Tip.It Times: 5 April 2009

[Drakolord7]

=D>

 

 

 

Good articles. After pondering the second one, I'm now going to imagine my character's name is said 'Drakolord the Seventh'. \

[darkpoet837]

I would have to say I only partly agree with the second article. Yes, my name does have numbers, but that does not separate it from who I am. The fact is, darkpoet837 came about because of who I am, not the other way around. The avatar is an extension of me, even to the point of having my personal number attached to it (yeah, believe it or not, the number means something to me : ). To me, even if the name darkpoet with no numbers had been available, I still would have went with darkpoet837. :)

 

 

 

Now, with the character being different from me, I would have to agree. He is almost his own person, with me holding the strings. You could almost call it schizophrenia, with darkpoet837 being an offset of myself, its own person, but still me. I could even imagine having a conversation with my character. :ohnoes: . The way he has developed has taken a life of his own, skills building upon skills like any other character. You try something, if you like it, you get better at it, making you like it more. Soon you form a habit of liking something, and it becomes the character. Take my fascination with Guthix, for example, and in turn me keeping my melee combat stats in almost perfect balance. I found myself having fun training controlled, liked training 4 skills at once. Now, it defines me. Does that make sense? I hope so :thumbsup:

[JohnPax]

One of the best "Did you know"'s yet, good job Master_Smither. Good articles and I think that my enjoyment is in the achievment.

[SwreeTak]

Well, I will reply to all he articles except the fictional one. I agree with the first one about why we play RS, but for me the strongest reason is probably not the community, nor the competition with other players and neither the fame. I play the game because I want to see how far I can get. I know that I have a lot of patience and sure the game is fun, so I want to test myself. In that way it's a competition against myself. Since I know that I always can do better, gain more levels, make more money or slay a few more monsters, I will always be motivated to play. This is probably the main reason to why I play this MMORPG.

 

About the second article then. I would say that your name certainly have a certain importance, but not that much as the authour to this article states. After all, it's just a game. Sure it becomes better if you have a good name, but if you don't the game is still the same, it's your character who becomes a bit worse.

[hihihi727]

I mainly level because one day i want to own in fight caves, GWD and Castle wars. Only 10 years to go^^

[anish00b]

can anyone please post all 3 articles and the did you know please, i cant get on tip it for some reason but can get on the forums though :?

[Yuz]

I thought the Journey or Destination article was brilliant :P

 

 

 

It really made me think. I absolutely hate alching, and yet I did 160,000 just for a cape that does nothing more than look quite nice.

 

 

 

I need to take a look at my priorities.

 

 

 

Awesome article, I really liked it :P

[The_dmt1234]

Naming your character.

 

 

 

i was reading an article on another site nothing to do with runescape and it was how to play games like a man

 

and one of the ways was don't put your heart and soul into your characters name, it's just a game

 

and yeah i do believe it's just a game i like my name as dmt1234, it doesn't mean anything to anyone it's just my initials

 

and my brothers first account lookn4afite

 

now i reckon that's better than names like Lord Rune or whatever

 

it shows that you think it's sitll just a game not that your character is alive and you will do whatever he/she needs done, play the game don't let it play you

[Tritous]

I think it is touching on more than just names but a deeper topic. Now I very strongly relate to this. My RS name is D'or Kadar, but that name is much deeper than that and shares something a lot of my various aliases (including Tritous) share. They were characters from books and stories I wrote, dreams I had. They are from not a settting but a universe, with other people, with feelings and pasts and hopes for the future, with emotions, with their own thoughts. If you put that much power into a character they gain a spark and come alive. They are inside you alive and if you learn how you can reach into that universe and tough on their emotions and thoughts.

 

 

 

I know I am as much a product of their thoughts as my own, in a sense I wrote my own personality. That is the power of creation, and a name is part of that. the Kadar of the Great House D'or has a lot of layers of meaning in the name, it's not just an honourific or mark of being a lord, that particular name is held by the greatest warrior of the empire and general of its armies. It's the name held in direct lineage for 4000 years back to the war of Earen Daap where they fought against the demon Darth Faid to save humanity. It's the name of someone who is the personification of bravery, loyalty and strength. Moreover they are bound by loyalty, fighting inner thoughts of how corrupted their king is because the D'or Kadar is meant to be incapable of even disloyal thoughts. So the name is a weapon, a legacy, a rank and status, and ultimately a prison. it's amazing how little people realise.

