I believe Runescape would attract more players by offering a "casual mode mode" server, it would feature boosted xp and drop rates. Think of it like the leagues worlds which are incredibly popular, but the sever never gets wiped.
- This is not meant to attract current players, rather it would be enticing to new players who wouldn't otherwise be interested in grindscape
- No trading with main game
- No highscores
- Focus on giving players access to content they love
Pros:
- Less incentive to bot / RWT for gp / play 3rd party servers
- Increased players who would not be interested in grinding (more accessible)
- Increased enjoyment for players who want to do quests
- Increased enjoyment for players who want to do minigames
- Increased enjoyment for players who want to do pvp
- OSRS benefits generally thanks to increased income from new players
Cons:
- Segmentation in the player base
- It is possible Runescape might lose money from shorter total gameplay time (although these arguably are players that wouldn't otherwise play at all)
- Would not impact RWT related to gambling like duel arena
- It devalues muh 99's or muh scythe