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Looking for opinions on RuneScape
From: "annie"
Date: 26 Apr 2006 08:26:56 -0700
My son is 10 years old and has asked if he could play the online game"RuneScape". Apparently, most of his buddies from school play and haveasked him to join them. His only internet experience so far has beenjust looking for information for school assignments or just to find ananswer to a question and a little bit of email. All of this has beendone with one of his parents looking over his shoulder. If we let himplay, he'll probably be closely supervised at first, but then if itlooks alright, we'll give him so time to play without us monitoringevery step. We would of course talk to him about the dangers ofchatting with strangers and tell him not to provide personalinformation online. He's a very responsible kid that heeds warningslike this very well. I'll be checking it out this evening, but I'minterested in hearing some other parents' opinions on it to help medecide. Thanks in advance for your thoughts. Annie
From: "Amy"
Date: 26 Apr 2006 08:47:41 -0700
annie wrote:> My son is 10 years old and has asked if he could play the online game> "RuneScape". Apparently, most of his buddies from school play and have> asked him to join them. His only internet experience so far has been> just looking for information for school assignments or just to find an> answer to a question and a little bit of email. All of this has been> done with one of his parents looking over his shoulder. If we let him> play, he'll probably be closely supervised at first, but then if it> looks alright, we'll give him so time to play without us monitoring> every step. We would of course talk to him about the dangers of> chatting with strangers and tell him not to provide personal> information online. He's a very responsible kid that heeds warnings> like this very well. I'll be checking it out this evening, but I'm> interested in hearing some other parents' opinions on it to help me> decide.>> Thanks in advance for your thoughts. I don't know about RuneScape in particular, but World of Warcraft issimilar (online, interacting with other players) and mynearly-30-year-old husband often has a hard time making appropriatechoices when it comes to the game (as in, he will stay up too lateplaying, or play during the day when he could/should be doing otherthings, or he will play for long periods of time until his eyes areglazing over and he realizes he hasn't eaten or been to the bathroom ina good 8 hours...). If it's difficult for an otherwise-responsibleadult to manage online role playing games, it would only be moredifficult for a child. I would set strict parameters - only X minutes per day, only after allhomework and chores are done, etc. I would also make sure that hecontinues to get enough exercise by playing outside and whatnot. It'stoo easy to become a "game potato." Maybe his friends could come overand they could make cardboard swords or whatever and they could play"RuneScape" in the back yard. I'll bet if you get them a fewrefrigerator boxes to make a fort out of, and snacks, they'd have fun.See what you can learn about the plot of the game, and try to re-createit in an active, face-to-face interaction rather than via the computer,way. I think if I had a son interested in video games, I would limit him toonly playing it on rainy days! I wish DH would listen!! :) Amy
From: "Donna Metler"
Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2006 11:12:39 -0500
I would strongly suggest finding a self-contained roleplaying computer gamefirst instead of an online one. It is very easy to feel that if you're notonline every minute, you're going to miss something in an online game,because, well, you will. Most of the online games have stand-aloneequivalents, and I'd suggest trying this and seeing how your son does as faras time limits etc first. Even if there's not a direct game equivalent forRuneScape, there's probably something very similar out there, even by thesame publisher. -- Donna DeVore MetlerOrff Music Specialist/KindermusikMother to Angel Brian Anthony 1/1/2002, 22 weeks, severe PE/HELLPAnd Allison Joy, 11/25/04 (35 weeks, PIH, Pre-term labor)
From: "bizby40"
Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2006 14:58:48 -0400
"Donna Metler" wrote in message news:iOM3g.11814$t61.658@bignews6.bellsouth.net...>I would strongly suggest finding a self-contained roleplaying >computer game> first instead of an online one. It is very easy to feel that if > you're not> online every minute, you're going to miss something in an online > game,> because, well, you will. Most of the online games have stand-alone> equivalents, and I'd suggest trying this and seeing how your son > does as far> as time limits etc first. Even if there's not a direct game > equivalent for> RuneScape, there's probably something very similar out there, even > by the> same publisher. The problem with this is that he wants to play with his buddies, and he can't do that on a self-contained game. I've played Runescape, and I disagree that you feel like you are missing something if you aren't on-line. You can do what you want at the pace you want. Of course it, like many video games, can become addictive, and you would naturally want so set limits. However, as the OP asked about Runescape in particular, let me give her some specifics. You must claim to be at least 13 to play. They do block cusswords from their chat window, but offer little else in the way of protection. They allow unknown words, and so people do say things like "ur an asse" and "fauk you". There are no safeguards in place to prevent him from typing, "Hi! I'm Billy, I'm 10 years old and I go to Bobcat Elementary School!" But other than the occasional mis-spelled cuss word, there isn't a lot of bad stuff going on in a typical game. They fish, they mine, they chop trees, and they fight. The fighting isn't gory -- you get a bar over your head that goes down as your health does. You can talk publicly to anyone, or privately to your friends. You can earn money through skills, and you can trade. Maybe you should get an account yourself and try it for a few days before you decide. Bizby