 

 

 

That said, my rl name is little more than a name to me. Not all names have meaning, and our society is less suited to understanding such subtle tones. Of course that could just be me being cynical

[bigfella3000uk]

Two great articles,Yes I have often wished I hadn't chosen such a silly name.

 

Little did I realize that when I created this character to check out this new game my son was playing,that I'd become so involved in it myself.

 

Oh to be able to change the name!...but then I'd be at a loss whether too after making so many friends on this character.

[Dragonmaker9]

THe only reason I play, no matter how boring the game is, is to have the enjoyment of the well written quests. That's the only thing which drives me on with most skills.

 

 

 

If I'm seraching for fun, I'll be on FunOrb.

[sedsarq]

I LOVED both articles (sorry I don't read fictionals).

 

 

 

First one, while not really saying anything new, it was said very clear and I loved the structure. It's nice to be reassured that there actually is a point of it all.

 

 

 

Second one was amazing. It was very well written with a sweet and personal attitude. I can't say I identify myself with it, I do see my character as an extension of myself rather than a separate being (despite my non-digitized name of which I'm proud, wouldn't have it any other way), but it was definitely an interesting read with good points. Blended well with the featured article too! Best one in a while imo.

[Naive]

First one was completely true. I play because of the community here : All the friends I've met, the chatters in Forsakenmage's clan chat, and the random people I meet.

 

 

 

The nature of names. Sadly I've put numbers in my character's name, and it might not sound original at all (Sman25000? C'mon :wall: ) But to be honest, I don't mind. Maybe I don't share the belief that my character is in himself a separate entity, but more of an alternate personality of mine. And who cares if he's got numbers in his name? I don't. But that's not to put down Kurito's article :) It's just me :lol:

 

 

 

As for the Rat Kings, I have always been a fan of the fiction stories. And this one looks to be very interesting. Great job Necro :thumbsup:

[Everyonedies]

can anyone post the articles here im at work and cant get to the site.

[Orion_Dezagrats]

The article 'The Journey or the Destination?' was brilliant. I am inclined to agree that I have felt that way many times in the past. With the way I am, however, sometimes even the most tedious and boring skills become the most-loved for me, even if their levels might be lower than another skill. (Mining, you've stolen my heart. )

 

 

 

 

 

It would appear that I've gotten responses of all kinds towards my article! :) Thank you. Even those who don't quite agree, thanks. ;) 'The Nature of Names' was something I've been feeling for a while. At first, Kurito was just an extension of myself and my personality into a medium of the kind that would allow me to express the kind of personality I wanted to have, to think a certain way and to get people to see me a certain way. But as I've progressed over the years, I began to realize that I was thinking things like, "I wonder what Kurito thinks of me now that I've not been playing with her for a month." And the realization only came to full fruition recently. I realize this might be a bit silly, but I doubt I would have thought of anything of the sort if she didn't have a name-name, rather than a words/numbers-name.

 

 

 

Of course, I fully realize that not all people think as I do, so I respect their opinions.

 

 

 

i was reading an article on another site nothing to do with runescape and it was how to play games like a man

 

 

 

Haha, I think I've read that one! Was very entertaining. And of course, I do feel it is important to put your feelings into a name, and to do otherwise would be downright silly--you'd feel no love at all for it!

[Saintdane555]

I read a book once... It was called "The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents". Ever heard of it?

 

 

 

HINT! HINT!

[Merchant0125]

While I liked the second article (and the first) i have to disagree. when i made merchant i was annoyed i had to use numbers, however now they are just who i am and when i play rs i just slip into 0125 mode. This is who I am and I dare anyone who disagrees to face down my infamous pirate hat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I know someone will :lol:

[turbofreak12]

I think that I am one of those purists (Sorta). I only do things that I feel like doing, and I never really train one skill too long, since I'm such a spaz. =p

 

My skills aren't great, but I've had fun, so I don't care.

