Phantasy Star Universe -- The MAG Evolved.

One of the coolest aspects of Phantasy Star Online was easily the MAG. The MAG is a living machine that would float behind your character. You could feed it items. Roughly three items every six minutes. You could feed the MAGs items like Monomate and Trifluid and pretty much any healing or status restoration items. The MAG would gain levels in four categories. They were power, defense, dexterity, and mind. You could raise the MAG up to level one-hundred.  Based on how the categories were leveled your MAG would evolve to a new form at set level intervals. The MAG also had a direct status bonus of two points per category. In other words, for every level of power, you'd get two points added to your attack power. They also had Photon Blasts based on their forms at certain stages that allowed for a magic attack once you'd built up enough energy. So what did SEGA do to the MAG for Phantasy Star Universe? Well, they've dropped the name MAG in favor of Partner Machinery. They've also given the Partner Machinery a much larger role in the game. The Partner Machinery has sort of become a jack-of-all-trades with its expanded duties. The Partner Machinery acts as your storage system and your bank. You can store everything in your Partner Machinery from Meseta to all weapons, armor, clothes, and items. You actually need to store synthesizing materials in the Partner Machinery so that they can be used. The Partner Machinery now has the ability to create items out of materials found in the game. The Partner Machinery can attempt to create and item once it knows how to create an item and all of the needed materials have been placed inside its storage. How does a Partner Machinery make something? It follows the blueprints. In the game these blueprints are called Boards. The boards can be bought in stores and found out in the wilds from cargo boxes and dropped from the enemies and creatures. I said the Partner Machinery could have the chance to create the item once it had the plans and the items because it's not a certainty that it will be successful. The synthesizing process can fail and if it does you'll lose all the items needed to create the item. Instead of some killer gun or sword, you'll get a lowly Monomate from your rare and expensive materials. Each board will tell you what items are needed and in what quantity. They'll also list how many uses the board has. Once a Board is used up, it is destroyed and you'llhave to find or buy another. When you put in a Board and have all the materials needed in the storage, you can select to synthesize the item. You'll be asked to put in the various ingredients and for some of them you'll be given choices that will effect the element that will be applied to whatever you're attempting to make. At this point you can see what chance you have at successfully synthesizing the item. Obviously you'll have better odds at 85% compared to 40% and it's up to you if you want to risk it or not. The Partner Machinery no longer has a direct statistical affect on you. The categories of power, defense, dexterity, and mind have been replaced with striking, ranged, technic, and armor. As you raise these categories they'll have a twofold effect. First of all they help with synthesizing. Those Partner Machinery that are strong in striking for example will be better able to make swords and other striking based weaponry. Those that are higher in armor will be better able to make better armor. They'll have higher chances for success, and will be able to create a stronger piece of armor. The other aspect is the categories influence how the Partner Machinery will evolve. They reach evolution stages at levels, twenty, fifty, and eighty. At level eighty of a possible one-hundred production levels they'll evolve into their final form. A female Cast, or cyborg. At this stage they'll give you their partner cards which will enable you to invite them into parties and take them out into battle with you. They'll be tag along AI controlled assist based characters. You're able to name your Partner Machinery from production level zero. Mine is named Siren. It's a nice little Phantasy Star 3 reference. She's production level one-hundred. She has ranged to level one-hundred. She's essentially purebred for a Ranger, which is what my character Searren is. Each type of model they can evolve into has their own specialty. Siren is best at producing handguns. Other models would be best at making two-handed swords or shotguns. Once they reach their final forms, you'll have access to their combat level. You raise their combat levels by taking them out into battle with you. The levels are raised from the rank points you get at the end of each mission. As of this entry her combat level is nineteen of a possible one-hundred. As their combat levels raise, so does their intelligence in battle. Their behavior improves. At this point she's both an attribute and a detriment. She's strong in combat. Often able to hit for more damage than I am. But she's not that good at avoiding damage or protecting herself. Partner Machinery can die just like the player characters in battle. And just like the player characters in battle their deaths count against you in the ranking for the missions. There is yet one more aspect to the Partner Machinery. If you buy a remodeling ticket, which alters your personal room, and open a shop the Partner Machinery becomes the shopkeeper. When other players enter your player shop, they deal with the Partner Machinery. You're able to place items on sale and set the prices. Phantasy Star Universe is on when you're not there. So when you sign off, your Partner Machinery is minding the store. Or if you're having them make some sword that takes two hours, they're working while you're offline. So you don't have to spend those two hours on the game. They pass in real time. The MAG has had a drastic overhaul in becoming Phantasy Star Universe's Partner Machinery. I miss the interesting designs of the MAG from Phantasy Star Online. But then again my MAG never spoke in combat to annoy Magus and Riddel. And that's always a plus. But I just think they're jealous. They want one in battle, but theirs are only like production level four...