Forum (Re-)create your MapleRoyals Memory 2025

omgPockii is that u

 

IGN(s): Shylander
Category: Creative
Concept: I started playing royals in 2022, after getting the nostalgia itch and finding GMS and other heavily modified pservers lacking. I originally played during GMS beta and left before we even got Orbis, so I was looking for a very specific and basic kind of gameplay.
I found Royals, and it seemed to click. While I didn't care for washing or the secondaryless meta, I found my nostalgia by making a classic INT/LUK mage, hunting for pan lids and godly guiltians and monster cards. I mostly play solo, since my other priorities in life usually mean I can only play a little bit each day, usually remotely on my phone via steam link.

After getting bored with the mage, I found the Islander community and decided to give it a try. The smaller, simpler meta was just what I was looking for, and to this day I now only play dumb challenge modes.

Soon after starting an Islander, I decided to make a guide, and it slowly grew into the monstrosity it is today. While making the unofficial islander ranking section, I sorted through hundreds of screenshots posted to the forums and the Islander discord, and became obsessed with the long history this server has. It struck me how many players had spent hours upon hours in the same, unchanged digital space that I was now enjoying, making memories and fading as new players took their place. This was the inspiration for my entry, "Echoes of Maple Island". Please excuse the mild chronomancy I had to use to keep the video moving at a good pace.

Spoiler: Production Notes

- Tools used: Premiere pro, photoshop, audacity, xbox game bar.

- High-bitrate maple music was added in post to create some variety at the cost of authenticity- as much as islanders love the "Rest N' Peace" BGM track, I assumed you wouldn't want to hear nine minutes of it.

- The stats at the end of the video are all sourced from my unofficial ranking, compiled from screenshots from the forums/discord, guild roster data (thank you for removing the ?? for inactive players!) and data from archived versions of Royals' old rankings page. As such, the actual numbers are surely much, much higher as there are likely many islanders who evaded documentation, particularly in the 2015-2018 era. The mushie count doesn't account for party exp or global event exp boosts, but I'm sure the actual count is much higher anyways.

 

IGN(s): UmeStorage37
Category: Solo
Concept (optional):

Do you remember the anticipation and excitement of the first ship ride from Ellinia to Orbis when you were playing Maplestory many years ago?
Many of us probably headed to Orbis around lvl 30 for a variety of reasons, including being guided by quests, seeking new hunting grounds, and so on.


It was quite expressive for the time, and I'm sure your heart was racing for air travel.
You may have been conversing with friends or people who happened to be on board, and some people may have been AFK.


As we were caught off guard, the BGM changed and we were attacked and killed by the Crimson Balrog.
At the time, it was so strong and so unreasonable that you would have exclaimed, “What!?”


We had no choice but to respawn in Ellinia.
After that, we look it up on the Internet or learn from someone else and realize that we can take shelter in the ship.


I think that this kind of unreasonableness, like this Balrog's, is a trend that has been eliminated from friendly video games in recent years.
In a sense, it is correct to eliminate stress elements to make the game easier to play and more user-friendly.
However, I think there is also an aspect that these unreasonable elements can spice up the game in a certain way, making the game more interesting and strongly memorable by deeply engraving the stress in the player's head.

I used to play Maplestory in Japan a long time ago.
When I started playing MapleRoyals and chatting with fellow Japanese players, the topic of this Balrog sometimes comes up.
This is a common experience that everyone had in Maplestory.

In MapleRoyals, these typical things from that time like this remain intact, and even today we can relive them and enjoy their nostalgia and share them with the rest of the world.
There is a kind of quality unique to games from that time that is hard to find in today's games, and I think that is what we are all looking for.
It is a memory for me to have found such a wonderful game and to still be able to play it today.

 

Submission Format
IGN(s): TunaBelly @TunaBelly
Category: Solo
Concept (optional): Memories of the game.

I actually came across MapleRoyals while I was looking for a World of Warcraft private server. It was a game I played in my childhood; So... I was curious. At first, I was kind of disappointed. The starting map didn’t feel nostalgic at all; it just felt... off, like some scuffed version of what I remembered. I almost quit.

