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Today, the Legacy Mode beta was released, and Twitter and other social media outlets for Runescape were alight with hype and spam about the "new" release. To avoid getting into too much detail, I've been a Runescape player since 2004, I quit in 2008, and came back in 2013, just after EOC was released. And you know what, I love the EOC and the NIS. Especially since the Revolution update, I feel as though combat in Runescape has never before been so dynamic and alive.
But, you know, there was a fallout after the Evolution of Combat was released in 2012, and Jagex isn't happy that they lost so many paying customers. So what's the solution? Jagex comes out with the brilliant idea to flip the time switch and bring people back to the old era of combat with the simplified interface, all within the live game that still gets weekly updates. This is good, no? No.
Now don't get me wrong, I don't intend to go around pissing in other peoples' Cheerios just because it gives me my jollies, it's because this is definitively BAD for the overall health of the game, specifically by attracting an audience Runescape does not need.
Here, let me put it like this. Say Runescape is a restaurant you go to. You started going there, oh, 10 or so years ago and it was small back then, and the food was decent, but what really kept you coming back were the friends that went there and the owners which always kept you happy. As this restaurant grows in popularity, they start to throw in more stuff. More dishes, more employees, a renovated interior, a new menu look... But you keep going to the restaurant because you now love the people who own it, and it's a special place for you. Then, the restaurant owners make the executive decision to make a big change. They're completely updating their menu. Some of the recipes are old and use ingredients that aren't very readily available, and only a few of the dishes are even regularly ordered, so they decide to keep the great stuff, change the ok stuff, and toss out the old stuff for some newer, spunkier vittles. So, what do you do? Do you just leave the restaurant forever and say "f*ck you" to the people who have provided you a service for all these years? A logical person would not, and they would probably say something to the essence of, "you know what, I loved the old place, but sometimes change can be good. I know these people, and if I give it time, I'm sure this change will have been for the better."
Now think back to the EOC change as a parallel to this hypothetical tale. Does it not seem eerily familiar?
In hindsight, most of us, I am sure, can all agree that, although we may not have liked the change, and even if we still don't like the combat as much as we did previously, those that left because of the change are those that we should never have had in the community in the first place.
By and large, the people that stuck with Runescape were those that were committed to the game, and were willing to cope with the fact that the old stuff they like IS NOT ALWAYS GOING TO BE THE SAME. This is chiefly a more mature audience, wise enough to see past the ephemeral effects of the "now," and take a brief glimpse into the future. On the other hand, those that quit are those that are unwilling to change, and want their way because, well godammit, they want it! These people are immature, and a virus to the community.
Go to the Legacy beta and I DARE YOU to pk with EOC. Yep, you can fully expect to be hurled with insults, vulgarities, and other offensive language all because you've decided that the EOC is better for you. In the beta, it's been seen that many players have been crowding JMods, begging for Legacy to completely overtake EOC and the NIS, asking for old attack animations, and more.
Don't people see? These people cannot, rather, WILL NOT be satisfied. They are never happy, and never want to be because they are, for the most part, a byproduct of an age where everything is about me.
Some of you may have read this and take offense because you feel as though I am pigeon-holing those who choose to use Legacy, and you must understand that this is not my intent. I am friends with several people who weren't fans of the new stuff, and will use Legacy simply because they are more comfortable with it. And you know, I'm totally fine with that because there is a large difference between them and the people on the beta worlds now: they didn't leave the restaurant entirely because of a change of menu.
I implore you all to consider the ramifications of this "update," and whether or not it may be a detriment for the community as a whole. Please let me know how you feel about Legacy. Also, if you do have a problem with the harsh claims I've just made, log on to the beta and see for yourself. I'd love to be wrong, but I am all too worried that I am not.
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But, you know, there was a fallout after the Evolution of Combat was released in 2012, and Jagex isn't happy that they lost so many paying customers. So what's the solution? Jagex comes out with the brilliant idea to flip the time switch and bring people back to the old era of combat with the simplified interface, all within the live game that still gets weekly updates. This is good, no? No.
Now don't get me wrong, I don't intend to go around pissing in other peoples' Cheerios just because it gives me my jollies, it's because this is definitively BAD for the overall health of the game, specifically by attracting an audience Runescape does not need.
Here, let me put it like this. Say Runescape is a restaurant you go to. You started going there, oh, 10 or so years ago and it was small back then, and the food was decent, but what really kept you coming back were the friends that went there and the owners which always kept you happy. As this restaurant grows in popularity, they start to throw in more stuff. More dishes, more employees, a renovated interior, a new menu look... But you keep going to the restaurant because you now love the people who own it, and it's a special place for you. Then, the restaurant owners make the executive decision to make a big change. They're completely updating their menu. Some of the recipes are old and use ingredients that aren't very readily available, and only a few of the dishes are even regularly ordered, so they decide to keep the great stuff, change the ok stuff, and toss out the old stuff for some newer, spunkier vittles. So, what do you do? Do you just leave the restaurant forever and say "f*ck you" to the people who have provided you a service for all these years? A logical person would not, and they would probably say something to the essence of, "you know what, I loved the old place, but sometimes change can be good. I know these people, and if I give it time, I'm sure this change will have been for the better."
Now think back to the EOC change as a parallel to this hypothetical tale. Does it not seem eerily familiar?
In hindsight, most of us, I am sure, can all agree that, although we may not have liked the change, and even if we still don't like the combat as much as we did previously, those that left because of the change are those that we should never have had in the community in the first place.
By and large, the people that stuck with Runescape were those that were committed to the game, and were willing to cope with the fact that the old stuff they like IS NOT ALWAYS GOING TO BE THE SAME. This is chiefly a more mature audience, wise enough to see past the ephemeral effects of the "now," and take a brief glimpse into the future. On the other hand, those that quit are those that are unwilling to change, and want their way because, well godammit, they want it! These people are immature, and a virus to the community.
Go to the Legacy beta and I DARE YOU to pk with EOC. Yep, you can fully expect to be hurled with insults, vulgarities, and other offensive language all because you've decided that the EOC is better for you. In the beta, it's been seen that many players have been crowding JMods, begging for Legacy to completely overtake EOC and the NIS, asking for old attack animations, and more.
Don't people see? These people cannot, rather, WILL NOT be satisfied. They are never happy, and never want to be because they are, for the most part, a byproduct of an age where everything is about me.
Some of you may have read this and take offense because you feel as though I am pigeon-holing those who choose to use Legacy, and you must understand that this is not my intent. I am friends with several people who weren't fans of the new stuff, and will use Legacy simply because they are more comfortable with it. And you know, I'm totally fine with that because there is a large difference between them and the people on the beta worlds now: they didn't leave the restaurant entirely because of a change of menu.
I implore you all to consider the ramifications of this "update," and whether or not it may be a detriment for the community as a whole. Please let me know how you feel about Legacy. Also, if you do have a problem with the harsh claims I've just made, log on to the beta and see for yourself. I'd love to be wrong, but I am all too worried that I am not.