Jagex on Dragon Chains

[TheAncient]

MODS: Feel free to lock or move this post. I don't want my post to become a flame war.

 

 

I have discussed this before but the BTS article sparks my attention.

 

 

 

We have, over the past year or so, seen some rather "small" updates that have to deal with D Chains.

 

 

 

1) MADO (moving across distance orb) and the Kalphite shortcut in Dorgeskaan.

 

2) BA and the introduction of a 3rd way to get D Chains.

 

3) Keris and its special effect on bugs, even hitting through KQ's prayer.

 

4) (Way back) Fairy ring and the BIQ fairy ring provides another quick way to get to the KQ

 

 

 

And now Jagex introduces a fifth update, the graphical changes to the KQ. This update probably intends to renew interest in the KQ and KQ hunting, leading to the infusion of more dragon chains into the economy and pushing down prices.

 

 

 

Why would Jagex be pushing down Dragon Chain prices?

 

 

 

Here are some possible explanations.

 

1) Making the Dragon Chain more accessible to noob/lower(middle) leveled players. I see plenty of noobs wearing DMed (which is a horrible waste of money) and DLegs. 3M isn't that bad for a noob to try to get. Lets say Chain prices drop to 5M - another thing for noobs to work for.

 

2) As a precursor to the introduction of DPlate (so that people aren't too economically disturbed by the introduction of the item). In this case the purpose would be to produce an effect on rares similar to 3rd age.

 

3) Reintroduce KQ as a thing to hunt for hobby :lol:

 

 

 

If you don't agree with my explanations, then provide a reason why Jagex would take hours to write this graphics update, almost specifically for the KQ. (see below for rationale on why KQ is emphasized). From a business standpoint (and Jagex definitely thinks this way, or else Andrew isn't one of the top 100 richest young British people), newer players are more easily enticed to play a game if it has better graphics. If you look at the monsters being updated - sheeps, cows, goblins - the majority of them are around Lumby, where noobs start. The undead even count as part of this - the changes to ghosts and zombies can be seen in Varrock sewer as well as the Stronghold of Security, two major F2P training spots. When would a noob EVER see the KQ? Probably never - so updating the KQ just for the sake of graphics doesn't really make sense for Jagex, businesswise. You could probably argue that it would make P2P more exciting, but we already have even more exciting opponents such as Barrows or Jad.

 

 

 

Oh Jagex. Becoming ever more subtle =D>

 

 

 

Discuss!

 

 

 

-----

 

 

 

Here is some evidence that Jagex intends to call the KQ to the public's attention:

 

 

 

 

The graphics team have been working extra hard to produce what will be arguably the best looking graphics in the game, and boy is the Kalphite Queen pleased they chose her to put all these efforts into. In fact, all of her brood will be given the makeover treatment, as well as the scorpions and tiny spiders in the game. IÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢m sure that the bravest among you will want to risk the journey across the Kharidian Desert and take a look for yourselves - but beware! She is still one of the nastiest beasts to inhabit RuneScape... she'll just look great doing it.

 

 

 

 

1) Best looking graphics, boy that makes me excited about the KQ.

 

2) Notice how they talk about KQ graphics before they talk about bugs in general.

 

3) Inviting people to go to the KQ.

[Nickelliston]

Didn't jagex say a while ago that they wouldn't be releasing d plates? In fact they made them buyable from diango to spite people.

[Iv_Green_vI]

I'm going to have to go for 2, I mean come on it's about darn time they do it. if not then really.. Whats the point..

[spikerkid]

I won't have any interesting killing the queen for a chain. I'll just go to the lair and suicide myself to see her.

[HatSlick]

I'm going to have to go for 2, I mean come on it's about darn time they do it. if not then really.. Whats the point..

 

 

 

I'd rather have D full helms come out instead of plates.

 

 

 

Honestly though, Dragon isn't that great anymore. A D Plate wouldn't be as good as anyone thinks it would be.

 

 

 

Didn't jagex say a while ago that they wouldn't be releasing d plates? In fact they made them buyable from diango to spite people.

 

 

 

That was part of an April Fools joke though.

[hohto]

Graphical updates don't really have anything to do with them making monsters to be more "huntable". Look at the goblin update for example. Kq has now looked the same for years, so an update to her looks is more than understandable.

 

 

 

Barbarian assault gives one more change for everyone to get them, but the odds to get one from it are so low that I don't believe many chains have gotten that way. Also the tele spots mean really nothing, fairy teles for example have spread all around the world of RuneScape. It would be more illogical not to have one at the desert than have one there. It's also in a place which can't be gotten by the carpet ride.

 

 

 

The 3rd age is a good counter attack to the rare prices, not really to dragon chain ones. If it was meant to have anything to do with the chain, the odds to get them from clues would be a lot better.

