[HR] AriesRO - LOW RATE SERVER

[HonestReviews]

AriesRO - Low Rate [50/50/30]
Server Emulator: eAthena [Version Unknown]
Client Type: X-Ray Client by Meruru
Server Classification: Low Rate/Partial Customization [Mostly Graphical]

Services:

[X] Website
[X] Forum
[ ] IRC
[X] Control Panel
[ ] Other

Forum Activity Level: Very Low

Link to RMS Review:
http://ratemyserver.net/index.php?page=detailedlistserver&serid=1866&url_sname=AriesRO%20-%20Aries%20Ragnarok%20Online

Information:
- Max Stat: 255
- Max Base/Job Level: 150/5
- Max Base/Job Level (ADV): 150/90
- Drop Rates adjusted by LUCK

Average User Count: 15~25

Command List:

@go @mi @ii @whodrops @autoloot
@changegm @pettalk @homtalk @at
@partyrecall @duel @request /w
/showname

Customization List:

[X] Headgears
[ ] Weapons
[ ] Items (Consumables/Cards/etc)
[X] NPC
[X] Quests
[ ] Monsters
[ ] Gameplay Modifications
[ ] Emulator Modifications
[ ] Unique Material/Content (Original Sprites/Music/Artwork/etc)
[ ] Other

* Customizations:

Headgears:
- Adjusted stats to choice headgear from default item database
--> Custom Quests for these headgears exist
-?ing??equipment for bonus stats
--> These are the wings which appear in many current servers
NPC:
- Mainly custom headgear quest NPCs and various shop NPCs
Quests:
- Custom quests are all mostly for headgears

Registration:

Registration is open to public and can be done through their official Control Panel.

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Editor's Notes:

This server review was compiled based on a solid full week of play, exploration, and digging into content with some surveying of players. Unfortunately, our survey was cut short due to problems with some community members so there was a need to reevaluate our thoughts on the overall friendliness.

We have decided to post this review in advance instead of adding it to our large database of server reviews to release as a guide for IRC users since there was a bit of distrust in our credibility of gathering review material. It is only in our best interest to provide an unbiased review with adequate information to help present the server more accurately. Reevaluation of certain topics does not mean we lower the rating. It simply means that we provide additional information and opinion from a player standpoint.[/i]

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Server Stability: 9
Server Availability: 10


The uptime and stability of this server is what one would expect to see during times of heavy population such as WoE and during the very wee hours in the morning. The server was always available and there was never a need to worry if it would suddenly go down or fail to come up after a sudden disconnection.

We feel this marks it as being dedicated.


Community Friendliness: 8.5

The overall community is great for the most part. You have your veteran players, your up and coming players, and then your new players. When we went into the server, we were happily greeted and helped by a handful of warm community members. People were quick to guide us to the essential NPCs and give us directions to important locations regarding special services on the server.

Unfortunately, our surveying individual gathering more insight information on player's thoughts and opinions and their relation with the GMs was cut short when we finally did have a run in with someone who was very suspicious of us. They continued to show rude behavior and aggressively cornered our surveyor. We had to pull her out once we saw her being over-interrogated. The surveyor continued to apologize but it proved not to matter.

While we hold no grudge against this happening, we have begun to doubt whether or not there are more aggressive players such as this individual in the existing community. Such players tend to bring server drama because of their attitude towards others. What was more displeasing was that although other players were at the scene, nobody came to help or break apart the dispute leading us to believe that others were also in doubt and not very willing to trust new players.

We feel you should take caution in how you present yourself and be sure you are ready to go as far as providing a signed permission slip from your parents saying that you really are who you are.

The community is still very embracing in our eyes and we feel it is something to look forward to.


Community Eventfulness: n/a

Unfortunately, we were unable to experience any form of event on this server during our time so there is no information on this.


Game Master Friendliness: 9
Game Master Helpfulness: 8.5
Game Master Availability: 5

There are 4 game masters at this server however the main GM is usually the only one online most frequently. He tends to AFK often as he is a very busy individual but he is very well mannered, has adequate knowledge about the emulator and the game, and most importantly, he is all ears. GM Marl exhibits quality traits expected of a server GM and knows how to tend to his community.

Our reason for not giving a higher rating is because there are 4 total GMs on this server and we honestly have to say there was not a time when we saw the other three. However, they have two additional GM assistants who are just normal players without any GM access. They help relay player thoughts and requests to the GMs. This is something we felt was a great idea since it creates a communication bridge between players and the GMs. The assistants are powerless in terms of access however they are an excellent source for information.


Gameplay Economy: 5

This server is still only 6 months old. It is continuing to grow everyday so the economy will take more time to shape itself. Custom headgears however hold potential to hurt the market and also the overall balance of the server. Since the customization is only partial and not that abundant, there is still lots of uncertainty as to how the economy will continue to flow especially due to the drops by luck. All items have a minimum drop rate of around 5% for virtually anything with the right stats.


Gameplay Guild Competition: 7.5

Guild competition is active here. If you are looking for some casual WoE, then look no further. If you are more into high competition and heavy emphasis on team work, you might want to keep searching. This is subject to change however since the population is still growing.


Gameplay Class Balance: 7

It is always very difficult to rate this point simply because it depends on to what extent the server is customized and how much we were able to get within our playing period. While there is a large choice of customized RO headgears, there is still not enough additional customization to help classes see clear paths to overcoming other ones. Typically the less popular classes such as bards or priests or even the extended classes such as ninja or gunslinger will never be able to come within reach of the more popular choices like assassin, knight, hunter, and so forth. One would argue that these differences should be taken for granted and that they were never meant to match up however once a server introduces material outside of the standard default material such as custom headgears or wings, it completely changes the balance no matter how much you feel you can regulate it.


Overall Rating:

81/100 (Not an average or sum of individual ratings)


Final Thoughts:

We feel that 81% is a good score and should not turn you away from trying this server. There are many great things that you can find in this server such as its great community or its stability however there are still critical points of detail which need attention such as balance and even uniqueness of content. Additionally, drops by luck do hurt the economy and can also hurt the balance of WoE competition. Much of the content on this server can be found on almost any server today but made available in a different manner. While most servers claim to have friendly communities and balanced gameplay, the true differences setting all servers apart are the extent to which they are customized to beyond simple database changes and several npcs or how well they stick to the true original gameplay of Ragnarok Online while providing a unique experience like none other. Originality is key to standing out and leaving a lasting impression on players. For a server this size, we feel the GM might want to look into becoming even more involved with his community and focusing on delivering more to player requests (Which he is already doing a good job of as of now).


We recommend this server to anyone who fits the following:

- Low Rate Server
- Lots of custom headgear and wings
- Custom Quests
- Friendly Community
- Casual WoE
- Parital Customizations
- Fair Class Balance
- Standard Ragnarok Gameplay