Back after 9 years 😈

What's up, Rohanians? My name is RedRyder, former Creator and Head of Community for the game. I left the game in 2010 when I left the company (YNK Interactive). I just started a new account to show my son (now in 2nd grade) the in-game NPC that I had named after him 😸. Unfortunately, my GM account with epic gear was shut down when I left, so I'm naked as a newborn entering the ROHAN world for the first time in 9 years. Cheers to any of you who were around way back then (we launched in 2008). If you see me grinding around, stop me and say HEY! I'll probably be showing my son around the world so go easy on me/us.

xo,
RR

P.S. Does anyone remember Zamora and know how I can contact her? She hijacked my Twitter account and I want it back!

Well, holy hell! Hi there, RR!!

I remember you and your love-hate relationship with the player known as "Flare", do you remember? haha - I never really used to post a lot on the forums back then, so you probably won't remember me, but dam I remember you. I'm one of the few original players left playing (Been playing since the 1st day of OB, tho I'm currently on a break from the game of sorts - one of many that I've taken over the years) and a lot of the others have moved onto other things. Can't say I recall Zamora tho, sorry.

The game has changed sooooo much since you were here, some good, some bad, but well, hope you and your son have fun :D

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Originally Posted by RedRyderOG

What's up, Rohanians? My name is RedRyder, former Creator and Head of Community for the game. I left the game in 2010 when I left the company (YNK Interactive). I just started a new account to show my son (now in 2nd grade) the in-game NPC that I had named after him 😸. Unfortunately, my GM account with epic gear was shut down when I left, so I'm naked as a newborn entering the ROHAN world for the first time in 9 years. Cheers to any of you who were around way back then (we launched in 2008). If you see me grinding around, stop me and say HEY! I'll probably be showing my son around the world so go easy on me/us.

xo,
RR

P.S. Does anyone remember Zamora and know how I can contact her? She hijacked my Twitter account and I want it back!

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I was around back then but I was too noob to be remembered. However, it's really nice to see people return to this game after such a long time :). Have fun and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to get in touch, my characters name is in my signature.

Hey RedRyder! I remember you! My real life wife and I are also old school Rohan players from 10 years ago back in the Ynk days. In many ways, Rohan Ynk gave you more for you money back then than does Rohan Playwith. The game has become "excessively" monetized now. Here are some examples: Costumes purchased back in Ynk days came with stats attached. With Playwith, now costumes don't come with stats and require separate so called "patterns" to have stats which are not even permanent but only 30 days! -Sheesh- But the madness doesn't end there. Very expensive end game weapons like Epics which we paid $150 (15K RP) are now replaced by Trans & Trans Opa weapons which use these silly "sockets" which allow for a "TEMPORARY" weapon enhance for -drum roll- three whole days! Again this is monetizing what used to be permanent by making it temporary. However, it doesn't stop there! Mounts like snow cougars and the like which used to be permanent after purchasing them from the item mall are now all only 30 days only with the exception for the goofy looking "bison" one. IMHO Ynk was more user friendly to its player base than Playwith. Even GM's are not of the same caliber as old Ynk GM's who where much more social and fun than Playwith's GM's who seem more like GM bots than real GM's. My wife and I recently returned a couple of months ago and spent waaaay too much money for this game. We missed the nostalgia and many of the game community. You were always a great GM! I wish Playwith would hire you back to teach these new GM's a thing or two. Anyway, good to hear from you. "TwilightEdge" (Janus) Tempest. Originally started 10 years ago on Ankma Server with the guild "WhiteRose" and later formed the guild that many may remember called "QuestCrew." I also had various toons who where members of guild "Forever" which dominated Ankma back in those days. Yes, I remember Esoteric as well. It's always great to run into the true "OG" players of Rohan. Hope to see you guys around in the realms. PEACE!

OMG It's RedRyder!!! Long time no see!!
The name zamora sounds familiar, but I suspect that player left a long time ago like 80% of the players.

Wow now this is a name from the very distant past.

I'm still involved in Rohan but in a different capacity and not here... if you know what I mean ;)

http://reactionimage.org/img/gallery/33995443.jpg

Rohan is a very difficult game to step away from (un)fortunately.

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Originally Posted by xXxAurorAxXx

Well, holy hell! Hi there, RR!!

I remember you and your love-hate relationship with the player known as "Flare", do you remember? haha - I never really used to post a lot on the forums back then, so you probably won't remember me, but dam I remember you. I'm one of the few original players left playing (Been playing since the 1st day of OB, tho I'm currently on a break from the game of sorts - one of many that I've taken over the years) and a lot of the others have moved onto other things. Can't say I recall Zamora tho, sorry.

