RuneScape - WikiHQ

RuneScape is a fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed and published by Jagex, released in January 2001. RuneScape was originally a browser game built with the Java programming language; it was largely replaced by a standalone C++ client in 2016. The game has had over 300 million accounts created and was recognised by the Guinness World Records as the largest and most-updated free MMORPG. with the original version of the game being renamed RuneScape Classic. The third iteration of the game, known as RuneScape 3, was released in July 2013. After the tutorial, players have access to tutors and advisors located in the towns they explore, who can give players appropriate information about their respective skills. Other main cities include Varrock, Falador, Ardougne (and West Ardougne), and smaller settlements.

Players set their own goals and objectives as they play the game. They can train their in-game skills, engage non-player character (NPC) monsters and other players in combat and complete quests at their discretion. Originally, all skills had a level cap of 99; Dungeoneering, launched in 2011, was the first skill to have a 120 cap upon release. Most newly-released skills have since had a 120 cap, with Jagex announcing in 2024 its decision to raise the caps of all previous skills to 110 over time.

Some skills, such as Woodcutting and Fishing, enable the player to collect raw materials that can be processed into usable items for other skills, such as Fletching and Cooking respectively. The items created can be used by the player or sold to shops and other players. Other skills allow players to kill certain NPCs, build houses, move around the map with greater ease, steal from various NPCs, market stalls and chests located in-game, light fires, cook food, mix potions, craft runestones, armour and weapons, plant crops, hunt NPC animals, raid dungeons, and summon familiars to assist in combat and training skills. Players engage in combat by clicking on the enemy they want their character to attack and will automatically continue fighting until they kill their opponent, die, or retreat from the fight. Most of the game's weapons are medieval or fantastical in nature, and feature different strengths and weaknesses. Players may use the Summoning skill to summon a familiar that can assist with combat,

Player versus player combat

Player versus player combat (PvP) can be performed in specific controlled mini-games and in an area known as the Wilderness. In the Wilderness, players can engage in combat provided that their combat levels fall within a certain range of each other, and if a player kills their opponent they will be able to claim their opponent's items as a reward. RuneScape was released on Steam on 14 October 2020.

Graphics and audio

RuneScape can be run with varying levels of graphical detail. High-detail graphics enhance texture and design, while low-detail graphics provide a cleaner look and can reduce lag on less powerful computers. During initial development as DeviousMUD, RuneScape used a graphics engine called RuneTek 1. The second version, RuneTek 2, came with the launch of RuneScape and was replaced by RuneTek 3 and its high-detail counterpart RuneTek 4 with the RuneScape 2 update in 2003-2004. From 2009-2013, RuneScape used RuneTek 5, which provided support for multiple graphics platforms such as DirectX, OpenGL and video game consoles, as well as graphical effects such as sky boxes, bloom lighting The HTML5 client was later scrapped due to performance reasons and replaced with the NXT client, written in C++ and released in 2016.

RuneScape features a character-customisation system. Player characters are human; however, players may choose the gender, hairstyle, facial hair, skin colour, and clothing options. On 25 July 2017, RuneScape won a Guinness World Record for most original pieces of music in a video game, including expansions.

Servers

, there were 139 English RuneScape servers, which are numbered and called "worlds" by players and by Jagex. They are in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, Australia, Sweden, Finland, Belgium, Ireland, Norway, Denmark, New Zealand, Mexico, France, Lithuania, and India.

DarkScape

On 16 September 2015, Jagex released DarkScape, a separate version of RuneScape which featured open-world player versus player combat. DarkScape was originally released with most of RuneScapes content, but received separate content updates. DarkScape was completely free to play, with some additional benefits reserved for paying subscribers.

Between 24 September 2002 and 9 December 2004, players could submit questions via e-mail to the RuneScape gods, which were published in the form of letters. A major fansite has criticised Jagex for not recognising fansites' contributions to the development of its game. The bug caused several players to retain the ability to attack other players after leaving a designated PvP location. Ordinarily, players are only allowed to attack other players in player-owned houses, minigames, or in the Wilderness. According to a statement made by a Jagex employee, the bug was caused by insufficient testing of an update that saw the release of a new game skill, Construction, wherein players could create their own houses in which PvP combat could take place.

Although the bug was considered quite negative at the time of occurrence, Jagex has since recognized it as a historic event in the franchise, and has created in-game reenactments in both RuneScape and Old School RuneScape. wherein PvP was enabled and players could attack an NPC named after "Durial321", one of the more well known players to have been affected by the bug. World 666 also played an in-game cover of the song "Planet Hell" by Nightwish, which was the song used in the original video of the event. The track was removed from the game when the event was over. The bug's reception has become part of internet culture. PC Gamer called the bug "One of the best all-time MMO bugs". RuneScape annually generates over £100 million in revenue and over £50 million in profit.

References

External links

Official wiki