Can you update more often than just twice a week?

Heh, well, if you've been keeping up with Al De Baran for the past few years, you'll realize how often I'm late with my updates (I'm struggling enough with a two-update schedule!). I'm a part-time employee and full-time college student, so I have enough on my plate as it is. Maybe some day when I've become better at managing my time I'll update more often, but until then I'm going to update only on Monday & Thursday.

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Hey! That can't happen in Ragnarok Online! Why would you do that?

Often I do things in this comic that could never happen in-game. This can range from monsters roaming in maps where they don't belong, to characters using weapons that they wouldn't be able to equip. I do this to make the world realistic and believable. If it can happen, then I make it happen. Just because something isn't possible in the game doesn't mean that it has to be impossible in the comic!

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Where do you get your backgrounds and sprites?

I actually get my backgrounds by taking screenshots from Ragnarok Online itself. I'll open the game, rotate the camera until I get an angle I like, and then press the 'Print Scrn' button. Voila! A screenshot that I can use as a background! For my sprites, I get them from sprite sheets. Sprite sheets are image files containing all of the individual frames of animation a Ragnarok character (or monster) has. There are many places you can find Ragnarok sprite sheets, and I have some links to websites that host them if you want some for yourself!

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I've never seen that sprite before! Where did you get it?

Some sprites I have used in my comics have been edited by me. This can include simple things like closed eyes or more complicated things like full-body edits. I like to edit sprites for certain scenes to make the characters' actions and expressions easier to read and understand. It makes the comic more dynamic and fun!

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How do you do your lighting and special effects?

I use Photoshop to do lighting and special effects. This can include changes in lighting to represent night and day [brightness/contrast] or motion blur to show fast movement [smudge tool or motion blur]. I use Photoshop very often for effects in the comic and I use it for adding dialogue as well.

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You made a mistake on this comic!!

Heh, yeah I did, didn't I? I'm not perfect and I've fallen out of the Ragnarok loop for quite a while now, so there are some concepts that I'm bound to screw up. If there's a mistake, I only fix them if they're teeny-tiny or if they're HUGE, but if I can get away with leaving a mistake that would affect the punchline or storyline, then I just leave it. (On this topic, though, if you see a mistake in one of my comics, PLEASE bring it to my attention through a PM or something! I really appreciate it when my readers give me a heads-up!)

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Ew, a sprite comic! Why would you make yet ANOTHER one? Why can't you draw like everyone else?

I'll be honest, I DETEST this kind of question/accusation. Sprite comics have a really bad reputation because they're easy to slap together and there are a lot of them on the internet. I don't think this is fair, because a lot of DRAWN comics out there are easy to slap together and there are a lot of them on the internet. It's rude to dismiss my comic (or any other sprite comic for that matter) just because of how it is made.

And it's not that I can't draw (because I can), but I made Al De Baran a sprite comic because the story I have to tell reflects the adventures I had with my friends on Ragnarok Online, and it makes sense that a story about playing Ragnarok Online is told with the sprites and images that make up the game itself. (Also, I think it's annoying that sprite comic authors are automatically assumed to be artistically-inept. There are many reasons why people choose to make sprite comics over drawn ones.)

So lay off on the hate, dudes. I'm just here to tell you my story, just like every other sprite comic author out there.

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I'm making a Ragnarok Online comic too! Can you help me out/be my partner?

I'll be frank: No, I cannot help you nor be your partner. I think it's great that you're making a Ragnarok Online sprite comic, but I just don't have the time or patience to dedicate myself to working on another Ragnarok comic. I'm struggling enough with my own as it is! However, I really do wish you the best of luck and hope that your experience is a good one!

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Where are the transcendent classes in your comic?

They don't exist yet! Al De Baran is supposed to take place starting at around the year 2003. At this time, transcendent classes were not yet introduced, along with many monsters, towns, and dungeons. As time progresses in the story, newer things will be added to reflect the changes Ragnarok Online went through over the years.

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I want to try out Ragnarok! Where do I go to play?

Here's a link to Ragnarok Online's website: iro.ragnarokonline.com. The official Ragnarok Online server offers two options of play: 1) Pay-to-play. For a monthly fee you can play on Ragnarok Online servers that have higher rates and better benefits. 2) Free-to-play. You can play on a free Ragnarok Online server, however, it's tougher and filled with bots. There are also private servers that offer the game for free and for different rates, but you'll have to look for those on your own~

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If you have a question that isn't answered here, feel free to PM me!