I entered into a relationship with what was known as RuneScape in 2004. I say this because that’s precisely how the last two decades have felt. It has been a love/hate relationship with sporadic breaks here and there, some lasting many years. I always return to the massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) at some point when coming across some RuneScape content on YouTube or having an urge to fire up one of my accounts. My wife even created an account to see what all the fuss is about with a Displate poster present on the office wall.
Launching OldSchool RuneScape
I was first introduced to RuneScape in 2004, shortly after RuneScape 2 was released to the public. This version of the game improved on the original with 3D graphics and an entirely new game engine. It was such a colossal upgrade that RuneScape 2 was renamed RuneScape and the older game RuneScape Classic. RuneScape was a hit at my secondary school (middle school for you fine people across the pond) and at the young age of 14, we were blown away by the massive world and countless skills available.
What made RuneScape accessible was the ability to run it through the browser. No downloads were necessary due to the entire game being written in Java. Originally developed by brothers Andrew and Paul Gower, I was pulled into the world of Gielenor by friends and we would enjoy a few hours of gaming each day with communications handled by MSN Messenger and entertainment provided by UK’s Big Brother TV series. RuneScape is an interesting MMORPG as you can easily play it while doing other things or solely focus on more intensive in-game tasks.
Fishing lobsters in a safe area and banking what you’re able to cook? You could easily do this in the background without giving it much thought. PKing (player-killing) some unsuspecting souls in the wilderness with a low-level combat pure and huge warhammer? You’d be glued to the screen. We’d even spend hours enjoying Castle Wars, RuneScape’s equivalent of Capture the Flag. It was incredible to see thousands of people playing the same game and having fun together. Everyone would always be retelling stories from last night’s gameplay the following day.
Being online during the infamous Falador massacre where a player managed to start killing anyone thanks to an unexpected bug was incredible. Both MSN and in-game chat channels exploded and it was brilliant. It also helped bring more eyes (and ears) to the excellent music produced by Nightwish, as featured in the above 2006 video footage. After a few years of enjoying what RuneScape had to offer, things started to wind down. Some game updates caused major problems with the community, including the removal of the wilderness and combat overhaul.
Myself and many friends ceased playing altogether by 2008, which is coincidentally when I started working full time. RuneScape was lost and forgotten in the depths of my mind … until 2013.
OSRS launched in 2013 and is still being developed to this day. Neither game is available through the browser and a client is required but this is a good thing. An entirely new skill is in the works, the first one since the re-release of the 2007 version of the MMORPG. New bosses, raids, quests, leagues, and items have also been added. The goal is to keep the game alive through new content and improvements without losing the magic that makes OSRS unique. If you’ve never played RuneScape, OSRS offers a wealth of content to enjoy, and if you’re a returning veteran, you’ll feel right at home.
Should you play OldSchool RuneScape?
OSRS continues to grow, receives substantial updates, and has an entirely new skill in development. Anytime is good to create a Jagex Account, fire up the unofficial Runelite client, spend too much time customizing your character, and grind out some skill XP.