In a remarkable addition to his extensive achievements, Old School RuneScape content creator Settled recently concluded a challenging MMO run that began in late 2023, culminating in an epic 68-minute video that has captivated the OSRS community. This finale has garnered over 510,000 views within just one day, showcasing a viewer engagement that surpasses most console bundled games.
Settled is famous for creating unique playstyles with strict rule sets that thoroughly change how he interacts with the game in new OSRS accounts. His notable series, Swampletics, restricted his gameplay to the swampy areas of Morytania, compelling him to innovate with limited resources. He has also undertaken speedruns and “Tileman” challenges, where his character’s movement was directly tied to his skill experience gains.
The outlandish and visually captivating rules he employs capture the audience’s attention, but it is Settled’s talent for weaving engaging narratives, sharing unusual facts about OSRS, and incorporating intricate animations and edits that have built his impressive 731,000 subscriber base on YouTube.
His latest venture, “Nightmare Mode,” utilizes a custom plugin created by fellow OSRS enthusiast Gudi, which permanently erases a player’s account password if they take any damage. Given the nature of OSRS combat mechanics, where damage can easily occur from various hazards, managing to avoid all sources of damage is an immense challenge. Utilizing food items for healing, often seafood, is essential in the game.
Attempting to play OSRS under these stringent conditions, essentially treating hit points as if they were set to one, is akin to searching for a needle in a haystack while enveloped in balloons. Additionally, as an Ironman account, Settled is prohibited from trading with other players and must collect all his items independently. This setup demands meticulous planning, substantial trial and error, and an exceptional level of skill to use protective prayers to mitigate unavoidable damage.
Currently, Settled is progressing with his 109th Nightmare Mode account. After overcoming various obstacles early in the run—a notable instance being the ‘fence arc’—he has made remarkable strides.
Having taken no damage, he has successfully completed the challenging Fire Cape Fight Caves, considered an iconic achievement within the OSRS community, while amassing a solid array of armor from a perilous minigame known for inflicting chip damage.
As a crowning challenge, Settled has turned his attention to the Colosseum, a relatively recent combat gauntlet introduced in early 2024 that presents players with waves of enemies flaunting diverse combat techniques and special modifiers. This encounter is deemed one of the most arduous in the entire MMO landscape, comparable to the grueling multi-phase Inferno, which rewards players with the coveted Inferno Cape.
While most players enter the Colosseum in pursuit of monetary rewards or the untradeable Dizana’s Quiver, which significantly enhances ranged attacks, Settled’s mission is one of seeking honor. The essence of this series has been to explore just how far a Nightmare account can progress, and without spoiling the intense 68-minute finale—packed with nail-biting moments and impressive cinematics worthy of the OSRS YouTube hall of fame—he has certainly reached a remarkable limit.
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