Runescape Exposed - Article

[wild]

The problem though is that the rules dont cut it. Rule 2 you must not scam or decieve another player - unless you abuse a bug and drag them into the wilderness against their will.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The rules dont tell the parents that Catherby should be avoided because the language is disgusting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The rules dont tell parents about the scams and the lures outside wildy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The rules dont tell the parents that the report abuse button is the equivilent of bashing your head against a brick wall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The rules dont tell the parents about the kinds of players they are likely to encounter in world 2.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The rules arent enough, so we go to the knowledge base, which also doesnt have that information. So where do the parents turn for the real information?

[Celt23]

Female players in RuneScape are subjected to nearly continuous harassment by the testosterone-overloaded teenaged hornballs who comprise the bulk of the game's players. This includes lewd comments, and being constantly asked if they "want a boyfriend." Many girls resort to playing as male characters just to keep their sanity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That made me laugh. That's very hardly true unless you are in Lumbridge in a crowded F2P world. And this article forgets that it's not Jagex's or the game's fault for the terrible decline in the f2p community, but the PLAYER's.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some consolation can be found in the fact that after a creature is killed, it will reappear ("respawn") a few moments later, which some players use to assuage their guilt. But does this just cheapen the concept of death further? And is a 10-year-old really mature enough to know?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wanted to stop reading there.

[Stilev]

i found the thing to be a little one-sided really

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gambling?

 

 

 

Obvious langunge?

 

 

 

The Wilderness?

 

 

 

showing off?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

personally i thought those and a few other things he talked about were a little too one sided for my taste.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

i did agree on the idea of the "noob!" being refleted down on to new genertions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

overall though i didn't like it

[Smapla]

LMAO

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"stealing is a crucial part of the game"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

:lol:

[Huta]

There are no consequences for walking into a town, for example, and just slaughtering every townsperson you find;...does this just cheapen the concept of death further? And is a 10-year-old really mature enough to know?[/guote]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LMAO. (And yes, I used that term because he attacked it.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Along those lines, you might as well go and attack Loony Tunes, I don't know how many times I've seen Wile E. Coyote get blown up/run over/ect. Or attack almost every kids game in existance. I don't really think watching a guard get owned is going to affect how a 10 year old views death...sheesh. This guy is worse than the nuttos that think letting kids play tag damages self-esteem. :-w

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The situation is no better when it comes to quests. In most cases the player does take on the role of the "good guy" trying to fight evil, but not always. The quests are also very linear, meaning that there is usually only one way to complete the quest and get the rewards, even if that means you have to take unsavory actions. Many quests are effectively mandatory; as one example, to access the best method for raising the Runecrafting skill, you have to help out an evil mage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, so now not only does the kid get mentally screwed up killing guards, he now goes goth or whatever cause he helped the zammy mage out getting access to the abyss?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another type of "luring" involves predators who tell players trying to sell items that they want to buy them, then trick the seller into the Wilderness where the seller is killed. Unbelievably, Jagex recently made this form of deliberate deception legal in the game-despite it contradicting the company's own rules-and then told PKers but refused to inform the potential victims! We will discuss this issue much more in Part 2.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This guy has just attacked probably the entire gaming community. PvP players are now PREDATORS! A Term generally reserved for four legged life forms and lower, such as really sick humans. If you pk, you are now officially at the same level as a pedophile!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Large teams, called "clans", roam around the Wilderness attacking single adventurers and killing them. For example, 20 on one slaughters are not unheard of-yay, what fun! Sometimes clans will engage in luring by lying to a new member by saying they are accepted into the clan, then double-crossing them in the wild.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last I heard, ganking people is commonplace in mmo's. I wonder where this guy has been?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another issue is character imbalance. The Wilderness is designed so players can avoid unfair fights, but RuneScape's combat system favors highly-tuned "killing machine" characters made by experienced players. A new player who is level 50 could end up fighting an experienced PKer whose character is also level 50 but far more powerful. The new player would have no chance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So now being knowledgable is a bad thing? This guy is great for kids, he's indirectly telling them drop out of school so they are on the same level as people in underpriviliged countries! Equality for all! \

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In every game in the world, from mario 64 to world of warcraft, knowledge is power. What should it be any different in RuneScape?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And it gets even worse. Jagex deliberately adds game content that forces or encourages regular players who do not want to PK to go into the Wilderness. For example, there are quests and skills that require entering the Wild. With these actions, Jagex ensures that PKers have easy prey, at the expense of decent players who just want to have fun and have no idea what they are getting themselves into.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ok, let's go down the list.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Level 3 clue scrolls (dropped from decently high-level monsters)

 

 

 

Lost City

 

 

 

Abyss runecrafting

 

 

 

