Guide for returning players

This is a guide for returning players. This page is still under construction, feel free to edit and or fill more information, so we can help all the returning players.

Grammar and or rewording is more than welcome, as my english isn't super fluent.

Introduction
Due to a number of updates throughout the years, individuals may return to RuneScape and find that it seems to be a shadow of its former self. a game that at its core this is the game they played before and reminisced over, but that it has changed fundamentally.

One such fundamental change came in 2012 with the introduction of what is known as the Evolution of Combat (abbreviated as EoC). This update totally revamped the combat system and combat triangle in the game, becoming in some way unforgiving to combat style clashes, while allowing a lot more freedom of choice and interactivity in combat through the use of abilities. However, this was not the only thing that has changed since any given returning player was last active. Perhaps because the constant updates and evolution to the game have always been something which made RuneScape quite special. Some of these changes include the introduction of entirely new cities (the most notable of which being the elven city of Prifddinas and Menaphos, unlocked after completion of the quest Plague's End) and The Jack of Spades respectively. While others include skills (the most recent skill is known as Invention, and is an "elite" skill requiring level 80 Crafting, Divination, and Smithing), items, and not least of all, quests, primarily focusing on the dawn and progression of the Sixth Age of Gielinor with the return of the gods.

These updates may have changed the game to such an extent that it does feel like a shadow of its former self, but the shadow simply has so much more to offer and once you get past the most fundamental of changes (EoC), you will find that RuneScape is still the same game you know and love. This guide offers a brief re-introduction to the game for returning players, covering some of the most fundamental changes to the game between RuneScape 2/HD and RuneScape 3, and will hopefully allow for a much easier transition back into Gielinor, where your adventure awaits.

Evolution of Combat
Evolution of Combat or EoC, is the new combat system, which was introduced in November 2012.

For old players, this system may seem very complex and hard to learn, but it can be just as simple as the combat system always has been. However, tt can be very complex to fight hard bosses or to have maximum efficiency.

The first thing you should do, is go to this page and copy those bars for appropriate combat style. After that you should enable revolution, how to do that, can also be found in the link.

In short terms are there 3 different Combat Settings right now.

Full manual where you have to use the abilities manual, this is for more experienced players and recommended at hard bosses.

Revolution where it uses abilities automatically, this is a good way to learn the abilities without having much knowledge beforehand and is recommended for new or returning players.

Legacy Mode which removes abilities and let you fight like it was before EoC. This might seem like the easy solution, but you should give EoC a chance. In general, EoC has more damage output and is a requirement for the end-game bosses.

Visit the Combat Academy to learn more about the new system

Action bar
Together with EoC came actions bars.

The action bar is an interface that features slots onto which various abilities, prayers, spells, emotes or items may be dragged. This allows the usage of the assigned ability or item quickly by simply clicking on it in the action bar or pressing the assigned key. This is easier than searching for it in its respective menu.

Recommended optimal revolution bars can be found at Revolution/Bars.

Prifddinas
Prifddinas is the elven capital, the requirements are several high level skills and the quest Plague's End, Prifddinas has a lot of skilling activities, Grand Exchange, NPCs, the highest level slayer master (Morvran), etc.

This is where most high end players spend a lot of their time.

The Arc
The Arc is a new region, where you can find new skilling activities. The Arc is where you will need level 90 in several skills and completed the quest Impressing the Locals.

You will be able to visit Uncharted Isles in the Arc, and have your own personal island, which you can train on.

Menaphos
Menaphos is a city for mid level players, released on 5th June 2017.

Lodestone Network
The Lodestone network was released in March 2012, it makes transportation a lot easier.

The lodestones are placed around the world, usually close to cities. To teleport to one of the lodestones, you will have to unlock them first by visitting them, after that you will be able use the hometeleport to teleport to them.

Divination
Divination was released in August 2013

Divination is a new gathering and manufacturing skill, where you gather memories and energies from wisps around the map, you offer the memories and/or energies to a rift near the wisps for experience.

With the energies can you create portents, signs and divine locations

Invention
Invention is the newest skill and was released in January 2016.

Invention is the first elite skill in Runescape and you will need level 80 divination, crafting and smithing to start training it.

With invention you can discover blueprints, which you can create a a lot of different things with.

You can also augment your weapons, armor or tools and add perks to them.

Invention also brought in dissasembly, where you can dissasemble almost all items in Runescape and get parts or components out of the items, these parts or components can then be used to create new items or perks for your augmented items.

