Runescape is fundamentally an Ultima Online derivative, with UO's nastier elements mitigated. As is typical for that type of game there is a lot of botting and scamming. The former is easily ignored due to the game's structure. The latter is easily avoided if you aren't a gullible ten year old. Runescape achieved its considerable success mostly by positioning itself as a cheaper alternative to World of Warcraft: probably the majority of players were kids or teenagers who couldn't get their parents to pay for a WoW subscription but who could play free and get mom to pony up for a membership once in awhile.
Runescape's free to play mode is a fully functional game in its own right. Far more than a mere demo, a player could play that for months or longer if he wished. Players are not limited to a single server like they are in the EQ/WoW-style MMORPGs. You can change servers however often you like. Like Everquest, Runescape is a case of a game where there's good to be found if you can tolerate the bad, but like EQ it's showing its age so "tolerating the bad" is definitely part of the experience.
Danth
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