Mage Arena

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you seriously think somebody doing these parts of the game will "have no idea what they are getting themselves into."? I'd hope you'd know what the wilderness is by the time you do the mage arena...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'll summerize the entire anti-phat thing with one paragraph; A party hat in RS is roughly the same as a one-of-a-kind piece of celebrity memoribilia, or in a more honorable way, a rare archiological artifact. A party hat serves the same purpose as a jaguar or mercades, so why isn't he blasting people that drive sportscars? Huh?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, I can't just leave it at that. This line is screaming out to me;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Imagine that instead of killing monsters and doing other fun activities, kids are standing around in trading areas engaging in arbitrage of imaginary items. Many young players get exasperated trying to earn the money they "need" for one of these rares, and end up quitting the game - or more often, resorting to scamming or cheating.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Instead of being desentisized to violence and wasting time, they're learning economy and thrift. Which will serve them more in real life? :-k

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And the worst case scenario he can name is; they might quit this destructive, mind-damaging, violent game! He should be praising the party hat!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I almost don't want to keep reading. This guy is Moron with a capital M.

[Made0f12une]

t is routine to hear kids calling each other "gaye" and making taunting sexual references to each others' mothers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry it was worthy of quoting :) I chuckled.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Female players in RuneScape are subjected to nearly continuous harassment by the testosterone-overloaded teenaged hornballs who comprise the bulk of the game's players.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh and that one too :lol:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If Jagex took notice to some of the problems earlier then this issue wouldnt be so widespread, it's kinda late to stop it now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's sad that people look at the general F2p community, and don't investigate places like oh say.. tip.it

[Lakitsym_Rose]

 

 

 

my point is: sh*t happens everywhere, anytime

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jagex should be doing more to clean that up. Instead they are more interested in covering up the problems and blaming the victim.

 

 

 

 

 

 

and staking is certainly not gambling, it's mainly about skills and items and perhaps a bit of luck

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poker is about skills and luck too. Is that not gambling?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Staking", "gambling" and "betting" are synonyms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~q

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First of all, quote correctly. Click "Quote" on the top-right corner of the person you wish to quote's post.

 

 

 

Isn't "gambling" in an online game with fake currency better then gambling in real life? I started playing when I was eight. Six years ago. I knew about gambling then, I'd bet a friend 5.00$ [insert Team] would win the Super Bowl. RuneScape hasn't introduced Gambling to thirteen year olds.

 

 

 

You are required to be 13 or older when you register an account as of 2005. End of story don't give us this crap about five year olds it's not JAGeX it's the child's parents.

 

 

 

Instead of blaming the victim? Is it NOT the victims fault for intentionally putting themselves at risk?

[mini193]

I read it, found it truthful, but exaturated a lot. Like you have to be thirteen, and most kids aren't smart enough to work their way around the block on the site after you say ur under 13 for the first time, it blocks acess to creating account on that browser. Also, they say thieving is a crucial part of runescape, yeah right, i see where they are coming from, but a ton is over exxaturated

[King_Peter18]

Ok, this article has its pros and cons. But lets face some of these facts. Alot of this stuff is true. Alot of you may not be willing to admit it, but it is! I didn't agree with alot of things in his article, so? You don't see me putting him down for saying that do you?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All I see here are people trying to prove him wrong on certain points. It doesn't matter! What was written was written. The last few pages have been discussing these points, you haven't gotten anywhere but to say "He was wrong with these things."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

People who right articles will most likely all the time be that way. You've said what you need to say, I think it should be over with. It is not a forum post, it is a published article. I have my doubts that any of this has been productive in anyway! All I have seen is he is wrong about this and this, let me show you why.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That is all I have seen! I disagree with certain points also. But I still enjoyed the article none the less.

[mario_sunny]

