Once upon a time, it was hard to make money in MMORPG games. A strange concept that might be too much like real life, which is why it's often less of a challenge in modern games. On the other hand, many players consider this to be an intrinsic part of the gaming experience, so revamped, modern versions of earlier games still include the scarcity of gold as a feature. To grind or not to grind, that's the eternal question, and can you at least get rich while doing it?
Old School RuneScape, a game that was released in 2013 but based on a version of the game from 2007, actually has a larger player base than its modern counterpart. Making gold is important in this game since you need it to purchase certain special in-game items and Old School Bonds, which can be used to buy membership as opposed to keeping your account free-to-play. There are literally hundreds of ways to farm gold in Old School RuneScape, and each method is either through Processing, or crafting, Collecting, and Combat. Keep in mind that prices in the game are generally set by the Grand Exchange, which won't be available if you're playing in Ironman mode. Some methods of making gold are only available to members, while anyone can use the others, but all are exclusively found in the Old School RuneScape.
10 Cutting Yew Logs
Cutting any kind of tree will yield either experience or a resource, so why do gold farming guides for OSRC always focus on yew logs? This type of wood is in high demand for Fletching and Firemaking, so you can count on a consistent price for them on the auction house. To get the maximum yield in as little time as possible, players should be equipped with a Rune or Dragon ax and have a Woodcutting skill of 75 or better, although a skill level of 60 is required to chop down yew trees. This is a common gold farming technique, and players that are on a pay-to-play subscription have access to more exclusive areas, like the Woodcutting Guild.
9 Farm and Bird House Runs
These are repeatable activities that actually require you to farm something in a literal sense. Depending on what skill you want to grind up, or what products are the most lucrative at the time, this can not only help grind up that particular skill but can be changed or rotated to include Hunting, Herblore, or Farming. Integrating birds into this mix can be lucrative, but it takes some patience to set up. Players must be Hunters of at least level 5 and have the skill to build and bait birdhouses, which also requires a Crafting level of 5.
8 Killing Blue Dragons
If you've got that Slaying skill up, and every respectable adventurer should, then skip the quiet country life and go dragon hunting. In order for this gold-making technique to be lucrative, combat skills should be at 70 for ranged damage, 80 for melee fighters, 37 for magic users, and a 70 Agility level for everyone.
The dragons drop hide and bones at a high rate, all the while yielding other loot along with plenty of experience points. Dragon bones are a popular way to grind up the Prayer skill, and the Blue Dragonhide Armor pieces give bonuses to ranged weapons and spell hit.
7 Grinding Unicorn Horns
There are plenty of different horns you can grind, some of which will give experience after a certain level which the unicorn horns do not. However, this is a situation where you can make some money by selling your product on the grand exchange. Unicorn dust is used in both low and high-level antipoisons, which are important items in Herblore, so you can make a tidy profit selling it. Another advantage of this activity is that it requires no skill or special equipment, only a regular mortar and pestle.
6 Catching Sharks
Who said that grinding your fishing skill had to be boring? You don't have to put a net in a river or fish in a quiet pond. Go out there and get a few real monsters and make some decent gold while doing it, provided that you have a Membership. Sharks have various uses in the game, as an ingredient for portents that restore health along with a high-level food, both of which are indispensable to players exploring dangerous parts of the game. You need a harpoon and a fishing skill of 76 to fish for them, a Cooking skill level of 80 to cook them, and they'll yield XP for both.
5 Tanning Cowhide
Leather is in high demand in the game because it's so commonly used to craft gear, weapons, clothing, and various other items. It's available at a low level, almost immediately upon starting the game, so it's a popular gold-farming choice for beginning RPGers or new players. Cows are docile, easy to kill, have a high drop rate for cowhide, and respawn fast so repeating the process is easy and efficient.
You can take your hide to a Tanner, but you can also save the money by grinding your Magic level up to 83 and learning the Make Leather spell instead and save a few coins. You can make wither hard or soft leather, as both are lucrative, although soft leather tends to be worth more.
4 Rune Running
This isn't just about finding and obtaining runes. It's a service that you can provide to players who are too busy or too rich to do tasks as menial as collecting runes. One of the reasons that the price is high for this kind of simple service is that to farm rune or pure essence often requires a player to travel a long way to a high level and often dangerous area. Check out the "Runes and Ammo" section of the RuneScape forums to find other players that are willing to pay you for your time and trouble.
3 Mining Gold
Does this sound too obvious? In an echo of real-life, gold ore is sought after in Gielinor for many of the same reasons that we like it in real life. It can be used to make jewelry and train in the Smithing skill, so you can sell it to others grinding their level up or use it yourself to make shiny bobbles to sell for profit. You only need a level 40 Mining and Crafting to take advantage of this method, and the best place to find ore are in either dangerous areas or locations limited to Membership accounts. Finishing a couple of optional quests will give you access to a certain mine and a discount for a vendor in that location.
2 Herb Farming
Herbs are connected to the Herblore skill, which is useful at any level but essential for higher-level characters and related quests and activities. Herbs need to be cleaned before they can be used to make potions, which is a handy way to grind your own skill level up while producing a lucrative material to either be sold or added as an ingredient to make something even more valuable.
Farming herbs is a form of high art and precise science in OSRC. There are several tips, tricks, and easy techniques using crop rotation, supercomposting, and herb tables, along with having a Farming skill high enough to buy and plant seeds.
1 Slaying Gargoyles
For players that invest some time in grinding their Slaying skill, gargoyles are known for dropping some nice loot. One example is the Granite Maul, which is part of a set that only drops from gargoyles. These critters are only found in areas accessible to Members, so it's one of the few tips not available to free-to-play accounts. Grab that special rock hammer, make sure your Slaying skill is at a minimum of 75, and get to smashing for fun and gold.