Many of us, believe it or not, have had our general knowledge increased due to playing Runescape. It’s like one of those video games that are supposed to teach you without you knowing, only better.
Typing
My typing has increased from 38 to 54 words per minute due to Runescape, I don’t use the “School-recommended” software, heck, I don’t even own a copy. I asked why games like Runescape weren’t “approved” typing instructors and the teacher said that people talk with too much slang. Now, do we all go around speaking in 1337? (Unless of course, we’re talking with calculators) I don’t think that, when faced with a typing test, people are going to say : 7|-|3 Q(_)1c |< |3r0// || |=0x… in place of The quick brown fox… A lot of people make an effort to try to use good grammar on the forums and sometimes in game. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with a little “nuff” or “ppl” here and there. I thought the whole goal of those typing things was to let you learn fingering, you need to know where the P and L are to type ppl and I don’t think anyone, when in a hurry, wants to spell out P E O P L E. Schools make such a big deal out of typing, how many of us plan to be a secretary? It’s one of those skills where I don’t see the practical applications for, whatever they may be; Runescape can help us pass that class.
Math
There is not much to go for here, but there is some, and I will build on it. In the financial world of Runescape, we need to know our math, if someone is trading you items and you want to know the total value, do you really want to grab your pencil and scrawl down addition problems, or to figure out how much time it will take to level, do you really want to have to write down equations? By repeatedly doing these everyday tasks that involve math, our mentality changes and we can do these problems mentally.
History (The Big One)
Though Runescape may be the Sultan of Fantasy, there is some real history to be found there. Who (besides a Lord of the Rings fan) would know what a scimitar was without Runescape? How would we know about Amour and Bows and arrows and quivers? People who play Runescape know a lot more in the subject of History and Medieval times that people who just read the textbooks. The textbook might say “Battle Axes were used by the Mongols in their raids throughout Asia and Europe.” People who play Runescape would know what a battle axe was and have a better connection to what the book was trying to get across; others would have no idea and might just think of an everyday ax.
Writing
Runescape can be considered a cornucopia of knowledge when it comes to inspiration for Fantasy Sci-Fi stories. Runescapians can embrace that knowledge of battles, creatures, weapons, and quest storylines and bend it to their own stories. I have written many stories based on my knowledge of Runescape, not using actual names and whatnot, only using my knowledge of the creatures and weapons it has made so popular. I can write about battles and heroes and even gnomes, all thanks to Runescape. Books can be one thing, but actually having what you are trying to imagine put into perspective on an intractable screen really helps.
So let’s give thanks to Runescape for helping us in so many unimaginable ways!
Did You Know...
In the Wilderness, you can teleport using an Amulet of Glory up to level 30, and any other teleport up to level 20.
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