Interview With Jagex: RuneFest Insider Sessions

[tripsis]

 

The Tip.It Staff had the pleasure of interviewing a Jagex employee, Mod Edu, about the insider sessions at RuneFest! Before reading the interview, we would encourage you to read up on the various insider sessions here and here.

 

Enjoy! :thumbsup:

 

 

1. Tip.It: Will video recording devices be allowed during the insider sessions?
    
   Mod Edu:You just want to show off that brand new spiffy phone youve got, right? The word is that you will able to do your own home made recordings with your home camera or phone and thats fine. Just dont hire a cameraman or an expensive cool-looking kit as we will be recording some of these sessions ourselves.
    
    
   
2. Tip.It: Which insider session do you personally think will be the most exciting?
    
   Mod Edu: Let me look at the menu
   (jeez, how am I supposed to pick?! So many options)
    
   Question time, no doubt. Always am a fan of debating and this should easily turn out to be one of the most active sessions. Im expecting to see a lot of buzz from people coming out of there and some very weary developers.
    
   Not that Ill get to see it: Ill be taking care of some tip.it admins at that time ;).
    
    
   
3. Tip.It: Do you think that the RuneFest insider sessions will end the usefulness of the classic adventures of Postie Pete and his visits to the Chaos Elemental?
    
   Mod Edu: No idea. Last time I saw Postie Pete he was going to visit the Chaos elemental. Let me check..
    
   Oh *gasp*
   Im afraid I have some bad news kids :(
    
   [On a more serious note, RuneFest isnt stopping Postie Pete]
    
    
   
4. Tip.It: Jagex originally said that RuneFest will not be a time to talk about bots, but now we hear that there will be a "Breaking Bots" insider session. Why the change of mind? Or was this simply some miscommunication and was it planned all along?
    
   Mod Edu: Its fair to say that we hadnt initially planned to hold an Insider Session on Bots but our intention has always been to hold the sessions that the audience want to see. So, with Bots being something that a lot of people have very strong feelings about and want to discuss, we were happy to fit it into the schedule.
    
    
   
5. Tip.It: During the "Breaking Bots" insider session will you be releasing exclusive details and specifics about your plans for combating the issue? All responses with regards to bots have been vague thus far. Do you feel that the information given will satisfy the players' hunger for information?
    
   Mod Edu: Thats a really good point! Its something were very mindful of but its true that it will be a bit of a balancing act at times.
    
    
   
6. Tip.It: Will 'A Decade in Gielinor' be focused on just game content, or will it additionally discuss the changes in design direction of the game design and Jagex's interaction with the players over the decade?
    
   Mod Edu: Ive not had the pleasure of seeing the precise session plan yet but I would certainly imagine that it will cover stuff like game design changes and challenges faced.
    
    
   
7. Tip.It: Is the 'The Biggest Update' insider session specifically about the Clan Citadel update, which in its official press release was called "the biggest expansion of the year and our largest ever community update" by Daniel Clough the VP of RuneScape, or will it be covering the entire series of Clan updates which Clan Citadels served as a capstone for? ( http://www.jagex.com/corporate/Press/releaseClanCitadelsLaunch.ws )
    
   Mod Edu: It will be covering the entire series of clan updates as a whole rather than just the citadels ;).
    
    
   
8. Tip.It: Will the significant portion of your dedicated fanbase who are unable to attend Runefest be able to voice their selection for which of the skill updates is presented during the 'You be the Judge' session?
    
   Mod Edu: Its going to be up to the RuneFest audience to pick which update idea makes it into game. Although theyre a very small proportion of the community, like the forum audience, theyll be a nice cross section of the community so should provide a good representation of general feeling. Whichever idea makes it into game, Im sure itll make a worthy addition!
    
    
   
9. Tip.It: Will both sessions of 'A Character is Born' be working on the same character design, or will the sessions be designing a seperate character?
    
   Mod Edu: Designing a character from start to finish is such a momentous task. Its actually a achievement to boil it down to less than two hours!
   Whether you go on Saturday, on Sunday or both days, you will play a part in the process and make sure your voice is heard.
    
    
   
10. Tip.It: Will the character(s) made during the 'A Character is Born' sessions be taking up a recurring role in the game similar to the Signature Heros, or will they be a one off character, who is used once and doesn't get featured elsewhere?
     
    Mod Edu: He/she/it has not been created yet and youre already so curious ;). They will play an integral role in RuneScape so youll be able to see them regularly.
     
