RuneScape Forum Archive | (F2P) QoL Improvements v2

Deltaslug

Posts: 32,671 Sapphire Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

I'm at a weird place when it comes to the whole Level 20 or Level 30 for F2P.
I don't think they need to add anything new for F2P at those levels that isn't already there on the F2P map.

Divination already has the first 3 divination colonies in the F2P area.

The grind to 20 or 30 Slayer isn't hurt with the current slayer masters (I mean they could just make the Varrock Museum Natural History Exam accessible for F2P to help there as well)

Farming doesn't need a PoF-lite (I do like the idea, but it probably helps less than anyone thinks with how the Level 1-20 or 30 gap can be quickly closed.) There's enough stuff to grow between 5 and 20 or 30 for F2P to keep a handle on how it works AND be profitable for F2P to grow stuff.

Construction to 20 or 30 isn't that bad with just planks. PoH utility is the bigger issue and that isn't going to be fixed any time soon.

Thieving is a different issue as I think you gain more experience from easy quests than you do actual pickpocketing to bypass the early levels.

Agility is an issue unto itself. They could make it full accessible to F2P and it not help/hinder any more than it already is. Burth course to a level and then Wilderness to 99 especially after the rework. *sarcastic woo!!*

Similarly with summoning as most of the early familiars have limited value. +1 to mining with Desery Wyrm and +1 to Fishing with Granite Crab become the new F2P meta. But still.

Hunter .... not much to say here for F2P at 20-30.

Herblore to 20 would let F2P make the base combat potions including str. some potions could have lvl adjusted to allow them made at < 20 or 30.

02-Jul-2022 21:11:06

Oct

2013

Rikornak

Posts: 9,169 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Divination is fairly a no-brainer. It obviously wouldn't hurt if some things were rebalanced for a bit (i.e. divine oak tree needs to be pushed down from 21 to 10something), but as it stands you literally can see this skill as it stands up to level 20.

As for a slayer extension it wasn't too bad they added jacquelyn last year, since she is a bit more than the tutorial master players naturally were forced to use for a while. But since low levelled slayer masters solely are locked by combat level it's easy enough to make vannaka available as well. Question of course would rather what free players could fight. Taverley slayer cave always could be expanded further, but it might be feasible to give them access to the lumbridge swamp caves - albeit for that a lot of pre-work needs to be done.

Farming kinda works - it just lacks interesting stuff to do at low levels - that basically could have been tackled by the POF3.

Construction also is a no-brainer. It probably wouldn't hurt to give free players access to oak planks and a couple of pieces of furniture as well. That skill also isn't that interesting up to level 20 - but it doesn't need to be at that point. Improvements: Tooltip / (F2P) QoL v2
Quick Fixes: Invention

03-Jul-2022 06:18:34

Oct

2013

Rikornak

Posts: 9,169 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Agility - kinda reminds me of the Zeah exclusive league in OS. You literally were forced to train this skill with one-off experience, barbarian fishing and shortcuts. I mean - for 20 levels it certainly would work... but yeah gladly, this skill in RS3 is no longer as essential, as it historically was.

Summoning and Herblore probably would need a tad bit more features - if those are entirely new (see my herblore suggestions) or rebalanced old ones would be up to jagex, but they're both good enough to show off, what this skill is up to.

Thieving and Hunter are pointless at low levels - the former is okay to generate a couple of GP as ironman to start out, the latter gives a lot of ultra exotic materials, you either just need once or never in the first place. Scarab hunting probably was the best low to mid level hunter feature ever released in either game. Improvements: Tooltip / (F2P) QoL v2
Quick Fixes: Invention

03-Jul-2022 06:19:42

Anroy

Posts: 970 Gold Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Coming back to this thread, I think a lot of it would be good as a future expansion into F2P, which hasn't seen a major update since Heartstealer in February 2021. We're somewhat overdue for content, but the key hurdle is I think is trying to convince Jagex that a new F2P expansion like the 2017 bonanza is worth implementing. Another alternative would be to slowly release this over time, so that 90% of updates that happen are still for members.

28-Aug-2022 08:12:20

Oct

2013

Rikornak

Posts: 9,169 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

I am with you for that matter. When the duel arena was replaced by the oasis they certainly could have added something small for f2p as well (maybe-ish some new fishing activity for level ~55 or so). It would have been the perfect opportunity, since it for once actually wasn't an update targeted at high levelled players. But yeah...

Likewise the wilderness rework, while generally grandiously done, it basically costed f2p a few things (albeit already the 2016 update wasn't really done with f2p in mind). Maybe when they're re-doing the southern wilderness they could add a few things relevant to free players there.

If they were to do a level 20 skill trial for p2p skills they actually could open up a couple of existing things following up - free players wouldn't be needed to be let into kandarin or so - but entrana and zanaris would be perfectly reachable for instance. Otherwise new content obviously should be meaningful enough and fulfill some new niche. I perfectly could see a couple of mid levelled things they could add, rather than that extreme focus on high levels. The oasis basically just was such a thing - albeit solely for p2p skills. Improvements: Tooltip / (F2P) QoL v2
Quick Fixes: Invention

30-Aug-2022 05:52:41

Anroy

Posts: 970 Gold Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

One thing that I think a lot of people miss is that for about half of eligible P2P skills like agility and thieving, if Jagex were to increase the trial level cap to 20 for them, there would still be content locked behind membership. I think this is a good concept; like other F2P skills players would get a better sense of what content could be accessed by subscribing at a cap of 20, which is one of the main points of having a free game to begin with.

