Bay 12 Games Forum

On the positive side (I guess), the combat feels a lot easier. In PSO, not timing your combos correctly meant not getting a combo (as in, your button presses wouldn't result in attacks), whereas in PSO2 it apprently just means your combo is slightly weaker. It also forced you from running into slow-walking whenever you were within a certain distance from an enemy, which meant that timing really had to count because not flinching them meant you were taking massive damage (speaking as a melee-attacker). This made it a lot more skill-based than your average hack-and-slash, and I actually hated it at the time. But now for some reason I almost miss it, because it almost feels like the game's been dumbed down for accessibility without it...

The other thing that's really been bothering me is the total ruination of the different races. 
In PSO, each of the three races were really distinct. For example, Newmans were the only race who got TP-regeneration, making them better at techniques (magic) at the cost of some physical prowess, whereas on the opposite end of the spectrum Casts (robots) couldn't use techniques at all (and had zero TP) but had access to traps which could make up for some of the functionality. It really made them distinct and added interesting flavor to the setting.

In PSO2 that's completely out the window. There's literally no difference between races besides looks and (maybe, barely) stats. Everyone (including Casts) has access to techniques, and everyone (including non-Casts) has access to traps (which are currently pretty terrible and lack the functionality they used to have - no healing traps that i've seen, for example). Every race also has identical super-fast TP regeneration. And perhaps most annoying of all, while every race has access to techniques, you can only use them if you're in the Force (mage) class. Gone are the days of my HUnewearl being able to debuff the defence of a room full of enemies or heal themself without items... You can do magic or melee but not both at once. At least you can change classes now, but come on...