True End Game Secret Guide by Sophie/Joan

Proportions
Practical Mixing Ratios

Introduction

Hello I'm Sophie/Joan (Guide Date: 4/Sep/2025). You would often see me AFK in the center of Prontera/Gonryun/Garden of Time with my Soul Ascetic (SA) char R.ClickToRename254519 or other characters. This guide is merely what I do with my characters and I do not claim to be the best at this, in fact there are many other people better at this who, from time to time, post in the MuhRO discord, showing myriads of previously unexplored combinations and elegant theming born from boundless creativity and refined taste (also feel free to dm me on discord/In-game if you can improve upon mine; we can talk about this all day lol). I just simply tried to write it out, because frequently there are people asking which combination is better? Combination A or B, etc, while it is hard to give a convincing or objective opinion on this without offending or sounding like a snob because it is simply hard to explain things without a common ground. Also I am sure discussion demands regarding this matter from both new and old players are as high as ever (as of 4/Sep/2025) and also that I saw many new, previously unavailable and previously exclusive costumes rapidly being added and made available within the last 3-4 months. In fact, there are so many of them after the costume revamp just around the earlier part of this Year of the Lord 2025.

Lastly and most importantly, I have to state here: There's not a single Holy Grail of the best or universally perfect costume, so much so, that you should always strive to find and create a better combination design and to endlessly experiment while talking it out with your fellow AFK friends and enthusiasts. To help with the said communication attempt/discussion, I would hope that the guide will provide a common ground of at least one conceptual framework (while there are many other more avant-garde frameworks/practical methods developed within the last 20-30 years alone in the field of Visual Design and Communication. In fact the methodology I wrote in this guide is considered the most basic and old one) or for personal betterment, to obtain a school of thought to make it possible for oneself to silently be able to adore and appreciate character designs that others have been meticulously worked on. And allow one to confidently jump into any related topic and hopefully not to be looked down as a mere simpleton, but as fellow person of culture. All in all, after reading this guide it is my greatest wish that the communication (as someone said "DM is the Key") between fellow enthusiasts and appreciators would hopefully be more smooth and structuralized and also for everyone to stay cute and handsome. The exception might be if you want to flex your rare expensive costumes and wouldn't mind looking overall tasteless, jagged, or overwhelming for other purposes (and one of the purpose might be making other people lag on your farming maps).

Scope/For whom this guide is intended for

End game utilization guide of nice to have and fun to wear things for those players who have reached the true end game, who have collected most, if not all the server's best costumes that came with various rarities (and even some server-wide unique by-request ones) and of unbelievable amount whose collections fills up an entire storage or maybe even more. But as Sun Tzu once said, "It is useless to have a large army, without knowing how to command them" and such I hope with this guide it will be easier to sort out what items will or will not work within your arsenal and avoid the trap of: Rare/Expensive = Good. It is simply not. What matters the most is the utilization.

This guide is very subjective and intuitive as I do not provide exact judgement or detailed appreciation, which is why some costumes or stones might or might not work as well for my or your in-game character's design, but for that case you can find me to test out or experiment with any costume/effect stone that is listed/mentioned within this guide, unless I specifically stated to not have it. In this guide you are assumed to have already bought an Alternate Outfit Coupon (50010) (for some jobs with not too well made 4th job skins) or are in progress to do so and don't mind spending (or saving up) on this matter, have bought Pet Disguise Coin (50142) whenever it suits the entire palette combination, and/or at one point have accumulated and cashed out thousands of FP (Fashion Points) for effect stones via the vending machine NPC on the @go main second floor (because those effect stones are more important than job stones amirite).

