Binary Mage

Mod Mark did say in the Q&A last year that this year's Construction update (before the total rework) would include new player-locked benefits and training methods inside your POH as a reason for folks to actually level their Construction skill--instead of going to house parties and getting all the benefits there. Considering we're supposed to see that by the end of the year, it should help Construction be more relevant in the short-term.

Maybe I'm totally off, but I read it as you will always get one of the signets required for the crossbow for each of the bosses you fight. In this way, you would get 1/6 of the necessary components for the crossbow per boss fight. But I might be wrong. "The base monsters drop tradeable keys (rarely) which are used to spawn a private instance with one of the bosses. The bosses drop the components of the weapon. The bosses are very difficult, at least initially." "If the keys were untradeable, you'd never see a crossbow."

Previous guesstimates on Divination's release said early summer--specifically June was thrown around. I think that it's entirely likely that they decided to push its release up to be a part of the RS3 Launch (July?) to make it just that much more overwhelming of a change, and give them some more time to polish the skill. The result is a bunch of different potential content releases being thrown around for this month, and not a lot of certainty as to which ones will be first. My personal guess is that one or two of the new Sixth Age quests (and maybe the new trees or toolbelt changes) will be out this month--after all, they did say that they weren't going to reveal details about Divination so that people would give the upcoming quests their time in the spotlight. (Implying that we will see them before Divination's release)

I think the fact that they mentioned "New Trees" as its own entire update, alongside the fact that trees got an overhaul literally just last year, means that they means they are adding brand-new types of trees to Woodcutting/Firemaking (lv 85/95 trees?) rather than just revamping the graphics for the current ones.

Most people's definition of "High-levelled" seems to be level 90+ content, which is exactly why it's so amusing to see folks say Level 95 slayer content isn't high-levelled.. :-k

There's definitely a lot of potential for group quests--I imagine we might see some in the future. However, there's a great deal of problems with having a group quest tied into current storylines ("Wait, which one of us actually killed the Unholy Plot Device Demon in Solo Quest #240?")--and so a group quest would almost definitely need to be a completely new storyline with no relation to any current quests. I think Jagex wants to finish more of the current storylines before making any new ones, so it might be a while. I think it's much too early to say that the Signature Heroes have failed as characters. We have barely even scratched the surface of their stories--heck, Sir Owen hasn't even had his introduction quest yet (though it will likely be next month). What we have seen so far is almost nothing but the very essential, cliched personalities that every single one of the Signature Heroes is on the surface. Linza and The Raptor haven't even had featured quests yet--sans Linza's incredibly minor role in Deadliest Catch. Remember, Hazelmere was not a compelling character in The Grand Tree. It took three or four quests for us to get to the point where we actually cared about what happened to him--allowing the events of WGS to be as impactful as they were. A character doesn't neccessarily need to wear the same armor, think the same way, or even have the same abilities as actual players to be a role model for those who may want to play the game. They are stand-ins for Classes, which Runescape lacks--Jagex isn't going to advertise the game using weird hybrid mage-warriors wearing a mish-mash of parts of different inexpensive armor sets. You need genre-standard ideals for what the player can become--let them think about being a mage, a warrior, an archer, a blacksmith, a slayer of beasts, or a leader--don't confuse them by showing them the crazy multifaceted mess of a demigod that everyone inevitably becomes. The distinction between in-world characters and player characters isn't based off storytelling. What I meant was that Cyrisus could only wear the same things players could--he was, essentially, an in-game character that plays by a player-controlled character's rules. He doesn't have his design roots in the "reality" of Gielinor--he acts much like a normal player would. The Signature Heroes are, in comparison, acting like anyone would in their reality. They don't have the same mass-produced look-alike armor that we use, because that doesn't exist in a realistic setting. Two different types of characters, with two different intentions.

It might not even necessarily be that anyone has lost their enthusiasm--some people are just really, really boring and monotonous even when talking about things they're excited for. It's often more of a voice thing than an outlook thing. Not everyone can be Mod Osborne with his amazing storytelling voice. :P

Why does everyone miss the pistol? The dual pistol crossbows were the ones featured in the video, so those were a given.

