If it's not broken, there's no point in fixing it, and Runescape has been able to get the MMO right from the earliest days of the game's release. That might have something to do with the longevity of the game, which was released in January of 2001, and the version of the vintage classic lives on in the present day in form of Old School Runescape, which has been online since 2013.
After the release of Runescape 3, there was a demand for classic servers that had a version of the old game. Old School Runescape is actually a version of the game from 2007, and it retains the best of the original while making the best use of some new features. After all these years, there are an impressive amount of things Old School Runescape still gets right.
7 A Thriving Economy
Virtually every MMO has some kind of version of a free trade system among players. In Runescape, it's known as The Grand Exchange, and it's a famous place in virtual gaming history and lore. Players don't come here just to use the exchange itself, which is essentially a combination of an auction house, trading post, and an open market, but also to relax and socialize.
New players can start at the Grand Exchange if they're looking for gear, advice, information, guilds, or other random information. Players sell items and services here among themselves along with using the exchange, and it serves as the unofficial social hub for everything in the game. The central location, northwest of the major city of Varrock, is easily accessible to any player and the hexagonal design helps make it feel like a vast open space.
6 A Free-To-Play Version That's Good
So many modern games have fallen into the trap of advertisements, gold farmers, or don't have a free-to-play option at all past a trial version that doesn't include most of the game anyway. In Old School Runescape, that isn't the case, with the free version giving players access to virtually everything a paid subscription gets.
Although it takes longer to obtain, there's little that's completely restricted to the free-to-play version. To make it more convenient and affordable, there are also several different options for subscriptions, most of them very inexpensive, even some that never involve real-world money but the gold from the game instead.
5 Customer Service That Involves Players
Changes are handled very carefully in a game where keeping it vintage and authentic are some of the main priorities, and the developers at Jagex involve the players in the decisions they make. That includes new gear, quests, professions, or holiday events.
Recently, the company floated the idea of adding a new skill to the game and spent months not only getting feedback as to whether or not the change should be made at all but exactly what the nature of that skill would be and what it would look like. The final product will be released sometime in 2023 after almost a year of careful consultation. The hands-on methods of the company have a positive effect on other aspects of the game that are equally important.
4 A Friendly Community
When it comes to conversations about the toxicity of the gaming community, one MMORPG that never enters the conversation is Old School Runescape. Both the old and new versions of the game have a reputation for friendly, inclusive, and generally happy communities, and it's been that way from the start.
The company keeps a close eye on certain parts of the game that can lead to toxic behavior, and that means cheating, gold farming, and exploitation along with bad language, racism, or the other rude and nasty conduct that plagues other MMOs that couldn't be bothered to monitor their player community and enforce their own rules.
3 Little Need For Add-Ons
Some MMORPGs have so much going on that they forget some of the basics. Not to mention any names, but certain games left out things like maps and essential quest details when they were first released, which gave way to a whole industry of creating add-ons to fill in the gaps. Some games aren't even playable without a whole library of add-ons, which is the case with Old School Runescape.
The quest log always records everything a player needs to know about their task. That includes where they go, what to do once they get there, and who they need to speak to upon their return. There's already a map with the relevant areas marked and everything else is at the player's fingertips.
2 Great Mobility
Other MMOs that depend on keyboards and macros fall flat when it comes to mobility options. However, the point-and-click-driven gameplay of Old School Runescape, at least for the most part, makes it a natural port for tablets and phones.
A mobile version of Old School Runescape has been available for Android and iOS since 2018, and even older players that were dedicated to their old keyboarding ways find it easy to use. On the technical side, it's a great program that runs smoothly and fast, with few or no bugs.
1 Exciting Player Challenges
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To be fair, this might be the game that invented in-game player challenges thanks to the highly customizable nature of the gameplay, including choices for gear and weapons. There are individual challenges like Ironman, which can be done with others, along with big eSports events like Wilderness Wars.
Another unique recurring event is the Deadman Tournament, which is organized and announced by Jagex, in which players fight each other not only for a cash grand prize but also to get another player's stuff. No other MMO has an event quite like it.
Old School Runescape is currently available on PC, macOS, and Mobile.