Makoto

Feb 26 2007, 09:39 AM | Post #1

Unregistered



There are three things about RuneScape that I absolutely hate... merchants, beggars and Pest Control. I hate merchants because they always control the prices of the things that high levels make (and it's never enough to scrape a profit), beggars because they think we are the merchants, and Pest Control because most of the time they discriminate against others. Not based on color, gender or age...but by level. Forgive me for being blunt, but what kind of bull is that? Even a fallen and former RuneWebbian has removed an old friend from their list for using and abusing this easy method.

The only time that I ever really played Pest Control was the day it was released, 18 April 2006 (hey, that date looks kinda familiar, and is approaching at a rapid pace! HINT! HINT!). After that, I lost interest in it. Then I took my sabbatical from RuneScape, and returned a couple of months thereafter. Even then, I had preferred the method of leveling by random combat or Slayer assignments. Then, a whole slew of Pest Control clans appeared. I tried to jump on the bandwagon for RuneWeb's sake, but to no avail. I blame this mostly on the fact that I resented the restrictions I placed on it.

Coming from my background and the way that I was raised, I just can't see how people can be so stupid as to discriminate another person, let alone that discrimination is based on their levels from playing a game that everyone was meant to enjoy. The Pest Control clans that have emerged have created this powerful vacuum of “high” combat players which have their stats maxed out. However, the level 55 that wants to wield an Abyssal Whip will have to wait until he gets his stats higher...the clans that I know of won't let you in unless you're above level 80. By that time, the novelty of Pest Control will have worn off for him and he won't go back to play it, save for the few pieces of Void Knight armor that they have to offer there.

I want to ask all of you, do you think it is fair to discriminate someone based on their levels from playing Pest Control? If so, do you do this for the sake of fast and cheap experience? What if you were the lower level player that was left on the outside...what would that make you think of the community?

(And please, don't get me started on the RuneScape community. I will preach a sermon on that some other time.)

Discuss.

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tootkill

Feb 26 2007, 11:53 AM | Post #2

Unregistered



Yes, I totally agree with you. Because of my pure status, I am only a lvl 47, so all the lvl 60-70+ call me noob, and don't care if I die or just stand there.
I have watched many lower lvl players, get harassed and humiliated in pest control, sometimes enough for them to quit RS (yes, this happened to my friend, he still comes on occasional).

On the clans, I think that most of the clans are filled with high lvl snobs, who don't give a (word removed) about any of the low-mid lvl player's experience, fun, or feelings.

Well, that is my two cents...

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Mysticallity

Feb 26 2007, 05:03 PM | Post #3

Unregistered



I like to think that everything good in RuneScape is balanced by some sort of disadvantage to them.

You know all those things about yellow prayer, abyssal stalkers, tin triangle, Pest Control, poptarts and all that jazz? You can nullify 50% of your opponent's effectiveness, regardless on whether he/she has spend eons training it to 99, you can get a free amulet from defenceless people, you can gain xp for free and so on.

So these guys get carried away with their smartness and rake in all the loot. There was just a tiny problem: Guthix saw everything and decided it wasn't balanced enough so he went like 'lol let there be harassment' and lo and behold, there was harassment.

Anyone who uses these 'easy' ways will be harassed. I consider that a fair price. I would expect someone who turns on a protection prayer whilst facing another player, to knowingly expect harassment. Ah well, it's an 'unwritten' rule in 'honorable' people to degrade these 'people', nothing we can do about it. Furthermore, you did have a choice to turn it on or off. That's your price for choosing a superior advantage. Yes, it's perfectly legal in the game, so tough luck if you get harassed.

So, back to Pest Control. Is discrimination against combat levels right? Well, there's no right and wrong. It's down to Jagex's decision to implement such a minigame without balancing the traditional ways. Yet it's also the player's choice to choose the easy way out. If you have the balls to stand against harassment from your friends and community and go 'Right. I'm sticking to what I want to do.' then you've got it.

Discrimination will always exist because Jagex fails to balance these easy ways out. If the trade system was removed, then discrimination among merchants would not exist. If the chat system was removed, then begging would not exist. If Pest Control was removed, then there would be no discrimination among high-levels; people would know exactly how awesome you are for going through all that hell to get what you wanted. With Pest Control, that balance is destroyed and now we can't distinguish who used Pest Control and who didn't. There goes an angry mob. Who can really blame them? Everyone is undermining their achievements. I wouldn't be happy if someone surpasses my 100M xp within an infinitely shorter time than I had.

As for me, I'm unlikely to play Pest Control because I Slayer.

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Loggy

Feb 26 2007, 05:12 PM | Post #4

Unregistered



By GOD, there's discrimination in a MMORPG! Quick, boycott teleportation spells and rally everyone for a march onto Varrock!

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Pineapple

Feb 26 2007, 08:33 PM | Post #5

Unregistered



Well i first played pest control i was about lvl 50. I was a new member and didn't know much. The first game i got in i got called noob more times than i could count. Now i'm lvl 80 and i still sometimes do play Pest Control but i still get called noob by the "high" lvl players.

QUOTE

If the trade system was removed, then discrimination among merchants would not exist. If the chat system was removed, then begging would not exist. If Pest Control was removed, then there would be no discrimination among high-levels; people would know exactly how awesome you are for going through all that hell to get what you wanted.

Sadly if all these things were removed then runescape would be nothing. If the trade system was removed...i don't even what to think about it. If the chat system was removed then no one would be able to talk to their friends. If Pest Control was removed then a great way of training up your skills is gone.

I'm not saying that this problem should be left alone, something needs to be done about

Pineapple,

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BluEz

Feb 26 2007, 08:37 PM | Post #6

Unregistered



I have no problem with minigames that offer superior rates of xp provided that they require team interaction and/or a lil more thought than mindlessly clicking. I just wish that some of the other minigames like gnomeball or trouble brewing would give equivalent xp.

