Wilderness Thesis (2006)

An introductory image created by WG member Dragon__Pro

See also: Wilderness Thesis (2004)

The Wilderness Thesis is a document which comprehensively analyses the PvP clan community and practices within RuneScape around 2006. It was written by His Lordship and published to the Wilderness Guardians website sometime during or before June 2006, and supersedes the 2004 Thesis from two years previously. The full thesis is as follows, copied verbatim from the original apart from stylistic changes to fit the wiki format.

Preface: Author's Comments

I am very pleased to present you with this work, which is a culmination of many varied opinions of the Runescape people. This work is available for your use and leisure at any time. You may copy parts of it or take it entirely, but if you do so, please give due credit and a link back to this website.

This document was not meant to offer advice. It is only an explanation of how things work. For example, pretend the wilderness is a clock. All this document does, is tell you how this clock works. It doesn’t tell you how to repair it, or how to keep it in top condition. In essence, this thesis is just a summary of all that which occurs inside the wilderness. However, it does not mean this document does not have practical uses. Having a greater understanding of the wilderness will undoubtedly advance your ability to exploit it.

If you have any queries in regard to my thesis, or changes to make, send me a personal email, at [email redacted] and ensure you specify whether or not you would like a reply.

Introduction

There is no place in Runescape like the wilderness. It is the most dynamic and perpetual spread of land in the entire game. Players of all areas, from skills, to fighting, are drawn to it. It is quite safe to say, that the wilderness plays host to the most thrilling experience in Runescape.

Why?

Why is it that people feel safer walking through the Taverly Dungeon than browsing the wilderness? Why is it so less stressful to destroy a mighty dragon, than fight another player?

There is a human element. The human element creates chaos. Nothing is ever predictable. No fight will ever be the same, and no human is the same. This inability to predict an outcome is what thrills us. We fear that which we do not know. No amount of fights with the game’s fiercest creatures could ever compare.

This territory is mostly barren and uninteresting. In fact, it is the plainest setting on the map. Yet, out of this dead zone comes an intricate ballet of life, where the interplay of giants and dwarves plays on all the time. It can simultaneously accommodate a level three, fresh off tutorial island, to a large three hundred man clan, or a coal miner or explorer. And each of these groups has their own limits, and are bound together by the great chain of predation.

Indeed, the wilderness is more complicated than dressing up and walking out and tapping your sword against someone else’s flesh.

The thesis can be explained very simply with a diagram.

In this thesis, we begin by looking at what happens on the surface level. We can agree that the wilderness is designed for PKing and for the gathering of resources. The PKing category is far more complex than the resource counterpart. So then, we must focus more on PKing, and in the second section, we can again divide PKing into two categories. Solo PKing (Teams fall under solo PKing for a reason later to be explained) and Clans. Solo PKing is, again, far less complex than the clan world, and so we devote another chapter to the world of clans. Yet STILL, the world of clans is far too complex to explain in a single chapter, so we divide the clan world into those amateur clans, and the clans belonging to Runescape Community. And so the next chapter hones in on the Runescape Community clans, in particular, the concept of honour. This concept is unique to these clans. While it is possible to delve into more detail on RSC Clans, such a move would be too difficult, as the clan world, more than the rest of the wilderness, is dictated by the human mind, and therefore evolves and expands and cannot be explained properly.

After all this, we bind them all together in the chapter of the chain of predation, indicated by the grey arrows. Skill players become targets for Solo PKers, which become targets for amateur clans, which are targets of the legendary RSC clans. And so, we see how all aspects, from skills, to PKing solo, to clans, are all linked by this great chain.

Finally, to finish our thesis, we compare the vastly different worlds of P2P and F2P and show how the whole system differs.

And so we seek, in this thesis, to try and explain the great ecosystem that exists within the game we all know and love. Where better to start, than on surface level. Let us explore the wilderness, in its most basic form.

Functions of the Wilderness

There is a very strong and very incorrect notion that the wilderness is made only for PKing. Yes, it is true that the wilderness is primarily a territory in which players assemble to fight each other, but it is selfish to think only in this way. There is more than meets the eye.

Resources

How strange of JaGeX, to place rune rocks in the middle of a fighting zone. Is it not just a fighting zone? What would a warrior want with Rune Rocks?

