Store your items!
- Synthesize new equipemnt from boards!
- Act as cashier for your player shop when you get round to opening it!
- Vision phone, which allows you to check titles, your bulletin board, and player record!
- Each new player gets a Scape Doll from titles for joining the GUARDIANS, so make sure to check it early on!
- Common box, 100 spaces of additional storage that is shared between characters, and can be accessed from NPC vendors!
- Put decorations in the room! Remodel the room! View more information here!
Shopping
NPCs in each lobby carry a stock of essentials, but if you want to upgrade your equipment, shop for ingredients or just see what's out there, you have a couple of options.
The weapon and armour shops on 2F Clyez City carry some low-grade equipment from each of the three major manufacturers which can be useful when first starting out. Equipment up to 8★ is available in the manufacturer shops on each planet, but be aware, it's pretty pricey!
Another option available to you is to use the Player Shop service from your room, which you can access from the orange crystals dotted around most lobbies. Just use the vision phone (opposite your bed) and choose Search for Shop, and you'll be able to search for items by category, price, name, and so forth. Especially to begin with you'll find that you're able to outfit yourself for a fraction of the cost of the manufacturer stores. More information on searching player shops can be found here.
Getting help from the community
At this point you're pretty much up to speed with the basics - you know where to find missions, what Photon Arts do, how to shop from the community and there's a wealth of information available on the wiki to chew over.
If you need more support, are looking for people to party with or just want to chat with the community, your next steps should be to either join the Clementine Discord, and/or the Clementine Forum.