WoE for dummies

Another siege has passed. Another two hours lost to senseless running, buffing, warping, and dying. As the great sage Thumbawamba said, "I get knocked down but I get up again because nothing's gonna keep me down. Basically that's what happens during the War of Emperium or WoE, as most phonetically-challenged players call it. In the office I always get asked what happens during this event. Why is it important? I reply with a basic "It's a competition." But since I have time to kill right now being that my boyfriend is busy meeting with the other guild masters planning for the next siege I have decided to bring enlightenment to those still in the dark.

Okay, to begin with what is the War of Emperium? It is an event in the massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) Ragnarok Online. In my opinion it's just an extension of the PvP (Player versus Player) where players' skills are pitted against each other. The only difference is WoE is carried out in a much larger scale. Usually, in PvP, players compete in "parties". Two players belonging to the same party cannot kill each other. They kill other parties. The number of players who can belong to one party is limited to about 10 people. In WoE, whole guilds which can number up to about 60 people cooperate to either occupy a castle or an agit (offense), or defend a castle or agit (defense).

So what's interesting about people going for each other's necks? To see who's going to die first, of course! But aside from that, the different jobs available in the game make the competition more interesting. Ragnarok currently offers the following jobs:
1. Acolyte Class
a. Priest / High Priest
b. Monk / Champion
2. Merchant Class
a. Blacksmith / Mastersmith
b. Alchemist / Creator
3. Thief Class
a. Assassin / Assassin Cross
b. Rogue / Stalker
4. Mage Class
a. Wizard / High Wizard
b. Sage / Professor
5. Archer Class
a. Hunter / Sniper
b. Bard / Minstrel
c. Dancer / Gypsy
6. Swordman Class
a. Knight / Lord Knight
b. Crusader / Paladin

The number of jobs will further increase as more episodes become available locally. Aside from choosing a job, a player can also customize his avatar or character by creating different stat and skill builds. The equipment he uses can also make a difference. All these factors combine to make an avatar unique. Multiply this with the number of people participating in WoE and you'll see how interesting it can be.

Too bad I play a cleric. I can't kill anyone. O_O