lj games club: RuneScape in žanr MMORPG
(ENG) RuneScape in žanr MMORPG
Na naslednjem srečanju LjGC, ki bo potekalo v torek, 14. 7. 2026, ob 18.00 v prostorih Participativne ljubljanske avtonomne cone (PLAC) na Linhartovi cesti 43, bomo širše razpravljali o žanru množičnih večigralskih spletnih iger igranja vlog (MMORPG), podrobneje pa se bomo posvetili starejšemu, a še vedno aktualnemu predstavniku tega žanra: igri *(Old School) RuneScape*, katere prva različica je bila izdana leta 2001.
Po kratkem pregledu zgodovine množičnih večigralskih spletnih iger, od njihovih začetkov v obliki t. i. večuporabniških ječ oziroma domen (MUD), prek njihove hiperprodukcije in komercialnega vrhunca v preteklem desetletju, pa vse do sedanjega obdobja zatona in stagnacije, se bomo na primeru igre (Old School) RuneScape lotili temeljnih igralnomehanskih, tehničnih, ekonomskih in družbenih problemov, ki jih odpira zasnova tovrstnih iger. Posebej nas bo zanimalo, kako je (Old School) RuneScape zasnovan okoli svojega množično-večigralskega značaja in predvsem, kako ta množično-večigralski značaj vpliva na kontroverzne RPG-jevske sisteme napredovanja, zajete v znanih pojmih, kot so leveling, looting, grinding in farming.
(Old School) RuneScape je dostopen na spletni strani https://oldschool.runescape.com/. Za dostop do igre je treba ustvariti račun, ni pa treba plačati naročnine, ki omogoča dostop do dodatnih vsebin.
Za naše srečanje predlagam, da @everyone opravite vsaj naloge na uvodnem otoku Tutorial Island, nato pa se še slabo uro zadržujete v okolici mesteca Lumbridge. Ker je (Old School) RuneScape razmeroma odprta igra, izbiro dejavnosti po prihodu v Lumbridge prepuščam posamezni igralki oziroma igralcu.
(ENG) RuneScape and the MMORPG genre
At the next session of LjGC, which will take place on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at 18:00 at PLAC (Linhartova cesta 43), we will discuss the genre of massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), focusing in particular on one of its older yet still highly relevant representatives: *(Old School) RuneScape*, which was originally released in 2001.
After a brief overview of the history of MMORPGs—from their origins in so-called multi-user dungeons (MUDs), through their period of hyperproduction and their commercial peak in the previous decade, to the current era of decline and stagnation—we will use (Old School) RuneScape as a case study to examine the fundamental gameplay, technical, economic, and social problems raised by the design of games of this kind. We will be particularly interested in how (Old School) RuneScape is designed around its massively multiplayer character and in how this massively multiplayer character shapes the game's controversial RPG progression systems, commonly described through concepts such as leveling, looting, grinding, and farming.
(Old School) RuneScape is available at https://oldschool.runescape.com/. To play the game, you will need to create an account, but a paid membership is not required. Membership simply unlocks additional content.
For our session, I recommend that @everyone complete at least the introductory Tutorial Island sequence and then spend roughly an hour exploring the area around the town of Lumbridge. Since (Old School) RuneScape is a relatively open-ended game, I will leave the choice of activities after arriving in Lumbridge entirely up to each individual player.
