New Capes

[brad1431]

I am seeing people say that they are returning to RS because of these new capes. I read something about new capes for being a member for more than 5 years, or leveling all stats to a certain level, but who cares. Unless these new capes have some amazing new stat attributes I dont know why people would be returning just to get a cape... Am I missing something?

[Norriie]

I think it's just more encouragement to level your skills all up to a certain level.

I don't really think the capes look very good, but maybe that's just me. Either way, it's a nice new accomplishment for people to work towards and get a shiny new item in return.

[JPMC Mate]

The best cape of the lot has 13 prayer bonus, 4.5 str bonus, and +10 in everything.

[LitterBug]

I think it's just more encouragement to level your skills all up to a certain level.

I don't really think the capes look very good, but maybe that's just me. Either way, it's a nice new accomplishment for people to work towards and get a shiny new item in return.

 

It's definately a way to keep people occupied.

The amount of time it'll take to max all your skills, your quests, your music sound tracks and get a certain rank in most of the minigames is "impressive"

[Nifflin]

It's a goal, people who play grindscape like goals.

[HexiledRazz]

I think you just heard from a very select group of people.

 

If i had quit, no way would i return just because i could get a multi-purpose cape if i got 99(120) in every skill. I'm assuming that's what they're talking about, because it's the only one of the capes that actually looks nice, has good stats, and isn't just a novelty. With that aside, it is still very little incentive to return.

 

It's kinda like saying a player would come back to the game when skill capes were introduced to finish grinding what ever level to 99 just for the cape. Maybe there was a few(if any), but it would have been a very small group.

[Youmu]

Unfortunately the level 10-90 capes give zero stats, and the veterans and RSC capes give pretty bad stats too.

 

Only the max/completionist capes have stats worth going for.

[kwimbob]

Actually, yes.

These new capes are in fact interesting and inspiring, because they do give better stats than any capes you maybe could have gotten last week. Now at all 99's there is a tangible stat bonus cape better than a lava cape, and better than a trimmed 99 cape, which previously only required 2 skills at 99 to have its stats. Now it's 25 skills to 99, then a better cape. And there's minicapes along the way now that show 2 separate capes/colors on the back, I believe. But that's just my impression and guesses based on what I've seen. I should polish off a 99. Meanwhile I'll stick to my quest cape and 60+ or maybe 70+ cape pretty soon.

[kwimbob]

I think you just heard from a very select group of people.

 

If i had quit, no way would i return just because i could get a multi-purpose cape if i got 99(120) in every skill. I'm assuming that's what they're talking about, because it's the only one of the capes that actually looks nice, has good stats, and isn't just a novelty. With that aside, it is still very little incentive to return.

 

It's kinda like saying a player would come back to the game when skill capes were introduced to finish grinding what ever level to 99 just for the cape. Maybe there was a few(if any), but it would have been a very small group.

And this is why it's such a legendary update: Jagex stuck to its guns and made the cape slot remain prestigious. Still the only available combat capes are from challenging quests (like legends, or the ranged magnet backpack effect for Ranging with nice metal ammunition), mini game rewards (like Fire Cape, or mage arena cape or some other god cape), high lvl skills or achievements (if you count weight reduction from hunter, for example; or the late Ardougne Task list capes), and the trimmed 99 cape (especially for its cape prayer bonus), or rare drops (like the Obsidian Cape, which you would buy if you had access to nothing other than it or a cloth highwayman cape you died pink for fun a long time ago).

 

So the only serious capes were for achievements, and weren't buyable. The most sought after cape would be one that wasn't only for ranged/maging/melee attack stats, but one that does all of it and a prayer bonus. The only true options required challenges to use or have (excluding the lame Obsidian Cape, one more time, or some of the real low lvl, real bad quest reward capes), with the lines being drawn at the tiering of: buyable > legends > skill cape (with 25 degrees of status points for being the more challenging skills to experience up) > trimmed skill cape > ... > THIS UPDATE.

 

In my opinion, this update did in fact surprise and impress many people (including myself, I know, because I payed on the 4th of May, and then this successful, exciting achieve came out for -ME- and I was quite happy, hah).

But I only say this because the worth of those afforementioned capes has been decreasing with their rarity. They are in large part worn because of their status symbol (even the most modest person would still choose a favorite or respectable skill to show on their back if they - say - just happened to have a couple cheap skills trimming only 1 true achievement or something like that. Just like the quest cape was one achievement outside of the skillcapes, these other 3 or 4 capes are great to have in your repertoire despite the stats. If nothing else, it's just cool to have a retro cape and a Jack of All Trades homemade half-official cape that you died on your own. This update here was in a big sense focused on cosmetics and the cape slot's respect factor. I'll say it one more time - people like wearing the item that they most like, or hold the most pride for, even when its stats don't matter. This is an important game for many people who may have quit RS when they ran out of goals. there are now ~10 new capes that the most serious or new players can get. the 10 cape can be gotten in a day. The completionist cape can't be gotten unless you officially win THE GAME. And once you wear it, you have to work out some responses to "LOL NERD" before you go into public. But it's a great goal, if only for the wildest of all dreams at night.

 

I liked the update, so I may be fighting a little hard on congratulating it, but it inspired me to join just about as much as the entire achievement system (... dang, I really do love those level NUMBERS, don't I? I feel happy that they'll give me a visible prize for my "All skills 60+" text, now! Oh well, it's still a great game imo, or I wouldn't be here, right?)