I think that the reason I enjoy Runescape so much is the simple fact that while I get RS gold done I can do it mindless, and do other things. If I play with a"real" game I concentrate on that. Whereas when I'm grinding anything on Scape besides quests I'm catching up on everything I have been putting off while I get it done. Or hanging out with the family been awaiting while AFKing a skill. It's part of Runescapes allure I believe. To be able to play whatever disposition, or style you choose. You wanna try hard you tick everything. You wan na na hangout with family and watch something you click every now and then. It is a mix.
I agree! When I'm socializing, I don't really play, but it's like 100 games in one. I have always got several grinds of various intensities etc going at once and skill jump constantly (multiple days per day) according to what I feel. Game feels fresh like this. Runescape has of providing you an idea of progression, the charm. You could do half an evening of rooftops with nothing to show for this, if you are close to 99 agility. No pet, no levels achievednothing. But you know you grinded out another god knows that feels great, and how much xp.
There's also a level of permanence that I get from runescape. Some games be enthralled through out the experience and that I will play. But the experience is only like 16 hours because it's narrative based and does not have replay-ability. If I attempt to re-experience it and go back, it suddenly feels like a chore with no prospects. Runescape is a the majority of the time but it's always there. The task becomes a game play mechanic that allows you push farther not only replay the exact same 16 hours of articles.
I look at it differently - there's plenty of things that I do enjoy performing over and over. But I can not deny there lots of boring as shit items to get through like you state. I really do those when I would have been watching netflix/YouTube/whatever other non intensive hobby anyway, not the other way round. I also listen to a lot of music - it could give me some thing to"perform" but not actually requiring any of my brain, letting me focus 95% over the symphony or album or whatever. Feel like watching an episode or 2 of those sopranos? Eh let's throw on OSRS and do some agility.
Everquest was even worse. Whatever would be fun like skilling you could knock out in every day, however it had been click intensive (imagine smelting rune ore and you had to click every individual coal, but for everything you make). Leveling was excruciating, like RS you sit at one camp, well that's if you can solo and just a few courses could. Only a couple could truly semi-afk, a lot you had to kite things about and it was a whole lot easier to perish than RS since xp tapered off quickly on creatures over a couple levels below you. After months of grinding you reach max level 65. Congrats, now you get to do it all over again to unlock all the bonus skills.
Oh and by this point, soloing is all but non-existant, because anything that will give experience at this point is pretty much at a raid zone. On the other hand, Runescape did promote socializing. I wish it had quests. The raids were enjoyable for its day however. EQ was far worse than WoW together with grinding, and even moreso than RS. It is the precise opposite. Runescape ended up placing the capacity to order Pizza Hut into Runescape, this was like ~2004. The whole culture around Runescape puts the South Park WoW episode to pity. RS is a lot easier going in contrast.
Runescape to me is almost always a perennial cycle of"ill be able to have so much fun once I complete this 200 hour grind of X" Get to"x", find it super underwhelming and stop for 3 weeks. Both back in the day and now I set a more reasonable aim, hit it, change to something else for some time, assists with burnout. I haven't logged in for a couple of days and powered back up to 100 battle. Did the same thing when I came back and hit at 88 fletching. Once I max quests and receive 70 all that I probably will end up stopping though, or cheap RuneScape gold playing quite sparingly. But for a whole lot of Runescape there going on till you hit levels.