From: "annie"
Date: 26 Apr 2006 12:30:55 -0700
bizby40 wrote:> "Donna Metler" wrote in message> news:iOM3g.11814$t61.658@bignews6.bellsouth.net...> >I would strongly suggest finding a self-contained roleplaying> >computer game> > first instead of an online one. It is very easy to feel that if> > you're not> > online every minute, you're going to miss something in an online> > game, > The problem with this is that he wants to play with his buddies, and> he can't do that on a self-contained game. The ability to play with his friends is the definite draw for him.He's the kind of kid that everyone likes, but he doesn't have a smallclose-knit group of friends. It's something that didn't used to botherhim, but it seems to be getting more important. I think his interestin the game is more to have something in common with this group offriends than anything. My feeling is that if I can determine that thisgame is appropriate for him, then this might be a time to give in tothe "everyone else is doing it" plea. > I've played Runescape, and I disagree that you feel like you are> missing something if you aren't on-line. You can do what you want at> the pace you want. Of course it, like many video games, can become> addictive, and you would naturally want so set limits. He already has limits for offline computer use and video games, andthis would have to fit into that. > However, as the OP asked about Runescape in particular, let me give> her some specifics. Thanks! > You must claim to be at least 13 to play. They do block cusswords> from their chat window, but offer little else in the way of> protection. They allow unknown words, and so people do say things> like "ur an asse" and "fauk you". I can live with that. They are just words afterall. He's decided onhis own that cuss words just make you sound stupid and he has no usefor them. >There are no safeguards in place to> prevent him from typing, "Hi! I'm Billy, I'm 10 years old and I go to> Bobcat Elementary School!" > But other than the occasional mis-spelled cuss word, there isn't a lot> of bad stuff going on in a typical game. They fish, they mine, they> chop trees, and they fight. The fighting isn't gory -- you get a bar> over your head that goes down as your health does. You can talk> publicly to anyone, or privately to your friends. I think we'll restrict his chatting to private chats with friends.Even though I believe he's the type of kid that would followinstructions to not type "I'm Billy and I go to Bobcat ElementarySchool", I still feel safer keeping the discussion limited to thepeople he knows. >You can earn money> through skills, and you can trade.>> Maybe you should get an account yourself and try it for a few days> before you decide. I think we'll try it out tonight. Thanks for the specific feedback. Annie
From: T Flynn
Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2006 14:37:18 -0500
On 26 Apr 2006, annie wrote: > I think we'll restrict his chatting to private chats with friends.> Even though I believe he's the type of kid that would follow> instructions to not type "I'm Billy and I go to Bobcat Elementary> School", I still feel safer keeping the discussion limited to the> people he knows. I haven't played RuneScape, but I think the chatting others were referringto was communication within the game. There's the rub -- you cannotcompletely control everyone on the server he's playing on, and they canall communicate using the program's chat feature.
From: "xkatx"
Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2006 20:40:49 GMT
"T Flynn" wrote in message news:Pine.OSF.3.96.1060426143607.26616C-100000@alpha2.csd.uwm.edu...> On 26 Apr 2006, annie wrote:>>> I think we'll restrict his chatting to private chats with friends.>> Even though I believe he's the type of kid that would follow>> instructions to not type "I'm Billy and I go to Bobcat Elementary>> School", I still feel safer keeping the discussion limited to the>> people he knows.>> I haven't played RuneScape, but I think the chatting others were referring> to was communication within the game. There's the rub -- you cannot> completely control everyone on the server he's playing on, and they can> all communicate using the program's chat feature. I find, also, that once you're in a game like that, the chat is often put on the back burner and you just play, play, play.Also, the OP said that the son is fairly good about being appropriate with words he chooses, so it could be possible to enjoy an online game with Johnny and Sam, your friends, as well as Joe and Bob that you don't know, and if you find Bob to be kind of a jerk, it's really not hard to just disregard what is being typed. But yes, the chat features in basically every game I've played online is open to all who are connected and on the same game and server.
