Throughout Runescape there are many… or are there… er, no, there aren’t.Throughout Runescape few players have earned a significant degree of fame. There are the names that greet you when you open the high scores, the people who started some of the forum stickies (and most people don’t even read those), and also some within unaffiliated RS communities like RSBandB. However, there is one player who, in my opinion, outshines them all, and that one player is TheMothAssassin.

Yes, just ask any RS player if they know TheMothAssassin and they will look at you and say, “The Motha What?” That’s because TMA does not go by that ingame. His primary account is called Melanie256, and if you ask a RS player if they know that name they will say, “Oh yeah, me and Mel go way… Wait, Melanie256? Never heard of her.” For those of you who have been living under a stack of old newspapers and eating passing bugs just to survive, TheMothAssassin is a writer for the acclaimed publication, the RSBandB Informer. He has covered such topics as community activism, hydroterrorism, and hallucinogenic inhalants. Verily it is an honor to know this guy, so you can imagine how hard it was to get an interview with him. I could go on, but let’s hear the rest from the man himself. Ladies and gentlemen, TheMothAssassin.

TheMothAssassin: Hi, thanks for coming.

TheMothAssassin: Hi. What do you want?

TMA: When did you start playing Runescape?

TMA: I started in November of 2003. I first heard about it months earlier, or rather saw it. I noticed some middle schoolers playing it on the school computers and thought it looked interesting, but the next few months were kinda hectic because I was a moron back then and was failing at school, so I didn’t start playing it until much later.

TMA: What got you interested in fantasy?

TMA: That would be a turn based strategy game called Age of Wonders. Before that time I was mainly into military history, so the transition didn’t take too long. AoW got me interested in all those dragons and elfs and magic and stuff, and within a few short months, I was a total geek.

TMA: What do you enjoy doing in Runescape?

TMA: Oh, mainly collecting loot. What attracts me to an area is generally the prospect of getting something I think I’ll use or some exotic to sell. I also enjoy the gradual building sort of fun that comes from raising those skills. I like to keep one of those ckill calculators up, adjust the experience as I train and examine the numbers that appear. I also like doing quests whenever a new one comes out. They give the game more than just gameplay, which keeps it interesting.

TMA: And what is your favorite quest?

TMA: Well, I found Rum Deal to be very entertaining. Then there’s the whole Plague City series, the Grand Tree series, the Red Axe series, and the Myreque series. I await the conclusions of all four. I can’t say I have a single favorite, though.

TMA: What skills do you most enjoy training?

TMA: I mostly train slayer because I can collect exotic loot while doing that, as well as some rather ordinary but still quite nice loot. Between assignments I like to run around planting and harvesting herbs and trees. It’s very gratifying to get that much experience at one time. Most of my activities also include use of magic, so I train that skill at just about everything I do.

TMA: I assume an awesome guy like you gets a lot of random PM’s.

TMA: Oh yes. Why, just yesterday some guy messaged me saying, and this is a real, full quote, ‘Hi.’ Why did he say that? I have no idea. Where I come from people don’t talk to each other unless they have something to say, like, ‘Where’s Park Avenue?’ or, ‘Can you take our picture?’ And that’s just the tourists. Those who live here only speak to offer products and services or convey vital information. ‘Hi.’ Honestly, what the hell is that? I’m a busy guy, I can’t waste time responding to idle greetings.

TMA: There are a lot of rants about the community. What do you think?

TMA: It’s not as bad as people seem to think. Sure, we got a few rule breakers here and there, but it’s mostly good to so-so types.

TMA: And how about that PKing triangle?

TMA: I think that any mode can be effective, but most choose melee, probably for cost reasons, which has led to the belief that magic is too good and ranged is not good enough. This is unlikely to change, so I like to keep a sizeable reserve of runes handy.

TMA: That about concludes the interview. Thanks for your time.

TMA: My pleasure. Now be off!

Questions or comments for TheMothAssassin? Send him a PM on RSBandB and he’ll see what he can do.