While hopefully able to simplify and cover the most basics of basics conceptually speaking. One thing to state about the scope of this guide is its limitation: That there are certainly better methods for designing and conceptualizing more complex schemes (e.g. animated costumes/animated stone effects as the highlight) and so this guide will not cover those more advanced fields of practical applications, because it will require far more complex fundamentals and practical experience, of which I don't think I have enough. And it would be nigh impossible to make myself able to accurately write something that complex, while trying to keep the guide fun and lightweight, at least in the state that I am in now. Also lastly, you are required to have the drive and tenacity to spend hours at a time just to find the perfect cloth colour at Dr. Style NPC (this is a warning).

True End Game optimization problem is that for some people culturally, some costumes/effect stones setups suit them better as it simply satisfies the specifics of their personal style and currently owned assets (e.g. you don't know what you will win from your Costume Reward Box Summer (41010) ), so we will not assume a narrow-minded stance on this issue and will tolerate a bit lesser mismatch and whatnots as long as things work well (shout out to get the costume envy immunity people!).

Important Jargons (just go back here again whenever you forgor)

• The 3 roles (of the Tricolour system among any other names):

1. Hero colour (Base colour): Your main / most dominant choice (the foundation of the scheme).
2. Supporting colour: The secondary element that works alongside the base.
3. Accent colour: The adjuster or highlighter (tertiary, neutral, or pop of contrast).

• Contrast: 2 colours that are very different like blue to red, or bright yellow to deep purple. In the words of the colour wheel: It is on coordinates far apart from each other. Also the difference of temperature that is warm vs cool (you can kinda ignore this sentence though cuz I ain't explaining it here).

• Harmony: A bit more nuanced concept than contrast, but you can say it is the opposite of contrast for this matter. Harmony is 2 colours that are quite similar or visually compatible. You can get some clues if you break up their components; e.g. in the case of red and orange: orange can be broken into yellow and red. Red meets red, voila. It means they could be harmonious (but not always, that's why I said it is more nuanced). Colour wheel speaking (easier to check) they are colours that sit next to each other(e.g. yellow and orange), or just a difference in the saturation (e.g. dark orange and light orange).

• Design: For this guide's context only (other cases will have various scopes). It means all these three things in bold: the blueprint (conceiving of the initial ideas, the highlight item that gives you the AHA! or the message that you want to deliver for all the world to see), the planning (the dressing up steps and processes), and also includes the product (the end result as worn by your character, and the impression and feeling of completeness).

• Theme: The underlying concept, mood, or unifying idea that guides the aesthetic. It’s what gives a design coherence and meaning beyond just individual elements. The big picture worded in a short sentence. The Boat (sometimes as the Boat of Theseus).

• Message: Word(s) that you want others to have an impression of, the first thing that crosses their mind when they see and/or understand your design. In other words, how others perceive your expression. Longer messages are harder to deliver in the right way and would even require other more advanced or complex media. The thing you fill your boat with. And you are the Theseus, you are also in it for the journey.

General Overview of Very Practical Mixing Ratios

It is recommended to at least google once about static theory (wheel divisions) just to see the overall wheel of colour (not gonna post it here, nor writing about the details), but I will try to make things to be as concrete as possible within this guide and applicable for our RO related purposes.

Contrast vs Harmony

To simplify the matter, we will mainly consider the interactions between hero colour and supporting colour and such will hopefully simplify the matter (e.g. we are not actively considering the contrast/harmony between Hero and Accent, or Supporting and Accent), although you can always do it yourself as in a more advanced design processes (not gonna be fully covered here).

Our eyes seek visual balance between similarity (harmony) and difference (contrast). Therefore our objectives will be (by priority):

1. When harmony dominates (between hero colour and supporting colour), you must “open up” space.
2. When contrast dominates, you need less adjustment, since balance is naturally present.

Proportions

As previously mentioned, in this guide we will heavily deal with the tricolour system and the terms born from it namely Hero colour, Supporting colour, and Accent colour (which later will be shortened as Hero, Supporting, and Accent). It is often easy to spot in nature and also probably the reason why the flags of many countries consist of three colours. And in general the only hard rule we will strongly follow is that it has to look good/cute/handsome, a very aesthetical centered view and that the end justifies the means.

