A warning on the current state of Runescape 3

[ClintHardwood]

Hello, I've been playing Runescape and Runescape 3 since 2005, and I just want to give a quick heads up on the issues plaguing RS3. To avoid wasting the reader's time, I won't be too wordy.

1) Updates are scarce. There was a time Runescape received three or four monthly updates, many of them large and game-changing. Those days are long gone. For the past six years, we've been lucky if we got three genuine content updates a year.

2) We get ten times as many (not an exaggeration) MTX updates as content updates. Literally two or three times a week, there's yet another MTX promotion. I recommend playing ironman mode to avoid dealing with them.

3) The servers are dead. With less than 100 people on most servers, you never get the sensation that you're playing a thriving game. Jagex pissed off most of their playerbase with MTX and lacking, empty updates.

4) PVP is completely dead. It's not a big deal for me as I don't care much for PVP, but it's worth noting.

5) The developers hide a lack of updates by disguising grindy and repetitive events rewarding cosmetics as updates. If clicking the same box for hours until you unlock your millionth cosmetic is your thing, you'll enjoy.

6) The atmosphere of a gritty medieval existence is long gone. These days everyone is dressed in rainbow clown gear or something similarly flashy and unfitting. Other's flashy large cosmetic pets often get in the way of you trying to click on something, and there is no option to hide them.

[Da Atte]

引用自 ClintHardwood：

There are dozens of better options out there for anyone looking for a new game.

This is a genuine question: What would be better options?

To me it is hard to find any new MMO games (especially F2P) as all of them look or feel the same and/or introduce heavy microtransactions/fees early on (even the paid ones).

[Espionage724]

引用自 Da Atte：

引用自 ClintHardwood：

There are dozens of better options out there for anyone looking for a new game.

This is a genuine question: What would be better options?

To me it is hard to find any new MMO games (especially F2P) as all of them look or feel the same and/or introduce heavy microtransactions/fees early on (even the paid ones).

No other MMORPG does what RS does. It's not like going from WoW to FFXIV (mostly similar mechanics-wise) or even WoW to GW2 (more different); nothing at all works mechanically and content-wise like RS. There's a few games that vaguely have some aspects of RS like Albion Online and Wurm Online though.

With that said though, Guild Wars 2 is a pretty decent MMORPG. It's F2P for the base game, no subscription, dynamic combat, and has a lot of content.

[Tsuey]

Played since 2001 and it's a great game in terms of its historical influences and higher-level content, but over the last several years it has become just that: an MTX rush to reach the higher-level content... where you still have to pay monthly subscription fees.

RuneScape was born out of a humble beginning of the Gower brothers sourcing the cooking sound from their mom cooking bacon in the kitchen... and then, as is to be expected for a revolutionary game, it births a company with financial responsibility to employees who have mouths to feed.

It's really hard to not have content-driven development turn into the financially-driven, and I can't name many game companies that have succeeded here -- but Jagex has consistently demonstrated they are an example of what not to do in this regard.

Most game companies are a revolving door and Jagex is no exception -- but occasionally, once every few years, they'll hire people who actually care and they bring out a golden year (or two) of good content that's actually worth your time... it's just sad you just have to dig to find it.

While subjective, currently I don't feel we are in one of these periods, or the developers who are actually passionate moved on to Old School RS.

I appreciate that this thread is a fairly objective "warning" -- there's a good game here, just be warned that it is a Skinner Box Simulator and you're the experiment:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operant_conditioning_chamber

[Ono]

Then go play OSRS, that's why they made it. You weren't the only one crying about this trust me lol

[Jakob Fel]

I'll offer a slight counter to this post for new, prospective players.

1) They're certainly not scarce compared to other MMOs but significant, new content does come out far less often than it used to. we still get weekly patches and QoL fixes with a piece of all-new content pretty much every month.

2) Haha no, not at all. Treasure Hunter (free, daily convenience packages) promotions are basically just cyclical re-runs of past ones. Solomon's General Store (cosmetic and convenience cash shop) hasn't received anything major in well over a year. The only crappy MTX offering lately has been a battle pass.

