1. When will the weapon sprite patch be added?
The exact date for the implementation is not determined yet, there are several other updates that are already in progress in addition to the weapon sprites. Once an update has been received, translated and tested it will be implemented onto the Sakray server for further bug testing.

2. Does the dev team consider adding the position for the guild members and the storage capacity?
The possibility of having the number of guild position names increased will be considered for a future update.
For expanding the amount of items storable within the Kafra storage, again is possible for the future and will be considered for future updates.

- Is the warp portal bug (right now we sometimes can't enter the warps) in the process of being corrected?
All bugs we are aware of through reports and testing are being looked into for correction. This includes the current issue of not being able to walk into warp portals and the dead zones caused by ice walls and in some cases, dead monster cells.

- When will there be a way to transfer zeny between our own characters?
Each character is designed to function as an independent character. The possibility will be considered for an update in the future, however there is no plan for such an update at this time.

- Will there be some events related to levels, like level 30~60 only events?
We are always working on bringing more events that all our players can participate in. We consider every player, be it new or veteran, when we bring new events to Ragnarok Online.

- Can you explain the steal formula?
We can not release specific information regarding in-game calculations, specific builds, skills, tips & tricks or how to advance characters of certain types, etc. Part of the player experience is discovering all the different possibilities within the game. Therefore we do not release certain information that may possibly spoil certain aspects of the game for another player.

- Can you explain more the Weapon Research skill? Does it increase the successful upgrade rate as it seems to?
Again, we cannot give any more additional information about how the technicalities of the in-game workings.

- Do you plan to provide accurate information about the game (monster stats, drop rates, etc) for the players on the official website?
Specific information may or may not be included within the game on the website in the future. Drop rates are another in-game calculation that cannot be disclosed.

3. Can you make it possible to read whispers when disconnected?
When you are disconnected, you cannot receive �gwhispers�h or �gprivate messages�h because you are no longer connected to the servers. However, if you do not have the 1:1 chat windows and wish to review your message history, you can use the F10 key to expand the message window and use the Page Up & Page Down keys to look over your message history.
Please remember that this only will work for those who have not opted to use the 1:1 private chats. The 1:1 Chat windows are not movable once disconnected.

4. To make the client save commands like /aura /noctrl /mineffect /etc when we quit/launch RO?
Game enhancements such as this are always considered for future patches & updates, thank you for the suggestion.

5. When will you stop changing card descriptions for shield all the time? (from -50% damage to -30% damage)
As the game progresses, balancing issues will always be changing the environment of the game. However, with each balance there will always be the possibility of item effect changes. We are merely letting all players see items accurately described.

6. Is there a solution for disappearing items bug?
The majority of items that are reported to have �gdisappeared�h are caused due to user error. This happens from letting go too early when transferring a weapon/item to the hot key bar. One way to avoid such accidents is to keep your equipment window open while hot keying items and weapons.

7. When will you put the res/teleport "nerfs" back?
Much like the weapon sprites, there are many updates we are working on. Once an update has been received, translated and tested it will be implemented onto the Sakray server for further bug testing.

8. Will you solve the agi up bug (the one that makes you slide 3 tiles back)?
Again, all bugs that have been reported are being corrected and will be fixed in due time. The development team and programmers are all very hard working and are doing their best to bring new updates as well as fixes to the common errors that are experienced.

9. Could we have Santa porings / X-mas goblins other than minions for bosses or for special events?
Currently the Christmas monsters are designed for special event use only. It is possible that they will be permanently included into the world of Ragnarok Online. At this time they are only considered to be for special event use.

10. Is it possible to buy elemental arrows on NPC shop?
Certain elemental arrows are available to buy from certain NPC tool dealers. It is possible that more will become available as new cities and updates are implemented.

11. When will we have all the monsters' card (like brilight/alarm/mimic/etc)?
Again, much like the weapon sprites, this type of update will be apart of a future update once translating and testing is completed.

12. Some people still have time gap disconnection problems, and it's not necessary a hardware problem. Are you aware of that and will you solve that problem?
Time gaps are mostly known to be due to hardware. Some computers aren�ft able to handle certain processes or a network being unable to handle data load. It is also possible that some graphical processes can cause problems in certain computer configurations causing delay in displaying current graphics or animations which can in turn make the client wait causing it to become un-synchronized from the server. We are always investigating to help prevent these common situations from happening.

13. Will you change the mvp system according to the poll result?
In light of the response to the poll, the change is being reviewed for consideration.

