Do not want
It's not for you o3o
Do not want
Oh yeah...almost forgot Runescape. XD
Lately I've been hearing a lot of "WoW has awesome PvP" or "That game has bad graphics". But the thing I can't stand most about is people called Runescape and kid's game and a bad game. You could say that it would be the equivalent of telling Jobs that Apple products suck, so I'm going to make a stand and explain just why Runescape is one of the best MMORPGs out there.
First of all, the Runescape client is based completely off Java. There is no need to download a client and the game loads almost instantly on any speeds faster than dialup. I've heard many wisecracks about how Runescape graphics are inferior compared to those of say WoW and Perfect world. In return allow me to ask, what other game offers full 3D, HD full screen graphics with adjustable camera angel, dynamic shadows, adjustable texture detail and water effects, WITHOUT needing to download a client, and can run smoothly on any browser at a internet speed of 15 kps? Runescape's Java code is a work of art, and no other game comes even close. Needless to say this also means Runescape can be played anywhere at anytime wherever there is a computer with web access. Again, what other client based MMO can boast that?
Second. The diversity of things to do in Runescape is extraordinary. With 25 completely separate skills, the amount of potential unique play experience that Runescape offers far exceeds anything that of any other MMO. This also allows players of many different play habits to co-exist, people who enjoy combat can focus on hunting and PVP, people who enjoy secondary skills can woodcut, fish, or mine. Not only this, but Runescape is designed in such a way that all skills co-exist with each other and are co-dependent. Smithing wouldn't work without mining and vise versa. This creates niches, and interplay between skills and communities of players, as well as a diverse and ever-shaping economy which I will explain in detail much more later on.
The minigames that Runescape offers are intuitive and complex. There are over over 30+ minigames available for players who need to take a break from the grind, and each of them is good enough to be stand-alone games in their own right.
QUESTS. My god I cannot comprehend how one can stand to repeatedly do, level after level, game after game, day after day, the same boring quest format over and over again. Go to A. Talk to B. Collect C. Kill D. Find E. Talk to F. Finish quest. Sorry, but if I were forced to endure that sort of questing whenever I play, then wouldn't it be better for me to just NOT play?
Quests is an area where Runescape shines above and beyond all it's competitors 10 times over and more.
Feel like a laugh? How about talking to the drunken gnome and seeing where he'll teleport you?
Feel like a challenge? How about saving the people of the native island from the demon spirit to gain access to the awesome Legends guild?
Perhaps you like the desert? Then perhaps you'd feel like pyramid plundering and finding ancient lost magic?
What about fighting the paranormal? Then go and save the nobles from the evil chef who uses culinary magic to freeze time!
Like being annoyed? How about going on a journey around the entire map, doing 'small favors' for big amounts of people?
Or how about something sinister? Then go ahead and discover the mysterys of the ruins of the underground lost city?
Possibly, you're the creative type? How about escaping an island by fashioning a seagull launcher from a T-shirt, broken bottle and an accordion?
Maybe you like doing something crazy? How about letting that dwarf put on a golden helmet for you and then cannonballing you straight into that cave wall?
I could go on and on and on and on, but I think the idea is clear.
Runescape quests are incredibly well written and diverse, from short simple to extremely long and episodic, with fascinating back story of the Runescape universe. For what Runescape perhaps lack in graphics, the immersion is made up by it's backstory. Maybe WoW has a similar background which is just as fascinating, but Runescape tells it in such a way that it becomes much more immersive than reading off a box of text. The NPC themselves interact with the character, there are beautiful pre-rendered cutscenes, and the story tells itself not by words, but by all the action that is happening around the player. Each quest contributes something to your game world, perhaps introduces an NPC, uncovers a new skill or item, maybe even lock parts of the map that you haven't discovered before. The time needed to complete every single quest in Runescape would be enormous, I would at least estimate 900 hours of solid gameplay, for a character from scratch.
