Old School RuneScape Hiscores
Introduction
The Old School RuneScape (OSRS) Hiscores is an integral feature of the game, offering a competitive environment for players to showcase their achievements. The Hiscores track and display the in-game rankings of players across various skills, activities, and achievements. This system allows players to compare their progress with others, motivating them to improve their gameplay and achieve prestigious ranks. The Hiscores are accessible both in-game and via the official Old School RuneScape website.
History of Hiscores in RuneScape
The concept of Hiscores has been a part of RuneScape since its early days. Initially introduced in RuneScape Classic, the Hiscores allowed players to see who had the highest levels in various skills. As the game evolved into RuneScape 2 (now referred to as RuneScape 3) and later into Old School RuneScape, the Hiscores system became more sophisticated, tracking not only skill levels but also other achievements, such as boss kills, minigame scores, and more.
Old School RuneScape, which launched in 2013 as a separate version of the game, retained and expanded upon the Hiscores feature, catering to the competitive nature of its player base.
Accessing the Hiscores
Players can access the OSRS Hiscores through the official Old School RuneScape website at OSRS Hiscores. The Hiscores are divided into multiple categories, including overall rankings, individual skill rankings, and various minigame and boss rankings.
The Hiscores are updated in real-time, meaning a player’s rank can change as soon as they gain experience or achieve fresh milestones in the game. The rankings are accessible to all players, and anyone can view the top players in the game or look up specific players to see their stats.
Categories in OSRS Hiscores
Overall Rankings
The overall rankings display the total experience (XP) of players across all 23 skills in the game. Players with the highest combined XP across all skills are ranked at the top of this leaderboard. The overall ranking is often seen as the most prestigious, as it reflects a player’s dedication and proficiency across the entire game.
- Maxing: Maxing refers to achieving level 99 in all available skills, or 99 in all skills plus level 2277 total level, which is the maximum total level for non-Ironman accounts.
- Experience Milestones: Players who reach compelling XP milestones, such as 200 million XP in a skill, often see their names rise in the overall rankings.
Skill-Specific Rankings
Each skill in Old School RuneScape has its own ranking category. The skills tracked include:
- Attack
- Defence
- Strength
- Hitpoints
- Ranged
- Prayer
- Magic
- Cooking
- Woodcutting
- Fletching
- Fishing
- Firemaking
- Crafting
- Smithing
- Mining
- Herblore
- Agility
- Thieving
- Slayer
- Farming
- Runecrafting
- Hunter
- Construction
For each skill, players are ranked based on the amount of experience they have gained. Those who have reached level 99 in a skill and continue to earn experience can further climb the ranks. The pursuit of high ranks in individual skills often involves meticulous planning, efficient training methods, and sometimes extensive use of expensive resources.
Minigame Rankings
The OSRS Hiscores also track performance in various minigames. Minigames are specialized activities within the game that offer one of a kind challenges and rewards. Some of the notable minigames tracked on the Hiscores include:
- Barbarian Assault: This team-based minigame involves players taking on specific roles to defeat waves of Penance creatures.
- Castle Wars: A PvP minigame where two teams compete to capture the opposing team’s flag.
- Pyramid Plunder: A minigame focused on thieving in a series of tombs in the Kharidian Desert.
- Trouble Brewing: A brewing competition where players make various brews to score points.
- Soul Wars: A team-based minigame where players compete to control obelisks and summon powerful avatars.
- Tempoross: A fishing-based minigame where players must subdue the Tempoross spirit by catching fish and using them to reduce its energy.
Rankings in these minigames are often based on scores, points, or other performance metrics specific to each activity.
Boss Kill Count Rankings
The Hiscores also include rankings for boss kill counts. These rankings track the number of times a player has defeated specific bosses in the game. Some of the most popular bosses tracked include:
- Zulrah: A serpentine boss known for its complex fight mechanics and valuable drops.
- Vorkath: A powerful dragon boss encountered during the Dragon Slayer II quest and available afterward for farming.
- General Graardor: The Bandos boss in the God Wars Dungeon, known for its tankiness and high damage output.
- Kree’arra: The Armadyl boss in the God Wars Dungeon, which requires a ranged attack to defeat.
- The Nightmare: A group boss located in Slepe, known for its difficult mechanics and valuable loot.
- Chambers of Xeric (Raids 1): The first raid introduced in OSRS, where players team up to defeat a series of bosses and challenges.
- Theatre of Blood (Raids 2): A more challenging raid, requiring precise teamwork and skill to overcome.
Boss kill count rankings showcase a player’s dedication to PvM (Player vs. Monster) content and their ability to consistently defeat some of the game’s toughest challenges.
