Alvanov Zpalanzani dan Haiz Ahmad, Ragnarok Online, Reality of Virtual..

69-77

RAGNAROK ONLINE,
REALITY OF VIRTUAL PHENOMENON

Alvanov Zpalanzani1 and Haiz Ahmad2

1
Insitut Teknologi Bandung,
pazzlavainne@yahoo.com
2
Insitut Teknologi Bandung,
haiz@dkv.itb.ac.id

Abstract

Originated from South Korea, Ragnarok Online is an entertainment product in comics and
games which is popular in the world especially South-East Asia. Ragnarok in Nordic Mythology
described as the doom of the gods. In the case above, Ragnarok is used as a background
setting of a comic, which created, by Lee Myung Jin and Ragnarok MMORPG based on that
comic.

Internet is described as a many-to-many medium. Games turn out to be one of the irst
popular settles in the Internet among e-commerce, portals, free advertisers, and sexual
exploitation sites. Online Game becomes a new frontier that could connect people to
interact and play similar game on the same time and Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing
Game of Ragnarok is one of the best and successful Online Game worldwide. It is one of
the phenomena in online gaming today. Recently, oficial Ragnarok Online Characters (NPC,
Monsters and Players Characters) have developed in quantity approximately 200 and still
have possibility to increase. In international Ragnarok Online provider, more than 120,000
customers connected in 12 servers on real time basis at the same time everyday and this
exclude local Ragnarok Server provided by several countries with similar number of player.

Ragnarok Online is a virtual representation of reality, it creates and represents visual social
semiotics, which became very important element of communication in recent years. As one
of visual product in modern culture, the distance between reality and virtual realm become
closer and sometimes it blurred and formed new realm. A new dawn of community born in
virtual realm and develop in some way that many though it would consume the community
it represented. Is it possible that the characters and environmental design, which is built,
really has the enormous attraction? Or is there something else work behind the surface
such as the representation and online culture. Although there are many contradictions
about the impacts of Ragnarok Online, this paper is endeavors a new insight of Ragnarok
Online, which may have not being researched by others. The combination of online culture
and virtual media design with interactive and inviting visual interface may open wide the
possibilty of encountering new methods and keys of success in designing digital media
through descriptive analysis.

Keywords: Internet, Digital Media Design, Online culture, Virtual Reality

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1. Introduction Ragnarok Online is one of the Muli Player Online

Games have a strong impact through the Community Game (MPOCG) from Korea that
community as good as any other media, such played through the Internet originally created
as 2002’s Vice City Grand Thet Auto (Terry by Lee Myung Jin in Manhwa (Korean term for
Donovan) which sold 11 million copies is packed Comic). MPOCG is one of MMORPG (Massive
with moral ambiguity outraged parents and Muliplayer Online Game) that has been
poliicians, even Joseph Lieberman said that developed to focus on social relaionships in
game caused “perverse anisocial behaviour.” virtual community of online gaming. MMORPG
GTA’s Vice City is a game of a drug dealer itself deined as a game with massive number of
who roam the city --which the sets very close players logged on at a same ime into the same
to Miami City-- doing various tasks such as virtual world of game.
delivering drugs, “whack” some people, car
robbery, bank robbery, and other mission that The comic adopted the Norse Mythology about
may all categorized as criminal acts. Ragnarok, which is Armageddon of gods or the
batle between gods and the evils that ceased
Introducion of game in computer technology them both in the end. In manhwa, the story tells
since 80’s unil now surfaced an urge to acquire about a group of teenagers caught up in a long
new technology that will surpass the previous. and exhausing war between gods, humans,
It could be considered that, games are the irst and demons. Yet, the story in Ragnarok Online
applicaion of newest technology. In late 90’s MMORPG focuses on community building
when Internet become worldwide, games ind among players. Usually each Local Ragnarok
its new purpose to pursuit. Internet as the media Online Game providers, ofers at least 3 servers,
that allow individual users to select the content but in internaional Ragnarok Online provider,
they wish to see and allow them to interact with they ofered 12 servers and each server consists
other users. Internet is described as a many-to- of more than 10,000 customers worldwide
many medium. Games turn out to be one of connected on real ime basis at the same ime
the irst popular setles in the Internet among everyday. There are at least 27 millions of
e-commerce, portals, free adverisers, and people registered in Ragnarok Online and more
sexual exploitaion sites. Online Game becomes than half of them connected online on real ime
a new fronier that could connect people to basis as seen on table 1-1. [2]
interact and to play at a same ime. [1]

Table 1-1,
List of Users Worldwide Con-
nected Online (Commercial).

