Runescape... Still Hanging Around
Runescape is a game that's been around for a while, and
has recently had an extensive revamp. So extensive that
for a while players were worried that this free online RPG
was going to go pay-for-play, but it hasn't happened and
it won't. Runescape does some things very well, but a couple
of things really let it down, most importantly its graphics.
Quick overview. Runescape is a fantasy MMORPG. You can
be a warrior, adventurer, wizard, ranger, or miner. There's
a quick tutorial and then you're off. The most important
thing to note about Runescape from a gameplay perspective
is that there's no story or over-arching narrative. What
you do is pretty much up to you. You'll be given a list
of quests right off the bat, and where to find them, so
you're set for questing, or you can choose to fight monsters,
craft, or trade, whatever suits you. Some of the quests
unlock things in the game rather than simply giving you
experience.
The map is pretty big. You can shop in peace in the towns,
but for a little more excitement, you can head out into
the Wilderness and go player-killing. Reserved areas for
ganking is a great way of controlling the irritation factor:
everyone out there knows why they're there, and if you don't
want to be constantly getting beaten on, you don't go. When
you defeat another player, they'll drop items: of course,
so will you if you should happen to lose.
Magic works using a rune system, which isn't unique, but
it's certainly not common. To cast a spell, you need to
collect the right runes. When you cast it, you use them
up. So there's always a steady trade in runes going on.
Some people are going to find this a pain when they're used
to spells being forever, but it is kind of a nice, distinctive
touch.
One thing you're going to notice straight off, though,
is that Runescape's graphics are appalling. Basically, what
the revamp of the graphics engine did was replace crappy
2D graphics with crappy 3D ones. The character and monster
models look awful, and the backgrounds are basically non-existent.
Yes, it's a java game, but there are better java graphics
around. The flip side of this is of course that the game
runs pretty well on low-end machines and even over a dial-up
connection, though you will probably occasionally get some
lag. And once you get used to them, graphics don't actually
affect gameplay much - except occasionally when you go to
take something out of your picture-based inventory and you
can't tell what it is.
The original Runescape Classic 2D game, which comes without
sound, is still available on the site, though it's not being
updated any more. And this is where Runescape's real strength
comes through: its community and support. The makers knew
some people would want to keep playing the old game with
their existing characters, so they left it up. The new game,
meanwhile, is constantly having new content added. Like
many online RPGs, they do holiday drops, sprinkling the
game with unique and fun items. Unlike a lot of other games,
they've made these items untradable and one-per-customer,
so they don't unbalance the game.
There's a pay-for-play version of Runescape as well. At
$5 a month, it's still half to a third of what you'll pay
for most other online RPGs. Paying gets you extra things
that aren't available to F2P members: extra items, skills,
professions, quests, and twice as much map space. The free
game is still perfectly playable, though: you're not going
to be hopelessly outclassed if you don't pay.
Runescape is a game with a pretty good feel, and the developers
have put lots of nice little touches in the game. Extra
music tracks, for instance, unlock when you visit new areas.
It's initial visual impression is always going to count
against it, but on the other hand, every time you hear someone
complain about Runescape, they're going to whine about the
graphics. That may well mean the rest of the game is pretty
good.
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