Survival of the Anima Mundi?

[Erichermit]

There has been much talk that Runescape is "decaying." Things like the insane high hits being offered to PKers to kill their enemies almost instantly. Many claim the community of players has degenerated from a group of helpful and kind older players to having a disgustingly large amount of immature low levels and mean egotistical high levels.

 

 

 

I'm a bit afraid of losing this game. I have been playing for just under 7 years (though my stats probably don't seem it) and I wish to continue playing for much longer than that. Runescape is a hobby I want to keep until and through young adulthood.

 

 

 

But I fear that some things may cause this game I love to go away. Today I heard some talk on an other forum that runescape will only last somewhere around 9 more years max. The release of the Godsword has led many to believe that PKing is now ridiculously easy and unbalanced, and no longer based on how high your stats are, because weapon bonuses are so high. Levels are getting easier and easier to get. And for obvious reasons, if an update does not offer a slightly faster way of doing things, then the update will never be used. I sometimes pine for the days when 99 prayer didn't mean you spent a lot of money. It was an almost impossible goal. I have been killing gargoyles and seen a level 91 come up to me and ask me for "omg fre maul plz?", in all seriousness. I was rather agast at this, as I recall 90+ being an extreme elite in my eyes, and even though Im at the combat level of 105 currently, I've always considered 80+ combats to be an elite class. If skills keep getting easier and easier, will my accomplishments mean nothing? If the maturity level declines more and more, will the social interaction that makes me value runescape so much die?

 

 

 

Is the game sick at all, or am I misled by the exclamations of others? You made a great game, Jagex, dont let it wither! I still enjoy playing the game as much as ever, despite what I mentioned earlier, but I worry still.

[Aquashock]

Agreed, I honestly can't find anything i dont agree with in this post.

 

 

 

I honestly dont think rs will go past 2012, 2015 tops. But ill play it till the end. :roll:

[Von_Goon]

Completly agree. And yes Rs WILL become outdated in as soon as maybe 5 years, hopefully it will still be around for some time after that too.

[Winner5555]

Jagex can't really win, if the update doesn't help anyone hit any higher everyone is disappointed and calls it a useless update. If they make a really powerful weapon (like the godsword) everyone complains about how overpowered it is.

 

My theory:

 

Due to the increase in lower levels constantly asking for good weapons with low requirements, Jagex will feel compelled to help them and keep making more and more powerful weapons until all that power comes crashing down and RuneScape will slowly die

[Silver_Corner]

If skills keep getting easier and easier, will my accomplishments mean nothing? If the maturity level declines more and more, will the social interaction that makes me value runescape so much die?

 

 

 

Well, also look at it this way. Most goals/accomplishments are personal. Yes, person A might get 99 rc in 10 months making nats, while person B could get it in like 4-5 using the Zim alter. But regardless of how you get it, its still a personal achievement.

 

 

 

Dosent matter if its 99 crafting, cooking, fletching, or runecraft; If its a skill you like, dosent matter what anyone else does to get the same levels. Its your own personal acomplishment that you achieve.

 

 

 

And about pking, While it may be true Items like the GS alter pking to an extreme, you also have to remember the cost they are pking with. Going and risking 40M in the wild is there choice, if they want to risk there best equipment. Not to mention, all equipment has weaknesses.

 

 

 

DH, and Vengence are very powerful weapons against a GS, both which can work very effectivly and are ALOT cheaper. So its not all as one sided as you might think. But with risks comes rewards. If someone is willing to risk a 40-120M toy in the wild, which they could potentiall lose, I see no problem with it giving them higher than average combat results.

[Erichermit]

You bring up great pints Brianite, and I do often think of goals as personal goals as well, so I suppose easier exp shouldn't bother me too much.

 

 

 

I did not know a bout these methods of getting back at the GS pkers, and it is true that risking that high amount of money does deserve a higher advantage.

[Hounded]

I and others have been saying for years that Jagex needs to raise level caps to survive longterm.

