imported>Duffmaaan: /* Money-making methods */

2012-11-03T08:00:34Z

Money-making methods

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==Advantages==
[[File:F2P Maxed Level.png]]

===No monetary cost===
Players are not required to pay, nor is there a cut-off period. Free-to-play now acts as a less substantial game to new players: some may find they do not enjoy the game, and are able to leave without losing money. In addition, others may use the free-to-play version to learn the basic skills of the game before creating themselves a new account with membership or may even play as a free player without ever getting membership.

===Simpler play===
As restricted as the play is, players are able to devote more time to social or fun activities. That is, free players can relax, not feeling as if they are wasting in-game time (and the money spent in order to get this time) they could use to train, make money, or do quests. In addition, most [[quest]]s or [[List of free to play monsters|monsters]] in free-to-play are more moderate compared to exigent members-only monsters and quests, allowing new players to easily and gradually get a handle on the game. Simpler play also means that there is less distraction in F2P than in [[P2P]], allowing F2P players to more easily focus on their goal.

===Greater sense of achievement===
Because skills are generally easier to train in [[Pay-to-play]], some players consider getting a certain goal on the free version to be a more prominent achievement than getting it on a member's server. Players who have been F2P for long periods of time may see switching to P2P as "lowering the difficulty," and thus devaluing their achievement.

===Less chance of death===
[[List of free to play monsters|Monsters in the free-to-play world]] are generally not as powerful as monsters found in [[P2P|member]] worlds. An example being dragons, of which only [[Elvarg]] appears in the free-to-play world, while powerful and deadly dragons like [[Green dragon|green]], [[Blue dragon|blue]], [[Red dragon|red]], [[Black dragon|black]], [[Bronze dragon|bronze]], [[Iron dragon|iron]], [[Steel dragon|steel]], [[Mithril dragon|mithril]] and [[frost dragon]]s, [[King Black Dragon]] and even the [[Queen Black Dragon]] dropping some of the most valued loot in the game can be found throughout the [[Wilderness]] and other areas in members-only worlds. Additionally, free players do not have to worry about contracting [[poison]] or [[disease]], which can weaken or even kill P2P players without them realising.

==Disadvantages==
There are numerous disadvantages, which [[Jagex]] has begun to address.

===Smaller world area===
The world which free players have access to is very small compared to what members have. Free players have access to 20% of ''[[Gielinor|RuneScape]]'', whereas members have access to the entire world, including areas unlocked throughout their membership. Free players only have access to [[Varrock]], [[Rimmington]], [[Falador]], [[Draynor Village]], [[Al Kharid]], [[Edgeville]], [[Lumbridge]], [[Bandit Camp (Wilderness)]], [[Port Sarim]], the free-to-play section of [[Wilderness]], [[Gunnarsgrunn]], [[Musa Point]] ([[Karamja]]), [[Crandor]] and [[Daemonheim]] floors up to 35.

===Limited resources===
Most areas in the free-to-play worlds only contain a small portion of what is available, so many natural resources, such as [[log]]s, [[fish|raw fish]], and [[runes]] are only able to be produced at lower levels, thus meaning slower training and less money-making.

Botters and Real World Traders also abound every aspect of the F2P economy. This extra supply lowers the price of the F2P resources, as well as making those resources harder to acquire due to the high Botting competition at Mining, Woodcutting and Fishing locations.

===No Capes of Accomplishment===
Free players can train skills to 99, but cannot buy any [[Cape of Accomplishment|Skill capes]], which are only available to members. Thus free players are unable to display their [[Skill mastery|mastery in a skill]] with clothing. There has been much debate on whether non-members should be allowed to purchase [[Skill capes]] or not. Many members disapprove the idea of releasing [[Skill capes]] to non-members as they feel this should stay a member-only benefit.

===Limited access to skills===
Free players can only train 16 of the 25 [[skills]]. Free players also have limited access to these skills. This generally slows down the ability of free players to increase their levels, thus inhibiting their enjoyment of the game through repetitive tasks of the same element, quickly losing the interest of potential skill trainers.

===Fewer items===
Free players have access to less than a thousand items, whereas members have access to many thousands of others. In addition, many of the items members can access are more powerful, have unique abilities like [[special attacks]] or armour set effects, are more valuable, or even a combination of all three. Members items in free worlds cannot be traded or wielded/worn until moved to a member’s server. The item(s) may still be banked, however.

