So besides being thoroughly confused with the amount of updates since I've last played, is it much easier to get 99s now? It seems many many people have 99 stats. Why is this?

 

Pretty much left after I got 85 slayer and farmed whips for awhile. Pretty much know nothing about summoning, forgot everything about hunting as well.

 

Anyone have any tips / advice. IE whats the best equipment now and such.

It helps a bit if you specify when, date-wise, you last played.

 

The release of "skill capes", which are cosmetic capes (with decent defence bonuses) that can be obtained after you get 99 in a skill, motivated a lot of people grind just to get 99s in a skill. Some of it may also be due to the more higher-level-oriented content that Jagex has released (ancient effigies...and stuff). This is all assuming you left before skill capes.

So besides being thoroughly confused with the amount of updates since I've last played, is it much easier to get 99s now? It seems many many people have 99 stats. Why is this?

 

Pretty much left after I got 85 slayer and farmed whips for awhile. Pretty much know nothing about summoning, forgot everything about hunting as well.

 

Anyone have any tips / advice. IE whats the best equipment now and such.

 

You'll probably want to give your stats and interests for people to put stuff in context and to narrow down the question.

 

Summoning is a very useful skill and if you slay a lot then you should be able to collect charms pretty quickly.

 

Also take a look at Dungeoneering (sp?) as it is another whole new skill which gives access to Chaotic weapons (especially the rapier for slayer) which are pretty good (apparently, just back from 4 years off myself so training Dung for rapier).

 

Look at high level potions in Herby as well.

[spoiler=99s]Level 99 skills have become very common for a few reasons:

• Training methods that give faster XP rates.
  
• Training methods that don't require much attention.
  
• Jagex has stopped enforcing their rules about macros.
  
• Promotional bonus XP events.
  
• XP lamp drops from monsters.
  

 

 

[spoiler=Summoning]Most monsters now drop different colored charms that can be collected and made into pouches for summoning XP. Combat summons are mostly useless until high levels (89+) so the main benefit of training is to call familiars that hold items for you.

 

 

[spoiler=Dungeoneering]Dungeoneering is a glorified minigame where you gain XP for continuously raiding the dungeons below a castle in the wilderness. The high level weapon rewards are a necessity for any competitive monster hunting.

 

 

[spoiler=High level prayer]The Temple at Senntisten quest unlocks a new prayer sheet that isn't very useful until level 95.

http://runescape.wikia.com/wiki/Ancient_curses

 

 

[spoiler=High level herblore]Various untradeable potions can be made with high herblore levels:

• Recover special will restore special attack energy but can only be sipped every 30 seconds.
  
• Super antifire gives full protection from dragonfire so you can use a good shield slot item.
  
• Extremes are combat potions stronger than supers.
  
• Overloads are all 5 extremes mixed.
  

 

[spoiler=99s]Level 99 skills have become very common for a few reasons:

• Training methods that give faster XP rates.
  
• Training methods that don't require much attention.
  
• Jagex has stopped enforcing their rules about macros.
  
• Promotional bonus XP events.
  
• XP lamp drops from monsters.
  

 

 

[spoiler=Summoning]Most monsters now drop different colored charms that can be collected and made into pouches for summoning XP. Combat summons are mostly useless until high levels (89+) so the main benefit of training is to call familiars that hold items for you.

 

 

[spoiler=Dungeoneering]Dungeoneering is a glorified minigame where you gain XP for continuously raiding the dungeons below a castle in the wilderness. The high level weapon rewards are a necessity for any competitive monster hunting.

 

 

[spoiler=High level prayer]The Temple at Senntisten quest unlocks a new prayer sheet that isn't very useful until level 95.

http://runescape.wikia.com/wiki/Ancient_curses

 

 

[spoiler=High level herblore]Various untradeable potions can be made with high herblore levels:

• Recover special will restore special attack energy but can only be sipped every 30 seconds.
  
• Super antifire gives full protection from dragonfire so you can use a good shield slot item.
  
• Extremes are combat potions stronger than supers.
  
• Overloads are all 5 extremes mixed.
  

 

 

Damn, herblore got buffed hardcore. Any examples for 99s being easier? And thanks for the summoning clarification. And to the above. I left around a little while after skill capes (I think.) I remeber the biggest parts of the game were Abby demons, barrows and the GWD just came out I think.

[spoiler=99s]Level 99 skills have become very common for a few reasons:

• Training methods that give faster XP rates.
  
• Training methods that don't require much attention.
  
• Jagex has stopped enforcing their rules about macros.
  
• Promotional bonus XP events.
  
• XP lamp drops from monsters.
  

 

 

[spoiler=Summoning]Most monsters now drop different colored charms that can be collected and made into pouches for summoning XP. Combat summons are mostly useless until high levels (89+) so the main benefit of training is to call familiars that hold items for you.

 

 

[spoiler=Dungeoneering]Dungeoneering is a glorified minigame where you gain XP for continuously raiding the dungeons below a castle in the wilderness. The high level weapon rewards are a necessity for any competitive monster hunting.

 

 

[spoiler=High level prayer]The Temple at Senntisten quest unlocks a new prayer sheet that isn't very useful until level 95.

http://runescape.wikia.com/wiki/Ancient_curses

 

 

[spoiler=High level herblore]Various untradeable potions can be made with high herblore levels:

• Recover special will restore special attack energy but can only be sipped every 30 seconds.
  
• Super antifire gives full protection from dragonfire so you can use a good shield slot item.
  
• Extremes are combat potions stronger than supers.
  
• Overloads are all 5 extremes mixed.
  

 

 

Damn, herblore got buffed hardcore. Any examples for 99s being easier? And thanks for the summoning clarification. And to the above. I left around a little while after skill capes (I think.) I remeber the biggest parts of the game were Abby demons, barrows and the GWD just came out I think.

 

Increased number of people botting on their normal accounts.

 

Increased ease of botting.

 

Increased drive to do gwd and the new "monster hunting" trend, because of it's high profitability and "end game" content, which requires a lot of high stats, which drove people to train/bot their way there.

 

A lot more inflation going around and money becoming more easily accessible for reasons i'm not conclusively sure of, (guessing at massive abuse of 76king during pvp worlds, general inflation from old pvp system, increased botting and rwt), resulting in a lot more expensive 99s to become easily accessible.

 

Release of better training tactics for multiple skills.

 

The grand exchange made items also much more accessible, therefore making getting the items for 99s much easier, although im thinking you left before the effects of the GE started becoming apparent when people finished buying their 99s.

 

Flipping with the GE also allowed people to exponentially increase their cash, although this requires a relatively decent amount of cash to start with.

 

The game has also become incredibly daunting to new players, and the amount of new players joining RS seems to be less and less, so you're going to see a very proportionality amount of high level players and lots of 99s, especially on p2p worlds.

One thing that had its XP rates nerfed instead of raised was Fletching. No more 1m+ xp per hour doing Addy Bolts =(