14. What will the new big update for iRO be?
Currently we are finalizing the translations to Guild Wars and will implement it for bug testing once it has been completed.

15. We've been told about an alternative way for cloth dye. What's the idea precisely? new clothes?
The clothes dying system is still in the process of being perfected. There are many aspects to consider for this update. It is still in progress.

16. Will you implement the day/night system?
This is another update that is being worked on for future implementation.

17. Will the War Of Emperium be arranged in order to satisfy both American and European users?
Currently, War of Emperium content is still under development, at this time we cannot give any specific information regarding its features when it is finalized and implemented. We are taking into consideration all of our International players when we finalize the War of Emperium time tables.

18. Could we have access to other guild chats, the ones which we're allied with?
Guild chat is designed to communicate with only your current guild. However, such an idea will be considered for a future update for alliance chat, thank you.

19. As for now, when we gain exp for guild, we have no skill point (for example, a level 3 guild has 0 skill point). Will the exp guild be deleted when guild skills are implemented or is it a bug?
With the current addition of Guild Wars to the Sakray servers the guild exp and level did remain, and guilds with existing guild levels did receive the skill points pertaining to their level.

20. Is it possible to make a warning when a skill is about to end?
The skill icons are to be used as a reference for the effects of any skill.

21. Is it possible to make safety walls visible when effects off?
There is an additional effect altering command (/mineffect) that may suit your needs.

22. Is the War of Emperium update going to be implemented soon?
Yes, we are currently working towards bringing the Guild War�fs update to the Sakray server for further testing. The exact dates will be announced on the website when known.

23. When approximately will the 2/2nd Jobs be implemented?
Like many other updates, we are working on the implementation as soon as it is fully prepared and ready to be brought to the iRO servers. The process is time consuming and unforeseen issues may slow down its process, however be assured we are working as hard as we can to bring them to the iRO servers. We are just as anxious to see the new experiences they will bring.

24. Are there (any) plans about any reset on iRO?
No, we stated before that we will not be having server wide �groll backs�h unless it is completely unavoidable. Many Individual restorations have been performed from recent events and have since been handled. Reading the current news information posted will always keep our users up to date with what we have currently planned. If there is no mention within the new board, then please disregard it as rumor. Again, we will never resort to a server wide roll back unless it is absolutely and completely unavoidable.

25. Will there be Slotted Sunglasses Event or equally useful quests again on iRO and if so: WHEN? [we are working on quests, amongst other things]
Yes, there will be many more interesting and exciting quests that as time goes on. New items are always a possibility for a finished quest; however the only way to find out is to complete each quest to its end.

26. When will the GM's be in game more often?
The GMs are in game more often then perceived, however being seen isn�ft always the case. We constantly patrol for ill-mannered behavior as well as to investigate reports of 3rd party programs, vending scams and other such ill-mannered activity that may require our presence to witness.

27. Do you have any plans to make those skills useful that are regarded as useless by most players and/or are indeed without any use, like Signum Crucis, Arrow Shower, some of Hunters' trap skills, Slow Poison, Hilt Binding, Decrease AGI or Repair Weapon?
As time progresses and the environment of Rune Midgard changes, many skills may become more useful to others. There are always the consideration of skill power balancing with each new major update, so be aware that what you may consider weak or useless, may in fact turn out to be one of the more useful skills you may wish to use. It all depends on where you hunt and what you fight.

28. Is it true that Gravity Korea provides every update immediately, after it�fs been successfully tested on the kRO Live servers for approximately 1 month, to all their licensed customers/ RO-server hosts?
All updates received from Korean Gravity go through a process before being received by any Ragnarok version. Many factors must be taken into consideration before attempting to implement any new content to any version of Ragnarok. Often times these processes the content goes through are quite time consuming, therefore it�fs possible that different versions of Ragnarok may receive updates quicker then others depending on what needs to be updated for that specific version.

29. Are translations/ localizations for new provided updates to iRO done by Gravity USA or are these already translated in Korea?
The majority of content received from Korean Gravity that requires translating and re-scripting is done internally by US Gravity Interactive.

30. You say you won�ft block any player willing to play on/pay for iRO (now and in the future) from playing on your servers. If that�fs the case, are you going to renounce (your right?) to ask/force other RO-provider to block possible iRO users (regarding their country/origin) from playing on their servers?
We have already stated our position with the current emerging EuRO and the concerns preceding it. We will not be blocking access to our game servers other then those Asian countries that have existing RO services available.