That article made me so mad I signed up to their forums and posted this to the writer:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First of all, you have no idea what you are talking about. No idea. Have you ever tried this game? You can't just assume something about it if you haven't even tried it. Don't give me that "oh yes I went around runescape for 5 minutes on a level 3 character and saw abuse towards other players". All players start out as f2p(free to play) characters. Even though there are some very intelligent people there, I am sad to say the majority of the f2p community is very... how would I say this correctly? Stupid. The majority of free players don't take the game seriously(obviously because they do not pay), and take it as "any other game", fooling around thinking abusing other players is fun. Members, however, pay to play(p2p), care much for the game and jagex and take it seriously. I am not going to stereotype, but it is a fact. If you want proof I suggest you visit runescape's first fan site, which has phpBB forums just like these with over 100,000 registered users. On this forum you will find very intelligent players, ranging from 10 years old to 80. Tip.it's forums.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am proud to say I am a very intelligent runescape player and have been playing since January 2005. I am quite wealthy, have a high skill total, and have many, many friends ingame. I do well in school and I am proud to say I have not yet recieved one "referal"(bad behavior slip) all 10 years. Now I would like to point out some issues in your article.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The owners of RuneScape, Jagex Limited, portray the popular massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) as a fun pastime for gamers - more than that, they claim that it is "educational." It does have some positive learning aspects, but players also get a broad education in the negative aspects of online gaming, including cheating, scamming, lying, taunting, bullying, gambling and addiction.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A fun pastime for gamers- that was the first part that caught my attention. What you failed to realized on your assumption of the runescape community is that some players view this world as a "second reality". Something that is not just a pastime, but another life for them. They can be whoever they want- maybe they can be a jerk at school but have the chance to start a new life and be kind(or vice versa). At my school, for example, I am viewed as a shy, average thinking person, but on tif(tip.it forums) and runescape I want to be viewed as a very intelligent wanting-to-go-out person(this could explain my full friend's list!).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now to the second point of your paragraph, I couldn't help notice your last sentence. I am seriously laughing at this sentence right now as I type mine. "Gambling", my god. Once again you assume way too much. Addiction? I suppose you just assume all players who play this fun online game are addicted? Oh now here's the real laugh- lying. Everyone lies, rs player or not. Get use to it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sure, some of these activities happen to one extent or another in all online games. But RuneScape is child-oriented, with some players as young as five online. The reputation of the game is that it is safe for kids, but they are in fact exposed to all sorts of very negative influences without them, or their parents, realizing it. So what are our children learning on RuneScape? And what is Jagex doing - or not doing - about it?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes here is something that first caught my attention "child oriented". Simply put, jagex cannot control the age limit on their game. They want you to be 13+ but they cannot force it, they don't have a camera set up to tell how old you are- they just expect you to tell the truth. Honestly though, there aren't that many 10- year olds. In fact I do believe the 18+ population is growing. There is also a second something that just makes me... tick. "What is jagex doing - or not doing - about it?". Must I repeat myself? You are assuming way too much. You probably don't even know how much jagex works their butts off(excuse me for the offensive language, but I felt that it calls for this situation) to get weekly updates. That's right, weekly. Most online games like WoW may not even get any in a month. Jagex works hard and sometimes they just don't have time to deal with stuff like age control. And what do you suggest they do with it? I don't see you coming up with any good suggestions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the first part of this two-part series, I take a look at the game and describe what its community is really like. Starting with a brief overview of RuneScape, I concentrate mainly on discussing what players experience, the many dangers for children who play and the impact that this can have on young minds. I write as both an avid player and the parent of two children who play - and as one of many active, involved adults who has tried to little avail to get Jagex to clean RuneScape up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please refer to my earlier column concerning the child influence. But now to the main point. I think your too stubborn to blame it on yourself. That's right- I think your the problem, not Runescape. If you really don't want your kids playing the game then get the off the damn computer for god's sake. It's not jagex's problem and I don't think it ever will be. Again I am going back to my point, jagex doesn't have time to see to everyone's need, they only try to see to the majority's needs. You obviously have no understanding on how a big company like Jagex works.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The second to last and last paragraph just basically goes over everything else mentioned earlier, so I will not quote it.

[qeltar]

And here was my reply. :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First of all, you have no idea what you are talking about. No idea. Have you ever tried this game? You can't just assume something about it if you haven't even tried it. Don't give me that "oh yes I went around runescape for 5 minutes on a level 3 character and saw abuse towards other players".

 

 

 

 

 

 

Level 117 combat, 1838 total levels, 73 million XP. How about you?

 

 

 

 

 

 

All players start out as f2p(free to play) characters. Even though there are some very intelligent people there, I am sad to say the f2p community is very... how would I say this correctly? Stupid. The majority of free players don't take the game seriously(obviously because they do not pay), and take it as "any other game", fooling around thinking abusing other players is fun. Members, however, pay to play(p2p). You will find most members of the game care much for the game and jagex and take it seriously. I am not going to sterotype, but it is a fact.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is that so. Well, I spend 99% of my time on P2P, and my observations are based upon the members' version of the game. It is overrun with abuse, scamming, luring, hacking, and everything else I described.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

F2P is simply that much worse. So much worse, in fact, that I never go there unless I must.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And yet, guess what? That's where most of the kids are, because they have no money. And Jagex, as much as they have refused to clean up P2P, have let F2P degrade far worse. In fact, some have theorized that they let F2P get so bad to encourage people to pony up for members.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you want proof I suggest you visit runescape's first fan site, which has phpBB forums just like these with over 100,000 registered users. On this forum you will find very intelligent players, ranging from 10 years old to 80. I have over 1600 posts and am an active CTET leader. Tip.it's forums.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There's a thread about this article right now on the Tip.it forums. :) And I agree that the Tip.it community is overall of higher quality than Runescape as a whole... but that's not a very high bar to clear, is it?

