Runescape – Page 38 – MMO Fallout

MMOments: RuneScape Companion App

I finally had a chance to try out the RuneScape companion app on my iPad today. Currently the app isn’t an actual app, as in one that you download through the Google Play store or Apple store, but exists as a website you access through your device’s browser. The app allows access to a multitude of features, including your bank, the Grand Exchange, stock market, chat, and more. I tested this out using an iPad mini, and found performance to be mostly alright. There is a bit of annoyance in setting up the device, as you are required to have an authenticator set up to access features like the Grand Exchange, which is likely on the same device. You also have to talk to the tutorial NPC at the Grand Exchange and enable access through the game.

As a companion app for RuneScape on the go, this is turning out to be a pretty good program. Trading is done seamlessly via items stored in the bank, and anything purchased through the Grand Exchange is stored in your bank as well. Merchants can use the app on their phone while out of the house to continue making money flipping items (buy low, sell high), which is what many seem to already be doing. You can even simply use the app to keep up with your friends and clan using the chat program. The distractions & diversions window shows progress and reset timers on activities, making it possible to check progress without actually going in-game.

But none of this is useful if you want to have the companion app open while playing, as currently you cannot be logged into both simultaneously (which is unlikely to change). Logging into RuneScape will kick you out of the companion app. On the other hand, you can also access the companion app from your desktop browser, meaning that you don’t need one of those fancy smartphones or tablets to enjoy the convenience.

I have high hopes for the RuneScape companion app.

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The Eventual Removal of Evolution of Combat?

Evolution of Combat was introduced to RuneScape on November 20th, 2012. A massive undertaking and equally dramatic shift in gameplay for the eleven year old MMO, Evolution of Combat introduced abilities, a hotbar, dual wielding, new equipment, and altered how creatures in the world needed to be fought. New items were introduced and many spells and other items were removed entirely or rendered useless by changes to how the game balanced combat. As one might expect when a game implements such a radical change, an indeterminate number of players up and quit.

Nearly two years have passed and Jagex has slowly working to bring those players back. Old School RuneScape was introduced at the end of February, a snapshot version of RuneScape culled from 2007, long before the introduction of features such as the Evolution of Combat, Grand Exchange auction house, or microtransactions. To move even further, Jagex announced that further content on Old School would be sourced directly from the community and put up to a vote before it would be implemented.

On the RuneScape 3 front, Jagex implemented a combat mode called “momentum” which was meant to replace abilities in regular encounters with monsters, by boosting offensive and defensive stats. Revolution was later added that is similar to momentum, however this mode automatically activates abilities, allowing the player to play somewhat like they did prior to Evolution of Combat.

The latest update to bring back players from pre-Evolution of Combat is Legacy Mode, but Legacy does more than simply automate a player’s combat. Legacy Mode was voted in with an 81% (200 thousand votes) majority. The mode reintroduces the old user interface and completely removes the abilities for people who choose it (unlike Revolution/Momentum which automates or ignores abilities). For all players, the maximum combat level has been reconfigured to its old cap of 138 (as opposed to 200), and weapon-specific special attacks are being reintroduced. Damage output and experience rates are supposed to be lower on Legacy Mode, but “near optimum” in comparison according to Jagex.

A few people have emailed me asking if I think that Jagex will remove Evolution of Combat altogether, and my prediction is to wait and see on legacy mode. 81% of the community wanted legacy mode introduced, and that doesn’t count those who quit due to Evolution of Combat and didn’t vote. I think what Jagex will do is iterate on legacy mode to become just as viable as using abilities and, should the time ever come where not enough people are using Evolution of Combat to justify the resources spent on updating both systems, it might be removed entirely.

For right now, however, Jagex wants to appeal to both crowds.

Old School RuneScape Gets New School Skill

Old School RuneScape isn’t simply about allowing disgruntled players to relive the golden days of the past, since its introduction earlier this year the offshoot has gone in a rather separate direction from its New School counterpart. Thanks to a content system where updates are suggested and then voted on by the community, with nothing making its way in unless the majority say yes, Old School RuneScape has seen a few content updates from past its time, like optional hud improvements and even the god wars dungeon and godswords. The players even managed to vote in content that never existed back in the day, like new items and interfaces and even a new skill.

Designed by a member of the community and voted on by players, the Artisan skill is a bit like a craftsman’s take on slayer, where a slayer master gives assignments to kill certain creatures. In Artisan, an artisan master gives assignments to craft specific items in return for experience, the benefit being that you level in any related skills simultaneously. Players will be able to craft creature idols which, when burned, offer combat boosts. Players will also be able to learn how to craft special items that boost other skills, like cooking better quality food or new clothing.

You can check it all out at the dev blog below.

(Source: Old School RuneScape)

Classic Servers: Another Developer "Gets It."

Private servers are a very stingy subject in the gaming press. Many developers don’t like to acknowledge them and, honestly, there is at least one of my contacts who will never return my emails after this article just for the act of referencing their existence. MMO Fallout does not condone private servers, nor do we allow them to be advertised in our comments section. I like to think that private servers can be an important tool for developers to gauge their audience’s expectations, however. Private servers that exist simply to cheat, to bypass a subscription, or gain accelerated experience/items will always exist, and those don’t offer much of a lesson outside of that some gamers are unwilling to invest the time or money.

