Runescape becoming too complicated for new players?

[runevirage]

I've been playing RS since 2001, and I remember when my friend introduced me to the game how I spent the first 10 minutes woodcutting. Then mining in Dwarven mines. Then smithing my ores into armor then selling it. Then fighting a monster or two. And, well, that was pretty much it. Even with such simple activities, my fledgling account could even be considered "well off". The RS population was steadily growing, and soon server additions became commonplace, almost weekly. School computers and home computers started lighting up with what we now know as Runescape Classic, and someone could literally become an avid player after only a few minutes of play - without tutorial island, and without a knowledge base.

 

 

 

The RS population started to plateau long before the recent wilderness and trade updates, and we've seen it extend to only 200-250k at a given time for about the past year or so. If anything, the population is even starting to decline and newer players are becoming rarer and rarer (it seems nowadays almost everyone's a pure, merchant, or skiller).

 

 

 

Jagex is very focused on its gaming population, as it's a business, and the customers are the most important people. This has led them to fine tune, add on, update and create more and more elaborate systems within RS to its established players, but I think they are ignoring the large amount of new players that might be put off with its complexity. Here are some examples of before and afters in RS, where the game might be straying too far from its roots and becoming overly complex towards new players.

 

 

 

Death

 

 

 

Before: Hp ran out, lose all items but 3 while lost items were immediately visible to everyone.

 

 

 

After: Hp ran out, lose all items but 3, gravestone appears, others cannot see your items, gravestone can be updated if certain requirements are met, others can repair your gravestone or bless it depending on prayer level, this increases it standing by this amount of minutes....

 

 

 

Trade

 

 

 

Before: Both players put up items for trade, accept, done.

 

 

 

After: Both players put up item for trade, must be within a slim limit decided upon by quest points, accept done. Or, use the Grand Exchange to search for an item/put one up for sale, enter the quantity and target price accept, wait.

 

 

 

Pking

 

 

 

Before: Walk into wilderness, gain a skull if you attack another player, have a good chance of getting someone's loot, walk/teleport out

 

 

 

After: Walk to Bounty Hunter, become skulled, try to find your assigned target without getting killed, know how to read value signs, understand the penalty rule for becoming a rogue, eventually find target, then walk out with the loot without dying to people seeing large value icon over your head.

 

 

 

Combat

 

 

 

Before: Equip some easily purchasable armor and weapons, then click on enemies and get their loot.

 

 

 

After: Finish 10 quests first to be able to wield weapons/go to certain areas, bring prayer potion/antifire potion/super set/antipoison/super restore/sara brew in right amounts and activate prayers at the right time, click on enemies, activate specs, watch your prayer, hp, antifire time, combat stats for change, kill the enemy and gather its loot.

 

 

 

Woodcutting/Mining/Thieving vs. Newer skills like Farming

 

 

 

Before: Click on an object, receive item and experience

 

 

 

After: Buy a plethora of different tools, a bunch of teleport runes (and access to the teleports through quests), acquire vast amounts of a diverse variety of resources through players or the Grand Exchange, make a schedule, a route, and a training plan, research different conditions needed for different items at different stages in training, know what to do if something "wrong" happens...

 

 

 

 

 

These are but a few examples of overwhelming complexity in different areas that, although appease old players may deter new players from getting involved with this great game. The overall trend seems to be players staying in f2p for longer, and staying away from p2p or the game entirely because they literally don't know where to start.

 

 

 

I think a solution involves creation of more new areas and quests, and less changes to the basic system of playing (the interface, skills, things like dying and trading). The increased complexity introduced with such updates is scaring potential players off, and aren't exactly gratifying the old players either.

[Captainkidd]

I can see were your coming from, but I don't really agree. When ever I start a new account, someone no matter what the level trys and helps me, at some time, so I can't see why anyone would go unhelped these days.

[InkofDeath]

Your kidding right?

 

 

 

The amount of clicking that has been decreased, the lack of harder and self-thinking updates, and possibly the most; Jagex's orientation towards younger players.

 

 

 

>.>

 

 

 

You say elaborate? No, everything is easy, a monkey can do it.

 

 

 

Nothing is complicated in RS, except for maybe that MM puzzle. >.>

 

 

 

The trade thing isn't even that bad, by the time your trading 3k, you should already be aware of the GE.

[redhaloguy]

Dude so true my friend came back from like 6 months of playing

 

 

 

Told me omg This is so complaced!

 

 

 

So true

[alcoolj]

I disagree ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Ãâ your old vs new is essentially a F2P vs P2P, and not a lot has changed significantly over the last 3 years that would make playing P2P ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¹Ãâmore complicatedÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢ as you put it. If anything the changes make playing easier which would bring more people to the game.

[gonpost]

It depends upon your attitude.

 

 

 

Runescape is a game, after all. If you're new to members, then you should begin where you'd like to begin. It might take you six months to complete all the quests, but if that's what you like to do, then you should enjoy them.

