There are few areas of RuneScape more iconic than the blasted wasteland north of Misthalin called the Wilderness. Formerly the continent of Forinthy, its lawless desolation is home to powerful monsters, high-level skilling areas, and most dreaded of all, player killers. Or it would be, if anyone still went there.

I love the Wilderness. The desolate aesthetic and color palate are simply amazing, the history is downright tragic, and the rewards it holds are very attractive. The worst part of this wonderful corner of the world is that at any time without warning, someone can show up and kill me, disrupting the flow of my skilling and causing me to lose almost everything I have on my character. Since this is always a possibility I make sure to bring only low value or reclaimable items, essentially leaving nothing for my murderer. It’s a lose-lose situation: I lose skilling tempo, and the killer gets maybe a meager few thousand coins, money that could have easily been made chopping wood. If that’s the case, why would a PKer go after someone with nothing to give? The answer is because of the Wilderness culture.

Wilderness culture is an “anything goes” mentality. Hunting animals go after the easiest prey with the greatest reward. PKers also use this ideology; you don’t want to take on someone far stronger than you even if they have high coin value because the tables can turn and you lose your items instead. When prey is scarce, however, hunters have to lower their standards and take what they are given. In RuneScape, that means skillers. A popular spot is the Wilderness volcano, where someone skilling for hours might a million coins in items. Conversely, the victim may have just started when they are killed and leave next to nothing. The frustration of having to run back, and losing your items, and possibly getting killed again eventually takes its toll and people stop coming back. Fewer victims force the hunters to take less lucrative prey, further spreading frustration, which means fewer people, and the cycle continues. PKers stop going because there’s better money to be made chopping wood than traversing the Wilderness looking for good kills. The end result? The Wilderness is as desolate as it was designed to look. What needs to change? The Wilderness culture.

Since the Wilderness combines PvP, PvM (player vs monsters), and skilling, there should be something for everyone. Unfortunately, because of predatory PKers, everyone else has been run off. I feel the best way to revitalize the Wilderness is changing the idea that “If you’re here, I get to kill you” to “You run the risk of being attacked here. If you are unable to defend yourself, you are off-limits. If you can but run, I may give chase. If you fight back, you’re mine.” PKers who choose better targets allow skillers and low-level players to train in peace, and that helps change the overall view of the Wilderness.

Many people are calling for the Wilderness to be given a high-level boss or more high experience skilling activities. The issue with that is still the risk of death. If the skilling-rich city of Prifddinas was changed to a PvP area, it would be as empty as the Wilderness. No amount of reward is worth the frustration and risk if you just lose it all, and experience rates drop when you have to trek back to your spot. It is simply better to take the lower experience rates and slower money-making methods because over time they produce similar results but without the hassle and stress. If Jagex can add better rewards and make this happen, good for them; I want to see the Wilderness repopulated.

I understand that this is never going to happen on a widespread level. I hope, however, that it may change someone’s mind to be a little more respectful to the people happily running laps or siphoning wisps in the Wilderness. This is a game for everyone, and there should be something for everyone. Just please, don’t take pleasure in ruining it for others. Have a good whatever!