Is it not odd, that Green Dragons can only be found in the wilderness? What about that Mage Arena? How very strange.

Perhaps, the wilderness is not entirely PKing after all. There are plenty of resources to be collected and harvested. To name the most common examples: Rune Rocks, Mage Arena, Green Dragons, White Berries, Agility Course, Coal Mines, Unicorns, Runecrafting Abyss, Wilderness Treasure Trails, Chaos Elemental, Rogue Thieving, Axe Hut Training Site, Fire Giant Training Site, Moss Giant Training Site, Ice Warrior Training Site, Lava Maze Chest, Red Dragons, Hellhounds for Slayer and Black Dragons.

It is fairly safe to say that the following two statements are correct. First, every committed Runescape player will enter the wilderness for resources numerous times in their careers, even as PKers. Second, It is not just inexperienced players who use the wilderness resources. Many high level players will continue to venture in for clue scrolls, rune mining, abyss Runecrafting, and so on and so forth. Obviously, this is less true of the free worlds.

In saying this, the resources of the wilderness do play a large role in the wilderness. The trend of JaGeX has been to open up MORE resources in the wilderness, to expand the non-PKing aspect. The statement “The wilderness is for PKing” is only part true. I good guess would be that 15% of all people in the wilderness through all the servers will be exploiting the resources of the wilderness.

PKing

Certainly the wilderness is primarily a PKing zone. This is common knowledge. Clans inhabit the vast majority of deep wilderness, whilst solo PKers wander the middle zones, and the inexperienced players test the waters in the shallow end. The types of PKing are numerous, and so varied that no document can seek to ever fully detail them. However, there are some mainstream forms that can be explained.

Low Level Fighting – This happens on the free worlds above Varrock, where lower levels battle opponents in low level wilderness. Rarely is a kill made as the losing opponent simply runs outside the wilderness in a few steps. Most people progress beyond this form of PKing, as it brings no kills, and the thrill tends to die away rapidly. On P2P, the story is different. The fights occur above Edgeville and are often deathmatches, where both parties agree not to take flight.

Castle PKing and Giant PKing – The next step in the progression of PKing takes the player to level 13-16 wilderness. The risk increases as the level difference increases as well. People fight each other near the Dark Warrior Fortress, or the Giants to the east. This level of wilderness is also within the teleport range and too often, players teleport out when losing a battle. Thus, kills in this spectrum of PKing are also rare. Players also tend to outgrow this style of PKing.

Deep Wilderness PKing – This is very much the epitome of solo PKing in f2p. Deep wilderness is overrun by clans, and solo PKers do not stand a chance against them. Therefore, solo PKers in f2p venture within f2p limits, particularly by the hobgoblin mine, moss giants, rune rocks, and ice plateau. These PKers often prey on skillers for whatever loot they can offer. These are easy kills, and very often a stronger solo PKer will find another solo PKer. This type of PKing brings more success in the form of loot. Clans do not venture into single combat as it is too difficult to co-ordinate a proper attack and the chance of a kill is low.

Lever PKing and Mage Bank PKing – The height of solo PKing in Runescape. Solo PKers often test their might in level 50 wilderness, non multi zones, such as the mage bank and Ardougne lever, where skillers and inexperienced PKers can be found. This form of PKing is highly dangerous and also very rewarding. The use of teleblock and freezing spells add extra risk.

Teaming – Consider all the above forms of PKing. Some players form small teams in which they can strengthen themselves and bring more success. Larger teams will frequently venture into multi combat in hopes of finding another team to defeat.

Finally, we arrive at the clan scenario. Clans are the ultimate PKing machines. They are numerous, and work together in defeating the opposition. In multi combat, teams and solo PKers stand no chance, and in single combat areas, their victims could not possibly stay and fight. Of all the ways to PK, PKing with a clan is the most intricate and complex of all. For this reason, an entire section of the thesis as been allotted to clans.

Clans

Consider the entire population of Runescape. Over a million players overall. How many would be in a clan? For the sake of generosity, say all clans, big and small, have an average member count of 80 (Remember there are far more small clans than there are large clans). That gives us 250 clans. Many of them won’t even have names or requirements. Yet, clans only comprise 2% of the entire population of Runescape. Yet, for such a small percentage, the wilderness is dominated by them. They are the governing forces of the wilderness. There will not be a 5 second period on a weekend where there is not at least three clans in the wilderness. And the stronger the clan, the more they are out there. In this chapter, we explore the world of the superpowers of Runescape.

