Over the past month, I've become disillusioned with Jagex and Runescape as a whole. Put simply, I'm past the point where both organizations capture my imagination and I feel my $5.05 per month are worth it.

This may seem odd coming from me; I've been a dedicated fan of Runescape for over six years, and I'll admit that some of my best memories are from this game. However, I'm not the same kid I was when I commensed on my adventure, and Runescape isn't the same game, either. Let's take a look at the frontpage news:

Am I the only one that looks at this and thinks, "What's wrong here?"

There's only one post relating to the actual game there: the Cryptic Clue Fest, and even that's stretching it. This is what I mean, the Runescape homepage used to be dedicated to additions to the game or important information concerning it; today's homepage looks more like an advertisement.

Jagex has also changed a lot since I began. I think I can sum up this change quite well in one picture:

That's the first video I ever uploaded to YouTube. It's no longer viewable. Why? Because Jagex claimed the video infringed on their copyright of Runescape. Today, this would never happen; Jagex actively encourages players to make and submit videos online--heck, they even host competitions (golden gnome awards)!

So what does this have to do with anything? Well, I've tried to pinpoint what it is about Runescape that is making me less enthused to play, and I think I found it: Runescape has become too popular, and Jagex is only stoking the fire. I miss the days when Runescape in online articles was huge, and new players were brought in primarily by word-of-mouth. I don't want to sound like everyone else bad-mouthing Runescape nowadays, because as I said, it's one of the best games I've ever played. I simply miss the older days, and I think I've outgrown it.

Along with becoming more popular, it has become exceedingly hard to compete in anything. Take the construction ranks, for instance. I have enough to get 200,000,000 experience in the skill, but it's such a tedious process and it's so disheartening to always be one step behind the game.

That's a lot of time to dedicate to just a few actions, and I've decided that (for now) it isn't worth the work.

To turn this post into something more positive, I'd like to thank Runescape and Jagex for everything. I began playing as an excited young boy, and Runescape has taught me many important life lessons, such as the value of money, patience, and dedication.

I achieved wealth, levels, and found tons of friends. I learned that you can't achieve goals going 50% the whole time, and that leading a clan takes more than just hope. I learned the value of random kindness and how to react in situations. I got to live my boy-hood dream of being a police officer without the danger (and learned that it's probably not for me!). I learned.

To my loyal readers and watchers, thank you for all the support. I plan to release a few more videos (and write articles as Runescape is updated), but my active playing days are over.

To the wonderful 216 days and 3 hours I have spent on this game, thank you Runescape and Jagex.