I was hunting grenwalls so went to world 2 for faster respawn, after I got my 2 rocks I went to the museum to hand them in, as I passed the GE I noticed how busy it was, I havent been there since the GE replaced world 2 fally park so I decided to take a look.

I have been looking to buy a crown for a while to finish my set and was interested to find out how much they cost, I saw a guy selling a crown for 50m, I first thought what a nub he will never get that for it (3m GE) then I saw a guy buying a crown for 35m, I am not totally ignorant and knew that there were such things as junk trades but I would have thought that 10m would have been a high price for such an item especially as its an item that will increase in quantity and therefore drop in price quite considerably over time.

This partly explains an encounter I had earlier this week I will fill in the rest later*.

Quite shocked by the asking price for crowns I also noticed the cost of wolf masks, people buying for 25m, I bought all the masks to fill my house when the dearest was 4m, I could take all the stuff from my house and sell for many times my purchase price, the problem is the trade limit, unless I have junk I can not get the asking price for my items, people were selling junk but that is defeating the object of junk, if you buy the junk you may as well have taken that amount of the asking price, unless the junk is rising in price which would be rare for something that doesnt sell, having said that the price of rune darts (p) goes up and down from 300gp to 1.3k each and no one buys them.

The usual rares prices are there but that has always been a strange over priced setup.

My next shock was as I went to the north west side of the GE, people were trying to borrow AGS/claws etc and offering 1.5m for 20 hours 300k for 1hour, I have both AGS and claws, I dont use either, AGS is carp as a training weapon, great as a posing weapon but a whip is far better for training and a fraction of the price, I only have both because my son likes to borrow them, If I had enough junk I could make a living just lending out my stuff, I dont need the cash hence 120m being tied up in 2 weapons just for my son, If I had the junk I would have lent my stuff out there and then.

*My experience that I touched on above, I went to Puro Puro because I found a crop circle at Catherby, I like the 30 minutes farmer affinity bonus so planned spending 30 minutes there, as I was going around there was another player obviously after Kingleys like myself, we never spoke  and we just passed each other, he then stopped and stayed in 1 spot for a long time, I asumed he had gone afk and just left it logged in, I then approached him and he responded as follows.

Bare in mind I had said nothing to him before this just going around and around, the reason I said lucky is because a Kingly had appeared right in front of him, having seen the street prices of Crowns I can understand someone being a bit protective over implings but I didnt ask him about his sexual orientation so why he wanted me to do things to him I can not understand, having said that i do look hot, a level 138 with a white Mohawk and full agile.

This has highlighted a fact that I had previously believed to be true being that hunters are one of the most ignorant, inconsiderate group of players, this first being noticable at red chins higher level hunters coming along and putting the traps directly next to lower level players in a bid to force them away. it is obvoiusly not always the case but probably the highest group of players that will push out other players for their own gain, I have a theory that because it is an easy skill to train, quick and produces good money that less experienced (in life not just RS)  players can get what they want quickly.

Thats why I had neglected hunter until I discovered grenwalls, there is never competition at grenwalls all players who arrive when someone else is there will hop worlds, I guess the players who can get there have had more experience dealing with people and playing the game because the quests to get there require some effort.

Screams on the forums of Jagex's worst quest ever, ew3 puzzle is impossible, Jagex fail, and many more, most rants removed from the forum now but every post was an elemental workshop post, most just asking for help, some saying they are waiting for a quide.

Reading the forums I can imagine Jagex sitting back all contented that they have achieved what they wanted and created a very difficult puzzle, people have complained that the quests are too easy, too hard, too much combat, too high a skill requirment as you are aware whatever Jagex do there will always be complaints, some reasonable some unreasonable, we all like a challenge, whats the point of a game which is as easy as a walk in the park, the problem is getting the difficulty just right.

This puzzle will no doubt be impossible for some of the younger players this is where I believe the rule of not letting anyone play on your account should be a bit relaxed, not that anyone will know but its nice to know if you tell a friend that someone did something for you you wont get banned, I dont believe you would get a ban now with their more reasonable and relaxed attitude to the rules.

The puzzle in Mournings end part 2 was a total mystery to me, I couldnt get it so I used a guide, gthe only quest i have used a guide and only for the puzzle part, the puzzle for Elemental Workshop 3 was almost as hard but the fact that it was in a safe area made it a lot more approachable.

I am not going to give a list of how to do the puzzle but a few pointers to help you.