 

 

 

 

 

 

What you failed to realized on your assumption of the runescape community is that some players view this world as a "second reality". Something that is not just a pastime, but another life for them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Actually, I made this very point myself right on the first page of the article. Perhaps you missed it? :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now to the second point of your paragraph, I couldn't help notice your last sentence. I am seriously laughing at this sentence right now as I type mine. "Gambling", my god. Once again you assume way too much.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do I? Go to world 22, and see the people staking items worth tens of millions on a single duel. For many players even one such item represents months' worth of work. Also worth several hundred dollars on the black market.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Addiction? I suppose you just assume all players who play this fun online game are addicted?

 

 

 

 

 

 

No, when I talk to people who say they want to stop playing but can't, or that their grades are slipping but they are still online, or that they have a project due the next day but they are still on RS -- they are addicted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes here is something that first caught my attention "child oriented". Simply put, jagex cannot control the age limit on their game. They want you to be 13+ but they cannot force it, they don't have a camera set up to tell how old you are- they just expect you to tell the truth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If they don't want kids under 13, why do they market the game towards that age bracket? They advertise on sites that cater to that age group. The game has a widespread reputation as being for kids, which Jagex does nothing to counter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Honestly though, there aren't that many 10- year olds. In fact I do believe the 18+ population is growing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heh... the oldtimers and adults are leaving the game in droves, specifically because of the invasion of kids.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is also a second something that just makes me... tick. "What is jagex doing - or not doing - about it?". Must I repeat myself? You are assuming way too much. You probably don't even know how much jagex works their butts off(excuse me for the offensive language, but I felt that it calls for this situation) to get weekly updates.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, but weekly updates of what?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For example, there is a serious flaw in player-owned houses. You can die in one and lose all of your items. Jagex says that they are 'safe' and you cannot lose your items.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This situation has been going on for months. Does Jagex announce that there's an issue they are working to resolve? Do they put out a warning to people not to take pricy items into houses?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nope.. they give us a low-level quest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last week, while people were falling for this scam, they announced their graphic redesign of cows and chickens. Meanwhile, people have been complaining about the abysmal reporting feature and flaws in the trade interface, scams at the Duel Arena and any number of other serious matters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seem like, perhaps, misplaced priorities?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jagex works hard and sometimes they just don't have time to deal with stuff like age control.

 

 

 

 

 

 

They seem to have lots of time for finding ways to expand their membership to get more paying customers. How many hundreds of hours did they say it took to translate the entire game to German? It would take 5 minutes to eliminate many of the common scams. So why isn't it done?

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you really don't want your kids playing the game then get the off the damn computer for god's sake. It's not jagex's problem and I don't think it ever will be.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This isn't about my kids. They are lucky enough to have two very computer-literate parents who play the game.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's about all the parents whose kids play because they've heard that Runescape is "safe for kids", in large part because Jagex claims it is and provides no warnings about many of the negative aspects. And that's my beef.

[shurikennin]

 

 

 

That's why you have to be 13 to play this game...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Uh, no, you don't. A huge percentage of RS players are under 13.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And if that's Jagex's official line, why are they deliberately marketing the game to kids under 13?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Educating children about the dangers of internet and letting them mature more first is better than blaming online games for being not safe for children.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then why does Jagex refuse to educate the children they are trying to get to play Runescape about its dangers?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~q

 

 

 

qeltar please use quotes not bolding text please.it is annoying #-o .

 

 

 

OT:my opinion is completely opposite of the editor's

[King_Peter18]

Qeltar, I'll admit I didn't agree with everything in the article. But the bases it covered were well thought out and written well. My guess is that some of the people bashing you for not having any Runescape experiance what so ever have not read the previous posts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In my forum experiance, it has always been the wisest decision to read everything in a given topic before posting. If it is 30+ pages, you just get a general idea of what is going on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now, alot of people whom are going to disagree, I encourage you to read all the previous posts so you do not have to waste any further time. Almost every point of the article has been discussed in the previous post. So please, read every post so you do not have to post!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for reading.

[dwarfie76]

The article is poorly written and just barely manages to get it's inherently flawed premise across.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Runescape is a game with a 13+ age level requirement. This would get it a PG rating in nearly every country that has implemented a game rating system. We do remember what PG stands for, don't we? That's right... Parental Guidance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If parents have a problem with the content of the game, it's up to the parent to either restrict or guide their child's experience with the game. It's hardly Jagex's responsibility to play substitute parent because real parents are too lazy to fulfil their responsibilities and see the internet as some sort of babysitter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As for the repeated inferences that Runescape is a children's game. I'd disagree totally. The protagonists are all portrayed as adults, the vast majority of NPCs are adults. Children in Runescape are only ever presented as incidental characters. Nor are there any overtly childlike themes present in Runescape.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The fact that alcohol consumption and gambling are presented in the game is a non-issue. In nearly all of the areas where Runescape is played (The UK, The USA, Canada, Australia, Continental Europe etc...) gambling and alcohol consumption are legal activities. How does it harm a 13 year old to learn that adults drink beer and place bets in a game any more or less than it does to see them do it all the time in real life? Again, if anyone has a problem with their children being exposed to such concepts, it's up to them as parents to monitor their activities.

