Level UP India, publisher of the popular MMORPG Ragnarok is all set to launch its fifth episode Juno in India.
The pre launch week for Juno which the publisher claims “Is the most successful episode of Ragnarok ever” kick-starts today and shall include activities, previews and events at select Reliance WebWorld outlets across 5 cities. (Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Pune)
Speaking to Animation ‘xpress, Level Up India Managing Director Venkat Mallik stated, “Worldwide Juno is one of the most sought after episodes in Ragnarok and we believe that Juno which offers the players many new Avatar options some of which are very intutive like for e.g. the dancer, or the bard, will enhance the game significantly”
So what is it that makes Juno so powerful?
Globally and especially in Asia Pac, MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games) have become the hub of online social activity. Players have a great attraction to MMORPGs because not only do they play and compete but they also get to chat, team up, jeer, tease, have battles and accomplish missions within the game along with many other players who could be strangers or team mates.
MMORPGs have become a platform where individuals and teams can have and develop their online selves and express themselves. Games like Ragnarok have an online universe with maps and locales that players can explore and live in. As the game evolves, episodes such as Juno which is a city of three floating islands with many new character options and magic spells makes the game more alluring and fulfils player’s wish lists from the game.
With Juno seven new characters including Alchemist, Bard, Rogue, Dancer, Crusader, Monk and Sage have been added to the existing 13 characters within the 2 Job Classes. Players from the first Job class can now have 2 options to choose from for every character they grow out of, for example
Swordsman – > Knight or Swordsman -> Crusader
Acolyte – > Priest or Acolyte – > Monk)
Amongst other additions to the game include 10 seconds of invulnerability as the player begins in the game and a lot of new animated teleportation effects, character exit animation, fire weapons and pillars of light.
“The strategy” stated Venkat Mallik, “is to promote more socialisation, collaboration and partying online as that will lead to growth of the player base. Which is why the monsters in the Juno episode will be more powerful and will require players to team up in order to defeat the monsters, similarly the new characters too are more party oriented” This is just one way of enhancing the community feeling
Level UP has planned up a slew of activities around the Juno launch. Following this week’s pre Juno week, there are 2 other weeks Juno Launch week and Post Juno launch week which shall involve a lot of meet ups, contests and activities at various cyber cafe chains that the publisher has partnered with.