It was a sunny day in summer break in June 2002. My neighbor, Steve, was indoors playing a game on his computer that I had never seen before. Online, he was wandering through a grassy kingdom named Lumbridge. I was intrigued in all of the other real people around him who were wandering, talking, and trading. One of his friends from school, Jake Schwartz, had showed him this game. It was called RuneScape.
We decided to go outside and swim at the lake. It was a nice day, after all. We swam, and he told me more about the game. I was very interested, and wanted to know how I could play it. He said I would find it at a brand new website called www.Jagex.com. I couldn’t remember its name, and for a while forgot all about it.
Perhaps a week later I asked him about it again, and this time I found the game. I registered for a free account, and called my character “SuperEthan.” This was RuneScape Classic, the version build before “RuneScape 2,” which we dreamed of for a long time before its release. The game opened with the option of choosing to be a warrior, archer, or wizard. I chose melee over ranging and magic. At this time, there was no Tutorial Island; I appeared directly in Lumbridge, the same place my neighbor had been when I had watched him play.
RuneScape was very different back then. The graphics were substandard. Characters were stiff, most wielded weapons were indistinguishable from one another, rivers had no motion and were solid blue, and walls were paper thin. The camera was static and limited to an aerial view. The incredible array of animations that are a major part of RuneScape’s visual experience today were, for the most part, inexistent back then. This was before one could run in RuneScape. This was before there ever were Runecrafting, Slayer, Farming, Construction, Hunter, or Summoning skills! There were only 50 quests, as opposed to the almost 150 we have now. There were no achievement diaries. There were no emotes. There wasn’t even music!
On the other hand, there were a few things around back then that are gone now. For example, there was an option to request a duel with somebody, anywhere in RuneScape. There was a fatigue system complete with sleeping bags that were pretty much necessary to have at all times. There was a black hole in the Dwarven mines where punished players were banished to, and other players could only return from with a ‘disk of returning’. Party hats were fresh and plentiful, and other items that might be considered ‘rare’ today were the norm back then. We had no idea some of the items we were playing with would be discontinued and eventually become the most valuable items on RuneScape. For instance, I picked up several Santa Hats that Christmas of 2002 and sold them for 1000 gold pieces (gp) each, oblivious that years later they would be worth in the range of 20 million gp each and growing.
Although RuneScape was drastically inferior, it still managed to possess an addictive feel for everyone that played it. I would find myself logging into the game every chance I had, to work on leveling up my skills, using those skills to make money, using the money to buy new items, and using those items to level up more. It was a cycle that never seemed to lose its excitement. I solved puzzles and completed quests, feeling accomplished. Most importantly, I loved interacting with other real people though this social, virtual world. The game was thrilling and I was instantly hooked.
In late 2003, I was somewhere between level 50 and level 60. I had completed all of the free world quests, and talked my Dad into buying me RuneScape membership. That day was a very special day for me. I was able to explore all new lands, use all new items, use all new skills, etc. I was the first among my friends to become a member, and the others were very jealous!
Speaking of friends; that summer, I could not wait to share this new game with them!