Using the picture of the big cat above as an example we can say that the Hero is light brown, the Supporting is white, and the Accent is black. Simple right?

The general rule of thumb is 60:30:10 ratio for Hero:Supporting:Accent colour for them to look good. And in application, back again to our Objectives practically it simply means:

1. When harmony dominates, increase proportions of the Accent (or use stronger colours as the Accent)
2. When contrast dominates, lower proportions of the Accent (or use weaker colours as the Accent)

So as we evaluate the Hero colour and the Supporting colour, which are the harmony of light brown and white because they are neighboring colours on the wheel of colour (not really so much difference between them, right?), the big cat still looks good. The reason might be because the strong colour of black is used and the proportion is more than 10%, that in a way everything follows our previous logic in a circular way.

Very Practical Steps

The actual application of the practical steps are more loosely defined depending on your own unique situation (as one step may be swapped with another step), but I will simply provide these example step-by-step as a whole with commentary, as some sort of backbone or as the line of thought to simplify the whole matter (and to avoid confusion):

1. First step is to decide the theme/highlight item. For example you want something in your costume garment slot as the highlight.
2. And from that you can start to decide or construct what theme or message you will try to communicate: Is it playful, a projection of power, simply to look cool/cute, elegance with frills, etc (this is more of an abstract part and there is no right or wrong here, only that the theme/message will be strong/weak/mixed)
3. Then you have to decide or in other cases to identify your choice of Hero colour and Supporting colour based on the colour of that one piece of highlight costume, precisely the garment costume in this case. This is where the usual colour symbolism fits in (e.g. blue for calm and stability, red for fiery spirits or anger, green for health and longevity, etc). The more the Hero colour and to the limited amount the Supporting colour matches the same theme/message, the stronger the theme/message will be (but being overly strong may or may not always be preferable).
4. After that you may decide the rest of the 3 pieces of costumes, precisely the top, mid, and low costumes to build around the overall theme (e.g. put guitar costume on rocker theme, choose the frilly umbrella for your elegant and cute frilly cardinal, etc). You can test the water in the case that there are recolors available and that it should match the Hero colour, the Supporting colour, and/or the Accent colour as much as possible (could match more than one).
5. Start finding the best looking alternate job outfit and the cloth colour number that matches the chosen Hero-Supporting-Accent colour and the overall theme. Here you should readjust either the choice of the Supporting colour and subsequently the Accent colour, or the choice of the top/mid/low costume if it doesn't look good or feels a bit odd. Otherwise go back to step 3 if you need to get a new Hero colour. Taste and experience matter the most here. Also trusted outsider's inputs are actually most valuable around this step as to avoid Self Justification Fallacy/Confirmation Bias.
6. Adjust the effect stones. Sync them with the theme. Some stones with blurring effects (for example various costume stones with light effects e.g. Blessing Effect Stone (70016) ) might be used to mask either the Hero colour or the Supporting colour in case there are 2 close looking colours that are not exactly the same but you still want to group them together.
7. The effect stones are also able to be worked in as the Accent, in the case that the rest of the costumes, namely the top/mid/low choices, only fall into the Hero/Supporting colour category. Otherwise it should be worked into applying the 60:30:10 ratio or the subsequent rebalanced ratio (e.g. 60:35:5 if too contrasting / 55:30:15 if too harmonious)

Very Concrete Review and Evaluation

About the Review of Practical Cases

The general aim of the review and evaluation (as of Date: 5/Sep/2025) is to elaborate the concept and offer to dig up the whole process behind the apparent design, as transparent as possible; in other words, to somewhat provide a possible reference of how the whole thing works (limited to my way, and that you should eventually develop your own unique methods if you haven't already). Also, do not consider my interpretations as the correct one above yours, nor as a final say, as I am merely doing my best at the moment (as if in performance arts) and so your judgement might be more accurate than mine and you should be confident about it. We can just leave it here, hanging and inconclusive and that will be perfectly fine.

