Why Don't People Explore Anymore?

[Giordano]

Before I purchased members, I always read the RuneScape world map. I imagined how Ardougne would look like or what the hell was "Castle Wars". When I first got members I went off exploring, instantly. I always do that when I get a new game. I went to Ardougne and some other places, amazed or disapointed to what I pictured of it. But it was all good, since I was finally there.

 

 

 

Even throughout my gaming experience I never really "grinded" or aimed so much for levels rather than fun. I did some quests for fun, I did others for new items which will bring me fun (particually dragon weapons for Castle Wars). I did some skills for fun, others to save money. (Fishing my own food, but farming for enjoyment. I never got 1 coin profit from farming and I went up to the lvl 50s without buying anything neither.) I did a couple of Barrows runs until it got boring instead of doing constantly until I got a drop. And exploring was my fun.

 

 

 

Unfortunately RuneScape has become GoalScape, and many people are so focused on getting goals they begin to think the game as stupid and pointless. It's only as pointless as you make it go. And for some, that's pretty far.

 

 

 

Heh, I kinda wanna play RuneScape again. :D

[HexiledRazz]

I love you.

 

 

 

You just brought back my memories of being a level 17(yes i got mem at level 17) noob wandering around the members world.

 

The way you described it is exactly how it went down. just wandering around, looking for a certain city. And coming across a quest, and doing it.

 

I remember i spent most of my time around seers village. And sitting in seer's bank asking to buy a item i needed to finish a quest or something.

 

And i would do that too. Be able to erase my memory of RS(only temporarily though) and make a new account. And just wander around... *Insert dazed look here*

[Salad]

I remember when I got member and did Regicide, I took loads of tools (Rope, hammer, knife, etc) and went to the door of the.. elf city that's locked (Pri... something, you know?) and tried to open the door by using rope with only stuff and trying to dig with a spade.... the best 3 hours of my life....

 

 

 

It's also by exploring that at lv 27 I met my best friend ever (ILU Floogudsnot6 ) while he was air striking chickens south of seers. Ahh good ol' times....

[Maximusa]

I cant talk for others but when I first got members I went around and explored areas. I imagine it is a bit bigger now though.

 

 

 

I began getting quest requirements so I could unlock the areas.

[Blutters]

I explored A LOT before and after getting P2P. There was no convenient world map back then. I didn't know where each area connected. Ardougne was a Wondrous place. And so was Yanille. And every random building, and every random dungeon.

 

 

 

I love 'semi-secret' content. The best examples of which are perhaps the Mage Arena, or Yanille Dungeon. There's no big flashy sign in game; if you don't hear it by word of mouth, you don't know about it until you find it yourself. It's a shame they don't do this often anymore, or when they do, it's somewhat or entirely useless. Example of a useless on: Pressing Iron Bars into sheets to sell for 40gp each at Piscatoris.

 

 

 

I really do love exploring though. That's why it takes me so long to finish ANY game that gives you a 'full' environment. FEAR had me searching behind every single office cubicle... :lol:

 

 

 

Too bad I know every single inch of RuneScape now. Except for maybe under Waterbirth, or Tarn's Lair, or the maze of Rogue's Den...

[snowball]

I sure did love to explore. I remember being so happy when I found that shortcut from falador to draynor through the barbarian village/draynor manor. I didn't really open the world map until i became a member, and the beginner's map was pretty lame, so I just walked around trying to find a city. Not knowing how big the dark wizards circle was, i always used to run through the gates varrock or walk around the fence there. I also used to think "look at all these silly people, teleporting where they want to go. I'd rather run. Now I'm to lazy to go from varrock to falador :lol:

[Master_Smither]

Gosh I miss those days :cry: :cry:

[Itsjustagame]

you want to explore? Go play fallout 3.

[Kilo]

Hmm, when you first got members it must have been before skillcapes Dan. Your an old timer relatively.

 

I think most of the focus has been put on skillcapes ever since they came out, but then again your making an assumption that no one explores. I'm betting that they're people out there who still explore.