Here's a close-up of the crossbow concept art I took from the video. Looks like we're getting a 2h Crossbow, Arrows, Bolts, and Shards (thrown weapon, or just resources you make into the arrows/bolts?) in the update as well.

On another note! Amazing stuff. It looks beautiful! Level 90 Ascension Crossbows!

Do you remember Cyrisus? Any of the heroes who died in WGS? More recently, the PoP adventurers? And what about other players? In Runescape, other players play the other adventurers, not NPCs. We are supposed to be reasonably unique, certainly at the level of power we represent with TWW done. The main problem with signature heroes is that they are set up as marketing scheme. They are extremely, extremely heavy on cliches - the good knight, the charming rogue, the single-minded character (in this case a blacksmith - she practically denies the usefulness of anything besides metal weapons, to the point that it feels very forced), the curious/investigative character (also happens to be the wizard in the standard party of four, and the 'hot girl'). Plus a stock mysterious badass character. Annoyingly, they're all so bloody nice as well. Sure, Ariane and rogue dude have been 'cast out' but that was clearly for all the wrong reasons. Cyrisus at least had some real issues - he was bloody useless in combat as a consequence. Third point: the signature heroes are nothing like players - we are all-rounders, they are specialists. We all have access to all the powers, they use only their unique powers. We use crossbow shortcuts where they are built into the game, they use (cross)bow shortcuts only where quests call for them. Again, Cyrisus at least used the equipment that was high-end at the time - his bank was really good, but it was a player's bank, not filled with Ariane's Unique Hairpins ™ now available for just $8.99 (order here). For the purposes of the narrative, other actual players don't exist. It wouldn't make any sense if they did--fifteen million Saviors of Varrock, fifteen million Stone-Touchers, fifteen million people all saying they were the one to kill the Pest Queen. They don't exist, and never will unless Jagex decides to have no regard for the storyline at all. The Signature Heroes are the sort of partners and adventurers that fill in those spaces. Cyrisus was the same sort of idea--but he, for obvious reasons, can't be used again. I think the one-dimensional issues they seem to have is, again, an issue of their lack of storyline development as of yet--in the podcast the mods in control of each character's content very specifically states that they have no intention for them to be generic, boring characters. We will see a ton of character development for them--especially since they are not tied to any specific quest line like so many other characters. We've already had hints that Sir Owen will be turned against his own god, and even potentially attempt to kill him. They were all specifically designed to center around a specific character trope, and then completely turn it on its head in time. Jagex isn't staffed by fourteen-year-old fanfiction writers--they have experienced authors and designers who know how to write multi-dimensional, likeable characters. We aren't going to see that kind of character development in the few short quests they have had so far, or it would feel even more ridiculously forced. The major difference about equipment is that Cyrisus was, for the most part, designed to follow the tropes of the player character. He is not meant to be realistic--he is a in-world character who is constrained by the same gameplay constructs that we are. He is only able to make the same replica sets of armor, wear the same kinds of equipment, and train his skills in the same linear ways. In contrast, the Signature Heroes are in-world adventurers that only need to follow the limits of their universe. They can uniquely design and alter their armor, they can use runes in ways other than specific spells, and they can do pretty much whatever they want without worrying about invisible forces preventing them from doing so. Both approaches to "adventurer" characters have their merits, but the Signature Hero style is more attractive for potential storytelling. I'm not saying that they are amazing characters, but they are far from disasters. Not only do they very nicely advertise the possible paths of the game to new players, but they also have the potential to become really crucial and interesting pawns in this enormous mass of converging and shifting storylines that has been developed.