Some suggestions with the remaining skills include:

Farming – oak trees and growing herbs and/or other hops could be locked, while allotments would progress

Construction – make some rooms paywalled

Summoning – keep dungeoneering familiars p2p (as they are now for levels 1-5)

Divination – paywall signs of the porter, some div locations, transmutation

Let me know your thoughts.

*Edit - Going to level 20 would also, for reasons stated above, give free players a better sense of what they're missing out on by not being members. A level 5 cap gives maybe 3-4 pieces of content on average locked behind a paywall, going to level 20 would definitely increase this.

01-Sep-2022 22:32:00 - Last edited on 02-Sep-2022 16:27:47 by Anroy

Oct

2013

Rikornak

Posts: 9,169 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

In general - if the thing is within the intended level range, raw materials are available to free players, as well as the processed product would fulfill purpose in f2p they should be able to make use of it. There just is no need to artificially restrict this in order to promote membership.

As for farming - to be fair - if farming was properly balanced you would be able to grow willow at level 20 (or at least within a couple of levels to) - and if it was a level 20 feature it should be a f2p feature - if free players are able to lay their hands on those seeds. This said - at least oak certainly should be a f2p feature. Hops on the other hand can be restricted, since it doesn't fulfill any purpose (albeit free players can grow hammerstone hops, so it would be consistent to allow them to grow other kinds of hops as well...). Thing is - farming really can't show much within 20 levels, but what it can show it should be able to.

Construction - yet again - no reason to restrict anything - there is nothing wrong if they would be able to build simple dining rooms, workshops and bedrooms. They just need to given access to oak planks and limestone - which both is available in the free area of the game.

Summoning - it's debatable if p2p features should remain locked in daemonheim. As it stands most things can't be used so it at least would be consistent - but if it was to be unlocked, it should be done for all p2p skills.

Divination - that's literally the skill, which just should allow them to use everything up to level 20. Transmuting runite needs a level fix (why is this level 6?), but free players wouldn't be able to use it anyway, since they can't access the energy required. And I think divine locations only spill out things players can use level wise, so they wouldn't get herbs outside their level range. Porters might be able to change how this game is played, but this doesn't need to be a bad thing - and that actually shows to value of a membership feature. Improvements: Tooltip / (F2P) QoL v2
Quick Fixes: Invention

05-Sep-2022 14:11:47 - Last edited on 05-Sep-2022 14:19:46 by Rikornak

Seasons Past

Posts: 559 Steel Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

I agree with Rikornak that it would be best to give F2P complete access to content that falls within the permitted level range and geographic area, when possible. From a marketing standpoint, I would be hesitant to limit new players' exposure to content that might ultimately sway them to continue and become long-term players.

The approach that seems to have been pursued over the years is to entice new players to purchase membership by restricting their access to the game, which I think has been counterproductive. Spirit of Forinthry ~ Runecrafting: Magic Armour ~ F2P Extensions ~ Dragon Slayer improvements ~ New Player Experience

05-Sep-2022 21:56:24 - Last edited on 05-Sep-2022 21:56:42 by Seasons Past

Seasons Past

Posts: 559 Steel Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

As an alternative to double XP events, I would propose shorter but more frequent events where all of Gielenor is within reach, no subscription required. I recall one such event having been trialled within the last couple of years, but since then it seems like the marketing strategy has been taken in the opposite direction.

Edit: I thought there was an event where F2P was temporarily given access to Menaphos. Does anyone know what I'm talking about? I tried Google searches and skimmed through the news archive but couldn't find the name of the event. Spirit of Forinthry ~ Runecrafting: Magic Armour ~ F2P Extensions ~ Dragon Slayer improvements ~ New Player Experience

05-Sep-2022 22:03:53 - Last edited on 22-Oct-2022 20:32:39 by Seasons Past

Seasons Past

Posts: 559 Steel Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

One major issue which may have already been mentioned is that much of the early game content is simply not up to a standard modern players are likely to expect.

The Hunter skill is a painfully clear example of this. The only viable training method for F2P is catching crimson swifts with bird snares. I suppose I can only speak for myself, but I can't imagine that a new player would find this tolerable:

1. Click a snare.
2. Wait until a bird lands. The bird may or may not break the snare, which you have no way to anticipate.
3a. If a bird gets caught, click the snare and gain XP. Then start all over again.
3b. If a bird breaks the snare, click the snare and don't gain XP. Then start all over again. Spirit of Forinthry ~ Runecrafting: Magic Armour ~ F2P Extensions ~ Dragon Slayer improvements ~ New Player Experience

22-Oct-2022 20:50:42

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(F2P) QoL Improvements v2