The most common way to do this is by using bots that automatically gather resources. Unlike Cyborg players, Hacker players use technology that is not part of the game’s original design to circumvent grinding. This is that of the Hacker, where players use outside technologies to advance their productivity and earnings. While engaging with OSRS from a Cyborg approach allows for an increase in productivity, and by extension earnings, other players choose to go a different route. (Dovey & Kennedy 68) This phenomenon is not isolated to just myself, as conversations with other players of OSRS revealed that the practice of AFK resource gathering while doing real world tasks is a relatively common practice. By emeshing my virtual and real world work I’m simultaneously in both of these worlds, which is in line with the fluid identity of the Cyborg.
These small detours from my primary task allow me to work for longer periods of time, as they stave off the feeling of being burnt out. Looking at it from a real world perspective, I’m giving my brain a brief respite when I take a few seconds to deposit items from my inventory or click on a newly spawned resource. From the gamer side, by doing AFK tasks in OSRS while I work on an assignment I’m increasing my in-game productivity. This has had the interesting side effect of two parts of my life, gamer and student, becoming symbotic. On it’s own this tends to be fairly tedious and take a long time, so often I try to have time in my schedule where I can simultaneously do grinding heavy OSRS tasks and “real world” tasks. To do this often involves long sprints of grinding for resources. One of the biggest goals for Old School Runescape players, myself included, is to acquire more in-game wealth. Old School Runescape (OSRS) is an MMO that fosters the two different types of personalities described by Dovey and Kennedy in Game Cultures: the Cyborg and the Hacker.
0 kommentar(er)
