A throwback to the days of Rune Scape
I recall playing Rune Scape back in high school. It had been around for a while already, and it seemed like everyone was playing it. Rune Scape ran on both PC and Mac, so we could literally play it anywhere that we had access to the internet. These days Rune Scape can literally be played anywhere due to it’s release on mobile phones.
Rune Scape is a free to play MMO RPG. It is set in a fantasy world called Gielinor. It is a top down, point and click based game.
Rune Scape was first released in 2001. It ran for 17 years before almost being shutdown. Instead of being shutdown though, it was dubbed Classic Rune Scape and then re-launched as Old School Rune Scape (OSRS). Rune Scape is now running stronger than ever.
Old School Rune Scape is alive and thriving.
I would say that Rune Scape is just like I remember it, but it’s actually better than I remember it. The game has seen many improvements over the years. The launch of new raids, quests, items and general quality of life updates have made Old School Rune Scape one of the most popular MMO’s in the world.
Playing Old School Rune Scape F2P
After completing the tutorial, players land in Lumbridge where they can immediately start to practice their many skills. If you’re like me, many of your early Rune Scape memories include chopping down trees, starting campfires and mining. But there is SO much more to the game.
Rune Scape has a massive selection of quests. Questing is actually one of the fastest ways to level up skills, especially at an early level. One of my favorite quests that any player can do is ” The Restless Ghost”. The quest starts by talking to the Lumbridge church priest. It is rather easy, pretty comical and grants 9 prayer points. Having a decent prayer level is really great early on in the game, because it acts as an “oh #%$&” button.
Mining and tree chopping are just like I remember them. The leveling process can be done basically AFK. I leveled mine up enough, mostly to get comfortable with the game, but then I headed out. I wanted to see more of the Rune Scape world.
A few tips for players returning to OSRS.
Another one of my favorite quest areas is Draynor Manor. There is a chicken quest and a vampire quest that are both fun. Before getting too deep into questing though, players need to upgrade their weapons and armor.
I recommend leveling your skills enough to craft a full suit of Bronze armor and weapons. Not only will it help your stats, but it will help you become familiar with the game mechanics.
After getting some bronze armor, head east to Al Kharid. Players will need to travel north, east and then south to get around the locked gates. Utilize your map to find the exact pathing. Once you arrive, be sure to buy a scimitar or two from Zeke’s Scimitar Shop. Scimitars have the best DPS (damage per second) and allow players to train attack, strength and block.
Have you heard about the Stronghold of Security?  Players of all levels can travel north of Lumbridge to the Stronghold of Security Dungeon to complete the navigation of 4 dangerous floors. When completed, players are provided a one-time reward of 10,000 coins as well as four unique Emotes, and your choice of either a pair of fighting boots, or a pair of fancy boots.
Following these above mentioned tips will get you off to a great start in Old School RuneScape!
Combat in Old School Rune Scape
Attack is your accuracy, Strength is how many damage you do, and block is your chance to successfully block an attack. Melee fighting is the most complex of the three ways to fight.
Increasing your Archery level will allow you to use better bows and arrows, but the damage is based off the weapons and not your level.
Leveling up your magic will increase both your magic attack and your magic defense. Having a high magic level will also allow you to teleport places, which is super helpful in Rune Scape.
The MMO combat triangle of of Rune Scape is Melee kills Ranged, Ranged kills Magic, and Magic kills Melee.
Having a basic understanding of how combat works will help you decide what you want to level up first. RuneScape isn’t like a lot of other modern MMO’s where you have to choose just one role. Players can level everything up and switch gear at any time. So players can really be and do anything they want in RuneScape.
F2P vs. Membership in OSRS
The game is very fun in it’s Free to Play state, and if you decide that you want more, you can always pay $8 a month to be a member. Being a member unlocks extra skills and content.
F2P is sort of it’s own game. There are tons of things you can do and plenty of content to keep you busy. If you are like a lot of players, F2P RuneScape will quench your nostalgic thirst.
For people that want more though, Membership may be the way to go. Membership opens the world up in ways that make it feel like a fully fleshed out MMO RPG.
Rune Scape is a relaxing and fun game to play.
I highly recommend giving Old School Rune Scape a try, especially if you played it back in the day. It is a fun way to pass the time and can be played while working on other computer or phone related tasks.
You can find the game at OldSchool.Runescape.com or by Googling Old School Rune Scape. It is worth noting that there is a graphically enhanced version of the game, but let’s save that for another article.
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Platforms: PC, Mac & Mobile
Price: F2P or $8 per month
HFR Rating: 10 out of 10
