I love the past as much as any of us.
God, those days were the best. I HAVE shed a tear or two watching old clan world movies.
I'd give anything to bring the clan world back to its golden age... but 2007 servers are not the way to do it.
1. Jagex don't deserve your money
They are largely a money-grabbing company with poor customer relations. They are stingy, they do not explain themselves well enough, and they spend all their money on really stupid videos and content. They have no sense of priority - they were happy to let PKing die while the skillers got new make-overs, and if that doesn't anger you I don't know what will. They have put lots of resources into all the wrong areas and if I really don't want to pay them more than what I am, even though I can easily afford it.
2. PKing and the wilderness will be out of balance
When people start mining runite in the wilderness, people will be PKing in steel, mithril and adamant. We also have a population of skillers in Runescape. The vast PKing empire is not going to return, and so if you take the clan world as you see it now, and then half it (roughly), that's the population of clans in 2007 wilderness. Sure, it could grow, but that process will take several years. In 2007 the wilderness was already quite redundant. I can only think of the rune rocks that might entice people in.
3. The game itself is being seen through a rose-tinted glass
We were young and impressionable, and our minds spun magic. That's what children and teens are good at. I'm no expert on human psychology, but in my music degree I learned that peoples' tastes in music are solidified in their teen years (see Daniel Levitin for further info) before the neural pathways "lock up". Anyway, my point is that our brains viewed the game in a way that attached far more emotional baggage than most of us will care to admit.
There's a lot to not like about the old Runescape. For example, the grinding is far more tedious, like cooking food which is done click by click, or the poor run system that makes you take a step backward before you move forward, and other little things that we conveniently forget about. The game is pretty bad now, but maybe we take for granted the ways in which it has become better. Also, there's no way to reset the sense of discovery. Getting lost on the map, doing quests without knowing how, wondering what certain items did... the unknown was the charm of old Runescape. Now we know, so it will be a lot of grinding at the same places, and doing things the most efficient way.
4. Why redo something that lives so fondly in our memories?
Most of us have gone and redone games we loved. We've found it to be less magical than the first time... but still fun - I get it. But one does run the risk of falling out of love with the past. We've done 2007. We loved it. Let it stay like that rather than be relived and all our memories poisoned. Think back on a TV show or movie you absolutely loved in childhood. For me an example was Angry Beavers. I watched it religiously. I go back now and think "Wow, what crap". Let the memories stay clean.
5. This *may* be harmful to the PKing community (Not 100% sure)
With the EoC out, the clan world has really just shriveled, and the wilderness in 2013... even CWA in 2013, is somewhat pitiful compared to 2007. It's time now for a few assumptions. Assume about half of us will be playing 2007 servers and the other half will be playing current servers. Think about how effective 50% of our pulls would be in 2007-scape. Sure, a few people will come out of retirement, and a few people might play both. If EVERY player moved to 2007 servers, and Jagex did a massive reset, this could work, but the beauty of the 2007 wilderness was the max options, the free-roaming PKing (when clans would just check out the rune rocks for stray PKers) and the politics, being able to mingle amongst hundreds of other clans. You can go back to the land, but the culture is gone. Dividing the clan world in two will reduce our pulls in both types of server. It will mean that leaders have to run more events to please everybody, and now that we're grown up, who has time to run a 2013 clan and a 2007 clan?
6. We're starting from the very beginning
As I mentioned before, the magic of those days was the sense of discovery, and working out the grooves in our methods. There's no more experimentation now. We know which creatures to fight for training. If it's 2007, it'll be Dagganoths and Bandits (was PC nerfed at that stage? I forget). We know which foods to use in a fight and which potions, and how to make money and which are the most useful quests and rewards, and how to walk from Falador to Lumbridge. So all the grinding is going to stand out even more. Many of you guys have trained accounts from scratch, and perhaps it may have been a little fun, but you still had your mains. It's a different story now.
7. There is no guarantee in regard to updates
This could go two ways. Firstly, Jagex could leave the game alone. That's bad because things in 2007 were quite broken (like the run system) and they won't be fixed ever. There is no light at the end of the tunnel. The success of MMO's is their dynamic nature. You can get so much gameplay out of them because of the way they change. If Jagex hadn't been updating the game, I hate to admit that the game would have died sooner, even as much as we currently hate it. The other way this could go would be that we reach the quota of votes that gives the servers a development team. That's also bad, because Jagex can now tamper with our beloved game and take it in another direction. You know their track record. One little thing like climbing boots.... BOOM. Do you trust them to keep it pristine? You shouldn't.
I finished my wilderness appendix in a similar way, stating this:
I believe that such a time is upon us. The Runescape population has cried for something they wanted that may not be in their best interests, and Jagex have yielded. This is going to please people in the short term, but in the long term it will be disastrous. We should be going for the alternative: short term loss, long term gain.
This is not a matter of wanting to deny any individual their happiness, but this is truly the future of the entire game and we're all affected by it. A few people being granted happiness does have consequences for everyone else. Refer to point five.
EDIT: Oh, also this:
I hope my reasons have been enough for you to reconsider - please weigh them up.
If not, no malice toward you, and I wish you every happiness in reliving your golden days.
If I'm wrong... GOOD! If not...
"Expect the best, prepare for the worst"
God, those days were the best. I HAVE shed a tear or two watching old clan world movies.
I'd give anything to bring the clan world back to its golden age... but 2007 servers are not the way to do it.