===Fewer Spells===
There are far fewer [[Magic|magical spells]] available to cast, which limits the max damage which a player can deal and non-combat spells which can be cast. Free players also do not have access to certain teleports, i.e those that would take them to a members area, or the [[Lunar Spells|Lunar]] and [[Ancient Spells|Ancient]] [[Spellbook]]s. Free players can only use spells up to Teleport Block at 85 Magic. Free players are unable to use some spells of the standard spellbook, such as Entangle, Snare and the Enchant bolt spell.

===Less profit per hour===
Members can easily make money fast with high skills. For example, a member who has the ability to hunt [[Grenwalls]](to do this effectively one needs 77 hunter and 69 summoning) can easily make over millions of coins per hour, while a free player cutting [[yews]] will make around 100k or so per hour depending on their Woodcutting level. This shows the large difference in profit between F2P and P2P.

===Less Advantages===
Before the return of Free trade and the PvP wilderness, there used to be a bank in the [[Wilderness Volcano]] , allowing the use of players to bank there. After the Free trade update, the bank was removed, preventing free players to bank anywhere in the wilderness, the nearest bank either [[Daemonheim]] or [[Edgeville]] . Members also have access to the bank in the [[Mage Arena]].

Free players are also unable to use agility shortcuts, such as the[[ Grand Exchange]] tunnel, they are unable to restore energy as fast as members(for members, they have energy potions and other options to restore run energy), and the only energy-restoring item for free players is the[[ Explorer's ring]].

Also, free players don't have any nearby bank in [[Musa Point]](most free players will fish tuna, lobster or swordfish there) while members have convient banking near fishing spot(such as [[Catherby]] and [[Fishing Guild]] for members who have 68 fishing or above), and the only 'bank' near Musa Point is [[Stiles]](actually not a bank, while Stiles can note player's raw and cooked tunas, lobsters and swordfishes so they can continue fishing without returning to [[Port Sarim]] but the distance between him and the fishing spot is quite far away).

===Fewer and weaker equipment===
Free players cannot use as many or as strong [[weapons]] and [[armour]] as members can. For example, the highest level armour free players can wear is [[Corrupt dragon equipment|Corrupt dragon armour]] (armour and weapons of this last 30 minutes, at which point they crumble and disappear, so many prefer [http://runescape.wikia.com/wiki/Rune_equipment rune]) but, also [[Gravite weapons]], albeit which takes a large amount of time to acquire and is costly to repair, while members have access to much more advanced equipment, such as [[Dragon equipment]], various types of [[dragonhide armour]], [[Chaotic equipment]] and [[Barrows]] equipment. This dramatically changes the battlefields for free players as they have less access to quick kills (i.e. [[poison]], [[Special attacks]] and [[Ancient Magicks|ancient spells]]) and weaker supplies for skill training, along with less kills per trip unlike members. Players with a Chaotic rapier can easily kill a [[Revenant dark beast]] while for a Free player they would probably take too long or be dead.

===Slower training===
Free players do not have access to as many locations which allow for fast levelling of [[skill]]s/[[combat]]. However, the free worlds are often less crowded. Also, for most skills, there are fewer methods that allow training.

For example, training [[prayer]] on members is about 20 times faster (given the right resources, such as offering [[Dragon bones]] to [[Ectofuntus]] or [[Glided altar]], one can get 288 or 252 prayer xp per bones. However, free players can only have maxinum of 15 prayer xp ber bones, this is achieved by burying [[Big bones]]).

Free players also do not get to participate in the [[Bonus XP weekend]]s (however they got to participate in the recent double xp weekend while they only enjoy 1.2x xp modifier while members enjoy 2x xp modifier). Players who have reached a combat level of 90 or above in F2P worlds receive only half of the [[Dungeoneering]] experience that they would in a P2P world, considerably slowing down training in F2P worlds (even if they can avoid this penalty by training together with proper lower players in team, making the combat level average lesser than 90).

=== Lower maximum combat level===
When [[Summoning]] was released in January 2008, free-to-play players continued to have a maximum [[combat level]] of 126, whereas members can train up to level 138 [[combat level|combat]]. This is because Summoning is a members only skill and adds to [[combat]] as well, calculated similarly to the [[prayer|Prayer]] skill. However, the raised [[combat level]] due to Summoning will not appear in free-to-play worlds.

===Less Bank Space/Grand Exchange slots===
Free players have a 68-item maximum in their [[bank]]s (88 if they have registered their email addresses, 338 if they have bought all Solomon's bank boosters), which is far less than the bank space that members receive, 468 as of December [[2011]] (556 if they have registered their email addresses, 806 if they have bought all Solomon's bank boosters). Additionally, members can store numerous items in their [[player-owned house]]s, such as random event costumes and various others, saving space on their bank load and making a nice retreat from normal game-play.