Clue Scroll Rankings
Clue scrolls are treasure hunts that lead players to valuable rewards. The Hiscores track the number of clue scrolls completed by players across different tiers, including:
- Beginner Clue Scrolls
- Easy Clue Scrolls
- Medium Clue Scrolls
- Hard Clue Scrolls
- Elite Clue Scrolls
- Master Clue Scrolls
Completing clue scrolls requires solving various puzzles, riddles, and combat challenges. The rankings show the number of completed scrolls for each tier, highlighting the dedication of players who enjoy this aspect of the game.
Ironman Hiscores
Ironman mode is a self-sufficient mode where players cannot trade with others or use certain multiplayer features. The Ironman Hiscores are separate from the regular Hiscores and provide a more challenging competitive environment. There are multiple variations of Ironman mode, each with its own Hiscores:
- Ironman: The standard Ironman mode, where players must gather all their resources and items without any assistance.
- Hardcore Ironman: An Ironman mode with the added challenge of only having one life. If a Hardcore Ironman dies, they are demoted to regular Ironman status, and their previous Hardcore stats are frozen.
- Ultimate Ironman: The most challenging Ironman mode, where players cannot use banks and must carry all their items with them at all times.
- Group Ironman: A newer mode where small groups of Ironmen can play together, sharing resources and working as a team while still being separate from the main economy.
The Ironman Hiscores add an extra layer of prestige, as achieving high ranks in this mode requires immense dedication, skill, and patience.
Tracking Achievements and Records
In addition to tracking experience and kill counts, the OSRS Hiscores also record other achievements, such as:
- 99 Skill Milestones: Achieving level 99 in a skill is a compelling milestone, often celebrated within the community. Players can see who has reached 99 in a particular skill and when.
- 200 Million Experience Milestones: Earning 200 million experience in a skill is the ultimate achievement, as it is the maximum XP cap for any skill.
- Fastest Boss Kills: Some players take pride in achieving the fastest kill times for certain bosses, although this is often shared through community channels rather than the official Hiscores.
- Pet Collection: While not officially tracked on the Hiscores, many players keep personal records of their collection of in-game pets, which are rare drops from various bosses and activities.
Hiscore Bots and Third-Party Tracking
Over the years, various third-party websites and tools have emerged that enhance the functionality of the OSRS Hiscores. These include:
- Hiscore Bots: These are automated systems that regularly check the Hiscores and track player progress over time. They provide historical data, graphs, and comparisons that are not available on the official Hiscores.
- RuneLite: A popular third-party client for OSRS that offers additional tracking features, including in-game Hiscore lookups, XP tracking, and more.
- Crystal Math Labs: A website that tracks player progress and provides detailed statistics, including XP gained per hour, historical data, and efficiency metrics.
Controversies and Issues
The OSRS Hiscores have been the subject of several controversies over the years:
- Botting: The use of automated bots to train skills and farm resources has been a persistent issue in OSRS. Bots can inflate the Hiscores, making it difficult for legitimate players to compete. Jagex, the developer of OSRS, has implemented various measures to combat botting, including banning accounts and improving detection methods.
- Account Sharing: Some players have been caught sharing accounts to achieve higher ranks on the Hiscores. This practice is against the game’s rules and can result in penalties, including bans.
- Rank Manipulation: There have been instances where players have manipulated the Hiscores through various exploits, such as bug abuse or glitching. Jagex has worked to close these loopholes and maintain the integrity of the Hiscores.
Community Impact
The OSRS Hiscores play a big role in the community, driving competition and encouraging players to strive for excellence. Some of the ways the Hiscores impact the community include:
- High-Profile Competitions: The Hiscores often serve as the basis for community competitions, where players race to achieve certain milestones or ranks.
- Twitch and YouTube Content: Many content creators in the OSRS community focus on their progress in the Hiscores, sharing their journeys to 99s, maxing, or achieving other goals with their audiences.
- Clan Competitions: Clans often use the Hiscores to track the progress of their members and hold internal competitions to motivate players.
Conclusion
The OSRS Hiscores are a fundamental aspect of Old School RuneScape, providing a platform for players to showcase their achievements and compete with others in a vast array of skills, activities, and challenges. Whether aiming to be the top-ranked player in a particular skill or striving to reach the prestigious max cape, the Hiscores offer a clear measure of success and progression in the game. Despite controversies and challenges, the Hiscores continue to be a driving force in the OSRS community, fostering competition, camaraderie, and a sense of accomplishment among players. Thanks for visiting Minedit!