The culture of ROSE Online was what made my transition to becoming a real gamer smooth and easy. My first encounter with the ROSE Online community dates back when I was just a newbie. I knew nothing about leveling up, defeating monsters, picking up monster drops and trading such with non-playing characters (NPCs) (and what more with doing quests and going from one map to the next… duh?). I was basically a newbie lost in an environment filled with characters who knew exactly what they were there for.

Luckily, another player was there to lend a helping hand. That player guided me through the numerous newbie quests in order to “Level Up”. Soon enough, I knew what to do and without me realizing, I’ve already gotten myself caught up in the facet that every MMORPG ought to have – a warm, friendly, and proactive online community.

COMMUNITY VALUES

I’ve tried out other online games but the ROSE Online community’s friendly, warm, and proactive culture is the game’s strongest point. It’s a warm community of smiles and a place where one gets to exhibit his or her fun side. Compared to other online games, ROSE Online is the only – if not the only – community that has a jovial disposition in gaming.

As such, ROSE Online has become the online laboratory for community leadership and involvement. In fact, one of the joys of playing ROSE Online is meeting players who have become icons, leaders, and movers in the community. A good example is Allan Sta. Cruz, an Asia Pacific College student, who wrote a community Manifesto, The Manifesto of a New Land, the Manifesto of ROSE, citing values that players ought to practice online and ironically, the same values that need to be revisited (and relearned) in the real world – respect, equitable market economy, and justice, to name a few.

The ROSE Online community is now holding its first Royal Court practice. The ROSE Royal Court is inspired by the way student councils are elected. In this practice, the community elects a clan (an in-game form of organization or party) whom they believe to be an exemplary model of good gaming attitude. There are more than ten nominated clans who now put their platforms up front against each other in the hope of improving the ROSE Online community and the actual game that binds them all together.

KINGS OF THE LION’S DEN

Of course, that is not to say that ROSE Online is the home of those who are not into gameplay – the ubercompetitive catchphrase of every hardcore gamer. Just recently, an interserver competition was held where the strongest and most knowledgeable players are pit against each other in a player vs. player (PVP) competition. Using sound PVP strategy and advanced knowledge of ROSE Online gameplay, Legends clan was declared King of the Lion’s Den owning the competition with a 3-0 victory in a best-of-five tourney.

The championship matches were intense; but there wasn’t any stain of jealousy, deceit, nor ill-will; only rage revealed in good fun. The final event was capped with a warm sportsman air in honor of a fairly fought championship.

ROSE Online brought me the joys of playing an online game. And this quote from Ed Gimenez, leader of the United Clans of pROSE, mirrors the values of the game; “though the ROSE Online community is small (compared to its elder brother, Ragnarok), we, the players, could definitely do something big.” Hearing this coming from another ROSE player and seeing it work in the community is something that delights me whenever I play the game.