31. Are there any plans to implement a "durability date" for equipment and weapons in the near future, which would make the game more realistic and with it lastingly stabilize the in-game market?
Unfortunately we cannot give any implementation estimates for this feature.

32. Can we have a list of all Status Change Symbols In game and the description? Like Monster ist "blind", "chaos" "provoke" Status and Symbol over the Monster or the Icon Symbol to the right of our Screen.
It is possible that such a list may be created on the new website that is currently undergoing its final design.
Thank you for the in-game suggestion.

33. Weapon Perfection, from the time it's cast, lasts approximately the "correct" time on the caster, but a little less than one second on any other member of the caster's party. Is this intended? If not, should Weapon Perfection affect the entire party or is it intended to be a single-user skill?
If you read the description for �gWeapon Perfection�h you will notice that the skill duration will last as intended for the caster and those who are within the party.

34. Are there any plans to update the new card effects any time soon?
Again, much like many other updates, this type of update will be apart of a future update once translating and testing is completed.

35. Are they ever planning to make a Macintosh version of RO?
It is possible that such a version could be made in the future, however currently we are focused on the PC platform for the current users which enjoy Ragnarok Online.

36. Might gravity ever make it so when you wear different armors, you SEE changes in your appearance?
Thank you for the game suggestion, such ideas as these are already in consideration for future updates and implementations. (clothes dye, weapon sprites, etc)

37. Is the party system always going to be designed so that the leader is always the same no matter what?
Future updates may change the way parties are formed once the leader deserts his party. No plans have been set for anything game change that would affect this.

38. Will "RoPle" (http://www.rople.net) and the "RO Shop" (http://www.roshop.co.kr/) ever be available to the international/English speaking community? (The second part is a repeat, but I'm wondering if the status has changed)
Seeing the increase interest in Ragnarok Merchandise, we will consider ways that our international Ragnarok Online players may purchase the Ragnarok Online merchandise.

39. What is the status of the jointly Korean-Japanese produced "RO Anime"? It supposed to be released in the target markets of Korea and Japan in the first quarter of 2004, but when will it be localized/released in English for the international community? Also, will this apply to the manga as well when it is authored?
This is currently under development and we have no set release date to announce as of yet. When it becomes available it will be announced publicly and made available through certain Medias.

40. Are there any plans to release the other (new) Gravity MMPORG "Requiem" through Gravity Interactive? Or is it only for the South Korean market?
It is possible, however at this time we are unable to give any details concerning future plans for new releases due to the fact these games are still in their early stages of development.

Well, there you have it. Not every question may have been answered in the full amount of detail as the submitter may have intended, but the next Q&A session would be a good time to ask for a clarification. As usual, keep a look out in the forums for any updates.

In the mean time, we have partial approval from Gravity to finally post the article from my visit to the Seoul, Korea Gravity headquarters office. We have approval from Gravity Interactive LLC, but it still isn't clear if things are okay with the HQ people. Nevertheless, the article will be released one section at a time, as it's very long and needs to be formatted into HTML. In other news along those lines, we've been making some subtle changes to the way that the site looks. At the very least it should be noticeable that all the old site format pages (the MS Windows XP blue version) have been redone into the current version, and the majority of the pages have now been revamped with internal "windows" with titles. Once the appearance of the site is finally universal, we'll be working hard to get the databases up to date.

The Library of Prontera IRC Channel

Please respect your fellow channel residents - members are located in various countries so channel activity may be subject to variable conditions.

We are also doing incremental upgrades to the site, up to and including the databases and Gravity information. In the mean time, we hope to start carrying a few items from the official RO Shop at the Library of Prontera in order to take some of the edge off hosting fees as well as to get more and better prizes for contests.

Now for official information (question and answer format) from the Gravity Interactive (LLC) offices in California:

1. About the loot system, usually the first fighter who hits a boss will be the one who will be able to loot the item, even he did only one hit, but the first one ! (since he gets a 30% rate bonus in the loot system). Example: Player A, a nice thief in Hidden Temple, is sniping Baphomet with Throw Stone once. He has 30% in the loot system rank. Then 3 hi-level people come to kill Baphomet, and share 70%. They have each other around 23% in the loot system rank. The first player, the little thief, who threw only one stone to Baphomet, will be the first to be able to loot. Will you change that in the future ? Don't you think you should use the MVP system rank for the boss items loot ? This 30% bonus has been made 2 years ago to give a bonus to any tanker on any normal monster if it happens he is KS. This is a nonsense on "free-for-all" bosses.

