My stay at Aeon was a long and difficult one. Most people who have heard my story asked me one question. "Why did you stick around so long?" Well, "Canada" Bill Jones said it best in the back of a Baton rouge barbershop, losing money hand over fist in a rigged game of Faro. When Bill's buddy George Devol informed him the game was fixed, Bill responded "I know its crooked, but its the only game in town." AeonRO is the last of the major Roleplaying ragnarok servers, surviving more on the players need for a fix than any redeeming qualitites of its own. I stayed as long as I did simply because there was nowhere else to go.
I write this guide partially for the catharsis of it, and partially as a warning to those who wish to join in the future. It is my hope that anyone that reads this post and still chooses to join the server will be better able to navigate the unspoken caste system that I was, and might have a better overall experience than I did. That being said, let us begin.
AeonRO is, as stated in the title of this post, divided by a caste system. While never being explicitly stated, the system becomes apparent and obvious with exposure. At the top, there is the head GM, followed by the RP GMs, Technical Gms, the Chosen, the Powergamers, the Casual RPers, and at the bottom, the Untouchables. One could argue a caste lower than the untouchables, being the banned. While they are no longer accepted in the community as a whole, those who have their bans lifted and choose to rejoin the community find themselves on the lowest level of totem pole, below even the untouchables.
The Head GM, Laggy, is the current owner and head coder of AeonRO. While rarely ever seen or heard from, when he speaks everyone -must- listen. His word is law, and those who find themselves at odds with him will be bounced to the lowest caste overnight, or banned, depending on his mood. While the role of a central leader is essential in most power systems, Laggy seems to fancy himself as God Almighty, showing up and speaking only when the server is in trouble over technical or social issues, or when he himself has been insulted.
The next class, the RP Gms, are essentially the ruling class of the server, acting as the judical and legislative systems for the server as a whole. Changes to the server are voted on by the group of them, with motions being carried out only in case of a majority. This is a fairly typical system of governing a server, but in the case of AeonRO, the GMs are all of a similar mind as to what is good for the community and what isn't, and more often than not what's good for the server is what's good for the RP staff's personal characters. The RP GMs themselves appear to be close to each other, usually speaking with a single voice through a single member, with any conflict between themselves hidden away from the server as a whole to prevent the conflict from spreading to the community as a whole. The reason for this is to prevent a fracturing of the server, as has been seen in Aeon's past.
The next class is the Technical staff, serving to maintain the forums and the ragnarok server itself. For the most part this class remains silent, their posts almost entirely restricted to technical issues and discussion of game mechanics. While they technically have all the powers of the RP GMs, they tend to abstain from voting or voicing opinions about social or RP issues.
The next class are the Elites, or the Gm's Chosen. This is the most obvious of the unspoken classes, and are the only community members that will be raised to GMs, regardless of talent or worth. Each RP GM has one or more Chosen, who act as their personal council, spies, and community organizers. The Chosen usually devote themselves to furthering their patron's plots, and are rewarded with key positions within said plots. The Chosen, along with their patrons, also determine the class of new members. Chosen usually group together in private rooms, once again alongside their patrons, and avoid contact with the lower classes outside RP events. Most major RP plots revolve around the Chosen, or their patron GMs, personal characters. This caste is also the driving force behind community politics. Should a member of a lesser class offend a Chosen, either intentionally or unitentionally, the offender will usually be dropped to the Untouchable Class.
Below the Elites are the Powergamers. These players are the driving force in the actual game, being the most active and skilled Ragnarok players. They usually are the richest, serving as something of a merchant class, driving the IG economy. While the Chosen usually dominate RP, the Powergamers dominate Gameplay. It should be noted that members of this class are the most blatantly exclusive of the castes, forming cliques based around gameplay, with a select few usually deciding the group's actions. There can be some overlap between Powergamers and the Chosen, those players being the most blantant trolls, belittling lesser classes, while enjoying the benefits of a RP GM's protection. If an arguement breaks out in the IRC channel, these members will choose a side, and their followers will act in unison to belittle their leader's chosen target, often bringing ad hominem into what would otherwise be a somewhat civil argument.
The next class are the casual players. They form the majority of the server population, and can occasionally find meaningful RP in and amongst themselves. Casual RPers lack the protection of the higher classes, and must walk carefully lest they be dropped to Untouchable class.
The next class of Aeon are the Untouchables. These players are usually those who have in some way offended someone of Chosen class or higher, though sometimes they are members of an opposed community. Higher classes avoid these players, usually avoiding speaking to them entirely, though occasionaly curt conversation can occur. Any RP requests sent out from an Untouchable are refused or ignored by the higher classes, though rare cases of Casual Player/Untouchable RP have occured. Untouchables are always a moment from being banned from the server, or run off by higher castes. Usually these players will realize their social status, and leave the server entirely, sometimes never joining any other RP community. Should a Member of the Untouchable class mention the caste system the entirity of the server, save for the other Untouchables, will round on them. Any claims of GM Favoritism will be met with a untied front of denial, be it for fear of agreeing with an Untouchable, or to protect their own interests.
Below even the untouchables are the Banned. The Banned could be argued as a subclass of the untouchables really, as there are so very few of them. A Banned is a player who has been banned from aeon in the past, had their ban lifted, and decided to rejoin the community. These players enter the server as the social pariahs of AeonRO, the lowest of the low. Usually the entirity of the server, save for a few of the untouchables, will avoid a Banned at all costs. Usually any comments they make will be met with ad hominem, no matter the content of their words, and their RP experience will be non-existent. Most remain silent, lurking silently in IRC or the OOC room waiting to pounce on newbies as they join in search of some form of social interaction. Some become channel gadflies, commenting on the obvious failing of the server, though no one will openly respond to their comments. In the current administration of AeonRO, speaking with or about a Banned publicly is the worst of taboos, and those that choose to associate with them -will- become Untouchables, there is no doubt about that fact. The only variable is time, in some cases it happens instantly, though sometimes it can take up to a month for the caste change to occur.
