My first MMO character #6: Jacob Ridley

The author recalls childhood memories of playing RuneScape, where he excelled at fishing and cooking to trade for high-level armor, including a prized black set with golden highlights. He describes how he accumulated items like a red face mask and black halberd, which felt significant at the time. After years away from the game, he attempted to log back in at age 34, only to discover his account had been banned for unauthorized activity. The ban left him feeling a surprising sense of loss despite his long absence from the game.

The writer explains that he had no idea why his account was banned, as he had not played in years, but suspected it was due to his account being compromised. He decided to contact Jagex support, unsure if his request would be addressed after such a long period. The ban had persisted for years without any prior communication from the company, leaving the account in limbo. He sent an email detailing the situation, hoping for a resolution despite the passage of time.

To his surprise, someone at Jagex responded and unbanned his account, restoring access to his long-forgotten character. The author expresses gratitude to 'Mod Frenzy' at Jagex support, though he is uncertain if this is an individual or a collective name for the team. The restoration allowed him to reclaim what was likely his longest-running character in any video game. He reflects on the unexpected emotional impact of losing and then regaining the account.

The author, Jacob Ridley, is a PC hardware and technology writer with over eight years of experience, having previously worked at PCGamesN before joining PC Gamer. He specializes in building PCs, running benchmarks, and learning Linux. His personal journey with RuneScape highlights the enduring connections players can feel toward long-standing accounts, even after years of inactivity.