A mathematical based structure will always fall prey to exceptional incidents outside of closed conditions, be they friend, guild, party companions or rivals who are all after the same MVP. For the most part, the typical player who begins the MVP conflict, is there for the long run as an active participant throughout the battle, and is deserving of the reward as is reflected in the above stated system, which is also our intention. Please understand that Gravity does not disclose game structure information to disarm would-be exploitation, and to avoid incidents such as the extreme situation stated above.

2. Will there be a Most Valuable Party/Guild system?

Currently we do not have any plans to implement such a feature; we will however accept your question as an in-game proposal.

3. Now some attitude in bosses hunts. Just say if these acts are considered ill-mannered or not:

- Using the "Play Dead" skill only to loot any items around a boss.

The intent of the "Play Dead" skill is to allow young novice players a slight advantage when leveling their characters. Any other use of the skill to exploit MVP drops,etc is considered ill-mannered if the character does not actually participate in the battle.

- Icewalling a boss with the players around (like the tanker).

Icewall is designed to be used as a defensive skill. Many players use the skill in an offensive means to kill normal monsters, which for most cases is fine. When it�fs used during an MVP battle as on offensive skill it tends to not allow others a chance to participate with the MVP battle. If the skill prohibits others from having a chance to join in the fight the skill is then used as an abuse. The FFA statement does not mean that absolutely anything goes. Ill-manner rules still apply, aside from kill stealing. We do ask that players show courtesy towards others at all time and we hope that the community would work together when fighting MVP Bosses.

- Using Dead Branch fighting a boss to annoy any other player.

Dead Branches are designed to throw some excitement into any scene. We ask that players refrain from using dead branches during MVP fights for obvious reasons. The use of dead branches in excess to intentionally harm another player is regarded as ill-manner for normal situations. The use of dead branches in towns is not regarded as ill-mannered, but we do not allow the use of dead branches during MVP battles.

- Training some monsters to any other player fighting a boss to annoy him.

Mob training goes beyond the gathering of monsters in a pack to gain experience in a faster means. Training monsters is against the in-game regulations. Training monsters to kill players or distract them from participating in the MVP is not tolerated.

- Using Warp Portal on any other player fighting a boss.

To warp players without consent for any reason is skill abuse. There is no reason as to why a player with the warp skill should warp another player during battle. This is regarded as skill abuse.

-Using splash damage from a boss to kill another player.

The use of a monsters splash damage to intentional kill other players during an MVP battle is considered mob training. Players have to be aware of the fact that MVP Bosses do cause splash or area damage so anyone close to a monster has a possibility to receive damage, the players also have to be aware by intentionally using the MVP Boss to kill others is ill-mannered.

4. Are mini-bosses free for all?

Well let's actually break down what exactly a mini-boss is, shall we? "Mini-bosses" are considered monsters that have longer spawn in times then average monsters. These "Mini-bosses" do not have similar traits to MVP monsters other then the possible size of the monster and HP/Damage difference from common monsters. The term "Mini-bosses" and the monsters associated with them were created by the iRO community. The game itself does not include any monster with an official title of "Mini-boss". Therefore this should explain why there has not been any official statement regarding "Mini-bosses" being free for all. "Mini-bosses" technically do not even exist, it is simply a term created by the community of iRO and it has been around for so long it's become a standard. Now taking into consideration "Mini-bosses" are non-existent other then in the iRO community, all ill-mannered activity while battling these monsters do in fact apply. Since there is no limitation to who decides what is and is not technically a "Mini-boss" in the community, "Mini-bosses" will remain non free for all. We hope users will understand that we cannot create monsters traits based on their idea of the monster, simply from the fact one person definition of a "Mini-boss" may be different then someone else's.

5. What do you consider as mini-bosses?

The term mini-boss would generally mean a lesser summon of a boss. Because there is no built system for mini-bosses within the structure of iRO there has always been confusion regarding what is or is not a mini-boss. With relation to iRO the term mini-boss was created by the community. We accept it as a common term for specific monsters, but because it�fs not an official part of the game structure there is no way to specify what is or is not a mini-boss.

6. Why not doing a skill reset for the players that have an old character and do not want to erase their high level char because of the skill modifications?

