I keep seeing a number of reviews comparing 1x servers, but no one mentions KokoRO, which is a shame. It predates all of them, but there is never any drama associated with it so no one talks about it. I created a forum account just to post a review for this server.
AdvertisementIf there is a shortcoming for KokoRO, this is it. They don't advertise. At all. As in zero, none, nada, zilch. I inquired as to why they don't, and their response was they would prefer to prioritize features over marketing. While I can respect that, some amount of advertisement would go a long way to improving the population.
1/10
CommunityIts really small, but everyone is super friendly and knowledgeable. I only wish it was bigger.
5/10
CustomThere are effectively no custom changes. They disabled Icewall/Reflect on high end MVP maps and implemented same-sex marriage, but both of these are official (at least in renewal).
10/10
DatabaseTheir database is the best prenewal database (
https://cp.kokotewa.com/resources/database) out there. If you're not already using it, I strongly recommend you check it out - they even included a toggle to include future/unavailable content so it can be used for other servers. Its the most transparent, and comprehensive, database out there. My only complaint is that some of the features are hidden away in otherwise non-intuitive tooltips, which took some getting used to. In general, if you want more information on something (be it which NPC crafts it, player craft success rates, or monster skill info), you can mouse over it or click on it and tada - more information!
11/10
DonationsThey don't accept any. The server is purely F2P and there is no way to financially support the server. I was concerned about the server longevity at first, given that they're paying out of pocket, but this is my second year playing here and I've been very happy so far.
10/10
EventsKokoRO doesn't have events, they focus on permanent features. This is a miss for players who want the occasional spice to their experience, but its fair to future players. Anyone who joins today has access to the same content as early adopters (there aren't any missed exclusive items or exp/items events). This is perfect for me, but I understand its not for everyone.
?/10
Mechanics100% authentic. This phrase gets used a lot, which dilutes its meaning, so let me go one step further - the KokoRO public test environment is used by eA/Herc developers to improve the accuracy of their respective emulators. No complaints here.
10/10
StabilityThe server is incredibly stable, almost to a frightening degree. Maintenance is usually < 5 minutes.
10/10
StaffThere aren't many staff members (2). They're active in Discord and will happily answer questions. They're always calm, even when presented with opinions they disagree with. If you scroll back far enough into the Discord history, you can even read conversations between them and Lord J and Savyon (yes, THAT Lord J and Savyon).
10/10
