Runescape – Page 41 – MMO Fallout

MMOments: Realizing OldScape's Place

The launch of RuneScape 3 has thrown RuneScape’s lore across the room and back again. Much like when Cataclysm launched with World of Warcraft, many of the existing quests had to be either rewritten or removed entirely because they dealt with a land or scenario that no longer existed. RuneScape 3 ushered in a literal new age, where the gods are free to return to the world, and several quest series no longer make sense in the current context of the game. Take Rune Mysteries, for instance: The original quest has a landmark role in the world lore as the player rediscovers the runecrafting altars and opens up a renewable source of runes for the entire world. When Jagex rewrote the quest, the events of the original Rune Mysteries became historical, accomplished by previous players and now part of the past.

So then I got to thinking about the convenient timing of the Old School RuneScape servers. Since the events of Old School RuneScape are mostly considered historical in RuneScape 3, perhaps this is a way to preserve that part of RuneScape’s history and allow players to participate and see the events for themselves, players who either joined after the release of RuneScape 3 or never managed to complete those quests. It is an interesting theory, even if it is probably wrong.

MMOments: Realizing OldScape’s Place

MMOrning Shots: RuneScape Three

Today’s MMOrning Shot is very timely, coinciding with the release of RuneScape 3. The screenshot above is technically from the HTML5 version which will not go live for another couple of months. In addition to a new music system and interface releasing today, players will also be taking part in the Battle For Lumbridge, a series of weekly events that promise to change the landscape of RuneScape forever. The update is scheduled to go live in approximately ten minutes from this writing, so grab your knapsack and a sword of destiny, and set forth.

Old School RuneScape: Nightmare Zone

The strangest part of talking about Old School RuneScape is the understanding that while this is technically RuneScape as it was back in September 2007, that the game is slowly moving in a direction away from both its original design and the actual progression of the main game. Features like the Nightmare Zone are particularly interested because the idea of fighting boss monsters from quests is something that has been requested in RuneScape for years, at least as long as I’ve been playing, so this will be one of the first additional pieces of content that will go into Old School RuneScape while still being completely ignored on the live game.

So Nightmare Zone is closer to completion and Jagex have been working out details on how to deal with creatures that require special items to creatures that almost require special items, NPCs that really only function properly in their own environments, etc. As a compromise, the game provides various items that are required but would not otherwise even be obtainable by the player, while other items are simply removed from the equation. Rewards are still being worked on, since the community shot down every single pitch in the related content poll.

(Source: Dev Blog)

Jagex Expanding Into Latin America

Good news, Latin American Scapers! Jagex has announced today that the UK developer has plans to expand RuneScape into Latin America by launching the upcoming RuneScape 3 in Spanish. By partnering with Axeso5, RuneScape 3 will be launched in Argentina, Peru, Mexico, Chile, Columbia, Venezuela, and a number of other countries with fully localized support and community events headed up by Axeso5. Chief Marketing Officer David Solari had the following to say about the announcement:

“The gaming market is an area of ongoing growth across Latin America and we are now in a position where we feel RuneScape 3 is the perfect offering for this market, due to its accessibility and rich game experience. RuneScape has captivated players around the world for the past 12 years and we look forward to welcoming Latin America players into our global family.”

RuneScape 3 launches on July 22nd.

(Source: Jagex Press Release)

RuneScape 3 Launching In Java Only, Initially

RuneScape 3 launches on July 22nd, bringing with it a brand new interface system, audio system and music, upgraded camera, seasonal highscores, and the Battle for Lumbridge update. The HTML5, however, will remain in beta for several more months to continue working out kinks and to get the system ready for a wider audience. It will still be possible to play the live game through the HTML client until that time, however it will be considered in beta and issues may lead to potential crashes and item loss if not careful

The HTML5 beta is best played in Google Chrome and you’ll need to play on a reasonably new, high-spec computer. If you’re experiencing low frame-rate and unreliable performance, update your graphics drivers. We can’t overstate the importance of this – HTML5 is at the cutting edge of web technology, and graphics card manufacturers have only recently begun optimising their drivers for it.

