Jul 15, 2014 at 10:17 PM
Join Date: Aug 28, 2009
Location: The Purple Zone
Posts: 5998
Pronouns: he/him
I figured I'd make an official thread for this. It'll probably help reinforce the fact that I'm a smarmy fucker that likes to take the piss.
Link here ==> http://www.runescape.com/
An image of Lumbridge, the ancestral starting point for many a new Runescape player
- What It is -
A couple a' chavs back in the 90s got to thinkin they knew a thing or two about programmin and figured they'd make their own graphical MUD because y'aint got much better to do when you're stuck in mum's basement all day. They kept tacking on features to this monstrosity, and eventually a lot of people got upset with what they tacked on and stopped playing, but not quite enough for it to die.
It is a video game by academic definition, in that there is video and it contains some game-like elements such as levels and a sense of progression. There are a number of servers and each can hold up to 2000 players (as it was in 2004 and ever shall be) although it's rare to see any hit that cap nowadays. But, if the one you're on gets too crowded for your taste you can just switch to another.
Runescape today features rich 3D environments and models, and there are many stats to build to make your warrior stronger.
- How It Runs -
Despite being older than some of the people that've posted on this forum, they manage to have been able to retain the feel of playing a game on early-2000's hardware and network connections. It's a browser game, you don't need to install anything other than Java to play it and I'd say at the lowest settings it is just light enough to get by with only *some* chugging on a low-end laptop.
Runescape's "low-detail" setting is finely tuned to provide optimal performance on even dated hardware.
- Basic Story -
A high-level player faces off against a Red Dragon, one of Runescape's most fearsome denizens.
- Free to Play -
Runescape basically invented the F2P MMO scene and the free portion of the game has remained relatively preserved in its historic state since the RS2 launched in 2004. You can explore about a quarter of the surface world, have access to *most* skills but training them effectively at all past 40-60 is a chore, and you're limited to using shit-tier weapons and armour.
But, if you somehow manage to become a feather baron and earn 6-7 million gold, you can use it to buy 14 days worth of membership!
also there is a "cosmetic bullshit" store where you can spend perfectly good money on useless crap important things like furry cosplay.
An affluent player shows off a werewolf outfit purchased in Solomon's General Store. Note that the pants (and other pieces) can be assigned custom colors by the player.
- Gameplay -
You click on things and wait for stuff to happen. Some more advanced gameplay requires you to click on several specific things in a certain order, or to click things that move or only appear for a short amount of time. The other gameplay component involves reading various numbers to determine if you should *not* click on something. If you had a touchscreen, you could effectively play runescape with your dick, although probably not very well.
The game also has quests that involve finding where the quest starts, skipping a bunch of dialog, and then going to the wiki and reading how to solve the bullshit puzzles.
Several players engaged in PVP activities in the "Wilderness", a barren and dangerous area where players can attack each other freely.
- Classes -
There used to be a random event about going to school to identify basic patterns and shapes but that was deemed "too demanding" for the average Runescape player, so was removed in a later patch.
In runescape, there are three modes of combat that you can choose to train - Melee, Ranged, and Magic. However, there's no choice to be made when you create your account as you can level up each of these skills at your own pace and there's no downside to leveling up one over the other. Which is a nice way of saying none of the choices you make have any bearing whatsoever.
Melee - Warrior
The heart of the runescape experience, melee combat involves putting on your best armor and biggest weapon, then clicking on something and waiting until either you or it dies.
Ranged - Archer
Archers have traditionally been the red-headed stepchild of the combat triangle, being neither useful outside of combat nor easy to train as melee. As such, ranged content was largely ignored in game updates and it wasn't until 2009 that they introduced a second ranged weapon, "different shaped bow". It recieved a lukewarm reception from the players and a score of 9/10 on IGN.
Magic - Wizard
In order to cast spells, wizards require large numbers of one-use consumable "runes". So, essentially your magic skill is a measure of how good you are at banging rocks together. Still, this makes it an expensive skill to train, so much like in real life Runescape wizards are the 1%. Also like in real life, if you're in that 1% you can use your skills to escape dangerous situations, make things dead, and conjure money out of thin air.
Damn, it's over already. I didn't even waste enough time to make it to lunch.
Anyway, hopefully this'll serve as enough of a warning that one or two people think twice about getting wrapped up in this never-ending grind treadmill. If you feel like playing with someone else then you can blow me, Runescape isn't a multiplayer game and I'm not giving you my IGN.
