Closed Beta Test 2

Just wanted to let you guys know that CBT2 has started. The new User Interface is looking real good. Not everyone can log in at the moment. More information and footage to come.

Meanwhile, check out some gameplay from CBT2:




Also...


HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Life jobs renamed + personal guards

Doctor is now Alchemist
Tailor is now Artisan

Each player can get a personal guard based on their life job.

Guards:
- Will help you for 30 seconds
- Have unique skills
- They can become stronger based on life job level
- There are different types of guards.


Alchemist: Hoenheim
This guard increases the summoners magic defense and can also do an attack with magical damage.









Chef: Towl
This guard increases the summoners flee and can do ranged quick attacks.









Blacksmith: Vulcan
The guardian of the blacksmith strengthen the defense of the summoner, and can reduce the defense of the opponent.






Artisan: Demeter
This guard gives the summoner better HP-recovery and has a powerful poison attack.

Cards and Flight paths

Card system

Cards are coming and they aren't attached to weapons and armor like in classic Ragnarok Online.

They are attached to your character and you can switch between 5 different cards. That means you can use different equipment with the same cards, unlike RO. Different card combinations will give a specefic bonus, like card sets in RO1.

Your character customization is now done via equipments and cards and not manual stat point allocation.



There are three types of grades for each card. Bronze, Silver and Gold. Gold being the best and the rarest. Bronze cards will be fairly common and not to hard to obtain.


You can turn a number of bronze cards into a silver, and a certain number of silver cards in to a gold card.

You can also combine different bronze cards to create a mystery gold card.

There is also a collectors album, and you can try and collect all cards.

Kafra flying service

Seems like there will be a way to move quickly around the world of Ragnarok, besides the mounts.





Check out the Ragnarok dev team having fun with this new Kafra:

Mounts!

In addition to the Peco Peco mount we have already seen, there is going to be new cool ones.

There is gonna be three different degrees of the Peco Peco and Tiger mount, and then a really fast Petite dragon mount.

They will be in the next Closed Beta Test, which starts in December!








Official video footage of the mounts:

The Character design of Ragnarok 2

The development of RO2 continues without a lot of updates or new information, we can only assume Gravity is working hard on improving the game for the next beta phase.

However, they have been gracious enough to update their website with some development history.

They changed their character design a bit since CBT. I like the more handdrawn look, take a look:








Before and after pictures of the hair:

























The model tweaks with the new hair type:

Information clarification

Chris Ruiz has clarified some of the information coming out of Gravity Koreas livestream.

1. New Design for the character models have been arranged. New design to test Feedback
2. Male and Female are FINALIZED. No promises for CBT#2 though.
3. New Stat Builder system is being arranged.
4. New systems that was NOT added to CBT1 will be arrange for testing.
5. More user content such as different Quests and junctions between users.
6. Fixing graphics and other bug issues from before.
7. Fixing Server stabilizability based off of the findings from CBT#1.
8. When to Expect CBT#2: Between Dec. 2010 - Early 2011.

It sounds like like we won't see or hear much of RO2 untill around christmas. Of course, if anything happens before, I'll do my best to keep this site updated.

Gravity Livestream

Gravity Korea held a livestream with developers of their games. During the livestream they did discuss future plans about Ragnarok Online 2. Users Moonkist and parts of the iROWiki forums translated some of what was said:

• There will be another RO2 Closed Beta Test Dec/Jan.
• The next CBT will have cards.
• RO2 characters will have gender selection as well. Maybe around OBT.
• They are still discussing about developing a stat system similar to RO1.
• As soon as CBT was finished, the character design team did a lot of work. They are still discussing the character design.
• Currently developing 'inter-zone-chatsystem.' Where the chatroom can be reached from any part of the server.

It is good to know they are working hard on improving Ragnarok 2.

Ragnarok PVP!?

I know there haven't been new posts recently. Ever since Gravity took down the Closed Beta Servers not much new have been going on in the world of RO2. But rest assured Gravity took all the feedback from the players and are working hard on improving the game.

Meanwhile they've started asking their community about PVP. Personally I've always enjoyed PVP in MMO's and also the PVP in RO1. I saw some korean users mentioning World of Warcraft and Lineage 2 when it comes to PVP and PK'ing, which got me thinking.

What kind of PVP system would I like in Ragnarok 2?

