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draco verum

draco verum

Posts: 2,589 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
THEY MIGHT BE BRINGING BACK FREE TRADE?!?!!
I'm so glad that this is being considered. I am 100% behind a return to Free Trade. And to tell the truth, there are even a few things I miss about having Pk'ers roaming the wildy. (Rev's don't get upset when they kill you and get nothing but a load of pink skirts. =D )
Not that anyone asked, but here's what I think about the vote, the changes and why:
I think free trade was one of the most important aspects of this game. Everything is click, click, click in this game. For the most part, each activity is like riding a rail. There are FEW uncertainties. But with free trade, we got to INVENT our own games: Companies, co-ops, drop parties, surprise gifts to flabbergasted little noobies, and on and on. Even the wannabe conmen and scammers found their little diversions (petty though they might be.)
To some extent, this was also true of Pk'ers in the Wildy. They got to invent THEIR own (DOMINATION and AGRESSION based) activities. And if that's what trips their triggers..hey so be it.
When Free trade was killed, the soul of our ability to invent freely and interact with one another in less predictable manners died along with it.
World 66 Law running died. World 16 Airs stopped being a handy way for RC'ers of ALL levels to get speedier XP and became little more than a strokefest for RC'ers level 88 and over. (Most of whom, ironically, got those levels by using World 16 Airs or World 66 Laws before free trade was abolished.)
(continued)

30-Dec-2010 21:56:55 - Last edited on 30-Dec-2010 21:58:13 by draco verum

draco verum

draco verum

Posts: 2,589 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
People not inclined to do quests, were practically FORCED to complete them by the imposition of trade limits. Imagine if you will: Paying to play a game that you like some aspects of, and being practically FORCED to spend HOURS of your time engaging in the aspects of the game that you DON'T like. (Even a Gym Membership doesn't penalize you if you decide to girl-watch with your money instead of working out.)
Skiller co-ops and companies died in droves. You have NO IDEA how many companies I'd started just to see if the idea would work. I was known for starting new companies, then leaving the reins with someone else while I moved on to the next idea..because profit was secondary to the thrill of CREATING SOMETHING NEW within the game. That died when free trade died. Ohhh I tried to find ways that worked within the new limits. But they were always neutered, spiritless and lacking in the sort of incentives that can really motivate groups of people toward the common effort that is required to get a company up and running.
The drastic measures taken by Jagex to combat Real World Traders did ALL of these things. And the RWT'ers jus* found new methods or moved on to other games..leaving those of us who TRULY LOVE this game to sit and wonder...what did WE do to deserve these new limitations on our freedoms? What did WE DO that deserved the death of our game as we knew and loved it?
(continued)

30-Dec-2010 21:57:04 - Last edited on 30-Dec-2010 21:58:44 by draco verum

draco verum

draco verum

Posts: 2,589 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
As for Pk'ing in the Wildy? I say bring that back too.
For the record, I'm not a fan of Pk'ing.
I despise opportunistic Pk'ing and luring.
I think People Killing is a reprehensible activity unless it's between two consenting players/clans.
That people who could make better money (or at least more certain money) doing something else, choose to try and take what another has invested hours of time in obtaining, makes no sense to me. Neither from a financial nor an ethical standpoint.
But from what I can tell, most Pk'ers don't do it for the money. Many do it for the EGO boost. Many do it for the RISK and ADRENALINE involved. Some do it because they need a pecking order and the chance to fight for a good spot in it. Quite a few do it because they get off on making others miserable. And there are probably so many other reasons that don't occur to me, because I find the whole thing so distasteful.
But that's me. That's not everyone else. And if there's one thing I'm 100% behind, it's letting people do their own thing, as long as I'm not required to participate. I mean I'd love to see an "ACCEPT THIS CHALLENGE?" sort of thing added to Pk'ing..but what about the people who enjoy crushing people's spirits and stealing their stuff without warning? There should be a place for them to have their fun too. Especially if they're paying customers.
(continued)