From: "logolinker"
Date: 26 Apr 2006 14:39:11 -0700
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From: kevles@mit.edu (Beth Kevles)
Date: 27 Apr 2006 00:55:37 GMT
Hi -- My sons both enjoy playing RuneScape. They arrange with their friendsto play at the same time. We've told them they may ONLY interact withfriends whom they've first met in person. For general internet safety, I highly recommend the web site i-safe.org It's got a great series of short videos (for parents or teachers) andlesson plans (that I haven't looked at yet) that explain very clearlywhat the real dangers are on the internet, and how to keep your child'spersonal information private. If you're going to let your child looseon RuneScape, I highly recommend reading through the site. (I learnedthings myself, and I teach middle school computers!) It's free, by theway. In haste,--Beth Kevles bethkevles@aol.com http://web.mit.edu/kevles/www/nomilk.html -- a page for the milk-allergic Disclaimer: Nothing in this message should be construed as medical advice. Please consult with your own medical practicioner. NOTE: No email is read at my MIT address. Use the AOL one if you wouldlike me to reply.
From: "logolinker"
Date: 26 Apr 2006 14:38:22 -0700
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From: "Michelle J. Haines"
Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2006 16:20:55 -0600
Donna Metler wrote:> I would strongly suggest finding a self-contained roleplaying computer game> first instead of an online one. It is very easy to feel that if you're not> online every minute, you're going to miss something in an online game,> because, well, you will. Most of the online games have stand-alone> equivalents, and I'd suggest trying this and seeing how your son does as far> as time limits etc first. Even if there's not a direct game equivalent for> RuneScape, there's probably something very similar out there, even by the> same publisher. And even with that, you have to seriously consider the -environment- in an MMORPG. It frequently gets way out of hand, even in those that have bad word filters and such. Bad words are one thing. Some of the other stuff that goes on is entirely another. MichelleFlutist
From: "bizby40"
Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2006 19:10:20 -0400
"Michelle J. Haines" wrote in message news:100eb$444ff1df$4127760a$10237@hpnx.com...> And even with that, you have to seriously consider the -environment- > in an MMORPG. It frequently gets way out of hand, even in those > that have bad word filters and such. Bad words are one thing. Some > of the other stuff that goes on is entirely another. Just out of curiosity, what "other stuff" are you talking about? Part of the game? Or things other players do? Bizby
From: "Michelle J. Haines"
Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2006 11:44:31 -0600
bizby40 wrote:> "Michelle J. Haines" wrote in message > news:100eb$444ff1df$4127760a$10237@hpnx.com...> >>And even with that, you have to seriously consider the -environment- >>in an MMORPG. It frequently gets way out of hand, even in those >>that have bad word filters and such. Bad words are one thing. Some >>of the other stuff that goes on is entirely another.> > > Just out of curiosity, what "other stuff" are you talking about? Part > of the game? Or things other players do? I play an MMORPG. I enjoy it, and I generally spend my time playing with other adults and fairly mature people. However, I have encountered situations of being in a raid channel with a 14 year old discussion her sexual forays with her 19 year old boyfriend. Sometimes relatively explicit sexual conversation occurs even amongst more mature players. The cyb0r-ing phenomenon is real and alive (cyb0r is slang for netsex). And some of it is just something wild talk over the edge of what you might consider appropriate. Even adult banter I'm willing to engage in (I'm not really an MMORPG wild child) isn't necessarily conversation I would want my daughter to hear. Even if he doesn't engage in such conversation, he may be getting quite an education. Katrina has asked more than once to play. She's not allowed to do so with her own characters. Part of this is because I happen to play one of the most mathematically complex and least easy for children to grasp MMORPGs out there (Anarchy Online), but it's also because I wouldn't send her into that environment unsupervised any more than I would sent her to the local bar or pool hall unsupervised. Every once in a rare while, I will allow her to play my easiest character in a very controlled situation (small, closed mission) or teamed with someone from my organization that I trust to behave himself and be generally kid-friendly. A friend of mine from the game does have a little brother that plays his own characters, but the little brother requires much supervision for the technical aspects of the game, his native language isn't English so a lot of the other stuff goes right over his head, and they still have had problems with the little brother breaking some of the social rules in the games that can have repercussions later, so he requires supervision there. (Basically, his little brother is known to unexpectedly "gank" someone...kill another player without warning...and that's generally considered a social no-no, and can cause an organization a bad reputation if they have too many player that do it, especially if they're ganking someone on their own side in the conflict. Some of these social rules are a bit beyond a child's comprehension.) MichelleFlutist