Character development and game play is regarded differently by many players. Some try to achieve the Uber-Soldat (Super Soldier) while others choose to play their archtype/alter-ego character regardless of the stat and skill based system. Players can also be found who enjoy a greater challenge such as the super novice or by selecting abnormal attributes for their intended class. The character creating process and learning curve are all part of the same game playing experience. And players up until recently have learned to accept their stat and skill decisions as final. There is a lot of time and effort invested in achieving a character of high level. Players who have worked hard for their specific builds are cheated of their efforts by reset type of events. We are also aware that by some accident some players have misplaced a skill, but by no means does it warrant a server wide skill reset when you consider the damage potential to those people who have spent many hours to create their specialized character build. At the heart of the matter are the players who are demanding such an event are those who feel that they have lost something from their character. Such skill related changes are implemented to ensure game play balance.

7. Will you create quests giving exp upon completion?

There is always a possibility of new creative content being added to iRO. However we do not have an official confirmation on certain content, any implementation of new content will always be announced officially on our website.

8. Did you schedule many surprising events in the future ?

This is always possible, generally it depends on the users response to certain events we hold. Not every event we plan is implemented however, as there are issues that must be considered in order to not disrupt the in-game economy and normal gameplay.

9. Can iRO get the weapon-sprites earlier than KRo? (regarding the update timeline)

Our update timeline can and has changed due to update limits and user responses. We have no current plans to alter our timeline, but it�fs always an open topic and changes might occur. We do not announce our timeline or update schedule until we are ready for the update, this ensures that we keep some surprises for the users as well as allows us to alter the timelines or move the scheduled updates to better fit our community.

10. There are rumors about 3rd Job classes, like Assassin > Ninja. Is it true?

We are focusing on the 2-2 jobs that have yet to come to iRO. As with any future update, until it is officially announced and prepared for implementation, a project can and will be revised, re-written and delayed while other updates take precedence.

11. When will the 2-2 job class come to Iro?

All updates and plans for future additions to iRO are still being worked on. We can not confirm these plans until they are finalized and we are certain the updates will be implemented.

12. Have you plans for x-mas ?

Possibly, although we do not have any official information at this time.

13. There is a Ro-Fan shop for Korean delivery, is there a chance to get the merchandise articles as well or you plan a Ro-Fan shop with international service?

We are aware of the growing interest in Ragnarok's unique style of merchandise. We are under consideration about this matter.

14. Who has composed the Ragnarok Online soundtrack ?

As noted on the Download section of the website under 'etc' > 'eRO Music Files' The themes were written by SoundTemp, the BGM composing team of 'Ragnarok' and 'Arcturus'.

iRO GM Team
Gravity Interactive, LLC.

As usual, if you have any specific questions that are relevant to the game (and haven't been addressed already), please post your questions in the appropriate forum on the message boards and we'll see about getting them to Gravity. Also - for the curious - the Gravity/Ragnarok Online online shop is located here: RO Shop. They do not currently ship outside of the country, but the products are generally available in Japan in store-fronts. Be on the lookout for out next contest - we'll have some available as prizes.

Maybe we will go on without any problems at all, just don't freak out if you suddenly can't enter. No biggie!

Okay everyone! These are the news for today!

Godspeed, Pronterians!

Thank you, iRO GM Team, Gravity Interactive LLC.

Okay everyone! These are the news for today!

Godspeed, Pronterians!

=============================================

1. Will you provide stats/skill reset with Comodo?

- There is no planned stats/skill reset with comodo or in the future.

2. Will you provide a list of things will change with the Comodo patch?

- Yes, all new features included in Comodo will be added to our website, this will include information regarding Comodo, along with all the updates.

3. Actually the gap between kRO and iRO if 8 months. Even if we can't hope to be updated the same month than kRO, do you consider to reduce this gap later?

- Considering the time between the two releases, iRO is gaining on kRO dramatically. Of course given the amount of compatibility issues when translating and configuring certain aspects of kRO into iRO, we would say that iRO is not far behind kRO at all. We would like to release specific content bug free and fine tuned enough to prevent users from feeling as though we have rushed the content just to be up to date with other versions of Ragnarok.

4. We still see many obvious bots running in well-known maps like Ant Hell or Geffen dungeon during many days. Will you try to do more bots hunt?

- Wecurrently monitor for bots consistently. Even if a particular bot is not removed at one time, it will eventually be caught and permanently suspended. Its only a matter of time and area coverage.