The main way to train invention is to augment you gear, level it up and either siphon or dissasemble them for invention xp.

If you choose to siphon the items, you will need a equipment siphon to take out the experience and reset the augmented item, this will not destroy the item.

If you choose to dissasemble the augmented item, you will be awarded a higher amount of experience, than you would from siphonning.

Slayer level 120
Slayer is the first skill to be increased to level 120 with more content, it was released on 5th June 2017 together with Menaphos.

Skilling pets
Skilling pets are followers that can be obtained by training various skills, they can be very rare to obtain, and some people have gone over 200 million experience without getting one, where other players have had them within a couple of thousand experience.

These pets are purely for the achievement and cosmetic value, and does not apply any bonuses.

Portable skilling stations
Portable skilling stations or portables are tradeable rewards from treasure hunter, they can be put down to give a 5 minute skilling hotspot, you can add more portables to extend the timer up to 1 hour.

They offer a lot of different bonuses, when you train with them, the huge one is the 10% bonus in experience.

It is very recommended to train your skills at portables, than to train them normally. People often share worlds, were multiple people will use the portable, you can use friends chats dedicated to it, to find the portable skilling stations.

Dailies
When people mention dailies, they mean things you only can do x times daily, these things often offer a higher amount of xp or gp, than other training forms.

Daily challenge
You will get 1 daily challenge every day, there are specific dailies for all skills and will be different, depending on how high your level is in the skill.

When you complete the daily challenge and hand it in at one of the challenge masters, you will be awarded with 1 treasure hunter key, xp and/or a challenge mystery bag, which will contain some items roughly worth the same, as what you used to complete the challenge.

The daily challenges are usually very good to do.

Distractions and Diversions
Distractions and diversions or D&D's are small minigames, that can be done once daily, weekly or monthly, depending on the D&D.

They usually award a high amount of experience or loot.

The montly D&D's are very important, and are worth doing every month.

Solomon's General Store
Solomon's General Store was released in July 2012.

Solomons generalstore sells a lot of different things, such as cosmetic outfits, emotes, pets, titles and auras these can be bought for Runecoins and/or loyalty points.

Loyalty programme
The Loyalty programme was released in June 2011

The loyalty programme awards you loyalty points, which you can use in Solomon's General Store.

You are awarded for being members, the longer you sustain membership, the more loyalty points you will get each month.

Legendary pets
Legendary pets can be bought from Solomon's General Store, these pets have several abilties and are very important when you enter late game.

They can only be bought for Runecoins which you can either get from in-game coins with a bond or buy with real world money.

Bond
A bond is an in-game item, that can be bought for real world money and traded to other players for in-game coins.

A bond allows a player to pay for selected account-related and out-of-game benefits such as membership, RuneCoins and Treasure Hunter keys.

This means that you can sustain membership, only by paying with in-game currency.

The bonds' in-game price is set by supply and demand, just as all other tradeable items.

Treasure Hunter
Treasure hunter is a remake of Squeal of Fortune.

It is a daily activity, where you can open chests with keys, and gain a lot of different rewards.

You get a certain amount of keys each day, this depends on if you are f2p, p2p or have bought a special membership package.

To get more keys for treasure hunter, you can either do Daily Challenges, complete quests or buy them for bonds or real world money.

Interface
With the release of RuneScape 3 came the New Interface System, or NIS for short, the interface can now be edited, so a player is now able to make a unique interface, exactly how they like it.

It is recommended to go to Youtube and search for RuneScape interfaces, you will find a lot of guides there and be able to get inspiration to how to make the perfect interface.

Tool belt
The tool belt was released in December 2011.

You can now store many of your tools in your tool belt, this makes it no longer necessary to carry around your hatchet, pickaxe or other tools in your inventory, as you now have them in the tool belt, if you add them.

Tier System
Equipment tier is an important value for worn equipment. This is a number which determines the accuracy and damage of weapons, and the armour value, damage bonus, and life point bonus of armour. It is often, but not always, the wield/wear requirement.

Tier is a natural number; it is always strictly greater than 0, and is not fractional. Equipment without bonuses is tierless. Currently, the highest tier is 100.

What to use
This will depend on your levels and amount of coins you have.

There are links here to many of the different weapons for each style, look at the level requirements and value to see what will be the best choice for you.

