Runescape: Bonfires, Validation, and Double Runespan Points

Monique, me, and a new friend

Runescape is at it again!  Today marked the release of Bonfires, along with a couple of minor updates as well.  To begin with, they're doing an email validation drive again.  If you validate your personal email address with Runescape (Monique and I did so years ago) Diango will reward you with a new title, a new cape, added bank space, and an experience lamp.

Taken one thing at a time, there's both good and bad.  The new title?  "The Real".  For instance, if your character name is "Deal", you would be "The Real Deal".  Cutesy.  I could see that appealing to some, but it's not for me.  Sometimes I use "War-Chief", and sometimes "Yt-Haar", from the Elder Kiln quest.  Just seems cooler to have titles you had to work for.  To each their own.

You can see 3 different players proudly wearing their Cape of Validation

Okay, next on the list:  The Cape of Validation.  What?  Are you kidding me?  There's a cape to show you've validated your email?  That's just what I've always wanted.  Bragging rights that I've verified my email address.  It's actually a mildly attractive cape, but really now...  It's got no in-game function other than to prove you gave your email to Jagex.  Been a fan of Runescape for about 8 years now, but that's about the lamest thing I can remember them ever doing.

It gets better from here.  The added bank space?  Heck, we can ALL use more bank.  There's been a lot of confusion over it, though.  Apparently, the added spaces are the F2P slots.  Where it used to read 78/78, now it reads 88/88.  The P2P slots are still 468.  I'll take it.  Anything extra bank space is good.

Hard to read, but that's 6,123 exp from the lamp.

The experience lamp is another good one.  In a 90-level skill, I made slightly over 6k exp from the lamp.  Sure, it's not amazing, but you have to consider what you did to get it.  Validate my email and get 6k exp?  Sure, I'll take it.  Especially since they gave me credit even though mine was validated a long time ago.

A separate update was the announcement of the May Wild Weekend treat for this upcoming weekend...  Double Points!  This comes slightly late for me.  I've been living in the Runespan since it came out, and gone from 92 to 98.  And about 1/4 of the way from 98 to 99.  Well, I'll wait until Saturday and try to maximize the points.  Got the Wicked Set, and the Greater Runic Staff.  Working on Esteem now.  No way will I maximize my Esteem before 99, but at least doing the rest of it over the weekend will get me further than it would have been. 

Put another log on the fire

Been saving the best for last.  Runescape has finally updated Firemaking.  Took them long enough.  I know there's plenty of upset people.  I'm not one of them.  These last few updates have been making the game fun again.  I don't mind working toward a goal.  Heck, I've got 2 Baby Jads... you can't accuse me of only doing the easy stuff! 

But making the game fun?  That's a big plus.  Does it cheapen the work I've done getting those high levels?  No.  Runescape is a game.  You play it.  You have fun.  Or you move on.  It doesn't matter how other people level up.  Or if the game used to be harder.  That mimics real life.  My parents grew up without many of the luxuries we take for granted today. 

Runespan has been pure fun for me.  Lots of variety, you can accelerate your experience if you pay attention.  Now Bonfires.  Don't know about you, but making fires one step at a time didn't appeal to me.  Boring.  Couldn't tolerate more than a bit a time.  How my character got to 92 Firemaking the old way is painful to remember.  Only did it because of the requirements to get the Taskmaster emote.  Bonfires bring back the entertainment.

Have you watched the Bonfire emote up close?  This is a family-safe blog, so I won't describe what it looks like.  But if you've seen it, you know what I mean.  Runescape did good.  They intended to make Firemaking more of a communal event.  People gathering round, working on the same skill together.  Talking, hanging out.  (Writing blogs...) 

The Fire Spirits are a nice touch, too.  If you're paying attention, when a Fire Spirit emerges from the Bonfire, click on it and you'll get some charms, runes, or both.  They give nice amounts for just clicking once on something.  I'm sure that's Jagex's way of keeping afk'ing to a minimum.  An extra reward for those who actually play the game. 

The experience rate is decent.  If you check the GE, Magic Logs have gone up in price.  They'll probably drop back down to normal before too long.  But for the first few days (or weeks) there'll be a high demand from people eager to get their Firemaking 99.  More power to them.

Last but not least, when you do your first Bonfire, you complete a task.  After working so long to get the Taskmaster emote, it was nice to have it back.  I didn't even know it was a task until getting the completion notice!  It's always nice to earn something where you weren't even expecting it.

For now, I'm doing Bonfires.  Out of Magics, used up my Yews, down to Maples.  But still working at it.  This weekend, you'll find me back in the Runespan getting as many Double Points as possible.  Runescape is constantly changing.  Constantly fresh.  I like it!