Free players only have two spaces for [[Grand Exchange]] offers whilst members have six; this naturally makes it more difficult for free players to trade items via the Grand Exchange. For free players that have more than the maximum amount of [[coins]] allowed in the game, there is no access to some of the "better" storage items, such as [[Spirit Shards]].

Members who have their membership expired will have their F2P and P2P items separated, making it easier to prevent members from dropping valuable P2P or sell items to get F2P items in the bank. (for example, 50/78 is F2P items, and 200/458 are member items)

===Fewer music tracks===
To unlock the [[Air guitar]] emote you need to unlock 500 songs in the [[RuneScape|''RuneScape'']] music player, which can only be done by members. Currently about 253 songs are attainable in F2P in contrast to 857 (and slowly increasing with additional updates) in P2P. However, former members who have less than 500 songs can still achieve Air Guitar if they haven't completed the free version of Daemonheim, which has enough tracks to get a character with about 460 tracks unlocked to 500 tracks unlocked, though this really only works if the tracks unlocked is 460 or higher. Each room type of Daemonhiem has 10 regular tracks, and there are 4 or 5 room types available on Free-Play, thus 40-50 music tracks unlocked in Daemonheim non-boss rooms.

===Fewer quests===
Although there are 19 free [[quests]], free quests are released very rarely - the last free quest released other than the now unused tutorial quest, [[Unstable Foundations]], was [[Gunnar's Ground]], on the [[20 September|20th of September]] [[2010]] and a 20th quest taking place in Al Kharid is to be released September 2012. In contrast to this, members get an average of 1-2 quests every month. During a [[holiday event]], a holiday related quest may temporarily be available for free players until the event is over. Due to update on [[24 June]] [[2010]], however 2 holiday quests ([[Myths of the White Lands]], and [[Swept Away]]) are now permanently returned to free players.

Also, Jagex may make sure they will remove a F2P quest before they release one new.(this is known in the replacement of [[Romeo and Juliet]] to [[Gunnar's Ground]], also the replacement of [[Doric's Quest]] to [[What's Mine is Yours]])

Also, free players cannot sort their quest list to ''Progress'' or ''Difficulty'' like members can; the only options available are ''Free/Members''.

===Fewer skills===
Free players are only avaliable to a limited number of skills: Combat skills (Attack, Strength, Defence, Magic, Ranged, Prayer and Constitution), Mining, Woodcutting, Firemaking, Smithing, Fishing, Cooking, Runecrafting, Crafting, and Dungeoneering. Members are avaliable to train all types of skills, making less variety and skills for free players.

===Less attention===
The same set of [[rules]] apply to members and non members alike.

Despite some assumptions as to Jagex's real intentions on fighting in-game crime, there are no real cases to prove Jagex ignores free players in their reviews. Jagex has revealed many times the thousands of accounts [[ban]]ned, free-to-play and pay-to-play alike, thus free players should always take caution while playing and should often refresh themselves on the rules of conduct.

===Money-making methods===
Free players have severely limited amount of methods to earn money compared to members. By definition, members have access to much more game content, activities, more areas, and more profitable ways to train their skills, whereas free players often find themselves crowded in mundane tasks and activities. This puts a strain on well-known [[Money making guide|free-to-play money-making]] opportunities, as non-members are forced to contend with crowded resource areas and are able to sell only a small fraction of the possible amount of goods available to members.

Examples of non-member money-making activities include [[Lobster]] fishing, woodcutting [[Yew tree|Yew]] trees, mining [[coal]], and smelting [[bar]]s. For members, there is much more content: higher-cost items obtainable throughout PvP and [[Activities|minigames]] (i.e. [[Treasure Trails]], [[Barrows]]), a greater variety of items for trading opportunities, easier skilling locations with shorter banking distances, such as the [[Catherby]] fishing spots compared to those in [[Musa Point|Karamja]]. Members also have access to a truly massive array of monsters that drop various exspensive items, such as [[Mithril dragons]] and their [[Dragon Full Helm|dragon full helm]] drops, the corporeal beast and its [[sigil]] drops, [[Nex]] with its pernix, virtus, torva armour drops, along with numerous slayer monsters and the Godwars bosses. Because of this, members can get a much higher average gold and exp gain per hour compared to F2P methods.

