The diary of a returning player

[Hyldrick]

Hello,

 

Lately I've returned to Runescape after a break of about a year and a half. Many things had been changed, and I was thrilled to see Jagex had stated to invest in high level content (last slayer update is awsome, though It seems it will be a long time till I'll ever be able to hunt the iceworms. current slayer level is 76 (leveled yesterday), and I realy suck at the Tzharr fight cave).

Back to topic, I returned to play with my main character (Hyldrick, usualy at world 84) - getting again to both slayer, temple trekking (hunting nail beasts for their charms), and a bit of questing. At the meanwhile, I've started a new character (Galeostirlyn, named after a character in a book that im writing (In another language - Im not a native english speaker) - I did it, mainly to experience again the taste of starting in Runescape, and to see how it feels nowdays, as things did changed a lot from the time my main was a newb in the game. In this thread, Ill try to write some of the "adventures" of both characters.

 

Gale (galeostirlyn), chapter I

Things really changed from the old times of tutorial island - and they did changed for the better (even a bit too easy now). After doing a bit of basic fishing, cooking and so to have a bit of a training food for a starter, I refered to the newb's classic problem: putting my hands on a proper training equipment, without:

* "Free st0ff pl0x!, my lv 586 main was hacked last night lost everything!!!!1" (by the way, it seems there are much less from this king in RS now, or am I just lucky?)

* running for days after lv2 goblins with bronze dagger / training sword, eating cabbage and wondering why "I dont get rich" (by the way, I *hate* grinding)

* wasting hours on cow-killing to get hides to sell (Again, I do hate grinding).

 

So, I was really happy to discover that the basic sheep sheared quest now gives 2k gold. off to Varrok i ran, and got myself a not-so-shiny, but usefull full iron costum with a fitting longsword. I've decided to skip steel - finding a proper way to get my hands on full black the minute I hit 10 in both attack and defense. Goblins where used till 5/5/5 in the combat stats, then off to varrok again, and the the safety center (the place with the cockroaches). As could be easily guessed, the little lv8 vermins gave me hard time at the start (hitting repeatedly for the tremendous amount of 2hp), draining me quickly of the 20 reward sardines of cook assistant, and forcing me to focus at the muggers for the time being.

The good part - a combination of 1 ranarr drop and some limps thrown to the ge where much more easy money then needed for the full black.

And then, when Gale's first playing day slowly slipped into twilight, the unbelievable happend: one of the vermines dropped a lv1 clue. Happily I ran to falador and draynor (Musicians are a great addition, jagex!) - just to get an Uri clue with... oops, required wearing studded leather - 19 more range levels from the neat lv1 that was gleaming through my stat board. With a bit of frustration, Gale curled herself up, and the first adventuring day was over.

 

(That was in the last weekend. Ill post the next days a bit later).

[Hyldrick]

Chapter 2:

 

My main (Hyldrick) took a short break from slayer and temple trekking to get summoning from 79 to 80, and do a bit of questing. The fur and seek quest and wishlist were nice (hate mithril dragons, though - in my level, I can kill 1 or 2 at best before teleing away). Bork gave me hard time dropping the bone - needed few days till I got it.

However, in my first meeting with the skeletal horror, I made a huge mistake nearly resulting in death: I chose to wear black hides and pray against melee - got reapetingly hitted 25-30's, and very quickly. The right method is ofcourse via versa - wear barrow armor and pray against magic.

 

I really got to love the phonix challenge - I still go there every day hoping to get the eggling (I better not guess how slim is the chance for that)/

 

On the other hand, I didnt liked the quest of "the chosen commander". With all due respect, the anti-religious content was so extream, that though Im not really religous, I found it quite offending, or - if to say more correctly - one sidded. Ill remark that the composer of the quest made it sure that he doesnt limit things to bandos, but made it quite clear he refers to all kinds of religions as a rule. As a kind of believer myself, I didnt liked it at all.

 

anyway - that's for hyldrick, ending this play chapter by recieving a task of 175 aberrant spectures.

 

--------------------------

 

And now, back to the newby Gale.

 

Range. Ugh. never really liked training it - but a clue is a must, so I found myself starting with a handfull of bronze arrows and a load of varrokian giant rats (the new tutorial). With a defense of 10, It was a quick and unpleasnt discovery that their jaws could hurt. They still quickly supplied my with few levels. with that, few cows and a random level 5 wandering goblin (Zanik, please look the over way. nothing interesting here).

Then, with a range level of 8 or so, It was time for taking a new lot of projectiles, and head down to the dark den of safety.

 

End of the map. Here be cockroaches.

 

Ok, if you go aside from the muggers area to the first serie of cells, there is a safespot on the last cell (a mossy rock). So I carefully aimed my oak shortbow... well, to make it sound more glorious. Darkness spreads over the walls of Helm's deep. And while the horde of vermines charge forward, Captain Ostirlyn boldly shout a command to her squad of elven archers. A flight after flight of arrows pierce the wounded air, landing on the dark sea of raving assalters, and a thousand agonized souls of terrified housemaids shrieking for vengence-

 

Hmmm... back to reality. vermines where shot and killed. few more valuble herbs (1 ranarr at least among them) and limps where dropped, and level 20 was obtained quite quickly. Then it was time to where the studded chaps and get back to my clue - who made me run to ardy via karjama (Big bad scorpions, ouch :mellow: ), then back, and ended with a thing collections of measly runes. ouch again. Killed a random highwayman for his cloak (fited right to my full black).

