Tag: Runescape

Video of the ____: RuneScape Fingers, Dual Wielding


RuneScape’s beta goes live in just a few days, and the last of the Behind the Scenes videos has been released. In addition to the numerous changes to the way players fight, Jagex has revealed that players will also be able to dual wield weapons. Check out the video to see it in action.

Even at eleven years old, RuneScape is committed to keeping the game fresh and new, with massive upgrades including the combat system, the high definition graphics upgrade just a couple years ago, and the continued addition of new skills, new areas, and new mini-games. Dual wielding is a feature that has been long requested by the RuneScape community.

Note: Don’t go spending your RS gold on extra weapons to stock up. According to reports, you will need special versions that won’t be released until the update.

RuneScape Employing The KISS System


One feature that sets sandbox games apart from themeparks is that, while the latter uses a singular experience system to determine the player’s base stats, the former relies on separate leveling and generally does not assign an overall level. RuneScape is the exception to the rule, basing its combat level off of a complicated formula involving eight different skills. The formula for determining combat level (and there are three of these) is:

left lfloor frac{text{def} + text{con} + lfloor frac{text{prayer}}{2}rfloor + 1.3 times (text{att} + text{str})}{4} right rfloor

With RuneScape’s upcoming combat update, currently in closed beta, Jagex will be employing the Keep It Simple, Stupid rule of engagement. Three of the skills are being taken out of the equation and the formula is a simple: X + defense +2, with X being the highest combat skill from the list of attack, strength, magic, and ranged. Another effect of this is that combat levels will rise, to a maximum of 200 (over the current 138). On one hand, this might be the first time an MMO has raised the level cap without increasing the experience limit.

Why is Jagex doing this after ten years? Well RuneScape’s code is over ten years old, and in that time much of the older equipment and spells has become completely useless. By rebuilding the combat system from the ground up, Jagex is able to employ a whole host of new systems without having to deal with legacy code and compatibility issues.

RuneScape’s combat upgrade goes into open beta in under a week, when MMO Fallout will be writing a preview.

Preview Upcoming RuneScape Combat Update


The beta for RuneScape’s upcoming combat change is just a few weeks away, but you can get a short preview by watching the above video. The combat preview starts about one and a half minutes into the video, and does not show any of the new interfaces or the combat ability bar, but does showcase several moves players will be able to unleash once the update goes live.

Check it out above. If you haven’t had a chance, sign up for the RuneScape combat beta, set to begin later this month.

Summer 2012: Beta Test New RuneScape Combat System


Remember that major combat overhaul I’ve been talking about? Earlier this month, Jagex’s Mark Gerhard revealed that the update is coming late in the summer. In fact, the update is going to be such a significant change to RuneScape, the largest since RuneScape made a major engine update in 2004, that Jagex has seen fit to perform a public beta test at the end of June.

As this is such a significant evolution of the game, we’ll be running our first ever BETA test, starting in the week commencing with the 25th of June. We value your input, and we know you are the best people to tell us what works and what doesn’t.

This is rather interesting, as the last time Jagex held a public beta was when RuneScape transitioned to RuneScape 2 back in 2004.

Next week we’ll be sharing many more details and how to get access to the Beta test, so check back in with us and be ready to mark your calendars for the big day!

Check out the full news post at the link below.

(Source: RuneScape website)

Jagex Leak: Combat System Overhaul Icons




 

 

In case you don’t play RuneScape, earlier this month CEO Mark Gerhard responded to player criticism over the controversial Squeal of Fortune with the following message:

…it should be evident that we just gearing up for our most exciting and biggest content year ever……….. including a complete upgrade to the combat system later this summer!

The update may come sooner rather than later, if the above leaks via the RuneScape official wiki are to be believed. According to reports, the combat overhaul will bring RuneScape more in line with other MMOs, introducing a hot bar (which the above images would presumably fill) and balancing out the combat system to work as intended.

More information to come, hopefully soon.

Jagex Announces May Madness, Madness In May


[Update] It appears I was right. There is a countdown on the RuneScape forums that is leading toward the 28th.

If metrics from Google searches here at the MMO Fallout office/Dunkin Donuts are anything to go by, last year’s bot nuke in RuneScape did its job: Destroy injection/reflection bots at the time. As Jagex stated then, this was not a permanent solution and bots would be back in some fashion. Earlier in January, Jagex revealed the next generation of their anti-bot technology: Project Optimus, to be released at an unknown date. Last month, we noted that Jacmob, an ex-bot maker who was hired by Jagex to fight bots, stated that the next bot nuke was coming shortly, likely in March. As March has come and gone and the number of returning bots rises, it is safe to assume that the update was not ready for launch.

Jagex has announced Mad May, which will offer bonuses to RuneScape members in the form of extra loyalty points, an item that offers double experience, the standard weekly updates, and what Jagex has referred to as “wild weekends,” a vague comment that each weekend will bring something new and exciting.

So why mention the update now, instead of waiting for the monthly Behind The Scenes article? If history has anything to say on the subject, Jagex has something to celebrate. It could be the next bot nuke, a major update to the game, or perhaps Mark Gerhard adopted a cat. We’ll have to wait until May to find out.

(Source: RuneScape Website)

RuneScape Involved In Telstra Phone Fraud


Jagex’s MMO RuneScape allows players to pay for subscriptions via several methods including by credit card and by calling a telephone number, receiving a PIN, and having the membership added to their phone bill. But the subscription-by-phone method has become the target of a police investigation after dozens of Telstra customers were wrongly billed during a two week period last month.

Although Telstra, an Australian telecommunications company, has refused to release the findings of their investigation, news source The Herald is reporting that hundreds of phone calls, billed at $13.97 per call, were made from numbers starting with 4963. It is believed that the phone calls were made using equipment that can spoof CallerID numbers, and Telstra is in the process of contacting affected customers.

Unfortunately, systems like Surfpin rely on the CallerID number to know who to bill, which has become increasingly easy to spoof in recent years.

I will have more on this as it appears.

(Source: The Herald)

RuneScape Credit Card Fraud Warning: Squeal of Fortune


Having your account stolen in RuneScape just became a lot more dangerous. A very serious concern has arisen with regard to Squeal of Fortune, and Jagex’s method of keeping storage of user payment details. Jagex stores credit card information for recurring subscriptions, and uses that same card to purchase Squeal of Fortune spins. While the card number cannot be accessed, Jagex requires no extra information to process the purchase.

Squeal of Fortune is a grab-bag style mini-game where players can purchase spins (and receive them in-game) to have a chance at receiving rare equipment. If an account is stolen, there is nothing preventing the thief from doing very real damage by running up a massive bill through Squeal of Fortune. Why would someone do that with no real benefit to themselves, you might ask? Never question what a person might do to cause grief to another, especially over the anonymity of the internet.

The only way to remedy this for the time being is to head over to Runescape.com and remove your credit card from the account. Go to the main website, click on account settings, membership, and extend membership. You will see a list of payment sources on file, click “manage saved cards,” and there you will be able to delete the card off of the record.

Future membership purchases can be made with the option to not remember the card details. For players with the lower membership rate, there is a leeway when resubscribing where you will still receive your current rate. If the account is compromised and money is transferred, Jagex will not be refunding any money spent, legitimately or not.

With the on-screen PIN to prevent theft in the case that an account is stolen, RuneScape has more security around a player’s virtual bank than it does around the player’s actual bank.

(Source: Tip.It Warning)