[Renewal] LeikaRO review.

[callmepotato]

After 3 years and half of hiatus from Ragnarok Online world, I decided to re-join the scenes and started hopping a few RE servers. Then I talked to an irl friend of mine and got an account as gift/loan (he cannot longer play) to test out a server where Renewal System is accurate and not a default buggy/incomplete subversion from rA or Hercules. Here comes LeikaRO server. I've been there for around 2 weeks now and since common review system of RMS is too limited I decided to leave here a more detailed review.

LeikaRO Renewal Server

Server Stability : 8/10.
I'm from Europe, server should be hosted in the USA, but there's no -considerable- lag or game freezes; the hosting service seems dedicated, connection and hardware side, not the usual 10$ cheap vps service most pservers adopt. Latency is minimal and allows me to play without problems; never heard anybody ranting about lag spikes or persistent lag (so connection seems decent in every world zone).
Server Avaibility : 9,5/10.
Maintenances seems scheduled monthly, some urgent fix has happened like 2~3 times during my gameplay but never took over 5 minutes; script reloads are minimal. In other words there's no fear to stay forced offline or hanged to a forum ranting and begging for the server to come back online; their forums has a "server down official thread" but it's kinda funny/hilarious since server, as said, is 99.999% online.

Community Friendliness : 7/10.
Once joined I started exploring the server gameplay-side and his features. Asked for help on #main chat channel and in no time got contacted by a few players (special thanks to Be I). There's always somebody to chit-chat in town and #main chat channel. For now I didn't really needed a party (will need in 5~10 levels) but I saw already some party to Endless Tower, as for guild parties for instances as Old Glast Heim or endgame MvPing. I think finding a guild once joined is the best thing to do: you get helped on leveling, basic gearing and the fun is more, of course.
Community Eventfulness: 4,5/10 and 10/10.
First vote goes to automated events hosted once/hour: Dice, Poring Race. I expected something more fun and original, in terms of event mechanics as for rewards (events provides only Kawaii Coins, a currency for fancy and useful headgears). I have some idea to provide more challenging events, but this is not the place where to discuss it.
Second vote goes to players events: yes, a few of them hosts their own events with the server community; Gionelles is the most horrible person ever appeared in this universe, she rewards people with Leika Coins (donation coins) for 15~30$ amounts or considerable zeny without problems, periodically (she get bored often and easily, throw her a potato); Siobhan recently hosted a forum/graphic event and reward was still good, worth 5~10$. This is unexpected and really made me enjoy the partecipation. Such initiatives aren't so common and, personally, it's the first time I see such behavior from players into a RO server.

Game Master Friendliness, Avaibility, Helpfulness: 8,5/10.
They answer your questions, with patience and accuracy (just yesterday I personally stressed for about 10 minutes Admin Byte to know about Renewal Asura Strike formula; he handled in no time the code and reported me the part of formula I needed to know; Admin Terpsichore provided me as well tons of scripts from items not avaible on RMS database or rA/Hercules databases). From what I read on forums they are cordial and open to suggestions even if they know what they are doing and don't want to give players anything they ask (game balance first, if players are too greedy, selfish or demanding they are free to find a better place to suit their tastes, as seems happened to a guild around 1 month ago). The fact they consider balance first is an important thing: many servers results into a pathetic/corrupted/broken gameplay, at LeikaRO all is handled with attention and dedication.
To note: the fact they are not sitting in Prontera 24/7 don't means they aren't online. Using @request or calling them on #main chat channel is highly suggested. I prefer this way, better hidden (maybe busy working on next updates and scripts) and avaible than perma-afk in town just to show "oh, hey: we are online!".

Economy : 6/10.
This is one of bad points of the server. Prices are very floating (today a card is sold for 5m, 3 days later at 15m, or versa) and inflaction seems quite high for endgame items. Also about this, as for events, I will make some suggestion on their forums, hopeful can help. The rates, I consider between Mid and Low (more Mid than Low), allows players to get cards and gears easily. This is very good PvM/PvP side but on the other edge can cause problems as said above.
A good note comes from donations. Obtainable in game also by non-donators in many ways: voting, buying Leika Coins from donators or the items itself. Ratio between zeny:Leika Coins seems fair to me, sometimes cheaper sales can be found. No pay2win.

Guild Competition : 6/10.
4 guilds seems interessed in WoE: Worst Ragnarok Players (mostly LeikaRO veterans, mid-small formation), Cowards and Angel of Retribution (they are the most large guilds and usual agit owners), Ymir (a recently formed guild that captured my interest and I'm evaluating to join). During WoE the population grows up to 110~120 units (purging afk-venders and dual clients I'd say there's around 60~70 active players WoEing). They love to do it, since they put and show passion into after-WoE talks, renewing the challenge for the next battle. Would be nice if they would animate the Battlegrounds and PvP too; I find lacking this secondary aspect: most times PvP rooms are empty. Admins did their part boosting BG rewards (more Badges than usual), now is up to players. Incentivating PvP would be also nice (since PvP is usually, as this case, unrewarded).