[P_E_N_N_Y]

The first article was good, i think RS is just an established system now that people are just used to a couple hours of boring training to do a great quest or something similar, but i think the second was a little silly,

 

 

 

A: If your character controls you, in any game, you REALLY need to get out more. I don't mean to flame but i think the very concept of your character developing of it's own accord is utterly ridiculous. You made it, you control it,

 

 

 

B: While names with 6 or 7 numbers in certainly are a little excessive and will probably be regretted later, 1 or 2 certainly aren't that big of a deal in my opinion and try and make a new account without a number these days - it really is almost impossible, but of course, it's a matter of personal opinion only

 

 

 

But it's still a very good and well written article, i just don't agree with it.

[GrayMagus]

Names...

 

I totally agree about the character makes him/herself... I have played many roleplaying games in my life and found it to be true with everyone from Advanced Dungeons&Dragons to now Runescape. I have helped dozens of characters grow and mature, each one being as unique as you or I, I wouldn't have it anyother way.

[MyWorld77]

I really enjoyed the origin of your name article. As a veteran of many online games throughout the years, I understood the importance of using a name that was meaningful, easy to read, and didn't contain numbers when I joined RS. I don't like numbers personally, because it tells me someone else out there already has the original name you are seeking, and you should choose another. I do take exception to alt characters you may make for pking, pures, or just side projects. Because alt's are just that, alternative characters you make to try one specific aspect of the game. Pvp, skilling, etc. But your main.... is just that. Your main is the "sense of identity" in the game, the one you spend countless weeks and months, grinding, skilling, and doing those quests for the first time. It is your tie with the fabric of Runescape reality, and I believe a good name can speak volumes in mere seconds, because to be honest, that's all we usually have; mere seconds, as we chance upon another random character flashing by...

[anish00b]

cmon someone can anyone please post the three articles and the did you know?

 

 

 

please

[n_odie]

[hide=The Journey or the Destination?]stormveritas

 

 

 

Ask yourself a question: do you play this game because you enjoy it, or because youre compelled to reach your next goal?

 

 

 

For quite a while, I was stumped. The answer was so heavily weighed to the latter portion that continued hunt for goal fulfillment that it dawned on me that at least half the time Im playing, Im doing things I dont even remotely enjoy. How many times have you heard things like this, or said them yourself:

 

 

 

Yeah, I cant stand firemaking. Only 6 more hours!

 

 

 

Yeah, Pyramid Plunder is really tedious, but you have to do it for the exp.

 

 

 

Camping at bandits is so boring I think my eyes are bleeding!

 

 

 

Or, conversely:

 

 

 

I love stealing creation, but I need to get back to work (referring to something else in Runescape)

 

 

 

Have we lost our minds?

 

 

 

Lets face it: most of the stuff we do in this game is insanely boring. Consider for a moment the pleasure of fishing, firemaking, or herblore. How long would you work on this if there wasnt a community surrounding you, one that you could stack your achievements against?

 

 

 

Ten minutes? Five?

 

 

 

Now, them are some true purists who manage to resist the temptation to grind out skills and money, but what of the rest of us cursed fools? There must be a reason that we choose to play this one of the slowest leveling games in the history of mankind as the place to toil away the hours playing. Three million Runescape fans cant all be wrong, can we?

 

 

 

After much deliberation, the answer is a decided no. We all have our reasons, although many of them are shared. There are many elements which keep us going, keep us working, compel us to fletch forty-freaking-thousand yew longs for a cape that some would describe as nooby (Stop and think about that one!). A few of the key shared commodities:

 

 

 

* Competitiveness - You want to be better than the next person, simple as that. Its why people strive to max statistics, or strive for 200M experience in a skill. Implicitly, these people can never be topped. Its also why people PK, and risk huge wealth to fight and defeat their peers.

 

* The Search for Fame Very few will admit to this, but some level of vanity in all of us cries out to be recognized for achievements. Why else do we create blogs, progress threads, or enter into the rate this forum? If youre guilty of this (as I surely am at times), know at least that youre not alone.

 

* Community The biggest, the best, the most important. The reason we show up here, the reason we browse forums. The friend list you have, the clan chats you join. The smile you get when you see that friends name pop up, eager to see whats new or fill them in on your deeds. The people you fish with, you chat with, you hunt with, and kill with.

 

 

 

With a smile, its good to realize you havent been playing due to some hypnotic trance. I still do things in game I dont enjoy, but having fun people around certainly makes the entire experience more enjoyable. This human element connects the dots in logic; a valuable reminder the next time I stare down countless hours of work with a savagely boring skill. Since we all write our own characters story relative to those we play alongside, there are plenty of reasons to Keep up with the Joneses.