On another note, you should be aware that good conceptualization does not equal good execution. The material reason of this might be that the better matching costume is not made available to the server yet, that it is still expensive or rare, or that it is simply unobtainable on a personal level for the time being. However one should not despair, because as far as I know, in this server the policy regarding exclusive costumes is, that they will be made available to the public eventually (the timings may vary). One of the best example is the once notoriously hard to get C. Himmelmez's Sword (480437) , that is now available to be easily crafted.

Sophie's Talk

These are some of my characters that I finished dressing up, of which I think are good enough, at least for the time being.

Theme/Message	Visuals	Ratio	Notes
Monkey Girl / Energetic		Highlight Item: [1] (40134) because of some nostalgia and also that it looks cool. Hero: Yellow / Gold (60%), bright, active, uplifting. Supporting: Green(30%), calm, stabilizing, nature-grounded. Accent: White (5-10%) / Red (1%)	Type: Overall Harmony (yellow is next to green on the colour wheel, so it harmonizes, but gold is actually a mix of yellow and red and is actually partially contrasting) Treatment: Adding white to break the harmony. Because white is a strong colour in this palette (it has maximum value contrast against both gold and green), it doesn't need that much (from the front-side, only source is from C. Flame Wings (white) (60949) and partially from the cloth colour). The end result is a character who feels energetic and acts with constant confidence and determination.
Fox Mage Girl / Playful		Highlight Item: C. Cat Witch Hat (red) (61505) because I thought the moving ears look cute. Hero: Red (60%), bold, energetic, passionate. Supporting: Light brown (30%), warm undertone, stabilizing. Accent: White (5-10%) / Rainbow (1-5%)	Type: Harmony (brown is next to red on the colour wheel, so it harmonizes) Treatment: Adding white to break the harmony. Uplifting the entire palette so it wouldn't feel heavy. Magic Circle (rainbow) Effect Stone (70072) was added for the feeling of festivity, compounding on the playfulness from C. Deviruchi Party (red) (61289) . The end result is a character who feels full of spirit and finesse, yet mischievous while feeling approachable.
Ghost Girl / Introverted		Highlight Item: C. Blue Moon Loli Ruri (40152) because the blue moon looks cool. Hero: Pale White (60-70%), purity, formality, “otherworldly/ghastly” vibe. Supporting: Blue (20-30%), seriousness, calmness. Accent: Gold (1-5%) / Black(1-3%)	Type: Harmony (blue and pale white harmonizes, because both are low energy, and white also does not create real contrast, because it is a neutral / achromatic colour). Treatment: Adding gold/black ensures the design doesn’t feel flat or too restrained. The only source for gold is C. Blinking Golden Eyes (410049) and the hair colour, while black is only from C. Cat on Shoulder (black) (61564) just for matching the theme (ghost + black cat). The end result is a character who feels calm, solitary, and polite.
Demon Girl / Aloof		Highlight Item: C. Mischief Wing (golden) (90181) because this item feels complex and robust, like a deep roasted coffee (usually I don't like wing type garments because they feel too fluffy for my taste). Hero: Gold (60-70%), radiant, commanding, luxurious. Supporting: Deep purple (30%), depth, mystery, regality. Accent: Light blue(1-3%) / Red(1%)	Type: Contrast (gold and deep purple sit opposite to each other on the colour wheel. Purple is a mix of red + blue, which directly complements gold/yellow. This creates strong visual tension and energy. Treatment: While the type of interaction is already a Contrast (we don't really have do to anything more), in order to bring it up a new level, the Accent (1–3%) becomes critical. Light blue (1–3%) from Particles (blue) Stone (70738) with animation introduces a cool spark, preventing the palette from becoming too heavy or solemn. Red (1%) from one of C. Demi-Freya's Twinkling Eyes (410320) eyes compounding the boldness of gold, while the other eye, the lighter purple one, echoes the greater deep purple’s mystery. The end result is a character who feels dark majestic, authoritative, and unforgettable.
Fire Girl / Fiery		Highlight Item: C. Nine Tails (40035) and C. Flame Fox Ears (61140) because it looks cool with all the animations (and the tail was somehow exclusively dropping from a seasonal GM event costume box, before finally being added into the monthly costume box) Hero: Red (60-70%), fiery, high-energy, aggression. Supporting: Orange (20-30%), warmth, vitality, dynamism. Accent: Pink (5-10%) / Black (1-3%)	Type: Harmony (red and orange sit next to each other on the colour wheel, creating warm, energetic cohesion). Treatment: The Accent colours become critical for balance: Pink (5–10%) from C. Flame Wings (red) (60948) adds girly playfulness and prevents the palette from feeling too aggressive and masculine, while black (1–3%) from Kyel Hyre (gray) Effect Stone (70110) anchors the design and emphasizes a form of fire. The end result is a character who feels fiery, charismatic, and visually striking.
Rock'n'Roll Girl / Excess		Highlight Item: C. Haori Coat (pink) (90339) because I wanted to emulate the look of a leather jacket for some reason (even if only from the front). Hero: Black / Dark brown(60%), dominant, heavy, mysterious. Supporting: Light Purple / Pink (30%), playfulness, charm, intoxicating highs. Accent: Turquoise (10%)	Type: Contrast (black/dark brown and light purple/pink sit far apart in value and hue, creating a strong visual tension.) Treatment: The turquoise Accent (10%) from the hair colour becomes critical; turquoise introduces a bright, cool spark to break the heaviness of the dark hero, while adding approachability. The end result is a character who feels enigmatic, electrifying, and brimming with edge (yea this is edgy I know sorry bout that lmao it's hard to write this ngl).
(your) Theme / Message	File:Xxxxxx.jpg	(your) Theme ratio Hero: Supporting: Accent:	(your) Theme notes

