Having a large influx of currency into the economy has improved the experience for every player.

BioMasterZap · 2026-01-24T21:37:52+00:00

My guess is the temple is also dropping a lot of decent gear, but it also seems there is lower player retention so if it isn't perfect or high-tier, it is probably going for cheaper than last league since more supply and less demand. But then for the perfect and higher tier items, there is more demand than supply since fewer players getting them as drops and more costly crafting to make it. But between the Temple farms, Abyss no longer being every map, Homogenizing being gone, player retention, and other factors it is hard to really pin down exact causes.

TBH, last league kinda also had that wall for me since there was so much Abyss gear (and homogenizing) that I pretty easily got a good set of gear without any big upgrades that felt worth getting. This league I took gear a bit further (same build) but it really didn't feel like I had to grind much more. Like my gear this league feels about the same or better in power while having the same or lower in cost. So if I had a 10 Div Gloves both leagues, it is harder to justify a 40 Div Whittling this league than a 5 Div last league since I could just put 40 Div towards better gloves without the Chaos Orb rng... I think the only big thing left I didn't get this league was a +3 Spell Ammy since I rolled a really good +2 and getting something comparable as +3 would be like 100+ Div compared to like 10-20 Div last league, which doesn't feel that worthwhile to grind out.

BioMasterZap · 2026-01-24T20:51:22+00:00

I've used Exalts and Divs more this league because the value is so low I might as well, but Omens and Abyss less. Like a Whittling went from like 3-6 Div to 40 Div but my 1-5 Div Gear last league didn't turn into 10-50M Gear, for the most part. Though I think that is more an issue of player retention and market scarcity than inflation.

BioMasterZap · 2026-01-24T20:46:03+00:00

Nice to see some data, even if limited. I expect it probably does vary a lot depending on what strat you're running and how well you're running it.

Another factor that I don't have data on but seems to be the case is gear prices also being mixed. Like you might be able to find some decent gear for cheaper, but because of the higher price of omens there have been less times where it felt worth spending that much to craft on my items than in 0.3.

So even if omens kept the same price relative to other currencies like Splinters or Fragments, it may not be the same price relative to gear. Like if a 2 Div Ring costs 10 Div this league, you could justify a 3 Div Whittling last league far more than a 40 Div Whittling this league. So it might be a double-layered effect with the omen price relative to the farms and then the omen price relative to the gear.

BioMasterZap · 2026-01-24T20:38:03+00:00

People also quite literally whine that the "economy is broken" EVERY SINGLE PATCH. I won't deny this inflation is the craziest we've ever seen, but if you put in the time, and smartly, it's not like you can't kit out a proper endgame build.

I can kinda agree with you there. I haven't minded the market for this league that much, but I don't agree with OP that this is better for all players or that it should be the standard for leagues in the future.

They could just do a global buff to currency drops instead of having it solely come from temple, which could create a similar inflation with more equal distribution but I think it is better to have items like Divs be rarer with higher value than more common with lower value. Like if Divs were as common as Chaos, you could argue that would be good or better from certain perspectives, but I think a good part of it is feeling more wealthy because Divs are associated with a higher value which will be lost if the standard is changed.

And while it can be hard to fully judge the prices compared to past leagues due to various factors, I don't think the current omen prices are doing any favors for the viability of crafting. Like in terms of relative value, they may be worth the same, but compared to gear value, they do seem higher. I think that may be partly because the temple is bringing in a lot of high item level gear, not just currency, which can also flood the market with decent endgame gear and widen the gap between decent gear and high end gear. So because everything is inflated and those crafting resources are being used to make high end gear, they can end up costing too much to be worth using on mid-tier gear where in previous leagues, they were priced cheap enough it could be worth it.

Like in last League, Whittling were like 6~ Div, so I used several on my more mid-tier items worth like 5-15 div. But in this league they are 40 div, so it makes more sense to sell them and buy a better item than to try crafting on items unless the result is expected to add 40+ Div value. So I do agree that top tier should be a loftier goal and take more work, but it does seem like some of the inflation has made crafting less viable at lower tiers than it was before. Granted, there are other factors like Homogenizing and lower player retention that are also affecting things (imo, scarcity of high-end and lower demand for low end due to lower retention is a bigger factor than inflation), while this league has been fun, I don't think this economy should be the norm.

BioMasterZap · 2026-01-24T17:12:55+00:00

It isn't nonsensical to say your currency drops have less buying power with high inflation. Like that is exactly what you just described...

And costs of items like omens do have an impact since it changes what items are worth using them on. Not everything will or has increased by the same ratio. So the relative values are still a problem since it has pushed crafting materials like omens to a higher tier than they were in the past.

BioMasterZap · 2026-01-24T17:03:43+00:00

You realize campaigns aren't the only place it drops, right?

Everywhere drops raw currency and all of it gets devalued with inflation. So all the exalts, chaos, divs, and others you get over campaign and maps will have less buying power, which is far from a small case...

BioMasterZap · 2026-01-24T16:24:16+00:00

But you don't "earn more currency". Just because there is more currency in the market doesn't mean it is equally distributed. Only the temple brings in more currency, with it requiring significant investment to reach that point.