3) Are you kidding? At peak times, RS3 alone gets well over 50,000 players online (not to mention all the people playing Old School). Yes, RS3 has loads of game servers but that's because it runs on a different server architecture than most MMOs: you can freely hop between servers at will, with no wait. That's why we have so many, and because of that, some are more populated than others.

4) Can't really argue with that, though PvP minigames still get quite a population, especially when they're spotlighted.

5) I agree with this point, but to be fair, we do still get our weekly patches/QoL fixes with new content offered monthly.

6) That is entirely subjective. RS3's old feeling was never "gritty medieval". It had more of a medieval feel to it back in the day but it was always high fantasy, and remains high fantasy.

To any new players interested in the game, please don't just read one or two of these sorts of posts and make your decisions based upon that. This game has, unfortunately, always had a problem with players who love to complain about everything. While I certainly have my issues with the game from time to time, it's still one of the greatest sandbox RPG experiences you can have. The game's slogan used to be, "Your greatest adventure", and I can't think of a better description of this game. If you enjoy open world RPGs like The Elder Scrolls, The Witcher and the like, you're going to love RuneScape.

[Nanvis]

This is so skewed it's not funny. Both OSRS and RS3 are thriving. There are worlds that have 1k+ players, feel free to join them. You want an empty world to have a skilling or PvE spot to yourself? Join a world that has 100 players, it's the same. Stick to W84 or W2 and there's plenty of players all over the place.

Having put 700 hours into Final Fantasy XIV as a fresh player over the course of just two months, one could even say the same thing about that game with it's 500k+ subscribers in a full world. The starter areas have very few people. Everyone's in Shadowbringers. That's how MMOs work.

[Scar]

Updates are scarce because the game is actually complete, and doesn't need to compare its schlong with osrs because it wins hands down, OSRS receives updates to try and be better than RS3 which will never happen, it's grindfest which is why RS3 is on steam and old school runescape isnt, plus osrs community is toxic asf and love the grind.

Less players on servers is a good thing tbh, It allows you to farm in peace without other people taking your tree, fishing spot and more.

PvP sucks anyways, PvM is where it's at, including bossing.

Gotta agree with number 5, the yak trak event sucks, which gets you to build up your skills for rewards, but it does exactly that and instead of doing it for the sake of it, you get rewarded.

Gotta agree with 6 too, It's like a modern MMO with modern cosmetics and aspects, I do miss the medieval stuff but either way its no biggie and you can still have fun.

Overall the OP is a OSRS player which is part of a toxic community, RS3 is a lot more friendlier and the grind is less.

[【K A M I N A】]

引用自 Liecabaus：

So, essentially, they made it a modern MMO?

They made it into a gacha game.

[Yuuza]

" no updates"

There are literally updates every single week. Try giving a legitimate comment.

[warby_ttv]

引用自 【ＫＡＭＩＮＡ】：

引用自 Liecabaus：

So, essentially, they made it a modern MMO?

They made it into a gacha game.

how exactly is it a gacha game? do you even know what a gacha game is?

[Kaos]

Pay money to spin the wheel. Win prizes but not really :P
Technically you can call any game with loot boxes a gacha game lol
Because each loot box is its own mini gacha wheel. (RNG where the numbers are rigged)

In all the time i played i never bought extra spins. Only used my free daily spins.
(People voted to have that goblin killed and we could vote how he dies)
Good Armadyll gamers are brutal
In the end what does it matter if other people want to spend their money on ... what comes down to pixels...
So what if they get xp faster for throwing money at the game.
I'm having fun.

[B.W.]

[Aelfric]

It's pay to win and not balanced. Back in 2007 the thieving guild doors were op and killed all the previous theiving content. 2020 the thieving guild doors are still there. The combat is the worst part because you will be killing only things that are as close to a one shot as possible (in order to train efficiently) instead of killing anything.

[Sacred Myths]

引用自 【ＫＡＭＩＮＡ】：

引用自 Liecabaus：

So, essentially, they made it a modern MMO?

They made it into a gacha game.

you are dumb af lmao

[Aelfric]

Every minigame is also dead. Good luck playing anything like soul wars and so on.