When you enter the body room and go down the stairs you have an option in the top left corner to change the view so you can see the whole puzzle, on the right hand side of the puzzle there are a couple of cogs and a counter, the first part of the puzzle is to get those cogs moving, there is a moving cog at the bottom centre of the puzzle and this drives the other cogs by sliding the other cogs to connect them together, this is done by pulling a lever, by carefully selecting a lever you will move all the cogs from that lever towards where the missing tile is.

The important thing is to observe the levels on the counter cogs, the cogs you can move to start with are low level so you can only drive the low level cog on the counter, this needs to be done in 50 moves so try and organise it that you move as many lose cogs as you can on each move towards the desired area, to start with you will be 2 or 3 moves away from completing before you run out of moves and are required to restart the level, it will be very frustrating to start with but you will get used to moving lots at the same time and you will complete it, when you complete the low level cog on the counter the floor drops and you can bring into play a double cog on the top right hand side, this double cog needs to coincide with the cog on the right hand counter, when this happens the counter will start to count down and you will have 50 moves to complete the other counter on the left hand side.

I am not sure if you can just do the left hand counter from a restart or if you need to do the right hand counter first, if you do the right hand counter after a restart you get the 50 from the main counter and 50 from that counter, once you have completed both counters you need to do the cog at the top centre, you need the 3 height cog that was realeased whe you did the left hand counter to set this one going, at one stage the counter jams at 62 and  you have infinite moves to complete the tasks so the pressure is reduced silghtly.

After starting the top counter this lowers the centre column,  you need to move all the cogs that can be moved around the column the hight of the cog must coincide with the level the cog is on the column, you will need to come out of full view to determine this, when all cogs are correctly positioned the top of the column will start to turn, this is charging the machine, after this has happened connect the cogs to the top centre cog to raise the centre column.

That is mission complete, put a primed bar in the door slot on the machine above, enter, pull the lever press the button and you have a pretty blue bar, lower the centre column again to charge and raise again to make a second bar.

To make the body body you need the book from the original elemental workshop in your inventory and use the bar on the anvil with a hammer in your inventory.

Jobs a goodun.

It took me hours to work it out without any hints, I wish you luck.

I will recheck this pointer again later in case I have missed stuff, its a bit complicated and my brain has seized.

I have set ways to collect rocks, some are always quick some are always slow, very few are predictable, here is how I get them.

Agility - Gnome stronghold agility course, I use the high level route it can take ages for the rocks there but I quite enjoy the course, I have also tried Brimhaven with mixed results, in the end redoing a fast action obstacle back and fourth until I get the rock.

Construction - this is one of the worst to get just stand by the entrance portal in your house and wait for a rock to appear, there is no other way I find it very boring, very little you can do and I have waited 40 minutes for a rock to appear, ok if you have someone to chat to while waiting.

Cooking - I cook sardines in the rogues den, cheap to buy, I never burn them, they sell afterwards and I dont need cooking xp.

Smithing and crafting - With goldsmith gaunts I smelt 25 gold ore to bars, on the same  trip i turn the bars to bracelets, good smithing xp, good crafting xp and the bracelets sell afterwards so you can recover some of the costs, the rocks dont often come quick but I need the xp in both skills so happy to train.

Farming - I plant and harvest allotments, usually get the rocks on first allotment run sometimes it takes a few more trips.

Firemaking - I am training firemaking so i burn yew logs, usually get both rocks in first few loads.

Fishing - the quickest by far, usually get both rocks on first loads of monkfish sometimes after just a few fish.

Fletching - I fletch maple longbows (u), I dont need fletching xp but maples are a by product of my kingdom, maple longs sell quickly for more than the logs so I make a profit.

Herblore - I use the herbs from my kingdom making super pots then extreme pots, usually get the rocks quickly.

Hunting - very slow, I either catch grenwalls, pawya or red chins, can catch 500 chins before getting rocks.

Mining - First I mine for the chap on miscelanea very often get 2 rocks on just a few thanks!, if I dont get both I then mine addy or mith at lumby swamp.

Runecrafting - I make bloods through the abyss, take all pouches full, emptying 1 at a time and crafting, rocks can be quick or slow.

Thieving - Master farmers in Draynor, 1 click thieve and some good seeds found, fairly quick rock finding.

Woodcuting - Chop yews for the rocks, very quick can be found in 1 or 2 inventories, also ivy not to bad but boring.

It didnt include my 2 x black masks from cave horrors or my 3 mystic tops from gargoyles

Item found: a dragon chainbody
26 April 2010 01:00
After killing a Dust devil, it dropped a dragon chainbody.

Item found: an abyssal whip
26 April 2010 01:00
After killing a Abyssal demon, it dropped an abyssal whip.

