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 The Game That Killed My PS2 >>> by skysenshi (04.14.2003)
First off, I would like to make it clear that the game I am writing about is Ragnarok Online in the Philippines. I know that the basic gameplay for Ragnarok International and other countries' RO are similar, but the atmospheres might not exactly be the same. Culture tells a lot about how much one could enjoy this game.
Secondly, this is about the Beta version, which means if there are any improvements in future installations, do not flame me for an outdated review. Heh. I will update this from time to time until I get tired of the game.
Third, this is an online game. An actual online game that lets you communicate with the rest of your countrymen, who, I'm guessing, have also caught the Ragnarok fever.
The Goal
…Is to level up. There are two fundamental aspects that a player must strive to increase: (1) The Base Level, which accounts for the increase of your stats; and (2) The Job Level, which accounts for the increase of your skills. Everyone starts out as a novice, so you kill as many enemies as you can until you reach Job Level 10. Once you've achieved that point, you will have to choose what job you will take on. Key abilities are as follows:
Swordies - Have the strongest defense and the strongest attacks. They also have an HP regen that beats all HP regens. At job level 40, one can upgrade to Knighthood.
Archers - As the name implies, they are bow users who can attack from a distance. At job level 40, one can upgrade to Hunter.
Thieves - Have the distinct advantage of being extremely agile. So even if their defenses are pretty low, it won't matter because they don't get hit anyway. It's also easier to get rich when you're a thief because you can get double the loot from enemies. At job level 40, one can upgrade to assassin.
Mages - Are cheesy. Kidding! Well, they have the ability to dish out thousands of damage without getting hit by enemies because they attack from afar. In my country, a lot of people hate mages for reasons I will explain later. At job level 40, one can upgrade to wizard.
Acolytes - Are respected by ethical players. They can teleport, warp, increase defenses, heal and revive. At job level 40, one can upgrade to priest.
Merchants - The moneymakers in the game. They're very interesting and unique and they make shopping less expensive. What you can buy from a merchant are lots cheaper than what you can buy from the regular shops. At job level 40, one can upgrade to blacksmith.
There are news of alternative second jobs like crusaders, dancers, bards, monks, rogues etc. Hopefully, this will push through because the game needs a little variety. Some players have already taken it upon themselves to be Super Novices just to be different. Also take note that for every level increase, don't forget to put points on the stat that you want to improve. This isn't the usual Asian RPG where the stats are automatically increasing on their own.
Good Points:
- The flexibility to choose which skill you want to concentrate on.
- Characters change appearances depending on what armor/accessories you have purchased.
- You can make new friends, form parties, build guilds and have a wonderful time.
- You can participate in Player versus Player modes. Guilds can battle against other guilds in order to gain properties.
- You can trade goods with other players.
- The Kafras (save points) are pretty. =^.^=
Points that Need Improvement:
- They should program the game to not register attacks by kill stealers. Meaning, if you've hit the enemy first and a person approaches you to steal your kill, the game should recognize that you are the first and his hits don't count—unless you are in a party/guild. Believe me, there are so many unethical players here that you'd rather teleport to Never Never Land. And this is precisely why people hate mages the most. See, in my country, most of the kill stealers are the mages. (Sad to say, a lot of my fellow swordies are also kill stealers.) The poor, ethical mages and swordies are then stigmatized because their "brothers" can't behave properly.
- Constant harassment from online sex offenders. You wouldn't believe how many of them are prowling all over the internet and that a huge chunk of them are playing RO. I swear, I have no idea what's worse: getting picked up by a bunch of teenaged kids, or getting picked up by married men who have kids!
- Lack of servers. We are told that a server can hold 10,000 players. Why put all 10,000 of 'em in one server? The connection starts to lag. Furthermore, when there are 5,000 players online, the areas get so congested that there's hardly any place for anyone to move in. Imagine what 10,000 players online can do to your net connection and sanity?
- Leveling up is such a chore, especially when you've reached past Base Level 30.
What's really fascinating about this game is that even though I play in the wee hours of the morning—to avoid vulgar sex maniacs, kill stealers, and looters—I'm hooked. I have complaints. Boy, do I have complaints! Including the bad English translation. I can't get my hands off RO, though. Everything's RO. Everyone talks about RO. RO killed my PS2. For a month, I didn't touch my PS2. In fact, the only reason why I'm also playing .hack//MUTATION now is because my husband discovered the joys of RO and we're now on shifting PC schedules.
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