RuneScape's members can come together and assist each other out with a few shining moments from Emily's blog

With all the fierce competition, RuneScape isn't just a random collection of people. It is like every other community, RuneScape's members can come together and assist each other out with a few shining moments that are worthy of knightly glory frequently depicted in the OSRS gold game. The most impressive act of kindness has to be from the game's developers Jagex when they dedicated an on-game sculpture (and in recent times, a pub) in honor of a top playernamed 'The Old Nite The Old Nite' who tragically died in real life in the year 2006. The player was active since the game's launch since 2001, and regularly held the position of the second-highest-ranked player, just second only to Zezima. Due to alleged activity in his profile after 2006 there was a rumor that there was a chance he could still be alive However, this was claimed to be the result of hackers temporarily accessing his locked account. While neither one of these claims are substantiated in any way however, this virtual representation of a ghost story can illustrate another cool thing about MMORPGs: bits of lore can start up about the players actually playing the game.

For those not in the know, RuneScape is a huge deal. A darned big deal. For those who are in the MMORPG world. In its 21st year it's one of the biggest MMORPGs out there and, in my opinion, the most enjoyable free one. Its theme is high-fantasy as well as a strong medieval tinge running through it . This combination works wonderfully well. Just ask J.K. Rowling. RuneScape is important personally for three small reasons: being the first MMORPG I played, the first game I could say I was addicted to; and also the first game I got into that could be described as "online" however it's not the top. But, it's three gaming milestones not to be scoffed at.

After a quick and minimal tutorial on the appropriately named Tutorial Island where I was able to find myself in the uninteresting but rather pleasant riverside town of Lumbridge. In Lumbridge, each new player masters the basic mechanics including how to create fire, or deposit money into the bank. It's important to keep in mind that in RuneScape every player starts in a fair playing field (weirdly beginning at the level 3). There aren't set classes or predetermined build types that are required, just skills, with the end goal of bringing everyone to the maximum level of 99. However, since this isn't feasible or even desirable for the majority of us, it's probably best to concentrate on a handful of. The overall degree of your character, or the level at which you can fight, has the maximum to 126 (or 123 in RuneScape Classic). I think I was at 82 before I decided to stop for the day. Maybe school was back in session.

There are five types of attack to master including slash, stab crush and ranged. My initial prey was goblins, and chickens, however there are plenty of larger and more dangerous fodder out there. Predators, too. Sure, RuneScape has a steep learning curve to begin with. When I had my basic skills covered, it's all gone and I quickly was unable to walk off the computer.

There are 232 of them in all, scattered over a vast world map varied enough to satisfy the curiosity of my 12-year-old self. Each one is a different short story with an outrageous plot and witty dialogue. My personal favorite is finding the truth about missing chickens within Draynor Manor and sneaking into the seemingly impenetrable Black Knights' Fortress on behalf of the rival White Knights of Falador. However, neither one of them can beat killing the dragon on Crandor which is by far the most memorable and memorable accomplishment a free-to-play player could achieve. The quests can be completed by being a paid player of RuneScape which I did. This opens up an enormous portion of the globe map with a whole host of other features that set me away from the noob I'd previously been.

You are of course able to free roam and explore the vast plains and deserts or head east into the dark vampyre-infested swamps and swamps of Morytania best played playing the Bobby Pickett song 'Monster Mash that plays in the background. In terms of music, entering an area for the first time unlocks the corresponding soundtrack(s) for that area. There are some very catchy tracks in there. I can remember hearing an old Christmas tune playing.

In addition to the action, role-playing is the massively multiplayer aspect that I enjoyed immensely, and it was amazing to have thousands of players with whom to compete, trade, and compare myself against. RuneScape also comes complete with chat rooms and friends lists which proved to my tiny PS2-configured single-player mind that gaming can be a communal as well as a solo experience. PvP (player against player) is abounds and range from the tense drama of Duel Arena to the frenzied excitement of Castle Wars. Or, if I wanted something more tranquil, I can to the river by Lumbridge or some town marketplace and watch the virtual world go through.

In spite of its fierce competition, RuneScape isn't just a scattered group of players. Okay, so it is the same ... but , as with any other community, RuneScape's members can come together and assist one another out in some shining moments worthy of the knightly honour frequently depicted on the screen. The most impressive act of kindness is from the developer Jagex when they dedicated an on-game sculpture (and, more recently, a pub) in memory of one of the best playersnamed "The Old Nite The Old Nite' who tragically passed away in the real world in 2006. He was active since the game's launch in 2001 and frequently held the title of the second highest ranked player in the game, just behind Zezima. Based on rumors of activity on his profile following 2006, there was a rumor that he was still alive However, this was said to be due to hackers temporarily gaining access to the account that was locked. Whilst neither of those claims are completely proven the virtual version of a ghost tale does illustrate another cool thing about MMORPGs and the fact that a plethora of legends can start up about the players actually playing them.

I'm not sure whether the statue of The Old Nite still exists However, it was in the south of the Wilderness (or "Wildy" as it's known for short) which is a vast expanse of wasteland in the north that was frequented by beasts and player-killers. I never made the pilgrimage to the site to view it. What a pity.

One of the biggest weaknesses in RuneScape's game, and it could also be its most significant asset, is one that's found in almost every other MMO: the sheer length of its existence. In between the thrilling adventures and high-octane battles is the constant grinding away at everyday household chores like fishing and mining, or cooking in order to improve your skills or get the credits to buy that pesky new helmet or item of armour. Gotta make money somehow, right? Although those games are moderately relaxing, it's a lot of time that is spent doing the same thing over and over which could or may not be better spent playing some shorter but no less classic video games. Instead of being one continuous battle, RuneScape is a painstaking war of attrition that is very long and tiring and never ever ends. However, it's highly rewarding if you're prepared to dedicate the necessary time and effort into it, which I was. At the very least, for a whole one year or so.

I've not played many MMORPGs sincethen, to my unending shame and sorrow. Real-life cares multiply and I just cannot afford to let them lure me in. In all the games I've played, they're the longest-running with endless levels to conquer and items to acquire. Many have even died at the end or after of long sessions of RuneScape's younger but more well-known sibling, World of Warcraft, which can be considered a horror game.

These days, you can typically find me in Quake and Half-Life or hanging out on Team Fortress 2 - games which are in full force make a mark on me and then disappear. It's great to be able to play something I love and go on to forget about it quickly, instead of worrying about how many logs of wood are in my inventory, or what I'm planning to fish during the next session. However, I'm not a fan of the constant grind and long-term involvement (and suffering) that comes with RuneScape. The game is now in its third form as 'RuneScape 3' (from 2013) with more content and a visual revamp, there's a hint of hope that I could revisit it just to check how Buy RuneScape gold doing like I would an old friend.

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