Update:Behind the Scenes - September (2006)

Yes, September is here already and we've filled it with some really exciting stuff!

We kick off the month with the next chapter of the Morytania storyline. The new Myreque base in Burgh de Rott seems to be safe for now, although some of the locals still succumb to the ravages of nearby Vampyres. Without more help, surely there's nothing that the Myreque can do?

Or is there?

Veliaf has an ambitious plan to try and gain entry into the Vampyre-ruled lands of the Sanguinesti region. With some small amount of luck, there may still be some resistance hidden away in the murky depths... The ghetto of Meiyerditch has been built, destroyed and rebuilt so many times that the streets and alleyways connect to the roofs in a maze-like web of broken doorways and shattered dreams. Only an adventurer with the agility skills of a cat and the eyes of a hawk will be able to take on this task, especially when trying to evade the demanding, ever-watching Vyrewatch who patrol the skies above...

The free world and the members' world alike will benefit from the introduction of the Lumbridge Guides, a collection of experts in the skills of RuneScape. New players will find them a very useful source of information, especially when they are giving out limited numbers of free runes and arrows and replacing your low-level starting equipment if you lose it. We're also introducing a free teleport for less experienced players to return to Lumbridge if they get lost, and some useful advice if you find yourself at the wrong end of a goblin spear... The guides offer advice to more experienced players too, so you might find one or two level-up messages advising you to go and get more information from these guides. Take it or leave it, they will always be there if you get a little confused.

We're also updating the way signposts work, just to give you a little more information about the game map.

The way we use sound in the free and members' games will be getting another massive boost from the inclusion of area sounds. These area sounds add a new level of immersion into our game world, with waterfalls growing louder as you walk towards them, trees with birds and animal sounds in them, bubbling fountains, wind whistling through the mountains, the sound of the sea lapping against the shore and mysterious howls haunting the peaks of the Wilderness. It really does add a new dimension to the game, and we have enjoyed developing them immensely.

Also this month, we will introduce the Village of Witchaven to the map. This small fishing village, located on the outskirts of Ardougne (Can you say "Arr-Doy-N"?) has lost all its trade since the construction of the nearby fishing platform. As you may be aware, the fishing platform itself has since been taken over by vicious mind-controlling sea slugs. Naturally this rather odd turn of events has attracted the attention of the Temple Knights, a secretive organisation with whom some of you may have worked before.

Can you discover the ancient power hidden behind this wall of slugs, or have the fisherman on the platform just drunk too much “rum”? The village will surely fall... unless you can save its livelihood. This new horror-inspired quest launch will be accompanied by a complete rework of the fishing platform itself, and more!

We will be adding other useful characters around the world to help with specific skills or tasks. Keep a look out for characters like Fritz the Entrana glassblower, who can teach you all about... you've guessed it... Monkeys! No, he actually knows all about glassblowing, and might even buy your molten glass off you if you ask him really nicely.

As the Postbag goes from strength to strength, we are introducing a new feature to Postie Pete's bag, called The Gallery. This collection of player art will be available for all to see and enjoy. Already the quality of pictures we're getting in is amazing. No doubt Pete will be a busy little, erm, postman this month!

We're also completing another batch of essential maintenance work on our game engine and language. These updates allow us to work on more interesting and exciting content in the future.

Happy adventuring!