MMORPG is an acronym for “Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game”
For me these games would be a online game with at least 1000+ simultaneous players in a single world or realm. The game can be medieval based with knight, castle, plate armour, wizards and mages (Game of Thrones Style) or it could be more Sci-Fi and be based (Star Wars / Star Trek) in space with space ships, jump drives, planets to visit and epic battle to be fort. Either way these are all online and based in a fantasy world that lets you escape the normal day here on earth. Your new role in a new world lets you be someone else you would not normally be and for me this is better than watching scripted TV.
There are 1000’s of MMORPG games to play and try and i would recommend trying a few before deciding to commit to a game long term. If you have not all-ready setup a Steam Account then you should as this platform has 30,000+ games with some being Free to Play to get you started. There is then options to pay for additional features, bonuses and in-game money if you would like to progress your character even further or faster.
I have played both the subscription based role playing games ($$ per month every month regardless if you login or not but you have open access to all content) and in-game purchase role playing game (purchases with real $$$ epic items, currency, materials with Steam credits) over the years and i have no view if one is better than the other. Some games suit either option and its all down to personal preference.
What ever online role playing game you choose in what ever setting or universe make sure your having fun in the game or with your real life friends, as soon as a game is not fun anymore its time to switch to something new.
Safety Note: DO NOT ever give out personally details to anyone you meet online while role playing or gaming. You have no idea who they really are or what there true extensions might be.
When a new MMORPG World of Warcraft (WoW) was released in 2004, myself and a group of my online friends jumped ship from EverQuest and started playing WoW, we only looked back on EQ to reminise about past battles, adventures and the content we had missed out on due to playing on a PvP server.
World Of WarCraft was just draw dropping visually combared to EQ and was a much easyer game to play, we knew at that point WoW would overtake EQ in popularity and player base, and it has 1000 fold!
We natrualy joined a PVP server, Lightbringer and started out adventuring. PVP! you ask? back then servers where Player V Player (PVP Alliance or Horde) or PvE but now they have merged and have battle mode and dedicated areas for PVP. We started out as Allience untill lvl 70 but then decided to swicth to Horde and leveled new characters to lvl 80.
I play the same format i always do, Tank (Pally or Warrior) as my main with Hybrid healer (Druid) as my utility class. Since early EQ days i have fealt this to be this best combonation for me when boxing (Boxing is for another post)
WoW Lightbringer Lovesit Lvl 80 Pally Horde
World of Warcraft is now (May 2020) the No 1 MMORPG in the world with 80+Million subscribers ranked according to MMO Populations and 3+Million daily players with WoW Classic ranked at No4 with 1.5+Millioan daily players. Thats almost 5 Million people currenlty online playing right now, with these numbers the odds are that you know someone in RL that plays but thay havent told you, maybe a work collegue.
I would now consider this game to be the benchmark for MMORPG and its going to be a while before another game comes even close to the WoW the player base. Even after 10 year break i have revisted WoW and played the new content, it realy is a game that is hard to fualt and so much fun to play.
Is WoW Free to Play?
WoW is Free to Play upto level 20 and you can Download World of Warcraft from the offical site. Beaware its about 60GB and can take a while to download but does have a nifty feature that lets you play the newbie zones after about 20% download.
Example of Free to Play Restriction
Free to Play does have other restirctions like your characeter is not allowed to send post, use some items with in the game or group with other players
I would recomend you make up a few characters classes to play with untill you decide on the final one that would be considered your main, this would be your character you will play to end game. You can skip levels and instanatly have one of the generated lvl 50 characters but i feel you will miss so much of the great low level content, its best to play from level 1.
There are 12 Classes to chosoe from in World of WarCraft and 12 races you can play, 5 of these need to be unlocked on your server before your side (Alliance or Horde) can play them. I just love these touches that have been introduced into the game to make things more interesting and so keeps the player base alive and coming back for more.
