Makoto_the_Phoenix

I agree when you say that fighting over the "best" language to use is moot. It's never been about the best language, but the one that's best fit for the job. That being said, what do you suppose Jagex's mission for RuneScape and it s games is? It would most likely be a large distribution over as many platforms as possible. If that's their goal, then Java is likely the language that is best fit for this task. I would venture as far as to say that writing RuneScape in C++ would present issues with duplicated code and largely difficult-to-maintain source. After all, Windows C++ programs aren't guaranteed to run in Linux, which aren't guaranteed to run with Mac. I do get the rub that you have a dislike for Java, but perhaps it is the best fit language in this case. Supporting three different C++ libraries gets tedious.

I share the same sentiment as Ring_World does; I've definitely grown over the last seven years from playing RuneScape. Back then, I was a teenage-something or other with a vivid imagination, and RuneScape was a world that held infinite possibilities. As you grow up, the game takes on a different meaning than it did in years back. I think that's all it boils down to, really.

I'm going to disagree with this premise; Java might not be the most ideal choice of language for making an MMO, but its flexibility allows it to be enjoyed no matter where you are, or what machine [made within the last four or so years] you're on. I get that you don't like Java very much, and that you feel that latency would be greatly reduced if the code were ported to C++. But how much do we know about the actual game engine and its disambiguation between server and client? The way I understand it, the client is pretty dumb - it doesn't do much except receive and transfer data between it and the server. The rendering instructions are also passed through, and that much is done on your local machine. It's my belief that the latency comes in the client-server communication pipeline. Of course, this is me making suppositories. I don't know much about how the client/server interacts, but it would make sense that the server does most of the heavy lifting, and not the client. Then there's the argument about how it doesn't feel smooth or run as elegantly as the other popular MMOs out there. My question is, does it have to? For a game that can be run anywhere, even on a 56K line (albeit painfully), RuneScape is pretty damn elegant, and its looks are getting steadily closer to/surprassing some of the major MMOs. Lastly, before you shoot down my argument about the flexibility of Java (as you have before, it seems) - the only reason that I'm paying to this day to play RuneScape is because it still runs elegantly with Linux - I'd go as far as saying that the only 64-bit Java client that's on RS is with Linux right now, but I'd have to test that again. I shouldn't have to switch to Windows to play RuneScape. It wouldn't be fair to the people that chose an alternative OS to do their work/secure their documents, and wanted to let off a bit of steam. Haha, hell no we wouldn't have gotten support fror Linux/Mac if the game were written in C++. To be fair though, a lot of the libraries are packaged as C++, namely libjaggl. The thing about this is that they don't have to stick with Java on everything they do. They can mix and match to suit their needs, but it seems that their backend/server will at least remain Java-based. I say this only because of the plans to move to other consoles (which, thanks the console manufacturers, have stalled...).

I'm actually looking to upgrade to the 1055T when I get the cash too. It's sad but true that most of our modern applications can't make use of more than one core efficiently, but I would definitely enjoy the extra processing capabilities when I want to run VirtualBox. Oh, and it would help immensely for converting tens of thousands of songs to OGG. Just saying.

Yes, there are ways to introduce a new form of currency that basically acts as a multiplier (so instead of 2.1B we would have 214T, for 1 ingot = 100K). Do I think it should happen? No. It's not that the change would be game-breaking, I just feel that there are more important things to RS than large piles of cash. That, and it's likely I'd want the bank space more than a few new coin-like items.

This is true, but it works in three different ways. 1) I could sit back and grind levels and feel like I had no fun. This isn't the right approach, after all - I'm playing RuneScape to have fun. 2) I could not grind the levels and feel like I'm not having enough fun. This isn't the right approach either - to play the more interesting content of RS, you've got to be at a certain level. 3) I could level at my leisure and not treat it as a giant grind, taking breaks/stopping altogether when I felt like it was a chore. This is my personal choice, and it might not be the best for everyone, but if I ever feel that RS is becoming too much of a chore, it's probably time for me to shampoo the carpets/wash the car/etc.

Dragon platebody came out in Nov 2008, and the chainbody came out in Sept 2004. Unless I'm missing something, because RS2 came out in March 2004, there's no way you could have wanted a dragon chest armor since classic. Another post claiming e-fame/old-schoolery. #-o No really, I did. You would just have to ask me about it someday instead of making silly assumptions. ;)

I'll always wear my D Plate. Sorry. I've just wanted that ever since Classic, and now that I have one, I'll be damned if I ever let it go. :) About the stats thing - it's really just personal preference. If you really like the way something looks, then you'll choose to use that. TBH, I'd wear Armadyl for ranging tasks if I could afford it... (looks play a huge part there).

