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Perfect Ten: MMOs that deserve another chance
First impressions matter. First impressions count. First impressions are lasting. These commonly cited maxims are true, but I would like to add one more: "First impressions can be deceiving." Due to our nature of making snap judgments, experiencing something at the wrong time or being impatient, we can rush to a conclusion that could rob us of something we could truly love. There are few things that frustrate me more than seeing MMO gamers adopt the gospel of the first impressions and refuse to ever return to a game afterward. We keep treating MMOs as disposable, one-shot entertainment that must be plundered quickly right out of the gate instead of seeing them as reusable fun that gets better with time. So the next time you feel bored waiting for the next MMO to launch so that you can make a two-month first impression and then leave forever, why not give an older title a second try? In this week's countdown, I'm going to make a case for 10 MMOs that deserve another chance even if you wrote them off long ago.
RuneScape players vote overwhelmingly in favor of traditional combat option
RuneScape has never shied away from interesting ideas and democratic experiments, a fact that is well illustrated by today's announcement that the game will be implementing a "legacy mode" option on Monday, July 14th. Over 80% of players polled voted to add in the mode, which modifies the current game to work with the traditional rather than the new combat system. Legacy mode uses the traditional combat system, pre-RuneScape 3 interfaces, the old mini-map icons, the old animations, and a life point cap of 990. When it goes live in the game, players can switch it on and off as desired. Jagex is also pushing through a few global changes to combat across the board, including an equal balance between melee, ranged, and magic attacks.
RuneScape's legacy mode goes into testing next Monday
If you yearn for the way that RuneScape used to play before its shiny makeover, Jagex both hears and feels you. That's why the studio has prepared a new option called "legacy mode" that will begin testing on June 16th. Legacy mode allows players to access traditional combat, the pre-RuneScape 3 interface, the old minimap icons, and a 990 hard cap on life points. This mode can be freely toggled on and off at will. Jagex will see how legacy mode tests and will poll players as to whether or not they want it brought into the live game. The team's also preparing a patch to improve combat and better balance characters' stats, penalties, and bonuses.
RuneScape 3 launches player-designed conclusion to epic quest series
RuneScape 3 is at the tail end of a long-running, episodic quest series and the conclusion is launching this week. Dubbed Birthright of the Dwarves, this grandmaster quest actually has many elements that were designed and voted on by the players themselves. Earlier this year, players participated in a competition to design two of the main NPCs as well as offered suggestions via the forums for other elements for the questline. The result: Birthright of the Dwarves will include both physical battles and mental challenges, and the fate of the Dwarven kingdom rests solely on the players. This questline is also available to all players through the game's new Bonds system that allows players to purchase membership with in-game gold. [Source: Jagex press release]
Jukebox Heroes: 14 MMO soundtracks you can check out on SoundCloud
I'm a pretty slow adopter of new technology and services, so I've only recently really started paying attention to the music-sharing service that is SoundCloud because I've started to see more and more MMO composers plopping down their work onto the site for the world to enjoy. Now that I've spent some time with SoundCloud, I've got to say just how impressed I am with what it can offer to the soundtrack community. Composers and studios can put their soundtracks up on the site for people to listen through without that annoying arbitrary 30-second limit that certain digital distribution platforms use. In addition to providing music for the ears, musicians have the option to show where these albums can be purchased -- and in some cases, offer the tracks as a free download. In return, listeners can tag portions of the songs and have back-and-forth discussions with the composers. I've done a lot of digging and have discovered quite a few MMO soundtracks that are available on SoundCloud, including some that you can legally download and enjoy today. Here are 14 to get you started, but if you see any more, please let us all know in the comments!
The first month of RuneScape 3 by the numbers
It's been a bit more than a month since RuneScape updated to RuneScape 3 -- an overhaul of the graphics and mechanics that still retains the core of the same game. But how well has it done in that month? The team at Jagex has crunched some numbers and they look pretty favorable. Over the past 30 days, 100,000 players have reactivated old accounts, and 300,000 players have started completely new accounts to play the game. About 600,000 hours of play have been logged per day on all new, existing, and reactivated accounts, which is pretty staggering. Since the game's launch event players have killed 60 million enemy soldiers and collected 1 billion Divine Tears (remnants of a now-dead god whose death kicked off the current state of the game). While one month is too early to call success or failure, it's a sign that even the older games on the market can still have quite a lot of life in them. Jagex also posted a video about the new Nightmare Zone, which is content now available for Old-School RuneScape but won't be coming to RuneScape 3 proper. We've embedded that behind the break. [Source: Jagex press release]
First Impressions of RuneScape 3 from a returning player
Over a decade ago, two brothers working out of their parents' house in Nottingham set themselves the impossible task of building their own graphical multi-user dungeon, a genre that later evolved into the MMOs we know today. RuneScape launched to the public in 2001 as a low-res browser game with only a few hundred players and 2-D sprites for monsters, but several years later it boasted over a million paying monthly subscribers. The 2007 Sunday Times Rich List even estimated the Gower brothers' business empire to be worth over £113,000,000, due almost entirely to RuneScape. The secret behind RuneScape's success is that it's been continually updated throughout its lifetime, not just with regular infusions of new content but also with several major graphical and gameplay overhauls. The game was recently reincarnated as RuneScape 3, which is as far as it gets from the primitive game many of us grew up with. It now boasts a visually improved HTML 5 client with graphics acceleration, orchestral music, some voice-acted quests with cutscenes, and a fully customisable UI. This combines with last year's Evolution of Combat update and over a decade of new quests and zones to produce an MMO with more depth and character than many other AAA titles. In this hands-on opinion piece, I put RuneScape's three major versions side by side and look at how far RuneScape 3 has come since those early days of punching 2-D goblins and mining for fish.
