While it’s still in beta and only available in the UK, Albion Online has sparked quite a bit of interest. A cross between an MMORPG and a sandbox game like Minecraft, Albion differs from other online RPGs such as Runescape in many ways. It’s important to note that this list doesn’t include every difference, but here are 10 of the most major differences between Runescape 3 and Albion

Introduction To Runescape 3

Unlike most other games in its genre, Runescape has a plot. Long ago, an order of warriors known as The Guardians fought an epic battle against an evil god named The Fallen. When they won, The Fallen was sealed in a stone prison using magical seals by seven powerful wizards that survived the final battle. These wizards have now gone insane, becoming known as The Seven Lords.

Introduction To Albion Online

The world of Albion is currently in Alpha, but players can still gain access to it. To play Albion, a user must first buy an account from one of three partner sites. The game costs $49.99 with discounts for buying multiple accounts or purchasing lifetime subscriptions.

A free version of Albion will be released in 2013. Users can also upgrade their accounts later if they want to get new items or weapons that are available only after release.

Differences Between Runescape 3 and Albion

1. Other MMOs have Tutorial Zones

Jagex Games Studio is notorious for not having a tutorial in any of their games, including previous iterations of Runescape. Even though it sounds convenient to just jump right in, experienced gamers will tell you that doing so is a lot harder than it sounds. One major issue people have with most MMOs (apart from Jagex’s) is that no tutorial area gets players familiar with controls without being under fire from monsters.

2. In-game Grinding

Experience Points (XP) are earned by players for performing many different actions within a game. Many types of games, such as single-player computer games, console video games, and card games can award XP to players. In multiplayer online games, however, XP is most commonly used as a reward for completing various in-game tasks. One task may reward a fixed amount of XP while another might have a variable amount based on its difficulty level or other factors.

3. Customization Options

One of Runescape’s most popular aspects is its incredible diversity in character customization. While both games allow players to alter their appearance to some degree, a player can customize every aspect of their character’s face in Runescape. There are countless costumes, hairstyles, beards, capes, boots, armor pieces—the list goes on.

4. Character Sizes

It’s a fair bet that everyone is going to want to look as good as possible in their new MMORPG. But, when it comes to achieving that goal, not all games are equal. In Albion Online, you can have one character per server, but you have to keep your characters within a certain range of sizes so that they don’t end up overwhelming small towns. This doesn’t mean you can’t get big, just be ready for some narrow hallways.

5. Communication Methods

Communication methods are a huge part of how your players stay in touch with each other, their guild, their friends, and you. In RuneScape 3 there is just one method of communication, but in Albion Online there are multiple ways for players to communicate. The most popular ways are group/guild chat (allowing 200 people to talk at once), private messaging (one-on-one), or party chat (up to 5 people at once).

6. Housing Possibilities

While housing will eventually be included in RuneScape, you can already purchase a home in-game for Albion Online. Players can use their homes to store items, assign guards for protection, or set up shop so that other players may visit them. On top of all of these features, your house also serves as a safe zone where you will not get attacked by other players while defending your territory. This is especially important during PvP matches where certain areas are claimed by different guilds!

7. Banking Items and Money

Bank items don’t take up inventory space, but they do take up bank space. If you need more bank space, you can get it by getting another tab—you can have 5 tabs for 500 gold each. You can also use bonds to buy extra tabs, with one bond equaling 10 extra tabs. All your money is stored in your account as well.

8. Adventurer’s Log

A major difference between Runescape and Albion is how one progresses through skill levels. The former requires that you train skills in set amounts (and each level requires more training time than the last), whereas with Albion, you have greater control over your character’s progression. While you’ll need to invest time into training, there is no limit on when to train or which skills to use.

9. Death and Respawning

In both RS3 and Albion, death is no joke. When you die in either game, you’ll respawn at a graveyard or you respawn point if you’ve set one. This usually takes 5-15 minutes, depending on how far away you are from your spawn point. The only way to avoid that delay is to buy an instant teleport from a marketplace; otherwise, be prepared to wait it out!

10. Item Storage

In contrast to other MMORPGs, you’re able to store a near limitless amount of items in your bank. You can pick up a new weapon or armor piece at any time without having to worry about whether or not it will fit in your inventory.

Conclusion

One of my favorite games of all time is Runescape. I have been playing it for nearly a decade, and I can’t imagine life without it. When I found out that Jagex (the creators of RS) was creating a new MMO, called Albion, in 2013, I was pretty excited. Unfortunately, there aren’t many people to play with on Albion since it isn’t even released yet.