ragnarok-online-ii
Latest
Ragnarok Online 2 shutting down in Southeast Asia
Ragnarok Online 2 isn't exactly taking the world by storm as of late. Following the title's closure in Korea last year, Ragnarok Online 2 is closing its doors in Singapore and Malaysia on October 9th. There is a pretty bright spot to this story, however, as Asiasoft's version of the game will accept account transfers from affected players. "Following the opening of Ragnarok 2's Odin Server to Philippine players last month, we are thrilled to be continuing the global expansion of Warpportal's Ragnarok Online 2 by welcoming all players from Southeast Asia regions!" Asiasoft posted. Southeast Asian players will not be able to access their characters until October 9th, and none of their Kafra Points will make the leap over to the new server.
Jukebox Heroes: Top 40 MMO themes, #40-31
MMO main themes hold the potential to be some of the most powerful and magical pieces of music, partly because we associate them with particular games more than anything else. A great theme will dredge up intense memories or euphoria by the third note, and I see composers putting in their all with many of these themes. A long time ago I did an MMO theme countdown of 20 tracks, but since then I've heard a lot more and have wanted to do the list all over again. So this week in Jukebox Heroes, we're kicking off a countdown of the top 40 MMO themes -- in my opinion, of course. I listened to over 150 themes and spent hours ranking them to create this list. Because these choices are bound to be a little controversial and stir up debate (which is encouraged!), I set down a few rules that I wanted to share here. I limited myself to just one theme from a particular title, even if there were multiple themes in a game. Entries had to be a main theme or the closest equivalent of that; they had to be from MMOs, not from MOBAs; and I had to divorce my weighting of the track itself from the popularity of and my experience with that game. So no points added or subtracted based on the love of the game; I'm counting down the best music, period. Let's see what numbers 40 through 31 have in store for us!
Ragnarok Online 2 closing in Korea next month
Ragnarok Online 2's days are numbered -- if you're living in South Korea, that is. If you're in North Korea, you're probably more concerned about central heating and plumbing than the availability of an MMO. Citing few players, Gravity announced that it will be taking Ragnarok Online 2 offline in Korea on December 23rd. The developer did include a hint of hope in the shutdown notice that the game could return in the future. While this may be cause for concern to those playing Ragnarok Online 2 in other regions, the company said that the service will continue for North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia.
One Shots: Taste the rainbow
I think rainbows are pretty darn cool, especially when they double up and you can freak out appropriately over them. More MMOs need rainbows, I think. Rainbows in raids! Rainbows in space! Rainbows in that dour death zone for ambiance! Reader Marshall and his crew know a good rainbow when they see one, as evidenced by our first One Shot of the day. "Some friends and I decided to try out Ragnarok Online 2," Marshall writes. "We ended up spending more time taking screenshots than playing the actual game that first night. These were some of the best ones." I think my retinas may be on fire due to the intense colors, but I don't mind. Rainbows! Will there be more rainbows in the rest of today's player-submitted screenshots? Sadly no, but we'll persevere nevertheless.
Ragnarok Online 2 releases in Europe
Ragnarok Online 2: Legend of the Second has been given the keys to Europe, as Gravity Europe announced that the free-to-play title is now available to play across the continent. The game comes with a new English translation, and promises to be "easier to dive into" than the original Ragnarok Online. Gravity Managing Director Yves Bléhaut said of the launch, "For us, Ragnarok Online 2 represents a major step in the life of a brand with as high a profile as Ragnarok. First and foremost, hosting so many players on two continents simultaneously represents a technical challenge for both us and our American partner, and it's also a major editorial step as two versions of Ragnarok will coexist: RO1 for purists, and one more accessible to the general public, RO2." Ragnarok Online 2 has been rolling out worldwide over the past few months. Gravity Europe is offering two different goodie packs through "specialized media" to promote the launch. [Source: Gravity Europe press release]
Ragnarok Online 2 is now available at a Steam store near you
Ragnarok Online 2 hit Steam yesterday, to the undoubted delight of Midgardians everywhere. The game brings back some of the mainstays of the original: Familiar classes, pets, cards, and other systems have all been included in the sequel. A lot of what makes Midgard home to players is available; it just happens to be returning in an updated and immersive 3-D world. Ragnarok Online 2 is a free-to-play title and will be supported by item shop transactions. You can catch videos of the game on its Steam page. [Thanks to groovy webizen Eric for the tip!]
