RuneScape Classic

RuneScape Classic (abbreviated RSC or RS1), released on 4 January 2001, is the older version of RuneScape. It is commonly called Runescape 1 or RS1 by people who played RuneScape Classic before RuneScape 2 was released. It was replaced on March 29, 2004, with what was then known as RuneScape 2, which is now RuneScape.

It is kept on the site for those who prefer it to the new version. The same account is used for both games, but items, progress and skills on each are quite different.

On August 3, 2005, Jagex removed the free version of RuneScape Classic. On January 14, 2006, Jagex made it that only players who have logged in between August 3, 2005 and January 14, 2006 can play RuneScape Classic. This was due to people cheating at RuneScape Classic, since it was no longer updated.



Woodcutting
There were originally only regular trees. However, Jagex later updated the game and introduced many more trees once they created the fletching skill. Free to play could only chop regular trees still though.

Firemaking
Only the logs of normal trees can be burnt. Experience allocated per log depends on the firemaking level itself. It is the only skill to work this way, meaning experience is gained more quickly as levels are gained. Before fletching was added, woodcutting worked the same way. After the update, some players (especially free users) complained that regular logs didn't give as much experience as they used to.

Mining
Originally, rocks wouldn't change color when there was ore present. It was much more a matter of guesswork and repetitive clicking. It wasn't until the introduction of Fatigue that rocks began to show when they had ore in them. You didn't automatically hit the rock, you had to click every individual hit. New pickaxes came out that could hit multiple times per hit, however.

Prayer
For the longest time, bones and big bones were the only forms of experience for Prayer. This made it very hard to train. It wasn't until someone suggested making dragon bones that there was anything better, and those were the only three bones available until RS2, besides bat bones but they were very rarely used. In the very early days of RSC, prayer was divided into 2 parts: Prayer Good and Prayer Evil

Magic
Magic, like Prayer was divided into 2 parts: Magic Good and Magic Evil in the earlier days. Magic spells could be "failed" - the player would keep their runes but be unable to cast spells for 30 seconds. It was less likely for the player to fail spells at a higher level. Autocasting did not exist.

Armour
Armour had many differences in RSC, one of the main being that male and female armour differed. Female tops had more of a curvy shape and lower neckline with plates on the shoulders and gauntlets (part of the top). The skirt went all the way to the ground. In the case of male armour, it went for a more "6 pack" approach, though the entire upper body was covered right down to the hands. The legs had a rather baggy looking, sometimes being referred to as "snow pants". Some players were slightly annoyed by the fact that male characters were blocked from wearing female plate, but female characters could wear male or female plate as they wished.

There was a character just south of the east bank in Varrock that could switch male plate and legs to female plate and legs for free, but he disappeared during the transition to RS2. While it was hinted at one time that he might eventually return, this has never come to pass.

Another key difference was that plate could not be worn at the same time as gloves, and legs couldn't be worn at the same time as boots. However, if a character wore chain, they could wear gloves. Some PKers preferred wearing chain in order to wear gloves and get the slight attack boost gained at the expense of some defence.

Inventory
The inventory in RSC was actually larger than it is in RS, having 30 slots instead of 28. However, armour counted as an inventory space even when equipped, so it ended up taking up more space and meaning less food could be brought along.

While the ability to equip items was greatly appreciated, some were upset with the change, since it upset doing things like Herblore (then called Herblaw), which could be trained with 10 vials, 10 herbs, and 10 secondary items at a time, making for an even 10 potions per inventory.

Fatigue
Fatigue was introduced to combat autoers. Using skills would increase fatigue until it reached 100%, at which point you wouldn't receive any more experience, making it harder to train. At first you could only reduce it by sleeping in bed, but then after a while sleeping bags were introduced. They didn't reduce fatigue as fast as beds. Either way, it was neccessary to type in a random word to wake back up again. It was introduced shortly before RS2.

The concept was greatly disliked despite the fact that the time it took to actually train skills was balanced by taking less attempts to successfully mine rocks and catch fish. It went through a few incarnations before being dropped entirely in the transition from RSC to RS2.

Certificates
Before RS2, trading large numbers of items was much more of a hassle. At first, the only way to create stackable items out of those that couldn't be stacked normally was to turn them into certificates, or "certs" as they were referred to. Lobsters, sharks, coal, and certain logs could be traded for certs, 5 items for 1 cert. This was done by Niles, Giles, and Miles. Nowadays, in RS2, these certs are replaced by notes, which can be withdrawn from a bank in the form of a piece of paper with a picture of the item and a number on it, also, any item can be formed into a note. With the creation of new random events, these three can be seen making cameos as a Random Event.

Player Killing
Many people believe that player killing was much more fun in RSC. All weapons had the same speed, so the R2H was used by almost all F2P pkers. Members used Dragon weapons, Mage Arena staves or the Dwarf Cannon. Once attacked, a player could not run away for three rounds of combat so pures worked to get high enough strength to kill their opponents in three hits. There was no running in RSC, so "catching" was a vital skill. Good PKers could time it so that when someone tried to run away, they would immediately attack them and keep them stuck in the fight for three more rounds. Plus, you could only eat out of combat, so it made things hectic as a player waited to get a chance to run and eat, then try to eat as much as possible before combat started again. Also, player-killing was not limited to the wilderness at first. The only place where players weren't subject to attack from other characters was in Lumbridge, or if they designated themselves as NPK's (non-player killers). The second option could only be changed twice; it was eventually taken out of the game.

Dueling
Dueling used to be possible at any location at any time. All the player had to do was right click on a player, and "Duel" would be an option along with "Walk here", "Follow", and "Trade". It was often used as a cheap and easy way to return to Lumbridge, since dying in a duel would send the player back there, but if nothing was staked, nothing would be lost.

Many players have complained about the removal of this feature, since now everyone has to go all the way to Al Kharid to the Duel Arena there.

Quests
RuneScape Classic has 50 quests. There are 17 free quests and 33 members quests. No new free quest were released in RuneScape Classic after membership was started on February 28, 2002. The quest journal lists the free quests in alphabetical order, but the members quests in chronological order. Legends Quest is quest number 50. See listing of quests.

Problems
A major complaint of those who remain loyal to RuneScape Classic over RuneScape is that there are too many people who use macros to make playing it worthwhile. These players regularly complain to Jagex to do something about the problem but as they consider RSC to be a more or less abandoned project they are reluctant to allocate resources to combat the problem. Jagex, however, has posted on the RuneScape website that macroing will not be tolerated on RSC any more than it is on the current version of RuneScape. Another complaint was that the segregation of RS1 to be only allowed to member made people who chose to stay F2P in classic mad that now they have to buy membership in order to keep thier items and account.

Class
Originally, there were classes that you choose to go along with what type of player a player could be. Players would get a higher skill level to start in with it. This feature was removed in early July 2002. Tutorial Island was released in the following September.

They were:


 * Necromancer (Eventually became Wizard. This focused on Magic, since Necromancy was the original Magic) - Started out with a black wizard hat and a regular staff.
 * Warrior (melee combat skills) - Started out with a bronze short sword and wooden shield.
 * Miner (mining) - Started out with a pick-axe, which at that time was the only type available. These were later turned into bronze pickaxes.
 * Adventurer (well rounded) - Started out with a bronze axe, tinderbox, and one piece of cooked meat.
 * Ranger (ranged) - Started out with a short-bow and bronze arrows.