Killiecrankie

My own view is that a skill is difficult if you dislike it, easier the more you enjoy it. Also there are 'combination' skills e.g. woodcutting/firemaking or woodcutting/fletching. For me Hunting is the most difficult skill because I find it utterly boring and quite useless. Fishing can be boring but it provides needed food which also helps with cooking xp. Hence my Hunting lvl is a mere 62 while fishing (and cooking) are 80 or thereabouts. There are dozens of different things to do on RS so if "make x" frees up a little time than all well and good.

Re: Going Solo Sorry but I hold the opposite point of view. There are loads of mini-games where team (or friend) activity is vital, quests should be achievable for a solo player. That quest (was it "Shades Of Mort'ton"?) was easily within my compass yet I could *never* complete it as a solo player. It took the introduction of a dedicated world when I happily found a bunch of total strangers (not a single word spoken to me) to rebuild that darned temple. Likewise with "Heroes" it was pure chance I was standing in a place where a forlorn voice (of the right clan) was seeking assistance. RS for me is not a social club, it is a pleasant distraction for someone who is (I would imagine) easily twice as old as the average player, possibly three times as old as some. I have no problem in helping out a new player with quests if politely asked, but it should not be IMHO a requirement. Nor should it be a requirement for myself to seek such assistance. I *pay* to play this game, not to seek out some 'social network.'

The first "economics" article was rather good and perhaps has been a little harshly treated by some. If you ever have the misfortune to study economics you will hear the old joke "if you laid every economist in the world end to end, they wouldn't reach a conclusion." The author cannot be definitive, that is not the nature of the beast. And yes RS *can* have fewer subscribers but a greater market share. He/She may have concentrated on the US, but the global situation was touched upon and I suspect the US provides the vast majority of players. The one unmentioned and vital element is Jagex's own financial position, and how they react if they too are suffering. If a five dollar subscription becomes ten, then players will leave. If staff cuts are made to save money, standards will suffer and doubtless players will leave. Personally I would quit if the number of "worlds" was reduced so I had no choice but to play along side one thousand others...sorry but I do not like 'crowded' worlds. Finally may I agree with the poster who suggested five dollars was *not" hardly anything. In harsh times many people need every dollar, pound or euro they can get.

Hunting, Construction and may I add Summoning? All a waste of time and effort. I dread the fact the powers that be at RS are thinking of another new skill to annoy us with.

It is just a game!

Yet another article about prices, and not even a good one.

Yep, very good article. In a sense I have the opposite problem...I have a not bad (Over 115) Combat lvl yet I know very little about Runescape. Basically when I began I concentrated solely on combat so many of my other skills are lacking. I have never once played Castle wars or Pest Control, have never visited The Barrows but people see my combat lvl and ask me loads of questions. They can get quite annoyed when I say "I just don't know" as if I am deliberately being obtruse. Another assumption is that I must be rolling in GP, I can assure you I am not. I have completed all but one quest, but that does not mean I recall every detail of every quest that I have done. A combat lvl is just a number "all sound and fury, signifying nothing." Play the game for fun and be nice out there.

A rather good article. I am not overly concerned about the new graphics as I am unable to play in HD mode, but I still have fond memories of those early days when I rarely ventured beyond Lumbridge. Collecting cabbages and killing chickens for food, it makes me smile :) Like the author I am a 'quest player' though unfortunately I do not have the required lvls. for the most recent addition and to be honest am not in a hurry to achieve them. I hope to one day, and that is OK by me. Though I would never start again, it is good to be reminded of those early days when just about everything was a mystery... Thank You Foodfighter13.