3rd May 2024
Hello! Welcome back to our regular feature where we write a little bit about some of the games we’ve been playing over the past few days. This week we’ve gone with a bit of a theme: matchmaking. We’ve pulled on some of our most memorable matchmaking experiences from games we loved. Can you remember any of yours?
If you fancy catching up on some of the older editions of What We’ve Been Playing, here’s our archive.
Conversations in RuneScape
RuneScape is a game with a lot of grinding and, in many cases, this means a lot of standing around. Be it Woodcutting or Fishing, you’ll find yourself fixed to one location where the only movement is between skill-spots or when it’s time for a bank run to deposit your goods. (Unless you’re a litterbug who just dumps everything on the ground.) Due to this I, and many other RuneScape players, have partaken in the long standing tradition of chatting away as your XP slowly climbs to the next level.
The beginning of every conversation usually follows the same pattern: Why are you here? XP. What level are you? Around the level needed to do this. From there, however, I’ve spent hours talking about books, films, bird migration (no, I don’t know how we got onto that topic) and, of course, RuneScape lore, all while bashing away at a rock with my pickaxe. When I was 16 I even helped another player finish their maths homework! Typically I never cross paths with these players again – at some point one of us has to log off or decides to wander away into the wilds of Gielinor. Yet, there are the odd occasions where we end up talking in private chat – and that’s how I’ve met some of my longest in-game friends.
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One friend I met while exploring Varrock Sewers, another from blasting through the early levels of Archeology on its launch day. Over the years, we’ve shared little tidbits of our lives, but I’d be lying if I said the main topic of conversation wasn’t RuneScape. My oldest RuneScape friend, however, is someone I know nothing about. Well nothing real that is. We met on World 42 – RuneScape 3’s role-playing server – and let me tell you, they’re dedicated to playing the part. I could easily write you a piece covering their fictional history and adventures across Gielinor. I even know their favourite colour; don’t know if it’s their favourite colour in real life though. There’s something special about knowing absolutely nothing about this person in reality, but being given even the smallest of details about who they choose to be.
Unspoken understanding in Apex Legends
Back when Apex Legends was really finding its feet with themed events, I had a matchmaking moment that I won’t forget for a long time.
I was playing as part of a Trio during a Halloween event, and we came close to being on the winning team on our first match. That wasn’t the impressive part. The impressive part is when I realised that we were communicating with ease via the ping system and working smoothly together as a team without speaking.