===Unbalanced Combat Triangle/Less equality in the battlefield===

Members' servers allow much variation between each combat class. F2P is greatly [[warrior]]-based. [[Rangers]] only have a maximum ranged hit of 197 (with Eagle Eye prayer and the [[Amulet of Zealots]]). [[Mages]] do not have access to [[Ancient Magicks]] and [[Lunar Spells]] as well as being restricted to lower levelled spells in the [[standard spellbook]] ([[Bind]] and [[Blast spells]] for example, are the highest level spells accessible in F2P), and have little damage potential in free-to-play, with a maximum hit of 250 (using the [[arcane blast necklace]], [[gravite staff]], [[magical blastbox]] and a [[Wizard Mind Bomb]] whilst casting the [[Fire Blast]] spell) instead of the long held max hit of 160 without the time and cost of expensive [[Dungeoneering]] rewards. Free players do not have access to entire standard prayers or the [[Ancient Curses]].

Though restriction towards higher level armour is susceptible to [[Warrior|Melee]] as well, higher bonuses and the general demand for a one-time cost of full [[Rune equipment]] outweighs the factors attributing to that of a Mage's and [[Ranger]]'s potential use in F2P activities. This allows for less variation in the battlefield as it causes many F2P players to preferentially use [[Melee]] in the advantage of a less balanced F2P Combat Triangle. This is because there isn't any excellent mage armour (only Runecrafter Robes, standard blue/black Magic Robes or [[Combat robes]]/[[Druidic mage robe]] available in [[Fist of Guthix]] activity), and the best ranged armour is Green Dragonhide, which isn't that strong aganist melee attacks.

Range and mage equipment are strictly limited. There are no combination runes/staves (such as Lava Runes), no robes with excellent mage stats. Rangers are only able to use up to Maple bows (however these may be sighted for more accuracy) and Adamant arrows. In Dungeoneering, Ranged and Mage provide poor offense, making Melee the superior combat skill there.

===Rare updates===
The Free to Play game is very rarely updated. There have been extremely few new free-to-play [[Quests]] or areas released since the launch of the pay-to-play version of [[Runescape]] (the exceptions listed above). Generally, the only updates which affect non-members are [[interface]], [[music]], [[graphic updates]], and consistent additions of free-to-play [[server]]s. Usually, the only other updates involve the [[Stronghold of Security|security]] and [[Stronghold of Player Safety|safety]] of players' [[account]]s. [[Holiday items]] and other items are released after updates during Halloween, Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, and April Fool's Day for free players. Free players have access to all of these items with the exception being the [[Wintumber tree]] that was released in conjunction with the [[Reindeer hat]] during [[Christmas 2006]], the [[icicle crown]], which was released during [[Easter 2011]], and the [[hourglass]], which was released during the [[2011 Hallowe'en Event]]. [[Jagex]] has also released two members-only pets as Holiday Event rewards, [[Mackers]] the turkey, from [[Thanksgiving 2011]], and [[Sparkles]] the tinsel snake, from [[Christmas 2011]]. Recently, Mod MMG has revealed that [[Jagex]] plans to release F2P updates more regularly. After this the Dungeoneering skill was soon added to the game, he had kept his word, but some people are not sure whether or not F2P will be included in any major updates any time soon. As well as this, [[Free trade]] was added back into the game and staking has been upped to a 40k limit. The most recent update that includes free players was the Runespan minigame, though only the first floor and some of the second is available.

===Limited Combat Beta access===
Free-to-play players cannot access the [[Evolution of Combat]] beta testing, have no balancing issues during Combat Beta and are thus unable to preview or provide feedback on the new system before its release into the main game. There is one free-to-play access weekend, on the first weekend in September.

Changes to Combat Beta give F2P Wave and Surge and Snare spells without members only runes like blood and soul runes. F2P can have access to one ultimate ability in each Attack, Defence, Ranged and Magic.

===Advertisements===
The free game also has large advertisements across the top of the page above the Java player. While the majority of these are not exceedingly irritating, some of the ads flash and have annoying sounds that cannot be turned off. Some ads expand and can cover most of the screen if the cursor is accidentally moved over the ad, making it harder to focus on the game. Others can cause some computers to slow down and/or cause lag. The ads can also cause a problem as far as spyware is concerned and some anti-spyware programs often flag the ''RuneScape'' ad cookies for deletion, sometimes trying to block the ''RuneScape'' ad server, which is a violation of the rule that forbids ad blockers. To prevent crazy overrides with these ads and their capability of lagging the player’s game play, you can right-click the ad, turn the repetitive actions off, and zoom in on a black area to create an appearance of having no ad. In order to reduce the impact on performance by an advert, it can be right-clicked and "Low" selected under the "Quality" sub-menu, however this will only work on Flash-based adverts. Another way to minimise offensive advertisements is to use the "Text Size" feature on most browsers, and hold "CTRL" while scrolling down with the mouse scroll-wheel. Usually these tactics are not needed as most advertisements shown are polite.