[doomy]

People that complain about things like this are just pathetic...

 

 

 

I mean come on...Do you really think 12 year olds havne never heard swearing in their life....?

[Bauke]

 

 

 

 

Parents of little children shouldn't let their kids play online. Simple as that. Online games will always have negative aspects. And if you try to erase all negative aspects and monitor everything, all you do is ruin the game.

 

 

 

Wouldn't that mean everything has a negative aspect though?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Define everything?

 

 

 

It's just that when being on the internet, it's easy to be exposed to "harmful" things. The whole purpose of the internet is that it's "open". You can expect positive as well as negative things from that. Educating children about the dangers of internet and letting them mature more first is better than blaming online games for being not safe for children. It's simply something that can never be solved.

 

 

 

The internet, TV, other games, real life current events like the WAR?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well said to everyone. There are more traumatizing things in the world than a game. Explaining how you should behave on the Internet and how to deal with "cyber bullies" and other negativity that the Internet brings is easy compared to trying to explain why there is war and starving children in parts of the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If there are things that are more harmful does that make the internet not harmful all of a sudden? But my point was just not to let your kids play the game if it is harmful. If it's not, because there are other far more potentionally harmful things then there shouldn't be complaints about Runescape being not safe for little children.

[Greedom1]

Though I cannot reply to 40 plus replies that all deserve comments, I will add the following: (directed towards the author of the article in question)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. I truly respect his dedication for the game of RS and admire his effort to make it better. (This is something ALL of us can agree on)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. I agree with many of his concerns.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. I find the self-righteous and prudish attitude was a bit over the top.... gambling in RS... and "thieving" being a bad influence? Please... :roll:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. (To keep this short) Any point the author of that article had that was worth reading was negated by the biased attitude as well as trying to over-emphasize his argument. He practiced one of the biggest mistakes of debate which is to bring in evidence which doesn't support your original argument, but which rather opens it up to more scrutiny... (Previous comments on this thread clearly make that apparent.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. That said, I will be redundant and point you to #1. He gave a lot of effort to writing that (paid for the piece or not) and that should be recognized. After all, his intentions are noble, even if his arguments and such are a bit amiss.

[wild]

It seems very few people choose to look beyond the words of the author and ask questions such as... What is the authorÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s motivation? Why is he focusing on the negative aspects?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It seems most are quick to judge. ItÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s the parents fault! ItÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s not Jagex's problem! It can't be fixed! Players should be over 13!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well perhaps the author would like Jagex to work in unison with the parents, to make this game as they describe it or at least offer and unbiased view of the game the way it actually is. Personally I feel Jagex created the game therefore they (along with the parents) must assume some responsibility. Which they have done in part. But they could do so much more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So why shouldnÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢t they? If they have the power to create a healthy playing environment, why donÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢t they? Why do they allow the scamming and the cheating to go mostly unpunished?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I feel RS would be a much nicer community to be involved in if rule breakers actually had some fear of consequence. But they donÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢t. Rule 2 is ignored if you are in or near the wilderness. It is all but encouraged by Jagex or dismissed with weak excuses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It really does surprise me that so many people find argument in something that was so obviously designed to open some eyes and hopefully create change for the better.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I for one donÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢t want much. I want Jagex endorsed scamming stopped. I want the rules to apply to everyone. I want unruly players to feel as if there will be consequences to their actions. Not some pathetic excuse for a report function. I want customer support to actually support customers. I want Jagex to listen when serious issues are raised by the paying parents and not dismiss them like 13 year olds whining about a strength bonus. Is this so much to ask from a multi million dollar company?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If the only way to get their attention is to throw the negative aspects at them and amplify them to the extent that people sit up and take notice, then so be it. I am all for anything that might make Runescape a nicer place to play.

[dwarfie76]

Well perhaps the author would like Jagex to work in unison with the parents

 

 

 

I tend to disagree on a pretty fundamental level. If the parents don't like the game as Jagex have made it, then they can a) not pay for it, and B) stop their children from playing it. There are a multitude of games out there that are family friendly. The notion that Jagex is under some compunction to modify their product to suit the conservative morality of a vocal minority is wrong in my estimation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Personally I feel Jagex created the game therefore they (along with the parents) must assume some responsibility.