But then I hit level 8 on my character, LaTuna, and made it to Lith Harbor. The moment I heard the background music, something clicked. I caught myself smiling a little, and I knew—I was going to stick around.

There’s something special about that little ritual of getting off the boat (even if you are randomly spawned). As a way of remembering, I took a screenshot of each of my attacker characters right as they jumped off to begin their journey, in the order I created them.

LaTuna: Began my journey. Not an attacker, but this is where it all started.


TunaBelly + PaTuna: Although TunaBelly was my second character, it wasn't until way later I started playing since I knew NLs required funding. I was also told that for NLs SE were a must and since I didn't have much funding, my first SE was a Bloodwashed Marksman.


NaTuna: Once I realized that to leech people, you need a HS mule, this was actually the second character that I leveled.


SaltyTuna: My Buccaneer, tbh I didn't really "want" to make this character. But since I've heard so much great things about how versatile buccaneers are I had to get in on creating one, and well well well I used this character wayyyy too much.


EatTuna: After my NL this was the second "serious" character. I have always played rogue in every single game(of course including World of Warcraft), I just had to make one.


TunaPie: Since I had a MM(bloodwashed), I didn't really feel the need for another SE, but I got tired of bringing a mule for my nl, so I created TunaPie.


DyingTuna: At the point of creating this character I was already pretty well situated into the game. People who started alongside me all had finished aufs, but I loved all my characters I didn't really want to invest in a single untradeable item. So I needed a new project so this is why I started a Dark Knight.



Together: 5 Characters of lvl 200s + 180 DRK is where I am. Although I didn't include my mules(4 more Bishops who started as stopper mules farmed too much and ultimately became BS, which became my IV farmers... & my cr mule I never really got the hang of playing...), I enjoyed my ride here. When will it end? Will it end once I create a Sair(eww)? I have no idea. But I love all my guildies and friends I have met along the way(too many to list) so maybe even later than that...

Anyway thank you for reading, and I'll catch you BABOs later <3

 

IGN(s): @bampie
Category: Solo
Concept (optional): Observing the Zakum Dungeon: My First Zakum Jump Quest
I was a complete noob. No MapleStory history, no GMS experience. Around one year ago, my friends introduced me to the world of Mapleroyals because we were tired of losing on Valorant everyday. Once I reached level 50, the moment had come: I needed a Zakum Helmet. They carried me through part 1 of the prequest and even farmed 30 gold teeth for my part 3. However for part  2, there was no help, no shortcuts, no mercy. Just me against the jump quest. I stepped up with confidence ready to make my friends proud. Stage 1 tested my patience, I bobbed, I weaved, I fell. A lot. But eventually I beat it. Stage 2 started to break me. Mentally, spiritually, physically. Lava, coughing tikis, falling rocks. My mentality slipped with every fall. But I refused to quit. I was determined to complete this JQ like my friends did hours earlier. As I approached the end of the JQ my palms were sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy. And after seven agonizing hours… I completed it. To honor that memory, I decided to re-create it… By doing the Zakum JQ all over again taking another 7 hours.

 

IGN: kittycatdoge @DogCat
Category: Solo
Concept: bigger than milestones.. my homies

Fondest memories are with the peeps in the screenshots who showed and taught me the game.
Happy 12th anniversary royals!

 

IGN(s): @EivenOwo @Eikrem63 @Yor @Eryss @bochi @melomance
Category: Group
Concept (optional):

Today’s special moments become tomorrow’s memories.

Some memories turn into keepsakes and those keepsakes often become longing.
When we look back on our days in MapleStory, they were full of ups and downs but always carried a little flutter in our hearts.

『One day, we'd gather in the narrow alleys of Kerning City, carefully stepping around as we fought for a spot at the crowded KPQ entrance.
Another day, we'd take a breather with friends but sometimes a careless stone sends an unlucky frog to heaven.
Yet another day, we'd follow in the footsteps of a veteran, sneaking deep into hidden places, only to get lost in the darkness.



All those small moments were so strange and so full of wonder.
Was it simply because we were that young?

