Getting Started with Clementine

From Phantasy Star Universe Clementine
Revision as of 20:21, 6 February 2023 by Break (talk | contribs)

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!

TL;DR Version

Create your character, head into the lift to the 4th floor, and look for the Linear Line counter at the back right. Start Unsafe Passage C, and have fun!

Creating an account

Before you can play, you'll need to download all the necessary files from our Forum: https://psu-clementine.net/community/index.php?/client_download/. Use the Mediafire link as the Google Drive one is currently broken. 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; passwords are case-sensitive. Once you've filled in the details, click the "Register" button and your account will be created!

An alternate (working) Google Drive mirror can also be found here: Clementine Installer

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.

Controller setup

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.

Keyboard Controls

For those of you who would prefer using a keyboard for some reason, here's a handy chart for the default controls:

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.

Where are all the missions?

Also pictured: Flight attendant

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.

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

PP refill crystal

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 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

Use this on Lightning enemies!

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

Universe/Room crystal

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

The GRM Shop in Parum

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.