17th March 2009 - The Chosen Commander|Route-finding Update

[NuckingFuts]

Not sure if this was posted:

 

 

 

[hide=]

The cause of this afternoons server instability has now been identified and has been fixed.

 

 

 

The problem was caused by a change we made in today's update to make the game load faster. Unfortunately whilst the change worked fine when we were it testing it, it didn't work once it was opened up to thousands of people.

 

 

 

For the technically minded, the problem was as follows:

 

 

 

We made a small change to our code to increase the size of the network buffers the game server uses (to allow the updates to load faster and reducing map loading times).

 

 

 

We calculated that our servers had enough spare memory and bandwidth to support the increase, and it also worked fine in testing so we went ahead and launched it.

 

 

 

However it turns out that network buffers sit in kernel memory, and furthermore there is a limit to how much memory the kernel can address (which isn't related to the amount of physical memory in the machine.). This means even though the machine had plenty of spare RAM once we hit about 10,000 concurrent connections on a single server, we ran out of kernel memory and the servers started breaking horribly. Worse still it turns out if that happens it doesn't just refuse to open a new connection, it starts randomly killing processes or crashes the whole machine. :(

 

 

 

We've put the network buffers back to their old size now, and are rebooting the dead servers so everything should be back to normal shortly. We'll try again with this improvement once we've worked out how to sort out the kernel memory limitation, it probably means moving to a 64-bit kernel.

 

 

 

The problem is we make hundreds of changes to our product every month to improve it for you, and despite testing sometimes things slip through. For example for this particular change we were just changing one number in our code, and it didn't seem complicated or dangerous, but it had significant unexpected knock on consequences.

 

 

 

I'm really sorry about this happening. I know this post is a bit technical but I thought I should at least explain what went wrong.

[/hide]

 

 

 

It's understandable, and I think we all have to appreciate the fact dealing with a game as large as Runescape must be no easy task...

 

 

 

I respect the fact that they actually told us what went wrong, and what caused it. They were only trying to help us/improve the game, but hey, sh*t happens. They rectified it for now and admitted it, good for Jagex :)

[HunterDexter]

Does someone know where Zanik goes after the quest, I can't seem to find her in the city.

 

I'd really like her to go together on an adventure.

[Cooldude3910]

Does someone know where Zanik goes after the quest, I can't seem to find her in the city.

 

I'd really like her to go together on an adventure.

 

Read my post above yours.

[Amundogus2]

And Mywepon, did you not realise they made HUGE pro-gameplay update today? The route finder? That has been a problem for ages, but of course you don't notice, you're too busy hating on Jagex. Gawd, I hate kids (or old people who act like kids, whatever).

 

 

 

Actually, after years of playing the RS2 engine, I can't say that I even found route-finding to be a problem. Maybe I just got used to it, and the problem is acutally very noticeable to a newbie. If you play the game long enough youll be able to easily predict your character movements even with route finder "problems". Then you just learn what ways you need to click to avoid massive dancing and voila, the "problem" is gone.

 

 

 

 

 

Also let me just point out to you guys another enormous problem with this game: the updates are not thought out at all. Example? They have just now added code to prevent wind striking...THIS BIG OF A GAMEPLAY HOSER SHOULD HAVE BEEN SEEN DURING DEVELOPMENT. How long is it going to take them now to update similar things for every bronze weapon, every low damage bow/arrow/bolt/knife, every noob-level quest weapon, the plain staff...and then after they update all these they are going to need to implement a system to prevent people from brewing down to 0 att/str/ranged...this is just absolutely [developmentally delayed] and the problem solving strategy is also absolutely [developmentally delayed]. How about this:

 

 

 

If you are in combat with the same person in a single-way zone for more than 10 minutes you stop gaining drop potential.

 

 

 

This is the simplest damned solution and it took me about 10 seconds to think of. Also upon analyzing the wind strike removal, my first thought was "okay! now what other weapons could be used" It seems Jagex doesn't think like that (or else the update today would have included more than a simple strike spell nerf), and wants to just wait for problems to become too widespread (BH RWT anyone?) and then just fix that, then wait for the next problem to become big, and fix that. They aren't looking to cure the illness, they are just remedying the symptoms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also I would just like to point out to everybody that there will never be an end to RWT because at the very least, there will always be discrepencies between player-price and GE-price. I can tell you that some of the most common RWT's involve junk/high ticket items. (i.e. if you pay full cash for my phat I give you 50 dollars, or if you let me buy your elysian I will pay you 100 dollars [yeah, thats where a lot of ESS are]) Implementing GE price controls has plauged RWT enough that most of it was completely cut out. This is enough. Taking these extreme measures to eliminate TINY sources of RWT are completely un-necessary.

 

 

 

If you think that RWTers were using the party room to gain 50k at a time you are sadly mistaken, and the sheer thought of this is just a complete joke. RWTers don't want to sit around and gain 50k every few minutes, giving less than 1m per hour. This is absolutely absurd. Most RWT is just RWT merchanting. One RWT sells to another gold seller, who hopes to sell higher and make real money. When they are dealing with trades that differ from $4.50 per mil to $5 per mil they don't have time at all to mess around with these little methods that can give 1m per hour if you work your [wagon] off. They get in, get 100m+, and go off to advertise hoping they can make money. Implementing these little "GE-to-store" caps, and removing a lot of acessibility with the party room, and capping the trade limit at a pathetic 60k per 15 minutes....just shows that nobody in charge really understands where any of the problems are in this game.