Ragnarok Online 2 open beta denied to most of the world
Do you have your heart set on trying out the betalicious Ragnarok Online 2? Well, unless you are reading this from Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, or Vietnam, you're fresh out of luck. While Ragnarok Online 2's open beta begins tomorrow, Asiasoft posted the news that it will be unavailable outside of those four countries "due to [its] license agreement with the game's developer, Gravity Co., Ltd." The open beta was previously scheduled to begin on December 27th of last year but apparently ran into unspecified problems. [Thanks to Anthony and Ville for the tip!]
Ragnarok Online 2 open beta begins
Ragnarok Online 2 crosses the open beta threshold for its English version today, as any and all players are welcome to give this MMO sequel a spin. The game is a reworking of the first title, and brings back the job system, professions, the card system, and pets. There's also a way to set up your character to act as a player vendor while you're offline. The open beta may be undergoing hiccups right now, as the official website is down and Wikipedia is reporting "connection problems." We'll be keeping an eye on its progress for those of you interested in this title!
Ragnarok Online 2 closed beta ended today, switches to open December 27th
For the past six days, Ragnarok Online 2's closed beta testers have been participating in what online game operator Asiasoft Online called a "wildly successful" CBT run. As of today, the closed beta is kaput; the studio has moved on to fixing the technical issues and squashing the in-game bugs folks encountered during that test in preparation for the upcoming open beta period. Starting on December 27th, players will be able to access the open beta, and shortly thereafter, the cash shop will be introduced. In a press release issued today, Sherman Tan, Chairman of Aisiasoft Online, expressed gratitude for the response and thanked all of the participating testers who contributed to improving the game. He stated, "The Ragnarok Online 2 [beta] launch has been one of our biggest successes and we are very humbled and encouraged by the overwhelming response from players who filled our game servers during the CBT period." To get in the open beta, visit the official site to download the free client. [Source: Asiasoft Online press release]
Ragnarok Online 2 schedules closed beta events
Starting today, Gravity's Ragnarok Online 2 is throwing several closed beta events as the studio tests this fantasy-themed sequel. The events take place from December 7th through the 12th, opening up the game during a good chunk of each day. To encourage players to test the title, Gravity has plenty of activities and rewards in store for loyal participants. Testers can reserve their open beta names, win costumes and titles, snag real-life prizes, and meet GMs in-game. If you're in the closed beta, definitely sound off below and let us know what you think about Ragnarok Online 2! [Thanks to Ivan for the tip!]
Ragnarok Online II scrapped, new Ragnarok Online II takes its place
It's always a difficult decision to take a game that you've put a ton of work into already and scrap it. Sometimes, no matter what developers dream up, it just turns out to be nowhere nearly as fun as originally intended. While we don't know the specifics on what precisely made Gravity Interactive change directions on Ragnarok Online II, news has come down the wire that they have nonetheless decided to heavily alter the direction they were headed in and instead deliver a true sequel to Ragnarok Online. The new version of Ragnarok Online II, now subtitled "Legend of the Second" will offer players familiar systems from the first game, only this time in an updated, immersive 3D world. Gone are the chibi graphics of the initial design in favor of more mature-looking characters. Gone too is the character-based weapon leveling system, the new leveling system, and unfamiliar races. Back in the mix are all the things that players enjoyed about the original Ragnarok Online: pets, cards, familiar classes, and more. This new version will launch into closed beta in Asia on August 31, 2010, with no specific date for the Western crossover at this time. Still, it warms our hearts when a gaming company is willing to make the hard choice and change direction -- making a game enjoyable, rather than sticking to the original plan and sacrificing fun. [Via iRo Wiki forums] [Thanks Coldbrand!]