RuneScape 3 heralds The Death of Chivalry quest
Already three weeks old, the latest and greatest upgraded iteration of RuneScape is ready to take its first quest steps; today, RuneScape 3 launches its first quest in the New 6th Age. The Death of Chivalry stars Sir Owen, a hero who will join players on a mission to recover a powerful artifact for the mighty god Saradomin from the bowels of the notorious Black Knight Castle. Players of all levels can participate in this quest; the difficulty level scales to match the player's level. Rewards for completion include a full cosmetic armor override set, plenty of Prayer and Combat XP, and much more. [Source: Jagex press release]
The Daily Grind: What MMO would be great on tablets?
Ever since receiving it as a gift last Christmas, my iPad mini has been a constant companion of mine at bedtime. It's the perfect way to unwind after a day, although I do wish that more MMOs would be created for it or ported over to it. It's good news that we have Ultima Forever and RuneScape 3 to look forward to, but where's the rest of the flock? I'd love to see some of these older games make the transition to tablets. I think it was genius to bring Puzzle Pirates to tablets a little while back, because you get the benefit of years of development without the worry of being a performance hog. Ultima Online might make a great tablet MMO, as would a pared-down version of World of Warcraft. Let's turn our imaginations loose today. What MMO would be great on tablets? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Jukebox Heroes: RuneScape 3's new sound
Amid all of the hoopla surrounding the third major iteration of RuneScape was a notice that many readers may have skipped right over: Jagex authorized the audio team to go ahead and build a new sound engine for RuneScape 3 and record high-fidelity music with a full orchestra. As a result, RuneScape now has over eight hours of ear-blowing awesomeness thanks to composer James Hannigan and the Slovak Symphony Orchestra. I'll be giving RuneScape the traditional Jukebox Heroes treatment in an upcoming column, but today we're going to talk with Jagex Audio Lead Stephen Lord about the enormous effort it took to overhaul the music for RuneScape 3. We've got the inside perspective on making RuneScape's new sound as well as several pieces from the new soundtrack, all after the break!
Free for All: RuneScape 3's UI changes would be welcome in any MMO
Jagex just keeps surprising me with its flagship title, RuneScape. Almost every time I sit down to get some time in the world of Gielinor, I find something new. This time around, I want to talk about how the newest version of the game brings not only a fantastic world event and tweaks to all sorts of systems but offers options to the UI that are surprising and wonderfully innovative. The first thing I thought when I played around with the new UI options was, "Wow, why isn't this happening in more MMOs?" Another thought occurred to me as I slid, snapped and joined parts of my UI: This feels suspiciously like a tablet-friendly change. Jagex has mentioned the possibility of a tablet version of RuneScape, thanks to the new HTML5 client (which is still in beta), so could this new UI be the first of many steps to playing on our portable computers? I'll wait and see what happens with that, but in the meanwhile I wanted to show you the most impressive parts of the UI redesign.
RuneScape 3 goes live
This ain't your slightly-older-brother's RuneScape, folks; RuneScape 3 is hip, happening, and live right now. The latest iteration of Jagex's browser behemoth is now available to play, and it looks better than ever. RuneScape 3 isn't just about a graphical overhaul, although it would be sad to dismiss its visual improvements. The new version includes a customizable interface, six hours of new music, and lots of technical improvements. Jagex is kicking off RuneScape 3 with the Battle of Lumbridge and the Sixth Age, so get in and start kicking butt from minute one! This event will take place over the span of two months, during which players can ally with a faction and collect divine tears to contribute to their side's ranking. The studio recommends that players experience it with the Java client and not the still-in-testing HTML5 version. The team's also posted a comprehensive FAQ if you have any specific questions about the changes.
Runescape 3 enters the Sixth Age on July 22
Runescape 3 launches on July 22 as a browser-based title running on HTML 5, a feature that removes the need for Java or other plug-ins. Runescape 3 continues the free-to-play, MMO series, and will feature "improved graphics, longer draw distances, an upgraded camera system and superior audio," developer Jagex says. Runescape 3 will also post seasonal high scores that allow players to compete on weekly and monthly leaderboards. Runescape 3 throws players into Gielinor's Sixth Age, where they will be able to directly influence the world's scenery, inhabitants and future for the first time. The game will kick off with the premiere of its worldwide community-focused event, The Battle for Lumbridge.