     
    
11. Tip.It: During 'Question Time' there will likely be far more questions than there is time to answer them. As such, how do you plan on picking which questions get answered? I.e. Will attendees write down their questions ahead of time on a list? Will there be a line to ask the question? Or will people just be picked randomly to ask questions during the session? etc.
     
    Mod Edu: Yes, we will pick the questions. Actually, here are the two best ways to get picked:
     
    
    1. Post here: http://[Use Quick Find Code]/[Please Use QuickFind Code]?235,236,885,63237527
        
       
    2. Go to RuneFest and get picked. Yes, were leaving this one to chance to make sure everyone has a fair shot at asking a question.

 

[*]Tip.It: Additionally, do you have any suggestions for those who wish to ask a question during the 'Question Time' session?

 

Mod Edu: Make the question interesting and the answer more complicated than yes/no. It needs to make us think and it needs to be interesting enough to interest people listening into the session.

I think my question Can I haz phr33 stoof pl0x?didnt quite pan out for the session but Im sure you will find better ones ;).

 

 

[*]Tip.It: Will questions about future content be allowed during the session, such as the release dates of long awaited items (the black pickaxe for example)?

 

Mod Edu: Developers are mysterious creatures and will want to surprise you.

However, theres no harm in asking if theres an item youre dying to play with: http://[Use Quick Find Code]/[Please Use QuickFind Code]?235,236,885,63237527

 

 

[*]Tip.It: Will the 'Greatest Glitches' insider session be focused on big ticket gameplay bugs as opposed to the small bugs that show up elsewhere?

 

Mod Edu: We are showing greatest glitches, not worlds most insignificant glitches. Only the really bold and terrible glitches. Those so bad it makes you count up to 2 in binary.

These arent your bed bugs.

Scary stuff.

 

 

[*]Tip.It: During the 'Greatest Glitches' session, will there be any discussion on how bugs are prioritized for being resolved following the release of the content? Some content gets fixed within a week of release while others, such as those wacky Miscellanians and their creative fencing techniques, never seem to get fixed.

 

Mod Edu: Oops, you are in the wrong room!

You want to go into a Q&A with the QA team. Thats in room 2.

 

Yes, theres a room 2 with tons more insider sessions: http://www.runefest.com/whats-on/insider-sessions-2/

 

 

[*]Tip.It: Will the infamous Rotten Potato incident be making an appearance in the 'Greatest Glitches' session?

 

Mod Edu: You never know ;).

 

 

[*]Tip.It: Could you perhaps give us a hint at the dark secrets you plan to reveal in the RuneScape 2012 session? Perhaps it has something to do with the end of Brassica Prime's world domination plot involving his massive army of Cabbage Knights and Cabbage Spawn?

 

Mod Edu: [Theyre on to us. Ok, who spilt the cabbage?]

Brassica Prime? No idea what you are talking about ♪

 

But you should be afraid, very afraid.

And eat your vegetables: you are doing the world a great service by getting rid of the cabbage menace ;).

 

[*]Tip.It: Can you give us an idea of what points of development the three quests for the 'The Stories to Come' insider session are at, and therefore the chances of the actual details provided matching the Quests when released?

 

Mod Edu: Theyve chosen three quests that are in very different stages of development. The RuneScape detective mystery will be released in the weeks after Runefest, the high-level firemaking quest is in the process of being developed, while the addition to the very popular quest series is at a concept stage. Were not likely to talk about details that will change in those quests before release, just as were unlikely to talk about things that would spoil the quest for you! Hopefully that wets your appetite a little ;) .

 

[*]Tip.It: Regarding the 'Future of RuneScape Combat Workshop,' are there any particular reasons for looking into changing the way the combat system works, when it has not even been a full year since the last major modification? (14-Dec-2010 - Damage Soaking and New Hitsplats)

 

Mod Edu: Speaking to the combat gurus, they felt that the combat system could do with a overhaul to evolve it into the second decade of this millennium. The session will be all about looking at the legacy of combat, where it can be improved and ultimately where we want it to be.

This session is going to cover a much larger update in scope than damage soaking and well worth attending if you care about RuneScape combat.

 

[*]Tip.It: Is there a particular list of what members of the QA Team will be taking questions at the QA Q&A, as it would help have an idea of what to ask if we had an idea of what content they had worked on?

