Is Runescape becoming too much like other mmo's?

[Nagrom_17]

I have switched between quite a few mmorpg's over my time of playing online games but I always come back to Runescape because it is different. I am not a particularly good writer but I hope to express my hopes and fears for the future of Runescape in the following post.

 

The first thing that I love about Runescape is the skills. Sure other games have woodcrafting and potion making but those are usually tedious and put on the back burner. In some other games you spend hours running to random spawn locations to get enough wood to level up just once. Commonly you have to buy recipes and go through a 3 or 4 step process to get the item you wanted to make in the first place which is probably not worth it in the first place. In Runescape you know there will always be high level resources at certain places and the lower level resources are plentiful to help you get a good foothold in the game world. Runescape doesn't limit you to only being able to become a grandmaster in one skill, you can switch between skills and not worry about making a decision that could affect your ability to play the game in a year or two. Runescape gives you freedom in picking what you want to train and skills are very much so prominent unlike in other games where they are often poorly trained and put on the back burner.

 

Another thing I love is the armor and weapon system. There are no weapon enchantment cards, no Bandos Chestplate (+12), you do not have to be insanely rich to get the extremely powerful items. I know things such as Bandos is on the expensive side but just imagine the price of Bandos if we had the ability to enchant armor. It would turn into who can enchant their armor to the highest level which is seriously discouraging to those who cannot afford it. I have not found another online game that can match the array of armor and weapons that are still useful at higher levels. Other games are just about grinding levels, buying the "Super Pwnage weapon (+15)" and hunting the 3 or 4 end game bosses. In runescape as you level up you do unlock new weapons and armor but when you get a group of people together that and look at their gear you will find it is extremely diverse, Void, Dragonfire shield, rune defender, barrows armor, staff of light, whip, godswords, there is an extremely large number of items that are useful in their own situations which means that there is no "Ill just buy this one thing and I have the best item in the game" like I see in other games.

 

One thing I like about Runescape is how you can see level 138's standing next to level 3's who just came off of tutorial island. In other games as you progress in skill you go to higher level areas and seldom go back to the starting point or lower level areas. This creates a major separation between higher levels and lower levels and takes away the opportunity to help out someone new to the game and makes the higher levels forget the times when they were new and needed help. I still go back to Varrock and Falador and even Lumbridge daily and if I see someone who needs a point in the right direction I will surely help them out. It helps people remember that they were a noob once too and might just give them that extra incentive to help someone out who is in need.

 

The last thing I will post about that I like in Runescape is the quests. Quests aren't completely linear nor are they just menial "go kill 10 goblins". Each quest has a story and a purpose, you really get a sense of satisfaction when you see the quest complete scroll pop up on your screen on a difficult quest. Unlike in other games I have played where completing a quest was always "kill 10 of these" or "get 15 of these" and after you finished the task the same quest would come up again. It really took away the sense of purpose and really helping someone out when they do not acknowledge that you already found 10 lost crates for them even thought they never gave a reason why they need those 10 crates or how they got lost in the first place. RuneScape's quests are different, full of story and suspense and can really affect you emotionally, I was very sad during While Guthix Sleeps that my favorite master was no more. Quests like that really shine in Runescape, they permanently affect the game world in an irreversible way and makes you part of an ever changing story of RuneScape.

 

I made this post because of people saying they want life point boosting armor and because of the article on tip.it times today, I feel like RuneScape is special to so many people because of the fact that it does not have those things and I really hope that Jagex will keep RuneScape different so it can stand above the other games like it does now.

[SanNo1]

There will probably be armour or potions that will boost your max life points, since that is the whole reason for the hp -> lp conversion. But I do think that is will be standard armour, which is the same for everyone and won't work with an enchanting chart or w/e, so you don't have to worry there. I agree that it's a great game, but I for one do like the continuous changes. They keep the game fresh and I like coming back to it after a few weeks. The thing I like the most about Rs is that there's something for almost everyone. You can train combat for PvM or PvP, but you can also neglect combat and focus on skills, or focus on obtaining as much cash as possible. You can even do all of those things if you want to.

