"English isn't my native language, so I used a translator to help me write this post. The idea and suggestions are my own. Sorry if anything sounds a bit off!"
I've been thinking about how Jagex could improve the membership system for RS3 and OSRS players.
Right now, we can have multiple characters linked to the same Jagex Account, but each one needs its own membership to access Members content.
For example, if I have a main and an Ironman, why should I pay for two memberships to enjoy Members content on both, even if I never play them at the same time?
My idea is simple: membership should belong to the Jagex Account, not to a specific character.
1. Flexible Membership Slots
Instead of buying membership for a specific character, you'd have a Flexible Membership Slot linked to your Jagex Account.
One membership would give you:
1 Members slot in RS3.
1 Members slot in OSRS.
You could play both games at the same time with just one membership. These slots wouldn't be tied to specific characters.
Let's say you have a main and an Ironman in RS3. If you log into your main, it takes the available Members slot. Once you log out, that slot becomes available for your Ironman.
If you try to play both at the same time, only one can access Members worlds. The other could still play in F2P worlds. The same rule would apply to OSRS.
Basically, you'd pay for how many Members characters you want online at the same time, not how many characters you own.
2. Independent Characters Under One Jagex Account
I'd also change how RS3 and OSRS characters are linked. Each game would have its own character slots, usernames and progression, all managed through the same Jagex Account.
Creating a new OSRS character wouldn't automatically create a corresponding RS3 character, and vice versa. Existing characters would keep all their levels, items, achievements and progress.
Usernames already linked to your Jagex Account would also be protected across both games, following the current name-change and name-release rules. This way, players could create new characters without losing their old identities.
3. Extra Slots With Discounts
Of course, some players like having multiple Members accounts online at once. For that, they could buy extra slots. Here's what I'd suggest:
- 1st membership: Full price.
- 2nd membership: 20% discount.
- 3rd membership: 40% discount.
- 4th membership onward: 50% discount on each extra slot.
Each additional membership would unlock one more simultaneous Members slot in BOTH games. For example, with two memberships, you could play two RS3 Members characters and two OSRS Members characters at the same time. The discounts are just suggestions. Jagex could adjust them based on what makes financial sense.
4. What About Bonds?
When redeeming a Bond, players would have two options:
- Add 14 days to an existing membership.
- Activate an additional Flexible Membership Slot for 14 days.
Since the slots belong to the Jagex Account, an extra slot would work in both RS3 and OSRS. This could also make Bonds more useful. After all, every Bond was originally bought with real money. If demand goes up, their GP price could also rise, encouraging more players to buy Bonds directly from Jagex and sell them on the Grand Exchange. I'm not saying this would automatically increase Jagex's revenue, but I think it's worth looking into.
5. Why Do I Think This Would Be Better?
I think the current system discourages people from making alt characters. Someone might want to try Ironman mode or start fresh, but paying for another full membership just to switch between characters isn't very appealing.
My idea would give casual players more freedom to enjoy different characters, while people who want to multilog would still pay for additional slots.
The point isn't to give everyone unlimited membership for free. It's to charge for simultaneous access instead of charging separately for every character.
What do you guys think? Would you prefer something like this, or would you keep the current membership system?