I thought I would never play this.
In my article examining what makes a game fun to watch. I mentioned a recent interest in “Rust” content creators. This put the thought of actually trying the game into my head. I found their videos on Youtube to be compelling and fun, even for someone who had never played the game. The content was really bingable due to the emergent nature of “Rust’s” gameplay. One creator named WillJum in particular caught my attention, a primarily solo player who attempts to navigate “Rust” without a team and while trying to break out of the meta of the game as much as possible. I found this idea of a solo in a world of dangerous clans and focus on aesthetic base building while trying to survive really compelling. It was compelling enough that I found the urge to try it myself.
I found myself really tempted to just dive in. I was hesitant though. “Rust” has a reputation that I had heard of well before discovering “Rust” content creators. The game is known for its toxicity. PvP and competitive games have a tendency to form toxic communities as emotions get high and the communities who play them begin to see their high levels of investment and over-reactions as normal. While playing “Rust” players directly compete for resources and always have the option to fight and raid other players’ bases to steal those resources, creating a perfect environment for negative interactions.
Why would I think this would be enjoyable?
Initially, I thought playing on a PvE server could be the way to experience the deep base building and figure out the game. I thought that would satisfy my curiosity about this game without having to play on official servers which are full of clans and enfranchised players throwing around racial slurs. I really wish I were exaggerating about that last part. With no ability to raid, I thought that people would be less competitive and thus less toxic. So I bought the game and found a small PvE/PvP server to join. I had a friend to play with as my sister already owned the game and we dove in.
Our First Base
This was a decently fun experience. The server asked my sister and I what game mode we wanted to play. PvE, where we could not fight other players, PvP where we could fight against other players but our base would be protected, or Raw, which is the vanilla “Rust” experience, where your base can be attacked at any time, even when you are offline and you can fight other players who are PvP flagged. I have since learned that all “Rust” servers fit into one of these categories or allow the choice between them.
We went with PvP. I thought it could be fun to have some experience with “Rust” PvP but this removed one of my hang ups with the game. That being offline raiding and facing possibly losing all progress while having no way to fight back against those attacking me. This choice led me to a very fun time. We carefully scouted our way through the server and made a base that we thought was decent. Had we been on a vanilla server, our newbie based would have been raided immediately.
The Burden of Abundance
Eventually we stopped playing on that server. It was a good way to learn the game and get our feet under us but eventually I ran into the same problem that I had experienced with other survival games. I built a huge base that I thought was secure. Jane and I were also looking into some of the games’ other systems, like automation and farming. Then I just thought, what am I working towards? “Rust” doesn’t have any bosses, it has NPC controlled bases but once you run a couple of them there isn’t much that is new or interesting. So all of the gear we grinded for just made us look better. There wasn’t any big challenge to put ourselves against for all our grinding.
Since people couldn’t raid our base, I also didn’t feel like improving our base mattered much. Once we had our bedrooms and the things we needed there wasn’t much else to work on. We had survived, we had gathered the resources and built a base that would ensure our survival. This is the issue that I run into in survival games. Survival games often lose their survival element, as players get better at navigating the game’s systems. There isn’t much escalation in most of these games, there isn’t anything else to work on once you have taken care of the basics. Some people use that opportunity to make a big creative base, or just relax. I think those are valid but they aren’t what I wanted.
How Rust Fixes Survival
“Rust” can be insanely addictive. I experienced that myself as I sunk over a hundred hours into the game over a couple of weeks. This time I played on PvP enabled servers. I also played solo. Building a base becomes more than just a creative expression in these circumstances. Randoms in the game can always come by and decide your stuff would be nicer if it were their stuff instead. So there is a whole meta about how to make a strong base. This does kill some of the creativity of building. There are certain forms that are more effective than others. However, it gives meaning to the grinding and base building that isn’t quite the same in other survival games. The closest I’ve felt was something like “Terraria”, where I purposefully build my bases to make them immune to things like the Goblin Invasion. Usually by making them float above a giant pit. The gear grinding and NPC controlled monuments become much more exciting when you have to watch your back. Anybody might decide you look like an easy target and try to take your stuff.
Every upgrade feels massive, getting a kill and finding some good loot on your opponent gives a rush of dopamine. Terror and adrenaline usually follow, as you realize you have to get the loot all the way home. Then relief and satisfaction on successfully making it home safe. Is this going to be fun for everyone? Absolutely not, it can be very stressful. “Rust” is frustrating, it’s dominated by clans and sweaty players and the constant competition directly leads to the toxicity I mentioned earlier. Logging on to find players have ruined your base and all your stuff is gone can ruin your day. However, the highs of the game are some of the highest I’ve found in a game, let alone a survival game. I can understand how this becomes someone’s main game that they play anytime servers reset. The survival formula makes the Island in “Rust” feel massive, populated by real players who pose a real danger. It is amazing.
Should You Play It?
Even with all of the positives, I can’t recommend this game to most people. If you are in any way attached to your items in the game, this game will be frustrating for you. I cannot wish the pure salt that comes from being killed by a player who camped outside your base with a shotgun for who knows how long to catch you off guard. The game has a steep learning curve and you are in a world with players who may have thousands of hours in the game. I saw dozens of players like this. The “Rust” community is dedicated, and they know the guns, buildings, and map generation as if they were born playing “Rust”. “Rust” can be janky and buggy at times too. The Island that you play on is a really detailed environment with tons of moving parts. It’s inevitable that the game breaks sometimes. So if you can summon the patience and mental fortitude of a monk and ignore people harassing you in voice chat, the game might be worth your while.
Rules of The Island
If you do want to try the game. I have a few rules to follow. Like I said, you are going to need patience, time, and persistence. Even on a PvE server, the animals and NPCs in the game can kill you pretty easily when you’re new. Which can result in a long run back to your stuff or possibly losing it entirely. Stuff gets lost on the ground sometimes or in the grass and you just can’t find it. You can also only have one good gun and getting back to where you were with a bow and arrow just isn’t doable when you are new to the game. I also recommend avoiding the official servers entirely. Face Punch games like to act as if their game is built around these servers. However, I found they are the worst way to enjoy the game. With no limitations on group sizes and no active moderation. They are a cess pit of toxic players, massive clans which will steamroll you, and cheaters. It’s best to find a community server that is more new player friendly. They exist, you just have to do some googling.
Also, avoid any server that says it is “casual.” These are not actually new player friendly. The “casual” players on these servers usually only play eight hours a day instead of the twelve some people do on Vanilla servers. Since there are usually not any limits on how long people can play on these servers, they just end up with experienced and sweaty players playing like it’s their job anyway and then steamrolling anyone else on the server. PvE servers are also probably the best place to learn the game, since you can get through the systems without any pressure. I encourage you to try out PvP even if it isn’t your thing though. It can be really exciting. Also try to start on a server that has just wiped. You can play on servers that haven’t been wiped recently but you’ll be stepping into a bunch of established bases and you’ll have to pick a spot for your home based on where people haven’t built yet. It’s just fun to start at the same time as everyone else. It’s always a more exciting event.
I didn’t think I’d ever play “Rust”, I thought I’d admire the game from afar. I am glad I picked it up though. While it has a unique charm that you really can’t find anywhere else. I respect how committed the game is to realizing its vision of a hostile Player vs Player world. Maybe you’ll enjoy your time on The Island too.
