OSRS: I Pulled the Trigger Again
Posted on August 15, 2025 by Aywren
I’ve been in this weird state of mind when it comes to gaming lately, and that has led me to searching for fulfilling gaming experiences in odd places. While I have enjoyed some parts of my FFXIV journey lately, other parts (namely the newest content) have literally frustrated me to tears. I find it odd that I seek solace in content from two expansions back to find the chill experience I’m really looking for. And I know that will only last for as long as I’m in that content, which I’m speeding through.
I’ve been hearing so much about folks flocking to Old School RuneScape lately, which was a game I first tried over a year ago and enjoyed back then. Due to writing a post about my experiences earing the Angler’s Outfit, as well as the kind soul who gifted me a bunch of gold to help me get going, OSRS has been on my mind.
I knew should I dip back into OSRS, I couldn’t do it as a free player. Even with a membership, the game felt constrictive to me (by design). Still, since the cost of monthly membership in OSRS went up last year to almost the cost I pay for my monthly FFXIV subscription, I just couldn’t see that as an option. However… the annual sub brings that down to an acceptable level of about $9 a month. You just have to pony up the full cost all at one time (which always feels painful).
After kicking the idea around for a few days, and being kicked around by a boss in an Expert dungeon in FFXIV last night, I decided to pull the trigger.
Yes, this is nuts. I already have a lot to do in FFXIV right now. I still have a huge backlog of games I want to play, both on Steam and Switch. Adding another MMO to my stable that requires a stately time sink is probably not the best of ideas. However, the way I want to approach OSRS is one of slow, casual engagement.
I Need to Slow Down
This was all borne out of an internal need to slow down in my gaming and try to savor the experiences I have. I find that almost impossible to do in FFXIV. The core of the game is so wrapped in battle content, and that battle content has done nothing but up the pace again and again this past expansion. Sure, there’s non-combat stuff to do, but the truth is, if I want to play with friends, they’re going to be running battle content, so there’s no avoiding it.
Even in my progression with my new Picto Bun, or moving Zuri through Dawntrail, the whole thing is a speed run for me. I’ve already done this content 5 times through, and there’s nothing there that I want to see yet again that I can’t just watch on YouTube. The paradox is that I’m enjoying the feeling of progression through Shadowbringers while also burning my way through that content to get to the end… whereupon, I’ll just be back in Endwalker again.
Now, is this my fault for leveling so many alts? It is. But the truth is also that there’s not much I feel like engaging with at endgame of FFXIV.
I tried my hand at Cosmic Exploration, but I’m not a fan of expert crafting, so it didn’t hook me beyond earning the rewards I wanted from the content (most of which I bought from the market board). I did grind out atma for the newest relic weapon and spent a solid chunk of time in Occult Crescent… but again, that’s battle content, and not one my friends really seem to want to be involved with. So, I’m out there by myself running the same FATE bosses, which is only fun for a while.
What I think I really have been yearning for is quiet and paced content in my MMO. Not a race towards the end of something, but something I can slowly work on over time and see a tangible progress. I think maybe that’s what other folks have been wanting from a MMO lately, too, which is why we’re seeing a number of people trying out OSRS lately.
OSRS is a game that, by design forces, you to slow down, research, figure things out, and build up layers of skill foundation in order to make progress. I don’t have all the time in the world to dedicate to it, but I want to use it as the MMO foil to my FFXIV experience, where I just don’t feel like I can relax right now. Maybe, by playing a game that forces me to slow down and be more patient, I can rekindle those qualities in myself and bring them back to FFXIV.
Does this mean that I’m quitting FFXIV? Not a chance! I still have a PVP series that I’m working on every day, as well as the goal to finish leveling all my jobs to 100 on main.
What this does mean, however, is that I’m going to stop looking for that slower-paced content in FFXIV. It’s proven to me over the years that slower, more peaceful content is just not the focus of the game’s design. If you’re not a crafter, gatherer, or fisher, then almost everything is built around battle, and I’m just growing more exhausted trying to perform the mechanics that are required from the newest battle content.
So, instead, I’ll do my best to balance FFXIV and OSRS, getting from one what I don’t get from the other. A year-long sub to OSRS doesn’t pressure me into feeling like I have to play 24/7 to get my money’s worth from it. I can just relax, pick a few OSRS goals to work towards (I have so many), research how to do that, and chill with some Netflix in the background.
In fact, the first thing I did upon returning to the game was to use some of that kind person’s donated gold to buy the resources I needed to finish the Daddy’s Home quest. This allowed me to earn my first handful of levels in Construction and unlocked player housing for me (which I want to explore)!
Oh, and joy of joys – I was able to somehow change my name to Aywren in game now! I’m not sure why the name wasn’t available last year, but this time around when I tried it, it worked. I’m so happy to be myself again!