5. You have published recently the list of banned users. Will you do this every week from now ?

- As of yet there is no designated dates for posting our suspended accounts. We will however being doing this periodically to reassure users we are hard at work ridding iRO of bots, ill-mannered, etc.

6. Wll pets ever do anything more than sit there and look cute (battle and such)?

- The pet skills are currently being developed. The idea for pets will be to make them as much of a realistic pet as possible in a RPG world.

7. When will Comodo come out?

- Comodo release date will be posted on our website. We are working on getting this update to the server as soon as we can.

8. What's the next patch going to be?

- We are currently working on Comodo. This will be the next big update for iRO.

9. Will there ever be more hotkeys?

- There is currently no plans for increasing the amount of hotkeys, although a possible update in the future.

10. Will the level and stat caps ever be removed or increased?

- There are no plans for removing the level 99 cap or increasing it.

11. If we get banned, can we please receive an email for the reason?

- Well this depends if your planning on being banned. Our EULA/TOS states that at anytime without reason or explanation we can suspend your account. We urge users to read this agreement. Although accounts using modified clients, bots, etc often have invalid account information, therefore it defeats the automation email processes purpose.

12. Talking about MVP, what does it really mean the term "Free For All"? It means that if you are controlling the MVP with your skills can come any other player like a fire-pillar wizard and kill it? Or it means that people cant claim as owners the re-spawn territories of the MVPs?

- Well the definition for free for all, is free for all. It means exactly what it says, no holds bard winner take all, every man/woman for them selves. No one owns the monster, therefore anyone can wait for it, anyone can attack it. We hope this will influence players to organize parties and possibly form teams within the iRO community.

13. What are subGMs for? What can we ask/report them? Would there be bilingual ones?

- SubGM's monitor in-game, answer email reports, monitor fan-sites, and numerous other activities. There are certain things that you can ask them regarding rules about iRO, and our terms of services. Releasing personal information regarding Gravity employees or in game help is against our policies. SubGM's do most of the work and are under-appreciated by the head GM's, like have you ever seen that Indiana Jones movie with the kids held in the slave labor cave? picture the SubGM’s being the rocks, the SubGM's being the children, and the GM's being the guards. Its really bad, matter of fact I haven't seen light for 5 days, I haven't eaten, and if I'm caught giving out this information I will be beaten. Help me Indy...

14. We like events like ice-cream, slotted sunglasses but, there could be more events with user-GM interaction?

- We are considering to add many GM/User calibration events in the future, although dates have not been determined.

15. We've seen new slotted accessories in other RO versions, like belts and armlets, would we have them at iRO?

- A number of ideas are in development, there is a strong possibility that these features will be implemented in the near future.

Thanks.

Christy
Head GM of the international Ragnarok Online
Gravity Interactive LLC.

============================================

Well, this is the last batch of the whole news combo I had with questions regarding the whole iRO background and Comodo thingies. We're getting nearer to kRO by the day, having new things and new stuff for all of us to experience!

Godspeed, Pronterians!

The text has been left as is, just mere editing the spaces and making it fit correctedly all in all for you all to read. If you have any comments, PM me at our forums! I'll be more than glad to help you out on any doubt you might have. Let us begin!

=============================================

1. A sub game-master said in-game that it is planed to implement the Comodo patch this year. Is this true ?

- This incident relates to our official announcement stating that all official announcements are posted on our website. Any information regarding updates, patches, added content, etc outside of official announcements is not confirmed by the iRO GM team. Issues that are not posted on our website for all users to view is not confirmed or official.

2. What are you going to do against hack-attacks against Gravity and the iRO-Players and how does Gravity help the players, which are already been hacked?

- Hack attempts against any version of Ragnarok are taken very seriously. We take measures to configure our servers to be as secure as possible without completely disabling players from being able to access the game. Of course no game in existence is 100% secure, regardless of what is rumored iRO game servers are very secure compared to other MMORPG's. Weekly maintenance also helps us find possible vulnerabilities in our server structure, although we cannot get into specific details about our current structure, I can assure you we see security as a extremely high priority, and we are taking every step possible to ensure players a stable environment. Hacking issues with players in iRO is no less important then the stability and security of our servers. We take hacked account reports with the same level of importance, each hack claim is investigated in a number of areas and are dealt with depending on the particular case or situation. Since hacking or unauthorized account activity is important to us, we had no alternative other then to enforce a rule against falsified hacked accounts/characters, etc.

