2007 Runescape: The Official Handbook

At midnight, on December 23rd 2006, I logged into Runescape for the first time.  After traversing my way through Tutorial Island, I found myself in Lumbridge, listening to Harmony for the first time.

It was bliss.  It was precisely the game I had been looking to play all of these years.  I could have kissed the friends who introduced me to it.  

I was also incredibly lost.  I found myself in fear of the Highwayman, who lurked on the path back to the safety of my pixel home. 

I remember reacting with relief and glee when my real life friend logged on. 

"Where are you?"  She asked.

"I don't know!  It's got a kind of square with ladders and the buildings all have white stone."

"You're in Falador.  I'm coming to get you.  We're meeting Audina in Varrock."   It all meant nothing to me.  I'd only been playing for a few hours.  I could see that I needed to invest in some urgent catch-up, if I was ever going to match my friends.

In January 2007, Tracey West published her guidebook -  Runescape:  The Official Handbook.  I bought it.  Never again would I struggle to know my Rimmington from my Barbarian Village.  Gielinor, here I come!

In truth, the official guidebook was all a bit basic.  It also rapidly became dated, as weekly up-dates transformed the game.

When I first bought it, I poured over its pages, looking for tips and new things to learn in Runescape.  Then I discovered Sal's Realm of Runescape and here was no looking back.  Being on-line, that website was able to keep pace with all that Andrew Gower was adding to the game play.  Plus it had a great community in the forums, and the most vibrant group of Runescape bloggers in cyberspace.

Poor Tracey West's book quickly became a thing of nostalgia.  It was no longer useful to me, but for a gauge of how Runescape changed over the years.  By 2013, it bore no relevance at all to how the post Evolution of Combat, graphically updated and hugely expanded Gielinor could be explored.

Until Jagex launched the 2007 servers.  Suddenly that 2007 handbook was a great reference point.  It could be used to refresh my memory on how things were, and are again.

I learned in 2007, and was reminded in 2013, that nothing teaches you about playing Runescape like playing Runescape. 

Tracey West's book was useful, but discovering things for myself was magical and fun.  I soon stopped turning pages in favor of clicking my mouse.  I enjoyed just nipping through gates and meandering down lanes, solely to find out what was there.

That said, the game moved on a lot in over half a decade.  It took us with it.  As players, we have forgotten so much, which was second nature in 2007.  This handbook is like a moment frozen in history.  It tells us in plain text all that we once all knew.

However, its scope is quite limited.  It covers only the F2P lands and doesn't so much as peep through the gates of Taverley. 

If you're buying it as a genuine guide to Old School Runescape 2007, as released in 2013, then I wouldn't bother.  It might give you a momentary step up as a revision - perhaps a few days before your friends remember - but you'd just as easily rediscover it all by playing the game.

If you're considering it as a geeky gift for an old time Runescape player, then yes, it's fun and nostalgic.  I'm keeping my copy accordingly!