Treasure Trails – What’s the Point?
Recently I have been doing a lot of Treasure Trails, and I’m again noticing how unbalanced the risk vs. reward is in the Treasure Trail system. I personally have done well over 150 Treasure Trails in my RuneScape time, and the best reward I have received would be a Zamorak/Saradomin Rune Plate. During the course of those 150+ clues, I have gone through some of the weirdest and hardest clue combinations and I have obviously received nothing for my work.
I have gone through a clue combination consisting of 3 Saradomin Mages and then a Zamorak Mage followed by a puzzle box, receiving next to nothing for my work. I just finished a clue this evening consisting of 2 puzzle boxes, 2 emote clues, 2 Saradomin Mages and several anagram/speak to/riddle clues. My reward for a half hour to 45 minutes of work? 14 Lobsters, a pair of Black D’hide Chaps, a Magic Shortbow and some Nature Runes.
What solutions could be implemented to fix this frustrating problem? There are several possible ways to fix the issue:
Solution #1 - Tie specific clues to specific rewards. This is probably the worst solution, seeing as the goal of Treasure Trails is to be random. To implement this system would mean if you got a clue you could check what you would get and decide based on that whether to do the clue or not. Prices would become screwed up as a result of the excess/scarcity of certain items, which Jagex certainly doesn’t want.
Solution #2 - Eliminate Treasure Trails. Instead, give monsters that previously dropped Treasure Trails level appropriate drops. Level 3 clue droppers would instead drop Level 3 rewards. Again the issue with solution, as with solution #1, is that people would kill only the monsters that gave the best rewards, causing prices to fluctuate.
Solution #3 - Leave it. People get rich all the time, and the economy stays balanced out. Self-explanatory, but I’m obviously not in favor of this solution. Jagex probably is however, seeing as it requires the least bit of work on their part to keep the system running.
Solution #4 - A complete overhaul of the system. Change the way the clues work, add new levels of rewards (because honestly, Ranger Boots should not be a level 2 clue), and change the difficulty level in each level and lessen the amounts of monsters that drop clues. That way the rarest items would be the hardest to obtain, and the more common items would be easier to obtain. Obviously there would be some price fluctuation, but overall it would be minimal compared to the any other solution besides #3.
Now, is it likely that solutions #1, 2, and 4 will happen? Probably not. As I stated in Solution #3, Jagex seems happy with doing the least amount of work to keep the (flawed) system running, and what Jagex wants goes. If we’re lucky something will change, but hell, thats how Treasure Trails work, and we all know how that has worked out for me.
excellent points, nice article
I fail to see how the system is “flawed”. Treasure trails are random, and that’s the way they’re meant to be. You either get something good or you don’t.
My advice to you: keep doing treasure trails.
good point ive done 2 and all ive got is addy stuff
but ive got one lvl 1 scrool more addy 
nextgen, you can’t get addy from lvl 1 scrolls, it was a lvl 2. But I think that clue scrolls are fun. It gives a level of excitement to the game. Plus, puzzle boxes aren’t that bad…
i think that cluescrolls are a waist of time. ive only done like 5, but all of em gave me about 6k total, when the guy i was fightin with got a wizzy hat g.
I think solution 2 is the best, because it helps the hardcore slayers and monster hunters rather than the minority which does clue scrolls…
PS: Sextants are the worst invention of all time
i think that soulution 4 is a good solution, but i haven’t been a member in a long time.
that’s okay though… i will hopefully be a member soon…. but my brother’s friend does cluescrolls all the time, and usually gets good stuff…. if you dont…. oh well…keep trying…. then maybe you will get some good stuff… and maybe not…. figure it out…..
I’ve done a few level 3 scrolls, including one that took me to the forgotten cemetery in level 35 wilderness to play with werewolf revenants. I spent way way more time and money on getting the clues done than the reward I got back each time. Totally not worth the effort in my opinion (granted my limited experience, which will not be expanding any time soon).
omfg what do u mean clues are the best way to make money i mena i made like 2mil in like 3 hours from clues who hates cluues?
i disagree with solutions 2 through three because i like treasure trails and on lvl 2 scroll i got some green dragonhide chaps gold trimmed worth 1.7mil on the ge. other than that i would agree with solution #1.
i think there’s a big bad glitch going on, after i received a coord scroll, i went there and i dug it up at exact but nothing happens???
0.0 This isn’t fair to me! and others who might have same problems like me!