From: "bizby40"
Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2006 18:42:46 -0400
"Michelle J. Haines" wrote in message news:89707$4451028d$4127760a$11462@hpnx.com...> bizby40 wrote:>> "Michelle J. Haines" wrote in message >> news:100eb$444ff1df$4127760a$10237@hpnx.com...>>>>>And even with that, you have to seriously consider >>>the -environment- in an MMORPG. It frequently gets way out of >>>hand, even in those that have bad word filters and such. Bad words >>>are one thing. Some of the other stuff that goes on is entirely >>>another.>>>>>> Just out of curiosity, what "other stuff" are you talking about? >> Part of the game? Or things other players do?>> I play an MMORPG. I enjoy it, and I generally spend my time playing > with other adults and fairly mature people.>> However, I have encountered situations of being in a raid channel > with a 14 year old discussion her sexual forays with her 19 year old > boyfriend. Well, I wouldn't say that couldn't happen in Runescape -- I'm sure it could. Heck, it could even happen at Disney's VMK. Kids are ingenious about getting around filters. However, I haven't seen it happen. I think Runescape in particular is overrun with younger kids. And they do ban people for inappropriate talk. I agree that you wouldn't want your child to be unsupervised. At this age, I think that applies to anywhere they might be online. Bizby
From: Ericka Kammerer
Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2006 14:53:22 -0400
Amy wrote: > I don't know about RuneScape in particular, but World of Warcraft is> similar (online, interacting with other players) and my> nearly-30-year-old husband often has a hard time making appropriate> choices when it comes to the game (as in, he will stay up too late> playing, or play during the day when he could/should be doing other> things, or he will play for long periods of time until his eyes are> glazing over and he realizes he hasn't eaten or been to the bathroom in> a good 8 hours...). Yours too? ;-) > If it's difficult for an otherwise-responsible> adult to manage online role playing games, it would only be more> difficult for a child. My husband wouldn't even consider allowing our11yo to play. The exception might be playing on a closedserver where there was some control over who was playing. > I would set strict parameters - only X minutes per day, only after all> homework and chores are done, etc. I don't know about RuneScape, but one of the trickythings about WoW and EverQuest and similar games is thatas you progress through the game, you need other peopleto help you on your quests. When they help you, you owethem some help too, so there start to be scheduling demands.If the guy who helped you on your last quest needs helpTuesday night at 8pm for his quest and you're not willingto be there, next time you go looking for help you mightnot find it. You *can* play on your own, at least fora while, but people will naturally want to join guildsand interact with others and so forth, and that canlead to a lot of issues. It's not like it's the samegame if you put in a half hour here and there as it isif you do more. It kind of sets up a difficult situation. Best wishes,Ericka
From: "xkatx"
Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2006 20:45:51 GMT
"Ericka Kammerer" wrote in message news:Q8ydnWTTwq-MXNLZnZ2dnUVZ_u2dnZ2d@comcast.com...> Amy wrote:>>> I don't know about RuneScape in particular, but World of Warcraft is>> similar (online, interacting with other players) and my>> nearly-30-year-old husband often has a hard time making appropriate>> choices when it comes to the game (as in, he will stay up too late>> playing, or play during the day when he could/should be doing other>> things, or he will play for long periods of time until his eyes are>> glazing over and he realizes he hasn't eaten or been to the bathroom in>> a good 8 hours...).>> Yours too? ;-) Oh! Oh! Mine as well! I find it's more than frustrating at times ;)It's more Starcraft and Quake over here... Same sh*t, different pile, AFAIC lol >> If it's difficult for an otherwise-responsible>> adult to manage online role playing games, it would only be more>> difficult for a child.>> My husband wouldn't even consider allowing our> 11yo to play. The exception might be playing on a closed> server where there was some control over who was playing. Our 5 year old will watch, but he doesn't play. Obviously the games are intended for an older playing group, and clearly a 5 year old is not anywhere near that level. He often opts to play Bob the Builder on the Playstation over watching the games his dad plays for very long. DH doesn't let him sit glued to the computer for too long anyways. >> I would set strict parameters - only X minutes per day, only after all>> homework and chores are done, etc.>> I don't know about RuneScape, but one of the tricky> things about WoW and EverQuest and similar games is that> as you progress through the game, you need other people> to help you on your quests. When they help you, you owe> them some help too, so there start to be scheduling demands.> If the guy who helped you on your last quest needs help> Tuesday night at 8pm for his quest and you're not willing> to be there, next time you go looking for help you might> not find it. You *can* play on your own, at least for> a while, but people will naturally want to join guilds> and interact with others and so forth, and that can> lead to a lot of issues. It's not like it's the same> game if you put in a half hour here and there as it is> if you do more. It kind of sets up a difficult situation.>> Best wishes,> Ericka No, no online game seems to be the same when the connection is cut :D I'm the jerk that gets sick and tired of calling DH upstairs and away from the computer for 20 minutes, so since the Internet connection runs through the cool air return from the living room down to the basement computer room, I have full control of unplugging that cord, and he's up within about 2 minutes, when he realizes that the connection is gone and not coming back. I find it funny that there's always an excuse for playing the games. lol
