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Acknowledgments The RuneScoop Laboratory - Report #1 - “Strongly” Overrated

RuneScape has been around for long enough that most of the details of how it works are well known, due both to information provided by Jagex and that discovered by players. Yet some of the game’s secrets persist; not only are there still some aspects of gameplay that aren’t well understood, there are also many myths that get passed from player to player, sometimes going around and around for years.

The purpose of the RuneScoop Laboratory is to conduct specific tests and analyses to uncover some of the secrets of the game, answer questions that players have about equipment and gameplay style, and attempt to separate fact and fiction. In each report I tackle a particular concept, equipment alternative or pervasive myth, conduct tests under controlled conditions, and then share with you the results.

Here is a summary of each of the reports I have written so far:

• Report #1 - “Strongly” Overrated (January 27, 2010): A lot of RuneScape players seem to be obssessed with strength bonuses. They pay through the nose for gear that provides one or two extra strength points, and whine like babies whenever any gear is modified in such a way that reduces its strength bonus. But how much of a difference do a few strength points really make? You might be surprised.
  
  
• Report #2 - Sara and Zammy Have a Water Fight (February 12, 2010): Waterfiends have become important monsters for players training the Summoning skill, and they require a crushing weapon for effective combat. The Saradomin sword and Zamorakian spear are two popular alternatives, but which one is better?
  
  
• Report #3 - “R” is for “Random” (February 12, 2010): The results I obtained comparing a +4 strength item to a +4 slash attack item suggested that a +6 crush helmet should be much better than one offering +3 strength, against monsters with a crush weakness. But that didn’t happen
  
  
• Report #4 - Does it Actually Have a Use? (March 3, 2010): Last month, Jagex finally revealed how the ring of wealth functions. Many players were happy that they did this, but displeased to learn that the ring had no impact on the probability of getting the rare items they most wanted. The ring only increases the chance of getting a special item from the rare drop table, which rarely comes into play with most monsters, so it was quickly written off as being “useless”. But could it be possible that there’s at least one place where the ring is not only not useless, but a no-brainer for the ring slot?
  
  
• Report #5 - Penance Versus Apes (March 19, 2010): For those of us who hate training Agility, the prospect of being able to earn double Agility XP on courses as a reward for Barbarian Assault seemed very attractive. But is it worth doing? I kill a couple of queens and then take on the Ape Atoll course to find out.
  
  
• Report #6 - The Fascinating Truth About Kill Count at The Barrows (March 19, 2010): Everyone loves The Barrows—few other places let you earn great loot, gain XP and make money at the same time. But despite this activity having been around for over four years now, some of its mysteries remain. One of these is kill count: just how many of those annoying little critters in the tunnels should you kill before going for the chest? I conduct a detailed test and analysis to try to put the matter to rest once and for all—and the answer may change how you do The Barrows forever.
  
  
• Report #7 - Budget Crossbow Showdown (March 25, 2010): Broad-tipped bolts have become a popular choice for rangers on a budget, because they hit hard and don’t cost a lot. But they cost more than they used to, and I started to wonder just how good they are, and how they compare to some other inexpensive options.
  
  
• Report #8 - Veracs Versus Zamorakian Spear, and the Value of Large Sample Size (April 6, 2010): After I published my extensive guide to mithril dragons, someone on the RuneScoop forums suggested that I test the Zamorakian spear to see how it compares to full Veracs (my preferred method). This was a pretty simple lab test then: Verac’s flail versus the Zamorakian spear, straight up. But as I did the test, I got a nice reminder of how important it is to do a lot of testing before jumping to conclusions...
  
  
• Report #9 - Assessing the Dragon Pickaxe (April 6, 2010): It’s the most powerful tool for Mining in the game, but it’s very expensive. Just how much better is it than a rune pickaxe? Is it worth the high cost? I spend a few hours smashing rocks to try to find out.
  
  
• Report #10 - Still “Strongly” Overrated (April 6, 2010): In my very first RuneScape lab report, I compared the berserker ring and warrior ring to try to see how important strength bonuses were, especially compared to accuracy bonuses. After the change to life points, many people wondered if the results I got the first time still applied, so I redid (and expanded) the test.

Acknowledgments The RuneScoop Laboratory - Report #1 - “Strongly” Overrated