[Solidus_77]

What's this about dorushkan's shortcut to kq lair? The walking is the only reason I don't kq as much.

[icepak]

why would changing KQ's graphics induce more people to fight her?

 

 

 

People's interest of a dragon chain drop isn't going to be affected much at all by her graphics. And it's not like anyone is going to forget about KQ and suddenly remember her because a graphic udpate.

[bpk_wolfen]

i think jagex is just trying to help out the lower players making chains cheaper

 

you know how jagex is.. come one

[mario_sunny]

I think you are overeacting just a bit. Just because they change the look of the queen doesn't mean veracers will come pouring in. I bet some of them are just going to have a small peak at the new look, it doesn't necessarly mean they will kill her more.

 

 

 

I don't think jagex even intended for this update to lower dragon chain prices. According to jagex's prices the dragon chain should be way less than 15M, but honestly when's the last time they actually cared about the player controlled economy? Contruction was probably the most recent, and that was well over a year ago. I believe they are just updating the KQ because they think it needs updating, just to catch will all the other NPCs they are re-doing.

[TheAncient]

I think you are overeacting just a bit. Just because they change the look of the queen doesn't mean veracers will come pouring in. I bet some of them are just going to have a small peak at the new look, it doesn't necessarly mean they will kill her more.

 

 

 

I don't think jagex even intended for this update to lower dragon chain prices. According to jagex's prices the dragon chain should be way less than 15M, but honestly when's the last time they actually cared about the player controlled economy? Contruction was probably the most recent, and that was well over a year ago. I believe they are just updating the KQ because they think it needs updating, just to catch will all the other NPCs they are re-doing.

 

 

 

Frogs, bankers, men, knights, dragons, guards, Chaos E..? We see those things 30x more than we see the KQ.

[Kill_Thomas9]

I would say jagex is trying to lower the price of d chains, so they will be able to release higher leved armour without as much of an upset.

 

 

 

EDIT: But I do agree with you. After reading the first sentence in this post I thought "hmm... seems like jagex is trying to lower the price of chains." All of your other points just increased my confidence in this. I totally agree with you.

[mario_sunny]

I think you are overeacting just a bit. Just because they change the look of the queen doesn't mean veracers will come pouring in. I bet some of them are just going to have a small peak at the new look, it doesn't necessarly mean they will kill her more.

 

 

 

I don't think jagex even intended for this update to lower dragon chain prices. According to jagex's prices the dragon chain should be way less than 15M, but honestly when's the last time they actually cared about the player controlled economy? Contruction was probably the most recent, and that was well over a year ago. I believe they are just updating the KQ because they think it needs updating, just to catch will all the other NPCs they are re-doing.

 

 

 

Frogs, bankers, men, knights, dragons, guards, Chaos E..? We see those things 30x more than we see the KQ.

 

 

 

And how many times have people actually been motivated to fight these NPCs after the update? Maybe for one or two days there would be a small surge of, for example, guard drops when they are updated, but to be honest the killing rate steadies out to be the same like before the update.

 

 

 

Now if jagex were to update an NPCs drops, making them better, it would be a different story. But bottom line, graphics updates do not affect the kill rate.

[TheAncient]

I think you are overeacting just a bit. Just because they change the look of the queen doesn't mean veracers will come pouring in. I bet some of them are just going to have a small peak at the new look, it doesn't necessarly mean they will kill her more.

 

 

 

I don't think jagex even intended for this update to lower dragon chain prices. According to jagex's prices the dragon chain should be way less than 15M, but honestly when's the last time they actually cared about the player controlled economy? Contruction was probably the most recent, and that was well over a year ago. I believe they are just updating the KQ because they think it needs updating, just to catch will all the other NPCs they are re-doing.

 

 

 

Frogs, bankers, men, knights, dragons, guards, Chaos E..? We see those things 30x more than we see the KQ.

 

 

 

And how many times have people actually been motivated to fight these NPCs after the update? Maybe for one or two days there would be a small surge of, for example, guard drops when they are updated, but to be honest the killing rate steadies out to be the same like before the update.

 

 

 

Now if jagex were to update an NPCs drops, making them better, it would be a different story. But bottom line, graphics updates do not affect the kill rate.

 

 

 

Show me the statistics \

 

 

 

The IMMEDIATE purpose of the update was NOT to increase the number of KQ killers. The immediate purpose of the update was to increase interest in the KQ so that KQ killing would go up over a long period of time.

[xvillexvalox]

I think you are overeacting just a bit. Just because they change the look of the queen doesn't mean veracers will come pouring in. I bet some of them are just going to have a small peak at the new look, it doesn't necessarly mean they will kill her more.