 

I don't mind if they are starting to look more like other mmo's either, as long as the game is improving, and within the last years, it has definately improved. The only real setback that changed some of the core-gameplay was the removal of free trade, but you can't blame them for that.

[tortilliachp]

this is what too many people forget repeatedly. This is why people complain needlessly, and their expectations are too high.

 

runescape is a very very well-balanced game compared to many. the updates are meaningful, not just "another new empty area" that you finish with very quickly (World of warcraft). by filling out the current world map rather than adding "new areas" as was the creed previously, we are starting to get a world of gielinor, not a void of gelienor.

 

It is a very hard task to implement new content in the current game, without obliterating, and making the current game content useless. That is where increased level requirements come in: if the new armour is not 80 defence, but rather 90 defence to wear, barrows and bandos etc. do not depreciate as much in price, or lessen in usefullness in the gameas significantly.

 

High level content is overdue, that probably means the high level content to be released should be "elite" , not "master"

 

 

I'm very glad i don't work at jagex in 2010.

[Returned3]

Another thing I like about Runescape is that there is no "party" system where lower levels can simply join a higher level's party and afk while the higher level constantly kills monsters. Newer players will have to work to earn their experience unlike other games where they simply leech off.

[pulli23]

There will probably be armour or potions that will boost your max life points, since that is the whole reason for the hp -> lp conversion. But I do think that is will be standard armour, which is the same for everyone and won't work with an enchanting chart or w/e, so you don't have to worry there. I agree that it's a great game, but I for one do like the continuous changes. They keep the game fresh and I like coming back to it after a few weeks. The thing I like the most about Rs is that there's something for almost everyone. You can train combat for PvM or PvP, but you can also neglect combat and focus on skills, or focus on obtaining as much cash as possible. You can even do all of those things if you want to.

 

I don't mind if they are starting to look more like other mmo's either, as long as the game is improving, and within the last years, it has definately improved. The only real setback that changed some of the core-gameplay was the removal of free trade, but you can't blame them for that.

Enchanting armor has its usefullnesses: it allows them to "upgrade" armour without making new armour/new drops (and thus making the old droppers obsolete).. - This is something I still am wondering how they're going to solve: before any higher hits can be introduced to the game, health-increasing items/potions ought to be standardized.. But what would happen to the armour like barrows/bandos/armadyl as it is today? - It will simply be useless (no armour can protect you from being 1-hitted currently, if armour would allow you to, they would be immediatelly be best).

 

If we could enchant the old armour to give a health-boost it allows old armour not to be "useless"...

 

 

Also notice runescape already has lots of enchantments (apart from the old jewellery, there are now bolts, "rings" (+i) shields (sigils could be considered enchantments of the bss)..

However a better explanation would be "armour has a definite stat set", no random differences within the same armour piece..

 

WHich RS still doesn't have. I would actually like such a change. I also play the "single player" game diablo (where I trade quite a bit).. The main fun is actually hunting for the best boosting items, and I like the hunt for that a lot! So I believe armour with "random" stats (either through enchantment-increases, or because of simply random armour) can be fun, and allows for a much wider variety of game styles.

[SanNo1]

There will probably be armour or potions that will boost your max life points, since that is the whole reason for the hp -> lp conversion. But I do think that is will be standard armour, which is the same for everyone and won't work with an enchanting chart or w/e, so you don't have to worry there. I agree that it's a great game, but I for one do like the continuous changes. They keep the game fresh and I like coming back to it after a few weeks. The thing I like the most about Rs is that there's something for almost everyone. You can train combat for PvM or PvP, but you can also neglect combat and focus on skills, or focus on obtaining as much cash as possible. You can even do all of those things if you want to.

 

I don't mind if they are starting to look more like other mmo's either, as long as the game is improving, and within the last years, it has definately improved. The only real setback that changed some of the core-gameplay was the removal of free trade, but you can't blame them for that.