I killed 4 giant moles.
26 April 2010 01:00
I killed 4 giant moles.

Levelled up Hunter.
26 April 2010 01:00
I levelled my  Hunter skill, I am now level 92.

I killed 2 King Black Dragons.
25 April 2010 01:00
I killed 2 King Black Dragons, the biggest, meanest dragons around.

I killed  Bork.
24 April 2010 01:00
I killed  Bork, a big ork.

Item found: a dragon plateskirt
24 April 2010 01:00
After killing a Steel dragon, it dropped a dragon plateskirt.

Item found: a dragon plateskirt
24 April 2010 01:00
After killing a Steel dragon, it dropped a dragon plateskirt.

I killed  Bork.
23 April 2010 01:00
I killed  Bork, a big ork.

I killed 2 boss monsters in Daemonheim.
23 April 2010 01:00
I killed 2 boss monsters   called:  Har’Lakk the Riftsplitter    in Daemonheim.

Levelled all skills over 40
23 April 2010 01:00
By levelling up my Dungeoneering skill, I achieved at least level 40 in all skills.

Levelled up Dungeoneering.
23 April 2010 01:00
I levelled my  Dungeoneering skill, I am now level 40.

Dungeon level 20 reached.
23 April 2010 01:00
I have breached floor 20 of Daemonheim for the first time.

Levelled up Mining.
23 April 2010 01:00
I levelled my  Mining skill, I am now level 87.

Item found: a draconic visage
23 April 2010 01:00
After killing a Black dragon, it dropped a draconic visage.

20000000XP in Slayer
23 April 2010 01:00
I now have at least 20000000 experience points in the Slayer skill.

34000000XP in Strength
23 April 2010 01:00
I now have at least 34000000 experience points in the Strength skill.

Item found: a granite maul
23 April 2010 01:00
After killing a Gargoyle, it dropped a granite maul.

Item found: a granite maul
23 April 2010 01:00
After killing a Gargoyle, it dropped a granite maul.

Levelled up Construction.
22 April 2010 01:00
I levelled my  Construction skill, I am now level 82.

Levelled up Agility.
21 April 2010 01:00
I levelled my  Agility skill, I am now level 93.

I killed a boss monster in Daemonheim.
19 April 2010 01:00
I killed a boss monster   called:  Stomp    in Daemonheim.

Dungeon level 19 reached.
19 April 2010 01:00
I have breached floor 19 of Daemonheim for the first time.

Still a lot to learn but hopefully I can enlighten people to a few tactics I have learnt, its lots of fun, pretty much addicted to it at the moment.

Skill/mini game debate

its not going to go away in a hurry, Agility is trained in courses but can be used outside the courses with shortcuts run length etc, runecrafting is trained in alters around Runescape the runes are used for magic as is mining, fishing, woodcutting with their respective produce etc, combat related skills are used when fighting.

Dungeoneering now refered to as "dung" is only trained in 1 place as is Stealing creation, items have no use and can not be taken out side as in stealing creation, playing dung as in stealing crteation the only benefit outside is rewards from the game, sacred clay tools, armours from sc and void knioght armour from pest control.

Quests have requirements in skills to complete or even start, how will this work with dung, perhaps you needs to kill a monster in level 7 dung to be able to enter a cave in Runescape, you can't take stuff in or take it out (yet) so you can't be expected to get anything there.

Its a mini game dressed up as a skill, or could it be the new Jagex way of reducing the grind from a skill, time will tell.

Quitting becasue of Dungeoneering

As with all updates there are players threatening to quit over it, its a bit like stopping shopping at Tesco because they started selling a loaf of bread that you dont eat, if you dont like dung then dont play it, dont qite because you have another option of gameplay that you dont like, or ever scarier you play the game and enjoy it, dont fight an update, try it and you may warm to it.

Hints and tips

I find it more fun to solo or play with a small group of friends, with friends you share the resources and think of the other player, with a group of strangers its a race to the good stuff, on your own or as a group you can plan tactics and take your time working out how to approach things.

Maximising XP (Solo)

If you are on your first attempt at a new floor and you have had many deaths defeating the boss or other NPC's before reaching the boss it may be worth considering aborting the level, doing this will give you some of the xp for that level, if you continue you will gain your prestige and floor xp, for a new floor this will be quite high, if you have many deaths this will be reduced considerably in the final calculation, you may even get an easier boss in the following game, on multiple visit floors the xp is taken from a lower level so the difference willl not be so great, depending on how many deaths you have had it still may be worth aborting and starting again when you reach the boss.

