I've been playing this game on and off since 2008, and my account currently has 6000 hours logged, which is amateur compared to some players. This game has several flaws, with the first being the increase in microtransactions (MTX). The core appeal of RuneScape lies in the grind for XP and the sense of accomplishment that comes with earning skill capes. MTX undermines this by making progress dependent on who has more real-life money to spend. Although they have attempted to address this issue with the introduction of Ironman mode, the damage caused by MTX still lingers.

There’s no other game like RuneScape, I have tried so many others and none comes close to the experience. This game is grindy and does not respect your time. It will take a new player over 1000 hours to even get 99 in every stat (without MTX) and you’re just scraping the surface of the game at that point. This is what makes it fun and why players can’t seem to quit. They release content designed to give long term players FOMO.