 

 

 

I don't see any basis for this. Jagex is not under any responsibility to joint-parent anyone's children just because they created a computer game. Would you hold a car-maker responsible if a 13yo got behind the wheel and took a car for a spin? Or perhaps the makers of any of the many driving simulators, or toy cars that promote motor vehicles to people too young to drive. I wouldn't, I'd lay the blame fairly and squarely at the feet of the parents.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So why shouldnÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢t they?

 

 

 

Quite simply, it's a matter of personal freedom. No-one is forced to play Runescape (that I know of), they do so willingly. Jagex operates in a free country. The game contains nothing that contravenes the laws of that country so they are free to distribute it. The people who play it are well within their rights to exercise freedom of choice and play or not play the game as much as they like.

[Greedom1]

 

Well perhaps the author would like Jagex to work in unison with the parents

 

 

 

I tend to disagree on a pretty fundamental level. If the parents don't like the game as Jagex have made it, then they can a) not pay for it, and B) stop their children from playing it. There are a multitude of games out there that are family friendly. The notion that Jagex is under some compunction to modify their product to suit the conservative morality of a vocal minority is wrong in my estimation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I agree. Parents should be parents and not just ipod-giving, rs-enabling, 7-jeans-buying people.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Personally I feel Jagex created the game therefore they (along with the parents) must assume some responsibility.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don't see any basis for this. Jagex is not under any responsibility to joint-parent anyone's children just because they created a computer game. Would you hold a car-maker responsible if a 13yo got behind the wheel and took a car for a spin? Or perhaps the makers of any of the many driving simulators, or toy cars that promote motor vehicles to people too young to drive. I wouldn't, I'd lay the blame fairly and squarely at the feet of the parents.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If the car maker advertized and made its product appealing to minors (in this case under 13), then yes there is a responsibility. (Think of cigarette manufacuters -Joe Camel- in the US pre-1996.) You are correct in focusing on parental obligations, but you are a bit off on assuming that Jagex has no (if not legal, moral at least) liability when they are clearly advertising to minors (under 18 and under 13). I'm not saying their game causes harm (far from it), just merely responding to your point.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So why shouldnÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢t they?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quite simply, it's a matter of personal freedom. No-one is forced to play Runescape (that I know of), they do so willingly. Jagex operates in a free country. The game contains nothing that contravenes the laws of that country so they are free to distribute it. The people who play it are well within their rights to exercise freedom of choice and play or not play the game as much as they like.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Though you and I both may embrace the benefits of free will and liberated thought, you surely cannot forget the obligation a business entity (Jagex) has to its clientele. Given that many of its players are of questionable age (under 13) they have a supreme responsibility to provide a safe gaming environment. I will argue that any problems that exist at present are miniscule, but nevertheless as a game creator/developer Jagex is ultimately responsible for the game they've produced.

[wild]

Personally I feel Jagex created the game therefore they (along with the parents) must assume some responsibility.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don't see any basis for this. Jagex is not under any responsibility to joint-parent anyone's children just because they created a computer game. Would you hold a car-maker responsible if a 13yo got behind the wheel and took a car for a spin? Or perhaps the makers of any of the many driving simulators, or toy cars that promote motor vehicles to people too young to drive. I wouldn't, I'd lay the blame fairly and squarely at the feet of the parents.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I believe everyone is entitled to their opinions however what if that car were faulty? What if that car was advertised to be something that it wasnt and was brought after the buyer had made a genuine attempt at research but could find nothing that mentioned the car wasnt sold with brakes? Who would be to blame then? Certainly the parents for allowing the child to have access to the car or in this case the game. And not to forget the child, for the child is not above blame. But also the makers who advertise something that is not entirely true to its nature.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Again hiding behind the statement "its just a game" is going to become weaker and weaker as popularity for the internet and online gaming grows. Most online games are just babies in comparison to many big businesses out there. There must come a time when one developer is big enough to step out from the crowd and lead instead of follow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Responsibilty lies in the hands of everyone involved. Players, parents and developers.

[qeltar]

The article is poorly written and just barely manages to get it's inherently flawed premise across.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I apologize for not living up to your high standards of writing. (BTW, you want to use "its" here, not "it's".)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Runescape is a game with a 13+ age level requirement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Myth. One that Jagex is doing a great job of perpetuating, of course.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are thousands, if not tens of thousands, of perfectly legal players under 13. The 13+ stuff is a recent invention, and none of the players who were under 13 when it was implemented were told they had to leave the game.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More to the point, Jagex aims and markets this game towards kids. They advertise it on kid-oriented web sites, they fill it with pretty pictures and childish concepts, and they do nothing to educate parents on its unsuitability for children.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Go into a school and talk to the kids.. most of them either play the game or have a friend who does. It spreads by word of mouth, and Jagex does NOTHING to stop this. Because of course, they want the money from these kids.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Go to the Parents' Guide. See what it says about the ages of Runescape players. Go ahead, do it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If parents have a problem with the content of the game, it's up to the parent to either restrict or guide their child's experience with the game. It's hardly Jagex's responsibility to play substitute parent because real parents are too lazy to fulfil their responsibilities and see the internet as some sort of babysitter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's Jagex's responsibility to:

 

 

 

- Provide accurate and reasonable information for parents to decide if they want to have their kids play or not;

 

 

 

- Live up to their promises, such as their claims that they maintain an active presence in the game and that they deal with scamming seriously; and

 

 

 

- Not ignore the fact that there are tens of thousands of kids under 13 in their game just because their lawyers put a disclaimer on their web site.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They are not doing those things.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~q

[qeltar]

 

 

 

Though you and I both may embrace the benefits of free will and liberated thought, you surely cannot forget the obligation a business entity (Jagex) has to its clientele. Given that many of its players are of questionable age (under 13) they have a supreme responsibility to provide a safe gaming environment. I will argue that any problems that exist at present are miniscule, but nevertheless as a game creator/developer Jagex is ultimately responsible for the game they've produced.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks.. and your comparison to the tobacco companies is more apt than at first I realized. Just like the tobacco companies, they claim that their product is for an older age group, while continuing to market it to those who are younger, and ignoring the huge size of their underage clientele.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jagex's entire attitude towards the age of its players can be summarized as "nudge nudge, wink wink". If they really don't want kids under 13 playing, why do they bury this information? Go look at the Parents' Guide.. see anything about 13 and over?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How about the new book Jagex published -- the Official Runescape Guide no less -- for which they used Scholastic, a prominent kids's publisher? And the age range of this book?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9 to 12.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~q

[highlanders]

So basically, qeltar, you're blaming Jagex for letting kids under 13 yrs old play, by not giving accurate information to the parents?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I understand your position. However, I have to say none of your arguments will work, because none of them are of absolute truth. All of them are easily counterable, because they're subjective.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Want some examples? Sure, IÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢m going to have fun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It does have some positive learning aspects, but players also get a broad education in the negative aspects of online gaming, including cheating, scamming, lying, taunting, bullying, gambling and addiction.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheating, scamming, lying, taunting, bullying are due to the community. I reckon a lot of acts are made by children to other children. A little like in elementary school, when all the little kids are nasty to their peers. I have two reasons to believe this. First, back in Rsc, there was a lot less of all those things, and there were not many young players like there is now. Secondly, the attitude of the people who do such acts tends to prove they are young; bad grammar and spelling, incoherent writing, immature attitude.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was a rise of those acts after Rs2 came out, thatÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s when more kids started to play. Thus, this tends to prove it is the KIDS who caused this problematic, which totally eliminate youÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢re principal argument.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In comparison to other MMORPGs, RuneScape is primitive in terms of its graphics, skills and spells. However, its simplicity is part of what makes it so attractive to children. This appeal is further enhanced by the existence of a version of the game that is completely free, and the ability to play in a standard Web browser with no special software. Even membership is very inexpensive compared to most games; at around $5 a month, this makes RuneScape more affordable for younger players.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jagex didnÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢t make it that way to attract children, youÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢re simply doing an interpretation of their actions. Things have been like this since the beginning, way before Runescape was filled with kids. Saying that Jagex have deliberately done this to attract kids is a lie.

 

 

 

The 5$ a month is easily explainable: people would not pay if it was more than that, not with the poor graphical content Rs has right now. Easy access to the game has also always been part of the marketing technique of Jagex, this has nothing to do with kids.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢m skipping the whole part about swearing. For one, it is merely kids swearing after kids, very alike to elementary school. And for two, I donÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢t think any kid is going to be traumatized by that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But does this just cheapen the concept of death further? And is a 10-year-old really mature enough to know?

 

 

 

Good and bad monsters? Now thatÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s a new. When I was 10 yrs old, I had no problem to understand the concept of death. I have always been clever, so perhaps the same can not be said of other kids. But what I know is that any 10 yrs old kid is clever enough to understand this is a game, and that he is not killing anything real.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another skill in the game is thieving, which pretty much speaks for itself. If you get attacked by a guard when thieving, you just kill him. In addition the "usual" methods like pick pocketing and stealing from market stalls, you can hit townsfolk over the head with a stick to knock them out before robbing them. Nice, huh?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The whole concept of thieving is very humoristic, yet you make it sound evil. Anyone that doesnÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢t know about the game would read that paragraph and think youÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢re right. Basically, here, and all throughout the article, you use the fact that parents know nothing about the game to make it sound worse than what it is. I have no respect for that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You made a whole page about the wilderness. Mentioning luring as legal. For the time being, it is not legal nor illegal, Jagex didnÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢t say anything about the issue yet. But believe me, it is not going to stay ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¢â¬ÅlegalÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬ÃâÃ

[Eccentric]

The biggest problem I have with the article is the fact that the author doesn't take the history of RS itself into account, nor the history of RPGs in general into account at all. Before banks you had thirty spaces on a character in which to store items, so just about every player in the game had characters just used to hold items called mules; items would be drop traded to the characters to hold, or for trades that were comprised of more than thirty items. So, knowing that, I can see why some people don't have any qualms about drop trading or trading to another account they play on because that sentiment never entirely left the community even once banks came into play; it's a part of the history that just can't be erased no matter how heavily or lightly Jagex enforces a rule.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wilderness is actually great improvement. Five and half years ago everywhere in the game was a PvP area, you chose when you created your character whether it would be able to pk and be pked and you got three times you could switch it. As a result, a lot of people who switched the three times would have a second character that they would do all their skill leveling (aside from combat) on, or else they would be waylaid doing things like smithing; again, at the time it reinforced the need to trade between two accounts played by the same person. With the advent of Wilderness, there was a specific zone for pking, and the risks were readily apparent. Today, a pop up appears when you venture close to wildy that warns you again that entering wildy has risks, and you're close to entering it. As for the quests that require you to venture out into wildy, they can by and large be done with only three items, or you can bring less valuable versions of items with you; so when you die it's a little frustrating, but hardly a traumatising experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In fact, RS emphasizes the consequences of dying in the game, and the risks involved in many activities. If you go to a dangerous area unprepared and underskilled you can die. Unlike many other MMORPGs, if you die you lose your items you have with you at the time. If you venture into an area without researching it, without being prepared and alert, you can fail; but after you fail, and you're left with only your skills to bring you back to where you were, you can get back on the horse and try again. Death is meaningless if it has no consequences. Even if RS doesn't touch on the consequences of killing others (like just about every RPG, online or not, in existence), it at very least has consequences for your own death. In life, when is there ever an opportunity for great gain without risks involved? At least RS asks what you're willing to risk, are you ready to risk it, and do you have a plan. After that it's up to the player, if Jagex force fed them every decision they ever made then there would be no culpability, no responsibility and consequence of any action.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As for stealing, well, I played an RPG where you could forge checks to gain money. Not an MMORPG, just a normal one that you play alone in your room. It was supposed to have a negative effect (NPCs were supposed to react badly to your character), but I played through twice and it wasn't noticeable. You could sit there and just forge check after check after check and reap millions of dollars from it. In many RPGs there's an ability to steal items and gold from characters, though it's usually in combat; which seems only slightly better than the fact that you routinely scour corpses after battle, since generally 'dropped' money and items that you get after a battle wouldn't really be dropped at all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, and as far as the guards joke goes in that quest, I always thought it was a bit of throw back to when guards were considered the best combat exp in the game (before Jagex changed the formula so it was more beneficial to fight enemies closer to your level rather than pick on thousands of lower level ones). Back then people really did slaughter them constantly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The last thing I'm going to bring up is scamming. Jagex doesn't work as proactively to stop it and deter it as many people would like, but it's not as though they've done nothing at all. Leaf bladed spears, which used to be used to scam people who thought they were getting a guthans spear were made untradeable. That's one expensive item that can't be used to abuse other people's wallets anymore. Jagex has a report system now as well, as rudimentry as it is, there was a time when there wasn't one at all. Players have more recourse than they have ever had in the past. Does it need improving? Does faster and more reliable action need to take place? Yes, one of things most lacking from Jagex is customer service, but bear in mind that RS has grown into a massive game and the bigger the game is the harder it is to police. Games like Maple Story have given up trying to stop people from breaking the rules, while Jagex, a small company that grew out of one man's hobby, is at least still trying to keep the tides back. The problem could be a lot more expansive than it is; and how much of the responsibility rests on the shoulders of the community? It's true that the community generally blames the victim and rather than educating advocates a school of hard knocks; is that Jagex's fault? Or have we been sending the message that we don't care as long as it doesn't happen to us? Because if we don't care, Jagex certainly won't; and it's unreasonable to ask them to if we don't.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, those are just a few points, and it was rather rambly. If you can make sense of it, well, mostly I'm just trying to say it's easy to put this on Jagex, and it's easy to take a hardline. When you look at the history and the context though, there's a more complex issue at hand. Rather than attacking Jagex for failing the community and the children, we need to ask what kind of solutions for these problems we can offer, and if there is a problem, is it one that extends only Jagex, or the gaming community as a whole. If Jagex ignores that, well, then you can blast them, but until we take responsibility for change and growth, how can we expect anyone else to?