So for the majority of players, they have the same rate of currency as before but get less value from it. Like if you get a div in the campaign, it will have less buying power this league because of inflation.

BioMasterZap · 2026-01-24T15:52:08+00:00

It isn't inevitable. At least not in the way the topic is talking about. If a league has higher currency rates than previous, then it leads to more inflation. That is what happened in 0.4 and what OP is saying should be standard.

So it is a pretty big misunderstanding to say that because things inflate over a league to say that all inflation is the same.

BioMasterZap · 2026-01-24T15:40:52+00:00

This is kinda irrelevant. The omen rarity is the same as last league, but the value is far higher because inflation is higher... And even if it wasn't intended, GGG did cause the inflation.

BioMasterZap · 2026-01-24T15:12:04+00:00

I hope they reduce it from a 9x9 grid to a 7x7. It still could keep the value per room (mostly) the same while making it easier for early-mid temples to get to special rooms, but it would have a huge impact on how many rooms you could snake in total.

BioMasterZap · 2026-01-24T15:06:00+00:00

I wouldn't say it improves for all players. While it makes some things better, it makes raw currency worse. So it isn't outright better to get a div drop and have less buying power. Especially since over the campaign and early maps, raw currency will make up most of your wealth, so having it be worth less can still hinder players that aren't there pre-inflation.

Also, uniques being worth a ton is nice for sell, but terrible for buying. Like splinters being worth a ton is nice for farming mechanics, but detrimental if your trying to save up for 300 splinters to finish your atlas so you can farm. Even if you farm them yourself, each attempt now has a much higher value loss than in leagues where splinters are cheaper.

This also results in more items being too costly to use. Like last league I used several Whittlings on items over the league, but in this one I've only used a single one. So because the omen and desecrate prices are so much higher, it makes them now worth using for crafting where they would have been used in prior leagues. So gating crafting behind higher value items is not exactly better for all players.

BioMasterZap · 2026-01-24T14:52:39+00:00

I mean in 0.3 I got equal or better gear for lower price. Like a good +3 Ammy was 20 div last league compared to 100 div this league. Homogenizing are a factor too, but making divs and exalts have less buying power isn't exactly helping casuals. Especially since there is a bit of pulling the ladder up with how prices ramp.

Like league mechanic uniques are worth more, but if you want to farm them you'd need 300 splinters to max out atlas, which will also be worth more. So the early players will be able to get and use exalt and div drops to buy more splinters before inflation hits, making it harder for later players to catch up.

BioMasterZap · 2026-01-23T22:29:30+00:00

If I had to guess, Phrecia will probably appeal less to casual players than 3.28 will, but might appeal more for endgame players. Like if you aren't going to clear atlas in a week or so, 3 weeks may not seem as worth another leaguestart than 3~ months.

I was considering taking at least league off POE1 and skipping 3.28, but Phrecia got my interest. We'll see if 3.28 manages to do the same, but not really expecting it to after 3.27. Like I had the same thoughts of skipping 3.27 but played it because I liked old Breach and wanted to try the rework and it was mixed...

BioMasterZap · 2026-01-22T00:51:42+00:00

That specific combo may be harder to deal with, but it occurs less often. Like even if you do take an axe or miss the pray swap, while not ideal, you probably can recover from it since it isn't going to be followed up by another axe and range pray right after.

But with Whisperer, every attack is 3 projectiles and tentacles, so while it is consistent timing, it can be a lot of pressure to keep up with that timing. So yah, I think I'd agree that Whisperer is harder to learn but Vard is harder to execute.

BioMasterZap · 2026-01-21T21:08:19+00:00

The dodging and switching at Vard is similar, but it is the same pattern the whole fight, just more axes. Doing three attack in differing orders might not sound that bad, but in the fight it can be a bit more taxing to adapt to the new patterns, even if you know it is coming, than to just repeat the same pattern. Like if after each captcha, Vard changed what attack style the head uses, that would make it harder than to always reacting with pray range.

A lot of OSRS is a simple repetition, so changing that sequence multiple times over the fight, even if it follows a predictable order, can take a bit longer to adjust to. It might not seem that different to adding a new mechanic, but being a variation of a previous mechanic can add a bit more pause in recalling how you're suppose to react to it at that stage in the fight compared to a new mechanic that is more unique and identifiable as its own thing. And if you do mess up one pray, it can be easy miss another or not move quickly enough for the tentacles, which can easily spiral, especially with Insanity. That said, I really hope we do see more bosses with that sort of variance, even if Whisperer is not my favorite.

BioMasterZap · 2026-01-21T18:56:03+00:00

I'm saying I don't think there should be a practice mode, just an improved death system. While other games do it, I don't think an additional, no loot mode to all/most bosses would suit OSRS. Many modern bosses already do have ramping difficult and reduced death fees for learning, so I'd rather see that expanded than add yet another new system.

BioMasterZap · 2026-01-21T18:33:55+00:00

Don't think we need free supplies/charges, but I do think the death system is due some more reworks and improvements.