Seasons changed, time passed and as we each lived our own lives
those moments seemed to fall asleep somewhere deep in our memories.

But the warmth of those days never really left.
Sometimes we'd stare at old screenshots and wonder, 'What if I could go back?'
Maybe it's just a sweet dream but that longing led us back here to MapleRoyals.

At first, we only wanted to feel that faint flutter of nostalgia again.
We did PQs at our own slow pace and talked to strangers.
But we realized we could never fully feel the same again.
Did we miss the game or did we miss who we were back then?
Sometimes we sat quietly, thinking maybe this is enough.

Yet even then, new connections found us as if by chance.
Through small chats and clumsy jokes, we got to know each other in new ways.

『Some days, we'd run around hunting hide-and-seek spawn mobs.
Other days, we'd find our own quiet spot and trade silly jokes.
Sometimes we'd just celebrate each other's moments.』



That warmth and flutter crossed the screen and lingered with us.
We laughed, cried, sometimes argued
but every friend who came and went, every moment, is still a gift.

This moment too will someday fade and new ones will come.
But what's certain is that today's moments will someday remain cherished memories we'll look back on again.

Today is a gift. That's why it's called the present.

Here in MapleRoyals, where we came to find what we thought we'd lost
we quietly and gently stack up yet another memory today for the me of tomorrow.

 

IGN(s):
Makisee @Hegel
Ravencia @ravencyan
SylveonCC @GDdd
GobyNL @chuan1330
NTUJY @Doctorpoker
nownow @IanLee
Category: Group
Concept (optional): TCK's Common Memory about the 12th Anniversary

We are TenCentsKing, a group of close friends who have known each other since middle school. Last year, we stepped into the world of MapleRoyals together, and it turned out to be one of the best decisions we’ve ever made.

The name TenCentsKing is a tribute to one of our childhood friends. Back when we played MapleStory as kids, his IGN was 時髦大王, which roughly translates to “The Stylish King.” We always thought it was the coolest name ever. So when we created our guild in Royals, we decided to honor that memory.

In Mandarin, “ten cents” is pronounced shí máo, which sounds just like “時髦” (stylish). TenCentsKing became our way of bringing that iconic name back to life. It is a fun twist that reminds us of the joy we shared growing up.

Over the past year, we have also met some incredible new friends through the game, especially Ravencyan and Makisee, who have become an important part of our MapleRoyals adventure. We have spent countless hours bossing, training, and simply chatting in FM. Even better, our friendship has grown beyond the screen with real-life meetups, shared meals, and great conversations on Discord.

This is the magic of MapleRoyals. It brings people together through shared laughter, failed scrolls, and the thrill of spotting a balloon at 4 AM, which is kind of crazy considering we all have work in just a few hours. Yes, sometimes we die in boss fights.(RIP to all of us during the Blazing Core stage. ) Yes, sometimes our scrolls boom. But the friendships we have made are the real treasure we found in the treasure map. And seriously, no more salad please.




Here’s a little story behind our submission: We’d been looking forward to the 12th Anniversary for a long time. To make the most of it, we even planned our vacations and wrapped up work early for this memorable event.

This picture is split into three main parts, each capturing shared memories from the anniversary in a fun, lighthearted way. On the left, you’ll see Raven trying to whack the Cake Boss—despite last time’s generous reward: a GFA (in blue, of course). Every time the Cake Boss respawned, someone was always ready to jump in. For us, it became the highlight of the event. Every drop of a “Scroll for Gloves for ATT 100%” turned into a VC ritual where we all prayed for a white one. Sometimes our prayers worked; other times… not so much. But the Cake Boss fights kept us coming back right until the event’s end.

The Cake Boss also handed out Treasure Maps, which brings us to the second part of the picture: Cor12 and DP chilling in the top right corner. They scored the most Treasure Maps—but managed to pull zero CS or WS from them. At least they didn’t walk away empty-handed: plenty of Pure Water, Salad, and a new skill for smashing every box on the map with their Mage.

