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 Post subject: [Informer Article] Why I Play RuneScape
PostPosted: April 30th, 2012, 6:39 pm 
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I was instant messaging a friend the other day who had recently quit Runescape and he asked me if I still find the game fun. I replied with a "yes," and we briefly continued on the subject but the conversation quickly moved on. A little while later I looked back on his question and thought to myself, "Why have I been playing this game all these years?"

Before I continue, I'd like to give a bit of background on my time on Runescape. I started out in free to play in the summer of 2004 and like many, I took the occasional break, lasting anywhere from a few weeks to a few years. Something always kept dragging me back. Then in August of 2011 I decided to buy membership and finally experience all of what Runescape has to offer. As I look back on that decision now I am glad I did it, as I've enjoyed every minute I've spent "Scaping".

But back to the topic at hand, why after almost 8 years since starting this game do I continue to log on just about every day? Now some may just say I'm addicted, but I think the reason I keep coming back for more is because how multifaceted Runescape really is. It isn't purely a grind to max out your character as fast as you can. For the most part, it can be a single player game all on its own. With 25 skills to train, 181 quests to complete, several tasks sets, and endless minigames and activities, I never find myself running out of things to do. But even beyond that, it is a social experience. Runescape involves interactions with other real people, whether it be skilling together, taking on a boss or another group of players, or just plain chatting. Not only are there direct interactions with these other players, but Runescape has its own economy, featuring a grand exchange, that links thousands of people across all worlds together, whether they know it or not.

When most people think about Runescape, one of the very first things that comes to mind is leveling all the skills. Skilling and leveling up one's character is a common aspect of almost any MMORPG or RPG that you will find, so why do I find Runescape's system so much more enjoyable? I think the biggest difference when you look at Runescape and other games is how many skills Runescape has and the length of time required to level and eventually max each of them. In many games you can find yourself maxing your character in anywhere from ten to forty days of gameplay, whereas in Runescape achieving a max cape for the average player takes hundreds of days played. Now this may scare many players off from ever dreaming of getting 99 in all skills or even one skill for that matter, but I see it differently. Whether it be reaching 99 in any given skill, leveling all your skill above a certain milestone, or just gaining a level that unlocks a new item, the longer amount of time put in to skilling provides me with a greater sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. I feel that the more and more I train, the more adept I am becoming at that particular skill, rather than feeling like I am grinding away for no apparent reason. The other reason I find Runescape's skilling system so unique is the interdependence between all of the skills. Sure you can just buy supplies or pieces of armour from another player or the grand exchange, but I find if I refrain from doing so and collecting the supplies myself, I get more enjoyment out of it. Yes this may not be the fastest way of doing things, but when you are done you will surely have gained more xp from gathering the things yourself, but more importantly the satisfaction of knowing you did it all with the abilities of your own character, and not with those of another.

Even beyond the pure skilling Runescape has a lot to offer in terms of quests, minigames, and so much more. Quests are often one of the most hated things by many Runescape players, but I for the most part enjoy them all. There are a handful of quests that lack a developed storyline, but overall I think the storylines and lore behind most of the quest series are quite interesting. Although it may be difficult for the stubborn quester, if you can interest yourself in the storyline behind the quest, doing it becomes less of a chore and more of the adventure it was intended to be. And even if you don't find the extremely riveting, as I have done more and more quests during my time as a member, I have been amazed at how much of Runescape has been opened up by quests and I can't imagine how much more difficult the game would be if I decided not to do them. I like to think the same way about the task system. It may seem a bit silly to just run around an area doing various tasks, however I find myself learning where the best places to train certain skills or obtain certain items are in any particular area. When you find yourself not wanting to train or do these quests, there are more minigames in Runescape than most of us even know about or have visited. They provide a good way to just have fun and do some good ol'fashioned fighting or give alternatives to training to make skilling an easier process.

The "massively multiplayer" aspect of Runescape is what really makes it shine. Working with other players can make skilling more fun or killing bosses faster and easier and in the end, they provide an audience to share your accomplishments with. The Runescape community is often criticized as being young and immature, but if you try hard enough, it isn't too difficult to find like-minded players to play and develop relationships with. Plus, if you look hard enough, you might just find a nice community to settle down in to and make even more friends. One of the things that pulled me in to the game, even before the grand exchange, was the economy of Runescape. Although the implications are insignificant in comparison, the trading done through and at the grand exchange reminds me of a real life stock exchange. Any aspiring merchant must know the street price of an item compared to its listed price in the grand exchange, as well as where that price is going in order to successfully make his or her money. Though many players are completely oblivious to the workings of the Runescape economy, players who can learn how it works and how to manipulate it, find themselves making an easy profit. Whether you agree or not with these money making methods, the essence of reality in them makes them all the more interesting to me.