The game has changed sooooo much since you were here, some good, some bad, but well, hope you and your son have fun :D

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What up, xXxAurorAxXx! Yes I definitely remember you. And I remember CB and OB like it was yesterday. Was definitely an electric time. I also remember many/most of us sleeping on cots and at our desks for days on end... that part I don't miss at all! I spent an hour in-game last night and yeah, I can definitely see a lot of changes. My son kept asking me questions about what this is or how to do that, and I could only reply, "Umm... I don't know! There's lots of changes and it's been 9 years since I've played it!" That answer didn't satisfy him much ��. It's his very first MMORPG (and RPG, for that matter) so he's really digging it. Thanks for saying hello!

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Originally Posted by White Arctic Fox

I was around back then but I was too noob to be remembered. However, it's really nice to see people return to this game after such a long time :). Have fun and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to get in touch, my characters name is in my signature.

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Dank je, Fox!

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Originally Posted by Smoothe

Hey RedRyder! I remember you! My real life wife and I are also old school Rohan players from 10 years ago back in the Ynk days. In many ways, Rohan Ynk gave you more for you money back then than does Rohan Playwith. The game has become "excessively" monetized now. Here are some examples: Costumes purchased back in Ynk days came with stats attached. With Playwith, now costumes don't come with stats and require separate so called "patterns" to have stats which are not even permanent but only 30 days! -Sheesh- But the madness doesn't end there. Very expensive end game weapons like Epics which we paid $150 (15K RP) are now replaced by Trans & Trans Opa weapons which use these silly "sockets" which allow for a "TEMPORARY" weapon enhance for -drum roll- three whole days! Again this is monetizing what used to be permanent by making it temporary. However, it doesn't stop there! Mounts like snow cougars and the like which used to be permanent after purchasing them from the item mall are now all only 30 days only with the exception for the goofy looking "bison" one. IMHO Ynk was more user friendly to its player base than Playwith. Even GM's are not of the same caliber as old Ynk GM's who where much more social and fun than Playwith's GM's who seem more like GM bots than real GM's. My wife and I recently returned a couple of months ago and spent waaaay too much money for this game. We missed the nostalgia and many of the game community. You were always a great GM! I wish Playwith would hire you back to teach these new GM's a thing or two. Anyway, good to hear from you. "TwilightEdge" (Janus) Tempest. Originally started 10 years ago on Ankma Server with the guild "WhiteRose" and later formed the guild that many may remember called "QuestCrew." I also had various toons who where members of guild "Forever" which dominated Ankma back in those days. Yes, I remember Esoteric as well. It's always great to run into the true "OG" players of Rohan. Hope to see you guys around in the realms. PEACE!

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Smoothe, thanks for the detailed update! And I appreciate the props. I'm sure that the current GMs are doing their best with what they're able to do. And while I'm sorry to hear that they don't seem as player-focused as the old days, I can tell you first hand that running a game as a service is HARD. You have to get the game balanced, the updates working, new content to keep it fresh, and finding the right people isn't easy. And at the end of the day, a game needs to make money in order for it to survive. Since the game launched in '08, we've seen games monetize the "right" way (Fortnite) and game monetize the "wrong" way (Star Wars Battlefront II). Generally in my experience in the game industry, there are 6 ways to earn money from a game:
1) pay for it outright (this is a dying model)
2) subscription (this is uncommon nowadays)
3) paying for items that allow you to advance more quickly through levels or move throughout the gameworld more quickly
4) paying for "vanity" items that are merely cosmetic but don't offer any kind of advantage over another player
5) advertising (doesn't work well unless you are a NASCAR or FIFA type of game in which advertising is an integral part of the environment)
6) donations like Kickstarter, Patreon, GoFundme, etc.

Back in the YNK days, I was in many conference room meetings where we discussed monetization. "Pay to win" was never an attractive model to me. I hope that it's not like that now. But like I said, it's not easy running a game, and especially not easy running a PROFITABLE game. I will say that the fact that the game is still around after over 10 years speaks to the quality of the game at its core, and the quality of the community that it draws.

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Originally Posted by PenguinJoe

OMG It's RedRyder!!! Long time no see!!
The name zamora sounds familiar, but I suspect that player left a long time ago like 80% of the players.

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What up, PJ?!

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Originally Posted by Neophyte28

Wow now this is a name from the very distant past.

I'm still involved in Rohan but in a different capacity and not here... if you know what I mean ;)

http://reactionimage.org/img/gallery/33995443.jpg

Rohan is a very difficult game to step away from (un)fortunately.

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Hey there, Neophyte28! Private server, eh? If I created the game, I would take that as flattery ;)

Im skeptical as fuuuuuuuuuuuck that OP is redryder gonna need more evidence. Forgive me for not being all nostalgic about your time but this game has a bad reputation when it comes to honest people.

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Originally Posted by sunnyangel

Im skeptical as fuuuuuuuuuuuck that OP is redryder gonna need more evidence. Forgive me for not being all nostalgic about your time but this game has a bad reputation when it comes to honest people.