I think the Signature Heroes are very much under-appreciated. They fill a narrative void that had been lacking for some time--that of heroes, like our player character, who are trying to make their way in the world. We never directly meet any other actual players in quests (no, the Black Arm/Phoenix Gang parts don't count), so we need stand-ins that feel like they're just as important as us. The Legends Guild and other "adventurer congregations" have always felt very empty--and with the Signature Heroes we get to see some of the other members. The major issue is, like the mods discussed in the podcast, that we haven't seen much of them yet. There has only been three quests (counting the two-parters as single quests) and a Fremmenik Saga that have featured them at all so far (mostly because the JMods really don't want to shoehorn them into quests)--they feel very one-dimensional and basic because of that. They haven't had the time to develop into likable, relatable characters like those we have come to expect. If they had never pointed them out as "SIgnature Heroes", there would never have been any specific hatred pointed towards them. I have the odd feeling that in a few years, when there is (likely) a half dozen or so more quests featuring the Signature Heroes, no one is going to be that bothered by them anymore. Give them time.

THIS WEAPON. OH MY GOD THIS WEAPON. MUST GET. AAAAAAGHGHGDHCMNMMVBCXJURYJ because it looks just like kyouko's, right? I am particularly interested in the Staff, 2h, and Whip, despite the fact I am not likely to get keepsake boxes anytime soon. They just look amazing. EDIT: Here's the staff [spoiler=Staff]

The new Exquisite weapons from the SoF look amazing. Neat for them to create some weapons specifically designed to be keepsake'd. All weapons are Level 10, but can be changed via a right click option into 20, 30, or 40. (Like the other SoF weaponry) [spoiler=Dual Maces] [spoiler=Dual Battleaxes] [spoiler=Spear]

The inventory icons have always been runtime-rendered 2D made from the 3D models for the item. That's why they sometimes have weird problems with their inventory icons being larger/smaller/etc after updates. It's still that way--they have no reason to make them full 3D considering how much more unnecessary processing power that would require for absolutely zero graphical difference.

Headcanon: Underneath all of that armor, The Raptor is a petite woman. They DID mention that just having his secret be he's a woman would be really boring and anticlimactic :P

Sorry for the double post in advance. There's a new episode of Above the Lore focusing on the Signature Heroes. Some bullet points for those that don't want to listen to the whole thing. Note that quotes are mostly paraphrased to get the meaning across No new Ozan quest in development, but one is certainly planned. The mod who is in control of the Desert Quests likes the idea of one of the 8 Desert Gods defeating the others and becoming a major player in the overall Sixth Age Said choice of god may be put in the player's (or players' ) hands The Raptor is likely to be very interested in fighting the Gods They have not decided what is behind The Raptor's helmet, they may not ever reveal it. Rework of Black Knight's fortress is not a double quest like Ariane/Ozan--a single rework quest including Sir Owen. New Black Knight's Fortress has many winks/nods to the former quest Saradomin and his intentions will be heavily touched upon in the new quest "Long-term plans" for Sir Owen in the Sixth Age. "Initially supports Saradomin, but won't be the pure-white Paladin forever" "I would like for Ariane to try to become a god. She's very interested in studying them. So often it's the evil character who tries to get ultimate power, maybe this time it could be good--if not misguided" "There is depth to The Raptor that will be explored" Sir Owen's full name gets revealed in the new quest, Ariane's full name hasn't been planned. There is a Quest Brief (a document detailing the specifics of a quest before actual development starts) that deals with several of the Signature Heroes that is being finalized. "There will be some mention of the Signature Heroes in the new skills."

He said it in such an outright, matter-of-fact way in passing that it seems rather odd he would reveal the weapon like that. There's always the potential that he's talking about a different reward or other part of the dungeon.

The black haze is a problem with how the new HTML5 engine handles the blending of shadows. All items have shadows (ever since RS2), just that they are properly blended and much more subtle. I'm not up to date on any potential problems with WebGL, so I'm not sure if it's something they can fix or not. Either way it's a bit annoying, but it's the kind of thing we will get over very easily if they can't.