 

 

 

Tbh if new players just do all the members quests (using a guide if necessary, definitely), then they can easily become familiar with most of the runescape member areas. It just takes time.

 

 

 

And if you think runescape has a lot of content...oh boy. Don't even bother with eve online then.

[whocares]

In some ways it is, in other ways in is the opposite.

 

 

 

Now players don't even have to think when they buy items, they know that they will not get ripped off.

[rook_2222]

Those are such true points :-#

 

 

 

The first time I ever trained Mining, it was very simple. Click on orange rock, then on grey rock, get strange things in your backpack, use it on a black box with orange light coming out, magically make a dagger with 3 bangs with a hammer, the end. Now, it is a whole other thing, for example, Construction.

 

 

 

Go to falador, walk to estate agent, forget your 1k, go to bank, withdraw 1k, walk back to the agent, buy house, walk to rimmington, try to figure out how to get in, get in, try to make a room, need more money, get more money from bank and come back, build room, says you need plank to build something, get an axe, cut a tree, walk to saw miller, make into plank, walk back to portal, go inside, go back out and go into building mode, use a "build X" option, message says "need saw and hammer", go back out, beg people for saw and hammer, go back in, build a chair, the end. Good job! you got what, 58 exp?

 

 

 

See what I mean how they are making the new skills so complicated? :-s

[aafftteerr]

 

 

 

Combat

 

 

 

Before: Equip some easily purchasable armor and weapons, then click on enemies and get their loot.

 

 

 

After: Finish 10 quests first to be able to wield weapons/go to certain areas, bring prayer potion/antifire potion/super set/antipoison/super restore/sara brew in right amounts and activate prayers at the right time, click on enemies, activate specs, watch your prayer, hp, antifire time, combat stats for change, kill the enemy and gather its loot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The more complicated process means its stronger. Its just a 'test' to get it, doesn't mean its worse. The more parts, the better the result will be, meaning stronger weapons/armor etc.

[Harrington]

I agree that the game is complex. There's thousands of items, a huge world area, lots of quests and indepth skills.

 

 

 

Despite this, there's lots of support for new players such as Tutorial Island, plus sites light this one and the KB on the main site :)

 

 

 

Yes, it's complex... but new players can handle it with all this support.

[Nenga]

RS is getting simpler not more complex.

 

 

 

 

 

BTW on your after on combat it's not changed it's just high level monster hunting.

[ubahman]

This game is so simple even an idiot can play it. I've got proof of that *points to most of lightning chat* :roll:

 

 

 

How hard can it be to left click, right click, left click...

[Artificial_Doom_Flavor]

The amount of clicking that has been decreased, the lack of harder and self-thinking updates, and possibly the most; Jagex's orientation towards younger players.

 

 

 

And THERE is what is killing RuneScape. Let's not make anything take too much thought!

[reaper88888]

Sure, RS is challenging for some people... But then, those are the same people who are challenged by 'Dora's Island Adventure'.

 

 

 

 

 

The only thing that might trip up new players is knowing what to do when they died, how long their items would be safe, ect.. Most people will have played for several weeks/months until they start needing to know how to use things like prayers and potions; you don't get high enough stats to do most of the complicated things overnight. The basic low-level activities are still killing goblins and gathering feathers or cowhides.

[highlanders]

I don't think that's a problem at all. Just think back at your newbie days, there was a lot of things you didn't know, but you just learned them a piece at a time right? And now look where you are now, it wasn't that hard now was it?

 

 

 

Even if a kid is 12 years old, I don't see what could stop him or her to learn the game, they just need some reading skills and a little willingness to read the knowledge base or fansites, then it's just a question of time before they figure it all out.

[alphakoldes]

The only thing that might trip up new players is knowing what to do when they died, how long their items would be safe, ect.. Most people will have played for several weeks/months until they start needing to know how to use things like prayers and potions; you don't get high enough stats to do most of the complicated things overnight. The basic low-level activities are still killing goblins and gathering feathers or cowhides.

 

 

 

Pretty much what I was going to say - I don't think the game is getting harder for new players - perhaps more in depth for ALL players, but not harder for new ones.

[Mayjest]

I can understand how death might be considered confusing, but the rest is mostly P2P stuff. New players are not paying for the game, so as far as they are concerned, very little is complicated.

[warren211]

A lot of those examples you gave doesn't even affect new players. most of them don't plan on killing advanced monsters while watching hp and prayer, use spec bar, drink sara brews, etc. most of them still struggle to kill a guard. and besides, even with all the new stuff, you can still chop trees and mine ores and smith them right? nothing's changed besides the trade limit. if you ask me, this seriously helps new players. they won't get scammed trading their hard earned iron armor for a random item obtained in an obscure location that the person is claiming to be "worth 5mil!!! good deal noob!". they don't need to look up prices of the items their selling or work out whether an assortment of beer glasses and ashes and tinderboxes are worth the equivalent. put up the items, see if the other person offers equal, then trade. they won't need to worry about pking or advanced monster killing and skilling until later levels and when they get to know enough about the game to understand what the knowledge base or fansites say.

