Make the whole runescape game f2p

Update we learn the value of loyalty.

Spoiler alert: It's almost worthless.

The problem I see with this game is that it's trying to maintain finances from its player-base through two methods: purchasing the game itself and purchasing various other gameplay benefits (SOF) and cosmetics (SGS) that is not available as part of the actual Runescape Items game.

They're trying to model the marketing of other games but they're missing one thing: Most other games that sell cosmetics as a means of profiting offer the actual game itself for free.

I'd be 100% more willing to spend money on a cosmetic if I didn't feel like I should be getting the cosmetic for free simply for paying membership. Wasn't the whole premise of buying the game that you actually are capable of unlocking EVERYTHING through gameplay? The moment Jagex stopped allowing us to unlock everything was the moment this game should've become free to play.

I'm not even going to complain about what SOF and solomon's has done to the game anymore. It's not important. The only way to really fix this is to scrap the membership fee entirely and sustain the game through cosmetics, which they're already doing anyway. There's not nearly enough players anymore to justify funding the game through membership alone anyway.

EDIT:

A lot of people seem to be having some reading comprehension issues so allow me to explain something.

Yes, I made this thread as a result of the new update.
No, this thread is not ABOUT the new update.

This thread is a discussion about how the game should stop charging membership entirely and just focus on making money from SOF and SFS, since it's already doing that anyway.

If you can't understand that then I can't help you. I can't make it more clear than this*

tldr: Scrap membership fees and make revenue purely from SGS and SOF since that's the main source of income anyway.

Ever played vindictus? What about perfect world? Or how about virtually any Nexon game?

You can get everything, gear wise, completely within the game itself. And there's no membership fee. These games can be played just as long as runescape. That's a personal preference depending on what type of game a person likes to play.

Nexon makes all of its money primarily through cosmetics and dyes. It also offers some in game benefits that are more similar to SOF benefits than anything (Not through gambling but the benefits are not as drastic as armor like you're suggesting).

You have the wrong attitude here in implying that Jagex is doing us any "favors". This is exactly the mentality they want you to have. You are a customer. This isn't some slave trade operation where Jagex are your masters and you feel lucky to have any shred of dignity they give you. This is a business operation where money talks.

And let's face it, membership money isn't talking. It's not funding the Runescape Gold game anymore. The playerbase is far too small and the cosmetic purchasers are far too vast for the membership prices to be warranted. As a customer you shouldn't constantly feel deceived and feel lucky that at least it isn't worse or that they're doing us a favor.

They're not doing us any favors really. This update, and several others, make that rather obvious.