RuneScape is one of those games every gamer has heard of, and any MMORPG gamer worth their salt has tried it out. It is the game that many modern-day players have played at least at some point in their childhood. However, we’re not going to play the nostalgia card today. Instead, we’re going to look into why people still play RuneScape. And believe it when we say, RuneScape has got more to offer than just nostalgia.
True to Its Roots
RuneScape remains one of the few games that can be recognized even after the many years it’s been around. Yes, RS3 has changed, especially in terms of graphics, but the main aspects of the game are mostly the same: a massive MMORPG with story-rich quests, adventures, and characters. Instead of doing searches that are more or less meaningless, when taking a journey in RS, you are signing yourself for an experience that will be hard to forget. Each quest is unique. You cannot forget how you had to play a stylist for a tribe of Goblins.
Game’s mechanics did receive an overhaul in the shape of the Evolution of Combat (EoC), but that can be turned on and off at players’ leisure. Besides that, however, a hypothetical player that last played in 2007 would quickly catch up. Getting used to the interface takes a bit of time, but fishing works the same, so does woodcutting and other skills, and with EoC turned off, you’re just experiencing a more colorful version of RS2 that also has new music tracks.
Always Something to Do
While in its core RuneScape remained mostly unchanged, there was a lot of new stuff brought into the game (and continuously is). After opening the skill tab, you will see that there are new skills such as Divination, which allow you to craft powerful signs or Invention, which can be used to craft a variety of devices that help you in the crafting process.
If you were away from RuneScape for a long time, you would also be surprised by the fact that you can train summoned familiars or the Dungeoneering skill. The latter allows you to enter instanced dungeons full of monsters to slay and loot to plunder. The culmination of this instanced content is Raids and Elite Dungeons, which offer exciting adventures, both for lone wolves as well as teams of adventurers.
Besides combat, there are many other activities, such as player farms, where you can raise anything from chickens to dragons, just for the sake of it or for great rewards they provide for your patience.
In addition to constant updates, there are also many events being held in RuneScape. These are mostly seasonal and offer a lot of exciting activities and exclusive rewards. If you decide to play the game, don’t miss out on Double XP Weekends! These do not only provide more experience but also attract a lot of other players, so you can always find someone to team up with and rid Gielinor of all the monsters that are plaguing it.
Old School RuneScape
Old School RuneScape has been receiving a lot of attention, especially so the last year when Jagex launched OSRS Mobile. OSRS is a version of the game as it was in 2007, hence also known as RS07. This version allowed players to relive the precious moments they had in the game back when it wasn’t an old school at all. Everything was exactly like in 2007. However, the growing popularity of the game made it clear that this version deserves more than just maintenance updates. Poll booths were introduced, and all hell was unleashed.
OSRS is not so “old school” anymore. Not only was it made open for F2P, but it also received a ton of new updates. Chambers of Xeric, Theatre of Blood and Kebos Lowlands are all enormous updates for a game that was thought by some to be solely nostalgia-driven. New additions include not only zones but items as well.
New content also means that there are new ways to level up your skills. Whether you are playing the game at the moment or considering doing so, check out probemas.com for various guides and learn how to level up efficiently. While there are new ways to level up existing skills, there is no new skill introduced into OSRS yet. A skill called Warding was being worked on by the development team, but it did not succeed in passing the 75% vote threshold.
Why Do People Play RuneScape
One of the main reasons why people continue playing RuneScape, which was touched upon when talking about quests, is that RS still maintains the RPG element in MMORPG. Both versions of the game allow for such an enormous player agency that one can even be overwhelmed. The player is not told to do anything, anything at all. Want to help a cook in distress? Go ahead. Wish to slay a dragon?
Sure, why not. Just learn more about doing it, before you find yourself all charcoal and crisp, slaying a dragon is a dangerous feat. Do those things now, or in a couple of months, it does not matter at all. And if you’re tired after a long day’s work, you can log in and chop wood for an hour or mine ores to get the tension off. RS3 and OSRS offer near-limitless possibilities for a player who’s eager to explore the vast world of Gielinor.
The main differences between the two games are that RS3 is more end-game oriented, and progression in RS3 is faster. OSRS, on the other hand, offers you that good old RPG feel, where you must work hard to achieve something. The fruit is sweet, but it hangs high, and that may appeal to the kind of player who has more time and patience to put into a game. By catering to both types of audiences, Jagex made sure that their legacy lasts.
