How Runescape has affected my life

Before I start I'd like you to know a bit about me; I'm 19 years old, finished my second year of university and have a great job while not working at school during the summer. I've always had a shy personality, that's not to say I find it hard to make friends.. But Runescape has defiantly made me .. well not a loner but someone hard to relate to.

I started playing Runescape in the summer of 2005, I was 11 and in grade 6 at the time. Everyone played it, it was great. I distinctly remember pk trips with all of my classmates, 10 or so of us. Dressed in our steel sets and mithril scimitars walking deep in the wild, ready to kill anyone who crossed our path... But all that's changed now.

I'm addicted. For years I've been the last of my friends to play. I've skipped school, hanging out with friends, family events... I had and still have put Runescape as a top priority in my life.

If that's not bad enough, in 2011- 2012 I discovered the duel arena. Suddenly Runescape was no longer about leveling my skills, it was about getting as much gold as possible, even if I had to spend my hard earned money. I've spent over $3000 dollars buying gold, boxing, gambling it away, for what purpose? It's a game.My parents hate the game, they've watched me throw away my money into it. Repeatedly telling me not to spend real-life money on something that is virtual.

When eoc came out and dueling died I quit. Life was good. I was happier and hung out with my friends whenever the opportunity came up. I was more social and focused on life. Now, with OS07 out I've gone back to my old ways. Staking and spending hours on hours on this game.

What I want to say is; do you guys ever think about what your life and what it would be like if you never played this game? Think about all those hours - too many to count - that could have been used on something real.. something not virtual. I think about Runescape all the time, my thoughts are plagued by it. Yet I keep playing, as if it will ever make me happy. I've tried quitting, always come back. No game will ever compare. The worst thing is none of my friends can relate to my situation... can any of you?

Thanks for reading my very long... rant/plea/speech.. whatever you want to call it. I guess I'm really just looking for someone else who is experiencing the same thing as me.

 

It's not too late man. Don't ever feel like your against the clock to play Rs. Only play when you can.

I know it sounds easier than it is.

Someday you'll look back and say "What a waste", we all will.

This was my problem. Try to find some different hobbies and slowly move away from Runescape, it's dying anyway. What will you achieve by mastering the game.

 

Time spent having fun is not wasted, 90+ days of playtime and I don't regret any of it. That being said, keep your priorities straight, It's a shame to let life pass you by for the sake of xp.

 

There's not a day that goes by that I think "What a waste". Especially with the release of OS07 and having to start my accounts all over again.. "What will you achieve by mastering the game"... exactly. NOTHING.

I've been going to the gym every day for the last few months.. and I can say that yeah going out and trying different hobbies/activities is the way to lessen your play-time.

What kind of hobbies did you find helped you draw away from Runescape?

So many people have told me this in-game whenever I bring up my argument.. Sure I enjoyed it but man... these are my prime years of my life and I'm inside on a game! A virtual game! It has no meaning! No purpose!

"Keep your priorities straight" Oh so easy to say but hard to do..

Don't you think about those 90+ days and how you could have had TONS more fun outside with friends, playing soccer etc... ?

If only I could go back in time and stop myself from ever starting.. I just wish I knew what I would be like without the game being such a big part of my teenage years.

 

Well, I am an avid runescape player, an I too have a very high, somewhat executive position in a very reputable company, I am a social person and go out most weekends to hang with friends. I juggle all three of these. What you're doing at the moment, as stated, is prioritising something that shouldn't be there, no it's not a waste of time, but think of it like this; runescape, theoretically, will always be there. It doesn't matter if you get that 99 in 2 weeks, or 2 months, you'll get there eventually. Life is a lot more important than runescape.

Use runescape to fill in blanks, if you have nothing to do; play. If your friends want to hang, go hang.

 

Not really, I played sports and had a social life while playing rs. Those 90+ days are over 9 years.

 

This, basically.

Same situation, I work long hours and really just use RS to fill in my free time (of which there can be a lot). Say I'm on the late shift, from 5-10:30.. if it's a quiet night I may have nothing to do from about 7-10:30, so RS fills that time nicely. I'm always on call so can't go out and do anything, so RS does the trick.