The way in which Runescape updates their quests is also admirable. There is no expansion pack to pay for, no prelease announce needed, no need to pay for downloading extra content. Quests are simply implemented ever other week, there's no extra downloading needed at all, and the average quest offers 2-3 hours of solid gameplay alone. The ease in which Jagex can simply add extra content at their whim, probably cannot be mimic'd by any other MMO.
One of the major arguments against Runescape is it's lack-luster combat system, and unfortunately I have to agree that this is indeed one of it's weaker points. However, that is not to say that the combat is not without it's own merits. Many players prefer point and click action as opposed to button mashing. 'Grinding' your character is much easier because a lot less attention is required to focus on what your character is doing. The simple combat is easy on the internet, and even 50+ player battles are lag-less. Personally, it's just a preference of whether you like combat to be *click, click, click* or *click, press button 1, press button 2, press button 3, press button 1*. And even though fighting itself may not be complex, the preparation for it is anything but. Food, Potions, Weapon choice, combinations, delay casting spells, which spell books to use, switching armors mid-battle, teamwork, synergy between fellow players, the list goes on, and in terms of strategy, Runescape is anything but a point and click combat game.
The Economy. Ah yes, now we get to the good stuff. Remember how I described the extreme diversity of skills that Runescape offers? Well, this, coupled with the impressive 10 million active players, has created a virtual economy unlike any other. The recent advent of the Grand Exchange system in Runescape was like a godsend to many players. Suddenly, every single one of the 10 million players were simultaneously connected to each other. The virtual economy of Runescape is unlike any other game (save EVE online, maybe), and the seamless flow of commodities as they flowed through the market is something that can only be experienced, and relished.
Just like each skill is connected to each other, so is each commodity. If you're a simple merchant, you would know that an increase in the price of raw fish will quickly cause the cooked prices to rise, to you better buy all the cooked fish you can before it goes up. If you're a little bit smarter than that, you'd know that pricier fish would mean less pvpers, so demand for potions will fall, better unload all of them while you can. Maybe you're really crafty, and you've figured out that higher priced fish will encourage woodcutters to switch to fishing, so with the decrease in supply of logs, you'd want to stock up on some yews before they rise up, and then sell as they come back down again. Want to get even craftier than that?
How will the new herblore update affect the prices of Barrows helms you may ask? Well my good sir, allow me to explain. Since the new herblore update is advantageous to skillers as opposed to high combat low skill Pvpers, there will be a surge in combat as skillers join the pvpers in combat. This will decrease the amount of players monster hunting, which due to the lack of supply of food and potions from the lack of skillers, will then also subsequently convert to PVP for income. The increase in PVP will cause the market to flood with combat related items due to the recently implemented bounty drop system, with a high chance of an increase in supply of barrows armor items. With this, more players will begin using barrows items, and because the helmet is lost on death, it will become increasingly scarce compared to the other items in the set, hence it's price will increase dramatically. So good sir, what should you do? Stock up on helmets when the market is just beginning to flood with them, then quickly unload them before everyone gets bored of the new fishing update, and rates return to normal.
Still think Runescape is a simple game? You're playing against 10 million other players.
Me and Mop used to play that. It was lol.
How about I don't recommend you an MMO. How about I recommend you a Console Game? How about I recommend you start playing Fallout 3?
Since this has spiraled into debate and dumb answers...
What class do you guys recommend? My first class was a Priest->Exorcist but I got bored right after the class change. My new character is a Slayer going to become a Soul Bender but I'm not liking the Slayer as much as my Priest.
Since this has spiraled into debate and dumb answers...
What class do you guys recommend? My first class was a Priest->Exorcist but I got bored right after the class change. My new character is a Slayer going to become a Soul Bender but I'm not liking the Slayer as much as my Priest.
I'm a Soulbender, it's hell to play till your a high enough level, apparently :/...
No HD console for Mop.
@Orange: Nope. We played it for like a week.