Released in 2013, Old School RuneScape was more popular nowadays than it was ten years ago. Many players have begun to grow tired of the original game RuneScape, so the team behind the game recreated an original version of the game called Old School RuneScape. This popular MMORPG has continued to evolve, and it made its way to both iOS and Android smartphones, expanding its reach and player count.
However, beneath its simple graphics, a complex web of mechanics can overwhelm a beginner. A lot of mechanics are never fully explained in the tutorial to new players. If you’re struggling to come to grips with how to play this game, here are some tips so you can find help.
Character Creation and Tutorial Island
Once you get the game downloaded and an account set up, you will be asked to create a character. You can have fun here and design your character however you see fit. While it may be tempting to skip the dialogues, it’s recommended that players take things slow and pay attention so you can have a better idea of how the game works.
Throughout the course of this tutorial, players will be taken through the main mechanics that they will need to know, which will help them get ahead in the early hours of the game. When the tutorial is over, they need to experiment a little on their own to uncover other things about the game.
Once you’ve customized your avatar’s appearance, your next destination is Tutorial Island. There will be plenty to be gained from spending some time here. Throughout the tutorial, you will gain a set of basic survival and combat equipment. Once you’re done with the tutorial, you will be teleported to Lumbridge, a home for new players. If you still have questions, there are tutors here who can help you.
Before doing anything else, set a bank pin. This will help you protect your stored items if your account is ever hacked or compromised. Head to the bank on the Lumbridge Castle (at the top floor) and choose “PIN settings” option when talking to the bank teller.
Start the Quests
Quests are a great way to explore the virtual world and gain experience. Not only do these would grant you impressive rewards, but they also introduce you to key characters, locations, and concepts you probably want to familiarize yourself with.
Lumbridge is the place to get a variety of good beginner quests, including the Sheep Shearer, which will introduce you to the Crafting skill. You can begin the quest by talking to Fred the Farmer. Rune Mysteries is also another essential quest that unlocks the Runecrafting skill, which will allow you to create the runes used to perform spells.
Other recommended quests for beginners include:
- Cooks Assistant – a simple quest that will introduce you to cooking skills.
- The Knight’s Sword – completion of this quest will grant you tons of XP for Smithing, and it will introduce you to the bustling city of Falador.
- Waterfall Quest – You will need to gain a few levels before trying out this quest, but it’s a great source of XP.
- Grand Tree – Here’s another way to earn great XP. Here, you can learn about safe-spotting or using a ranged weapon in a location safe from enemy attacks.
Improve your Skills
Some of the quests require a certain skill level before you can start them. If you’re locked out of quests, or if you simply want to relax in OSRS while still gaining progress, you can focus on leveling up your skills. There is no single best way to level your character – all you need is to find a skill you like and start playing to level it up.
Here are some skills you need to improve on the game:
- Attack – This skill is essential for fighting your enemies up close and personal. Increasing the attack skill will increase the accuracy of all melee attacks. A higher attack level will also enable a player to high-level melee weapons.
- Cooking – This skill is something all players must level up. It allows the player to cook raw food materials that they have in their possession. These cooked food items can be used to restore hit points.
- Crafting – Leveling up the crafting skill will make players able to create higher quality pieces of jewelry, armor, and pottery that can be used or traded.
- Defense – This skill will increase combat level and enable players to wear higher quality armor.
- Firemaking – This skill is only useful for cooking food and completing some quests. Most players don’t spend a lot of time.
- Fishing – This skill allows players to be able to catch better fish and increase their likelihood of catching one. It’s great for those who want to cook food or make money by trading off fish.
- Hitpoints – Hitpoints are the player’s health in the game, so it’s a great idea to level this skill up whenever possible.
- Magic – It’s not required to use magic in the game, but players will gain a considerable advantage when this skill is leveled up. It will allow players to be able to use different magical spells, enchant their crafted items, use teleportation magic, and increase magical defense.
- Mining – This is the most popular way to make money in the game. Whatever ores or gemstone you get from mining, they can be sold for a profit or used in smithing and crafting.
- Prayer – Increasing this skill will allow players to earn new prayers that can be used to help them in the game. Each prayer will give an increase in different areas.
- Ranged – This skill allows players to attack enemies from a distance using different ranged weapons. It helps the player attack an enemy from far away.
- Runecrafting – Increasing this skill will enable players to craft better-quality Runes used for casting spells.
- Smithing – This skill works well with mining, as it enables players to craft better weapons and armors using ores and metal. Players can use the finished product for their own use or sell it for profit.
- Strength – A stronger player will have an increased amount of melee damage caused by a single hit.
- Woodcutting – This skill enables a player to cut trees down. The more they level up, the greater their ability to chop down higher quality tree types as well.
Old School RuneScape allows you to reach the maximum level in all skills, which means you are not missing out on one if you level another. As a beginner, it pays to make some cash, so it’s a good idea to focus on these three skills: mining, fishing, and woodcutting.
To level up your combat skills, it’s best to level up Attack, Strength, and Defense in that order. You’ll want to equip the best weapons available at your current level, which will increase your XP gain rate and give you a boost in damage output.
Make some Friends
Once you’ve leveled up a couple of skills and finished some quests, you may start to feel a bit lonely. Making friends is one of the most important aspects of Old School RuneScape because it can be hard to get ahead without someone helping you out. A friend can also help keep training skills from being too monotonous, as they give players to chat with. Having friends can also help you bring down difficult enemies and have someone to trade or sell items to.
You can start talking to other players in any area, but the best way to make friends is to join a clan. Head out to the “Old School Clans” forums and post a little advert about yourself. Better yet, look in the “Clan Directory” to look for a clan that’s best for you. Some clans are purely for socializing, while some focus on leveling skills or PvP.