Fantasy, the type involving magic, medieval settings, and mythological-like beasts, has been a niche genre for decades, enthralling only specific demographics. Well, that all changed at the start of the 2000s. Fantasy’s expansion into the mainstream began thanks to movie adaptations of book series such as The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. At the heels of these events, online role-playing games (MMORPGs) also began to gain traction.
RuneScape, released in January of 2001, is a premium MMORPG free title. In recent times, playing it has morphed from an entertaining pastime into a viable money-making hobby. The goings-on in Venezuela is a prime example of this trend. The country is amidst a political and economic crisis, and many of its residents are struggling to make ends meet and are looking for alternative means of income. Thus, regular people are turning to this MMORPG for financial gain. According to reports, hardcore Venezuelan players earn between $400 to $600 per month by selling items collected via in-game activity.
As in all RPGs, you have to earn your RuneScape commodities. Nothing gets given away for free here. So, those who do not want to bother collecting in-game resources prefer buying them from others who have done the necessary work. Thus, creating a thriving marketplace and allowing many in under-develop countries to make a career of selling the fruits of their gaming labor. If you want to learn how to profit by playing one of the most popular multiplayer games ever, read on.
How to Make Real Money
First off, if you are new to the world of Gielinor, you have to understand that there are two versions of this game. There is modern-day RuneScape (RS3) and the old-school variant, referred to as OSRS. There are quite a few differences between both titles, which go far beyond graphics.
To give you a bit of a history lesson, due to player demand, developer Jagex decided to release the 2007 build called Old School RuneScape in 2013. In only three years, this product overtook the modern-day version in terms of player numbers and has remained the favored option ever since. Therefore, what we explain in this article is mainly applicable to OSRS.
When you set off on your adventure inside this fictional world, you are broke. Your opportunities concerning attaining skills and in-game resources, in large part, depend if you have a free or paid account. Naturally, a subscription will get you access to possibilities that will help you beef up your account quicker. You can earn RuneScape gold via activities such as trading items, looting drops, woodcutting, mining, and more. All this takes a lot of effort and time. Once you attain your gold pieces (GPs) through your method, you can sell them to other players on third-party sites. You can also perform tasks in exchange for cash, which is an excellent alternative to games of chance for some extra money.
Note that Jagex prohibits this real-world trade of in-game items, services, and gold pieces. If moderators catch you engaging in such activities, you risk getting your account banned. Many call this practice gold farming. Andrew Gower, the game’s developer, is against it because it modifies player behavior and puts those with financial resources at an unfair advantage. Jagex itself cannot facilitate any conversion of virtual to real-world currency. Doing so opens them up to legal liabilities. Thus, the company is continuously releasing updates that aim to prevent gold farming. Despite this, many players continue to sell items for real-world currency on third party websites.
How to Earn RuneScape Gold
Most gold farming requires performing repetitive tasks for long periods. The tediousness of these processes is why some buy assets rather than work for them. You can find charts on the internet that categorizes each gold producing method and the hourly profit you can expect from each one.
Now, there is a myriad of ways to acquire gold pieces in the game. Most newbies opt for killing chickens and cows and selling their carcasses to the Grand Exchange. These fall into a category called – combat methods. At higher combat levels, you can fight against white wolves and magical creatures for gold. Other beginner methods include picking potatoes, shearing sheep, and spinning wool. Medium-level players can earn gold by cooking and woodcutting, and high-level ones may slay dragons and mine.
Mining is likely the most used way to make in-game currency. You get valuable experience and profits by mining coal or iron ore. If you choose to mine ore, you can easily earn up to 30,000 in gold. If you reach level 85, then you can dig for runite, which is vastly more lucrative. Paid members have access to several runite mining sites. Non-members can only mine for it in the Wilderness.
Smiting is also an excellent option that opens doors to mountains of riches. However, it requires that you reach a high-level to attain the necessary experience to engage in it. If you cannot get to a level where you can smite cannonballs or steel bars, it is best to stick to iron ones. If you have an entrepreneurial spirit, you can try your hand at in-game trading or item flipping. Buy low, sell high. You can acquire raw materials and turn them into handy items, selling them at a higher markup. Almost everything in RuneScape can generate gold. Explore the game or pick an option listed above.
Where to Sell RuneScape Gold?
The value of your RuneScape gold pieces relies on the shortage of this in-game currency. Once Jagex increases the total player number via an update, gold prices will simultaneously go up. If you are serious about real-world trading, you have to check gold prices regularly. To know when is the right time to sell. You also have to pick a website that offers the best conversion rates.
Popular trading platforms include RunescapeGoldMarkt, RSGoldMine, Food4RS, AribaGold, Eldorado.gg, ChicksGold, and PlayerAuctions. All of these work more-or-less the same. For example, the latter is an established digital marketplace that has been in business since 1999. Like all the others listed, it lets you buy and sell gold for RS3 and OSRS. It has over two million registered traders, and on average, it has about 550,000 monthly listings. To offer your RuneScape gold for sale, you will have to create an account with this platform. It costs you nothing to put up your listing, but transaction fees depend on what you are selling. If you are offering up your whole account, it will incur a higher charge than selling an item.
These platforms are useful because they have trading guidelines that ensure that buyers do not stiff you on your deal. They are a much safer alternative than arranging a sale via a social media platform or a Telegram group.
What Payment Method to Utilize for Real-World Trading?
Picking the right platform to list your gold or account on can be a daunting task. Nevertheless, it is one you must undertake to minimize the threat of running into scams. Selecting an option that best fits your needs also involves going through the payment methods that it offers for trading. As a general rule, the more options allowed, the safer the platform is for use. Most do not allow popular card options such as Visa and MasterCard. Though, there are a few that do. If you want an accessible method that you likely have on hand, you can opt to register with a site that accepts them.
Know that cards necessitate bank involvement in your transfer, which slows down the process. You also run the risk that your chosen financial institution may not allow transactions with specific real-world trading sites. Technically, this activity is illegal in the US. It may also not be legal in your location, so check your country’s laws before getting involved in it. South Korea and many others have legalized the trading of virtual goods as a taxable part of the economy. For this reason, many traders choose to utilize cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin to avoid taxes and remain anonymous.
PayPal and other e-wallets such as Skrill and Neteller are also popular choices, and they hide your identity from the trading platform and often provide lower transaction fees.
In Conclusion
If you are strapped for cash and like RPG games, playing RuneScape can be a practical money-making endeavor. It will take a lot of time and effort, but RuneScape can generate a monthly income of about $500 for those that are super-dedicated. Naturally, developed countries offer job opportunities that are less labor-intensive and pay better. Most gold farmers come from either China or India, where the average wages are low by western standards. So, if you live in a region where no better opportunities are knocking at your door or have a ton of free time on your hands, this is an option worth considering.