 

 

 

I mean look at the trend... max HP has stayed at 99 while weapons have gone from hitting in the 20's to into the 70's. Either 1.) Jagex never adds a more powerful weapon, and in time EVERYONE has godswords and the game is very strange with such a proliferation of hits taking like 70-100% of our HP in one hit, 2.) Jagex continues the trend and soon people can one hit those with 99 hp, or 3.) Jagex ups the HP cap and can continue their trend of releasing bigger and better weapons and armour.

 

 

 

HP is hardly the only state that could use a boost from its current max. What the game needs is a MASSIVE update with a raised level cap for all skills and new things to do at these high levels.

 

 

 

Jagex has said this will never happen, and I agree.

 

 

 

Runescape will die in a few years, and Jagex will release a new game. Simple as that. Think of everything they have learned from making RS from scratch...

 

 

 

And if they make the same mistakes... we can laugh at them and know for a fact what we have all assumed... that we are smarter than Jagex and could run an MMO better than them. =)

 

 

 

~Dave

[Giordano]

I'll give Runescape a 3 years not 9 at this rate.

 

 

 

Solution? A new level-system in RS3.

[wakka102]

the only way to fix the issues are to slow down on the updates, updates once a week to the game directly is just too much, they can make tweaks and stuff weekly but everything else should be a monthly thing.

[fmv_hero]

this makes me want to cry.

 

 

 

JAGEX GET YOUR (cabbage) ACT TOGETHER.

 

 

 

(cabbage)!

[coenvg]

100% agree :(

[Adventurer]

While I don't have much of an argument, I would like to point out that this "decline" is oversimplified.

 

 

 

Things like skills do not necessarily have to become "easier and easier". They could be expanded and developed in different level ranges, but don't need to be easier.

 

 

 

Pking...I'm pretty sure that the Edgeville pking that everybody is freaking out about isn't representative of PvP as a whole. Heck, half of it is like made-up "honor" rules.

 

 

 

As for maturity: immature people may come in, but that doesn't mean that mature ones go out. I cannot say what the concentrations of each are, but I can say that pessimism about how immaturity is growing and crud won't give you an accurate view of the community as a whole.

[toolskies]

the only way to fix the issues are to slow down on the updates, updates once a week to the game directly is just too much, they can make tweaks and stuff weekly but everything else should be a monthly thing.

 

 

 

I agree. Once a week is far too much!

 

 

 

I also think the new level system on another version of Runescape is a good idea to ensure the survival of our beloved game

[Vincent]

as far as meeting and exceeding expectations jagex has a good track record so i'm optimisitic about the prospects and there is still a lot to do and yet to do in the current runescape and this game keeps getting updated.

[atronic92]

If RS lasts another 9 years, then it would have lasted about 16 years total. Now think about it; that's a long time! Most games don't last that long, so in 9 years I think that RS will be ready to go.

[Kevin_]

the only way to fix the issues are to slow down on the updates, updates once a week to the game directly is just too much, they can make tweaks and stuff weekly but everything else should be a monthly thing.

 

No, the updates keep most people playing, look at some games that are never updated anymore, only a few people play those ;\.

 

Imo Runescape wont be around forever, but it would be cool looking on the internet (or a more advanced program) in 40 years to see that Runescape is still alive, hell i'd even log in for kicks to see what it would be like.

[Albel]

Agreed, I honestly can't find anything i dont agree with in this post.

 

 

 

I honestly dont think rs will go past 2012, 2015 tops. But ill play it till the end. :roll:

 

Ill play runescape till the end, or i et bored with it, but i dobut i will get bored of it.

 

(350th post :D)

[Nenga]

We all know runescape is dieing because of immature players, it's human nature to act that way.

[kieranread]

This is a load of bull [cabbage].

 

 

 

No offence but seriously it is.

 

 

 

Its not dying Jagex get more and more subscribers everyday. Theres NOT a decrease in subscriptions. My proof of this is the fact it has over 1million paying members. To me thats a sucess.

 

 

 

Ive heard this hundreds of times and i mean hundreds ive been playing for years, this comes up all the time and these threads are always prooved wrong.