Once you have played your toon upto lvl 20 its time to venture further and for this you will need to start the monlthy subscribtion. There are a huge selctions of payment choices with even the ability to pay 167,000 in in-game gold for 1months play time.
How to start playing WoW
With the WoW Free to Play option and so many players now online with a lot of them in the free to play level 20 newbie zones, it can get a bit busy. At time the servers can be busy so check the Server capacity when you choose your server to join.
These are a few things i would recommend doing as a new player to help you get started in WoW
Play the game as it was entended – The newbie areas are designed to hook you in and keep you playing, they offer the fastest way to learn the game
Follow the quest path offered to you – Its been setup in a way to introduce you to the game and is often the best XP
Buy some bags soon as you can, the more you can carry, the more you can sell to vendors and so make more gold faster
Once you have bags, try and get a nice main melee weapon – At low level even casters can melee
Chat to people but dont beg for stuff, explain you are stuck or new and need help. Most players are friendly and will help you out
Hit Points are King – Increasing your HP will increase your chances of staying alive
Asking other players for a few buffs will always help you out, but offer some coin even if its just coppers
While this is not a guide on how to play but more of a reference guide. Here is information that I had to look up from time to time to help me progress through the game.
Ultima Online (OU) is from way back in 1997 and before a lot of predecessors have come and gone. It was created using a simalure game play to that of Golden Sun and then followed up another extreamly populare Ragnarok Online where we see 2D graphical characters running around a flat 3D (sort of) world. At the time it had a huge following due to it being one of a kind but todays this is showing signs of age.
Ultima Online Logo courtesy of Steam
OU still has a huge following due to content still being realeased and options for Free to Play for old players returning. There are endless “how to guides” and leveling techniques for you to read and watch. So this is not a guide on how to play but more of a reference guide to look up those commands you just cant recall from the back of your mind.
Ultima Online is NOT avaiable on Steam but is available to download from Ultima Online Offical Site. How ever it is Free to Play via a Ultima Online: Endless Journey version where we see a limited capacity OU for you to get started on. If you then decide to stay then a monthly subscription is required. There are 2 version of the client, the standard and an Enhanced version, i ahve never realy decided on what one is better so i would recomend you try both, even if you are a returning player, its down to personal preference.
Ultima Online – What Commands you will need to know
Here is information that I had to look up from time to time to help me progress through the game as i played and is helpful to have to hand.
Skyforge is an amazing looking game that will please any Sci-Fi addict that is looking for a MMORPG to play. The game, originaly launched in 2015 has seen 4 content packs released and in 2020 a huge Skyforge 5 Year Anniversary update.
Skyforge has 18 classes to choose from with each having individual specialy abilities, so are focused towards a particual party role, Tank, DPS or Support classes. The classes are now instantly interchangable and so if you get bored with DPS class you can swicth to support or if your group dymanics require it. If you find yourself waiting in the game ques for a while, then try swicthing class as your original class may not be in great need. I found a lot of people forming the perfect group with friend first, then joining the ques.
Skyforge Classes
Cryomancer (Damage Dealer)
Paladin (Tank)
Lightbinder (Support)
Archer (Damage Dealer)
Berserker (Damage Dealer)
Kinetic (Damage Dealer)
Necromancer (Damage Dealer)
Slayer (Damage Dealer)
Gunner (Damage Dealer)
Warlock/Witch (Damage Dealer)
Monk (Damage Dealer)
Alchemist (Support)
Knight (Tank)
Outlaw (Damage Dealer)
Revenant (Damage Dealer)
Grovewalker (Tank)
Soundweaver (Support)
Firestarter (Damage Dealer)
Is Skyforge Free to Download and Play?