 

Now It was time to get back to melee training. completed 2 basic quests on the way (the imps and beads one, and rune mysteries), picked few garlics at draynor for future use. Since cockroaches now turned to old news, I prepeard a new load of fish (getting to 12 fishing on the way) for the next target - the lv12 stronghold minotaurs, which are one of the best lv1 clue droppers.

To make things easier (since i hate the constant run from varok to the stronghold and back, I deceided to train woodcutting (and firemaking on the way) to level 12, to be able to use a log -made ship from lumbridge to barbarian village (and back through homeport tele, or telenoob as its called).

Well, I was quitely working behind the lumbridge castle, looking jealously at a full bunch of high level players who were killing and elder evil tree nearby, then a level 120+ approached, asking me where he could find a ram (rag and bone quest i guess). I lead him the fred's sheep pen, and he gave me 6k as a reward (honestly, I hadnt asked for anything in returned, and I guess he didnt know i already got like 30k in bank, for full mith + other future shopping).

 

got myself 15 wc and a bit higher fm, then clumsily rided the log to champ guild, and a new log to the barbarian village. Swords began clashing, and it wasnt much till a new level 1 clue dropped.

Set out again, voyaging to catherby via ardy (scropions again), then back to falador. But this time, the jackpot was hitten. and a blue berret was found. It was nice running around with it - but at last, utility is a priority, so sadly it went to ge - neat 130k (or so) immedietly used to by an obsidian cape. It was a bit funny. Nooby level 20 me, claded in nooby armor (black, and a bit later full mith), with a shiney, black-red edged obsidian cape.

 

To be continued....

[Rock Hard]

thats actually interesting

[Mio]

That was such a good read, I can't wait for more... :)

[Hyldrick]

Thanks :-)

 

Ill try to write more tommorow.

[Rock Hard]

It does come across that you're not a native English speaker, but i love your writing style.

 

Interesting and absorbing with a hint of self mocking humor.

 

Don't want to offend at all, but If you're serious about making this a project - I could probably find time to re-read it and edit some of the language mistakes?

 

:)

[Hyldrick]

I'm not offended at all :-)

Cant tell how long it will last, but ill do my best to continue writing this.

 

--------------------

Chapter 3

 

After catching (at last) my raccoon (brownish ones looks the best, up to my opinion), my main was back to slayer routine. Aberrant guys are marvelous being. Aside from their rich aroma - really reminds me the restaurant in my working place. Especially when theyre cooking the rats oops, meant schnitzels.

Aberrant specters seem to be co-working with Murphy. They always know how much food you take. If I take few lobsters, they hit quickly and repeatingly, so the bunyip cant catch it on time. On the other hand, if I take 12-15 lobsters (not even talking about monkfish), they rarely hit at all, forcing me to leave quickly to bank the herbs and some of the extra food. Then they hit hard again

Ive also collided with the artillery forces (cannon + multicombat zone = bad for me). Bless jagex for the big temple-like ruin at the middle, could be used to place both me and my personal stinkers out of the cannons range.

 

Im keeping paying daily visits to the phoenix, but no eggling yet :-(

 

 

And now, back to my newby galeostirlyn.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

There she is

She doesnt look that tough now, with a blue shirt and that stupid gnome hat, does she?

No hard-to-chew mithril armor now

Lets get her, roaches. bite her, crawl on her

Make her scream. Make her go up a chair and refuse going down for a year

 

Well, cant tell that those phrases were actually true, though from all the screeching and hissing around, I can bet Ive heard some of the most dirty swears in the cockroachian language. And It was really gale with a silly hat on top, getting sick from running around so money was invented and runes were bought. In other words time to practice magic a bit.

The imp catcher had already given me lv8 magic, so I stocked with about 250 minds, 200 chaos runes and elemental ones, staff of air and staff of fire. Soon that Gandalf-wannabe-me lighted the old jail with various blue-green-red sparks (fried cockroach in a bun, someone? Night market delights?)

 

Level 18 or so was soon reached, mind runes nearly over, and I had second thoughts about wasting expensive chaos runes on those pests (I swear that they looked much bigger with combat level 12!). After considering things, I ran back to varrok for supplies, and began the next stage: The grand voyage to the west.

Must admit, I missed both the sandman and the monkey (That ancient Chinese writer surely had 95 summoning at least). Back to metal armor, some food, garlic and some extra items on my backpack, and here I go.

First, draynor manor - convincing an old-fashioned vampire to get out of the closet. Then, witch potion on remmington, wolf whistle on taverly (you dont have to deal with the lv26-35 white wolves, there are some lv15 or even lower ones in the war level of the stronghold of security). A quick visit at turaels hut in burthop (bats task). And down the passage to kendarin.

 

I was marching past the regular high-level yew party, on my way to the witch near the legend guild (swept away quest start) when I decided to have a little picnic near the lovely dead trees of a local castle. The level 27 giant bats didnt took that gesture in a friendly way so back to blue shirt and silly hat (knew there is a better use for those chaos runes!) after this rather chaotic meeting was over, I finally found the witch. Tele-noob again (draynor-port sarim-rimmington course again), and quest done. For a starter quest, the riddles were quite amusing too. Invested all 10 bowls of gulash in magic, and ended the day with 28 magic and 10 slayer. Lumbridge homeport again, and days over.

 

to be continued