30-Dec-2010 21:57:13 - Last edited on 30-Dec-2010 21:59:19 by draco verum

draco verum

draco verum

Posts: 2,589 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Now there's a word Jagex doesn't use very often: CUSTOMERS.
Whether you're p2p or f2p..you're a client for as long as you play the game. We all are.
But if you're a member..then you're also a CUSTOMER.
Here's the funny thing about customers: We get a bit peeved when we pay for a product (which Runescape membership is) and then, without any say-so or input...without even a "Hey we're thinking about changing this, would that *other you?"..the company drastically changes the product in opposition to our desires, thoughts, wishes and opinions.
This sort of thing is made worse when the company responds by saying, "Hey if you don't like the changes, no one is FORCING you to continue buying this product." That's a "(blank) you!" moment, particularly when one has spent months, even years working the product into one's daily life. It's a kick in the face when we have friends in here, history in here..and a loyalty to the game that isn't easily tossed aside by those of us who value loyalty or simply enjoy a dependable routine.
So, when Jagex first announced that free trade was dead and that wildy Pk'ing would soon be abolished, we spoke our minds..then. We gave our opinions...then. WE RALLIED in the (virtual) streets...SCREAMING to be heard..then.
But Jagex knew better than its customers what its customers needed.
Apparently, at the time the survival of Jagex didn't require keeping paying customers satisfied. It required satisfying the corporate tinkering urges of new business partner, Insight Venture which, like most corporate entities probably keeps a team of lawyers onhand to neuter any REAL risk taking in the minefield that is the market. My GUESS, is that the lawyers told them RWT was a bigger threat to the company than the loss of thousands of dissatisfied customers.
Is it any wonder that profit margins (% of turnover) have steadily dropped since the new CORPORATE Jagex began this, the reign of Beancounter the Clueless and the Legal Eagles?
(continued

30-Dec-2010 21:57:23 - Last edited on 30-Dec-2010 22:07:41 by draco verum

draco verum

draco verum

Posts: 2,589 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
And so, when Jagex announces *hat it "really cares about what we think", I'm inclined to be a little skeptical. It didn't care back in 2007 when we complained. Does it really care now? I mean, I want to believe..but..what's changed? (Besides the quarterly return on their cash investment, I mean.)
I HOPE that Jagex cares. I really do, because I love this game...it's OUR game. Jagex may own their servers, and the icons and the graphics and the copyrights and the trademarks and the software, but if WE don't play the game...there is no game.
This is a CO-COMMITTMENT between Jagex and its clients. If they don't develop and maintain Runescape, there is no game. If we don't play what they develop and maintain, there is no game..just empty servers. But in the end, Jagex is the one getting PAID to keep up its part of this arrangement, and we're the ones PAYING to fulfill ours.
We DESERVE to have the say that we are finally getting, (I never considered voting for a bone brooch or a grim reaper hood to be more than token participation at best), and so I hope that Jagex is sincere. Because I'd like to stop being looked at as part of some amorphous herd that'll do what it's told to..or else. I really would.
I'd also like to be able to express my appreciation for all of the creativity, effort and care that went into designing this little world away from the world, without having my enthusiasm stamped out by my indignation at being treated like a dues-paying-peon whose opinion doesn't matter.
I was a software developer for years..don't think I don't appreciate the hours that go into some of these updates. Boy do I ever..keeping a million-plus lines of code working together without wreaking any MAJOR havoc on player databases is a minor miracle.
But if my critiques of what you do don't matter Jagex, it's really hard to put any oomph into my compliments either. As far as I know, they'd both fall on deaf ears.
(continued)

30-Dec-2010 21:57:31 - Last edited on 30-Dec-2010 22:03:35 by draco verum

draco verum

draco verum

Posts: 2,589 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Still, I'm a hopeful person at heart and so I'd like to think that the Free Trade & Wildy vote is an indication that Jagex REALLY IS listening to us, instead of just responding to the lines and bars on their financial report. As I said, I'm skeptical. But my skepticism is impotent, and besides, if Free Trade is restored, the Runescape lover in me won't really care why it was restored..I'll just be happy that it's back.
This is a crazy time for Runescape, Jagex and anyone that has an interest in what they do.
Graphically superior MMORPGs are springing up left and right. Players are demanding more and more realism, arcade-style action, interactivity and FREEDOM from their MMORPGs than ever before. Many ex-Runescape players have switched to other games for just these reasons. Good luck (and in some cases, good riddance) to them.
And here WE are Jagex; content to clickety click click our way around this charming, cartoony little world.
We don't ask a whole lot. We'll put up with the glitches, the changes we don't like and the sometimes callous, mechanical enforcement of the rules. And we'll deal with the frequent updates, time lag and occasional fee increases (although we prefer the decreases..=D ) that are required in order to fix the things we would rather not put up with. We're crazy like that. We're crazy in love with this game like that. Mostly, we're just plain crazy.
But crazy or not, all we ask is that you: Appreciate us. Value us. Cherish, if only in a cursory, professional way, the things we give to you: our loyalty, our time, our money, our trust and our hope that these things will *** have been given in vain.
Love from your brother,
draco

30-Dec-2010 21:57:40 - Last edited on 30-Dec-2010 22:04:14 by draco verum

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