Frequently Asked Questions
Ah, FAQs! What could be better, eh? :D

• What is Ragnarok Wisdom?
• Why is it hand drawn? Why not sprites?
• Why did you start Ragnarok Wisdom?
• If you started RW to practice drawing, why do you keep reusing drawings from older comics? Isn't that lazy and dishonest?
• Your art style looks like a poor attempt at mimicing anime. Are you an anime fanboy?
• Why do some comics look fuzzy and blotchy?
• Why doesn't a comic fully show up on the index page when I view it?
• Why is it on update days I don't see a new comic?
• What medium do you draw the comics in, and what tools do you use?
• Where'd you get the fonts?
• Why are there blank-faced beady eyed people in the comic? Isn't that look jacked from Ragnarok Battle Offline?
• Are the characters in Ragnarok Wisdom real people?
• Why aren't there any (insert RO class)es in the comic? Put one in!
• Why don't the characters change class?
• Can I be in the comic? Can I have a cameo?
• I have my own comic. Can we do a crossover (you do a comic for me, I do a comic for you)?
• You got something wrong in an RW comic! You're depicting monsters in the wrong area or something!
• Are you the same guy as "The Infamous Trev-MUN" or "Trev-MUN?"
• Why is your domain name called adultimum.net? It sounds like a porn site.
• What is this "SitL" or "Shadows in the Light" thing that keeps getting referenced on your site?
• Is Shadows in the Light related to Ragnarok Wisdom?

What is "Ragnarok Wisdom?"
Ragnarok Wisdom's a comic based on Ragnarok Online, an MMORPG developed by Gravity KR. In general, the comic deals with the culture that's developed in the game--specifically, the fan culture of the International Ragnarok Online (iRO) service (hosted by Gravity LLC). This comic doesn't have a plot either--maybe a few miniseries or related comics, but not plot based.

Despite the fact this comic's based on iRO, most of the comics also relate to the other RO language services and MMORPGs in general--or maybe even the whole internet enchilada!

Why is it hand drawn? Why not sprites?
There's so many RO sprite comics that I felt I should do something different. It's also a challenge for me (Read the next question's answer). Furthermore, I already have a sprite comic that I do every year...

On top of that, most people seem to be turned off by sprite comics due to the abundance of them, and will ignore sprite comics even if they're actually good. Poor Key-Fu. ;_;

Why did you start Ragnarok Wisdom?
Three reasons. First off, I have a lot of crazy ideas for comics. Most are actual (albeit sometimes exaggerated) occurences, others are based on ideas given to me from some of the people I hang out with, or what people have said that would be great as a comic - or are inspired by conversations with them.

The second is that, as a (wannabe) artist, I don't draw very often. Ragnarok Wisdom provides me with an opportunity to draw on a regular basis, as well as to try and keep up with a deadline (after I started doing these on a regular basis that is).

Finally, I like making people laugh. Ragnarok Wisdom seems to make people laugh, so... That's another reason to do it! :D

Okay, so if you made this webcomic to practice drawing, why do you always reuse old drawings? I've seen the same drawing of (character) in (number) comics now! You're lazy! A lazy bum! Bad Aragan!
It's true that as time went on, my comics became more and more "copypastey" even though I had hoped it wouldn't come to that.

Y'see, making Ragnarok Wisdom comics eats up a lot of my time. While I'd like to think that RW has visibly improved my ability to draw and color (compare this comic to this one), it also takes way more time than it used to. It's mostly my fault; most webcomics that update even weekly are those that can be quickly and easily done by the artist. The comics that attempt to be detailed and colorful and update weekly-or-more are rare, and when they do exist, it's often the author's entire life.

Sprite comics like Bob and George or 8-Bit Theater, vector comics like Order of the Stick; they are very easy to make comics for, since most of the work is simply posing characters within a scene. Drawn comics tend to be simplistic in coloring and lineart for ease of inking and uploading.

However ... Ragnarok Wisdom's style is neither quick or easy. I've become a lot more anal about getting details somewhat right, and having more degrees of shading rather than two-or-three-color jobs. Nowdays if I want to completely draw a comic from scratch and color it, it can take upwards of a week or more given all the other obligations and projects I have ... Not to mention college work to address. Even if I have a weekend free, I've found myself uploading a new comic at midnight on Sunday--or the next day--with many comics.

Sometimes I will have been so busy with college work or trying to get important stuff done that I only have a few hours or so for an RW, usually right before midnight. If it takes me hours to draw a character from scratch and color him in MS Paint, how do I get comics out on time? By reusing older drawings that fit the scene when I don't have the time to draw. It's the only way I can provide comics reasonably on time, unless you prefer days-late RWs. If I didn't reuse images at all, I would be lucky to update even twice a month. They might look nice and all, but ...