• P.S.: Anyone here knows how to easily make .gif of these like they occasionally have in the #fashion channel? Special thanks to Serene for sharing the gifcam stuff (but will do my gif later though)
• P.S.: Everyone is welcome to add their own characters so that we will have wider range of references.

Miscellaneous and Hot Tips (for RO character design in general)

• Go donate so you will have a lot of Muh Voucher (50003) thanks

Afterword

(7/Sep/2025)

Creative expression is the gateway to self-actualization, and as long as you are honest and sincere you will definitely make progress no matter how slow or minuscule it is. Within each of your creations lies a shard of yourself. What you like, what you dislike from it. What you like from others, what you dislike from others. Be honest about it and you will progress. Be sincere and you will be fine. Taste and Perception, in the end they all do matter and everything you see is a reflection of yourself. A piece of advice from me, to quote: Judgement is the burden the wise refuse to carry; giving a rating can weigh more than it seems, for the work carries pieces of the creator’s self. Paradoxical, but in the end there's only so much you can do to help others. I believe everyone's true compass only lies in themselves, not in others.

Writing this guide overall has been the hardest one for me, compared to my other writings. As ideas, words, and things that I did not notice before, keep hitting me like a hammer as I pondered and concretized the underlying. And with this I thank you again, the MuhRO community, which has been with me and helped me grow in the past year.

Acknowledgements

• Special Thanks to Tmisn for editing and proofreading.
• Inspirations from showcases and demonstrations from Various Master Artists and Designers (ain't namedropping y'all but you know who you are) mostly but not limited to seasonal Fashion Show events, #Fashion, and #Screenshoot of the MuhRo Discord.
• My own interactions with various other very beautiful/cute/handsome GMs, EMs, and Mods that have educated and enriched my taste on so many things regarding RO fashion design beyond personal trial and error.
• Hurt Locker's Wind Hawk Guide character picture format was used for picture formatting of this guide.