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2. Method & Theories

2.1 Virtual Reality, Gaming Technology &
RPG Genre
The computer works most efecively as an
“evocatory object” in the quesion of “ariicial
intelligence”— computer is an atempt to
simulate human thought as far as possible
with the computer, bringing the model as
close as possible to the human “original.” The
computer raises in a pure form the quesion of
semblance, a discourse which would not be a
simulacrum: it is clear that computer in some
sense only “simulates” thought; yet how does Figure 1
the total simulaion of thought difer from “real” Circuit of Culture
thought? Computer system simulaing a reality
or “reality simulacrum” or creaing a reality, and gathering treasures and experience. These
which is known as “virtual reality” in today’s games tradiionally have a fantasy or science-
word. [4] icion seing. A typical role playing game can
be seen to be consituted of two parts:
A video or computer game is an entertainment • a descripion of an imaginary universe called
device, which electronically simulates a reality the seing;
in a more entertaining narraive. With the rapid • a set of rules to handle events resoluion in
convergence of all media types into a digital the seing, called the system.
form, games are also beginning to afect, and
be afected by tradiional media forms. For 2.2 Culture & Representation
example, game-like narraives have begun to Culture is learned, shared, and transmited from
appear in movies, while games with movie-style one generaion to the next generaion, and is
plots have become common. muli-dimensional. Culture is about “shared
meanings” and language is central to meaning
The narraive structure of role-play games is very and culture and has always been regarded
similar to that of an acion movie, with the player as a key repository of cultural values and
as the main character. Most of these games use meanings. Language is able to do this because it
a point of view interface. This allows the players operates as a representaional system. Culture
to see exactly what the main character is seen. is constructed and related to decision making
Role-play games with muliplayer opions, through Circuit of Culture. [3]
such as Doom and Final Fantasy Online, have
become a very popular way to spend ime on 2.3 Visual Language
the Internet. Visual language is visual appearance which
is intented to sending informaion but it is
Role playing games is a type of games that takes diferent with visual or illustraion that we know.
its name from the old Dungeon and Dragons style Visualisaion we know is taken in an angle, at
of tabletop games. Players take on the role of a one ime, and one distance just like camera
character of group of characters in a large game shot or based on Naturalism, Perpecivism,
world, taking on quests, atacking monsters, and Moment Opname (NPM System). Visual

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is on the house, but how a player geing

through the game is on their own decision.
Some of players are spending more ime to
chat or interact with other than huning those
monsters and achieving more experience. The
possibiliies of having more interacions are
boosted with update patch and special events
carried by local servers which always refers to
real life events.

Figure 2
Visual Language Pyramid
Source:Tabrani.
language is a visual communicaion that
including various angle, distances and relaive
ime, or called space-ime-plane (STP) system.
The STP System especially become basics of
digital ediing, mulimedia and interacive
visual communicaion for its lexibility and ime
dimension. [5]
Figure 3
3. Results and Discussions Juxtaposition of 2 sub-cultures
3.1 Interactive & Immerse Gameplay
Ragnarok Online is a combinaion of two 3.2 Interactive Culture & Representation
dimensional (2D) character design for avatar Game system, which use RPG mode is one of
(representaion of players ID in virtual world) the most favorable type of games beside acion
with three dimensional (3D) generated games. RPG opens possibility of players to
environment. Unlike some other PC games choose and to play a role as a diferent person.
especially online Role Playing Games (RPG), the The nature of RPG and Internet is relaively
controlling system of Ragnarok Online Game is similar, because people could hide their own
the easiest among all. It may be one of the key idenity and pretend as someone else just like
points of Ragnarok Online popularity because in “You’ve Got Mail”, a movie where Tom Hanks
almost all players interviewed menioned this plays a big bookshop owner that threatens Meg
aspect as one of their preferences in playing this Ryan’s bookshop in real world, but in virtual
game. [6] world, he acts as a supporive person that
encourages the girl to ight and carry on. The
The storyline of Ragnarok Online similar to role-playing aciviies represent in both ways
the Manhwa version, but the diference is the and each of them create their own circuit of
players are the Actors in ighing the monsters culture which evocate each other. The virtual
and demons in Ragnarok Online’s Virtual World. world represents the real world, while real
One of the interesing factors in playing this world aterward represents the virtual one such
game and any other online games is the players as shown on Figure 3.
decide their own storyline although the main
plot Players daily aciviies more or less inluencing