Many of the comics where I attempt to avoid reusing images wind up being a few days late as a result, or have to be added in chunks before they're finished.

You could say I've been forced to adapt as time went on in order to keep RW going. So yeah ... I admit it. I constantly reuse images from previous comics, often tweaking or redrawing bits of them to make them look better and more detailed. That doesn't mean I don't draw anymore, because I do--but reusing images does help get comics out on time and gives me freedom to address other things, like The Legend of Key-Fu and my Ad Ultimum-related stuff. Or studying for a wave of college exams.

Your artwork and drawing style looks like a poor attempt at anime or manga styles. Are you an otaku/Japanophile/anime fanboy?
It might surprise you to know that I haven't really watched much anime at all, nor have read any graphic novels aside from the series Ragnarok Online came from. One reason for drawing in an anime-style is to follow the style that's used by the original Ragnarok graphic novels, as well as the early artwork/character class artwork RO employs (though of late they've gone with a more cutsey style).

Even though I grasp at a sort of animeish-tic style for Ragnarok Wisdom, I still attempt to sharpen my anatomy and shading skills through the comic, as well as get more experience in different, more fluid and exotic (STOP LAUGHING!) poses and expressions.

Why is the image quality of the comics so poor? There's all these blotchy fuzzy lines, and there's an overall graininess in everything. It looks unpleasant.
I had to do that in order to save bandwidth - once RW took off it began busting the bandwidth caps set by my webhosting provider, and I'm still trying to find ways to conserve bandwidth.

Why is it when I view the page on an update day, the comic isn't showing up/only partially/the website not updated with it?
You're trying to view the page while I'm updating. Wait for about ten or so minutes before trying again. Uploading these comics (and updating the website, which is all HTML and lacks any PHP or Perl) takes a full ten minutes.

Why is it that when I view the page on an update day, you haven't updated yet?
I don't have a rigid time on which I update comics. I tend to draw these the day before or the day of, which means I update the site at varying times - most commonly, I finish updating at 1:00, 6:00, or 8:00 PM. Sometimes I get bad luck streaks and wind up updating close to midnight for a while, especially with longer comics.

Also, keep in mind that I live in the United States, central time zone. If you live on the continents of Australia or Asia (Or on an island or archipelago somewhere nearby... taaaaz), then I'm updating the day before, in your case.

You live in the United States? You're an American? rofl!!1 stupid fat yankee americans sux dieplz lolz!11yank
You're another one of those hateful close-minded losers, huh? Can I devote your brain to science? Thanks. *SMASH*

What medium are the comics drawn in? What tools do you use?
Good old MS Paint. Mouse drawn with my non-writing hand, I might add (I'm a lefty, most mice are for right handers). And colored.

No way.
Yes way.

You're kidding.
Nope.

You're mad.
I know. :D

What about those effects, though? They can't be MS Paint!
Actually, you're right; for certain things that make my job quicker/e.t.c, I turn to The GIMP. It's an open-source image modification thingummer.

What about the fonts? Where did you get those?
You've probably seen these everywhere by now, but just for posterity, they can be found (for free) at Blambot. For regular text, I use "Anime Ace." Lamer speak uses "Mighty Zeo," and most of the effect text fonts are "Umberto," "Mutant Supermodel," and "Sergeant Sixpack."

There's a few fonts I now use which don't come from Blambot, I think. "A.C.M.E Explosive" is one, and that's what I use to bold text in the comics. I also use "3 The Hard Way" in some cases. At the moment I don't have a link where you could find these, so your best bet is to gooooogle.

Why do those shorthand-speaking people have blank faces, beady eyes and no mouths?
Those are supposed to be common iRO lamers. The beady faces and netspeak are meant to convey their lack of intelligence, communication skills, courtesy, and morals.

Didn't you just rip that off Ragnarok Battle Offline?
No, I didn't. Though I think the flash movie French Bread made of RBO years prior predates RW, the concept of little white-beady eyed lamers (and Novvy) wasn't influenced by RBO.

Are the characters in Ragnarok Wisdom real people?
For the most part, yep. Practically everyone listed as a main cast member in the Characters page, save for Novvy the Novice or Kawaii-chan, are people who play or have played iRO by that name, class and appearance. Their personalities in Ragnarok Wisdom are also based on their quirks and eccentricities.

