Over the next 4 months starting with the game update on July 12, every weekend all online players eligible will have an incredibly rare chance to obtain a random rare pre-RS2 item by doing any action ingame. There will a minimum playtime and level requirement.
The release of rares has been perfect. Here’s why:
The goal of the preservation project is to preserve the lost years of RuneScape. Currently we are at the point of June 28th, 2004 in the RuneScape 2 timeline. In RuneScape 2, rare holiday items were discontinued beginning with the 2003 Easter Event. So then we are faced with the dilemma: How do we preserve RuneScape history with the release of rares?
The first part of this dilemma is relatively simple to solve. To preserve the lost years of RuneScape rare items must retain their status as rare and valuable items as they were originally in Runescape 2 at the point of June 28th, 2004. By doing this rare items will feel authentic and provide us a true feeling of what playing RuneScape in 2004 was like.
The second part of this dilemma is far more complex. By which method should rares be released into the game? This is the part that I believe is being done beautifully. In 2004 meta gaming didn’t exist, much of RuneScape was unknown, and RuneScape was a much more social game than it is today. From the evidence we have so far it seems as if more people have received rares from doing less click intensive and more ‘social skilling’ methods such as fishing, mining, and wood cutting. And of course it should come down to RNG because this is RuneScape after all.
To conclude I want to thank Pazaz for your careful attention to detail, decision making, and knowledge of RuneScape history that is being displayed through this event. Also a big thank you to the rest of the developers who are donating their time to recreate a game we all love that has been lost to time.
Indeed, a very well thought out and a refreshing fun event while keeping things authentic as possible. Truly deserving praise to those involved in the project and Pazaz, a true OG RuneScape player no better suited for the leader role. It’s too bad for the sake of RuneScape that we didn’t have such a leader back then. It wouldn’t have turned into a micro transaction whore house.
“Perfect” might be a stretch. From the limited information that we know, it favours people who can play more. Obviously, not everyone is able to. And even then, you’re at the mercy of RNG. There’s going to be some unlucky sods who chip in the majority of their weekends playing only to not get lucky. This is completely unlike how rares were originally obtained—and yes, I know that it’s not possible to replicate that anymore. I would call this an effective compromise, but not perfect by any means.
I would call it perfect! Here’s how rares were originally released into the game:
2001
Halloween: The first-ever RuneScape holiday event, Pumpkins were dropped in Falador Park (and other towns) on October 31st.
Christmas: Christmas Crackers were dropped across Gielinor on December 24th, 2001.
2002
Easter: Easter Eggs were dropped.
Halloween: Red, Blue, and Green Halloween masks were dropped on October 31st, 2002.
Christmas: Santa Hats were randomly dropped throughout the day on December 25th, 2002.
So historically players who were able to play the game specifically on the holiday for longer periods of time were favored it’s true. How lucky for us then that we are given 16 weekends to pull a rare by simply playing the game. Rather than sacrificing holidays away from loved ones waiting for a rare to spawn where we might get out clicked due to pid?
Having one day where rares are dropped seems less exhausting than spending multiple weekends trying to achieve one without a guarantee. You also have to mention party hats when talking about rares.
December 25th
“Honey are you going to watch the kids open their presents?”
-Fight’s wife
“No, I have to sit here and try to click a santa hat for the next 24 hours.”
-Fight
December 26th
“So how many santa hats did you pick up honey?”
-Fight’s Wife
“None. I didn’t have pid once, this server is so rigged, corrupt emods I swear!”
-Fight
“Okay.. Honey I’m going to take the kids to my parents for awhile.”
-Fight’s Ex-Wife
I’m simply saying it’d be a lot less work for a one-day chance compared to a multi-weekend chance. Not all players have family obligations for holidays either.
I could make a similar point in regard to players whose weekends are occupied, and thus are unable to take advantage of the current circumstances, but I’m sure you get the point.
I’m just joking with you buddy. Hope you had a laugh.
But why on earth would you want rares to be obtained via less work? That type of methodology sounds more similar to the 2020 era of the RS3 microtransaction mind virus. The method rares are currently being released is more than fair. Anyone who logs in, is eligible, and plays the game over the next 13 weekends has a chance to pull a rare. By limiting rare drops to weekends you are effectively evening the playing field. The players that play 24/7 are only able to play 24/2 therefore the casuals are getting buffed. But of course people who play the game more should have in turn better odds at receiving a rare.
Randomly dropped is a reach. I played back in 02 and they spawned in on what i assume is a timer. No 48 hr grinding. No reason to put off house hold chores. Login pick up some mask/hats and log out.
The only thing I would change about this event is the drop rate. I wouldn’t be surprised if the average weekend gameplay to receive a rare is about 100 hours. Which would be far too much for the average player to spend during those 4 months.
It also takes a lot of time away from families from those desperately wanting one, clocking in an upwards of 10+ hours a day, which is unhealthy. And why wouldn’t you when wearables are over 100 mil? You become one of the richest players in an instant.
To me it would of made more sense to make them less rare and their rarity becomes overtime. Limiting the average player to 1-2 and dedicated players to 5 or so.
Even then they still would be very valuable with everyone collecting and trading them.
It’s not perfect. When rares originally came out, they were not the most expensive items in the game so people did not play solely for acquiring them. Pazaz says we shouldn’t play solely to acquire them, but they’re the most valuable items in the game by far, so of course we do.
If Pazaz didn’t want us to play solely to acquire them, they shouldn’t have been made that rare on launch. Being discontinued, they would become valuable eventually as more gp enters the game and players churn.
you could be right. I was referring to perhaps for all those who received rares at the end of the 4 months, the average weekend time played might be 100 hours. It probably is a lot higher than 100 hours because a lot of players who will eventually clock in over 100 hours won’t receive any. Still too early to tell so who knows.
Rares came out in 2001 and 2002 without the knowledge that they would become discontinued items until 2003. We are currently at June 28th, 2004 in the RuneScape 2 timeline. At the time of June 28th, 2004 rares were indeed very rare and valuable items. In 2004 and 2005 rares were in fact the most expensive items in the game and a large portion of content because of it. During this time period RuneScape lacked end game content, but rares really bridged the gap and gave collectors and end game players goals to work towards.
Maybe you didn’t play during this time period so you never experienced this. Or perhaps you are misremembering RuneScape 2 history because of the emptiness Old School RuneScape left us with by removing the historical significance of rare items altogether.
Try to focus on the fact that we are at the point of June 28th, 2004 in the RuneScape 2 timeline. In June 28th, 2004 how much time would it take to acquire a rare item? Also a big reason Jagex decided to stop dropping holiday items is because greedy players would hoard them, and other players would miss out on the drops entirely.
We can’t go back to 2001 or 2002 and drop holiday items like how they were originally introduced because we’re already in 2004. But the most authentic way for it to feel like we’re playing RuneScape in 2004 is for rare items to retain their prestige and rarity in the same way they did in 2004.
Im just pointing out that you said is authentic to 2002 drops when it isnt. We didnt spend 10 hrs a day hoping to hit pid for a h mask or santa. They just dropped. As so.eone who played rscp i can tell you even with the hoarding during the drops those rares are pretty rare today.
Starting to think you’re just trolling with these post.
So I thought of this if pazaz really wanted to be as close to authentic he could have coded in an npc that sold all the rares at market price in 2004. Left the npc in for a month and it would have resulted in a much needed gold sink.