 

 

 

you want to explore? Go play fallout 3.

 

Are you serious? Read the post.

[Giordano]

Hmm, when you first got members it must have been before skillcapes Dan. Your an old timer relatively.

 

I think most of the focus has been put on skillcapes ever since they came out, but then again your making an assumption that no one explores. I'm betting that they're people out there who still explore.

 

 

 

Like legit newbies like myself and many others. But there seems to be a rise in the number of players just playing to get the most 99s. They make the game into a grind and when they finally quit they badmouth the game saying its the worst piece of crap ever with too much grinding, when they only put themselves into that situation.

[Kilo]

Hmm, when you first got members it must have been before skillcapes Dan. Your an old timer relatively.

 

I think most of the focus has been put on skillcapes ever since they came out, but then again your making an assumption that no one explores. I'm betting that they're people out there who still explore.

 

 

 

Like legit newbies like myself and many others. But there seems to be a rise in the number of players just playing to get the most 99s. They make the game into a grind and when they finally quit they badmouth the game saying its the worst piece of crap ever with too much grinding, when they only put themselves into that situation.

 

 

 

 

 

Eh, if you're calling yourself a noob, you're probably not that new to the game. Also I don't know many people who enter members then immediately grind to a 99. I guess I don't hang out with the people your refering to because I don't see many of them. I'm not calling you out or anything; it just seems like your trying to make something very serious that really isn't.

[Giordano]

Hmm, when you first got members it must have been before skillcapes Dan. Your an old timer relatively.

 

I think most of the focus has been put on skillcapes ever since they came out, but then again your making an assumption that no one explores. I'm betting that they're people out there who still explore.

 

 

 

Like legit newbies like myself and many others. But there seems to be a rise in the number of players just playing to get the most 99s. They make the game into a grind and when they finally quit they badmouth the game saying its the worst piece of crap ever with too much grinding, when they only put themselves into that situation.

 

 

 

 

 

Eh, if you're calling yourself a noob, you're probably not that new to the game. Also I don't know many people who enter members then immediately grind to a 99. I guess I don't hang out with the people your refering to because I don't see many of them. I'm not calling you out or anything; it just seems like your trying to make something very serious that really isn't.

 

About every RuneScaper I see wants to get quick 99s. Or something way out there (like Godswords) the fastest possible way.

 

This thread is about exploring on the surface, but deeper in it's about the lack of relaxing and having fun. When you explore, you're not grinding away rapidly but at peace in your own pace.

 

 

 

And it is a serious problem (to me at least) because this makes the game developers create updates to please the grinders, helping them get a level faster, making the game loose it's "unknown excitement". I've stop playing 2 MMOs due to that.

[Ice_and_Spec]

I remember when I first started I remember trying to make money to get through the gate to Al Kharid and then after I spent my money getting through the gate I figured out there was an open entrance at the top. :(

[Troacctid]

People explore just as much as they used to back when you did it. Typically, those people are not the same people who post on forums asking for help, that's all. Nothing is different.

 

 

 

About every RuneScaper I see wants to get quick 99s. Or something way out there (like Godswords) the fastest possible way.

 

This thread is about exploring on the surface, but deeper in it's about the lack of relaxing and having fun. When you explore, you're not grinding away rapidly but at peace in your own pace.

 

Again, nothing has really changed. The people who act the way you describe probably aren't indicative of any larger pattern in Runescape culture. There are still plenty of people who like to explore and figure things out for themselves; you just aren't noticing them.

 

 

 

]And it is a serious problem (to me at least) because this makes the game developers create updates to please the grinders, helping them get a level faster, making the game loose it's "unknown excitement". I've stop playing 2 MMOs due to that.

 

The majority of Runescape updates are not geared towards people who grind endlessly. Those people don't need updates, because they'll just accept the status quo and grind away with whatever method they think is the best. Quests and minigames in particular make up a large part of the developers' efforts, and their target audience falls squarely in the "explorer" group. If the game loses its "unknown excitement" for you, it's because you know now; nothing has changed but your attitude. To a new player, it's still unknown.