Magic

 * Magic armour
 * Magic weapons

Melee

 * Melee armour
 * Melee weapons

Ranged

 * Ranged armour
 * Ranged weapons

Dual wielding or Two-handed
You can now dual wield weapons, there are 2 different versions of many 1h weapons, called main-hand or off-hand.

Two-handed means you will need both slots when the item is wielded.

For melee is dual wield best for 1:1 combat, and two-handed is best for aoe combat.

Death's office
When you die in Runescape, you will now spawn at Death's office, which is found north of Draynor lodestone.

You will have the choice between getting back and collecting your items at your gravestone, as always, or you can get back your items from Death for a fee, this fee will be higher the more valuable the items is.

Death will hold your items for 24 hours.

Heart of Gielinor
Heart of Gielinor, also known as God Wars Dungeon 2, is the successor to the original God Wars Dungeon. In this version their are 4 areas, each representing their own faction and boss.

The World Wakes
In march 2013 the quest The World Wakes was released. This quest marks the beginning of a new age, the sixth age. All quests that were released before happened in the fifth age and are considered "flashbacks" and all quests after are considered present (unless stated otherwise in the quest journal). After this quest the gods are able to return to Gielinor. This inspired the release of many new quests and quest series. To keep spoilers to a minimum, I'll end this part here.

Optimal quest guide here: http://runescape.wikia.com/wiki/Quests/Strategy

Clan
You can now be a member of a clan, where you will have a citadel, clan chat, boosts and lot of other social things.

It is recommended to find a clan that fits you, a clan will make the game a lot more social than ever before, no matter how alone you are, you will always have your clan.

Clans are a great way to make new friendships, learn new things or just have fun in general.

The wiki has its own clan of it own as well, click here to learn more information about the clan and how to join.

Friends Chat
Friends chats or FC's is mainly used for specific things, several friends chats is specified exactly for 1 thing, it can either be for hunting penguins, finding portable skilling plots, shooting stars, pvm (bossing) and a lots of other things.

Goals
As Runescape is a very huge and long game, it is very important to set both small and long term goals.

These goals depends on your levels, but here are some goals, returning players often look for.

Mid game goals
Menaphos is a new mid game city, to start skilling in Menaphos requires you to have:

Late game goals
The quest Plague's End is a good long term late game goal, it requires several level 75 skills and a lot of quests. It unlocks the late game city Prifddinas.

Even later game goals
Arc

Goals after max
Completionist cape

Final Boss

Tips and tricks

 * 1) If you want to know more about something, use this Wiki as it has information about (almost) everything in RuneScape.
 * 2) If you have a hard time adjusting to the new RS3 interface you can use the legacy interface instead. Be warned that this may not be efficient at end-game bosses. The interface can be activated by going to settings (cog icon on toolbar) > gameplay settings > general gameplay > legacy interface mode.
 * 3) If you have a hard time adjusting to the new RS3 combat system you can use legacy combat instead. Be warned that in general this lowers your damage output. The legacy combat setting can be activated by going to to settings (cog icon on toolbar) > gameplay settings > general gameplay > legacy combat mode.

FAQ
What happened to the price of dark bows and abyssal whips?

With new and more powerful weapons being introduced to the game, the overall demand of many former high-end items such as abyssal whips and dark bows have fallen due to the weapons now being considered mid-level equipment.

Increased popularity of the Slayer skill together with updates such as the Evolution of Combat and higher level equipment allowing Slayer monsters to be killed considerably more easily and faster than before has also lead to significant increase in the supply of many Slayer monster drops, furthermore lowering their value.

Despite the attempts to rise the value of Slayer monster drops like abyssal whips and dark bows with updates such as the weapon add-ons from lava strykewyrms, the prices of the weapons have remained low.

How do I make money now?

You can check for money making guides here: money making guide.

Why do i not use arrows or runes all the time

When you use abilities, you will not use arrows or runes, therefor are the amount of runes or arrows used in combat lower than it used to be.

What is the best way to train combat

Slayer is recommended as the best way to train combat, because slayer will unlock some of the best monsters in the game for both experience or money.

Is scamming still a thing

Yes, scamming is sadly still a thing in Runescape, even though you won't really meet it much, its always good to be prepared, use your common sense.

You can see some of the know scams and quick tips to avoid them here: Scams

What skills can reach level 120

Only Dungeoneering, Invention and Slayer can reach a maximum of level 120. But, all skills can reach a virtual level of 120, providing no bonuses past 99.