Hi everyone, my name is Matty B. For those who don’t know me, I’m a leader in the Serenity guild on the United States server of Runes of Magic, a guild where I’ve happily stayed for the past seven years. If you recognize my name outside the game, it might be because I used to be fairly active on the forums, the IRC channel, or Discord. Today, though, I’m not just here to talk about my role as a guild leader or the game itself—I want to share some thoughts on a topic that’s been on my mind for years: the decline and stagnation of competition in one of my favorite hobbies.
Before we dive in, let me take you back to where it all started for me. Runes of Magic is an MMORPG set in the fantasy genre, released back in 2009. For many, the game’s free-to-play model was a compelling reason to choose it over larger titles like World of Warcraft. But for others, it was unique features like the dual-class system that drew them in. However, what really hooked me was something else entirely: Siege War.
“50 vs. 50 player combat,” the advertisement said. That was all I needed to hear. I jumped in almost immediately, and from that moment on, I was hooked.
Over the years, I’ve held leadership roles across several guilds—first in The Black Tower, where I became a leader after a year in the guild, then as a rank in Tarrasque, both on the Artemis server, and now in Serenity. In total, I’ve been in a leadership position for all but my first year in the game. I’ve met a lot of incredible people along the way, and some not-so-great ones too. But if there’s one thing I hope everyone who’s played alongside me would agree on, it’s that I’m competitive, especially when it comes to Siege Wars.
Which brings me to the heart of what I want to talk about today. It’s about something that really matters to me: what happens to competition when the number of participants starts to dwindle?
Before we get into that, I think it’s important to address the elephant in the room. Everyone who has played Runes of Magic has their own ideas about how the game could have been more successful, or how it could be changed now to bring people back. I share that sentiment, but let’s face it—most video games lose players over time. Very few MMORPGs make it to 15 years. I really want to first discuss this specific problem that I see, and how to fix this specific problem.
So, what happens when the number of participants in a competition starts to dwindle? In Siege Wars, it’s something I’ve seen firsthand over the years. When the game was at its peak, in the United States, there were seven servers, and on my server alone, about a dozen guilds vying for relevancy, if not dominance—each match was unpredictable, and every victory felt earned. But as time passed and guilds either disbanded or moved on to other games, the competition began to thin out. From seven servers to two, then from two to one. From dozens of active guilds per server to...
Initially, you might think that fewer competitors would make things easier strategically, but in reality, it does the opposite. As the pool of active guilds shrinks, the remaining guilds often find themselves facing the same opponents over and over again. At the game’s peak, you could never be sure who you were up against each night, and that unpredictability forced you to stay sharp and continuously adapt your strategies. But now, those same opponents you face night after night not only know your tactics—they prepare specifically to counter them.
This familiarity breeds a kind of strategic stagnation. Every guild falls into the same patterns, with little variation in their approach. The need to innovate, to develop new strategies or ideas to tackle fresh challenges, fades away. Instead of pushing boundaries and evolving your gameplay, you find yourself stuck in a repetitive loop, facing the same scenarios with the same players. The thrill of outsmarting your opponent with something unexpected is replaced by the monotony of executing the same plan over and over again, hoping it’s just a bit more refined than last time.
But the impact goes beyond just strategy. The psychological effects of dwindling competition are real. When you’re in a vibrant community where every match is a new challenge, the slow decline can feel like a loss of purpose. The excitement that used to come with preparing for a tough Siege War starts to wane, and the camaraderie built on shared victories and losses can start to erode.
For those who remain and try to stay positive, there’s a growing sense of isolation. The Siege Wars that once brought guilds together now highlight just how few of us are left. Even worse is the unhealthy focus on the remaining guilds. Every fight is shadowed by personal feelings or contentment. The attempts to force equal competition where it otherwise wouldn’t be can be overwhelming for some, and unwanted by others. In some cases, it can lead to internal conflicts within guilds, driving wedges between friends, or causing burnout among key people in the community.