 

 

 

I don't think jagex even intended for this update to lower dragon chain prices. According to jagex's prices the dragon chain should be way less than 15M, but honestly when's the last time they actually cared about the player controlled economy? Contruction was probably the most recent, and that was well over a year ago. I believe they are just updating the KQ because they think it needs updating, just to catch will all the other NPCs they are re-doing.

 

 

 

Agreed, although construction has not been out for a year, I remember because it was released on my Birthday, May 31st.

 

 

 

Edit: 999 posts!

[Kill_Thomas9]

I think you are overeacting just a bit. Just because they change the look of the queen doesn't mean veracers will come pouring in. I bet some of them are just going to have a small peak at the new look, it doesn't necessarly mean they will kill her more.

 

 

 

I don't think jagex even intended for this update to lower dragon chain prices. According to jagex's prices the dragon chain should be way less than 15M, but honestly when's the last time they actually cared about the player controlled economy? Contruction was probably the most recent, and that was well over a year ago. I believe they are just updating the KQ because they think it needs updating, just to catch will all the other NPCs they are re-doing.

 

 

 

Frogs, bankers, men, knights, dragons, guards, Chaos E..? We see those things 30x more than we see the KQ.

 

 

 

And how many times have people actually been motivated to fight these NPCs after the update? Maybe for one or two days there would be a small surge of, for example, guard drops when they are updated, but to be honest the killing rate steadies out to be the same like before the update.

 

 

 

Now if jagex were to update an NPCs drops, making them better, it would be a different story. But bottom line, graphics updates do not affect the kill rate.

 

 

 

This isn't like any of the other NPC graphic updates. With all of the previous ones, Jagex has been updating everyday things that people go to all the time anyway. This time they are updating a high level monster. Dont you find demons more appealing to look at now as opposed to before their graphical update?

 

 

 

And I think you missed his point. He meant people might want to go check out the new look, and think "Hey. I might as well kill this thing while I'm down here." When they finish, they think "Wow, that was fun! I might consider doing this more often!".

 

 

 

Although I don't quite see why Jagex nerfed the drop rate a while ago if they were trying to decrease the price. Actually... they probably hadn't planned this yet back then.

[Polodevil]

Well...I bet the 'normal' kalphites will be updated too

[Kill_Thomas9]

Well...I bet the 'normal' kalphites will be updated too

 

 

 

they posted that they will.

[Alg]

does everything have to have a hidden motive?

 

they probably just thought of a way to make the KQ look better

[berbatovsky]

I'm going to have to go for 2, I mean come on it's about darn time they do it. if not then really.. Whats the point..

 

 

 

I'd rather have D full helms come out instead of plates.

 

 

 

Honestly though, Dragon isn't that great anymore. A D Plate wouldn't be as good as anyone thinks it would be.

 

 

 

Didn't jagex say a while ago that they wouldn't be releasing d plates? In fact they made them buyable from diango to spite people.

 

 

 

That was part of an April Fools joke though.

 

 

 

 

 

Actually im pretty sure a dplate would pwn everything in the game, seeing as the dchain is nearly the best armour (melee) anyway. The cost would be astronomical though if it was every released.

[Guest]

I really doubt that it's going to increase anything down there. People will go and look but in the long run no one is going to care about her being updated. I also think you won't see a dragon plate for a very long time, if ever.

[Kill_Thomas9]

You will never see a d plate. Full dragon is specail because the full set isn't what you usualy think of full sets as.

[Majin_Numark]

I definately think you are just overreacting.

 

 

 

Why is it so crazy to think that they just want to update the strongest monster (not in a safe mini-game) and her lair?

[Macmaster92]

I'm going to have to go for 2, I mean come on it's about darn time they do it. if not then really.. Whats the point..

 

 

 

I'd rather have D full helms come out instead of plates.

 

 

 

Honestly though, Dragon isn't that great anymore. A D Plate wouldn't be as good as anyone thinks it would be.

 

 

 

Didn't jagex say a while ago that they wouldn't be releasing d plates? In fact they made them buyable from diango to spite people.

 

 

 

That was part of an April Fools joke though.

 

 

 

 

 

Actually im pretty sure a dplate would pwn everything in the game, seeing as the dchain is nearly the best armour (melee) anyway. The cost would be astronomical though if it was every released.

 

 

 

Uhh Barrows is the best armour dragon is horrible armour wise.

[Kill_Thomas9]

To anyone who says he is over reacting:

 

 

 

When jagex released barrows, they didn't have the armour decay thing. A few days later they realised how upset people were about dragon now being "underpowered". They came up with decay rate so that dragon wouldn't be as underpowered. Now jagex is making higher leveled armour. Why would Jagex make dragon less desireable, unless they were going to realease some better armour?

 

 

 

Jagex almost never does things for no reason, so why make more ways to get it, make more people want to kill the monster that drops it, and a shortcut to the lair of the kq?