Download Skyforge Free to play from Steam but this will only get you started. Once you have the main game installed and character greated, you can start playing for Free. After completing the start tutorial and quests you will need to reach out further into the realm and so have 4 content packs to choose from, i dont think they need to be completed in any order, please comment if they do
Skyforge – Firestarter Collector’s Edition
Skyforge – New Horizons Collector’s Edition
Skyforge – Soundweaver Collector’s Edition
Skyforge – Grovewalker Collector’s Edition
There is also a Skyforge – Starter Booster Pack to help you get started and possibley ctach up with friends. All these are availbale via Steam at between £5.79 and £27.79 (British pounds in May 2020). SO, not free to play but free to start playing and then if you want to stay for the extra content then you will need to pay. I feel this is the best way to arrange this style of game to people can experiance the game before they buy.
Skyforge doesn’t really have an abundent array of commands that can help with game play, macros or short cut keys. All i have found is the Emotes Shortcut Keys
If you feel we need to add any additional information please leave a comment
Ragnarok Online in an unusual MMORPG when looking at the graphics style. It is not so different to that of Ultima Online or the more modern Final Fantasy IX. Its nothing like EverQuest or World of WarCraft and with this game it could be considered a good thing. If it had not been for the 3D world and your 2D character that then moves around a note quite 3D looking map, it may not have been as successful as it has been.
Ragnarok choose to keep a tried and tested method stemming back to the Gauntlet days and build a colourful and amazing world.
The story behind Ragnarok is that of an old story based in a land called Midgurd about a peaceful but fragile land that is then ravaged by demons. Stories are being told of evil forces coming back to life, story’s of which humans rid themselves of hundreds of years previously.
Ragnarok Online was removed from the Ragnarok Steam Download Site and is now only available direct from the respected versions website. I have never been a fan of it being removed from Steam as the platform gives the player that confidence that your account will be secure and your game saves are backed up via the steam platform. Maybe it was due to the game now having multiple platforms to play on or the lack of GDPR regulator in Korea…
Versions of Ragnarok
Classic and Pre-Renewal usually refer to the same type of server. These are servers focused on Ragnarok Online as it was before the sweeping 2008 Renewal changes, which altered the game’s direction and changed several core mechanics
Renewal refers to servers that did apply the mechanical changes of 2008. All official servers have applied these changes.
Revo-Classic is a newer style of server whose intention is to start with Renewal mechanics from the very beginning, rather than having it applied after Classic matured.
Zero is currently only available in Korea. Just like Revo-Classic, the base mechanics are Renewal but the server opens at an early episode with only 2nd jobs available, and the intention is to slowly add in each episode with new features over time.
Transcendence is iRO’s take on Zero. So far the intention appears to copy this idea and provide additional changes, much like how their current Renewal servers work.
For the full explanation of the servers and a great guide read here: r/RagnarokOnline
Ragnarok Online – Free to Download and Play
What ever Ragnarok version you decide to play they are all Free. But is this really free? It means it is free to install and play but if you want the extra bells and whistles then your gunna have to spend some $$$. Once in the game portal there are options to purchase in-game credits to buy additional items to help you on your quests and adventures
Ragnarok comes in a few flavours and i am not including Ragnarok 2 in this list. This is the original Ragnarok 1 Versions we’re covering here. There are several version you can play depending on your geographic location. Please comment below if i have not got these correct, i would love to here from a staff member at Gravity to confirm my findings.
There are 3 official versions of the game running, the first based out of Korea and does not pass GDPR regulations for EU, another based out of the US and one based in Russia for the EU players.
The Official Ragnarok sites don’t have a SSL certificate installed on them (no HHTPS, just HTTP) and so you might be presented with security warnings when you arrive. I would have expected to see SSL certs on such a big site, Hopefully its safe /shrug
Ragnarok Online – Innova European (EU) Version
Reviewing the licence agreement with Innova it would seem you can only play this version in the EU, please review section 4, part 2.9. I am unsure if they have any site blocking in place so please comment below with any additional findings.