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El Wetto

Feb 26 2007, 09:22 PM | Post #7

Unregistered



I agree with you on the beggars, because they think that everyone just gets stuff for free, so they should too
Also another thing i hate in runescape is those damn macroners, these little suckers drive the prices on wood and ore so far down that there is no hope for someone to make money off the mining and woodcutting skills
Also the thing i hate the most in runescape is the noobs (this is like the most nooby thing to do!!) that buy their money off ebay and different websites
They think they are so good because they have all the rares and 10 of each rune but in reality they are more of a noob than someone that earns all their money and only has enough money for full rune
But pest control is a little different story because most of the people that are playing it are taking full advantage of it and getting alot of xp and they dont want to lose because of a level 40 that doesnt understand how to play pest control or just doesnt help out in the "team effort"

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Cky

Feb 26 2007, 10:31 PM | Post #8

Unregistered



Bah this has been a topic on every fansite there is.

I'd like to believe that even though there is of course discrimination within Runescape, that it's not done by everyone, I mean the only time I ever see stuff like that is in the Wilderness, and it's most likely because the other person killed the person doing said harassing. I mean everyone sees that, it's common in the wilderness and people choose to accept it because they aren't the people dying.

I never really had a problem with Pest-Control, it's a great advantage to people who want to raise combat quickly, and thats awesome. Our good friend Geo1988 is part of Heart Unit, the biggest Pest-Control channel out there right now I believe, and they seem to be doing fine. Although they do seem to have a fair bit of dislike able people on their IRC Network, so I don't know much about them.

All I can say is, I don't PC enough to give any fair bit of judgment on this topic, it's an online game connection hundreds of thousands of people at once, it can't be totally discrimination free.

<edit> Makoto nobody cares about your birthday except the women you supposedly bake for.

This post has been edited by Cky: Feb 26 2007, 10:32 PM

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Nawzlew

Feb 27 2007, 12:08 AM | Post #9

Unregistered



To be honest, it's just a game. I don't think anyone is getting their e-feelings hurt.

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Twilight Ray

Feb 27 2007, 12:18 AM | Post #10

Unregistered



The situations Mysticallity posted were hypothetical. Try and stay on topic, kiddies.

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spikey188

Feb 27 2007, 01:34 AM | Post #11

Unregistered



well just about ever damn word u said makoto is ture!!!! yes i found it odd that people judged other playes on there combat lvl's! i however dont go there anymore and havent sence summer.....! but when u realy think about it it's almost all the mini games are like that caslte wars fighting pit's barbarian assault, what i think is rs is become more like our world we live in it being torn into the upper class (high lvl's) and the lower class (AKA: noobs) however u could be lvl 3 with skills at lvl 99 and still not be let on teams in these games. i never realy hated noob but there are some i do! (tootkill!!! jk!) anyway that about all i have to say

This post has been edited by spikey188: Feb 27 2007, 01:35 AM

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Boggy B 33

Mar 1 2007, 09:09 PM | Post #12

Unregistered



Well now, sometime last year during my brief stint as a member i tried out Pest Control, 'cause it seemed cool, when i did it the people were ok about my low level (i was lvl 30 something at the time) thay were just saying about any help is worth it and wernt too bothered about my questions.

So i think its just a select bunch of RS players letting down the community and i see your point Mak, but i stilll am undecided on this.

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nubi

Mar 2 2007, 06:43 AM | Post #13

Unregistered



1.

2. R.I.P. Serge

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PieCakes

Mar 2 2007, 12:51 PM | Post #14

Unregistered



Yeah, its bad, but i dont see a problem with it. I'd much rather prefer to be the level 50 with 1000 total, than the 126, the "Mr hardcore" with 1000 total rofl..

PC is my arch enemy.. I vow not to return.. It's boring, dull, and a cheating way to get combat exp to me. I'd much prefer to do slayer, get 2-3-4 levels at once (Eg Dragons = Slayer Exp, Prayer Exp, Craft Exp, Combat Exp) plus you earn money..

It is harsh for the lower levels, but to be honest, id say its for their own good, theyll appriciate it in the end. Better than turning out into a lvl 126 with 1000 total l0l.

Only exception be pures.. But most pures have a higher level main, and they can just go join a clan and find the worlds..

But ya, to me, PC is full of high level nerds, who wanna get to 126 as quick as they can.. Regardless of other people.. Makes you think.. 2D Graphics nerds ftl. l0l.

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Spiderchild

Mar 2 2007, 01:32 PM | Post #15

Unregistered



I used to use pest control quite alot and after a long time earning the right, joined Heart unit so i could use their worlds.
if you think these clans are discriminating agaisnt the lower levels by not allowing them access to the easy method of gaining the information of which world is currently good for pest control then you are right.
And you can't do anything about it.

I actually prefer manually training than pest control, as it requires less concentration ;p but i think that if a bunch of 'high levels' think of a simple way to cut out 90% of the people they don't want to play pest control with, so that they can train faster, then let them have it.

If some of the 'High levels' want to be anti social and enginer a way for them to get exactly what they want in a way that cannot be stopped by Jagex or anyone then let them have their way.

But if a bunch of 'Low levels' are playing pest control and are having fun on their own, playing the team game not to futher themselves but to have fun with their fellow player then no 'high level' has the right to flame or dig into them simply because that group happened to be on the next level the 'high levels' wanted to invade.

So i think PC clans are all fine until someone gets hurt.

Just because someone is a lower combat level than you, doesn't make them a worse person, or less intelligent, so you should treat them with the respect they deserve, until you are sure they don't ;p

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