[hellbellz]

It's gotten simplier..

 

There are just more skills and things to do. :?

[Giordano]

There are two types of people when exploring something new: those who experiment and those who want the flat out explanation.

 

 

 

RuneScape was always simple to understand if you tried figuring it out. If you were in doubt, you could ask a nearby player, but its not that complicated.

 

 

 

Take me for example; when I started playing this game I didn't have someone at my side to explain things to me (the friend who introduced me to it was a total noob himself :P ) So I figured out things through trail and error and experimenting. I attacked a highway man, to watch how fast I was losing HP and the attacks I was hitting, so in the future I can see if something of my level or higher would hurt me badly. I learned going through Stonehedge is NOT a good idea via death. If Jagex didn't forced me to go through the GE Tutorial, I would of experimented with it and figured it out in 5 minutes, perhaps less.

 

 

 

Jagex seems to help those who do not try, who want a straight answer with no background information whatsoever.

 

Don't mistake me though, I agree there should be tutorials and helpers, but not when you're forced to go through them. (GE, Tut. Island)

[Outsanity]

Those are such true points :-#

 

 

 

The first time I ever trained Mining, it was very simple. Click on orange rock, then on grey rock, get strange things in your backpack, use it on a black box with orange light coming out, magically make a dagger with 3 bangs with a hammer, the end. Now, it is a whole other thing, for example, Construction.

 

 

 

Go to falador, walk to estate agent, forget your 1k, go to bank, withdraw 1k, walk back to the agent, buy house, walk to rimmington, try to figure out how to get in, get in, try to make a room, need more money, get more money from bank and come back, build room, says you need plank to build something, get an axe, cut a tree, walk to saw miller, make into plank, walk back to portal, go inside, go back out and go into building mode, use a "build X" option, message says "need saw and hammer", go back out, beg people for saw and hammer, go back in, build a chair, the end. Good job! you got what, 58 exp?

 

 

 

See what I mean how they are making the new skills so complicated? :-s

 

 

 

Lets dissect what you've just stated to be "difficult," or "complicated," shall we?

 

 

 

You learn of Falador pretty early on in the game, hopefully. Getting there is not hard at all.

 

 

 

Oh wow...you have to walk a few pixelated squares just to get to the Real Estate Agent? HARD!!!

 

 

 

You totally try to cheat and add in stupid things like, "forget 1k gp." Sorry...but it is not REQUIRED to forget your 1k gp. You forgot it. That's your fault for being forgetful.

 

 

 

Go to the bank? Man...what's with all this walking that literally takes 5 seconds to do!?! I could have taken a breath in that amount of time!

 

 

 

Walk back to agent...need I say more?

 

 

 

Buy house. Well...seeing as how there is a "I'd like to buy a house," option clearly towards the top of the list, I don't see the complicated part about this.

 

 

 

Walk to Rimmington. Hmmm...again, so hard.

 

 

 

Figure out how to get in? By this point in a new character's gaming period, they should be able to know that they right click and select Enter portal. I mean...they can even left click. Doesn't get easier than that.

 

 

 

Try to make a room but need more money? Again...you CANNOT include this as something that complicates it...because it is not required to forget to bring cash. That, again, is your own stupid fault.

 

 

 

I am going to spare the rest of this to you. But I will say, "Beg for saw and hammer," is another prime example of you trying to make it sound like the task is much more daunting than it really is. Stop trying to flatter yourself.

 

 

 

Oh...and you get more than 58 exp. You now have a house, a parlour, a saw and hammer, planks, nails, etc etc. You have paved the way to expanding your home.

 

 

 

If you're really serious about all of this being too complicated for new players, then maybe we don't need new players. If they are that moronic and simple-minded, I don't want them playing this game, anyway.

[Wrench_150]

I agree, I suppose there's more of challenge with the deeper learning curve, but thankfully not too difficult compared to other games I have tried out.

[bloodkilla87]

and for old players. i've been playing for 4 years and i take a few breaks and i come back pkings gone, ge, and i still dont understand the pure essense thing. theres lots of things i still dont understand. like i play for a while, leave, come back, and theres all this new stuff.

[doomy]

IF a 13 year old can't understand it then...Oh god

[Capheraekton]

Runescape has been getting more complex over the years, but it's also easier to figure out. With all the tutorials, fansites, and the knowledge base it's not hard to figure out what you need to know. And most new players are f2p, so they don't have so much stuff to learn that they get overwhelmed.

 

 

 

Also, there are plenty of games that are more complex and harder to learn than Runescape is.