This is where this post takes a turn. I wrote everything prior to this a few months ago. I only came back to it recently to finish my thoughts but also change the direction of the post. At first, I was writing something to share my experience, maybe to open a dialogue with others to see if they’ve felt the same, or perhaps to offer something people could learn from in the future. But now, this text has become more than just that—it’s also about finding a solution. There is actual purpose in this rambling for one reason because things have changed rapidly.
The situation has become even more dire in recent weeks. Just a month ago, on the United States’ server, there were still four guilds actively(five or more people) participating in Siege Wars at least weekly that I was aware of—two in each time slot with more than five people participating. Occasionally, there would be a crossover and some variety. Maybe even a fifth would sign up once or twice a month. Now, even that has faded. We’re down to just one guild signing up for Siege Wars each night, looking for competition, and sometimes not even one.
This isn’t just a decrease in numbers; it’s the collapse of the competition itself. The Siege Wars that once defined Runes of Magic for many people, that once brought entire guilds together in intense, strategic battles, have effectively ended. The thrill of facing an opponent, the satisfaction of a hard-fought victory—those experiences are no longer possible here. The last Siege War with more than 12 total people in it was more than two weeks ago. It used to be daily as recently as two months ago.
The impact of this goes beyond just losing a game mode. For many people, Siege Wars was the heart of our engagement with the game. It was what kept them logging in night after night, what motivated them to improve their skills and work together as a team. Without it, we’re left with a hollow shell of what the game once was.
This dramatic decline raises a tough question: What happens to a guild, and to its members, when there’s no one left to compete against? For some people, the game is starting to feel more like a ritual of maintenance rather than a vibrant, living competition. Logging in has become about keeping up appearances, about holding onto the remnants of a once-thriving community, rather than about the excitement of battle.
And then there’s the question of legacy. What does it mean to be possibly the last guild standing? Is it a badge of honor or a symbol of a lost era? There’s a bittersweet reality in knowing that you’re one of the last to carry the torch, but it’s also a heavy burden. How do you keep the spirit of competition alive when no one else is wanting to compete?
So, where do we go from here?
One potential solution is to foster a greater sense of community collaboration. With fewer guilds, it’s more important than ever to encourage cooperation and camaraderie among those who remain. This could involve organizing events or friendly scrimmages. By working together, we can keep the competitive spirit alive while also strengthening the bonds between players.
Another approach is to innovate within the existing framework of Siege Wars. If the traditional strategies have become stale, perhaps it’s time to introduce new player made challenges or objectives that require fresh thinking. This could be something as simple as setting self-imposed limitations during battles, or as complex as developing entirely new tactics that defy the established meta because the goals have changed. The key is to keep finding ways to make each match feel unique and engaging.
The most drastic is also the most obvious answer to me. We can also look to Runewaker and Gameforge for support, if they are willing to lend it to us. I’d like to be able to talk directly with them, to let them know where they let us down in the past and how they can help address this specific problem in our community. Whether it’s simple balancing tweaks, introducing new rewards, or even creating new guild-based content, publisher and developer involvement is crucial in sustaining the game’s longevity.
Lastly, it’s important to remember why we started playing Runes of Magic in the first place. For many of us, it wasn’t just about winning—it was about the thrill of the fight, the friendships we formed, and the stories we created along the way. By focusing on these core experiences, we can find new ways to enjoy the game, even if the competitive environment isn’t what it once was.
In the end, it’s up to us, the players, to decide how we want to move forward. We can choose to lament the loss of the past, or we can embrace the challenge of adapting to a new reality. The game may have changed, but the spirit of competition and community that brought us together in the first place is still very much alive. It’s up to us to nurture it and help it grow in whatever form that takes.
To end, I am genuinely interested in your thoughts, experiences, and suggestions on how to fix this. Thank you for your time.
(So far I don't see a solution that could completely address the problem)