Enchanting armor has its usefullnesses: it allows them to "upgrade" armour without making new armour/new drops (and thus making the old droppers obsolete).. - This is something I still am wondering how they're going to solve: before any higher hits can be introduced to the game, health-increasing items/potions ought to be standardized.. But what would happen to the armour like barrows/bandos/armadyl as it is today? - It will simply be useless (no armour can protect you from being 1-hitted currently, if armour would allow you to, they would be immediatelly be best).

 

If we could enchant the old armour to give a health-boost it allows old armour not to be "useless"...

 

 

Also notice runescape already has lots of enchantments (apart from the old jewellery, there are now bolts, "rings" (+i) shields (sigils could be considered enchantments of the bss)..

However a better explanation would be "armour has a definite stat set", no random differences within the same armour piece..

 

WHich RS still doesn't have. I would actually like such a change. I also play the "single player" game diablo (where I trade quite a bit).. The main fun is actually hunting for the best boosting items, and I like the hunt for that a lot! So I believe armour with "random" stats (either through enchantment-increases, or because of simply random armour) can be fun, and allows for a much wider variety of game styles.

I'm afraid that the 'old' armour like bandos and armadyl will become the modern versions of rune and blue/red d'hide; cheaper armour that won't be used a lot, just by people who can't afford the higher level armour. They could prevent this in different kind of ways, but some of them won't be popular, like a degrading system which won't make it a viable training armour, but it could give the current armour a future.

 

As for the current enchantments in the game, i agree that they do exist, but not to the extent as the OP is referring to. I think he is talking about a system in which you need certain requirements or funds to upgrade armour and weapons to different levels(like the mentioned (+15)). The current enchantments in Rs are limited to a normal version and an enchanted version, no further variations.

[Grimy_Bunyip]

I agree with all your points except the one on armor and quest types.

 

the weapon/armor system hasn't really changed much since RS2

it NEEDS updating

there's nothing wrong with having special enchantments on your weapons/armor

having to work hard to enchant your way to a super uber weapon

that's a very fun thing to do. It's why people play games like Diablo.

 

Secondly, you say that jagex's quests are special because they give reasons for why you need to collect x items, talk to Y people and etc

but i still think that's a little outdated.

 

While our runescape's lower level quests aren't quite as boring as other MMO's, runescape lacks a distinct feeling of epicness

some players have 300 QP now, and are described as a legend among legends

 

but do we ever run into any quests where our enemies see our legendariness and cower in fear of our awesomeness? nope

and frankly games like mass effect 2 and dragon age show very well that you can make a very fun and challenging game even if your foes cower in your wake.

Jagex always makes the bosses of new quests seem like insurmountable obstacles, which ultimately get crushed rather easily.

 

For all my quest points, I still don't really feel like an epic adventurer

just a random lackey

[xxshady]

Runescape is nothing like other MMO's. Actually play some MMO's like Warhammer Online and WoW and you will see how different they are.

[Wrench_150]

Those points are exactly why I still return to RS despite leaving it for other games. Other games have their appeal, but that appeal is soon lost when the game "ends" b/c one can't get better w/o using their parents credit cards to the max. RS is merely $6 and to be the best, you do so by doing things in-game and not with your credit card.

I really hope that RS will remain the way it is right now, with updates, but nothing major with armour/weapon enchanting. It just changes the entire aspect of the game.

I love RS and I know that I will always return if I want to play an mmo if it remains the game that I have loved for so many years.

[ingleback]

I really do think content above 80 for Melees and Range is needed. However, they'd either need to change Defence to be Damage Reduction or add lifepoint boosting armor/items into the game, because you are already able to be one-hitted by armors/weapons available in the 60s. Obviously these 80+ weapons/armors would have to be stronger and have to hit harder, so they would just be overpowered in PvP without those changes.

[MerchantInTheDark]

RuneScape is taking some things from other MMOs, but as a whole I believe they still have the "unique" feel they always have. I see most of the additions as improvements, especially greater focus on clans.