Custom Account Rules instead of Bronzeman

Ironman and Bronzeman sound fun in there own ways but I think a lot of folks have issues with Jagex having to create and then support multiple game modes.

Instead of Jagex creating Ironman, HCIM, UIM, GIM, Bronzeman, and then potentially Group Bronzeman, Hardcore Bronzeman, whatever comes next, why not build the underlying restrictions as a configurable account system?

Basically, give an account a set of server-enforced rules that can be toggled at character creation.

Want normal OSRS without the GE? Disable the GE.

Want Ironman? Disable the GE and player trading.

Want Bronzeman? Enable trading/GE only for items you've personally unlocked.

Want a 1 Defence account that physically can't gain Defence XP? Toggle that restriction.

Want no bank? Toggle it.

The existing modes wouldn't need to disappear. Ironman, Hardcore, UIM and Bronzeman could just be official presets. Clicking "Ironman" would automatically configure the appropriate restrictions. But there could also be a Custom option for people who want something different.

The important part would be that restrictions are one-way for "prestige" purposes.

You could always make your account less restricted later, just like you can de-iron now. But once you remove a restriction, that restriction is permanently marked as broken.

For example:

You create an account with player trading disabled. Later you decide you want to trade. Fine. Enable trading. But your account permanently loses the prestige associated with "No Player Trading." Turning the restriction back on later doesn't restore it.

This could also solve some of the hiscore problem. Instead of creating a completely new hiscore table every time someone invents another game mode, Custom accounts could have a Restriction/Prestige Rating attached to them, with the ability to filter the scores by ruleset.

Mouse over someone's account and you could see:

Trying to decide whether "No GE" is worth 5% and "No Trading" is worth 15% could become its own balancing nightmare but its a start.

The more important thing is that the game can verify the restrictions.

We could even add shareable ruleset codes. Someone comes up with a fun mode? BRONZE-HC-48291 Paste the code into the account creation screen and it loads the exact same restrictions.

A YouTuber creates a mode people want to try? or A clan wants to run a 3-month community challenge? Everyone uses the same code.

If one of these custom combinations becomes incredibly popular, Jagex could eventually turn it into an official preset without actually having to build another fundamentally separate account type.

And potentially, way down the road, you could expand the same idea into community Leagues or challenge modes. Things like harder NPCs, special death mechanics, area restrictions, etc. I'd keep that separate initially because it obviously introduces much bigger balancing problems.

The idea isn't that Jagex has to support every insane restriction players can imagine but maybe they could create a library of safe, server-enforced restrictions. That seems much more scalable than creating Bronzeman, then somebody asking for Group Bronzeman etc etc.

OSRS is already basically a sandbox MMO where people invent bizarre ways to play it.