RuneScape 3 launches July 22nd
If you're a RuneScape fan, go ahead and mark July 22nd on your calendar. That's the date that Jagex is unveiling RuneScape 3, which the company says is "the biggest upgrade in the game's acclaimed 12-year history." The browser-based game client will transition to HTML 5, enabling players to avoid Java or any additional plugins. The new client will also boast improved graphics, longer draw distances, an upgraded camera system, and superior audio, according to a Jagex press release. RuneScape 3 will also usher in a new era of user-generated content, with the future of Gielinor's inhabitants and scenery now resting in players' hands. The Battle for Lumbridge, a community-focused world event, kicks things off on July 22nd. [Source: Jagex press release]
MMObility: Why a tablet version of RuneScape is so important
If you have heard the news about RuneScape 3, you fall into one of two camps. You're either really excited and cannot wait for this new version of one of your favorite games or you really don't see what the fuss is all about. It's possible there is a third category for those who are interested but have played the game only once or twice. I easily fall into the first category, and I think the announcement of RuneScape 3 isn't important because it represents a new version of a long-running and very successful browser-based title; it's important because it will represent a massive shift in mobile technology and in how people perceive MMO gaming on a mobile device. So many people seem to think that tablet or smartphone gaming is different from gaming on any other device. It is different in the way we interact with the game, in the way that we actually hold the tablet or touch the screen, but the device itself is just a smaller version of the ever-familiar PC, the personal computer. RuneScape 3 could prove that a tablet or smartphone is just as good as any other delivery system -- and in many ways, it might be superior.
New video details the website changes for RuneScape 3
What's in a website? Quite a lot when your game is based in a browser client, as it happens. With RuneScape 3 around the corner, the team at Jagex is hard at work putting together a new and improved website, and a new video from the development team shows off just what players can expect. Which is quite a lot. For example, one of the centerpieces of the revised design is a series of six buttons front-and-center on the page. The trick is that three of the buttons can be customized by you, allowing you to immediately jump to the most useful parts of the page for your particular playstyle. The team is also revamping the high score pages to incorporate weekly high scores, meaning that newer players can still have a shot at the top. There will even be rewards for people who do well in a given interval. For more details, check out the full video past the break.
RuneScape 3 dev diary gets serious about audio
RuneScape 3 is coming soon. To get you all excited about it, the devs have released a new video talking about audio improvements in the game. The team recently recorded an orchestral score, but that's apparently just the beginning of its plans for RuneScape 3's audio. A lot of smaller recordings have been done to provide music for menus, incidentals, and poignant story moments. Audio isn't limited to just music, though. Jagex is focusing on strong, believable voice acting to draw players into the world and narrative. Ambient sound effects are also getting some loving polish. Skip below the cut to hear (get it?) all about the upcoming improvements. [Source: Jagex press release]
See RuneScape 3 revealed to the world
The secret is out and can't be shoved back in the box: RuneScape 3 is coming. Of course, we already knew that, but there was a time not so long ago that the world was ignorant of this fact. If you wondered how the global reveal of this title went for those who were there, then Jagex has a neat behind-the-scenes video showing how and what the press saw when the studio went live with the info. In addition to the pomp and circumstance of the event, the team also used the video to reveal the first new skill of the game: Divination. What does it do? Well, the devs were not as keen to share that. Speculate away! Check out the reveal video after the jump.
RuneScape 3 to offer all-new experience
With twelve years already under its belt, and a good chunk of those years providing weekly updates, it's understandable if new players might consider RuneScape literally too big to get into. So how do you circumvent this and continue to expand the population base? Why, you throw in a major update and rename the game to RuneScape 3, of course! In a recent interview, Jagex CEO Mark Gerhard talked to Gamasutra about how this exact approach gives the game an all-new feel that is more likely to draw in new players who might otherwise overlook it. He stated, "We could have called it RuneScape Next Age if we wanted to, and part of my thinking was, for people who haven't played this game in a year, it's going to be night and day. It's not a completely new game, but it's certainly a new experience." RuneScape 3 will have a more powerful audio engine, boosted visuals and a better draw distance, and upgrades to the UI, among other things. Just like back with RuneScape 2, the plan is to maintain the RuneScape 3 moniker for a while, then drop the numeral and return to the original name again.
RuneScape 3 beta begins
After opening the door for potential testers, Jagex announced today that it has begun the beta for RuneScape 3. Accepted testers and gold/silver club members can go ahead and get a peek at the next iteration of the MMO. If you applied and haven't been chosen yet, Jagex promises that more invites will go out in the next few weeks. Jagex does specify that this is an early build in the HTML5 client. As such, the studio warns that there will be noticeable bugs and glitches as the tech undergoes optimization, not to mention missing features. Testers' visual settings will be set to minimum specs initially. RuneScape 3 will be released this summer.