Some more information about the Ranged Slayer Dungeon from the RSOF (thanks to Pesceman3 on /r/runescape!) Summary: The dungeon is smaller than Polypore, full of many Ascended All Ascended are the same level, roughly same drops, all equally desirable Ascended drop keys which open the Boss Rooms Boss rooms are instanced solo boss fights, multiple kinds Bosses drop pieces of the new weapon Hints that the weapon is a Crossbow

They could work in the context of Elder Artefacts perhaps: Stones = Stone of Jas = Jas Gems = Obsidian Gems = Elder Kiln = Ful or perhaps gems > crown > Ful or god 3? Or perhaps the Kharid-Ib is one? Sticks = Staff of Armadyl or perhaps Skargartoh's Sword = Elder 3 perhaps? There's potential there, we just lack enough pieces of the puzzle to complete it for sure. Actually, the Gemstones that you get in the task look VERY, VERY similar to the Shards of the Armadyl Battlestaff's orb. It's essentially the same inventory icon rotated a bit. If there's any link there it's probably the armadyl staff. Trees are pretty commonly linked to the passage of time, and the Kharid Desert was originally a giant forest. Grasping at straws a bit, but Jas could be represented by the sticks potentially. I think your Jas link is flawed in that Jas IS about sand - fact confirmed. So why would a forest that became a desert long after she left be anything to link her? The shard I dislike that link simply because why would it be likened via something that represents a broken artefact? Just doesn't seem right to me, but its possible. Plus arguably the gems look equally similar to the fight kiln crystals - a bit smaller perhaps but similar. As I said, grasping at straws. For all we know, the sand quote simply means that she is physically made of minerals. (Left figure of the three shown gods, which is all but confirmed thanks to the Daeyalt Ore revelation) The whole idea is kind of odd considering that we know there is more than 3 Elder Gods and twelve Elder Artefacts. But, of course, at the same time it seems like there was some sort of meaning behind the resources, considering how specific they are. (Unless they just REALLY wanted Fishing to be a a part of the resource gathering tasks) My guess is that it's Divination foreshadowing--but even then there seems to be little to go on.

They could work in the context of Elder Artefacts perhaps: Stones = Stone of Jas = Jas Gems = Obsidian Gems = Elder Kiln = Ful or perhaps gems > crown > Ful or god 3? Or perhaps the Kharid-Ib is one? Sticks = Staff of Armadyl or perhaps Skargartoh's Sword = Elder 3 perhaps? There's potential there, we just lack enough pieces of the puzzle to complete it for sure. Actually, the Gemstones that you get in the task look VERY, VERY similar to the Shards of the Armadyl Battlestaff's orb. It's essentially the same inventory icon rotated a bit. If there's any link there it's probably the armadyl staff. Trees are pretty commonly linked to the passage of time, and the Kharid Desert was originally a giant forest. Grasping at straws a bit, but Jas could be represented by the sticks potentially.

The banner and helm work fine together, it seems like there's certain other worn items that are causing it to freak out. Very peculiar--I've seen it on lots of other people but mine is completely fine. I guess I don't wear popular stuff.

There's some old lore that says the dwarves worshipped Guthix because of his role as the god of nature, but I'm not sure if it's still valid given the changes we've seen since then. But considering it still uses Guthix as an active faction, the map itself might be a bit outdated. I think the Dwarves most likely became Guthixian because of how he brought them to Gielinor in the first place. If you look at the races that he brought to the world (Humans, Dwarves, Gnomes, Fairies) you see that most of them are Guthixian, but aren't particularly vocal about it. Likely, their beliefs are more similar to Guthix's original ideal--that they can live happily without a god telling them what to do--but still "worship" Guthix as a sort of philosophical leader. Only humans (and even then only post-Third-age humans--early humans seem to think of him less religiously) really seem to have ever actually worshiped him like others worship Saradomin or Zamorak. On another note, the map seems pretty darn accurate; I don't see anything about it that points otherwise. There's lore basis behind all of the placements. The only debatable things are based off gods that aren't revealed yet (Karamja, Fremmenik) and so aren't reflected on the map.