Ragnarok Cities

[Usagimimi]

I always have wondered where RO gets its city inspirations from. I know some of the obvious ones:

Amatsu = Japan
Louyang = China
Payon = Korea(?)
Prontera = Engand
Morroc = Morocco
Veins = Iran(?)
Brasilis = Brazil
Jawaii = Hawaii(?)

Al de Baran appears to be either Italy or Germany; Gonryun also appears to be Chinese/Korean but I don't think there's doubles of country-city inspirations ~_~

Here's a list of all the cities:

Al de Baran
Alberta
Amatsu
Ayothaya
Brasilis
Comodo
Einbech
Einbroch
Geffen
Gonryun
Hugel
Izlude
Juno
Lighthalzen
Louyang
Lutie
Morroc
Nifflheim
Payon
Prontera
Rachel
Umbala

Post what you think.

I'm against the idea that one of these towns is America-inspired, though. RO seems to follow an ancient civilization theme, and unfortunately, America / Canada just doesn't cut it. Hawaii doesn't fall under "America" since it's moreso oceanic and really far off of the coast of America.

[yC]

Gonryun = Somewhere in China there is a mountain/place named that I think (kunlun ?).
Ayothaya = Thailand
Rachel = India (? the feather whatever npcs ..)

Lou Yang is a city in China, used to be where the palace/empire resides.

Well there's a Alberta in Canada .. who knows.

[Usagimimi]

Yeah... but it doesn't really look like that lol; too much water .-.

Alberta, Canada is a lot of plains with tall grass and no forests; outside of RO Alberta is a forest and it's off a huge lake or river or something lol it doesn't appear very Canada-Alberta'ish.

Forgot Moscovia, which is Russia.

[Majinken Souga]

Niflheim is likely from something to do with somewhere people go after they die. One of the quests in... I believe Ayothaya, but I could be wrong... has a NPC push you over a cliff or something. During that process, there's a chance to "die" and end up in Niflheim. Then you do the piano key quest to get out. The Cursed Spirit NPC in the upper-right is an Army of Darkness reference, according to iroWiki. Scroll all the way down.

Lutie... The closest thing I can think of is the North Pole, especially since it has a Christmas theme to it.

[jrdn128]

btw, how can i go to brasilis town?

[Usagimimi]

btw, how can i go to brasilis town?

Warper for now; I don't think there's a quest yet or that you can walk there.

See if your admin put it on your server's warpra.

[Sarin]

there is, I think, official representative in Alberta, similar to louyang and gonryun NPC.

[jrdn128]

theres no brasilis town in kafra warper.,

[Usagimimi]

"Official Representative"?

and that means you can't go there, jrdn128.

[Sarin]

Go to Alberta harbor, piers at very right. There are some NPC like "Louyang representative" or so that can warp you to their city for a price...I think usually 10k. There is one for Brasilis too, at least I've seen it on fwe servers.

[Usagimimi]

Ah, I see. 'Didn't realize.

Enough thread hijacking lol D:<

Someone said Einbech/Einbroch could be Old England and that Gonryun could be a Taiwan reference.

Also heard Hugel could be Sweden / Switzerland.

What do you think?

[DeePee]

Alberta could be French

[Astraliche]

Isn't Morroc = Egypt?

@majinken -> u can get to nifleheim through umbala bungee, ayothaya push is to leaf cats 0_o

Amatsu is undoubtedly Japan, with teh ninja.
Louyang is China

IMO is that Geffen, Prontera, Izlude, Alberta and Al De Baran is original .___.

[Usagimimi]

Morroc = Morocco.

The assassin guild is located in Morroc specifically because assassins came from that area ("hassasshins"). Assassins didn't orginated in Egypt; I think the pyramid itself is but a reference to Egypt, but the city is named after the country of Morocco.

The desert of Morroc is huge, too, representing the vast Sahara Desert that stretches from Morocco to Egypt. This connects the two, obviously, and perhaps explains better why RO placed pyramids near Morroc.

Al de baran is an arabic name of a star; the fact that it harbours the Chemist guild is remarkable, since Germans and Arabs were known to be the first Alchemists. They were friends lol

Thus why I think Al de baran is a reference to Germany; Arabic name for their friend's city.

[Lei]

I'm more inclined to think that Alberta is like an English port town XD

[Usagimimi]

I don't think there's any French city...

Umbala looks like a South-American Rain Forest village lol

[BuBuChaCha]

-Schwarzwald means "black forest" in German so Schwarzwald cities are most likely German.

-Rachel has some kind of Turkish reference in it.

[Usagimimi]

Yeah, Rachel seemed Middle-Eastern to me. Turkey would be a good bet.

Actually, Rachel is probably Israel. The other name for Rachel is Rael < Israel ?

and Morroc is definitely Morocco; look at the music. Sure, there's pyramids outside, but it's representing the connection to Egypt via the Sahara Desert. The music of Morroc is Spanish-Moroccan, not Egyptian.

[Ayu]

Gonryun is Taiwan in structure, but mixed with Kunlun mountain's connection to taoism.

This picture of Taipei should really stand out with an near identical structure in RO, only that it's red in RO and white in the real world. Even the plaque displays the identical 4 characters (I took this older picture of the National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall from the net when it displayed the same characters as the plaque in RO, since the plaque has been changed for political reasons recently and no longer has the same 4 characters as displayed by the RO counterpart.)