Class Balance : 9,5/10.
This is not the first Renewal server I try but the quality of gameplay mechanics is stunning. This is not a default rA or Hercules server, LeikaRO seems having its own development and official-tracking group of players so classes suits official behaviors. Mostly based into a mix between iRO and jRO the balance and updating is constantly work in progress; this don't means ridiculous high damages or endless bugs to make some class OP (as happens usually), but aim to perfect balance so everyone can enjoy the gameplay. Some class, as Ranger, got specifically handled to be competitive but not OP (no more 1.5m Arrow Storms). I can seem a fool on what I will say but on this server I felt the pleasure of pre-Trans Ragnarok Online age: you can go solo, you can party, you have choice to explore and enjoy a whole new world.

Development, Bug Fixing, Originality: 10/10.
This is the most updated server out there. The mix between iRO and jRO creates a unique and original gameplay taste: fun, challenging, never repetitive (I hate compulsive RO playing). Old Glast Heim instance is avaible and full working (along with Temporal Boots and full enchants)(NOTE: Temporal Boots and its enchants are disabled in WoE for balance pourpose, as most MvP cards). They also allow players to enjoy Nightmare Clock Tower, Nightmare Pyramids, Nightmare Glast Heim, Verus, Fire Basin, Malaya Instances (with full MvPs, gears and quests), Undersea City (freshly released, like 2 days ago. It comes with tons of new items, gears and mobs; cannot wait to gear myself with proper equips and enjoy this chapter). Database is filled with a tons of items and mobs/MvPs from iRO and jRO usually not avaible, all self-developed. I heard from some player the chance to see Nightmare Toy Factory soon or later (so curious to duel Kimi). All MvPs have been improved a bit to make them funny to challenge: most of them are still soloable (as I does), endgame ones need a decent party, nothing impossible. The right compromise. Some player (reading forums) seems went not happy about some change and rebalance like monsters magic attack formula, but let's be honest: watching MvPs like Dark Lord or Detale, as for mobs like Kathrine Keyron, completly missing on you or just dealing 1 dmg is a bit stupid. Is not? I loved the way they solved this aspect.
Bugs barely appears, I've experienced a fews but nothing dangerous: worse thing I had to do was reset my position due to a glitch into an NPC dialogue ... fastly solved by Admins anyway.
I could sound trivial with this last note: hat quantity. There's too many. Hat lovers would get addicted here; Costume Maker is also a nice feature, since allows to costumize any headgear (item becomes account bound) making your character style unique over the masses (before someone don't copy-paste you ... but don't worry: there's so much variety you can change again). Effects are official and nothing is imba or game breaking.

Global Vote : 7,5~8/10.
Very promising, absolutely underrated. Deserves much appreciation from players.

Sincerly,
vdfghjmp34654, a.k.a. alchef*ck

[Terpsichore]

Thank you for the review!

I'm especially glad to read this part:

I felt the pleasure of pre-Trans Ragnarok Online age: you can go solo, you can party, you have choice to explore and enjoy a whole new world.

As this was our goal all along, to combine the best aspects of renewal and pre-renewal while offering something unique, which would be jRO content plus balance and quality of life tweaks of our own.

Needless to say that something of this caliber is highly experimental and requires multiple adjustment until the sweet spot is reached but I believe it is worth it.

[Herpderp]

The fact that this server has no players despite being seemingly the only balanced/non-bugged renewal pserver basically says everything about renewal players.   

[callmepotato]

The fact that this server has no players despite being seemingly the only balanced/non-bugged renewal pserver basically says everything about renewal players.   

Yeah, I totally agree with your statement.
After such long break I've just re-discovered the game (that looks more like a new game, funnier) but also found out players changed their mind and style about the game. Before joining Leika thanks to that friend/neighbor I gave a try to some other Renewal: 1.5m basic AS, crazy Dragon Breath damages, Ygg Berries galore and end-game equip freebies or totally useless/bugged Rebellions wasn't uncommon, most servers had such "issues".
Now I'm having fun here with his small but fair and dedicated communinty (I prefer quality over quantity), hopeful more will give it a try. Another note: if somebody is used to know a bit of scripting/coding or is a usual reader of rA/Herc - as I am - I'm sure will notice big differences with other servers (in a positive way, ofc).

[Ewol]

Private server scene is just dead for renewal, sadly.

This is a great server though. I don't play here, but I have a couple of friends who highly recommend it. Apparently the dev team is really involved. Which is great and the most important thing on any server, in my opinion.

[annaquin]

That's not a problem of renewal, but a problem of server a bit boring...
Server is well implemented compare to any of other renewal servers and even class 2-1 skills are fixed ...

When you look at most of prerenewal server, all class 2-1 skills aren't even fixed.