 

 

 

So what a 100 people quit, the new people coming into the game makes up for that so no its not a waste of time at all. Every game will fall apart eventually. But until that day nothing you try and do is going to change the inevitable. Just play the game and stop trying to predict doomsday. The truth is there predictions, everything changes and you theory is no difference.

[InkofDeath]

the only way to fix the issues are to slow down on the updates, updates once a week to the game directly is just too much, they can make tweaks and stuff weekly but everything else should be a monthly thing.

 

I agree here, and is my main point. Games like WoW, or other online games like it, aren't updated weekly, and some are only updated every month, or year. They are still thriving, but I think they are also criticized for the lack of updates as well.

 

 

 

RuneScpae however, one of it's key features, and perks is the updates being every week, and every enjoys this regardless of its negative effects. If RuneScape were to lose this, what else would they lose? Would it be worth it?

[Chaos_Reborn]

Nah there's nothing to worry about, and we can always give these younger immature players a chance. They will in the long run grow up, like we did before. I've never really been affected by their presence, even though they're more noticeable nowadays.

 

 

 

Easy PKing keeps the regular PKers doing their thing; the more easier to kill the more they'll be out there preying on people. And both sides have access to these powerful weapons so it's still fair, although as you said the battles are rediculously easy and stats don't matter as much since the KO can come so easily.

 

 

 

The game will survive, even though it's possible that some people around us today won't be playing in 10 years. New people will always come in and play the game, so there's no worries when it comes to losing the game. And we should do something about the "decaying" community instead of mentioning or complaining about it. After all, we're all a part of the wonderful community Runescape has brought us.

[Erichermit]

Well, I have always done my part to be helpful to others, and I often tell people I help that they owe someone else a favor because of it when they ask if I want something in return =P Chain Reaction thing.

 

 

 

Im not worried about people QUITTING but more of Runescape burning itself out. Though Im worrying less and less now based on what people are saying.

[Maximusa]

I think jagex will lose if they keep adapting their uniqueness to that of other games.

 

 

 

They can keep inviting children into the game but eventually it will become like any other mmorpg. It will lose because those games WILL be better. Its the fact this game runs on java, its unique quirks and price that make it better than other current mmorpgs imo. It was the skills that interested me into this game on the hopes they would expand on them. They barely touched the skills and even combat is like lvl 70 requirements or something.. Thats pathetic.

 

 

 

I imagine I will quit once I reached my goals. Its a shame because I love this game but I am by no means a loyal player.. (Could take me a year or two or three untill I reach those goals ha but thats besides the point.) I play to be entertained/enjoy myself and once I reach my goals I will move on to feed that need elsewhere. Although if they gave me a reason to stay... ..there has been improvements to certain areas.. but overall the 'requirements' still SUCK. They were hard when I began but over the years it become too easy! If I wanted a 'easy' game I would play halo 3 or whatever they are trying to force feed me. :roll:

 

 

 

I dont know how a game can survive if it doesnt add harder stuff. To actually gain a REWARD for your efforts. They havnt added anything hard because the requirements are always very low. 'My goals' are exactly that, mine! They dont DO anything besides my own private self gratisfaction of achieving that goal. How many kids seriously play a game to achieve that! They will play something else like WOW I think for easy rewards and a quick high. :-k

 

 

 

As a browser game it may never die but people will stop coming in masses sooner or later. They can keep making it easier and adapting it to other mmorphs if they wish.. but whats the end game for casual gamers if they dont start adding rewards now. Its only going to get easier and easier for them right!

 

 

 

This games survival is completely in jagex hands.. :ohnoes:

[Erichermit]

I can't really care if Runescape loses mass amounts of people, so long as there is a viable community (remember, I started playing almost 7 years ago, it's not like the community was that big back then!) of people to interact with I'll be just fine.

[Robert_de_Sable]

There is a very easy was to fix autoers, however, it would also destroy skillers. Make every "skilling" type of level require half the combat level. So, to cut yews, you need 30 combat.