3. The count of active playing people went down in the last month, why?

- This isn't really a factual question, our number of users, or legit users rather has increased by a large number. Which makes us even happier to say the number of illegal or illegitimate accounts had decreased dramatically. This includes players using 3rd party programs, modified clients, bots, and exploit utilities.

4. Are all, or most of the Cards going to work in "Comodo patch" ?

- Not answered due to spoiler possibility.

5. When will you implement the Stat and Skill Reset NPCs?

- At this time there is no plan to implement a stat or skill reset NPC.

6. How many members does GM-Team of Gravity Inc. consist of at the moment?

- Cannot Disclose this information due to privacy policies. Gravity Interactive is a large company always expanding and add new members to our staff.

7. What exactly is done for the security of the gameserver as well as the databases? (Firewall, IPlogger, etc.)

- We cannot release information concerning the structure of our servers, for security reasons.

8. Wouldn't Gravity Inc. be able to give a small report about the game, like every 2 days? (Stability of every server, usercount for the servers, account-count, status of transcription/implementation of new features)

- This may be a future possibility, but with out current priorities we really cant confirm as to what the future will bring regarding information features simply because its unpredictable.

9. Are there ANY intentions to open new international branches of Gravity during the next 2 years? (Europe, Australia)

- The global market of Ragnarok is increasing at a relatively fast rate, we have contacted major gaming companies in a number of countries, it more or less comes down to what we can and cannot be provided for us, and weather or not its in the best interest of Gravity.

11. Will there be fiscal reports to the gaming industry about the ongoing of Gravity Inc.?

- Possibly, however as previously stated, unless policy issues do not become a concern we don't foresee any marketing or budgeting aspects in our plans for public consumption. At this point in time our main priorities reside on iRO alone, we are more concerned with the current state or iRO then monthly budget estimates.

12. How often exactly do you backup the Databases on the servers? (Regaining the maximum rollback time possible after a complete hardware failure)?

- We back up all our server databases everyday in different time increments. Maximum rollback time isn't predictable, it depends on the damage at the time, which hardware is having problems if any. Weekly maintenance helps us prevent these problems from occurring before hand.

13. Do you have a more or less strict timeplan for the forthcomming of iRO?

- This depends what you consider the forthcoming, if its in regards to new added content, then yes we have a very strict time line.

14. How do you stand all those people complaining about comodo, new job classes etc., even though you already gave those answers and are working on it, or if these features even haven't been fully implemented in kRO?

- We are working hard on implementing Comodo, we know allot of users are highly anticipating it, so the speculations and opinions of users is understandable. However we want to make sure we do not release Comodo prematurely to prevent any problems that could keep players from having a great experience with the new content.

15. When do monsters start using skills?

- This hasn't been determined yet. There are allot of balance issues, etc to analyze before making a final decision as to a implementation date.

16. Will there be any more reset(Char/Item/Zeny reset) ?

- There are not any planned at the moment. However there is always a possibility in regards to our test server Sakray, numerous features are implemented on to Sakray before adding them to Chaos and Loki.

17. When will iRO be protected from bots like kRO?

- This is a rather common misconception, iRO is no different from kRO in regards to 3rd party exploits, bots, and modified clients. However, this doesn't necessarily mean the amount of accounts using these programs are the same in kRO.

18. Is there a new homepage(new Design) gravity is working on ?

- Yes, there are a number or different designs currently being worked on. Though no decision has been made as far as which one to use.

19. When does the Clothes Colour will be start? (dyes)

- There are currently no set dates or plans for adding the Clothing Dye feature.

20. Does gravity makes flats for iRO? (where player can live in)

- User owned houses in-game are currently not in development. Future Guild features such as Guild Wars and Guild Territories are in development and being worked on.

21. Can u change the monster-spawning-algorythm so it cant spawn directly in a player?

- The monster spawn algorithm does not spawn monsters directly on players, although a monster can spawn right next to a player, this is part of the game features. Monster spawns are random to keep players on their toes at all times.

22. Can you Change the Spawns of MVP and Mini-Boss Monsters !? Most of them Spawns in the same place and every 1 hour. They must randomly spawn and not every hour(all between 30-60minutes).

- Most MVP Boss spawns are random. Those few that are not random will have large enhancements with the comodo patch. Users will notice a difference in the MVP Bosses, making them more of a challenge.

24. When will merchants and Blacksmithes be able to gain some EXP while Vending?

- This feature is in development, but currently does not have a specific time or date of arrival.