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online aciviies and vice versa. It makes the brought from Ragnarok Online in online world.
birth of two sub-cultures towards the game, The most common examples are topics and
online sub-culture and oline sub-culture. Each usages of Ragnarok Online terminology in
sub-culture inluencing each other back and discussions among players that enrich the
forth encircle endlessly. conversaion. Even some of them are acing and
called with their avatar name from Ragnarok
Online sub-culture is based on aciviies and realm because many of their irst encounters
habits, which players do in Ragnarok Online are through the game. They have been known
realm. Beside rule of the game and neiquete widely by their avatar name than their real
(eiquete in internet community) that have name. If they meet oline, name of their avatar
to be obeyed by players, there is also a social is the best way to eliminate the diferences
strata which formed by base level, job level and among players because someimes the age
guild. Everyone can choose his/her posiion range between players is very wide. If they do
and funcion in Ragnarok Online community. this coninually, it will past the inner community
Trading, chaing, conlicing and even couring territory and will spread to wider community
are some of social aciviies that could be that they live in.
performed in virtual world of Ragnarok. The
outstanding virtual world of Ragnarok even Oline sub-culture acivity is usually seen and
promising for who have slight of naughty and increases signiicantly when related events
bad habits to take part, so the presence of game occur such as anime and manga gathering, or
master to maintain the virtual public safety and other visual entertainment exhibiion, such
secure posiive social interacion is essenial as costume play (cosplay) event, where all the
as a consequence. Those who established atendants are encouraged to mimic a game,
and comfortable with Ragnarok realm, are of anime or manga character’s appearance and
course want to set their existence and become costume.
addicted.
3.3 Visual Language of Ragnarok Online
The oline sub-culture is daily aciviies and There are some similariies in universal spirit
habits of Ragnarok Online players are that of Ragnarok Online Virtual phenomenon with

Figure 4
Various monsters and characters customization

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Pokemon[7], which are: representaion of what is in the real world.

a. Numerous Characters. Oicial Ragnarok e. Simplicity in character design and story line.
Online Characters (NPC, Monsters and The character design and story of Ragnarok
Players Characters) have developed in Online is simple. The aim of the game is to
quanity approximately 200 and sill have roam and set their own story with all the
possibility to increase. Each monster has exising characters and become the ulimate
classes, base elements, and level, which characters, through an adventurous journey,
have diference in dealing with. The players ighing monsters, trading, compleing
could choose from 6 diferent class of headgear quests, group hunt and batle
avatar with possibility of more than 100 among players. The simplicity of Ragnarok
combinaions of customizaion. Every class characters is made it easily embrace by all
has speciicaion of equipments, weapons, segments especially children, as noted by
and skills used in batling monsters. McCloud in his book Understanding Comics,
b. Cute Syndrome. All characters and the principle of “ampliicaion through
monsters inside the game have deformed simpliicaion” means the more simple of
visual appearances that make them cute a character, the easier it represents almost
and appeal to the players. The cuteness of anyone without diiculies. [9]
Ragnarok Online characters is making them
easy to be embraced, to be remembered,
and to be liked not only by the children but
wide range of target segments, compare
Figure 5
to another less cute characters. Those
Ampliication through Simpliication.
characters spread the awareness of the
game although some of audiences do not Ragnarok Online is designed so that the various
play the game. characters in this game are so diferent from
c. Safe Factor. All conlicts and ighings are one to the other and are specialized. It makes
happened in virtual world, which will not the players could customize to the limit of his
damage players physically. But in virtual or her own characters and make it personal. It is
world, almost all aciviies may represent in an innovaion in gaming acivity where we could
similar form or altered in another. The death gather and ind new people to play or just chat.
of characters or monsters are not visualized
in realisic view but more cartoons and There is also virtual trading feature, making
comical. Safe factor is also menioned by monster as pet, and representaion of the
Crawford in his wriing about game design. world’s cultures with varied audio background
[8] and audio special efects.
d. Fantasy based seing. Ragnarok Online
does not put a speciic locaion for this earth Visual of Ragnarok Online could explore the
as its seing, but from another unknown characters and environment almost 360o
world that enables Ragnarok’s reasoning without changing camera posiion (isometric
environment to be easily accepted by view) and without dilluing player’s point of
players. It provokes the curiosity of reference in viewing the game giving numerous
the children to explore this strange yet informaion and sequencial efects which is new
familiar and imaginaive world although for players. With god mode point of view, players
some of environments and situaions are could see all the process that happened in the

