3 Things That Runescape: Dragonwilds Needs to Add Soon

The newest RuneScape game, dubbed RuneScape: Dragonwilds, shadow dropped earlier this month, quickly surpassing other games in Steam’s top trending games listings. The game, which is an open-world survival crafting RPG set in the RuneScape universe, features all of the classic RuneScape mechanics retouched or evolved, creating what many could easily call a reimagining of the original RuneScape experience. The title feels fresh and modern, but it has still drawn out everything fans loved about the old-school RPG that came before it.

Though the game already has a lot to love, Dragonwilds is still just in Early Access, with a lot of work to be done before it’s ready for a full release. Though the developers have a plan for the game, it is always possible for unexpected new mechanics to be added at the behest of players, some of whom are already asking for certain features to be added to the game.

With that in mind, here is a list of things we absolutely need to see added to RuneScape: Dragonwilds over the course of its Early Access development, as curated by one of the game’s current superfans (me).

1. Armor Sets Untied from Weapon Skills

We could always use more weapons and armor pieces in RuneScape: Dragonwilds. The game could have a literal hundred plus available weapons and armor pieces, and I’d still ask for more. That’s just the nature of an RPG; you love to collect all the swords, axes, and helmets that you can. Something the game definitely needs, however, is to change the way armor works, specifically with how it interacts with weapons.

Right now in RuneScape: Dragonwilds, the game’s available armor sets have a specific problem where they buff weapons depending on which set you’re wearing. Specifically, heavy armor buffs melee, and medium (or leather-based) armor buffs ranged. I, personally, hate this. It drastically limits your player build by making one set obvious and optimal for the kind of weapons you want to wield. Whatever happened to the Barbarian-type build, where you wear light armor and wield a two-handed weapon? In the current RuneScape: Dragonwilds build, trying to go with this build is kind of a waste. I’d like to see this changed.

2. Weapon-Based Skill Trees

While we’re on the subject of weapons, how about the inclusion of some weapon-specific skill trees in RuneScape: Dragonwilds?

This breaks tradition a bit, as RuneScape historically has split its weapon skills into Attack for Melee, Ranged for Bows, and Magic for.. well, Magic, the same way it’s portrayed in RuneScape: Dragonwilds. However, times are changing, and I would go so far as to say that this three-fold skill system can kind of over-simplify player progression.

RELATED: Early RuneScape: Dragonwilds Patch Notes Shared for Next Update

Axes, swords, two-handed weapons and daggers, as they are in RuneScape: Dragonwilds, are already super distinct from each other. I don’t think it would be the worst thing in the world if the Attack attribute were split into individual, weapon-specific skill trees, unlocking new skills, spells, and effects for each weapon you take the time to master. I would go so far as to say this split progression would be way more interesting, especially when we get to magic.

3. Classic RuneScape Skills Like Divination, Necromancy, Summoning, and Prayers

Magic in classic RuneScape was a bit different than how it is now in RuneScape: Dragonwilds, at least if you were a premium player. These skill trees, locked behind a paid subscription to RuneScape, greatly expanded upon the base game and became the favorite playstyles of many. In RuneScape: Dragonwilds, they could be used to greatly expand the gameplay of both mage and fighter-type builds.

Necromancy, in particular, existed outside of RuneScape’s traditional combat style, which brings us back to the second part of this list: proof that we can have more specific combat skill trees without breaking the game.

Prayers were also one of the most iconic combat skills in classic RuneScape, a system of buffs that nearly every player made some use of. Without them, I can say that the combat system in RuneScape: Dragonwilds feels almost empty, at least compared to its much older RPG cousin.

In fact, the game is missing a lot of classic RuneScape skills I hope to see added over time: Fishing, Slayer, Herblore. One thing is for sure, RuneScape: Dragonwilds has a ways to go before it finishes its Early Access run, and I hope it can fully live up to the depth of the game that came before it.