Runescape

[psymann]

If I've recommended Runescape to anyone, please allow me to un-recommend it.

It used to be a good game (boring in places, but good).

Now it's changed ownership and the new owners have thrown away much of the good principles of the old game-makers.  As a result, they have devalued the game through a series of updates to give away free in-game experience very easily, done too little to prevent bot/macro players using illegal software to get ahead and sell in-game benefits for real money, and, by far worst of all this last month, after years of saying that people shouldn't be able to get ahead in the game by being rich in real life, have now offered in-game free stuff in large quantities to anyone who is willing to pay extra.

A once good game has turned into a money-grabbing game where rich players can get ahead, as can those who are willing to illegally buy benefits from third parties.

So if you were considering playing Runescape, I would now suggest you consider other options where once I'd have encouraged you to try it.

[JPierreD]

I used to play Runescape many years ago, when it was still 2-D, but looking back in perspective the game sucked even then, at least to my current standards. It's pure grinding, all the way, mixed with some interesting quests.

It used to be 100% free, with interaction between the admins and the community (there were also the cool RP letters written by the gods of the game, answering questions and whatnot). Then it was made so that it was free up to a certain point, and several features had to be unlocked by paying. From what you say now it is going freemium. That is a pretty common trend in games nowadays, it seems.

[Zakilevo]

Well the money has to come from somewhere.

[Bael]

I tried this and hated it. I suppose loathed might more appropriate.

[Revan]

Runescape was phenomenal in the early days. A game like that had no business being in existence in the early noughties. An MMO that requires no installation, that is free-to-play and offers a big sandbox world to get lost in. This back when broadband was only just coming in, blowing our minds with speeds of 150k. I still can't get my head round how Jagex achieved that. I'm even still impressed to see the way Runescape looks now, though with Gaikai and Onlive the future seems to be that we'll be playing Crysis through our browser windows, which makes the idea of another console generation seem ridiculous.

Anyway, when Jagex introduced Runescape Members they were basically doing the freemium thing the best part of a decade before anyone else in the Western gaming industry cottoned on. Play for free and you could access most quests, skills and areas. Pay a little monthly fee though and you got it all. Unheard of then, but nowadays you hear grandees saying there's no future for paid games and freemium is the future. Whatever you think of Jagex and Runescape, these guys were blazing a trail. It's not surprising that as the freemium model has evolved they're getting involved with micro-transactions and what have you.

There is a formula to it and Jagex had it mastered. You never, ever had to become a member, but boy could it gnaw at you to sign up and have a peak at what you were missing. Can't comment on what it's like now but for me the 'rich players can get ahead' horse bolted when they first introduced members. Anyone with a membership will trounce a free player and people have been selling accounts and items for real cash for ever and ever. It's just one of those things about MMO gaming. Except now, instead of letting it happen on the margins, developers and publishers want a cut of the action.

[Ehndras]

Rune became a corrupt cesspool of botters in 2007-08, when I subsequently lost Crimzondrake, formerly in the highest-ranking characters of Runescape to some bastard hacker. Thank you, Jagex, for never actually managing to return a high-ranking paid account that was played since RS:Classic. I lost my clan, my apprentices, millions of gold worth of items, a dozen sets of rune, hundreds of thousands of runes, and a ridiculously-massive collection of thousands upon thousands of gemstones I had been amassing for years for some weird reason. I mean sure, I'd make gold jewelry from them, but I couldn't keep up with even 10% of the gems I was purchasing. :P

I actually remade after that and was paid for a little while, but managed to build up such a vehement, writhing disdain for Jagex that I was forced to quit. I gave away a few level 90+ characters I had built up over the years, gave away my paid account, and never touched that pile of flaming feces again, except for the sake of nostalgia. I had hoped that with so many years gone by I'd be able to tolerate the game I used to so deeply love, but no; still f*cking hate it. Sure, Crimzondrake was my newest, most inexperienced character, but Jagex's inability to pull their heads from their asses really ruined it for me.

If only there was another game I could spend all my time mining and blacksmithing :|

[Norrel]

If only there was another game I could spend all my time mining and blacksmithing :|

You can do space mining in EVE

[Perth]

If only there was another game I could spend all my time mining and blacksmithing :|

Skyrim?

[Revan]

Rune became a corrupt cesspool of botters in 2007-08, when I subsequently lost Crimzondrake, formerly in the highest-ranking characters of Runescape to some bastard hacker. Thank you, Jagex, for never actually managing to return a high-ranking paid account that was played since RS:Classic. I lost my clan, my apprentices, millions of gold worth of items, a dozen sets of rune, hundreds of thousands of runes, and a ridiculously-massive collection of thousands upon thousands of gemstones I had been amassing for years for some weird reason. I mean sure, I'd make gold jewelry from them, but I couldn't keep up with even 10% of the gems I was purchasing. :P

I actually remade after that and was paid for a little while, but managed to build up such a vehement, writhing disdain for Jagex that I was forced to quit. I gave away a few level 90+ characters I had built up over the years, gave away my paid account, and never touched that pile of flaming feces again, except for the sake of nostalgia. I had hoped that with so many years gone by I'd be able to tolerate the game I used to so deeply love, but no; still f*cking hate it. Sure, Crimzondrake was my newest, most inexperienced character, but Jagex's inability to pull their heads from their asses really ruined it for me.

If only there was another game I could spend all my time mining and blacksmithing :|

Your reference to celebrity vaguely reminds me of the time I bumped into l6vi (or lv6i?) in another game called Helbreath way back when. He was one of the best players when I started RuneScape. Apparently he'd gotten bored of it all though and fair play to the guy. I suppose after you've defeated one of the GM's in combat (even if they didn't use a shield!) there isn't much left to do ;-)

Skyrim?

Hehe, beat me to it :-P

[Ehndras]

Multiplayer, and PC. :P I can't run any good games on my crappy laptop and I barely have enough money to eat, much less to buy a better computer.

[Ketchum]

I used to play Runescape many years ago before I joined BM.

Back then it is 2D. We used to report other players if they advertise their gold/good items for cash. Then I quit after seeing it become such game cater to players with cash >:(