The difficulty of Runescape

[elucin8er]

It's no secret, nearly every update since rs2 has been involved around making Runescape easier. I suggest a large reason for this is to allow for younger players to enjoy the game more, and thus bringing more money into memberships. By easier, I don't mean convenient. I for one am happy about the following:

 

noted items > certs

withdraw x > withdraw 2500

fletch x > fletch 1

 

Etc etc down to herblore combinations, mining, woodcutting etc. That has taken a lot of the needless clicking out of the game. What I'm talking about, is the ease in which to level. Pest control is a good example, never before has combat training been so fast, and unrelated to ... well, combat training.

 

I think this has resulted in many simple 99's, as well as the era of "buying 99s." This is amazing, no longer can you profit from actually leveling a skill unless you do most of the field work yourself, in which selling the ingredients would actually be much more beneficial to your wealth. For instance, fishing sharks and selling them raw grants more money than if you were to cook them yourself. This is prime example of my issue, there is nearly NO reason to max cooking other than getting that skill to 99.

 

I'm sure the same can go for many other skills, from:

 

Cutting your own trees, picking your own flax, making ur own nats + selling > fletching + high alching.

 

For most of you new guys this may seem a pointless post, but there was a stage in which we leveled to GAIN money ( I'm sure most of the rsc'ers will remember the amazing advantages of herblore leveling ). But somewhere that was lost and now we level to get a pretty 99. Please don't think I'm dissing, I do exactly the same these days, I'm merely reflecting on what it's come to.

 

While writing the idea came to me of giving skillers more benefits. Surely there's nothing we can do about the "buying 99 era" now, so why not give those who spend the time and money a little more for their efforts in 99.

 

Discuss, try to avoid flaming, speak your issue and I'll try to answer my side. I can already see many new players hating this topic.

[bedman]

You do realise that is exactly what jagex wanted to do with the herblore update? However, they canceled the most important benefits. Also, skill capes are a reward for those whop spend time and money, however, they are also the cause why the money part has been getting bigger. Giving more rewards, will make the buyable skills even more expensive...

[stonewall337]

Meh, money<XP. Its just a different type of economy than what real life is like. Also, I have not problem with making the game less grinding. If you wanted CTS go ahead.

[elucin8er]

Meh, money<XP. Its just a different type of economy than what real life is like. Also, I have not problem with making the game less grinding. If you wanted CTS go ahead.

 

Well obviously money < xp now, but the post is saying it never used to be. I'm not sure if many people ever leveled skills just to be the best, they did it for the money. I guess it's just too easy to get money these days.

[stonewall337]

Meh, money<XP. Its just a different type of economy than what real life is like. Also, I have not problem with making the game less grinding. If you wanted CTS go ahead.

 

Well obviously money < xp now, but the post is saying it never used to be. I'm not sure if many people ever leveled skills just to be the best, they did it for the money. I guess it's just too easy to get money these days.

 

No. Not really. Just think about it, how many more people are high level now, then high level then, in anything, skill or combat. As a result, those high level people made money, and now want XP instead. When there were far fewer high levels, people wanted gp more than xp. Simple economics.

[Youmu]

Most skills are bought out, because it is significantly faster to train that skill by buying ingredients than if you gather them yourself. People buy raw fish and cook them, instead of fishing the fish themselves. Why? Because it trains their Cooking faster.

 

I do agree that people should gather their own resources though. That way, people can train other skills as well as training the skill they wish to get 99 in.

[SanNo1]

i wouldn't blame Jagex for this. It's just the way the game developed over time when more and more people got higher levels. Even before the release of skillcapes people were already aiming for 99 goals, the capes were just a reaction to this and encouraged more people to get higher stats.

 

I agree that the game has become easier though, but the shift in focus isn't because of the game being easier per se, it started before a lot of these updates.

I do believe that Jagex is making the right move lately by implementing more high-level updates, but this will also lead to training of the skills, which will further shift the focus from money to XP.

[Karvinen]

Skillcapes are today's replacement of tradable holiday items.

