SniperAngel

I really don’t know how to start this entry.I fell so sad, disappointed, melancholic, everything. Not your usual tough guy, I’m pulling the tears back. But every time I pull a tear back, it just makes my heart feel heavier.

Maybe I just expected too much. Maybe I just elated myself to the praises and support. Maybe I relied on my own understanding. Maybe it’s not really for me. Maybe.. just maybe.

I don’t know how this entry will go..

Anyway, this is my entry for that one. The rules said it will be a company property but no matter. It is an article of tears, sweat, and at this point, lost hope.

Ragnarok Online: An Immaterial Bond Across the Ages

When Philippine Ragnarok Online launched its Beta Test almost five years ago, it captured the hearts of thousands of gamers all over the country. Not targetting a narrow age bracket, but rather a diverse connection across the ages, from elementary students, to professionals.

The game made almost everything possible. It bridged the distances between friends, became a virtual refuge for stressed employees and even an online hangout for barkadas. It is an instant wonderland, and despite its simple pixilated features it made this divine connection and trend.

The game had its glorious days. There were also bad days and some depressing incidents like the killing of a player for real just for a piece of in-game card and other things like that. But still, we gain friends as we lose some. We have friends whom may have left us but their spirit is still there, and they are with Him watching us from above like Nanatsounomi and Lady Wei. Despite the fact that you do not know these people personally, the feeling of sympathy is there. And you feel sad because that person also plays the game.

Some declare themselves quitters of the game but it’s like a seed that has been planted inside a gamers’ heart, and even in a small way it’s there even if that individual decides to quit or play another game. It will remain dormant, but not dead. It will stay there for a while and wait for the right time to grow again in vigor. There are even more instances that those who quit come back after a few months, because the drive is still there and they just can’t stop playing or paying a visit in-game from time to time. It is because he still has friends playing, or he may be missing something. It may be a spot, or an NPC maybe.

It’s overwhelming to think that if a person has an internet connection and tends to be inclined with games, there is this good chance that he knows Ragnarok Online. He would’ve tried the game, a retired hardcore player, a game fiction writer, or still active. The chances are good that they know the game. Unlike other games that pass through into oblivion easily.

I can remember that cellular phone commercial with a blue ribbon rippling around each other. It is invisible, but its there. It is a bond not tight, because it offers you a choice. But every time you choose, it tends to embrace you loosely and wait for you to come back. It runs through your veins and touches your heart. Addiction? I’d say passion. A passion you can’t stop from coming.

Who’d say Ragnarok Online is just for kids? We have professionals here. Professionals and soon-to-be-professionals, successful businessmen and budding entrepreneurs, computer whiz kids and honor roll students, star athletes and avid gamers. Because it appeals to them dearly.

This game brought us together, online and even for real. It bound players all over the country whatever their beliefs in life are, whatever dialect they speak and wherever they came from.

I can still remember when a player asked me while I was talking to a friend in Prontera. He plays another game, so he asked me what drives me to still play the game even after a long time, even after lots of other options to play. I smiled and replied. This game has a heart. Yes, it may not be as appealing like the games you play, not as flashy and colorful as the skill effects of your warriors. But having a heart, and playing it with soul is priceless, and that’s what matters most. Who needs a flashy, sassy game that cannot be played with a heart? I don’t. I can’t.

I also remembered one time when my mom asked me why Ragnarok Online is in my prayers. Because we’re one big dynamic family here. I may not know the players personally, but we are tied upon closeness even though we are very far from each other and we do not know the others. That there may be a sick player who needs prayers, and comfort. That there may be someone playing, seeking for refuge because of a family problem. That there may be someone who is elated in-game because he is so distressed in his life. Praying for them is a simple yet meaningful token of concern. Besides, He knows our needs more than ourselves.

Ragnarok Online is the most accessible massive multiplayer online game available because of its low PC requirements and its fame. Despite the odds, despite the chances, it is still standing strong and beating alive. Despite the controversies, despite almost everything, we’re still RoKing. Despite the chicksilogs and the mumus, we still breathe alive. And despite the winds of change, we’re still touched and moved by the game that started it all, Ragnarok Online.

I dunno. I can’t even look at his blog. I can’t even stare at the PC in my usual long periods of time. I dunno, must be the chain of sad events these past few days including defeat. Lesson learned: Don’t expect toooooo much. Don’t expect too much SA. Sleep na.