Norse Mythology?

[Donovan]

Okay, this has been bugging me for a long time. Ragnarok Online is supposedly based off of Norse Mythology, but I see very few things relating to it. Granted, the game is called Ragnarok, the "final destiny of the Gods", and the world is called Rune-Midgard. And yes, there's Yggdrasil, the Tree of Life. Other than that, the only other things are the bloody statue of Odin in Prontera, the names of the guild castles, and a few items. Where the hell is the Norse Mythology? I see traces of it, but I mean, bloody hell, one of the MvPs is Thanatos, who is not Norse, but infact, the Greek embodiment of death.

I'll point out some stuff:

First off, most of Rune-Midgard is green forest, green plains, or desert. Norse Mythology is North Germanic(Iceland, Scandanavia, Finland, etc. etc.), all of which were mostly ice. The only icey city/area in RO is Lutie, which is the Land of Christmas. Yes, Christmas is in fact a Pagan holiday, and Norse Mythology is Germanic Paganism, but Christmas didn't exist in the North Germanic areas.

Second, Prontera has a church... A church whose religion looks to be Christianity based. All I have to say is: What the hell?

Third, a majority of the towns are based off of Asian countries(Louyang, Payon, Amatsu). The closest town to being based off of Norse Mythology is Niflheim(r), which in RO is City of the Dead. Niflheimr in Norse Mythology is the realm of the element of Ice. The actual "underworld" or "city of the dead" is Hel/Niflhel. And speaking of Hel, why was Thanatos used instead of Hel? Wouldn't that make more sense for something Norse-based, instead of using the Greek personification of death?

There's a lot more I could point out, but I think you all get the gist of it. Can someone try to explain to me where Gravity went with this?

[Hutchy]

I think they did what most people do when inspired by something - they took *elements* of it. They didn't make the entire game RAGNAROK NORSE LAND OF ODIN AND RUNES AND STUFF ONLINE, they pepper little bits in here and there, taking what they thought could work for them *and* for the world they were creating.

[Donovan]

That's pointless then. Why call something (whatever)-based/inspired, but add only add a smidgen of the thing it's based off to it? That'd be like World of Warcraft, being a Warcraft-based MMO, being a cyber-punk world, and the only thing that comes from Warcraft is the name of the lands, and perhaps a Night Elf or two thrown in.

I don't like when someone calls my omelet a pizza because it has cheese and meat in it.

[Orange]

They thought "hey that name sounds cool"

[Sanin]

Same reason Bleach is called as such.

Do YOU see heavy influence of laundry in that?

Granted, it'd be fun to go up against a giant f*** Wolf-thing capable of eating the sun, or a giant underwater serpent that circles the entire earth...

Either way if we had gone the way of the name there wouldn't be such things as Practically The Entire Third Class, Gunslingers, Ninjas, or Soul Linkers.  We wouldn't be Knights or Crusaders, just straight up angry Vikings smashing everything and being angry about smashing things they smashed.

And I for one will be sad if the Kafra Corporation was not in effect.


Oh, and we'd all have beards.

[bleu]

Actually Ragnarok Online is based off a manhwa series called Ragnarok, by Myung-jin Lee.

[Green]

There's also the many items that refer to the Norse dieties.


There is also Moscovia, which is based on more.. Slovanic stories and monsters, but are still.. closer in geography than Asia and the such.


Hel probably wasn't used, because RO didn't want to do a woman that was half young, and half old and decaying. =\

[soki]

Third, a majority of the towns are based off of Asian countries(Louyang, Payon, Amatsu)

I'd say it's because Ragnarok was made in Asia(Korea) so i'm not suprised that some
of it's Towns are based off Asian Countries/Culture

[LiteX]

Third, a majority of the towns are based off of Asian countries(Louyang, Payon, Amatsu)

I'd say it's because Ragnarok was made in Asia(Korea) so i'm not suprised that some
of it's Towns are based off Asian Countries/Culture

Prontera= Medieval European town
Geffen= Medieval Europe
Izlude= Medieval Europe
Al-de-Baran= Medieval European town center
Morocc= Egypt
Comodo= Las Vegas in a cave
Alberta= Medieval European Port
Hugel= Western Village
Einbroch= USA around the industrial revolution
Lighthalzen= USA
Juno= Medieval Europe
Rachel= Middle East
Veins= India
Nifleheilm= Halloween
Umbala= Africa
Lutie= Christmas
Payon= Korea
Amatsu= Japan
Kunlun= China (Art-based)
Louyang= China (Military-based)
Ayothaya= ...dunno, but it has buddha statues in it's dungeons
Moscovia= Russia
2 New World Towns= Dunno, but they seem fantasy-based then RL based to me

In other words, RO locations is like a giant blender

[Green]

Einbroch = Classic Steampunk.
Light is probably similiar, too.

[bleu]

Einbroch = New Jersey

[SilverStream~]

New Jersy = wannabee New York


unrelated;

New York = wannabee York(from europe)

York = wannabee Jord

Jord = original settlements stuff in norway, waay old.

[Pandora]

They probably assume most of their player based aren't knowledgeable about norse history, mythology and whatnot, of course they're wrong and the sprinkling of various culture,legend,etc. hasn't escaped our notice.

[A92FL0163]

GLOBAL PROJECT, f***, DO YOU KNOW IT?

[Loki]

I'm Norse.