Old School RuneScape was released in 2013. It was made from a previous 2007 backup copy of RuneScape. This was done so any traditionalists could keep enjoying the classic variant of this very popular MMORPG. Fans had spent years asking, hoping, and even praying for any way to play Old School RuneScape. Jagex has totally delivered, as the entire game is now available to play once more.
The Old School team working on the development and expansion of this particular version is a smaller group, but they’re not less dedicated. In fact, they’ve turned this version into something of its own thing. It’s almost as if this MMO followed a different timeline than its younger sibling. The game has been transformed with quality of life changes, engine upgrades, and even some brand-new content. Don’t fret about that too much though.
This guide is here to walk you through the various facets of creating an Old School RuneScape account for yourself, as well as giving you some pointers on how to get going in your Gielinor adventures.
Making Your Account
Don’t worry about creating your account. It’s easy. Just go to the website for Old School RuneScape and then click where it says New User. That takes you to a registration page where you input your display name, date of birth, and valid email address. Once you have an account registered, you only need to do two more things before you get to start playing.
Download And Log-In
First off, you’ll have to make sure that your computer is running the most recent version of Java. You can do this by going to Java’s website to verify the version that you currently have installed. If it’s out of date, expect a prompt alerting you about downloading the most recent update. After that, you have to download the client for Old School RuneScape.
Be sure that you’re inside a free-to-play world. Then you can log in to Old School RuneScape. Do this by opening the world-select screen, which is a button near the bottom left. If you see a world with a silver star, then it’s free-to-play. Gold-star worlds are for premium memberships only. Once you pick your world, locate Existing User and click on it. There, you put in your password and email address. Once all this is done, you’re in!
Getting Going
Once you customize the appearance of your avatar, then you’re headed to Tutorial Island. It’s not going to be someplace you’d like to vacation, but you can gain quite a bit from spending some time in this place.
A number of local tutors can teach you gameplay basics, such as the combat system, as well as a number of skills and interface functions, such as the friends list. During the tutorial phase, you’ll accumulate some basics in terms of survival and combat equipment. Once you earn graduation from Tutorial Island, then you will teleport to Lumbridge, which is a home to many new players. This is an area that will be helpful to you if you have unanswered questions about skills and combat, as tutors here can be useful. You also get the chance to play one of the various Ironman Modes; they’re not recommended for newer players, but if you’re looking for a challenge, you can find an Ironman tutor in this place.
One thing you definitely need to do here is setting a bank pin. That protects any items you have stored should your account get compromised. Go to the Lumbridge Castle and make your way to the top floor. Here, you’ll find a bank, and you can choose a PIN Settings option any time you talk to a bank teller.
Once all this is handled, the world of Gielinor awaits you, and you’re free to choose what you do and where you go.
Enhancing Your Skills
Old School RuneScape non-member players get access to as many as 15 different skills, including things like Magic and Woodcutting. When you hover your cursor over any skill, it tells you just how much experience is needed to attain the next level. Clicking on it opens up a guide which details the abilities and items you unlock with the next level.
If you’d like a good suggestion for your initial dungeon, head west out of Varrock towards the Barbarian Village. Here, you can find something called the Stronghold of Security. Its theme centers on the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. This particular dungeon has four different floors and many monsters. You’ll always find a hard fight here, regardless of your combat level, since the monsters start off with level 5 goblins and range all the way up to level 159 shades. Be ready to be tested on your knowledge regarding account security. Each level has a hidden reward room; in these rooms, you can unlock new emotes and get single cash prizes which total up to 10,000 coins. Should you discover the last reward room, the fourth one, you’ll be presented the option of picking either combat boots or a pair of fancy footwear.
If combat interests you more, then go east, crossing the River Lum, where you can find a field infested with goblins. This is a great place to practice magical, ranged, and melee combat without getting overwhelmed. You can fast track this all buy buying gold – click here for more information on that.
Start Questing
Quests let you get experience and explore this magnificent world. Many good quests for beginners start in and around Lumbridge, including Sheep Shearer, that introduces the Crafting skill. If you want to start this one, head northwest from Lumbridge Castle. You’ll soon find a farm, where you can talk to Fred the Farmer.
Rune Mysteries is something many players consider an essential quest to do, since it lets you unlock the Runecrafting skill. Once you have this, you can create runes necessary for performing spells. Start this one up by heading into Lumbridge Castle and heading to the second floor, where you talk to Duke Horacio.
If you ever get stuck on one of your quests, open the journal for it by going into the Quest Log and clicking on the name of that quest. This recounts all you’ve done so far in a quest, and you’ll get a hint as to what should happen next. The journals also provide the specific level requirements each quest has, and they might also hint at various high-level monsters you could come across. On the other hand, you can also use the Old School RuneScape Wikia as a great source of information too.
Make Some Friends
Once you finish some quests and level up a few skills, you might start getting a bit lonely. That’s when it’s time to make friends. An easy way to accomplish this is just visiting a popular area where you can converse with other players. Lumbridge always has newcomers. Meanwhile, Varrock is good for both questing and trading; this social hub is helped by the Grand Exchange.
Having said all this, the best way you can make friends is through joining a clan. Do this by going to the forums for Old School Clans. There’s usually a thread here called Looking For A Clan. You can put a little blurb up about yourself, saying what sort of clan you’d like to join.
If you prefer a more hands-on approach, then the Clan Directory might be worth a look. Peruse it for clan listings providing descriptions of the activities they do. You’ll see a number of clans just for socializing, where others focus on leveling skills and other things. Take your time in finding out which clans match your Old School RuneScape interests, and you’ll find new friends soon enough.