Bosses

Gluttonous behemoth

Fairly easy to kill solo, select a protect prayer for your weakest defence and any attack strength or defence prayer, piety or your favourite boosting curse, stand between it and the food source (the poor dead dinosaur) and just hack away, if your in a group and each stands in front of a food source, should one player die he will eat from there sol you may as well die and save your food for the next atack.

Lexicus Runewright

Lexicus is fairly easy to fight, I started to melee and had fairly good results but switched to range because he teleports away, I used protect range/deflect and range sap, when he shouts Book Barrage run away, you dont need to go far but you will explode if you don't (maybe not explode but it hurts, a lot) when he teleports away this is your chance to eat, make the most of it and start your attack again, no need to die, if you get hammered run to another book case for some thinking time.

Publishing as I write but it will be a long post, read back regularly for updates to this post.

In my view under no stretch of the igaination can it be a skill, I thought a skill had to be a part of the main Runescape game not a seperate game that has no bearing on Runescape whatsoever,  the only impact it has on the game is the rewards at the end, very much similar to the way Stealing Creation is linked the main Runescape game.

The XP is very slow to gain so leveling can take hours even at low levels, I can see it having a major overhaul similar to the way Summoning was improved, I will write more as I play more because I can not give a in depth conclusion having only played for a day.

Its a fun mini game but its not a skill.

Now with the updated version things are a totally different situation, 10 Jars a day are enough to keep me interested, even if I dont buy a jar generator I know the next day I would have enough jars to catch the required implings for a generator, at 1gp each they are not going to break the bank either.

Now you can get the 10 jars a day, you can catch some more implings, namely Zombie, Spirit and Kingly, the Zoimbie Implings drop bones from big to ourg and ALL bones inbetween, these quickly add up and Zombie Implings are common implings in Puro Puro, its not unusual to earn 1m gp in a single impling hunting session, Spirit Implings drop all items used in summoning with the exception of spirit shards, all colour charms and all secondaries, now the kingly, these are not as rare as you would imagine, you can go all day without seeing one or you can get 4 in a 30 minute hunting trip, they drop the very highly desired  royal clothing as well as onyx and dragon stone bolts and arrows, I have also got a shield left half from one.

Even the lower level Implings drop good items, earth implings drop earth and fire talismans, worth around 3k and 6k at current GE prices, nature implings drop ranaar seeds and magpie drop a good slection of value items.

Not only are the good drops common but you can get some very fast hunter xp, if you are not too fussy what you catch and loot the xp can build up quickly when constantly catching and looting implings.

A few tips for catching the rarer implings, Dragon and Kingly, you can find a quiet Puro Puro world and just run around in the centre of the rows looking on either side as you run, if you find a poor world with not many good implings you can swap world and run around again, hopping worlds can be very profitable if there are few high level hunters on, unfortunatly you need to be on very early in the morning to find that many quiet worlds, when you find one and there are no other players around you can bind, snare or entangle depending on your magic level to stop them moving for the set amount of time, if there are other players around it may be wise to just try and catch to prevent bringing other players attention to the impling, unless its in your same path and you can get there quickly.

As you can imagine he met with quite a lot of hostility from other players about the fact that it is a hard quest for low level players and not being able to recover your items was a risk of the quest, it then got me thinking.

Most of the players on the forum were long term players, they remember the days when losing items was an everyday possibility, a stroll in the wilderness, extinguishing your lamp in a dungeon or not concentrating when fishing could part you from your items, the days when death meant some vulture would have a treat at your expense.

Things have changed now, death is less common, if you die you can collect your items from your grave in 99% of Runescape locations, Runescape has become idiot proof, danger is safely tucked away in little corners with warnings about everything from entering caves without a light and the removal of predatory randoms.

If a player has not been subject to the dangers of Runescape, if they are not aware that their safety was their responsibilty and trust in the provision of signs and warnings by Jagex for their protection then why should they expect to be in a situation where they can lose items.

Jagex have made a generation of players who expect to be hand fed and pampered on their Runescape career, it is not the fault of new players that they are upset when (In their eyes) errors occur in the game that force them to lose wealth, Jagex have made the game too easy and safe, players should still be taught that their safety is their responsibilty, I made a post at the beginning of this blog (here is a link for your information) about people taking responsibility for their actions, its a bit dated but the lesson is still very relevant.

I am not saying that Jagex have made mistakes, their hand has been forced by players who buy RS gold (real world trading) and the people who supply the gold, I do think the issue of accepting responsibility should be handed back to the player.