As more developers are realizing, however, there is a great opportunity in classic servers. Jagex has not only maintained the original RuneScape Classic, but launched a version of 2007 RuneScape that remains updated thanks solely to the majority vote of its community. Sony Online Entertainment has, for a long time now, dabbled in classic and progression servers for Everquest. Ragnarok Online launched a classic server back in 2012, and NCSoft recently announced a classic server for Lineage II, at least the Korean version.

There are a million legitimate reasons why a developer wouldn’t want to create their own classic servers. A classic server would need some form of monetization, where a cash shop would risk driving away the target audience and a subscription would put the server in competition with those same private servers that operate for free. The developer could, however, capitalize on this very issue. A dedicated developer could offer stability and quality where many classic servers are at risk of shutting down at moment’s notice, operate on inferior server infrastructure, and are partially hand-built by the operator due to the inaccessible nature of certain MMO mechanics (server side operations).

Other developers refuse to create a classic server on the grounds that doing so would compromise their “artistic vision,” a belief that MMOs change with time and that introducing a classic server would be counter to that vision, or an admission that they made the wrong choice somewhere down the line. Further developers cite an unwillingness to risk splitting the community in half.

Happily, it appears that more developers are recognizing the potential for classic servers or those with alternate rulesets.

Classic Servers: Another Developer “Gets It.”

Happily, it appears that more developers are recognizing the potential for classic servers or those with alternate rulesets.

Jagex Steps Back On Multi-Logging Rule

Jagex has altered their rules on multi-logging, or multiboxing as it is often known in other MMOs. Previously players have been restricted from logging into more than one account at the same time, as well as from transferring money or items between accounts. In a new announcement, Jagex has revealed that players are now allowed to log into multiple accounts over all versions of RuneScape, as well as trade wealth between them, providing that the items were not acquired via rule-breaking methods.

You are free to create as many accounts as you like and you are welcome to trade between your accounts just as you would with any other legitimate player. However, if any of your accounts obtained wealth by rule breaking activity for example macro use (botting) or real world trading (buying gold or items from 3rd parties) then all your accounts will be banned. Similarly, multi-logged accounts must not interact with each other to exploit gameplay mechanics, such as attempting to rig the result of a minigame.

Selling or sharing accounts is still against the rules.

(Source: RuneScape)

Jagex Details Possible Free To Play For OldSchool RuneScape

Old School RuneScape launched last year and continues its own track of development with a specialized team of developers. In the latest developer blog, Jagex discusses bot busting and free to play.Currently, Old School RuneScape is limited to players who have an active subscription to the main RuneScape game. Last year saw a limited free trial which Jagex acknowledges did not meet its mark as it did not see a significant increase in membership.

As part of an ongoing experiment in implementing free to play, new accounts starting May 27th will have trial access to Old School RuneScape for two weeks with a reminder that it may result in nothing changed.

The F2P journey that we are now all embarking upon will end two ways. If we find the right way to introduce F2P we will poll that method to you as a permanent addition to the game. However, you must also be prepared to accept that if we cannot find the right method, we can’t offer F2P as a permanent addition to Old School.

You can check out the entire dev blog at the link below.

(Source: RuneScape)

RuneScape Legacy Mode Detailed

Back in February, Jagex revealed details on the upcoming Legacy Mode for RuneScape, aiming to bring back players who weren’t happy with the Evolution of Combat update. Legacy Mode allows players to enjoy the modern RuneScape with much of the old systems still in place, including bringing back the old combat system and special attacks.

Legacy Mode isn’t a complete return to 2011, but it does remove the combat bar and abilities and return the old interface and special attacks. XP rates and damage output won’t be exactly the same as you get in the live game. Servers will be formatted to work with both styles, with worlds specifically for legacy mode players.

Jagex hopes to implement Legacy Mode in several phases leading through the summer.

(Source: RuneScape)

The Average RuneScaper

Jagex CEO Mark Gerhard posted an article on the RuneScape main website to discuss demographics and dispel a few myths about RuneScape this past weekend. According to the metrics, 84% of RuneScape’s population are male, and 90% of the overall population plays the game in English. The average RuneScape account was created in 2009 and has a total level of 1614, with only 1% of the population with an account worth at least one billion gold coins. Over half of the population plays out of North America.

The bot nuke in 2011 saw 95% of gold farming bots disappear overnight, although they managed to make their way back over the next couple of years. 2013’s round of anti-bot technology and the release of bonds (PLEX) have diminished to “almost rock bottom,” in the main game. Jagex is moving its sights over to Old School RuneScape to target bots. And speaking of old school, while the Evolution of Combat update saw an unreleased number of players part ways with the game, Jagex notes that a lot of those players returned to play on the Old School servers.

You can find the full article along with some handy charts at the list below.

(Source: RuneScape)

MMOrning Shots: Sleepy Time

Today’s MMOrning Shot comes to us from RuneScape where our beloved adventurer is in danger of being eaten by a gigantic dragon. You know, you guys go ahead. I think I left the TV on at home, and I’m not wearing my shoes with the proper insoles for this adventure.

Check out a new MMOrning Shot every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Submit your own at contact@mmofallout.com.

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