RuneScape: 7 Tips for Beginners

Runescape might have a niche market but the world of Gielinor is always worth experiencing at least once. The free-to-play MMO is surprisingly complex and large. Those expecting a simple journey might be surprised to see just how deep the game’s mechanics are.

If you’re planning to start your journey on Gielinor, then here’s a guide that will help you with your first few hours in the game, as well as your future journey with Runescape.

1. Picking A Server

Embarking on your RuneScape adventure starts with a critical decision – selecting an appropriate server, or as they are known within the game, a 'world'. Each world is defined by a unique geographical location and a specific player limit.

You should pick a server with the lowest ping so you can play smoothly. A ping of about 50-120ms is good and offers little to no lag or latency. 

If you’re hoping to meet some new friends and eventually form a clan, we suggest going for worlds with a high player count. What’s great about Runescape is that, unlike other MMORPGs, your character isn’t locked into one specific server.

Your stats and progression are going to carry over from server to server to explore servers as much as you want to.

2. To Pay Or Not To Pay

Runescape is free. What’s great is that most of the game’s content is available to all players, including those without a premium account.

Paying for the game will let you access new skills, more monsters to kill, and even more areas on the map. On top of that, you’re also going to get access to members-only worlds and more quests and more.

A Runescape membership costs:

• $12.49/month

• $59.99/6 months

• $79.99/1 year

Since the game is free-to-play, we suggest not going for membership and trying out what Runescape has to offer. However, if you’re looking to invest a lot of time into Runescape, we highly suggest paying the extra fees.

3. Plan Your Skills Wisely

Skills are the most important aspect of Runescape’s progression system. There are a total of 28 Skills available in the game. You can level them up by doing actions related to that specific skill.

The good news is that you can reset your skills with the help of an NPC named Nastaroth. Unfortunately, you cannot reset skills if they are over level 10, or level 15 for Constitution.

Runescape skills are categorized into a few types. First, there are 17 skills that free players can access. For those with a premium account, there are an extra 11 skills on top of all that. Furthermore, skills are categorized into four main types:

As tempting as it may be, don’t try to master all skills immediately. Otherwise, you’ll end up becoming a Jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none. Instead, focus on a few essential skills so that you can progress more smoothly in the early levels of the game. Here’s a quick look at all of the skills, as well as a short description of them.

You’ll unknowingly progress many of these skills as you go through the game. However, it’s still good to invest in some of them early on. Particularly, you should first pick a combat style that suits you and level up skills related to that first. This will make exploration a lot easier.

4. Quest A Lot, Quest Often

Quests in RuneScape are more than mere tasks; they form the pulsating core of the game's narrative, serving as dynamic trails that guide players through the expansive lore of Gielinor. 

These thrilling undertakings do more than just fuel your avatar's development with XP; they bestow you with coveted items and unlock fresh game content. It’s an amazing way to level up your skills without making the process feel like a drag. It’s a huge bonus that a lot of the quests have great stories too.

Finishing a quest also bestows players with Quest Points or QP. The amount of QP given depends on the length and complexity of a quest. QP can be used to claim rewards in the game.

Now, free-to-play players and premium players have different QP caps because not all quests are available in the free version.

Free-to-play players can have up to 72 QP, while premium players can get up to 438 QP.

5. Be Friendly

Although Runescape can be played without ever befriending any other player, it’s always good to go around the world with allies in tow. Befriending other players and eventually joining clans is a good way to acquaint you with the vast world of Runescape.

There are hundreds if not thousands of clans to join in Runescape. Some clans are focused on the PvP aspect of the game called Clan Wars. Some clans focus on guiding new players in the game and helping them grind their skills. 

Clan leaders and members will often tell you what to expect from them when joining.

You can join a clan as early as starting a new character in Runescape. However, some clans have prerequisites for new members. You can check out the official clan forum of Runescape for any openings!

6. Money Matters

Coins or GP (gold pieces) are the main form of currency in Runescape. It’s the lifeblood of the economy in the world. It’s used to get gear, essential resources, and various important resources in the game. That said, making GP is one of the biggest challenges you’ll face early on.

When you start, it’s best to focus on using your Skills to earn GP. Fish, mine, chop trees, cook, and kill monsters. Doing this will reward you with GP and raw materials that you can sell to make more money.

A little patience will be required from the early get-go. Doing these basic things will also help you level up your skills faster. As you progress through the game, you’ll find a plethora of ways to make money. However, most players still rely on trading with others as a means to become a GP millionaire.

Similar to the real-world economy, Runescape’s economy changes from time to time too. Prices of goods can change depending on the current demand. If you want to check out the current state of the game’s economy, check out the Grand Exchange.

And for our last money-making tip… Don’t try to be a hoarder in the early game. Sell any equipment you no longer need for more GP. Keep in mind that you’re bound to get more money in your journey later on.

7. Focus On A Goal

With so many things and content to get into, it can be very overwhelming for new players who are venturing into Runescape. As such, we highly suggest picking a goal and focusing on it first.

Unlike most MMORPGs, there’s not a linear storyline in Runescape. Instead, you’re free to set your own goals and objectives right from the very start. This can be an intimidating task.

For starters, you can focus on improving your Skills first. Pick a specific combat style - melee, ranged, or magic, and hone your skills there. If this task becomes tedious, you can start doing the game’s many quests for rewards.

Runescape is the literal definition of player freedom.

The World of Gielinor Awaits!

Runescape is an underrated gem of a game. There’s a lot to dig into in this MMORPG. With these tips above, you’re guaranteed to have a fun time. What’s great is that the game is still getting support from the developers, so there's always new content to look forward to in the future.

Have fun!