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I'm quite sure it's his writing and posting style. I think it's the man himself.

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Originally Posted by sunnyangel

Im skeptical as fuuuuuuuuuuuck that OP is redryder gonna need more evidence. Forgive me for not being all nostalgic about your time but this game has a bad reputation when it comes to honest people.

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Totally understand your skepticism. What do u mean that it has a bad reputation when it comes to honest people?

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Originally Posted by White Arctic Fox

I was around back then but I was too noob to be remembered. However, it's really nice to see people return to this game after such a long time :). Have fun and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to get in touch, my characters name is in my signature.

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Your still a noob and a retard

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Originally Posted by DarkTuramus

Your still a noob and a retard

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Not nice. 9 years ago, I would have given you a warning for that ;)
http://www.renniecook.com/wp-content...ning-stamp.png

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Originally Posted by RedRyderOG

Totally understand your skepticism. What do u mean that it has a bad reputation when it comes to honest people?

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With the increasingly high cost of items in this game many have resorted to creating fake identities and scamming players left and right. Ever heard of shawnc1186? Case and point.

Thanks for the breakdown Ryder! I still wish you were a GM again! -smiles- I'll try to look at it from the perspective that you've mentioned. I understand that things must evolve. However, I also understand the old mantra "if it isn't broke don't fix it!" -smiles- You are correct that Rohan's longevity is a testament to its quality especially in the game mechanics department. Insofar as a pure hardcore PVP MMO, it's still one of the best out there! Since leaving Rohan and coming back, I've played most of the other current flagship MMO's like: WOW, ESO, BDO, GW2, and Arch-Age (Relics of Hiram). However, the only two MMO's that are no installed on my desktop/laptop are Rohan and Star Trek Online. Neither are the most current games; however, something about both keeps me engaged. Again, it's good to see you back with the experience & perspective that you bring to the game! -cheers-! :)

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Originally Posted by RedRyderOG

Dank je, Fox!

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Wow je bent Nederlands? Ik zou graag is willen overleggen met je over hoe het er terug in de tijd aan toe ging, misschien kan ik daar nog iets van leren. Ik speel dit spel al heel erg lang en heb erg mijn best gedaan om het te verbeteren, dit lukt alleen maar met mondjesmaat. In ieder geval leuk om je hier terug te zien na zo'n lange tijd!!

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Originally Posted by RedRyderOG

Smoothe, thanks for the detailed update! And I appreciate the props. I'm sure that the current GMs are doing their best with what they're able to do. And while I'm sorry to hear that they don't seem as player-focused as the old days, I can tell you first hand that running a game as a service is HARD. You have to get the game balanced, the updates working, new content to keep it fresh, and finding the right people isn't easy. And at the end of the day, a game needs to make money in order for it to survive. Since the game launched in '08, we've seen games monetize the "right" way (Fortnite) and game monetize the "wrong" way (Star Wars Battlefront II). Generally in my experience in the game industry, there are 6 ways to earn money from a game:
1) pay for it outright (this is a dying model)
2) subscription (this is uncommon nowadays)
3) paying for items that allow you to advance more quickly through levels or move throughout the gameworld more quickly
4) paying for "vanity" items that are merely cosmetic but don't offer any kind of advantage over another player
5) advertising (doesn't work well unless you are a NASCAR or FIFA type of game in which advertising is an integral part of the environment)
6) donations like Kickstarter, Patreon, GoFundme, etc.

Back in the YNK days, I was in many conference room meetings where we discussed monetization. "Pay to win" was never an attractive model to me. I hope that it's not like that now. But like I said, it's not easy running a game, and especially not easy running a PROFITABLE game. I will say that the fact that the game is still around after over 10 years speaks to the quality of the game at its core, and the quality of the community that it draws.

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The most successful games (League of Legends, Fortnite etc.) Basically rely on F2P + skins2pay. You can play it at no cost and the only items that cost money are basically skins/emotes/apperances and so on these do not give direct advantages over another player but they do allow you to ''show off''. This concept is mostly combined with microtransactions (Fortnite) and you get a really profitable game.

I do however not think that this model will work for rohan since the main playerbase now consist for 80% of veterans and they have invested thousands of dollars into this game, switching to basically free2play for all items would mean most of them would quit.

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Originally Posted by DarkTuramus

Your still a noob and a retard

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Mad+100

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Originally Posted by RedRyderOG

Not nice. 9 years ago, I would have given you a warning for that ;)
http://www.renniecook.com/wp-content...ning-stamp.png

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lool, don't bother with him, he's a shame to our country.

Well, I wasn't as active during the early years on the forums as I was in the latter ones (perhaps because forum PvP turned out to be much more incentive) - but my hats off if it's really you (you are always you, aren't you?).