OSRS feels much more like the true runescape I enjoy playing than RS3. I was max before archeology, half way to 120 thieving, and I made the conscience decision that I had rather re-max every skill from level 1 at OSRS than play RS3 and grind out 1 99. I moved from RS3 to OSRS lately for comparable reasons. However one difficulty I've had with both games/communities is this concept that everyone would like to max or that maxing is somehow"the stage" of Runescape. Coming from a Dungeons and Dragons history (which much of early RS was very much based on) I have never had a campaign in which our party made it beyond level 10.
Even with just like 3 years of playing with the same character. Building a character and fleshing them out durning the early levels is super rewarding and the impossibility of reaching the top echelons makes the world seem vast and unbelievable. Since I embraced the aspect of this MMORPG, I made so many characters that were distinct back in pre-eoc. I would set myself unique challenges or have a theme for the personality. A great deal of replay value. Nowit feels like everything is all about ending game content/maxing. Sure, after two decades there must be a lot of end game content.
But it seems like that is all the community is centered on. My main account is really a pure f2p in RS3 with a 99s and a couple more not away. I stopped Runescape for a period of about five decades and returned. Pretty much everyone I knew in the community that still plays is now grinding virtual 120s/200m out and has maxed. Or maxing again on another/Ironman account. I'm quite near my intentions of getting 99 Defence, Prayer, and Magic, and my buddy who has maxed in f2p requested me that ability I went to work on next. I was really like. There likely will not be another. I am getting these 99s because I enjoy them or because they were childhood dreams of mine. However, I don't place any value in maxing.
I'm not going to do something I hate like Fishing or Woodcutting for hours upon hours just to see the numbers go up. I mean, I might, if I was a kid with all the time on earth. But in my life I want from my precious spare time. I want something rather than afkable. I created an ultimate Ironman and transferred to OSRS. And I've set myself thematic challenges and limitations. And while I could ultimately do the same thing I discover that the gear system of OSRS makes different account assembles more rewarding to perform. And the community (especially YouTube content creators) is much more enthusiastic about that type of game playwith.