The RO2 reboot is taking what is good from RO1. I actually really enjoy the epic battles of WOE and prestige of getting the good castles in RO1, but I think it might get too chaotic in a 3D game. There is no duel system or PK enabled (except for maybe Dead Branches) in the old Ragnarok. You had to go to a PVP enabled room and kill each other.

Rated arenas in WoW is really well done and the world pvp is really catering to the beginners. Unlike the korean MMO Lineage 2, which allows players to kill anyone, almost anywhere, but will get a form of penalty for doing so.

Too me, the ideal PVP in Ragnarok would have Guild battles of Castles or something similar, but also some kind of world PVP. Some rated team duels would also be cool. But I remember RO1 didn't even have any kind of PVP, when that made it was open Beta - so I'll be pleased for any kind of PVP early on in RO2, and I really appreciate Gravity asking the users about it.

More 2nd job footage

Just before CBT ended people turned 2nd job and some of those people put up videos and screenshots. Here are some:

Acolyte turning Monk and showing some fist weapons and new monsters and environment I haven't seen before:


Here is an Acolyte that instead of Monk chose to be a Priest:


Here is a Thief who turned Rogue:


Here is a Thief who turned Assassin:


Here is a Swordsman who turned Knight:

RO2 Loading screens + Rogue gameplay

With the CBT on hold, not much new information and updates is coming out lately. So I decided to update with some wallpapers of the RO2 loading screens. You might have seen them when watching gameplay videos. I really like them and decided to throw them up here for your enjoyment too.

1600 x 900

More resolutions (Wallpaper size)
http://www.kisuka.com/ro2loading/

Also, here is some gameplay from the closed beta with a Thief turning into a Rogue. And then showing it off, including translated skills and combat. Check it out.

CBT ended + site updates

The closed beta testing has ended, for now. It will begin again on a later time, so check back for that. Meanwhile I have spend the time updating the site a little and I have added some pages with information about the classes/battle job and life jobs.

Of course, all the information is subject to change since the game is still under development.

I will add more information and pages in the time to come, so be sure to check back once in a while.

Narrated mage gameplay + 2nd job screenshots

The gameplay is shot off screen with narration by english and korean speaking (plus a little japanese once in a while) YouTube user tangos. She has a bunch of RO2 videos which you can check out here: http://www.youtube.com/user/tangos

She has a fairly high level mage beating a blue Rhoda frog boss. We see in the beginning that swimming is not yet implemented.

The reason I bring this up is because, in the video she turns level 20, which means she can get the new 2nd job as Sorcerer or Wizard. People are now starting to get their 2nd job and we might get to see a bunch of new 2nd job class gameplay footage.

Sadly I must disappoint you for now. But while we wait, we can look over the shoulder of tangos playing her mage:



And enjoy these screenshots:

The Warrior 2nd job

The Monk 2nd job

Peco Peco mount

All classes can get a Peco Peco mount, unlike RO1 where it was only the swordsman 2nd jobs that could.

This mount can be summoned with a cast time. You cannot fight while on the Peco Peco, you will get knocked off. The Peco Peco gives a 20% movement boost.



Video showing of the Peco Peco mount in the Prontera Culvert:

Higher level footage

Here is some more gameplay from the Closed Beta testing on the Korean servers. This time we get to see some new monsters and areas. Check it out.


Swordsman fighting some Weasel monsters


Mage burning monsters. Mail system shown at 6:00

Beta servers improved

Another CBT day has gone by.

It seems that Gravity has fixed most of their server issues and we will get to see some players get out of the starting area. Hopefully some more information and exciting footage coming soon.

Remember to check the stream list page when the servers are up. Here is a recording from a stream:




Here are all the base classes in combat, with voices:


"FIREBALLU~"

Thief Gameplay + Welcome to Prontera

More footage from the first days of beta. This YouTube clip is showing some Thief action.



And finally we get to see the most memorable town from the original game. Welcome to Prontera!



Some screenshots in case you can't get enough of the new world of Ragnarok Online.

The map showing quest objectives.


Death.



Quests with reward of your choice.



Some view of the scenery.



Different monster.



Buildings.



Equipment have durability, if it's getting low there is an icon in bottom right



RO1 style portals are back



Mail system (you can't send mails to you)



A sign



And some more monsters