PK Trips

Source: Wilderness Guardians Clan Archives Early 2004 (Raids)

The most basic and most common clan gathering is the PK trip. But the PK trip in itself is also varied. But essentially, the act is always the same. Head out in the hopes of killing, and to be the most powerful entity.

Starting clans often PK in the teleport zones. These clans are very simple clans with no website or forums, low levels, and cheap equipment.

These clan PK trips normally lack any grand organization. However, they remain successful through numbers. Being in the teleport zone they are quite safe. Popular places for such clans to visit are the Bandit Camp, Giants, and Dark Warrior Fortress. As the players become more experienced, and outgrow the low levels, they will soon develop advanced forum communication, and grow further and soon enter deeper levels of wilderness. On rare occasions, clans such as these enter deep wilderness.

For most clans however, deep multi combat wilderness is the best option. Heading deep in, many clans battle it out between each other, some fleeing from others. Some PK trips are held in the hopes of finding a few small teams and kills, while the bolder clans seek to spend their PK trips tracking down other clans. This happens only between the top 20 to 30 clans. Tracking down other clans leads into PK run ins. These result in vivid fights and can potentially create rivalries.

Source: Wilderness Guardians Clan Archives Mid 2005 (Raids)

On P2P Wilderness, the clan scene is dramatically different. Everything is reversed. The clans dominate single combat. A number of arguments have been presented as to why clans in pay to play wilderness do not successfully function in multi combat. Many owe it to the ancient magick spells. Others say that fights are too short. Some do not want to risk expensive equipment. But the majority seems not to go because other clans do not. It is dead, and, knowing this, clans do not bother trying to access multi combat.

Most p2p clans mage bank PK. That is, using teleblock spells and coordinating attacks in single combat to get kills. About ten or so clans attempt this, all of which are high in the clan ladder. It is an exceptionally rare circumstance for a beginning clan to hold p2p trips.

There are a rare handful of clans that attempt p2p multi combat. Namely, Damage Incorporated, Dark Slayers, Runescape Dinasty, Wilderness Guardians, Corruption, Sacred Templars, Echo of Silence, and Divine Forces. Some enter more than others, and the order in which they are listed is a general indication.

To the joy of some and the disdain of others, at the time of writing this thesis, JaGeX has recently been bringing multi combat in p2p to life, ever so slowly, firstly with the chaos elemental, and then the addition of portals. It is possible JaGeX is encouraging clan activity by using the chain of predation to bring people into multi. This will be further explained in the corresponding chain of predation chapter.

PK Trips are an indication of a clan’s everyday strength and capacity.

Also, the largest and most powerful clans are bound by the codes of honour. There are unwritten rules which dictate how they behave in the wilderness. Violation of any of these codes of honour will result in shame upon that clan. The codes of honour will be further explained in the corresponding chapter.

Wars

Source: Wilderness Guardians Clan Archives Early 2006 (WG vs. Valor)

A war is the most impressive display of organization and power over Runescape. Two giants battling it out for victory… a most amazing spectacle.

Wars are most commonly held of free worlds though sometimes, on rare occasions, a members war will be held. In free world wars, the war zone could be at the members gate, greater demons, or east of the greater demons. In P2P, the only option is the Greater Demons, due to complications with single combat, dangerous creatures, and other barriers.

Wars are fights that have been previously agreed upon by both parties, and therefore prepared. The two parties will almost always be similar in power, as a clan will rarely accept a fight against a clan far stronger than itself.

Wars in Runescape can be held for many reasons. Steel wars are held just for the sake of fun. These are wars in which cheap disposable armour is used and there is no loot to be gained. Miniwars are just wars with a short preparation time, most likely between one hour and five days. The preparation time of a war is most often one to two weeks. If it is less than a week it is called a miniwar. If it is a week or longer, it is an official war. If there is a limit to the number of players on each side, the prefix “capped” is used, e.g. “Capped Miniwar” or “Capped War”. Miniwars and any sort of capped wars are small indications of comparative strength. They are partially serious, and partially for the sake of having fun. Official wars are large, highly prepared wars which are held to determine whether one clan is stronger than another. If one clan defeats another, it is called the superior. It is important to acknowledge the fact that most clans exist to sit at the top of the ladder. Many exist for security, or for the sake of company, but most aim to expand and grow beyond the competition and claim the number one rank. Official wars determine ranks.