25. Will there be a possibility of beeing Gamemaster or subGamemaster without living in their rooms? Just like a home GM.

- More then likely not. SubGM's and GM's have an extremely large amount of responsibilities. Therefore it is impossible to handle certain tasks outside of the office environment.

============================================

Okay everyone! This is the first batch of a whole pack of news... more to come soon!

Godspeed, Pronterians!

So, what's new around the whole RO universe? Well, it seems that iRO's getting updated with lots and lots of new stuff for everyone of us to enjoy! Plus, sources say kRO has gotten brand new animations, new NPC's (animated as well), new weapon graphics for when you're holding or attacking with 'em and a whole bunch of stuff around, changing and improving the whole gaming experience Ragnarok Online has already given us. Let's hope iRO gets all those sweet things soon enough and share the happiness our brothers and sisters at kRO are now experiencing!

Okay everyone! I hope you enjoyed my first news flash. More to come soon! Godspeed, Pronterians!

In other news, we are proud to welcome message board member Seia as our new official news person. Once everything is settled from the move, she should be making an appearance here. Everyone wish her luck!

Frequently asked Questions for not receiving your email:

Q) I am using hotmail, yahoo, aol, msn, or another mailing service that uses a spam filter, why did I not receive my password via Email?

A) If you are using an email provider which provides spam protection please check the folder into which your spam is re-directed into (i.e. Jung Mail Folder, Spam Folder). You may also allow our address on your junk email allowances list for future notices.

Q) I have changed my email address and have not updated your data base, how can I change my email address to my current address and receive my new password?

A) Please send us an email with either your Credit Card(used at registration) number minus the last four digits or an attached file of the receipt received from pay-by-cash via email. Along with this information, please include your account name, your old email address and the new email address you wish to change.

Q) Why is my new password not working, I get the incorrect password message?

A) Be sure and verify that you are indeed using the password number and NOT the cerifcation number. The certication numbers can not be used for password use.

Q) None of the above apply to me, What should I do?

A) Please send us another mail through the GM Mailing service with a description of your problem and a request for your new password including your Credit Card(used at registration) number minus the last four digits or an attached file of the receipt received from pay-by-cash via email.

Please follow these instructions if you have not received your password. Also, try not to send more than one e-mail on any particular issue - if the volume of the e-mail multiples they are being sent is reduced, it will help them deal with individual problems more efficiently.

Jewels, Gemstones and Ores

Finally, the Library of Prontera is also in the process of adding a few more members to our staff in order to keep our news and databases up to date. Selection and appointment should be completed in a week or so. Thanks to everyone out there for your patience.

iRO GM Team Recruitment

Hello this is iRO GM Team.
Gravity Interactive LLC(USA branch of Gravity corporation) is
looking for well-experienced full-time SubGMs.
Please check the following qualifications and send your cover letter and MS Word resume with desired salary via peterkang@gravity.co.kr.

Qualifications for Full-time SubGMs
1)Must be available to work in the office.
(Gravity Interactive LLC is located Marina Del Rey,CA USA)
2)We require applicants to have good stamina
and the willingness to work long graveyard shifts.
3)We require applicants to have a flexiable schedule.
4)Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, along
with high proficiency in basic computer skills, are essential.
3)Bilingual capability of English along with
Korean/Spanish/German/French is a benefit.
4)At least 6 months experience in a similar field is a
major benefit, but is not required.
5)A positive abd active attitude along with willingness to share
and accept ideas with other team members is necessary.
6)The ability to fultill a year basis, regular employee contract,
with three months work probation, is required.
7)Target Starting Date : As soon as possible
*We do not support the sponsership for working visas.
*We do not support relocation.

1. Gravity is in the process of setting up their US offices in L.A., California. They are planning to make this a semi-separate organization from the S. Korean offices and are planning on taking on local employees (native English speakers) for GM and tech support staff. They will make an announcement when they are prepared to hire. In addition to this, they are planning to publish and support iRO completely on their own (no US or European game company assistance).

2. There will be a Ragnarok Online anime and manga series which will be marketed in S. Korea and Japan first, and then may be released in the United States and other Western countries later. Production team location and chosen director information is not available for release at the moment. Gravity plans to completely divorce iRO from the "Ragnarok: Into The Abyss" (ed. thanks Balthasar) comic book currently released in English by TokyoPop and make a series similar to the .Hack series available from Bandai.

More information will be available later after approval.

As usual, please make any inquiries through the Forums or the Contact page if you have any questions or comments.