Also, it is possible to eliminate ads altogether by disabling both images and Flash, but this '''will break other web sites''' and it could '''possibly get you banned''' because it is debatable whether or not this practice is "ad blocking". However, many people would state that it is illegal for Jagex (or any company) to force people to install Flash or certain image codecs when they are not required for operation of the actual game, and some people may not even be allowed to install these programs because of legal reasons, such as a court ruling.

If Flash adverts happen to slow your computer down, just disable Flash. You should not get in trouble for doing this because you are still allowing static adverts to load, and therefore aren't breaking the rules.

Though extremely rare, offensive ads can be seen in the space above the ''[[RuneScape]]'' screen. Please note however, that offensive adverts can be reported on the ''[[RuneScape]]'' main page.

===Rule-breakers===
Due in part to the larger crowds and the easiness of creating an account without having to pay money, free-to-play is prone to contain more [[scammer]]s and general rule-breakers. Most notable of these are the [[macro]] users: players using programs to repeat specific tasks. This is especially common at areas containing [[Yew tree]]s. Most scammers make accounts with long or hard to remember user names (i.e. a combination of letters and numbers from different parts of the keyboard). So that if the player scams someone, the scammed player would not remember the username to report (Runescape have now fixed this with the "right click report" option in the game settings tab). Care should be taken around suspicious players in free worlds, for this reason. This can also appear frequently in member worlds, even though limited (such as [[Green Dragon]] Bots).
===Carefree attitude===
Because free players do not have to pay to play the game, a variety of players ''may'' have somewhat of a care-free attitude towards other players and towards Jagex. Since they do not pay for anything, they do not lose any money if their account gets banned or muted. Members however feel the need to be better behaved as they paid to play the game and they do not want to get banned or muted or else will lose money.[source needed]

On the other hand, many members are likely to be more arrogant and look down upon F2P. Also P2P players may frequently log into free-worlds (usually Lumbridge or crowded areas as Varrock) with their members-only equipment and weaponry for the sole purpose of showing off their wealth and/or fashion that is unobtainable by F2P users.[source needed]

===Community/website features===
*Free players cannot post in official Jagex [[forums]] unless their total experience exceeds the 2.5 million total experience requirement or their total skill level is over 350, after the 5 November 2010 update.
*Free players used to only be able to vote in certain polls specified by Jagex. However, Jagex announced on 22 April 2010 that all future polls will be accessible by free players and members alike.

===Macros===
Noted above in "Rule-Breakers", macros (also called botters or bots), are accounts which run off of a script to repeat various tasks such as cutting yew logs or fishing lobsters. They are not controlled by a player, meaning it is possible for one botting account to stay logged in hours on end, through the day and night. Because free-to-play is free, the accounts who do use macros have no worries other than being banned, but due to the simplicity of making a free account, a new macro can be put in its place almost instantly. Macroers hoard resources, lower prices, and flood the market with raw materials, making it harder for honest players to gain money and to train. While some people argue that the lowered cost of raw materials keeps training a skill cheaper, but reduces the profit (Runescape have now banned bots from the game completely through legal processes). However, due to an update by Jagex, all newly made accounts must be registered to an e-mail address, and only one single account may be created per e-mail address. This has helped to stem the flow of bots.

However, there is now a [[trade limit]] in which new players can not make a trade where they give away more than 25,000 [[coins]], to prevent players from buying/selling gold. This was introduced on [[22 November]] [[2011]] to combat [[Update:Anti-Gold-Farming Measures|Gold farming]]. The limit only affects accounts created after this limit was introduced, which have never had membership. The trade limit is however flawed because if you die in dangerous clan wars, you will still lose your items and the other player will get all of your items.

===No Hiscores===

Since the 22nd November 2011 site update, the hiscores are no longer available to Free Players.

===No Access to RSC===
Jagex has changed access to [[RuneScape Classic]] making it members-only even for long standing free-to-play accounts that existed during classic.
===No Membership Loyalty Programme===
Free players cannot get rewards from the Membership Loyalty Programme, such as Auras or name prefixes. However, former members are allowed to keep their name prefixes from Membership Loyalty Programme on free worlds.
[[Category:Community]]

Free-to-play/Compared to Members - Revision history

imported>Duffmaaan: /* Money-making methods */