The process of scheduling a war is quite complex, and is very exhausting to clans. Warring without breaks can inflict monstrous damage on morale and consume time that is needed for other things.

The process is as follows.

Firstly, a clan leader must select an appropriate clan to war. After establishing contact with the leader, and having the other leader accept, the rules of war must be set out. Normally, they include:

• No allies to participate
• No non-clan members to participate
• No returning back to the war once a player has died
• No running out of the specified war zone
• No teleporting away
• No cape switching
• No mass-recruiting

Also, the limitations of the war are to be set:

• Time and Date
• Cape colours of both clans
• Which clan arrives at the war zone first, and which comes afterward to charge in
• Whether applications to join the clan remain open or closed
• The war zone and world

And, after all these details have been arranged by the two leaders, the first stage of the war is completed. The leaders then take the information back to their respective clans.

Following the declaration of war, the clan leaders give the details to the clan. The clan is now bent around maximizing attendance, levels, and organization. The clan will commence serious training in combat, do drills, contact all members to make sure they are well informed, and maybe develop a tactic. A cunning clan may send a spy into the enemy clan’s forums to keep track of the enemy. Some clans demand a no spying rule prior to some wars. In the preparation time, between a week and two weeks, the clans will be preparing for this war.

When they day of the war arrives, the clans mass in their meeting places an hour before the given time, ensuring that everything is going as planned. The defending clan will head up, followed by the attacking clan. When the two clans meet and exchange blades, the war has reached its climax. It is difficult to say how long wars last, as they vary so very much. The shortest recorded war was six minutes, and the longest was over one and a half hours. The victorious clan will have the credibility to rank itself above the other.

Many people only deem a clan as professional after they have fought in a large scale war.

Runescape Community

The Runescape Community is a very interesting forum in which clans can interact and commune freely with each other. Of those many hundreds of clans that exist, perhaps one hundred participate and belong in RSC. RSC is a very powerful tool for clans. Clans belonging to the RSC have a very unique way of functioning. They operate by codes of honour that other clans do not operate by. They have their own distinct way of playing the game. The strongest clans in Runescape are active participants in RSC. Clans are part of RSC to gain themselves a reputation, and also for rankings. RSC is the most successful means of ranking clans, and comparing them. Apart from this, many trivial clan related topics are discussed and debated amongst the clans. Clans, such as nMe and Scum who refuse to follow the RSC’s codes of honour (to be explained below) are outcast and not accepted, because they have a way of game play that contradicts the limitations of RSC. The clans belonging to RSC have such a complex system of honourable combat that an entire chapter has been allotted to it.

Codes of Honour

The codes of honour are limits of game play. They prevent clans from doing certain things which are deemed dishonourable. For a clan to be accepted by RSC, they must follow the codes of honour. While there are players outside RSC that believe in honour, their definition of honour will probably be quite different. These codes of honour were invented by a few of the strongest clans and their followers, particularly Damage Incorporated. There is controversy over the reasons for the establishment of these codes. Were they invented for fair game play, or to allow DI to have a more successful time in the wilderness? There are arguments for both, and after reading the codes, you may form your own opinion.

Teleporting, Logging and Running

These three matters deal with escaping from battle. The trivial question remains. Is it honourable to flee from a losing battle and save your armour and lives, or stay and fight to the end? Teleporting out of the wilderness, logging out in battle, and running away from the war zone are all frowned upon by the community. The pro argument is that a member shows loyalty and pride in his clan by fighting until the end. However some skeptics will argue, with a convincing case, that it was invented for the larger clans to get more loot from smaller clans. Generally there is little controversy. Most agree that fleeing from battle is generally dishonourable.

Crashing and PJing

The two issues of crashing and PJing are quite similar and have been grouped together for this reason.