My private chat is usually set to "On". Being in a busy clan chat, you get PMed about all kinds of stuff, so it's good to keep flexible. The only time I would normally turn it off or to Friends is if I'm doing something...other than talking to friends. I hold no grudges against anyone that has their private chat set otherwise; they're entitled to not have people PM them just as much as the next guy.

It's a fair bit easier to get started up with Ubuntu Lucid than Win 7 imo - you have all the necessary applications you need, and you can always install more with a few clicks or commands. Of course it's all personal preference. :P Anyway, I plan to give Lucid a try later this week. The new UI doesn't have me endeared to them, but I do enjoy the fact that my laptop's wireless LED indicator works now.

Uh, Members costs 6 bucks a month. There goes your argument. You might try reading my first post a few pages back about how memebership is a totally different thing. To summerize (though do go back and reading it please): having or not having the money for membership at any point in time does not change your ability to get an item. If you were f2p when godswords came out, you are not out of luck, you can always hope/save for enough real life money to get members and have your godsword. Membership confers the same items no matter when you have it. Member's items are perpetually avalible. This isn't. If the item actually had any sort of benefit outside of being purely cosmetic, I'd see your point totally. Yes, Jagex is giving out this item to people that buy the ticket and attend the event. It's really nothing more than a token that says you participated in RuneFest. It's no more significant or advantageous than owning bunny ears, a scythe, or a yo-yo - these items are proof that players participated in events held so many years ago. Yes, you have to pony up $120 to buy the tickets to the event. Who made the assumption that it would be free? Why would anyone even think such a thing? Does it really matter that you're making $X a month - you've got to consider taxes, wages, and development upkeep/costs. Then comes the costs for renting space, refreshments, goodies, and the like. C'mon, folks... Perhaps I'm going on wild tangents here, but I think people are blowing this issue up too much. The event is the reason you buy the ticket, not the banner. If you're thinking about the item more than you are the event, then perhaps it's time for you to take a step back and really consider why.

Nifty little flag. If I could go that would definitely be cool to have; just to show others in-game that I had went. Otherwise it's essentially useless. I'm far more interested in the RL goodies that I'd be getting if I were able to go than the item in-game.

If I could work it out in my schedule I'd go. As luck would have it, that happens to be the first week of classes for me... $600 for air fare, $20 for a passport (card), and $250 for a hotel sounds reasonable to do, as well.

The premise of the thread, to say the least, is pretty...depressing. I'm rather stunned at some reactions. I just don't see why you're complaining so hard. It's March (almost April) for God's sake. There's no reason to complain about the entire year if we're not even a third the way through it. It's all subjective, of course. Our opinions won't overlap, and to be honest, trying to convince you that the game is on the right track as opposed to not isn't really worth the effort. Give it some time, there'll be something new to complain about.

Both articles this week were pretty well written. Especially liked the second article - puts a moral complex into the situation while remaining light-hearted. I was also surprised that the reaction from the cosmetic reward was nothing more than people being upset about it. But there is a point to it - if you don't like it, you don't have to do it. Besides, for the most part, getting the rocks required is actually an enjoyable task. I liked the DYK, too. Seems like that'll come in handy in the future...

Well they should. Newbs have WAY TOO MUCH GOD DAMN CONTENT! I got my girlfriend into this game and she can't complete it all at a low level. Impossible. She killed the damn vampire at level 40 something. I was trying to freak her out saying it was really hard and she killed it in like 3 hits. And if you're a newbie member? I won't even go there... It's a quest for freeplayers. Honestly. Get a hold of yourself. It's one quest update that they get since Rune Mysteries. A permanent quest. Surely you can give them that this week?

For F2P: A nice, small quest update for them that gets them some nifty-looking gear. For P2P: Sorry, not every quest that comes your way can be the next "While Guthix Sleeps". Or even "Legends". Or even "Heroes".

You're right - this proves one should never do proofs past midnight. I'll revise it a bit later.

Two very well written articles this week. Forsakenmage's article really hit home, since this issue's been coming up a lot in the RSOF/Mod-related clan chats. Again, well written articles to the both of you.

The experience tracker at RuneScript is starting to grow exponentially. By the time I wake up from my deep, deep sleep on Friday, I expect to fall probably 15,000 ranks in about everything. *shrug* Protip: Try to avoid CW, try a quieter bank like...Moon Clan or something.