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game without having to change their posiion is user friendly. Ragnarok Online is one of
unlike irst person shooter or else. Every object Online RPG game, which has the easiest control
in Ragnarok Online virtual world can be seen system. If the controlling system is complicated,
without wondering the scale or distance, every no mater how good or appealing of a game is it
objects that in front of a character will be placed will certainly being described as failed.
below the character and vice versa. There are
almost none of a slight informaion will not be Other MMORPGs have applied higher
noiced by players of Ragnarok with this kind of technology with higher interface than Ragnarok
visual language. Online such as Final Fantasy Online, Lineage II,
Risk Your Life, et cetera. But none achieve more
4. Conclusions atenion from wider market than Ragnarok
4.1 Gameplay Design & System Online. The game has accomplished awareness
Character Design and Seing Design in Rune from people across target market border such as
Midgard that atracts players are simply yet children and female because almost all games in
beauiful visualizaion. Diferent from Lee the world are created for male teenagers. Some
Myung-Jin’s original & iniial character design, of the games that targeted wider than male
the characters that we played have iconic customers gain some phenomenal acceptance
appearance and in this game. The players have such as The Sims.
almost full authority to decide and customize
the outcome of their avatar appearance with Simple yet fun is the ulimate key of concept
numerous opional combinaions of sex, hair that has to obey in developing a game especially
colour and hairdo at the beginning of the game. online game. Although the development of
The opions do not stop only at the beginning computer and Internet technology is vast and
but also along the game, every player could add become more sophisicated, the core concept of
accessories and other equipment that could successful game is sill unchanged. There are so
make diferences in each avatar. Those design many online games that applied the newest and
and environment seing are constantly updated latest technology but unable to amaze players
with newest technology to minimize bugs and and make them stay in front of computer a litle
errors. bit more. The possibility of players to explore
more with full of enjoyment within a virtual
The possibility to customize their avatar’s world will be just a mere concept if that world
appearance and abundant of secrets and hints, do not applying human factor as gameplay
encourage players to endlessly roam Ragnarok’s constraint.
Virtual world. Occasional events and features
revitalized the will to explore and ind new 4.2 Virtual Community Development
experiences through their own story. Reading Social interacion among players such as
a story is fun, but creaing a story is hilarious. trading, group hunt, virtual disputes, conlicts
In order to do that, players must be given and other aciviies are facilitated by Ragnarok
informaion as many as possible through visual Game developer and always updated based on
language system. market demands. The phenomenon will not
occur only because the fun in virtual world. The
Game system will enhance the sickness of representaion system of Ragnarok Online game
game design appeal especially when the control based on altered realisic social life did not stop
system and communicaion system in the game in virtual world but re-present in real life and

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that is the reason of the virtual phenomenon realm that they play or live in and mix both sub-
started. cultures.

The aciviies in games, which have interacion The aciviies that refering virtual social
between players usually, give some social impact interacions and meanings, are brought to life
both in their habits and ways of communicaion and inluence daily aciviies of online players.
in both game realm and real life. The life in game Juxtaposiion of two realms emerges and may
could act as social isolaion or social inclusion form another representaion and started to
and depends on each player’s decision. It may begin a new circuit of culture. And a game that
create new social aciviies and new form of could give birth to a new culture that represents
community, which could be a way to form self- its virtual world in a real world is beter and more
esteem in communicaion. It may also create likely to create a phenomenon than a game that
social barrier to common social life if a player represents the real social life in a game. It is the
could not be posiioned luidly. reality of virtual phenomenon.

