Main Features

Ragnarok Online 2 introduces many new features for MMOs. This section outlines the currently main features of RO2. Not all game features have been announced yet.

Complex Job Change system

The first Ragnarok Online featured a unique leveling system in which a character's base level (how strong the character was) and job level (how skilled the character was at his job) were leveled separately. However, once a job was chosen, it could not be changed, so this could be considered a limitation to a player's freedom within the game. The Complex Job Change System, available only to Normans, will change this.

The Complex Job Change system will allow a Norman to change his job at any given time. This system was devised so that a player can experience all different classes s/he wishes to without having to create a whole new character for a specific class. There are certain small requirements one must fill in order to change his job, though what they are exactly remains unknown. A character will even be able to change from secondary classes (i.e., a priest) to first level classes (i.e., an acolyte), and vice versa.

Though the character's base level stays the same, changing a character's class will reset the job level back to 1. For example: Your character is a job level 25 swordsman and you change him into an enchanter. His job level is reset to level 1 while he's an enchanter, but if you decide to change him back to a swordsman, his job level will go back to level 25. All skills, stats and bonuses from your character's swordsman job will be saved in case you decide to go back to that class again.

This system presumably presents a bit of a problem. In the first RO, you would choose your stat points based on your class - so if you were a swordsman, it would be a good idea to place all of your stat points into Strength and Vitality. However, if you decide to change your STR/VIT-based swordsman into a mage, you'll realize that these stats are useless to a magician (particularly STR). In RO2, this problem is pretty much fixed by the fact that your stats are mostly controlled by the class you're currently playing. In the original RO, the ratio of your stats based on where you place your stat points versus your stat points based on the class you play was 9:1. In RO2, this ratio is 2:5, meaning 3/5 of your stats will be controlled by the class you play.

Lastly, it's been stated that in RO2, you will need a variety of stats in order to play your class well instead of shoving all of your stat points into two or three stats. This provides yet another advantage to those who decide to change their character's class frequently.

Specialty Job system

This System allows a character to use skills from other classes. Special abilities can be gained by leveling a character's job class, giving them the ability to create useful and original class combinations, such as battlemages and wares-selling thieves.

For example, when a Swordsman learns Bash Specialty, he can equip this ability when he changes into another class, such as an Enchanter. He can now use the ability without being a Swordsman. Specialty skills learned this way have no real limitations, except for the fact that they cannot be upgraded while the character is not in the class in which the skill belongs. In this example, in order to upgrade the skill, the Enchanter must change back into a Swordsman, level up the Bash ability, before changing back to an Enchanter.

A bonus feature of this system is that a class can now equip class-specific gear that is normally limited to a different class. For example, Swordsmen have the "Long Sword Specialty." When equipped on an Enchanter, he can use Long Swords, where usually Enchanters could not.

There is a limit to how many special abilities you can employ at a time, represented by 16 blocks in a 4x4 box. Some skills may take up to 3 blocks, however, thus leaving less room for other abilities. Also, keep in mind that you do not start with 16 blocks. Your character will gradually gain additional blocks as he/she levels, eventually gaining access to the full 4x4, 16-slot box.

Equipment leveling

RO2 has implemented a new system in which equipment itself levels up. This system allows people to keep their favorite pieces of equipment because they continue being useful instead of tossing them out when they become outdated.

Equipment in RO2 is separated into two categories: they are either a leveling type, or a non-leveling type. The leveling equipment types can gain experience and levels, just like your character, whereas the non-leveling type doesn't acquire any experience and doesn't level at all.

All of the following gear is considered to be of the leveling type: weapons, shields, gloves, "upper" clothing, and shoes. The rest - "lower" clothing, garments, belts and accessories - are considered to be the non-leveling type.


Leveling Equipment...

Can level up.
Has fixed base stats.
Belongs to you and you alone from the moment it is identified.
Cannot be traded.
Non-leveling Equipment...

Cannot level up.
Has randomized base stats.
Doesn't belong to any one specific person.
Can be traded.
An item "belonging" to a character works in a similar way to World of Warcraft as an item being soulbound to a character.

Equipments are separated into three classes: C-class, B-class, and A-class. Each of these classes has a max level that your equipment can reach. Once it's reached its max level, you must use a special equipment combination item in order to upgrade it to the next class. When this happens, you can either choose to keep the equipment's features, or you can opt to change the equipment's name, shape, special ability, and growth rate changes. Only the stats remain the same. An example of this that's been given is that the C-class weapon, "Ellr's Knife," which focuses on both melee and magic power, can be upgraded into the B-class weapon, "Kris of Thorns," which has a new growth rate focus on critical rate. The max level of every class is as follows:

C-class: Max level 20

B-class: Max level 20

A-class: Max level 30

Once your leveled equipment’s its experience bar reaches 100%, it will not level on its own. Instead, you will have to take the piece of equipment to the nearest blacksmith NPC to upgrade it for you for a small fee. The equipment's stats will increase randomly based on its growth rate. The growth rate simply determines which stats are more likely to increase when the piece of equipment levels. For example, if a piece of equipment's growth rate focuses on melee damage, the stats of the equipment's melee damage will increase at a much higher rate than other stats.

Stats

The statistics in RO2 vary slightly from the original system. When a player levels up their base level, they are given several points to increase stats of their choosing.

STR, or Strength, contributes to melee physical damage and minimum ranged physical damage. It increases the max HP, fatigue, and weight limits. It also reduces after-cast spell time when repeating the same spell.

DEX, or Dexterity, contributes to melee physical hit rate and minimum physical damage as well as ranged physical damage. It also reduces casting time for spells.

AGI, or Agility, contributes to melee and ranged physical dodge rate, as well as a reduce in delay on damage.

INT, or Intelligence, contributes to ranged physical critical rate and an increase in the max SP limit. It also reduces after-cast time for physical skills when repeating the same skill.

WIS, or Wisdom, contributes to melee and ranged physical attack speed. It increases the hit rate of spells and increased minimum spell damage.

CON, or Concentration, contributes to melee physical and magic critical rate. It also increases ranged physical hit rate and spell dodge rate.