With all these different aspects of the game, one can hardly say that they have "finished" Runescape. No matter what my current goals are, whenever I reach them there will always be another unlock to train towards, a quest to complete, or a task to do. This is why I feel I have been playing all these years and will probably continue to play until Jagex shuts the game down. I hope that you can find all of these parts of Runescape as entertaining as I do and I look forward to seeing you out there in the adventure.

This was originally posted as an Informer Runescape article.

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 Post subject: Register and login to get these in-post ads to disappear
PostPosted: April 30th, 2012, 6:39 pm 
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 Post subject: Re: [Informer Article] Why I Play RuneScape
PostPosted: May 2nd, 2012, 8:33 am 
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i don't know why i play honestly. i think i just play because it is a time waster. granted there are lots of other ways to waste time but, i find RS the only game where i can play and watch some starcraft 2 videos at the same time :D

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 Post subject: Re: [Informer Article] Why I Play RuneScape
PostPosted: May 2nd, 2012, 12:25 pm 
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Wow, Jason! Great article. You express my sentiments to a tee. It's like you read my mind. Well done.

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 Post subject: Re: [Informer Article] Why I Play RuneScape
PostPosted: May 2nd, 2012, 1:13 pm 
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trekkie wrote:
i don't know why i play honestly. i think i just play because it is a time waster. granted there are lots of other ways to waste time but, i find RS the only game where i can play and watch some starcraft 2 videos at the same time :D


Haha yes the ability to multitask while still playing RS is very nice sometimes.

Uncle Dano wrote:
Wow, Jason! Great article. You express my sentiments to a tee. It's like you read my mind. Well done.


Thank you, good sir.

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 Post subject: Re: [Informer Article] Why I Play RuneScape
PostPosted: May 2nd, 2012, 2:17 pm 
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trekkie wrote:
i don't know why i play honestly. i think i just play because it is a time waster. granted there are lots of other ways to waste time but, i find RS the only game where i can play and watch some starcraft 2 videos at the same time :D

Most games are just a waste of time, tbh. Runescape is better in that you can multitask, but it really depends on the skill and how you are training. Aside from the time waste factor, there is some enjoyment. Otherwise, why would you play something you don't enjoy.

Uncle Dano wrote:
Wow, Jason! Great article. You express my sentiments to a tee. It's like you read my mind. Well done.

Claim copyright or plagiarism and sue his ***. :wink: I would agree though, that the reasons he gives are the same ones I would give. Indeed, an article of the highest quality.

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 Post subject: Re: [Informer Article] Why I Play RuneScape
PostPosted: May 3rd, 2012, 6:04 pm 
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Very nice article. You described a lot of the reasons I play too.

I look forward to reading more.

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 Post subject: Register and login to get these in-post ads to disappear
PostPosted: May 3rd, 2012, 6:04 pm 
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 Post subject: Re: [Informer Article] Why I Play RuneScape
PostPosted: May 5th, 2012, 5:09 am 
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Very well said. I have to agree, the levelling and sense of accomplishment on this game are what makes it fun. I too prefer to collect or grow my own resources and grow my skills that way. Yes, it does take longer, but I am in this game for the long haul. Its not the type you want to rush through, max everything out and then move on to the next one. As for the quests, the majority are interesting and add a different aspect to the game. Granted, some are very frustrating, such as Summer's End, which, thanks to the slight lag between clicking and the character moving had me killed 22 times before i finished it, but as a whole i enjoy them as a distraction from training. By the way, if anyone hasn't done that quest, i found the best way was to just go in with no food at the start, cut my 15 roots, then light the pyres. Just a little hint if anyone wants it.
A well written article Jason. Thank you for expressing what I am sure many of us feel.


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 Post subject: Re: [Informer Article] Why I Play RuneScape
PostPosted: June 27th, 2012, 12:50 pm 
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When I read your article it was like looking into my own thoughts.

I play for all the same reasons. When I was younger I had a lot of spare time to kill. I have tried many MMO games (not only RPGs) and even single player games but nothing has ever been as good as Runescape. If you type my username into google you will find atleast 10 of my accounts on different game-related sites and there are many more that are not listed. However, I usually only ever played for a few weeks or months. Runescape is the only exception. Anyway, great article Jason! =D>

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