Finally, at the bottom, you’ll find CC and GD. Since the anniversary began, they’ve ditched all their real-life dates to grind daily MTPQ and PBPQ together. They’re also the only ones diligent enough to claim the big Umbrella Chair from the latter. These two sum up our deepest love for the event—and of course, for MapleRoyals itself. But now, we’re all rooting for them to finally go on their real-life dates again… right after the event ends.

 

IGN(s):
Steingatee @Hegel
Doctorpoker @Doctorpoker

Category: Creative

Concept: "Broke Couple"

Here’s the story behind this manga-style work:

It all starts with a little quarrel at home between Steingatee and Doctorpoker, a couple who’ve been together for ages. Steingatee wants to go shopping, but Doctorpoker reminds her of their “dire economic situation.” The only way they can afford the wedding of Steingatee’s dreams? By finding the legendary “Treasure Balloon” somewhere in MapleRoyals World. And so begins their Balloon Journey.

At first, Doctorpoker the Night Lord takes the lead. But when they reach Eos Tower, Steingatee the Bishop discovers a clever shortcut: teleporting through the maps—while Doctorpoker struggles and keeps getting tangled up in spider webs.




Their journey is full of funny and exciting moments. Every time Steingatee thinks she’s spotted a balloon, Doctorpoker points out it’s just a Pepe… or a (King) Slime… or worse, a Pink Bean! Still, they explore every corner of MapleRoyals World and collect tons of precious memories along the way.




Finally, they spot a real floating balloon in Amoria. By then, nearly all their savings are gone. Gone are the down jackets and exotic clothes—they’re down to Paper Boxes and Red Straw Hats. But who says it wasn’t worth it? Then comes the big twist: Doctorpoker pulls out a wedding dress and ring he’d been hiding all along—and proposes! With the Treasure Balloon as their witness and in the perfect setting of Amoria, they finally tie the knot and make Steingatee’s dream come true.




Endnote:

We, Steingatee and Doctorpoker, became close friends in MapleRoyals and in our TenCentsKing group.
Much of our time during this event was spent chasing the elusive Treasure Balloon—and we even turned it into a friendly competition. In the end, Doctorpoker found 11 balloons while Steingatee found 10. But what really mattered wasn’t the score—it was the journey.
We explored every area and nearly every map—even stumbling into hidden ones we’d never seen before. There were moments of cheering each other on and moments of playful blame—like true friends do. (We still laugh about Steingatee missing a balloon right above her head in Florina…)
Every catching of the Balloon felt vivid and unforgettable: balloons floating across the many floors of Eos Tower, one perched at the peak of Perion’s mountain, another barely visible—hidden in a few pixels—in Cloud Park, and even only a “Pepe-top” lurking in Dragon’s Tomb. We’d call each other to log in whenever a balloon respawned, standing at the “starting line” every two hours, ready to race again.

In the end, I just want to say thank you to Doctorpoker. The balloons were fun, but having you along the way meant even more.

 

IGN(s): Doctorpoker @Doctorpoker
Category: Solo
Concept (optional): Memory Painted in Pixels

There was a rainy time in my life when the world felt heavy,
when every setback made me question myself.
she would always be by my side, holding an umbrella over my head.

We once ran and adventured together in the Maple world.
When I wanted to give up, she always gently reminded me:
"No matter what the future holds, face it bravely."

Now, she's no longer beside me. But in the game, I slowly shaped a version of her in my memory,
depicting that beautiful time bit by bit, just like painting a picture that I don't want to be forgotten.

Whenever I walk into this familiar scene and see the characters,
I seem to be back to the original us.
It's not to indulge in the past,
but to cherish the memories that once warmed me and shape who I am.

 

IGN(s): @Isekai (zNae), @aiiko (aiichu)
Category: Group
Concept (optional):

Title: People come and go, but he’s always here.

People come and go……
Whether needing to focus on life, making their own family, facing new challenges. they left and moved on with their life.
(My best wishes to fellow Nakama in your future endeavors)





Time passes, and we meet new group of friends, striving for our goals once again. It might be months, or years, but for similar reasons, they left one after another, walking their own path for a better future. Yet, here am I, alone (Still an addict), once again.





