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The RuneScape Assist System - Myths and Truths The RuneScape Assist System - Analysis, Suggestions, Recommendations and Conclusions

The new Assist System (AS) is simple in concept, but can be quite tricky to understand because of all the skills it affects, and the various restrictions and limits on its use. Another factor is that there are so many misconceptions, false assumptions and silly rumors flying around that it’s hard to figure out what’s true and what’s false.

This guide contains a lot of information to help you learn the truth about the Assist System, but I also know it’s a long read. To assist you (ha ha) in getting answers fast, I’ve included a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) and answers related to the new feature. The list is broken into sections that roughly parallel the structure of this review, and some answers refer to other places in the guide where you can get more information if you want it.

Q1-1: Can the Assist System be used for all skills?

A1-1: No, only 9 skills are supported: Construction, Cooking, Crafting, Farming, Fletching, Herblore, Magic, Runecrafting and Smithing. For the first week of its release, Fishing, Hunter, Mining and Woodcutting were also in the system.

Q1-2: Can you do anything in those skills?

A1-2: There are specific restrictions and limits in how the skills can be borrowed, to prevent abuses such as cheating on quests.

Q1-3: How much assistance can I provide to others?

A1-3: There’s a 30,000 XP limit per day in using the Assist System.

Q1-4: Is the XP limit 30,000 total or per skill?

A1-4: A total of 30,000 XP across all skills every 24 hours.

Q1-5: How is the 24-hour period measured?

A1-5: The game measures it from the time you first start assisting someone; it resets 24 hours after that point.

Q1-6: Can I use the Assist System to get special, quest or untradeable items?

A1-6: No.

Q1-7: Can the AS allow me to access a guild?

A1-7: No.

Q1-8: Does the Assist System work on F2P (non-member) servers?

A1-8: Yes, but only for F2P skills and items.

Q2-1: If I reach the 30k limit can I still assist and just not get XP?

A2-1: No, you cannot assist at all when you have reached the limit.

Q2-2: Can I assist someone in, say, Smithing, and also smith items myself?

A2-2: No, you cannot work on any skills while assisting.

Q2-3: Can I do anything at all while I am assisting someone?

A2-3: You can use the various chat mechanisms, but that’s pretty much it.

Q2-4: What happens if I am assisting someone and they use a skill they already have a high enough level for?

A2-4: In that situation the person you are assisting will get the XP for the skill used, not you.

Q2-5: (No longer relevant, as Mining has been removed from the system.)

Q2-6: How many players can I assist at once?

A2-6: Only one.

Q2-7: How far can I be from someone while continuing to assist them or receive assistance?

A2-7: The two of you must be within 20 squares of each other.

Q2-8: Someone requested help with Smithing and I accepted, but she said she couldn’t use my skills to do anything. Why?

A2-8: You probably didn’t click the large “Smithing” button on the Assist screen to turn it on. By default, all skills are disabled from the Assist System; you have to enable each one you are willing to assist with; see Figure 43.

Q2-9: I need help with a skill / I want to offer assistance. What should I do?

A2-9: Go to a place where that skill is often trained, or use the forums; see this discussion for more suggestions.

Q2-10: How do I know when the person I am assisting is done?

A2-10: You don’t. Ask them to tell you when they’re finished.

Q3-1: Can I use the Assist System to cast combat spells above my level?

A3-1: The Assist System cannot be used for combat magic of any type (except for an exploit that hopefully will be fixed soon.)

Q3-2: Can I use the AS to access someone else’s Lunar Magicks spells?

A3-2: Both players must be on Lunar Magicks for this to work.

Q3-3: I haven’t purchased the Bones to Peaches spell from the Mage Training Arena. Can I still use it if the person assisting me can cast it?

A3-3: No. (Even though you can use B2P tablets without having the spell, and no, this makes no sense to me either.)

Q3-4: I want to borrow someone’s Construction level to build a gilded altar in my house but it doesn’t seem to work. Why?

A3-4: You can’t borrow the ability to build in your house, because nobody can be in your house with you when build mode is on. (Jagex could have changed this, but they don’t want the Assist System used in this way.)

Q3-5: I want to use the Assist System to plant trees using Farming. Can I?

A3-5: No, the system won’t let you plant any type of tree.

Q3-6: I used the AS to plant an herb seed above my level, but now the person who helped me is gone. Can I still harvest the herbs?

A3-6: Yes, you can, but you won’t get XP for it. Look here for more information on skill-specific issues with the AS.

Q4-1: I don’t want to assist anyone, can I disable the feature?

A4-1: Sure. Right-click the “Assist” button at the bottom of the screen and change the setting to “Off”. Or set it to “Friends” if you only want to help those on your friends list.

Q4-2: Someone wanted me to assist them and I said no, and now they are threatening to report me for being a scammer. Can they do that?

A4-2: No, it is not scamming or against the rules in any way to just refuse to use the Assist System.

Q4-3: Someone is offering to assist me with a skill, but only if I pay them first. Should I?

A4-3: I do not recommend this at all, because it is essentially a different type of trust trade. They can just take your payment and leave. Instead, find someone willing to assist for free, or do a trade of raw materials plus payment for finished product.

Q4-4: (No longer relevant due to the removal of resource skills.)

Q4-5: Low-level people are harassing me to give them assistance with Fishing, Woodcutting, etc. How can I stop them?

A4-5: You can’t. Go to a less populated area, or turn off both Assist and public chat.

Q4-6: If I borrow someone’s Runecrafting ability, do I get multiple runes per essence?

A4-6: If the person assisting you would get multiples, then you do as well.

The RuneScape Assist System - Myths and Truths The RuneScape Assist System - Analysis, Suggestions, Recommendations and Conclusions