This is the first release of the game and so classed as the original. In 2010 it had an update released that was entitled “Renewal” This had various updates in stats, gear and XP and also introduced a 3rd Job Class.
The Innova version is available to download Ragnarok Online. Download RagnarokOnline-eu-Setup.exe from the Install button in the top right. I like to keep my games tidy and in one place so i download to here: D:\Games\RagnarokOnline-EU but yours maybe on the C drive. Its an 8Mb download and then requires a further 1.74GB download and hard drive space to install.
You need a valid email address to use for sign up as you will be sent a authentication email with a personal link to prove its you. Once logged into the 4game portal you can select one of the games to play, select Ragnarok! You will now see news, patch updates and the shop with items up-to 74.99 Euro.
You can purchase a lot of in-game goodies to help you in your adventures but i would recommend you try the game for at least a month before parting with your hard earned cash.
http://iro.ragnarokonline.com This is International Ragnarok Online hence the iro prefix. blocked in EU with registration to a South Korea Office
http://ragnarokonline.com This redirects to http://www.gnjoy.com and you get the Korean version that google translate struggles with. Accessible in EU but registered to a South Korea Office
All these server are using Gravity’s own DNS servers and are registered to Gravity Co.,Ltd. so i would feel safe using them as legit servers to download your game from.
Unfortunately you can NOT reach any of the Ragnarok servers from EU, UK or Turkey. However you can use a VPN tunnel to give the illusion your in another country (like Korea) and then you can connect. If your in the EU and want to start playing as a new player then start on the US or EU servers that currently have no restriction.
For old school returning players that still have accounts on the Korean servers then I would recommend you use Nord VPN . You may need to try a few end point locations before you find the best one for you.
Ragnarok Online – US Gravity Interactive Version
This version of Ragnarok seems to be the US based version of the game. Gravity Interactive Ltd also own WarpPortal and so they have 3 official versions of the game running, the first based out of Korea another based out of the US and one based in Russia for the EU players. The US servers have 2 versions of Ragnarok running, both accessible from EU and registered to USA, New York office. Both have different downloads so select carefully.
The Transcendence is a updated version of the South Korea’s Ragnarok Online: Zero service. This was an updated version of the original Korean Ragnarok Online game.
In the “Renewal” version of Ragnarok we see an updated UI, rules are tweaked for balancing, new pets and a slightly different story line as you travel across Rune of Midgard.
These server are using Gravity’s own DNS servers and are registered to Gravity Co.,Ltd. so i would feel safe using them as legit servers to download your game from.
You first need to download the game download client, RagnarokTranscendence-DLM.exe or Ragnarok-DLM.exe for Renewal. Save this somewhere easy to locate on your PC. Now run your chosen Ragnarok.exe, this asks you where you would like to install Ragnarok too, select your newly created folder and download and install the game.
The initial download size for Ragnarok Online is 2.8 Gb (2,810 Mb). It uses a peer to peer down-loader with some options to throttle bandwidth up and down if you are on a slow connection. You need a valid email address to use for sign up as you will be sent a authentication email with a personal link to prove its you.
Ragnarok Online – Zero
Zero is not available outside of Korea, it was specialy targeting at this audience. This version of the game focuses on Renewal but only have 2nd Jobs with a 3rd Job not being available. New episode will be available over time.
Ragnarok Online – Private Server
Private server are game instances that are setup and configured by the fan base. These are not licences servers and often are run on home servers are cheep hosting. All though some servers often offer some great additions to the game like update story line, special events and new mobs please remember as they are not official servers. There is no one to turn too if your server suddenly is not there anymore and you will have lost your character and progress.
Ragnarok Online – Controls and Commands Lists
While this is not a guide on how to play but more of a reference guide. Here is information that I had to look up from time to time to help me progress through the game.
Zero is not available outside of Korea, it was specialy targeting at this audience. This version of the game focuses on Renewal but only have 2nd Jobs with a 3rd Job not being available. New episode will be available over time.