Why aren't there any (insert RO class)es? You should put one in!
Because, as said earlier, these are (mostly) real people in the cast. This reflects what they actually play as in RO. We don't play one of each first, second, expanded and rebirth class. We are what we are, and as long as RW's cast is based on CoRM and its friends, this won't change. Mind, it's not that I have a vendetta against whatever class you really want to see put in the comic--it's that no one I hang out with plays as them.

Your cast is lame! Why aren't they all rebirth/transcended?!
What, just because a new tier of classes are announced, everyone in the cast should be those classes? As said earlier--we are what we are. If I want to remain an acolyte (or even a high acolyte), I damn well will. When one of my buddies advances to the next tier--or unadvances in Sniff's case--their appearance in the comics usually changes as well.

Can I be in the comic? Can I have a cameo?
Now that Ragnarok Wisdom has a few frequent readers, I get asked this question. A lot. So, this is my answer - You don't just get cameoed in the comic by asking. In fact, that's the best way to never get cameoed.

Cameos in RW by people not in the actual cast are people who I know and more importantly, people I've known long enough to know their eccentricities and shticks, which often become the basis of their appearances in RW.

In other words, if I want to cameo you, I will come to you about it. Asking me won't get you a cameo, and in fact is annoying, given the fact that many people ask this question already.

I have my own comic. Can we do a crossover (you do a comic for me, I do a comic for you)?
If you want to do a joint comic or crossover thingummer, E-mail me about it so we can ... DISCUSS!! *riot scene* (No, you won't get that refrence unless you know of Nth's involvement in the Orochinagi Fighters series.)

You got something wrong in an RW comic! You're depicting monsters in the wrong area or something!
Well, that's not much of a question, BUT--there's several things to keep in mind.

Often I do these comics based on the knowledge I have of the world whenever I last played RO. As time passes, Gravity likes to change the locations of monsters, items, class changes (in early 2006 kRO's updates moved Blacksmiths from Geffen to Einbroch, and Hunters from Payon to Hugel) and so on, so older comics will not make much sense in that respect. Despite that, the punchline shouldn't typically rely on their exact locations. ... Typically.

Also, I often do comics on what's been announced or rumored by Gravity at the time - though often I'll make note of it when I do. For example, this is why both Nth Power and Sniff the Raven both debuted in RW as an Alchemist and Crusader (respectively). When they appeared in RW, the 2-2 classe were not even in kRO Sakray, much less confirmed as an upcoming addition to Ragnarok Online. The only evidence of their existence back then was in photos sketches and preliminary sprites shown at expos. (That's why in the early RWs, the Crusader clothing is red instead of blue - the preliminary Crusader sprites had red trim and red capes, rather than blue).

Do you also go by "Trev-MUN" or "The Infamous Trev-MUN?"
Yes, that's my non-RO alias.

And yes, I did do that Starmen.net comic called "Trev-MUN Shows Off." That was years ago. It's really embarrasing to think of now.

What does "Trev-MUN" mean, anyhow?
I'm a roleplayer, and in the online communities I started roleplaying in, they called the real person the 'Mundane' or 'Mun.' A few groups I've come across also do this; in any case, I use it as part of my alias. Why did I capitalize the MUN? Beats me.

Why is your domain name called adultimum.net? It sounds like a porn site.
No, Ad Ultimum does not mean "Adult." It's a Latin phrase meaning "To The Last" - I use that as the name for another, really, really, big project of mine. You can find some related links in the Links section.

lolz adultimum
... :(

What is this "SitL" or "Shadows in the Light" thing that keeps getting referenced on your site?
Shadows in the Light is, put simply, a crossover story between that 'really big project of mine' (Ad Ultimum) and Ragnarok. I say "Ragnarok" because it's not specifically a crossover of Ragnarok Online as it were--more emphasis is given to Myung-Jin Lee's novels instead of Gravity's interpretations, but that will also contain references from Ragnarok Online (and possibly Ragnarok Online 2) to create a sort of "future time period."

You'll see what I mean.

Is Shadows in the Light related to Ragnarok Wisdom?
Only superficially. In fact, SitL predates RW as far as planning goes. Once the project gets off the ground, I'm sure you'll recognize a few familiar faces from RW in SitL--but they won't be the same, rest assured.

Where Ragnarok Wisdom is a goofy webcomic about CoRM's misadventures in an MMORPG, Shadows in the Light is a more serious, darker story that treats the Ragnarok world as a real, living thing--characters like Aragan, Lunaris, and others may appear to be the same guys (us) that you see in RW, but they're not. They're their own people in SitL, in their own world. Y'know what I mean?