[Outsanity]

One of the most annoying things to me:

 

 

 

What does (such and such) familiar do?

 

 

 

How much exp does cutting a (type) log get you?

 

 

 

How do you make easy money?

 

 

 

What level do I need for __________?

 

 

 

JUST SHUT THE HELL UP! God...I can't stand people that do this. Lazy people who can't take a few seconds to figure out the answers to some of the most basic, easy questions of all time. I have friends all the time ask me for opinions on the best exp or what levels they will need for something, and I'm like, "Wow...just figure it out, you lazy *bleep*."

 

 

 

I agree with you. People are lazy. They just want answers, but not to have to work for them. I bet you my entire account that about 90% of questers or more use guides to complete quests. No one wants to work for their rewards anymore. They just want to cut right to the point, which, in my opinion, makes them lazy and sets them apart from the real elitists of runescape. The most successful people in this game are the ones that dive headfirst into new updates and take risks and figure everything out themselves, and most often, BEFORE everyone else.

[Troacctid]

The most successful people in this game are the ones that dive headfirst into new updates and take risks and figure everything out themselves, and most often, BEFORE everyone else.

 

Hoards of people are always trying out new content on the day of release, newbs and veterans alike. Most of them are gone pretty quickly.

[Outsanity]

The most successful people in this game are the ones that dive headfirst into new updates and take risks and figure everything out themselves, and most often, BEFORE everyone else.

 

Hoards of people are always trying out new content on the day of release, newbs and veterans alike. Most of them are gone pretty quickly.

 

 

 

And then hoards x10 more wait until days later to check out the updates and thencan't just figure them out themselves or read the news page. Don't act like I'm lying here. You know the people who ask for information greatly outweighs the people who go and find the information themselves.

[Junkmutt]

Ah the days of new membership. Happy memories.

 

 

 

Story time.

 

A few years ago when my parents decided that is wasn't okay for me to be playing videogames I was only allowed to go on the web for research. And research I did, mostly castlewars \ .

 

When they decided it was okay for me to play games again I asked them if it was okay to borrow their credit card to get members. Answer is "Yes". Boom I get members. The first thing I do is ask my ex-member friend where castlewars was. The next 3-4 hours of my life were spent trying to find out how to get over this huge mountain with wolves on it, sheesh what wolf in their right mind would want to stay on one mountain their whole lives. After multiple attempts to jump off the cliff onto this unknown beach I gave up and decided to walk around a bit. Amazingly after a bit of wandering I find myself looking up at aforementioned cliff wondering how I got there. Then out came the handy dandy world map that didn't work as I had hoped (ended up in this place called yanille a few times went back up to ardougne then got lost in a forest of trees oh how fun). Well the story ended up like this: I found my way to castlewars, played about 7 rounds, won 2, said "This stinks" then proceeded to pickpocket men. THE END

[Troacctid]

The most successful people in this game are the ones that dive headfirst into new updates and take risks and figure everything out themselves, and most often, BEFORE everyone else.

 

Hoards of people are always trying out new content on the day of release, newbs and veterans alike. Most of them are gone pretty quickly.

 

 

 

And then hoards x10 more wait until days later to check out the updates and thencan't just figure them out themselves or read the news page. Don't act like I'm lying here. You know the people who ask for information greatly outweighs the people who go and find the information themselves.

First, no, I don't know that. I've never experienced this phenomenon you speak of. As a Wikipedian protester might put it:

 

 

 

 

Second, what exactly is your point here? That people who dive blindly into new content are somehow superior to people who read up on it first? That's quite a claim, sir.

[Emmentail]

I thought RS always had a worldmap on its homepage? It was either there or tipit that I used to discover places. No more, since Runescape has ground to a halt expansion wise. Shame really.

[SupportMage]

I always loved roaming the jungle and never knowing what was around the next tree.... then I found Ape Atoll and prompty grew sick of new and exciting things.

