After playing through SF and U.SaGa, it really does feel wasteful that RS3 has eight quests where the only real difference is a character quirk and who won’t join you.
Granted a lot of the side quests in SF and U.SaGa are the same. But at least they are mostly optional. In RS3 80% of the game is the same. Which is a major flaw if you ask me.
If RS3 gets remade then I hope they make it so there is more reason to play each quest. And yes I know a remake is not likely. You don’t need to remind me about companies being into profit more than fun.
You have to think it had variety in different ways. The sidequests, specifcally, were way more advanced than any SaGa game before or after it. Sure, there were probly as many in Unlimited SaGa, but they’re all boring. The ones in RS3 are rewarding, either in that they dispense information relevant to the story, you get great equipment (Not quite the same as stats to me), or they’re at the very least, amusing and seemingly worthwhile. It’s like a free scenario RPG. That gives me a HELL of a lot of variety.
Well in terms of Sidequest fun, RS3 does win out. Still U.SaGa at least has better side quests then SF. I wish something would happen in those SF sidequests. I wonder what side quests are like in RS and RS2.
St.Ajora
I’ve only just started playing RS3 (as Ellen) but I can already tell the sidequests are better than the latter games, mostly (as Skankin’ Garbage says) because they feel like they weave the story tighter and/or give you specific cool rewards…, plus, just the fact that you can do a some of the quests at different times and/or with different characters to make them (slightly) different is pretty cool.
I tell you one thing. The Green Dragon Ruler you fight to get the Will Shield is HARD.The Rotten Sea dungeon doesn’t add to the plot, not even any dialogue (though it does have a backstory), but it’s very fun just for the challenge and reward. Coming out of that fight with all characters alive is near impossible unless you break a Life Cane/get everyone to 999.
RS3 has a charm to it. It’s a very deeply crafted world shown using surface skimming gameplay. Most of the townspeople you talk to say stupid crap like in my signature. But some of them mention things that enrich the nature of the world. Like Undine’s obsession with only teaching young boys. Tiberius’ amitions using blind faith and misread prophecies to establish a new world-recognized religion. Leonid’s craving for excitement by sending your crew to the bottom of the castle.
The sidequests do the same thing. Like how Kidlanto practises barbaric sacrifice rituals to a ‘monster’, which is actually just the local professor’s creation gone awry.
This’ one of the reasons I like RS3 so much. Its all a matter of how deep you’re willing to look.