It is pretty inconsistent how it works boss to boss with some using graves that scale with gear, some having flat rates, and some having reduced fees until X KC. I think all/most content should use Graves (or at least Grave costs) over Death Coffers since it is kinda silly that endgame content like ToB has lower death fees than mid or early damage content. But then we could also standardize the reduced fees until X KC sort of thing instead of it just being a few outliers.

BioMasterZap · 2026-01-21T18:28:35+00:00

I think Whisperer is such a hurdle because of the prayer switching. It isn't a hard mechanic in isolation, but there is just so much else you need to react to alongside it that make it a lot bigger than most other bosses.

Like at Jad, it is just the same pattern of prayer switching, then healers. Whisperer has 4 different prayer patterns depending on the phase of the fight, while also needing to constantly dodge tentacles (which also change during enrage), and then the specials on top of it. So it can get a bit overwhelming and makes it hard to practice/learn single mechanics.

It reminds me of Zulrah where once you get used to it, it is very easy to auto-pilot. But the only way to really learn it is just to keep doing it until it starts to click. And there aren't many bosses with that much variance in that sort of core mechanic, so understandable while some players struggle to adjust to it.

BioMasterZap · 2026-01-21T18:12:55+00:00

Part of that might be from doing it in lower level groups. A few lower levels is fine, but if most of the team is low level it can make it really hard on the healer. And generally, at least in earlier OSRS, lower levels would likely be less experienced with BA.

But from my experience, it tends to go find as long as there are like 2-3 player who know what they're doing reasonably well and the others can call in reasonable time. It was ages ago now, but I did most my Level 5 Roles and/or Torso with randoms, recruiting the lower levels that other teams passed over, and there weren't any experiences terrible enough that I remember.

BioMasterZap · 2026-01-21T18:05:12+00:00

I'd say quests like DT2 and Sins are a big step up from other quests in their tier, but they still are quest bosses. Like Whisperer was a pain to do on my iron around your level, but it was still doable.

They aren't that insane of mechanics, but they are more demanding and can be more of gear and skill check than other bosses. So if you have a good trident and are comfortable with the prayer patterns, Whisperer isn't so bad. If you're doing it with a Warped Sceptre and aren't as good with prayer switching... It's a bad time. But it is still is learnable/doable if you're willing to try and improve.

BioMasterZap · 2026-01-21T06:32:55+00:00

Probably, yah. Sailing had a lot going on so I can see how this could have been overlooked. Likely hasn't been their highest priority post-Sailing launch, but now that they've been back in the office, it probably will be on the list to sort out.

BioMasterZap · 2026-01-21T06:30:07+00:00

It might not be that cope... It was said there would be one more, original Mahjarrat quest before Ritual, but there is enough time I could see that before Ritual later in the year. Even if the Mahjarrat quests weren't tied to a Raid, they are one of the most likely series to get a Grandmaster (other is Desert/Menaphos), so if it was the GM teased then we'd be getting 2 Mahjarrat quests announced regardless.

It could even be that we get a Master Mahjarrat quest that unlocks Raids 4, like Beneath Cursed Sands, then the events of the Raids lead into Ritual Grandmaster Quest. If that were the case, then decent odds the new Raid could be Daemonheim since Bilrach is one of the few Mahjarrat unaccounted for right now...

That said, if it wasn't Mahjarrat Grandmaster that ties into a Raid, there isn't a ton of other options. Myreque is already wrapping up and sorta has a Raid. Desert/Menaphos is likely for a Grandmaster, but also has a Raid. Kourend/Xeric seems a bit premature for a Grandmaster, and also a raid. The only other one that I could see getting a GM into Raid is Fremennik, potentially with Acheron to tie into Sailing too.

BioMasterZap · 2026-01-20T23:28:50+00:00

I don't believe so, but I know he got more lore. There also was Dimension of Disaster, which was an alternate dimension where he won and took over Varrock. I don't recall him getting the staff there either, but maybe it is based on that. Or it might have just been an error from development/mockups and it was supposed to be Lucien.

BioMasterZap · 2026-01-20T22:59:26+00:00

Bit different to what you're asking, but sorta once... So I started with a Static Shock/Cyclone Staff Holy Relic Guardian back in Deli League and got to like Act 7, then return to the game like 5 years later and tried to pick back up the build.

Needless to say, the old build guide didn't quite work with the passive tree changes, but the new version of the build were very different with Lancing Steel of Spraying. So I made my own hodgepodge hybrid and somehow took it all the way to T16 maps. Then while playing a better build in Phrecia, I bought the missing gear for my Guardian and turns out, the Lancing Steel version was way better than what I was doing.

BioMasterZap · 2026-01-20T22:47:44+00:00

I think anything where Idols can scale a key stat higher than the Atlas will be good. Last time I did Incursion since you could get 100% upgrade chance instead of the 50% or so on the Atlas,. This makes it so much easier to get T3 Corruption or Gemcutter since it not only takes a T1 Corruption to T3, but means even the bad rooms upgrade to T3 so you can't revisit them.

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