The Kunlun part is slapped on as a loose connection with Yaochi Jinmu/Queen Mother of the West as the first floor of Gonryun dungeon being called Shrine of Gonryun Queen. Kunlun Mountain is where she supposedly resides growing peach trees, and that's how we get Enchanted Peach Tree in the same dungeon.


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Not all cities in RO are based on a real city... cities that aren't part of the Global Project share only extremely loose connection with real cities. Global Project cities on the other hand, try very hard to imitate the real life city/country to the best of its abilities.

[Source]

Aldebaran is based upon Amsterdam. The canals, coffee shops, windmills, and ultimately the general vibe.

[Mizuari]

Aldebaran is based upon Amsterdam. The canals, coffee shops, windmills, and ultimately the general vibe.

Yeah! You are right.. It looks like amsterdam...

[Green]

Aldebaran is based off Alpha Tauri.

[Articulus]

Al de Baran - Romania
Alberta - Canada
Amatsu - China
Ayothaya - China
Brasilis - Brazil
Comodo - Cancun
Einbech - ??
Einbroch - ??
Geffen - Germany
Gonryun - China
Hugel - Hawaii
Izlude - Italy
Juno - France
Lighthalzen - ??
Louyang - Japan
Lutie - Antarctica?
Morroc - Morocco
Nifflheim - Uhh? Vietnam
Payon - South Korea
Prontera - England
Rachel - Turkey
Umbala - Uhm im guessing the island in the Avatar movie? xD

[Scifo]

Al de Baran - Romania
Alberta - Canada
Amatsu - China
Ayothaya - China
Brasilis - Brazil
Comodo - Cancun
Einbech - ??
Einbroch - ??
Geffen - Germany
Gonryun - China
Hugel - Hawaii
Izlude - Italy
Juno - France
Lighthalzen - ??
Louyang - Japan
Lutie - Antarctica?
Morroc - Morocco
Nifflheim - Uhh? Vietnam
Payon - South Korea
Prontera - England
Rachel - Turkey
Umbala - Uhm im guessing the island in the Avatar movie? xD

I don't think Ayothaya has anything to do with China.  Louyang is for sure Chinese based of the Great Wall of China.  The BGM of Louyang is also traditional Chinese Music which my mother randomly recognized when I was in the town.

Amatsu is 100% Japanese.. just by looking at it's name.  It also has traditional Japanese structures and the traditional Japanese Sakura Flowers.

I have never really noticed the other towns until now other then the ones that almost 100% define Asian.

Payon is indeed based off of South Korea.

and LOL @ Nifflheim being based off of Vietnam.  I think Ayothaya even looks more like Vietnam, but I think its possibly Thailand?

[BuBuChaCha]

ayothaya IS Thailand.

Hugel is more based on Switzerland

Jawaii is obvious.

Lutie is arctic since Santa Claus lives at the North Pole

Einbech, Einbroch and Lighthalzen is Germany

Nifflheim is just a random ghost town that doesn't exist IRL.

[Sarin]

Nifflheim is just a random ghost town that doesn't exist IRL.

It does exist in Nordic mythology, it is the Underworld, place where those who aren't admitted into Valhalla end, IIRC.

[Revenant]

Splendide unfortunately is evidently meant to be Ireland, based on the BGM name. Which is a huge kick in the nuts, as I myself are Irish.

[A92FL0163]

Splendide unfortunately is evidently meant to be Ireland, based on the BGM name. Which is a huge kick in the nuts, as I myself are Irish.

Not sure about this, might be just a reference to how the irish music gives a bit of "Fairy" feeling which is the theme of Splendid.

[DeliciousItaly]

Faeries are typically found mostly in the celtic and british mythology. Germanic mytholgy has elves; Greek and Roman mythology has nymphs. The Frost giants (Manuk) are clearly Teutonic though.

[Sarin]

Frost giants are actually from nordic myths I think. Well, teutonic mythology is based on it anyway.

[BuBuChaCha]

Nifflheim is just a random ghost town that doesn't exist IRL.

It does exist in Nordic mythology, it is the Underworld, place where those who aren't admitted into Valhalla end, IIRC.

i was actually aware of the norse mythology reference to that town, but i'm talking about IRL existence here and myths don't exist IRL.

but anyway, yeah. Niflheim is based on a place on norse mythology.

[Ryuacchi]

World Project towns are already based on certain cities, so I'll leave that.

Rune-Midgard feels like your usual RPG place Arunafeltz is generally based on the Middle East + Turkey, and Schwaltzvalt feels a bit steampunk-ish, and feels European as well.

Niflheim is definitely based of the Norse world of the same name, and Lutie's your general Xmas town. Jawaii is also based on Hawaii, based on the name.

Lighthalzen may be based on Victorian London? That era also had problems regarding the large gap between the rich and the poor.

Einbroch/Einbech is probably based on the Industrialization Period, with all their factories and such.

Prontera's might be based on medieval times. They are the only city with an actual Catholic church in it.

Not so sure on Alberta, but their tropical-ish BGM might refer us to somewhere...

[cheese]

Not so sure on Alberta, but their tropical-ish BGM might refer us to somewhere...

Now that you've said that, all that I can think of is Super Mario Sunshine and Isle Delfino.