Rune Slayer is almost out (again), and if you’re like us, you can’t wait to play it (again). To help you prepare for the journey ahead, we compiled 10 things we think you’ll find useful so you can mentally prepare for the launch day.
There are a lot of misconceptions about the game floating around, especially that it’s an MMORPG, so we are here to clear the air.
1. It’s more PvP than PvE, or is it?
When we first heard about Rune Slayer, we got the impression it would be a PvE-focused MMORPG-like experience. That was the initial impression when we saw the first trailer, which you can see below.
However, after some thorough examination and after seeing the other trailer, we aren’t so sure anymore. Based on the trailer below, we might be dealing with something where PvP takes the central stage. Other than the towns, the world of Rune Slayer will be crawling with players ready to ambush and kill you. Don’t believe us? Just look at the latest official Rune Slayer trailer.
Even though the trailer starts as a PvE-focused game, it quickly evolves and ends as a PvP game. Sure, there’s going to be a ton of PvE content in Rune Slayer, but you better be comfortable with PvP. The consequences of dying can be pretty severe, too. Speaking of which…
2. Full-loot PvP (Yikes!)
When you die in Rune Slayer, you drop all your loot. Even though you have the option to go back and retrieve it, anyone who gets to your corpse can loot it, too. This means if you get killed by another player, all your stuff is as good as gone.
Full-loot PvP can either make or break the game.
Historically, this feature is tricky to implement, but not impossible. If players feel like losing all their gear is a huge punishment for drying, they will just abandon the game. However, if you’re able to craft new gear easily and get back into action, it could work. Albion Online has a really good way of handling this, but games like Mortal Online struggle to maintain players because of how pushing they are. We hope Rune Slayer finds a good balance with full-loot PvP.
3. It’s an MMORPG experience without being an MMO
You’ve probably seen this one coming, but don’t expect Rune Slayer to have a massive number of players. After all, a Roblox server can normally hold up to 50 people. You can form parties to do dungeons and quests together but don’t expect large-scale battles like in other MMORPGs. Best case scenario, think of Rune Slayer as a fun fantasy game where you are encouraged to team up with friends, while keeping an eye out on other groups of players.
4. More Minecraft than Warcraft
Normally, when you think of an MMORPG, one of the first games that comes to mind is World of Warcraft. Questing, Dungeons, PvP, WoW has it all. However, as we played Rune Slayer, we got major Minecraft vibes. Firstly, the world. It looks remarkably similar like spawning in a brand new map (albeit next to an NPC Village). You’re encouraged to cut wood, mine, and there are even slimes, skeletons, and other enemies present. Oh, and let’s not forget…
5. Don’t forget to eat
Rune Slayer has a hunger bar. Normally, these are annoying in games, so it will be interesting to see how much it will affect the gameplay here. Will we have to eat every few minutes, or only every now and then? Will we get food buffs or even debuffs if we forget to eat? Honestly, we aren’t sure this is a good idea, but we’ll have to wait and see how it goes.
6. You can tame and even ride animals
More Minecraft similarities. While you can kill and loot animals, you can also tame them and later even ride them. In the trailer, we can see one of the players running away from a PvP battle using a mount while the pursuer also summons his. Mounts are always cool, so this is definitely a W for Rune Slayer.
7. Use the bank often
Rune Slayer has a bank, and you really should use that bank. While dying in the wilderness means losing your items, everything in your bank will be safe. Always store important items in your bank, and try not to take any unnecessary risks.
8. Gathering and crafting is important
Pretty early, you’ll get an Axe and a Pickaxe for gathering stuff. Make sure you gather nodes and cut trees whenever you see them (unless you’re running away from a PvP battle, of course). Because of full-loot PvP, crafted items are going to be your best friends, and having several sets in your Bank is going to be a must.
9. Racial perks matter
When you create your first character, you’ll be assigned one of the 7 random races at random. Unfortunately, this is a gacha system, and we already know you’ll be able to buy race rerolls. Thankfully, almost all races have their uses. Humans are tanky, Orcs do good melee damage, and Elves are great with ranged damage and magic. There are also rare classes like the Dullahan (cat-like race), which can run and jump faster, but you only have a 2% chance of rolling them
10. Multi-class is a thing
Even though you pick one class when you first create your character, you’ll be able to switch and even multi-class later in the game. This is great if you enjoy playing a hybrid build. Keep in mind that you’ll need to level up a bit before you start multi-classing.
That’s all there is to it. When the game finally re-re-releases, keep these things in mind: grab a few friends just in case, and you should be fine. In the meantime, stay up to date with our Rune Slayer coverage here on The Escapist.