[llVIU]

I remember that I kept looking on the map on the west side of runescape, east seemed like a big pile of crap, north was wildy so nty and west was so much bigger and so much more interesting... so when I got members I went through taverly... wolf mountain... catherbay....seers village... done some dwarf quest for the coal mine there... went south through ardoughe.... south to yannile.... west past ogres and into castle wars where I was scared that I'd lose my items... (there was NO place in f2p where you wouldn't lose your items at the time) actually got a few kills there and went east to the ogres to get lvl 40-70 attack for whip, and after I got it, I was expecting some sort of 45 hit but.... only ~18 instead.... well it was still fun exploring! best time in rs, everything was "new content" for me

[Outsanity]

[hide=Muck]

The most successful people in this game are the ones that dive headfirst into new updates and take risks and figure everything out themselves, and most often, BEFORE everyone else.

 

Hoards of people are always trying out new content on the day of release, newbs and veterans alike. Most of them are gone pretty quickly.

 

 

 

And then hoards x10 more wait until days later to check out the updates and thencan't just figure them out themselves or read the news page. Don't act like I'm lying here. You know the people who ask for information greatly outweighs the people who go and find the information themselves.

First, no, I don't know that. I've never experienced this phenomenon you speak of. As a Wikipedian protester might put it:

 

 

 

 

Second, what exactly is your point here? That people who dive blindly into new content are somehow superior to people who read up on it first? That's quite a claim, sir.

[/hide]

 

 

 

Yeah, it is quite a claim, and I can back it up with more than four years of playing experience. In my experiences, (and let's face it, I have a well rounded character and have experienced quite a bit of all aspects and areas of the game) I meet more people who would rather ask someone else how to do something than go figure it out themselves. Even high levels are like this now-a-days, and that's what makes me sick. My friends list is near full from a lot of people I meet and full of old friends. Out of maybe the 60 people on it, I would say a good 45 of those have all at some point asked me a question that would have taken them literally 10 seconds to figure out. (Usually by opening up a skill guide or checking the ge.)

 

 

 

It's annoying is what it is. And I'd like you to know that the people you say that "dive in" typically are the same few dozen people on each world. Every updates I always see the same people there. All the regulars.

 

 

 

And if the people who dove in first and REALLY found the potential of updates didn't write guides and make videos, the people who look up guides would have no clue what to do unless they went to go look for themselves.

 

 

 

It's called being self-sufficient. If you don't learn how to ween yourself off the bottle, you're just going to stay dependent on it. If you go out and do things yourself you get them done faster and more successfully. We're not just talking about runescape here, we're talking about life. If everyone in the entire world sat around saying, "Eh, I'll wait until they've found the cure for cancer instead of trying myself," then we wouldn't have scientists and doctors trying to save the world from it right now. Now, fogive me for the rotten metaphore, seeing as how people in runescape will still survive without knowledge from other players, but people with cancer won't without a cure for it. My apologies for that, but it's the best I could come up with.

 

 

 

And in the end this is only my opinion and my first hand experience of the players in the game. If you have met a different crowd of people then cheers to you, but it seems to me that you only hang around with these "self-sufficient" players, so that's all you really know. I've been around thousands and thousands of players of both kinds, and I see far more of the lazy, "I want it all and I want it all fast and with little hard work," types of people.

 

 

 

It just sounds to me like you want to be optimistic for the sake of being optimistic, not really because the situation calls for it. We're talking about runescape, not a crowd of people fighting for civil rights or equality among men.

[SirHartlar]

I think the majority of new members would relish the opportunity to explore new areas without the aid of others, but as we progress in the game there are so few places left for us to explore that we often forget we can do things by ourselves. With new updates, I think people are often wary of new areas in case they are dangerous. Outsanity has an extremely valid point about those being willing to throw themselves at new challenges as being the most successful. Take the WGS quest as an example; on the first day the reward pieces were worth upwards of 10M each. Not very long after, they plummeted and it was near impossible to sell.

[thunderlord]

you want to explore? Go play fallout 3.

 

 

 

 

 

fallout 3 has big scary radscorpions that always interrupt me :P