[Severation]

I wouldn't call it making the game easier. It's an easy game as it is. ANYONE with the time and patience can accomplish anything in RS.

 

I think Jagex just made the game less time consuming by taking away the need for certain clicks.

[Suiku]

I wouldn't call it making the game easier. It's an easy game as it is. ANYONE with the time and patience can accomplish anything in RS.

 

I think Jagex just made the game less time consuming by taking away the need for certain clicks.

 

^Exactly that, What's the difficulty of constantly clicking? The higher your level represents how much free time you have

[buzz_knight]

I think it is more of the case of how people choose to play the game, if they want to take the fun out the game by buying everything so be it else do it the fun way collect your own resources and profit that way.

 

I personally try to gather my materials myself rather then purchase them, though there are cases if i needed something quick i'd buy it...

[Bladewing]

Adding additional benefits to training a skill would only exacerbate the skill-buying "problem" as it were.

[SwreeTak]

Money is time. To get the money to buy 99s you still have to put down a lot of work, even if that work is perhaps not connected to the skill you will later "buy" a 99 in. That you're able to do this creates more freedom and even though I agree with you that in some cases this game have become too easy, I still think it is good that you can "buy" 99s.

[SanNo1]

Adding additional benefits to training a skill would only exacerbate the skill-buying "problem" as it were.

This.

 

If more people are given a reason to train a skill like herblore or construction, the demand for raw materials go up, and so are the prices. This will result in higher costs, or "less profits" then before.

[egbert_o_foo]

Skillcapes are today's replacement of tradable holiday items.

Except they are not tradeable. Care to elaborate?

 

Adding additional benefits to training a skill would only exacerbate the skill-buying "problem" as it were.

Indeed.

 

I think the "growth in cheap 99's" is partially just the "addictive" nature of the game. There comes a time when you've no goals to pursue *except* maxing a skill ... the alternative is quitting or becoming a casual gamer, which is something that many of us ceased to be when we became goal-driven instead.

 

It will be interesting to see if the recent "progress bar" update has any effect on the amount of people attaining or striving towards a 99, although I can't imagine how we'd measure it except by continued conjecture :blink:

[Beloved]

It's no secret, nearly every update since rs2 has been involved around making Runescape easier. I suggest a large reason for this is to allow for younger players to enjoy the game more, and thus bringing more money into memberships.

Actually, that's where you already go wrong...

 

By making RS less time-consuming (what you call "easier"), the game becomes more attractive to *older* people.

 

Young people: lots of time and no responsibilities in real life.

Older people: hardly any free time and lots of responsibilities in real life.

 

This falls exactly in line with Jagex' intention to get an older player base, also, don't expect Stellardawn to have skills that are as time-consuming as they have been in RS.

[stevepole]

That was one of the joys that RS brought to me knowing that the time I put into gaining levels would earn me a nice share of money like woodcutting and herblore. You used to be able to make bank off those two skills then now you hardly make anything. Their also is a lot more users now then there once was which also affects the game in a dramatic way.

[1230abcz]

Carpal Tunnel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There, I win.

[Sir_Kurity]

Less tedium more... Fun.

[egbert_o_foo]

It's no secret, nearly every update since rs2 has been involved around making Runescape easier. I suggest a large reason for this is to allow for younger players to enjoy the game more, and thus bringing more money into memberships.

Actually, that's where you already go wrong...

 

By making RS less time-consuming (what you call "easier"), the game becomes more attractive to *older* people.

 

Young people: lots of time and no responsibilities in real life.

Older people: hardly any free time and lots of responsibilities in real life.

 

This falls exactly in line with Jagex' intention to get an older player base, also, don't expect Stellardawn to have skills that are as time-consuming as they have been in RS.

Hmm, insightful. An older player base gives them an audience with (arguably) more disposable income, therefore, they're more likely to pony up for members.

 

OTOH, making the game less time-consuming means less "face time" between f2pers and the ads on their servers ... and possibly then less advertising revenue for Jagex ... assuming, (somewhat stupidly), that the size of the f2p player base doesn't change significantly....

