As I write this it has been exactly seven months since the Grand Exchange, informally known as the GE, was released. Overall many players are very happy with the results. But of course with every update that Jagex releases it is inevitable that there will be complaints. So let us look at the GE seven months after the chaos of its release. Has it become a “household name” in the RuneScape community or are there still people who see the GE as RuneScape’s greatest failure, refusing to accept its existence…
The Grand Exchange was released on 26th November 2007. At the time, most players reacted positively to it, because they no longer had to search the forums or the RuneScape community to find a specific item. However, some players became unhappy with the release, because merchanting became almost impossible to do and Jagex controlled the economy, adjusting it accordingly to the demand and supply, rather than the popularity of the item.
Let us go forward a few weeks after the release, and the rants are still going. Tip. It’s very own forums were crowded with angry merchants and businesspersons who wanted justice. They claimed that they were effectively out of a job and had no other means of making money. Fans of the GE replied making lists of all the possible ideas of ways to make money.
There was, however, one thing that the fans did not take into consideration. Merchanting was these people’s passion, their career. If you had been told that you could no longer work in your profession because of a new robot that did your job I am sure you would kick up a fuss, no matter how efficient the robot was. This is backed up by the adage “Old habits die hard.” It could also be referred to smoking. Although merchanting is not bad for your health it is nonetheless a habit and can be as addictive as smoking, mainly because you make money, and money makes Gielinor go round.
Therefore, we have two points of view, as always with new releases. We have the people who did not become as addicted to merchanting and the people who needed it to sustain a decent living. Of course, each one of them wanted their own way.
As I bring you back into the present, I want you to bring yourself to the current state of affairs. The GE is very much a part of life for every player in RuneScape. Of course, some wish to make their money by buying and selling with other players but the majority of us have learned to accept change and let it carry on with the flow of life. My personal experience with the GE has been a good one. As with all people I was speculative at first but I soon got used the inner workings of the system.
Overall, the GE has worked well and it is safe to say it has been a Help rather than a Hindrance. It is good to see Jagex implementing new and exciting ideas to the game to help us all. And of course brings us to the end of our travel back in time. Now… For the Future!
Li Chef
Did You Know...
...that hunter catches such as Salamanders have no drop option, but rather a "release option"? This means they won't appear on the floor like normal items. However, if you give a Beast of Burden a salamander, and dismiss the familiar, the salamander will drop on the floor like a normal item does. (Thanks to zaaps1!)
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