What makes Runescape clanning different?

[Ethan]

I've always wondered why Runescape clans have such a different feel than other games (I can only use WoW and Guild Wars as an example). Here's what I feel the differences are:

 

• There's real drama. We all become such good friends and family that we end up creating drama.
• We all know each other, even across several clans. 
• We always have superior forums to other gaming clans. We use IRC and VoIP more frequently. 
• We offer(d) several events a day.
• The rank hierarchy actually means something, and people get upset over it.
• Leaders often spend more time dealing with the clan, rather than playing the game.

I don't notice any of those in other games. I don't learn peoples names, or where they're from and what they like doing. Rarely do I see people causing drama with another clan mate in other games. Events are less structured, and so are rank hierarchies. If someone gets promoted, it's normally not that big of a deal. In Runescape, we make topics for promotions and celebrate the shit out of it. Or, others get angry with the promotion and most likely cause issues. 

 

I just thought it was funny that Runescape, of all games, seems to have the most detailed clan system. I'm assuming that it's this way because we had to make and design everything on our own. We couldn't band together in-game, so forums were/are necessary. We use(d) IRC and the like to chat. 

 

Thoughts, anything to add?

[Dan G]

I think it's because runescapes clan support was minimal at best so we were forced to make what we wanted and they've adjusted the game around the already existing clan setups. Obviously they've fucked it up recently and got rid of the whole thing that made clamming worthwhile.

[Glad2BeBamf]

I think it's because runescapes clan support was minimal at best so we were forced to make what we wanted and they've adjusted the game around the already existing clan setups. Obviously they've fucked it up recently and got rid of the whole thing that made clamming worthwhile.

This exactly. I think Jagex did such a poor job supporting clans for a majority of the "golden years" in RS so clans had to make it on their own and from what I have seen they did an amazing job of it. I almost wish other games had this form of a clan system, but then I think we would lose what makes RS clans different. Just my opinion though. 

[Beric]

I've run into everything you've listed in other games. WoW's guild drama can be pretty intense. 

[Ethan]

I've run into everything you've listed in other games. WoW's guild drama can be pretty intense. 

 

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[Hess]

We just have to make ourselves feel important to compensate for the game

[Sijeeral]

There's definitely a greater Community feel to the people I know in RuneScape.  I can't think of one person that I still keep in touch with from WoW when I played 2 years ago, even though I recently started playing again.  And the two people that I do know and talk to on WoW at the moment are Melissa (Moveurasets) and Beans, both are in Gladz.

 

Some other things I notice is that it's more fun to do stupid/fun events on RuneScape than it is other games that I've played.  I couldn't even imagine trying to have a Fishing Event on WoW...

 

Runescape has a wider variety of skills to train/level to help alleviate the boredom from doing just 4 or 5 different things, and it feels more rewarding when you do hit the max level in those skills.

 

WoW does have drama though.  I can remember like almost every single class in the 25 man raid had at least one loot hungry bitch.  If someone else got something that they wanted, they would sometimes "Disconnect" for the night.  "Oh, MY BAD! My net went down!"

 

Also, WoW does not have Rabbit Sandwiches.  That's the biggest fail in my opinion.  I bet they could get another 3.7 million subscribers to WoW if they had Rabbit Sandwiches.

[Veggie]

Camaraderie

[Steven]

Obviously they've fucked it up recently and got rid of the whole thing that made clamming worthwhile.

 

 got rid of the whole thing that made clamming worthwhile.

 

made clamming worthwhile.

 

clamming

[Veggie]

Clam down

[Hess]

Obviously they've fucked it up recently and got rid of the whole thing that made clamming worthwhile.

 

 got rid of the whole thing that made clamming worthwhile.

 

made clamming worthwhile.

 

clamming

 

bahahaha

[Bnick]

I think the biggest difference is RS was a very social game. In RS quite a few skills were pretty much *click* wait a few minutes *click*. Gives you a lot more time to talk to the people around you or your friends. I used to love going to the fishing guild and starting up random conversations and sometimes igniting arguments. I'm sure I wasn't the only player that would log onto RS just to sit in edgeville and talk to people.

 

So I'd say the brain numbing repetitiveness of most skills kind of forced social interaction.

 

I've only played  WOW and RS so I don't have huge base for comparison. In WOW I found most people just ignored me when I tried to talk to them.

[Dan G]

Obviously they've fucked it up recently and got rid of the whole thing that made clamming worthwhile.

 

 got rid of the whole thing that made clamming worthwhile.

 

made clamming worthwhile.

 

clamming

 

Aw. I got autocorrected and didn't even notice

[IKEA]

For me what made clan world good was the friendship side of things for sure, more so when I first came to Gladz we had a good group of GMT people and I got on with them all so well its was great. Now 5/6 years on even if I haven't spoke to them in a while there is never a sense of awkwardness or anything which can happen so easy IRL. Most people I know only know the people they grew up with and went to school with where as I know people from America to Estonia heck even Australia it's great.

[Cordeiro]

PvP clanning on Runescape fucking sucks.

 

And by fucking sucks, I mean it's not worth the time I put into it.  It did give me something to do for years, and I guess I learned some lessons from it, but it definitely negatively impacted my life as well.  From the first time I joined a warring clan in 2004, to when I started to lose interest and focused on other things in mid-2010, there was way too much drama, even more so than in my real life.

 

I did meet a lot of great people sure, and I certainly got some enjoyment out of it.  But still, thinking about all of the things I could've invested my interest in instead, I do regret some of it.  Runescape clanning was my hobby, I suppose, but there are certainly much better hobbies than Runescape.  It didn't necessarily negatively effect other aspects of my life.

 

Since I stopped being active in 2010, I've found better hobbies.  I still play some games, but they aren't nearly as serious as clanning is, there is probably the same drama, but it's much easier not to get wrapped up in it.  The fact is that the clan world outside of Runescape, the world that we created, is a horrible world and has been since 2006ish.  Too much drama, flaming, and time spent on such minuscule things.  I'm glad I moved on when I did, and I do regret I didn't do it earlier.

 

But, I did have fun, at times, I did meet a lot of cool people, I did learn from about other cultures in the world, I learned a lot of lessons about leadership from this environment.  Was it all worth it?  Maybe.  I don't know, and I'm not sure if I ever will.

 

Runescape clanning is different than most because people started to take it way too seriously a long time ago.

Edited February 18, 2013 by Cordeiro

[Beeppudnolan]

I ahven't been so involved in other games like RS. So yeah all that is right. Would be interesting to see what WOW guilds are like these days lol. Just about everyone uses ts but it mostly started with scape using voice things tbh.