Now that I have explained the unspoken castes of AeonRO, I have advice for those who would still join the community. When you join Aeon, you will be a member of the Casual Players Class. From the moment you join the community you have two weeks, give or take, to move up from your class by getting in good with a higher class. Don't expect to be a full fledged member of these castes within your first two week, but instead use that time to introduce and begin the grooming process. Becoming an actual member of the caste you're trying to join can take months to occur, and in the mean time you'll be something of a probationary member. If two weeks go by and you've not made significant progress in advancing in caste, its time to leave Aeon, wait a month, start up a new Gmail account and rejoin under a new name.
If you wish to be a Powergamer, play the game constantly, and try to transcend a character within your first two weeks. Show advanced knowledge of Ragnarok, but don't go overboard. Ask to compare builds with a Powergamer Leader, ask questions, but do not critique their build. Do not patronize Powergamers, or be too obvious in getting close. Talk about experiences on other RO servers, but try to keep the focus on them and not yourself. If you manage to party with Powergamers, stick to your class role and show your mastery of that class, but do -not- outshine the Powergamer Leader. If you truly aspire to become a Powergamer, be prepared to play for a month straight, and then cease playing entirely, save for rare occasions, such as events or the introduction of custom content. Do not approach other Powergamers, and instead take the time to establish yourself as an exceptional player. Wait until your gamer prowess has been recognized, and begin an exchange on the basis of builds, bowing to the Powergamer's "greater" expertise. I don't recommend anyone who hasn't been playing ragnarok consistantly for 2 or more years try to join the Powergamers.
If you want to become a Chosen, then try to get close to a member of of the Chosen Caste, or an RP GM. Respectfully ask to join Chosen or RP GM RP, but do not push the subject if they turn you down. Talk to the RP GMs and Chosen about real life, but try stick to humorous stories. Offer advice about RL issues, but again, do not push the subject if they seem disinclined to listen to your advice. Be a shoulder to cry on, and in the case of Drama, stand up for your selected chosen, or members of your chosen's clique, even if you don't agree with them. Talk about RP constantly, and express admiration for the Chosen's RP Prowess, even if said RP prowess is non-existant. It cannot be stressed enough that you must be subtle in praising them, lavishing them with compliments is too obvious. Instead you should try suggesting things they should try next time you rp with them, but don't push the matter if they don't like your ideas. Suggest things your characters can do together, be humorous, emotocons are a must. Tell stories about past RP experiences, but try and keep the focus on the Chosen or RP GM you're grooming. Express love for the RP GM or Chosen's characters, and try and single out their favorite characters with the most praise. When RPing with a RP GM or Chosen, try to keep the attention of the RP on them, but don't be blatant in your attempts. Avoid playing violent characters, and if your character should find him or herself in a Violent situation, job it. Job it hard, let your character get beat down, let the character get killed even. If your character should die, appear heartbroken, and go to the chosen or RP GM for consoling. Don't show anger, or complain about the situation, just express that you are upset with the outcome. The sympathy you will recieve from the RP GM or Chosen can rapidly accelerate the process of joining their ranks. Again, don't overdo it, don't push RP too much if you are turned down. Avoid contact with Untouchables, and ask about past drama with the Banned -only- if it is mentioned. If you get into a conversation about Banned drama, take the side of the Chosen and RP GMs. Try and affirm their decisions, telling them they were in the right in the situation. I recommend to only try these techniques if you are an experienced role player.
If all of this sounds a touch too dramatic for you, or maybe you simply want to experience all Aeon has to offer, without becoming entrenched in the server as a whole, you have the option of avoiding the caste system entirely. It's as simple as avoiding IRC, and never initiating any actions. Do not start conversations, but instead contribute helpfully. Do not initiate parties, but instead join them, offering your aid in whatever station is most appropriate, while always taking direction from the other party members. Do not discuss other players with anyone. Roleplay when it is offered, or request it from the server as a whole. Join events, but do not outshine any present characters, always taking great care not to ruffle feathers or trod on toes. In this manner, you can float through the current, without getting bogged down by the ever-shifting tides. While you may initially lack the clout of any other class, you might in time earn enough respect to integrate yourself more solidly into Aeon's heiarchy. Unfortunately, this technique will take a long time to perfect, taking several months to years to come to fruition. In my experience, this method has only been succesfully performed once in server history, however said player is almost universally respected within the server.
It should be noted that these cliques and castes are not exclusive to Aeon. The little subdivisions are a reality you will face when joining any social community. However, at Aeon this system has taken center stage, to the point of completely isolating some members, leaving them no room for enjoying their time in the server. This information is, of course, very subjective, collected from my personal experience, and the stories of many former members that were either banned, or left the server of their own volition. I fully expect a barrage of complaints, and the ever present front of denial, from members that have found a niche in the server. It should also be noted that due to the small size of the community, these people are the majority, though most of them fall into the Casual RP class. If you have read this guide and still wish to join Aeon, I wish you the best of luck, and sincerely hope you find your experience there more enjoyable than mine was. Aeon, despite its faults, can be a wonderful community for those fortunate enough to find their place. It is the longest standing Ragnarok RP server for a reason. Those that manage to work their way securely into the community rarely leave. I hope this guide helps you to achieve said end, and that you are able to experience Aeon at its best, as opposed to Aeon from the eyes of an Untouchable.