Crashing is the act of a clan entering a war they were not invited to attend in order to gain loot. This is normally done toward the end of the war when numbers are lacking and the remaining fighters are weak. The pro argument is strong, that an agreed fight should remain between the two clans and it is very unfair to have an agreed fight interrupted on purpose, as it tarnishes or even erases the war outcome and also deprives the winning clan of their spoils. The argument for the ability to crash is somewhat smaller, with others saying that “all is fair in love and war” and that there are no rules governing the containment of a war. The vast majority of clans frown upon crashing.

PJing is the interruption of a death match. Two fighters representing different clans battle, and both agree the winner keeps the spoils. PJing is having other people interrupt the death match to help one of the fighters. This is a violation of the agreed terms, and is also deemed dishonourable.

AntiRPKing

This code of honour is only practiced by three major clans. The Sabres, The Synergy and the Wilderness Guardians. It is based upon the notion that it is unfair to attack those who are vastly weaker and have no survival chance against clans. Large clans should not seek to kill people who are in the wilderness for skills, such as miners and trainers, because the power gap is too large. In fact, AntiRPKing clans go so far as to protect such people.

Picture the concept of a war. Two armies fighting. This is the nature of the wilderness. Large forces attacking each other. Yet, it is very wrong to attack those who do not wish to fight; the civilians. That is what happens on Runescape. The civilians are caught in the battle. Although there needs to be risk for the civilians, why employ en entire army to kill them? A single assassin is enough of a threat. What chance is there of them lasting an army size clan?

Of course, there is a large counterargument. If a player goes into the wilderness, they go in knowing the risks and therefore should accept the possibility of dying to a clan. AntiRPKing clans and other clans normally don’t have a conflict. While there is a disagreement in this code of honour, AntiRPKing clans are still widely accepted by RSC, even though in general, RSC has negative sentiments toward it.

Luring

At the time of writing this thesis, luring, of all codes of honour, was the most controversial. There are people who support luring, and others who are against it. Luring is the act of sending a clan member into single combat to find solo PKers, and draw them out into multi combat and have the clan spring up on them and kill them quickly in multi combat. There is a large number of people who oppose this and a large number who believe there is nothing wrong with the act. The community is split in two over the issue, but there seems to be just a slightly greater anti-luring sentiment.

The argument against luring is that it is unfair for a solo PKer to be drawn to a clan, and that it is a “cheap shot”. However, it is believed that it was the victims of luring who started the anti luring sentiment, namely DI, as they often spend time in P2P wilderness. There are two primary arguments for luring. First “only fools fall for lures and therefore deserve it” and also “it is the same as finding a solo PKer in multi combat wilderness. In one case, you are bringing the clan to the PKer, and in the other, you are bringing the PKer to the clan”.

Several clans continue to lure despite the general anti-luring sentiment. There is a large number of people who see nothing wrong with luring but refuse to for the sake of reputation.

Praying

The argument for this is almost non existent. Before, there was a lot of sentiment against certain forms of prayer. Praying in single combat was bad, praying in wars was bad, and other numerous things that have been stamped out. Now, prayer is seen as a positive skill to be used in wars and PK trips, and there is little resistance to it. In the near future we can expect prayer in all forms, specifically the “protect from” prayers, to be deemed acceptable.

Spying

Spying is the act of sending false accounts onto other clan forums in order to extract their information and use it for their own purposes. Spying is the norm for clans, though many clans resent it. There are strong arguments both for and against the use of spies. The pro argument is that spies have always been a tactic in wars for hundreds of years and are standard in warfare, and after all, the clans are all involved in one large war to make it to the top. Contrarily, others argue that it erodes trust, and that it causes great suspicion amongst members and should be condemned entirely. Privacy is also another issue. Are clans given the right to privacy? Or are forums simply fortresses other clans attempt to breach? The community generally accepts spying, although there is a significant proportion that still dislikes it.

Bad Equipment

According to RSC, a clan should PK in the best armour available to it. Obviously, the community wants clans to fight each other with the best equipment available to them for the sake of fairness. Clans to go in inferior equipment are often seen as lower class clans. There is also a counter-argument stating that this code was only invented so that the larger clans could gain more valuable items by decimating smaller clans.

A good example is the power amulet in p2p. It offers stats very similar to the glory amulet. In some respects it works better than the glory amulet. Wearing a power amulet in p2p is frowned upon by other p2p clans. Is this a matter of fighting in your best form, or it is greed?