Jagex recommends that players stick with the Java version of the game for now, as well as testing the HTML5 client to offer feedback in improvements and bugs. Alternatively you can check out our gameplay video of the New Interface beta from earlier today (7/16).

(Source: RuneScape)

See RuneScape’s NPC History

RuneScape has been up and running for well over a decade, long enough for the NPCs in the game to undergo several graphical upgrades and revisions to their looks as the game progressed from a project by one guy in his basement to one of the largest MMOs in the world. Some of you may remember the old days when many of the creatures in RuneScape were essentially palette swipes of each other, the same dragons and demons copied and pasted with new colors and different names. As the company has grown and more resources were allotted, creatures have become more diversified.

If you’re interested in seeing what the old days looked like, or perhaps you just want a trip down memory lane, the unofficial RuneScape Wiki has a massive page with the old and the new.

(Source: RuneScape Wiki)

See RuneScape's NPC History

If you’re interested in seeing what the old days looked like, or perhaps you just want a trip down memory lane, the unofficial RuneScape Wiki has a massive page with the old and the new.

(Source: RuneScape Wiki)

RuneScape 3 Arrives July 22nd

RuneScape 3 is here! Well, almost, anyhow. In an announcement released today, Jagex has revealed that July 22nd is the official launch date of the next major upgrade to RuneScape. Dubbed RuneScape 3, the update brings the full release of the game’s HTML5 client, with improved performance, graphics (seen above), lighting, and more. RuneScape’s audio engine is also receiving a boost, allowing for high fidelity music written by BAFTA award winner James Hannigan. Players will also be able to utilize the new customizable interface, along with an upgraded camera, seasonal high scores, and more.

But it wouldn’t be a major RuneScape update without something going on with the story. Following the events of The World Wakes, the world of Gielinor is once again in danger. The god who once protected the world from intervention is now dead, and the other gods are returning to reclaim their land. Entrusted as the world’s guardians, the players must ultimately decide who may stay and who may leave. RuneScape 3 will introduce the Battle of Lumbridge, a weekly event where player choices will determine the fate of many. RuneScape 3 also ushers in the first of two skills planned for this year, Divination, which will arrive a few weeks after launch.

RuneScape’s HTML5 requires Google Chrome to run.

(Source: RuneScape)

MMOments: One Man's Ban Is Another Man's Treasure

Playing 07Scape, I stumbled across a rather ingenious way to level up fletching (bowmaking) by buying logs from the general store, turning them into unfinished bows, and selling them back. You see, the genius of this plan is that the logs sell for less than the store will buy the unfinished bows. A paltry profit of four coins per bow, but it does mean that I can sit there and gain experience while sacrificing nothing in the process, so long as I can find a world where ~~bots~~ players are selling logs to the store. I joked over Twitter that I’d probably get banned if I were in, say, Guild Wars 2.

And then reality struck: There are actually games that would ban me for doing this. Whenever an mmo issues a mass ban for players finding a way to make money by playing NPC shop prices, I receive emails from other gamers asking how you could possibly think that such an action was within the rules. The answer is pretty simple: It is, at least elsewhere.

If an MMO doesn’t want players to be able to utilize shops in such a manner, that’s fine. That said, it doesn’t seem appropriate at all to ban players on the first offense with an attitude that they should have known all along that what they were doing wasn’t kosher. Instead of reaching for the banhammer, simply send the player a warning. Remove the profits they made, why not.

Such an activity isn’t as obvious as, say, using bot accounts or cheats. The topic of making a profit by buying from one NPC and selling to another is rarely mentioned in a game’s terms of service, instead it is hidden in the “don’t exploit stuff” clause. It isn’t as obvious to the player as the developer often thinks it is.