While Runescape is a fun and addictive way to pass time, the game's bad reputation isn't completely undeserved.
MMORPGs involve RPG gameplay with interaction with other players all around the world, so it is natural for MMORPGs to be large with many things to do. Runescape is one of those games except it is played in the web browser like a flash game. Coded with Java, Runescape remains as an impressive game from a technical standpoint, as there are so many cool environments, items, monsters and things to do in the game despite its technical limitations.
Despite its technical achievements, Runescape has been known to have a bad reputation throughout the gaming community, as well as among humans in general. People's main complaints about Runescape involve the game's sub-standard graphics, the amount of repetition that takes place, the limited amount of content available to non-members(members are people who pay a monthly subscription fee for the game) and the time required to be good in the game. Runescape's hate has also developed into a bandwagon type of hate, where people even go to the extent of deeming the game unworthy simply because it's become "cool" to hate this game over time.
With that being said, the game is not completely bad and can be a fun and addictive way to pass the time. There is really no harm in trying this game. However, the game isn't without its faults, which it has plenty of.
To start, the graphics. If you are a graphics/special effects junkie, then steer clear of Runescape since its graphics would make Play Station 2 launch titles look like brand new, polished games; even with the highest video settings enabled(from a visual standpoint). However, what needs to be considered is the game's limitations with the technology used. The entire game is programmed with Java and runs as a browser game, so it is natural to expect the graphics to be not-so-great. Besides, the graphics in a way help add to the quirky nature of the Runescape world.
Another good thing about the game's minimal technology/graphics is that the game will run on almost any computer. Any family home computer can run this game, as the game runs the same on all systems which brings us onto the next topic, the technical faults.
The game lags a lot, even on the best PCs. There are also a lot of load times, with constant crashes if the player has an unstable connection. The animations are stiff and laggy, and many times one will notice that they would have to click on something a million times just to get something done.
The control scheme is also flawed, as the arrow keys are used to control the camera and the mouse is used to do literally everything else. Moving around, attacking enemies, using items, you name it; they all use the mouse. It can be a little awkward getting used to as most PC games use the mouse to maneuver the camera, with the WASD/arrow keys for movement.
That being said, a different control scheme would be a major improvement with the game.
If you are an RPG veteran, the gameplay is nothing special; rather ordinary you may find. You kill monsters, collect items, level skills, do quests, go to cool places, meet different NPCs, and so on. If you are new to RPGs however, you may be surprised at the amount of content available in this game as it takes months of gameplay to do everything possible in the game.
Runescape is a skill-based game. There are tons of skills to level in this game and it is important that one does as skills form the backbone of the entire Runescape experience. Skills are required to do almost anything and many times as the level increases and the player explores higher level content, they may find that skills are needed to do quests, go to certain places and even equip items. Skills also add certain benefits that the player can do if theiir particular skill is high enough. The skills include attack(accuracy, ability to equip different weapons), strength(how hard a player can hit), defence(damage reduction, ability to equip different armour), constitution(health points), woodcutting, mining, cooking, fishing, prayer, ranged combat, magic, smithing, and crafting. You can unlock more if you become a Runescape member by paying a subscription fee of 6$ a month(Canadian).
Your in-game level depends on your combat level. You raise your level in the game by training your fighting skills such as defence, attack, strength, constitution and prayer. The higher you level those skills, the higher of a combat level you will have.
There are also quests to do in this game as well that unlocks certain items/places. However, the quests in this game involve a lot of walking around to faraway places and are really boring and tedious. The rewards for most quests are also lackluster, and many players avoid quests as much as they can. Most players only do quests to unlock certain places and items. Besides, there are a very limited number of quests available to free players, with only about 30 quests available for free players and about 200 currently available for members, with new ones added on a monthly basis.
The combat system is very lacking, as the game requires no skill or coordination whatsoever. All the player has to do is click on a monster to target it, and the player's in-game character does all the work for him/her. How well the player does in the game depends on how high their skills are and how good of gear they have equipped. The more time spent, the better one is at the game.
The worst part about the gameplay is the overly harsh death penalty. If the player dies, he/she loses everything in his/her inventory except the three most valuable items in it. The value of the items are decided by the in-game prices from vendors in Runescape. It is very unnecessary and harsh, as death is a normal part of gaming. Jagex recently made an update where all items lost are turned into gravestones for a limited amount of time. If the player doesn't reach the gravestone in time, then he/she loses his/her stuff. It's a slight improvement, but considering that the player always respawns in the same place(the starting town), there is little hope in getting items back if the gravestone is too far away from the starting town.
Despite the many gameplay flaws, it can be fun seeing your in-game character move up, getting richer, getting stronger, etc. There are tons of ways to make money in this game, and it gives great opportunities to interact with other players.
However, interactions with other players are rarely pleasant, as Runescape contains what might be the worst online community in any game, period. Full of hackers, cheaters, 10 year olds with A.D.D. and fat college frat boys, Runescape's community is a nightmare that would make even the nicest person turn into a devil in disguise. Most of the players in Runescape are condescending, arrogant, foolish, and outright rude. Many players will even go out of their way to act rude and hostile to innocent players. Whether the person is new to gaming or has been playing since the 8-bit Nintendo days, any person would be surprised at how awful the community in this game is, especially to new players.
This game is NOT newbie friendly and if you are reading this, asking for help is the worst thing you can do in this game. Players will make fun of you, start fights with you and even try to lure you to a dangerous place, get you killed and then take your stuff.
Strangely enough, amidst all the faults in this game, the game is still very addictive and will keep the player coming back for more. With new updates added regularly for members as well as tons of items to collect, quests to do, skills to level and monsters to collect, it provides an experience that will take months and even years to complete in its entirety.
Runescape is advertised as a free-to-play game, but it is worth it just to become a member as the content available in free-to-play worlds are very minimal, very basic and it strongly decreases the replay value in this game. Most people that don't pay for membership end up quitting a couple months later at the most, as lower levels don't take long to level and there is little free content available for higher levelled players.
Overall, I would recommend this game to anyone with patience, dedication, time to kill and money for membership. Despite Runescape's many faults, Runescape can prove as a fun and interesting time killer to people of all ages. It also takes little power to run and will run on any computer. Just don't get too caught up in it...