SEVEN REASONS NOT TO VOTE
1. Jagex don't deserve your money
They are largely a money-grabbing company with poor customer relations. They are stingy, they do not explain themselves well enough, and they spend all their money on really stupid videos and content. They have no sense of priority - they were happy to let PKing die while the skillers got new make-overs, and if that doesn't anger you I don't know what will. They have put lots of resources into all the wrong areas and if I really don't want to pay them more than what I am, even though I can easily afford it.
2. PKing and the wilderness will be out of balance
When people start mining runite in the wilderness, people will be PKing in steel, mithril and adamant. We also have a population of skillers in Runescape. The vast PKing empire is not going to return, and so if you take the clan world as you see it now, and then half it (roughly), that's the population of clans in 2007 wilderness. Sure, it could grow, but that process will take several years. In 2007 the wilderness was already quite redundant. I can only think of the rune rocks that might entice people in.
3. The game itself is being seen through a rose-tinted glass
We were young and impressionable, and our minds spun magic. That's what children and teens are good at. I'm no expert on human psychology, but in my music degree I learned that peoples' tastes in music are solidified in their teen years (see Daniel Levitin for further info) before the neural pathways "lock up". Anyway, my point is that our brains viewed the game in a way that attached far more emotional baggage than most of us will care to admit.
There's a lot to not like about the old Runescape. For example, the grinding is far more tedious, like cooking food which is done click by click, or the poor run system that makes you take a step backward before you move forward, and other little things that we conveniently forget about. The game is pretty bad now, but maybe we take for granted the ways in which it has become better. Also, there's no way to reset the sense of discovery. Getting lost on the map, doing quests without knowing how, wondering what certain items did... the unknown was the charm of old Runescape. Now we know, so it will be a lot of grinding at the same places, and doing things the most efficient way.
4. Why redo something that lives so fondly in our memories?
Most of us have gone and redone games we loved. We've found it to be less magical than the first time... but still fun - I get it. But one does run the risk of falling out of love with the past. We've done 2007. We loved it. Let it stay like that rather than be relived and all our memories poisoned. Think back on a TV show or movie you absolutely loved in childhood. For me an example was Angry Beavers. I watched it religiously. I go back now and think "Wow, what crap". Let the memories stay clean.
5. This *may* be harmful to the PKing community (Not 100% sure)
With the EoC out, the clan world has really just shriveled, and the wilderness in 2013... even CWA in 2013, is somewhat pitiful compared to 2007. It's time now for a few assumptions. Assume about half of us will be playing 2007 servers and the other half will be playing current servers. Think about how effective 50% of our pulls would be in 2007-scape. Sure, a few people will come out of retirement, and a few people might play both. If EVERY player moved to 2007 servers, and Jagex did a massive reset, this could work, but the beauty of the 2007 wilderness was the max options, the free-roaming PKing (when clans would just check out the rune rocks for stray PKers) and the politics, being able to mingle amongst hundreds of other clans. You can go back to the land, but the culture is gone. Dividing the clan world in two will reduce our pulls in both types of server. It will mean that leaders have to run more events to please everybody, and now that we're grown up, who has time to run a 2013 clan and a 2007 clan?
6. We're starting from the very beginning
As I mentioned before, the magic of those days was the sense of discovery, and working out the grooves in our methods. There's no more experimentation now. We know which creatures to fight for training. If it's 2007, it'll be Dagganoths and Bandits (was PC nerfed at that stage? I forget). We know which foods to use in a fight and which potions, and how to make money and which are the most useful quests and rewards, and how to walk from Falador to Lumbridge. So all the grinding is going to stand out even more. Many of you guys have trained accounts from scratch, and perhaps it may have been a little fun, but you still had your mains. It's a different story now.
7. There is no guarantee in regard to updates
This could go two ways. Firstly, Jagex could leave the game alone. That's bad because things in 2007 were quite broken (like the run system) and they won't be fixed ever. There is no light at the end of the tunnel. The success of MMO's is their dynamic nature. You can get so much gameplay out of them because of the way they change. If Jagex hadn't been updating the game, I hate to admit that the game would have died sooner, even as much as we currently hate it. The other way this could go would be that we reach the quota of votes that gives the servers a development team. That's also bad, because Jagex can now tamper with our beloved game and take it in another direction. You know their track record. One little thing like climbing boots.... BOOM. Do you trust them to keep it pristine? You shouldn't.
I finished my wilderness appendix in a similar way, stating this:
Quote
The game has been padded, and the players have become increasingly safe and lazy. Like children, the players of Runescape cannot be entrusted with their own decisions. The result of caving in to their demands has been nothing but more convenient teleports, easier experience gains, easier ways to get rich, and basically updates that have sucked all the challenges out of the game. As the parents, you must act in their interests and force upon them something more challenging.
I believe that such a time is upon us. The Runescape population has cried for something they wanted that may not be in their best interests, and Jagex have yielded. This is going to please people in the short term, but in the long term it will be disastrous. We should be going for the alternative: short term loss, long term gain.
This is not a matter of wanting to deny any individual their happiness, but this is truly the future of the entire game and we're all affected by it. A few people being granted happiness does have consequences for everyone else. Refer to point five.
EDIT: Oh, also this:
Quote
On your topic on Zybez you forgot to say that people voting YES but not intending to play will put people's jobs at risk from a big hiring spree as Jagex can't afford to keep them due to the lack of continued membership income.
I hope my reasons have been enough for you to reconsider - please weigh them up.
If not, no malice toward you, and I wish you every happiness in reliving your golden days.
If I'm wrong... GOOD! If not...
"Expect the best, prepare for the worst"
If you -1 me, I don't mind as long as you read my argument before rejecting it.
I loved 2007 too, and I know this is not what you wanted to see.
But are you thinking about the few days after the release, or the few years?