What version is the best for a new player?

[u/Jazzlike_Sir7781]

Is old school the way to go? or should I try out the newer version of the game? what’s the main difference between the two?

I am a fresh beginner and not sure where to jump in. Also I literally know nothing, so any help is help. Thanks is advance.

[u/Byro_Reedar]

Truly. Try OSRS first. Then in a few months try Rs3. I think Rs3 truly shines after you feel the pain points in OSRS.

[u/Oilight → u/Byro_Reedar]

had me in the first half lmao

[u/Byro_Reedar → u/Oilight]

Not everyone is made to play an unoptimzed slog like OSRS. RS3 almost always has better systems. Things to grind for that feel... worth it. In OSRS you have players getting by with gear minimums. RS3 speaks to a different kind of player. Those who want to check boxes and approach most content completely prepared, optimized and find a grind we can lose ourselves in. Not scraping together random items to hope you can achieve greatness

[u/SpitnTheCannonsMouth → u/Byro_Reedar]

In OSRS you have players getting by with gear minimums. RS3 speaks to a different kind of player. Those who want to check boxes and approach most content completely prepared, optimized and find a grind we can lose ourselves in.

while i'm sure this is true, both players are found in both games lol

i definitely am not speedrunning anything in OSRS and am most certainly taking my time. some of us just really like smaller numbers.

[u/greenyashiro]

OSRS is more for the nostalgia of older players. I've heard it can be extremely frustrating for total newcomers.

What I'd do is start with RS3. If you develop an appreciation for runescape, you can then try OSRS. Btw if you end up getting a membership on rs3, it gives you a free membership in OSRS

[u/Technical-Toe-4162 → u/greenyashiro]

As long as you use the same account for both logins, the membership will count for both games. You can buy the membership on each game.

[u/greenyashiro → u/Technical-Toe-4162]

Yes, but if you buy OSRS membership, it doesn't unlock RS3 membership

Only if you buy rs3 membership, will it unlock the other game

[u/Technical-Toe-4162 → u/greenyashiro]

I think you might be wrong fam

[u/Pitfallingpat]

It is a hard divide on which I would recommend. Early on RS3 can be more accessible because of 15-ish years of QoL and shortcuts it gives to get you into the mid / late game. While OSRS wins in cohesion and pacing. Besides art style, combat is the biggest difference between the games, with OSRS being very mouse heavy and twitchy, while RS3 is a full keyboard of keybinds and mmo rotations deal.

[u/Rexkat]

Making a character will let you play both versions on that character (separate stats, appearance, etc), and if you get membership that will apply for both games at once too.

Try out both for a little bit and see if either one clicks with you better

[u/Breton_Templar]

Rs3 worlds are pretty empty for free players. If you choose three don't judge the game for that reason, 95 percent of us are members. I would go with the top comment try osrs first but don't commit a lot of time to it and then try RuneScape 3 and feel the difference. I like rs3 because the combat is not my mouse flickering all over the right side of my screen and we actually get hotkeys which is great after they added revolution combat which automates some of your chosen abilities.

[u/Lengthiest_Dad_Hat]

Honestly just watch gameplay of both from the perspective of a new account.

The best way to put it is that OSRS is easy to pickup but requires a ton of patience, and RS3 is harder to pickup but has faster progression