 

 

 

I dont know where the hell Im going, but Im getting there fast! Come along for the ride[/hide]

 

 

 

[hide=The Nature of Names]Orion_Dezagrats

 

 

 

Names. They are our titles, our labels almost from the day we're born to the day we die. I am one of those people that not only think that the name is inherently part of the being, but defines who we are and the kind of person we become as we age. I am the kind of person who never puts numbers or unknown characters in a RuneScape name, and instead makes it sound as real and believable as possible.

 

 

 

I am the kind of person who looks and games and thinks, "Oh, this is a good story." When I think about RuneScape in that manner, I simply can't imagine myself putting words or numbers in the name of a character. Ever. I fully realized this concept when I played through the recent "The Chosen Commander" quest, and a certain scene stuck with me. I thought, "My character is really her own being, with her own story and decisions. Who am I to believe otherwise? I . . . can only really be her guide."

 

 

 

It has come to the point where I can no longer think of my Kurito as simply a character, and saying to others, "Oh, it was a kind of inside joke since everyone called me a girl as I was growing up," or "I did Recruitment Drive and was too lazy to change back to male" would be lying. Those explanations simply don't satisfy me anymore. She is her own person, and I shall guide her to wherever she needs to go.

 

 

 

Now, some of you may view this as simply an excuse to have no life and play the game for all my entertainment . . . Well, in the beginning, that's what it might have been. That's what it might have turned out to be my first day playing. But no longer. I shan't succumb to such a thought. I respect that other players enjoy such a concept, but not I. I read books to see the characters win or lose or tie. I watch television to see Buffy put a stake in some poor sucker's heart. And I play games to watch characters detach themselves from me and really find themselves, becoming their own people.

 

 

 

I realize that this is something many people might not agree with, and hell, I might get flamed for it over PM's and stuff for it. Some might think it's silly, and absurd, but what's not these days?

 

 

 

Looking back, I realize that I couldn't have continued the game as I have with a character with a different name; a name with numbers, words . . . it would have eventually driven me away. Who wants to play through the game as far as I have with a character called "Gigatoast133769"?

 

 

 

Looking back, I come to think that Kurito would have never really been "Kurito," the being that she is and has come to be, if I had called her anything but. And all her accomplishments are hers. She has helped witches, slain dragons and demons, saved children, defended cities, kept holidays from becoming horrible messes of failed celebrations, spied and assassinated, prayed and died, committed errors and mistakes, killed people purely for enjoyment . . . but all these are what defines her. She is a follower of Guthix, and in the end, I didn't choose that for her; she chose it for me.

 

 

 

Any new players to the game, please look upon this and think, "Do I want someone to go 'Oh, thank you for saving my son/daughter, XxRavenmasterXx!' in the quests? Do I want my character to simply be an avatar, an extension of myself, or do I want him/her to be a character, an individual and definite being?" Most importantly, "Do I really want to have such accomplishments accredited to 'Poopmaster335'?"

 

 

 

Thank you for your time.

 

 

 

Disclaimer: All names except for my character's name are fictional. Any resemblance to existing character names is purely coincidental.[/hide]

 

 

 

[hide=Rat King - Part 1]Necromagus

 

 

 

Borr whistled a merry tune to himself as he spun the wheel around, inspecting his latest work. Shadows danced on the wall, stirred by the flickering torchlight. The thick smoke left a thick coating of soot on the damp stones that made up the arches of the sewers under the city. The light was barely enough for a normal person to so much as lace up their boots, but Borr had lived in the sewers almost his entire life and it was quite adequate for him. It wasn't easy to do what he did, let alone do it well. Still, his creations, filthy shrieking balls of fur and filth, were well appreciated by both his masters and the crowds they entertained. His Rat Kings were his pride and joy, doubly so because he fancied himself as the only person in the entire kingdom who grasped every stage of the intricate process fully.

 

 

 

First he had to knock out the rats. This was surprisingly delicate work, as he had to blow the exact amount of smoke into the cages. Too little, and they would wake up halfway through to take a chunk out of his hands or face, a lesson that the scars that covered him reminded him of every day. Too much and they wouldn't wake up at all. This was even worse, as a dead rat couldn't fight and thus cost the pit bosses money, and down here money was everything.