 

Mod Edu: Our super secret plans reveal that

 

• Mod Bellie
  
• Mod Hunter
  
• Mod Cocoa
  
• Mod Tomh
  
• Mod Slayer

Should be showing up at Runefest ;).

 

[*]Tip.It: Will the 'Game Design Workshop' be a discussion of the major decisions in designing RuneScape or will it be a more general examination of game design?

 

Mod Edu: It will be a general examination of design questions : a great session for anyone wanting to learn more about the topic!

 

[*]Tip.It: What portions of the graphics creation process will the "Graphics - Tools" insider session be covering in particular? For example: Concept, creation, feedback & revison, final use... Or dare I ask: all of them??

 

Mod Edu: One of artist masters here assures me youll be looking at everything from A to Z: concept, modelling and animation. Ive also been assured that it will be a Halloween themed session ;).

Feedback and revision will be a small part of the session but if you are really curious, feel free to go and ask questions straight from the artists themselves!

 

[*]Tip.It: For the suggestions during 'The Future Sounds of Lumbridge', what level of detail in the suggestions are you looking for? Such as, something as simple as making more varied music like Bill Blakely's Accordion piece (For those unfamiliar with him, he is the musician to the south of the Nature Grotto), or things as specific as "Expand the penguin musicians into a 5 man band with Flippers McGraw on Vocals, Ping and Pong on Cowbell and Bongos, and random penguins on Cymbals and Kazoo".

 

Mod Edu: The audio team here is extremely enthusiastic and welcome any suggestion you can possibly throw at them ; ). Slight preference on their part for the general audio feel in RuneScape but if you have any specific requests, they are there to listen♪

 

[*]Tip.It: Do you have any details on the first 'Design a Dominion Tower Boss' Insider session, as there does not seem to be one listed?

 

Mod Edu: Keen eye for detail there ; ). Yes, theres a part two session but no part one whats up with that?

Unless we somehow sneakily have a secret part one session hidden somewhere at RuneFest.

We wouldnt do that though, would we ♪ ?

[Cheefoo]

Interesting stuff... Shame I can't attend Runefest myself. Someone better get some good videos!

 

Oh, and there's talk about a big combat overhaul of sorts? Sounds really really cool.

[D. V. Devnull]

Having read this, I think I'll just go dive under a rock. Darn updates springing up behind my back... <.<

 

(As if it wasn't bad enough that their new Minimum Java Requirement knocked me off RS, and now they're out to go crazy...)

 

~D. V. "Feeling mentally run over by Jagex..." Devnull

[Flareboy64]

I actually chuckled about the glitches being scary part :P

[Sire_Neo]

Mod Edu Said:

The RuneScape detective mystery will be released in the weeks after Runefest, the high-level firemaking quest is in the process of being developed, while the addition to the ‘very popular quest series’ is at a concept stage

 

^This Section Refers To 2 Quests That We All Can See, About A High Level Firemaking Quest, And 'Very Popular Quest Series' [Does That Refer To The Latest Grandmaster?].

 

 

 

Speaking to the combat gurus, they felt that the combat system could do with a overhaul to evolve it into the second decade of this millennium. The session will be all about looking at the legacy of combat, where it can be improved and ultimately where we want it to be.

This session is going to cover a much larger update in scope than damage soaking and well worth attending if you care about RuneScape combat.

 

^This Section Refers To A Combat Overhaul..Not Referring To Damage Soaking, But I Think They Are Talking Strictly On Combat Itself. Do You Remember RSC Combat, Well In RS2 As We Know It Now, Combat Is Much Different, No 3-Round Battles, Can Range In Combat, Etc... Well This Just Makes Us All Think...[What Could They Possibly Add Or Change?] .... [sneak Attacks?, Ninja Stealth From The Mini-Map For Massive Attacks?, Who Knows!? We'll Find Out When They Release Some More INFO]

[Kaida23]

The RuneScape detective mystery will be released in the weeks after Runefest

Cryptic Clue Fest IV maybe?

[Corvus]

Well, I think they classify Cryptic clue fests as Holiday events, rather than quests, So I would personally guess that it is not a CCF.

 

Also if anyone has questions about why specific questions were asked, feel free to ask.

[Kaida23]

Hmm...that's a good point. Still, a F2P'er can dream. :grin:

[Saradomin_Mage]

The RuneScape detective mystery will be released in the weeks after Runefest

Cryptic Clue Fest IV maybe?

Murder Mystery 2 :thumbsup:

 

pls no