Runescape: Evolution of Combat Weekend Event: Castle Wars

Me bravely defending the bridge... right before they killed me again!

Well, last weekend was the first open weekend for the Evolution of Combat Beta Test worlds.  Anybody with an active membership could (finally!) log in and see the new system for themselves.  I hope it lived up to your best hopes.

Monique and I are split on this one.  She hates combat.  By nature she's a skiller, not a killer, and only does combat when required for a personal goal.  If she's got to fight, keep it simple.  All these new combat options to learn stress her, because she doesn't really want to know about them.  I'm opposite.  Combat is my favorite.  Not saying I'm any good at it.  Jad, Nomad, Fight Kiln, Queen Black Dragon, those all give me fits.  As a matter of fact, I still haven't beaten those last two.  But it's fun trying.

Overall, the Evolution of Combat seems like a good thing to me.  Makes the fighting fun, and interesting.  Not sure how well I'll fare against the big monsters.  Just that much more to have to manage, seems like.  But I still like it.  Except for the Enhanced Excalibur thing.  Yes, they replaced the Excalibur special with a combat action that is pretty similar.  You can heal yourself when your Adrenaline Bar gets full.  That doesn't do anything for all those non-combat ways to get hurt.  For instance, currently the Knights of Ardougne have been contributing to my coffers.  When they catch me accepting 'donations' from them, they hit me.  Currently, Enhanced Excalibur's special can heal me.  Under the new system, since it isn't combat, the adrenaline bar won't be charged... no healing.  I guess we'll all just have to find new work-arounds for the changes.  

I spent a LOT of time leaving this room...

Because of the Mad Scientist outfit, Monique decided to join me in the Beta Combat worlds for the first Combat Beta weekend event - Castle Wars.  Neither one of us likes Castle Wars.  But we like keeping up with cool new things as much as possible.  We both wanted the Mad Scientist Outfit.  Besides, it looks awesome in the concept drawings!


When we logged in, she really worried about needing to set all the new options.  I told her not to worry about it.  All that's required is to play a whole game within the given days.  We just go in, get killed a few times, and we're done.


...   :^D


Boy, was I right.  The lag was fierce.  The confusion was beyond amazing.  The crowding made it look like just this massive field of wild colors and motion.  More like a psychedelic trip than an online role-playing adventure game.  Also right about getting killed.  In spite of her hesitance, Monique wound up killing three players.  I only got one!!!  She can just be my bodyguard from now own. Somehow, when playing Castle Wars I always choose the losing team.  Which makes me not like it even more.  Looks like plenty of people still like to play it.  To each their own.  Maybe some day I'll want the completionist cape, and have to play a bunch of games.  Until then, though, Castle Wars will not be seeing much of Monique nor myself. 

In the meantime, still working on Thieving.  Last night finally made level 90.  After spending some time plundering the pyramids, and stealing seeds from the farmer, the Ardougne Knights have become my favorite.  There's a ton of right-clicking, and you have to pay lots of attention.  By the way, if you're a bot, don't hang out near me- I report bots.  When you're chasing a knight and you aren't bright enough to go through a door to pick his pocket, it becomes pretty obvious.  Especially when your character is locked onto the knight, and constantly circles the house trying to get to the guard...


Anyway, the higher the level, the easier pickpocketing becomes.  By level 90, the money, and the experience, really seems to increase rapidly.  Maybe it's all just perception.  As always, I play at whatever seems fun.  While working toward a goal.  Right now, the goal is working on a skill, while making money.  Not the fastest money, but a good combination of skilling and profit.

I owe all my success to the men of the Ardougne Knighthood!