Okay, so what gives? Obviously things work differently here.You're right, they do! This is the world of
Ragnarok Online, and while it's just as real to everyone there as Earth is to you and I, things work somewhat like their game mechanics. Most notably, this is a fantasy-styled world, meaning
magic and mideval weaponry are commonplace. Non-human folks might get regarded as monsters, but as long as they don't attack the humans native to the world, they should be relatively safe.
Wait what? "Relatively" safe?Well, there are jackass humans in this world just like there are jackasses in real life. You might get attacked just for being something not-human, or just for kicks, but for RP purposes people aren't any meaner than they'd be in real life. In addition, if you're willing - and able - to talk, natives will generally be a lot less aggressive to you. Monsters don't talk, after all.
But I'm a Player, how does this work for me?You're in luck! In the fields, you're effectively not there. Monsters won't attack you, and adventurers won't interact with you. The town is essentially a safe-zone, so while adventurers might see you - especially merchants - they won't come after you unless you attack first.
The Toy Factory is a different story altogether.
Alright, so tell me how the Toy Factory works.In the Toy Factory, all bets are off. It's reaper decal'd, meaning that Player, Reaper, and RGer are all on equal footing. The first floor is relatively safe, since most of the monsters there won't attack you, but adventurers might think you've got rare loot, so tread carefully if you aren't human. The second floor is more dangerous - there's aggressive monsters down there. These work similar to Taboo Noise - They will attack
anything they see, so nobody is safe. Fortunately, you do have tools at your disposal.
Firstly, your pins
will work on monsters. These will be treated like magic, and they - like any other supernatural abilities that Reapers and RGers may possess - will drain MP. When you're out of MP, you can't use any of those abilities, and your pins don't reboot. Luckily, MP recovers naturally (albeit at about a third of the rate of your pins' normal recharge time) and if you need a quick boost, there's MP-restoring potions sold in town.
Secondly, the weapon and armor shops ARE available! Weapons work just fine on monsters, including any weapons you might have normally. They don't do as much damage as pins or special powers, but can be used in conjunction with them. For example, a Shockwave pin would do more damage if you were using it alongside a broadsword, and your Pyrokinesis pin will burn things better if you have a staff boosting your magical power. The weapon shops are affordable, being NPC-run, but they'll have lower-quality items than the merchants outside...
You keep talking about merchants. How does that work?In RO, the Merchant job class can set up player-made 'shops' with a selection of their inventory. However, the players choose the price, and the economy in this world is seven flavors of screwed. You'd be lucky to get a steak for anything less than a couple hundred thousand zeny, and powerful weapons will run in the tens of millions if not more.
Every now and then, though, an occasional philanthropist will sell uncommon (or common but useful) items for a pittance - typically, if you find such shops, they'll offer what an NPC could sell - that is, weapons, armor, and potions - but for a fraction of the price. Alternately, they could be selling low-quality foodstuffs (sweets, rice balls, fruit and vegetables) for what is essentially pennies. Such merchants are few and far between, though, because money talks.
For the purpose of WW, all merchants have reaper-decal'd pushcarts, allowing Players to buy from their shops.
Okay, so how does death work in a world with resurrection magic?For RGers, death is just like you'd expect. If someone revives you, you'll be perfectly fine, no harm done. If you aren't revived by the end of the day, then surprise, you get to wake up the next morning in the Reaper's Game!
For Reapers and Players, though, it's a bit rougher. There's a short window immediately after being killed by a monster (or adventurer, for the unlucky) where you can be resurrected - maybe five minutes, give or take. If you're not patched up in that time, you're gone. Kaput. For good, basically Erased.
Be careful, stick together, and for goodness sake,
team up when you go in the Factory.
I wanna farm 100 bear asses. Can I do that?Of course you can! Who are we to deny you what the common folk have? For all intents and purposes, consider this to be a server with high drop-rates and consult
RateMyServer's database for what the monsters in the
Fields and
Toy Factory can drop. Keep in mind that the monsters that are listed as spawning "(instantly)" are the common monsters - anything else is incredibly rare and generally not going to be around. Anything marked "[MVP]" is going to be boss monsters, and as of such will likely be swarmed on and torn apart by the adventurers who are generally More Experienced At This Than You.