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Just got back to my hotel from RuneFest and I'm still riding the emotional high. I've been playing since I was 8 - I'm 26 now. Never been great at the game but these last few years I've really started learning and playing "proper" as a group Ironman.
I've dreamed of attending RuneFest since I was a kid. I remember asking my mom "can I go one day?" and she promised she'd take me when I was older. After 18 years, a 6 month delay, and a few changes in plans, that day finally came, and both my parents accompanied me to the fest. None of us knew what to expect.
We were blown out of the water, honestly.
My parents were amazed at how nice the sets were - actual wooden fences instead of painted styrofoam, heavy castle doors, the grand exchange, and so much more. Not even gonna start on the cosplay, but y’all went so hard!!! I LOVED your outfits. Might sack up and throw something together for next year.
My parents were fascinated by the panels on narrative design, boss design, and content creation despite having no real basis of knowledge around the game. They kept talking about how friendly everyone was and, in their words, "how good the vibes were from EVERYONE." People were genuinely happy to be with others who share the same passion.
I've seen complaints about the price, but it was more than worth it. Conventions like this would cost way more in the States or somewhere like London. Even the food and drink prices were reasonable compared to what you'd pay at a sporting event in the US.
I was nervous about approaching content creators since everyone obviously wanted to chat with their favorites. But just seeing the interactions between fans and creators was heartwarming - everyone seemed happy to talk to everyone! After all, we all play RuneScape, so striking up a conversation isn't that difficult.
I met some great people, including two Dutch half-brothers and their dad/stepdad in my hotel elevator. We hit it off immediately and they were kind enough to buy me a pint (which I attempted to chug after 99 Herblore).
Seeing everyone come together made me really emotional. After leaving today, I took a few minutes to tear up and just feel the reality of how awesome this game and community is. From the devs clapping as we walked into the venue to creators getting emotional over their Golden Gnome wins, there was so much to be happy about.
A special moment was chatting with Brvcifer, nominee for best OSRS artistic creation for his Magic The Gathering OSRS card creations. We were just having friendly banter about sailing alpha impressions. As he left, he mentioned he made the cards featured in the gnomes, and he reached into his pocket to give me an Ice Barrage MTG card he made. Such a nice gesture that made me feel like I was truly part of this community, despite it being centered around a "silly old point and click game."
The event was so well done - the activities were fun and silly, the panels were insightful and funny, with the mods showing their personalities on stage. The Golden Gnomes, the RuneScape quiz, the merch, the skill chip activities, the venue, the vibe... all immaculate.
I thought this might be a bucket list thing, but now I know I want to come back. I can't explain how emotional I've felt sharing this experience with everyone from all backgrounds, from around the world. We all love Old School RuneScape, and that's all that matters.
To my 8-year-old self who dreamed of this day: it was everything we hoped for and more.
- HaddadGod/HaddadBod
EDIT: I guess my original edit didn’t post, but I can’t believe I forgot to mention how amazing it was to meet the XP Waste Podcast crew! Oxie and Michael are super genuine and funny dudes, and the rest of the gang was just as great. Shoutout them!
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