The first time I met Kathy, I couldn’t believe she was a Ragnarok player. She looked very much like any girl who would rather hang out in expensive bars and go out with her friends. With her long shiny hair and deep, black eyes, Kathy Tiu, 23, looked more like a commercial model than someone deeply engrossed into online gaming.
But when she smiled and reached out for my hand, the first thing she asked me was “When will Heritage come out?”…
Instantly, I knew that Kathy, one of the most respected female gamers in Iris – if not the Philippines, is a Ragnafanatic by heart.
In Midgard, Kathy Tiu is more commonly known as “Katwoman”, the cute and famous Assassin. Katwoman is also Guildmaster of Ninja in the Iris server. Ninja, who qualified for the 2004 Ragnarok World Championships finals for the Philippines (and is also a top placer in the recently concluded RPC 2005 Wild Card), is one of the most powerful guilds in Iris.
Except for close guildmates and friends, very few know that Kathy is also an entrepreneur. She owns not one – but TWO internet Cafes – one in Marikina and one deep in Makati, the city’s commercial district. It would be safe to assume that both her Internet Cafes are headquarters of the Ninja guild. A lot of friends and guildmates flock to her shop especially during sieges.
But how did this sweet girl get into Ragnarok? Kathy tells us her story; “I started with First-Person Shooting games. I was traveling from shop to shop and trying to look for players to challenge,” Kathy said. “It was the hit thing then but when Ragnarok came in 2003, people started playing this new game. I learned the game from my brother. He got hold of a free CD when Level Up was giving it away at his school. I got to try it during Beta. It’s really fun because it’s like chatting and at the same time I get to be with my friends. I get to level up with them and share adventures”
I have to hand it out to Kathy. Not only is she a rare thing – a girl gamer… she’s into gaming not just for the cute stuff and chatting, but she’s out there to compete and win. “It really is the competition. I was always online without telling them and I wanted to surprise them by being higher level than them. In fact, I was in Morroc for the longest time. But when I was new, I didn’t know much about skill and stat builds. For me, leveling up was just it. Technically, I just wanted to beat the boys with their levels and show them a thing or two.” Kathy said with conviction.
FAVORITE PLACE IN MIDGARD
In Episode 7 - Umbala and Niffleheim, there’s this place deep in the jungles of Umbala where brave souls can try the bungee jump! Taking the jump is quite risky. Characters can either die, live or they might even end up in Niffleheim – the “city of the dead” and experience greater perils.
Kathy tells us about her experiences in Umbala and why this is memorable for her; “One of my friends actually met his boyfriend there. That’s why I can’t forget it. Umbala was simply fun! I remember we had a lot of events going for our guild. We actually organized mini-events for our guild. We patterned one after the show called “amazing race”. We would ask our members to find a “lost’ Ninja member around the Umbala map. We would chip in with 20M worth of zenny and award this to the winners of this quest.”
Kathy has actually gone a long way. Not just for leading her Ninja guild (where there a LOT of girl members), she is a walking ambassadress of pRO. She values Ragnarok not only for the gameplay but also for the many friends that she has met. “Ragnarok has actually given me a lot of close friends and I will cherish this “gift” forever.”
Finally, asked what her advice to other girls who haven’t tried Ragnarok would be, Kathy has this to say:
“Try it! You won’t regret it… you’ll meet a lot of boys!” Kathy says with a giggle.