Ready for the Experience Weekend (erroneously called "Double Exp Weekend"): Taking a good look at that...30.2M. What I had bought were some of the seconds, all of the shards, and some of the Summoning reagents. That's it. I didn't directly spend a single GP on any of those herbs; proof that MTK pays big dividends. (Not listed: The sharks involved getting Bunyips, nor the counts of the charms.) All told, this stack of stuff in normal times would get me about: 333,857,5 exp in Herblore (+2 levels), 281,456 exp in Summoning (+2 levels), 105,000 exp in Runecrafting, (+2 levels), No less than 35,820 exp in Crafting, (+0 levels) and un-computable amounts of experience in Magic/Agility/Thieving. It's not nearly as insane as you think - it's not likely I can get those values in an hour (with the exception of Crafting - that's probably dead easy), so the experience rate I get, while substantially high, isn't going to go nuts on the world. --- A Formal Proof for Unique/Rare RuneScape Names (The proof to end all debate about rare names) For those that have seen logic notation before, or know set notation, this should come as a bit of a laugh to you. What does it state? Basically, we create a universe denoted by the script U of all the usernames that exist in RuneScape. Then, we state as a given fact that your name is in that universe. We create another variable n to represent universal and existential quantifiers to demonstrate the proof (your name only occurs once, remember?). The proof reads, starting from the 'upside-down' A: "For all n (in the set U), there exists one and only one x (in the set U) such that x is not equal to n." Quod Erat Demonsratum (and thus, is proven). For those that are actually doing proof-based logic or First-Order Predicate Calculus, please let me know what mistakes I've made at 5:30 in the morning. Okay, I realize my goof - the "there exists" should be in front of the "for all", so it would read like this: "There exists one and only one x (in the set U) such that, for all n (in the set U), x is not equal to n." I'll edit it out later. Sleep now. --- Before I forget: TK>> stats <Makoto_D> Level: 131.700 [122.700 F2P] (Melee-based) | Overall: 2019 | Attack: 98 | Defence: 98 | Strength: 98 | Hitpoints: 99 | Ranged: 93 | Prayer: 78 | Magic: 86 | Cooking: 88 | Woodcutting: 85 | Fletching: 85 | Fishing: 88 | Firemaking: 87 | Crafting: 80 | Smithing: 92 | Mining: 86 | Herblore: 76 | Agility: 76 | Thieving: 82 | Slayer: 91 | Farming: 72 | Runecrafting: 64 | Hunter: 80 | Construction: 65 | Summoning: 72 | Duel Tournament: N/A | Bounty Hunters: N/A | Bounty Hunter Rogues: N/A | Fist of Guthix: 1037 TK>> skill Summoning <Makoto_D> [summoning] | Level: 72 | Rank: 81,266 | Experience: 900,432 | Amount of experience to go to 73: 92,463 TK>> skill Crafting <Makoto_D> [Crafting] | Level: 80 | Rank: 56,952 | Experience: 1,990,383 | Amount of experience to go to 81: 202,435 TK>> skill Magic <Makoto_D> [Magic] | Level: 86 | Rank: 171,582 | Experience: 3,664,021 | Amount of experience to go to 87: 308,273 TK>> skill Herblore <Makoto_D> [Herblore] | Level: 76 | Rank: 46,586 | Experience: 1,352,152 | Amount of experience to go to 77: 123,429 TK>> skill Runecrafting <Makoto_D> [Runecrafting] | Level: 64 | Rank: 115,140 | Experience: 420,472 | Amount of experience to go to 65: 28,956 TK>> skill Agility <Makoto_D> [Agility] | Level: 76 | Rank: 35,705 | Experience: 1,369,736 | Amount of experience to go to 77: 105,845 TK>> skill Thieving <Makoto_D> [Thieving] | Level: 82 | Rank: 31,716 | Experience: 2,479,308 | Amount of experience to go to 83: 193,806 A little output from a script I wrote to extract my stats from the high scores. I want to do a comparison of these at the end of the weekend.

If my luck in RuneScape has been indicative of anything lately, it's that I stand a higher chance of getting an Elysian Sigil, Visage, and 3A Kite in the same day than winning a big ticket. Either way, it seems to be pretty cool. It would definitely be fun to go over there, if I did win.

Got to make sure I have enough Astral Runes/Dueling Rings so I can combine runes at the Fire Altar. I'll also probably make sure that I've got all of my potions pre-made, and get the last of my Summoning gear together.

It costs 2,000 points to earn the right to kill Ice Strykewyrms from Kuradal. I'm pacified with this 'compromise'. Even with Kuradal it's a fair bit of work.

Okay. Now I can't wait for the news post. This is gonna be good.