I used to be addicted to Runscape, but now it gets annoying, because when I try to click something it always lags (at least for me). I got bored of leveling up skills and etc, because there really was no point because it's not like any of my friends played runescape, and I wasn't so addicted to it that I would buy a membership. Rating: 2/5

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Now, it does have plenty of free skills, but being a free player is often a bad idea. Actually, playing Runescape is in general a bad idea--(for one) it's a giant time suck, (for two) it's a giant money suck if you decide to be a member and save a little time. Many free skills are easier to level up in members, but members requires that you have money (and I'm broke...haha). Take, for instance, smithing, which has few easy recourses to level with in free-to-play, but in members you can always use the steel bars to cannonballs method and generate some money on the wayside. And most free-to-play skills are not as useful when you get up to a high-ish level. I.e., mining--if you get up to above 85, mining for runite in the wilderness is a major pain. Members, on the other hand, have far more places to do their mining. It's the same with magic and many other skills. (Smithing might be the only respite. :-D)

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Yeah, they do have "better" graphics now, but I wouldn't say it's that great. On the other hand, I don't really believe in slagging on Runescape for having poor graphics because the point of their game was to be accessible to all sorts of computers, including those who weren't good enough to handle heavy graphics. Otherwise, why would they choose to create the game in Java and put it in a web browser? No, they'd make you download it instead, which is something many find a hassle (not that it would drive the number of players down, just look at WoW, but their goal is evidently different than Blizzard's).

I'm far more into criticizing Runescape's gameplay and/or players. To those who say that Runescape is a totally different game just because it has been given a new graphical update--you're rather off. The most important part of the problem--Runescape's community---still hasn't changed. Lydubs is quite spot-on in complaining about the incessant cursing and flaming. It's annoying and makes it difficult to enjoy a game that is played by a bunch of immature kids. The gameplay itself is at times interesting and at times...boring. A lot of quests seem like a large waste of time, and the destruction of pking as we knew it makes it more boring.

Also, considering how many inflammatory comments have been directed towards bots by Runescape's creators, Jagex should probably realize that there is a reason for bots and fight the reason instead of the result. The reason: skilling is immensely boring. No one wants to sit for hours a day at a computer and click a few buttons over and over again like a robot. That, as said in the sentence, is the job of a robot. Smart people like automated tasks. So would smart people really enjoy skilling? Evidently not. So how do they evade it? Autoing, no duh. So if Jagex really wanted to rid Runescape of autoing, perhaps they should start finding more interesting ways for people to level their skills other than clicking the same three spots over and over again.

I suppose another aspect of mmorpgs that was always enjoyable was the community. However, by destroying trading, pking, and dueling, it seems as if Jagex is trying to tone down the interaction in the community. Jagex, like a government, only wants its citizens to communicate in certain ways and will not tolerate other forms of discourse. I remember reading some conspiracy theory about how Jagex was just like a communist government, and laughing. Obviously that example is too extreme (as Runescape players are free to withdraw from the game if they feel their freedoms are being encroached upon whereas citizens of communist countries cannot), but it's not too extreme to say that Jagex is controlling a bit too much.

Another interesting point I noticed was the order of the "inflammatory updates" (the series of updates that Jagex did that caused a lot of angry Runescapers to rise up)--the first one was actually about dueling, whereas, according to Jagex, their end goal was to eliminate real world trading. So, let's think logically. Before any of these "inflammatory updates" took place (such as the pking one or the trade one), which function in the game would you most likely use to real world trade? Pking? Dueling? I think not. You'd most likely use trade. And yet, in the first update, they got rid of dueling! Why that first when the real issue is trading? If it was to prepare us for the biggest one, at least Jagex could've explained things clearly and say that it was about RWT instead of hiding those updates behind fluffy covers of "ooh! new quest!".



Oooh, I must say I really enjoy online text-based games. I remember playing one called Smartmonsters and really enjoying it. The only difficulty I had with that game was the lack of a manual and the extreme quickness with which I died. :-( I'm going to check out some of those games you've mentioned--they look interesting.

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New graphic update + Lots more to do!
My Review Of Runescape... What\'s Yours ( Poll ) ?

RuneScape is now a totally different game. It has just been given a fantastic graphical update by Jagex, and lots of new features have been added to the game. Millions of people are playing the game now and hundreds join each day. Old timers should go check it out!

-reply by Ryzo

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Ugh... Runescape... I've had an account before and I hated playing. The game was pretty boring to me and the ONLY reason I would log on was because my Runescape addicted friend would make me. And I would have to endure the terrible graphics and constant cursing and fighting. She tells me they have better graphics now, but they probably haven't made the game any funner. I have a nephew who is coming over lately and he always asks to use my computer to get on Runescape, and I always tell him no because I don't want him to get addicted to a stupid game. I rated 2 stars, and I was just being nice.

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