[Vincent]

the truth is the value of the xp is worth something in a game like runescape. when there was only 1 or a few rune smiths or high lvl crafters or fishers they can set the price for the demand but when that changes xp becomes the primary motivator for many. so fishers sell away their cook xp and cooks provide an income for fishers etc.

 

what i did was actually train with the fish i caught and used my potions and trained my character; becoming stronger and having more resources and one thing led to another.

 

as for the game becoming easier, it's funny because it's the same people, the same generation of people, that kept asking for this and that and easier ways to train etc. and they got what they demanded basically and it still goes on obviously.

 

but, there are still profitable ways to train skills and it may not be the fastest most efficient but maybe the most enjoyable and profitable. so it's laid out there for you to do as you like. the thing that bothers me though is people just dont get it sometimes, when something is high in demand with little supply; jump on it. etc. it really has less to do with the design of the game it's more about the adaptability or quality of the player. what separates a good player from a not as good player you may ask? the ability to make the most of their gameplay at the same time enjoy themselves and accomplish what they're setting out to accomplish etc. as well as finding and capitalizing on opportunities. etc.

 

and instead of saying they've just been adding new things to make the game easier, i actually think they've added a lot of content to make the game more interesting, fun, and enjoyable. like a lot/all of the minigames are. as well as the new skills, runecrafting, slayer, hunting, farming, summoning, and construction.

 

a lot of the minigames are not as 'efficient' for training but they're a lot of fun, that's why i play.

[Mike_Ike111]

The reason you buy skills instead of collecting your own material is because it is not as efficient anymore. It used to be where buying 99 cooking was near impossible because there were less players, thus making it more efficient to fish your own raw materials.

 

Even today, why would you fish for sharks to get 99 cooking. Even the lowest of players can get faster GP off of green dragons, rather than fishing sharks. And even with crafting, why would you kill green dragons for their hides, when GWD is much more entertaining and in the long run more profitable. How many people bury every bone they see, when they can buy dragon bones for quicker XP.

 

The reason behind all of this is because GP and trading is much easier to come around. I no longer have to go to world 2 for an hour and pay for overpriced products like back in the old days, where having the skill to create something was more efficient.

[NJE03]

I actually made nice profits on the road to 99 cooking by selling the finished product to pkers for more than the raw material. This concept is unheard of nowadays sadly. I am especially disheartened by the state of smithing. This skill should be useful and be the primary source of armor and weapons in my opinion.

 

It should be profitable to create things as it once was.

[Zierro]

Skills are easier to show off than money. You can lose money, people can't see your bank, and prices of items fluctuate. As for skills, when you get a 99, it will be in the hi scores permanently. In online games, players want to be recognized. The thing is, there are so many maxed out players now that the only way to be recognized for your hard work in RS anymore is to spend thousands upon thousands of hours of pointless clicking, or to find a creative alternative such as Lvl 3 Skillers, but now those are extremely common too.

[Giordano]

It's no secret, nearly every update since rs2 has been involved around making Runescape easier. I suggest a large reason for this is to allow for younger players to enjoy the game more, and thus bringing more money into memberships.

Actually, that's where you already go wrong...

 

By making RS less time-consuming (what you call "easier"), the game becomes more attractive to *older* people.

 

Young people: lots of time and no responsibilities in real life.

Older people: hardly any free time and lots of responsibilities in real life.

 

This falls exactly in line with Jagex' intention to get an older player base, also, don't expect Stellardawn to have skills that are as time-consuming as they have been in RS.

Wow. This is the first time I've ever heard this idea/strategy...you are brilliant, sir. =D>

 

 

 

I actually made nice profits on the road to 99 cooking by selling the finished product to pkers for more than the raw material. This concept is unheard of nowadays sadly. I am especially disheartened by the state of smithing. This skill should be useful and be the primary source of armor and weapons in my opinion.

 

It should be profitable to create things as it once was.

Tell me about it...it makes no economic nor realistic sense that the finished product be cheaper than the raw material. Then what's the point of finishing the product in the first place?