As I look back, in my Royals life, there’s only one who is always there whenever I need him, forever there to support my goal, day or night, rain or shine.

When I’m broke and I look for him, he gave me monetary support.
When I’m bored and I look for him, he entertains me without complain.
When I’m sad and I look for him, he can be a good listener.
When I’m happy and I look for him, he shake his heads and tail sharing my joy.

He’s always there, standing upright, never moving a single step away, waiting for us.




People come and go, but Horntail always stay, always there when we need mesos, helping us to achieve our goal!

Thank you for the great memories, you make us what we are today.

Spoiler: [I]Happy 12th Anniversary[/I]

P.S: Some photo might not be the best, dug them up from guild Whatsapp group long ago.

 

IGN(s): Palamoo
Category: Creative
Concept (optional):



2025?!



Started learning the piece a week after event started, it was a real challenge now that most of my time are busy irl these days! Feast thine ears!

 

IGN(s): ASOBOU @ASOBOU
Category: Solo
Concept (optional): Little did I know when I crafted my first Crimson Arclancer that I would end up getting a perfect bow on the first craft, and that I would spend 3 years and 128 white scrolls to finish scrolling it. Let's celebrate 12 years of Royals by trying to craft it again!

Big thanks to @tomwzhere and @Provocateur for the help in getting the mats this time!

Asking Fiona for the hookup



The results


Full video (not in the official submission for Solo I guess)


The original bow
Latest Accomplishment Thread | Page 431 | MapleRoyals

 

IGN(s): yogibe2r (Y U C K F O G I B E 2 R)
Category: Creative
Concept: A few years ago, my friends and I were hanging out on Discord when we were supposed to be working. Some were farming, others were playing different games, and I was just waiting for a balloon to spawn. I remember Uglee trash-talking me, and I fired back with, “How many have you found so far?” That sparked some back-and-forth banter until one of us said, “I bet I’ll get more than you by the end of the event.”

And just like that, the great balloon hunt competition between me and Uglee began.

Every time someone got a kill, they made sure the other person knew—usually with a bit of trash talk. That’s also when Uglee started memeing my name, smega-ing “Y U C K F O G I B E 2 R” every time he found a balloon. It turned into a grueling few weeks of late nights, early mornings, blowing tons of TP rocks, and praying for each other's failure.

In the end, I found 24 balloons, and Uglee only got 17.

It was one of the most fun and memorable experiences I had on royals. Every year since then, its been fun meeting new hunters and seeing old ones come back for the event. Here are some of the most memorable ones from over the years. I put some location info/brief description of the location/story behind the find.

2023 - found 24

Spoiler: Locations

*going from left to right starting from the top*
1.gpq area in perion. Someone was literally 1 map over when i found it
2.Deepforest. maps before sleepwood. It was all the way left so some hunters missed it since it was on a small platform.
3.FTP in CBD
4.monkey forest in kerning sewers
5.kerning subway system. It was the map I had a tp rock saved so I was pleasantly surprised when I teleported.
6.eos tower. One of the most contested maps that people check, somehow no one checked it until I did. I believe it was like 20-30mins into the spawn.

2024- found 13

Spoiler: Locations

*going from left to right starting from the top*
1.first time finding it in the herbtown area.
2.Magatia.Alcadno maps. A certain Moo was offline so I was able to snag the kill
3. Forest of evil. Ellinia.
4.Top map of shaolin tower. Somehow, the only picture i have where it shows the drop while I kill the balloon.
5.FTP in CBD. 2nd time I killed a balloon on the same map.

2025- found 18

Spoiler: Locations

*going from left to right starting from the top*
1.first time finding one in NLC.
2. First time finding one in the deep sleepywood maps. Probably, my least favorite maps to check.
3. Ludi. Path of time maps. It was on the top right corner so if you didnt check carefully, you would've missed it.
4.First time finding one in a zenumist map.
5.Sleepy dungeon! It was one of my favorite maps to training back in GMS. Seeing the balloon here brought back some memories.
6.Garden of darkness in orbis. First time killing one in orbis garden maps. This was my first back to back balloon find after I found the one in Ludi path of time.