 

I find runescape can be addicting, but it always stops at a point, you need to find your social and main priorities of life, and take care of them, play runescape as a extra part, dont miss out on priorities, because in the end, the way jagex are going runescapes not going to be for life. Enjoy playing, enjoy hanging out with your friends, and just don't put runescape as a main priority its a game

 

Think of it in a positive way friend, i personally could have been in jail if i swapped my rs time for some of the petit shit i got up to, i look at it as a fantasy, somewhere i find comfort away from hard realities of life.

 

Thanks everyone, you all have helped me look at the positive side to this.

 

Dude your situation exactly mirrors mine lmao.. except I'm 20 years old and I made more money staking than I've lost. I'm addicted as well. All I do now is goldfarm and I'm getting my main maxed melee so I'm ready when boxing comes back.

I kind of quit staking for a while now because of all the people with crazy PID when you start staking higher. But I'm going to be as addicted as I was in 2011 once boxing comes back.

 

So you have major regret as well? Like... man is staking ever a rush. It's so addicting.

 

Runescape is a hobby, not a lifestyle. The game will always be here no matter what happens in your life, but the experiences you'll face, friends, family, etc. won't be. You already realize that you're spending too much time on runescape, so that's the first step. Hang out with friends, try new things, etc. You don't need to quit runescape, it's a fun game, I get it. You'll just have to manage your time. Hang out with your friends, and then when you come home, go play runescape for an hour or two.

 

I just bot and do quests legit. If I get banned which never has happened ever in the past then I'll quit but until then I'll keep crossing my fingers that nothing bad will happen. I don't waste a lot of my time online but I do waste a lot of my money on things like gold and fire capes and torsos but it gives me entertainment and I don't drink so I feel like the money I waste online for entertainment is the money I would be using if I drank and went out so it's not so bad. I still go out though all the time just bars or clubs.

 

I feel you completely.

I wake up at like 5am on weekends for my clan, always stay up training when I should be sleeping/doing homework, and generally tend to put rs over other things. I try to tell myself that, well hey I enjoyed it at the time so I shouldn't think of it as a waste of time. But it's a total waste of time.

Hopefully I'll get around to quitting. Hope you do too

 

If you've manged to learn the value of money through your RS career, time hasn't been wasted. Just look at ways of changing what you've learned for the better.

 

Have you tried quitting in the past? I've gone on 6 month breaks and still managed to come back to the game. I don't know why but nothing compares... xbox, other games; they just don't compete. I think that's the main reason why quitting runescape is so tough.

 

Can't say I regret any of the time I've spent on RS. Maybe wasn't the most productive way to spend 2 years of my life, but I wouldn't change it. I meet the most amazing people online, which now I've met IRL.

I do believe Runescape isn't just something you move on from, I don't get how people can. If I was to move on it truly would be a waste of time! Same if I was to sell my account, I'd have nothing to show for my hard efforts. (other then real life cash) You're not alone if finding it hard to move on from Runescape, I'm sure many players find it difficult to quit. As for spending loads of money on gold to stake, at lest you didn't go out and buy drugs? lol

One day you'll move on, all comes in time lol

(I'm 21 btw, so I'm not some 12 year old preaching)

 

Apart from the gambling money away part, my story is identical. I feel!

 

Well for starters not really a hobby but more of a game, I got into minecraft (3d sandbox game).

And I just ended up loving that more because I was free in the game, nothing to stress about such as getting a lot of gold or losing it all staking (Been there).

Now I know we all don't agree on what games are good, but my point was find a game to fill that blank that is not addicting. I love Minecraft to death but I don't find it addicting, it's perfect. No strings attached.

The game really got me away from Runescape.

Apart from that I check back time to time on RS and I'm just not motivated.

But for the hobbies it's different for everyone I guess. But I did try to read more books (as boring as it sounds) and if you find a good one it's perfect.

But hey if you want to try out minecraft to see if it keeps you away pm me and you can try it out on my account.