Link here ==> http://www.runescape.com/
An image of Lumbridge, the ancestral starting point for many a new Runescape player
- What It is -
A couple a' chavs back in the 90s got to thinkin they knew a thing or two about programmin and figured they'd make their own graphical MUD because y'aint got much better to do when you're stuck in mum's basement all day. They kept tacking on features to this monstrosity, and eventually a lot of people got upset with what they tacked on and stopped playing, but not quite enough for it to die.
It is a video game by academic definition, in that there is video and it contains some game-like elements such as levels and a sense of progression. There are a number of servers and each can hold up to 2000 players (as it was in 2004 and ever shall be) although it's rare to see any hit that cap nowadays. But, if the one you're on gets too crowded for your taste you can just switch to another.
Runescape today features rich 3D environments and models, and there are many stats to build to make your warrior stronger.
- How It Runs -
Despite being older than some of the people that've posted on this forum, they manage to have been able to retain the feel of playing a game on early-2000's hardware and network connections. It's a browser game, you don't need to install anything other than Java to play it and I'd say at the lowest settings it is just light enough to get by with only *some* chugging on a low-end laptop.
Runescape's "low-detail" setting is finely tuned to provide optimal performance on even dated hardware.
- Basic Story -
You play as one random tosser out of many who's set forth to rape the land's natural resources for personal profit and kill anything that moves. After going through a brief tutorial about exterminating mountain trolls trying to desperately defend their homes from encroaching human development, you're let loose into a completely open world to piss about as you please. Except for the parts that are for members only. Also Guthix died, which let the young gods came back and now they're fighting over the Stone of Jas which is said to have the power of the Elder Gods. Or something.
A high-level player faces off against a Red Dragon, one of Runescape's most fearsome denizens.
- Free to Play -
Runescape basically invented the F2P MMO scene and the free portion of the game has remained relatively preserved in its historic state since the RS2 launched in 2004. You can explore about a quarter of the surface world, have access to *most* skills but training them effectively at all past 40-60 is a chore, and you're limited to using shit-tier weapons and armour.
But, if you somehow manage to become a feather baron and earn 6-7 million gold, you can use it to buy 14 days worth of membership!
also there is a "cosmetic bullshit" store where you can spend perfectly good money on useless crap important things like furry cosplay.
An affluent player shows off a werewolf outfit purchased in Solomon's General Store. Note that the pants (and other pieces) can be assigned custom colors by the player.
- Gameplay -
You click on things and wait for stuff to happen. Some more advanced gameplay requires you to click on several specific things in a certain order, or to click things that move or only appear for a short amount of time. The other gameplay component involves reading various numbers to determine if you should *not* click on something. If you had a touchscreen, you could effectively play runescape with your dick, although probably not very well.
The game also has quests that involve finding where the quest starts, skipping a bunch of dialog, and then going to the wiki and reading how to solve the bullshit puzzles.
Several players engaged in PVP activities in the "Wilderness", a barren and dangerous area where players can attack each other freely.
- Classes -
There used to be a random event about going to school to identify basic patterns and shapes but that was deemed "too demanding" for the average Runescape player, so was removed in a later patch.
In runescape, there are three modes of combat that you can choose to train - Melee, Ranged, and Magic. However, there's no choice to be made when you create your account as you can level up each of these skills at your own pace and there's no downside to leveling up one over the other. Which is a nice way of saying none of the choices you make have any bearing whatsoever.
Melee - Warrior
The heart of the runescape experience, melee combat involves putting on your best armor and biggest weapon, then clicking on something and waiting until either you or it dies.
Archers have traditionally been the red-headed stepchild of the combat triangle, being neither useful outside of combat nor easy to train as melee. As such, ranged content was largely ignored in game updates and it wasn't until 2009 that they introduced a second ranged weapon, "different shaped bow". It recieved a lukewarm reception from the players and a score of 9/10 on IGN.
In order to cast spells, wizards require large numbers of one-use consumable "runes". So, essentially your magic skill is a measure of how good you are at banging rocks together. Still, this makes it an expensive skill to train, so much like in real life Runescape wizards are the 1%. Also like in real life, if you're in that 1% you can use your skills to escape dangerous situations, make things dead, and conjure money out of thin air.
Damn, it's over already. I didn't even waste enough time to make it to lunch.
Anyway, hopefully this'll serve as enough of a warning that one or two people think twice about getting wrapped up in this never-ending grind treadmill. If you feel like playing with someone else then you can blow me, Runescape isn't a multiplayer game and I'm not giving you my IGN.
