One of the earliest MMORPGs, RuneScape was an original in the gaming world. The original version retains a place in the heart of its users despite having morphed and eventually being shut down. A trendsetter in the industry, the game continues to be admired for many of its pioneering features.
In order to appreciate the devotion of RuneScape’s followers, it is important to understand its origins and what made the game so popular, especially among its original fan base.
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RuneScape’s beginnings
Jagex’s creation started in 2001. Customizable avatars could choose to fight each other or any number of non-player character monsters. It allowed for a high degree of interaction between players, including fighting, bartering, and either collaborating on quests or competing with each other, depending on circumstances.
One of the things that players liked about the game was the fact that it was considered “old school” in the gaming world. It didn’t involve hotkeys and skill bars and was entirely mouse-operated, something that has gone out of fashion as games “progress.”
The popular game was later further developed into RuneScape 2 and later 3, and the original version came to be known as RuneScape Classic, or Old School RuneScape.
Although the original version was discontinued, it still serves as a historical first in the world of gaming and its later iterations continue to thrive. Let’s take a look at what made this original mythical world so special.
12,000 years of history
Crucial to understanding the world in which RuneScape operates is understanding its history and the realms utilized by players. RuneScape’s “multiverse” spans 12,000 years of history, which is divided into six distinct periods. The first involves the creation of the universe, in which The Dragonkin are the only creatures to survive the destruction of the pre-existing universe. The destruction and re-emergence of the universe are known as The Great Revision.
The second period takes players into the Creation of the First Races. It sees the rise of the TokHaar, a race of rock and lava creatures created by the god Ful who are capable of creating mountains and physical structures.
In the third period, players are introduced to the children of Mah, an Elder God who builds worlds out of sacred clay. This initiates the current cycle of the universe.
In a series of dreams, Mah brings about the existence of new creatures that subsequently divide themselves into tribes that will populate the multiverse. This fourth period is known as “The Creation of Mah’s Children.”
The elder gods Jas, Ful, Wen, and Bik – contemporaries of Mah – create a world called Gielinor, which will be shaped by the TokHaar.
The magic of Gielinor
Players find themselves in the world of Gielinor, a mythical world composed of four kingdoms: Misthalin, Asgarnia, Kandarin, and Morytanis, as well as deserts, hills, and other topographical and various demographic realms. Avatars can travel through these spaces by different means, including through magical spells.
How does this work? Magic allowed “crafted items” to be enchanted and thereby utilized as transport. Crafting allows players to produce items of different sorts, including jewelry, armor, etc, for use in their journeys. In addition, to use for transport and creation, magic can also be used in combat.
Players making their way through Gielinor must confront the Bestiary, different classes of monsters of varying degrees of ferocity who pose multiple challenges to the avatars. Akrisae the Doomed, Dharok the Wretched, and Guthan the Infested are just a few of the beasts that must be battled in the Heart of Gielinor.
Gielinor made its first appearance in the 2003 version. The period’s age is said to have lasted 48,000 years, going back even further than the First Age.
Coins for barter
One of the critical elements to succeeding in both classic RuneScape and versions 2 and 3 is the use of currency in the form of coins to make your way through the game. Teleports can be used to buy rs3 gold, for example. The Grand Exchange is the centerpiece of transactions, consisting of four branches: northwestern Varrock, The Tower of Voices, Max Guild in Prifddinas, and the Merchant district in Menaphos.
The beginning of a new world of gaming
These are just a few of the features that made the original RuneScape such a landmark creation in the world of gaming. Having replaced its original Java script with C++ in 2016, it was at one point considered the most-used game ever with a Guinness World Record of over 300 million accounts. Ultimately, what is now known as RuneScape Classic started getting buggy and players became frustrated. It was discontinued in its original form in 2016.
After this, the game was reborn in its new format and continues to thrive as RuneScape 3 today. It is now a primarily subscription-based service, rather than a free one, but early devotees are happy to have a way to continue their original online fantasies. In addition, RuneScape has spun off into other games and has also taken the form of many fan sites and even a novel.
There are a few pioneers in the gaming industry, and those that made the greatest impact will continue to live on in the collective consciousness of gamers. The features introduced by the original RuneScape will continue to influence the future development of gaming for generations to come.