 

 

 

Once the rats were unconscious, it was time to prepare them for the bonding. This involved a large twelve-spoked cartwheel. With his thin bony fingers he lashed each rat to a spoke with thin strips of leather, carefully tying them in place. Once they were all set the messy part of his job began. He carefully took each of the rat's tails, coiling them together at the center of the wheel. When he was sure they were secured, he reached into his bucket of paste. Paste was of course a euphemism, but "carefully measured mixture of mud, blood and fecal matter" didn't have quite the same pleasant ring to it.

 

 

 

It took several thick gobs of paste to secure all the tails in place. Once he was done sculpting the ball of gunk that would mold all the rats together, they would be left on the wheel for several hours to dry. By that time they would of course have waken up, and they usually reacted to being tied to a wooden spoke in all the usual ways a rodent could be expected to react. Hellish squeaks and shrieks echoed off the wall, creating a hellish cacophony. It was at this point that Borr usually resorted to plugging his ears with some of his own paste. His superiors often complained about the smell that created, but he felt he still smelled rather pleasant for someone who was forced to spend most of his time up to his ankles in filth.

 

 

 

Borr gave out a content sigh. His newest Rat King was finished. It was a complicated creation, a special order for a special night. By this time next week the boss would come visit. Borr didn't know who she was, except for the fact that she apparently owned these rat pits and that the overseers were as scared of her as he was of them. They would have to put on a spectacular show for her, and his Rat King would be the main event. The mad beast let out a chorus of wild howls as he lowered it into the specially prepared cage.

 

 

 

Just as he was about to end his sigh of relief, he felt his breath being taken away, quite literally. From the shadows behind him something wrapped itself tightly around his neck, digging deep into the skin as it cut off the flow of blood to his brains and the flow of air to his lungs. It took all of his focus not to pass out right then and there.

 

 

 

"Hello Borr, it done?"

 

 

 

"Y-yes sir..."

 

 

 

He felt the noose around his throat loosen slightly, and even the fetid air of the sewers felt refreshing, flooding back into his lungs with a series of wheezing coughs. He blinked a few times to banish the spots that were swimming in his vision, and he saw the hulking figure of Vorse, the head rat catcher, stooped over the cage to inspect his work, one burly hand still clutching the rat pole that had latched on to Borr's fragile neck.

 

 

 

The witless half-orc grunted in satisfaction. "You did good, her pleased. Make main attraction!" The rumbling laugh made Borr wonder if a section of the sewer hadn't just collapsed, and the congratulatory pat on the back sent him tumbling onto the slimy floor, driving the air that had just refilled his lungs back out again. He swore he could feel the ground shake as the foul-smelling demi-human stomped his way back out of the narrow room, leaving behind a stack of cages and the faint smell of the rotgut rum that was served in a highly diluted form to the rat pit spectators but that Vorse drank by the pint.

 

 

 

Borr was once again left alone with his rats. The rat king was still squeaking, but it was easily silenced with a handful of food spread around the compartments of the cage. He knew he was supposed to keep his creations hungry, but he ignored it. He absentmindedly rubbed the raw skin of his throat, muttering a litany of curses aimed at the rats, Vorse, the other rat catchers, the overseers, the boss and anyone else that came to mind. He idly spun his wheel, wondering how much longer he would put up with the filth that surrounded him everywhere. They said that if you rolled around in filth long enough, you would become part of it, and he had sworn an oath to himself long ago that he would never allow hat to happen. He knew that he would have to act soon, and that the mysterious boss that would be visiting the pits soon would be his ticket out of this mess.[/hide]

 

 

 

[hide=Did you know...]... that pressing the 's' key while the game is loading will make your RuneScape to start in Safe mode. Safe mode runs the game at minimum graphics. (Thanks Master_Smither!)[/hide]

[Kyle]

I thought "The Journey or the Destination?" was a fantastic article. Quite an intriguing question really. I find myself wondering why I do some of the unpleasant things I do just to see those numbers on the screen slowly rise. Really gets me thinking.... great article.

[03warrior]

I wish my name didn't have numbers in it. I blame it on my friend who rushed me when I was making my account and told me my name doesn't matter.