Egghebrecht Leaves Runescape Over Squeal of Fortune
Entry posted by Merch Gwyar
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Another good man left Runescape today. In reality, it's not the day that Egghebrecht walked out - that was when Squeal of Fortune was introduced to the game - it's merely the moment when his membership finally ran out. You can read all about it, in his words, over on his blog.
So many people going. Their names are in danger of merging together, a list on a memorial board, while new players rush into the breech never knowing that Runescape was once a game that we enjoyed and had fun in. A stress relief. A social gathering. A place to have pride in our own achievements, based on the merits of our play. One of the few places left on Earth where hard work meant something (if only in pixels), rather than the weight of your wallet.
I hate microtransactions. I hate Squeal of Fortune. I hate the endless goodbyes and the bam, bam, bam erosion of all we built. So let's not forget those who have stuck to their principles and laid down their swords.
Who's gone now? No-one at Sal's needs an introduction to Egghebrecht. I'm writing this largely for whoever else may be reading.
Egg has a heart as big as his community spirit. I doubt there is anyone in his orbit who hasn't, at one time or another, borrowed his Bandos or his Godsword or whatever other weapon may be needed. I've known him log on especially to loan these things out. Last year, Jagex was all about clan building. Egg was that ethos personified. He was in at least two clans to my knowledge, keeping up with both concurrently. No event was too small for him to show his face. No player too noobish not to gain his support. But most of all, his humour kept those clan chats laughing. No matter how bad my day, I always cheered as he typed 'hello', or, in his case, 'bump'. 
But what most will remember of this remarkable player was his ever patient insight into (legally) making money within the game. I was able to afford 90% of my expensive things by following his advice. I learned to do things like look after my kingdom to its full advantage; buy battlestaves; and use my gp to generate more gp, instead of letting it fester in the bank. No need for fast-track spins of game-breaking squeals, when you had Egg's research, calculator and tips to hand. He made it more fun. He even tricked me into enjoying maths on occasion; because it was in the context of Runescape, I hadn't realised that it was maths.
He represented Sal's Realm in the hidden forums, letting our voices be heard there. We owe him that debt.
It is players like Egghebrecht who are leaving now. What future can Runescape have on the other side of the SoF updates? None that I'm too keen to see.
Goodbye from Gielinor, cariad. You'll be sorely missed by those who remember what this game was and what kind of players it lost to greed.
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