From: "logolinker"
Date: 26 Apr 2006 14:37:23 -0700
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From: "logolinker"
Date: 26 Apr 2006 14:37:46 -0700
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From: "Me Myself and I"
Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2006 08:22:16 +1200
Well I personally have been playing RS for nearly 2 years and I'm 31 :) My 13 and 15 year old brothers got me involved in it and away it went. The problem I find with RS is that it can be a very addicting game, and I know from the argument my Step-Mother has with my Brothers it can be a huge battle when the child wishes to continue playing but you don't want them too. Also their are always the claims that they have to play NOW because all their friends are on this very minute! So as long as you can set very strict boundaries about how long your son can play for and he will happily stick to it then that's half the battle solved. RS is also very conscience of the fact that the majority of their players are children so they go all out to make sure that the environment is as safe as they can make it. They also encourage fair play and helpfulness and are always banning people for rule breaking. There are player moderators as well as moderators from Jagex (the makers of the game) wandering around the worlds. As someone else said they do block cuss words but creative people get around that, but you have an on screen option to report people for an array of rule breaking, offensive language being one of them. If you do decide to go ahead and let him play I would suggest that you leave him as free to play to start with. There is soooo much to do on the free world just getting your initial levels up on all sorts of things that it is a waste of money to become a member straight off. It also means he can see if RS is something he is going to like or not. Also their is a very good manual linked at the homepage which makes for good reading for newcomers too. One last note concerning chat in the game. Their are several options where you can turn the private chat off, or to just have friends talk to you, or no-one. This is an invaluable feature. -- Pip My girls :DD1 Jasmine - 5 weeks early - 21 March 02 -"I'm a big girl cause I go to school kindy" DD2 Abby - 8 weeks early - 3 Feb 05 -Took her first steps on her 1st Birthday. "Yes you can drive me insane just by talking to me!" --"annie" wrote in message news:1146065216.750958.152350@e56g2000cwe.googlegroups.com...> My son is 10 years old and has asked if he could play the online game> "RuneScape". Apparently, most of his buddies from school play and have> asked him to join them. His only internet experience so far has been> just looking for information for school assignments or just to find an> answer to a question and a little bit of email. All of this has been> done with one of his parents looking over his shoulder. If we let him> play, he'll probably be closely supervised at first, but then if it> looks alright, we'll give him so time to play without us monitoring> every step. We would of course talk to him about the dangers of> chatting with strangers and tell him not to provide personal> information online. He's a very responsible kid that heeds warnings> like this very well. I'll be checking it out this evening, but I'm> interested in hearing some other parents' opinions on it to help me> decide.>> Thanks in advance for your thoughts.>> Annie>
From: Jeannie
Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2006 13:39:59 -0700
annie wrote:> My son is 10 years old and has asked if he could play the online game> "RuneScape". Apparently, most of his buddies from school play and have> asked him to join them. His only internet experience so far has been I wouldn't be worried so much about the rating (cuss words) or stranger factor (if your child is smart with those kinds of issue). I would be worried that MMORPGs are HIGHLY addictive. The games are made that way to keep you playing and paying monthly fees. There will be constant incentive/pressure to level up, get this or that upgraded weapon/armor/item, finish a quest, beat XY or Z baddy, all for peer acclaim. Not to say they aren't fun. There is a really nice sense of team work when you play together. The exploration and discovery of the world, etc., is wonderful. But, even adults have a hard time controlling themselves with regard to playing MMORPGs. Do you think your son is ready for this kind of experience? Would he be satisfied playing only X minutes a day, running around in tatters +1, while his friends are using Super-Duper-Kill-Everything Platemail +20? ;) -- JeannieE-mail: jeannie at talisweb dot see oh em
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