The virtual sub-culture of the game generates 4.3. New Frontier in Virtual Media Design
new visual languages and semioics that Subject
accumulate in virtual realm. The circuit of Internet as the new media somehow opens the
culture using language as central meaning door to the new borderless world to explore.
opens the possibility to create values and Some new theories regarding virtual media,
meanings or visual social semioics. This visual media design, and media applicaion keep
social semioics in virtual realm represents updaing and changing. The mix formulaion
through visual properies used by people in with other subjects such as managements,
virtual realm. Virtual communicaion limited by cultures, and even morale and teology to adept
bandwidth, resoluion of visual interface and the new fronier of Internet. Games are one of
hardware to preserve the connecion. Therefore the tools to explore this new world, to expand
to preserve the communicaion link in virtual the knowledge and understanding about
world, people create visual meanings and this media. The relaively massive changing
values or visual social semioics. In Ragnarok of this virtual media applicaion needs more
Online realm, visual social semioics are created measurements system to develop especially
through emoicons, character properies, and in virtual media design interface and system.
other visual representaions in the game. Certain methodology and terminology seem can
not embrace the size of new world. When we
Someimes in oline communicaion among talk about Ragnarok Online as one of successful
players, those visual representaions and phenomenon in virtual reality, the virtual reality
meanings transferred without any translaion itself has developed elsewhere.
or interpretaion. The juxtaposiion of two
sub-cultures creates a simultaneous transfer of Those combinaion for formulaing general
meanings between both worlds through visual idea or concept to create successful visual
properies that creates new sub-culture, which entertainment product needs further research
is Real life “virtual” sub-culture. A culture that from wider spectrum of subjects such as
represents and merge both sub-cultures that markeing, graphic design, virtual media design,
some expert says “Hyper-realm” is a condiion and culture. We may underline culture in this
when people could not disinguished which subject because this may becomes a basic

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 Alvanov Zpalanzani dan Haiz Ahmad, Ragnarok Online, Reality of Virtual.. 69-77

foundaion for understanding keys of virtue in Ramadin, Tendy, et all., 2002. Final Report:
virtual realm. Learning From Pokēmon Design
Phenomenon, Desain Komunikasi
End Note: Visual-ITB and The Japan Foundaion,
[1] Stewart, C., and Adam Kowaltzke, 1990. Indonesia.
Media, New Ways & Meanings (p.180), John Stewart, C., and Adam Kowaltzke, 1990. Media,
Wiley & Sons, Australia. New Ways & Meanings, John Wiley &
[2] ---, September 2004. Game Staion Magazine Sons, Australia.
Vol.107. ---, September 2004. Game Staion Magazine
[3] Hall, Stuart, 1997. Representaion, Cultural Vol.107.
Representaion and Signifying Pracicess, Tabrani, Primadi, May 2002. Bahasa Rupa;
SAGE Publicaion. Prasejarah, Newton sampai Einstein
[4] Turkle, Sherry, 2000. Electronic Culture, dan Relevansinya pada Kebudayaan
Technology and Visual Representaion Kontemporer, Bandung, Indonesia.
(p.354-365), Apperture Foundaion, New Turkle, Sherry, 2000. Electronic Culture,
York, US. Technology and Visual Representaion,
[5] Tabrani, Primadi, May 2002. Bahasa Rupa; Apperture Foundaion, New York, US.
Prasejarah, Newton sampai Einstein dan Zpalanzani, Alvanov, 2005. Analysis of Ragnarok
Relevansinya pada Kebudayaan Kontemporer, Online Phenomenon; A Case Study of
Bandung, Indonesia. Culture involvement and its role in Service
6] Zpalanzani, Alvanov, 2005. Analysis of Markeing on Ragnarok Massive Muli-
Ragnarok Online Phenomenon; A Case player Online Role Playing Game, Thesis,
Study of Culture involvement and its role Sekolah Tinggi Manajemen Bandung,
in Service Markeing on Ragnarok Massive Bandung, Indonesia.
Muli-player Online Role Playing Game
Thesis, Sekolah Tinggi Manajemen Bandung,
Bandung, Indonesia.
[7] Ramadin, Tendy, et all., 2002. Final
Report: Learning From Pokēmon Design
Phenomenon, Desain Komunikasi Visual-ITB
and The Japan Foundaion, Indonesia.
[8] Crawford, Christ, 1982. The Art of Computer
Game Design.
[9] McCloud, Scot, 1999. Understanding Comics
(p.91), Paradox Press, Canada.

References
Crawford, Christ, 1982. The Art of Computer
Game Design.
Hall, Stuart, 1997. Representaion, Cultural
Representaion and Signifying Pracicess,
SAGE Publicaion.
McCloud, Scot, 1999. Understanding Comics,
Paradox Press, Canada.

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