 

That's exactly why you don't think it's big, because you're used to it. If you log on and try running around I'm convinced you will notice. And I'm pretty sick of people thinking Jagex are stupid. They most probably though about your idea, but because they have a team of highly educated Cambridge residents they found a problem with it that a mere single person couldn't. Whether it was coding issues or what it was, I can't be sure.

 

 

 

And do you REALLY want them to postphone PvP worlds when so many wanted a way to pk again, just to stop tricking? From a buisness point of view I'm definitely with them on this one. And I think most would agree from a players view aswell.

 

 

 

They have also never said they would remove RWT. Just HEAVILY reduce it. Which they have done. RS is no longer in peril of being closed. But if RWT tries to destroy the game again they have to take action. I don't know exactly how they abused the Party Room, but if it wasn't being a problem then they wouldn't have done anything.

[HunterDexter]

Oh sorry, must have been because of the "new messages added"-thingy.

 

I'll check her soon. ^^

[gago]

[hide=SPOILER about throne of bandos after the quest]You can kill those statues which drop Granite mace.

 

 

 

Goblin level 50

 

Ork level 63

 

Ogre level 75

 

Ourg level 200

 

 

 

At least ogres and ourgs drop the mace, testing goblins and orks right now.

 

 

 

The price of the Granite mace is 40k mid at the moment.

 

 

 

Stats:

 

 

 

 

Ourg:

 

 

 

 

Inventory after a while(staves are two battle and one mystic):

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, that path of jumping on the statues is now an agility course which gives 600 exp per lap[/hide]

[iceharwk]

just finished quest, pretty good tbh, and a good (possible) ending to the storyline,

 

 

 

btw anyone tested the spec? or know the drop rates of the new mace?

 

 

 

ps. sell me one :

[Wingless]

iceharwk

 

 

 

just finished quest, pretty good tbh, and a good (possible) ending to the storyline,

 

 

 

btw anyone tested the spec? or know the drop rates of the new mace?

 

 

 

ps. sell me one :

 

 

 

Well, I've been hitting pretty high with the specials - around 20's. Wonder what it's power is - Seercull xbow?

[HunterDexter]

Ok, Zanik was not at SC when I checked it, seems like she travels around the world like the Drunken Dwarf does now.

[n00bfiterpk6]

To mark the end of the Dorgeshuun quest series, were releasing a limited-edition zip-up hoodie on the Jagex store. Its a limited run of only 2,000, so click here to get yours now!

 

 

 

must admit i laughed abit irl :twss:

[Cooldude3910]

Ok, Zanik was not at SC when I checked it, seems like she travels around the world like the Drunken Dwarf does now.

 

That's probably true. When I talked to her at SC she said there's so much to see in the world.

[aspeeder]

I think im stuck, we were in the small cave and then I logged, when I came back I was in the tears of guthix cave, she was nowhere, I dont know where she is...

 

So...yeah...

[Den]

Ok my post about todays update.

 

 

 

I liked the hoodie, so I bought one.

 

I have to wait 5-6 weeks before I get it though. :wall:

 

 

 

The quest was awesome. I cant believe how much negativity it has gotten.

 

Yeah, it wasnt the next WGS Quest. Yeah, it didnt give 400k experience as the reward.

 

YEAH, it didnt release the next godsword. WHO CARES.

 

 

 

Every update cant bring a new overpowered weapon.

 

The crossbow is fairly good. Ive hit 20+ with it and I havent tried it much yet.

 

 

 

Il get a mace when there arent all these campers there.

 

 

 

The storyline of the quest was really good. Im glad they finished it like they did.

 

They could even decide to bring Bandos back.

 

 

 

We killed the Bandos Avatar, but for all we know, Bandos could have gone into hiding to regain his powers.

 

 

 

After all the quests ive done, I have learnt its not about the reward, but the experience of doing the quest.

 

Once you learn to enjoy the quest and not rush through it to be the first to get the rewards, you will stop complaining about crappy rewards, because doing the quest in itself was reward enough.

 

 

 

I would personally complete every quest even if I got no reward whatsoever for doing them.

 

Its the experience of doing the quest, which I find being the reward. :

 

 

 

Now onto my QUEST TRAILER! :mrgreen:

 

 

 

Youtube HD Video - This video will cause high CPU usage, to view the video in a lower quality, please click here.

 

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JUhiC-ScUc

[cat666]

for some reason i knew the 150th quest wouldnt be big but i never pushed it as everyone was too confident knowing it would be huge.

 

Well, it is very big. Even deservant of a website re-design and a hoodie.... but I guess the actual quest is not on the scale of WGS. Probably the 2nd most important quest launch ever, seeing as its the first concluded storyline, only beaten by WGS since it was the first GM and was a true biggy in development for more than a year.

 

Just because its only an experienced quest doesn't meen it's a small quest. I've seen people say they were genuinely moved by the storyline of this quest, can't wait to do it myself ^^

 

 

 

Summer's End concluded that storyline.

[Bauke]

So how good is the new agility course? Any data? Faster than Ape Atoll?

[Cooldude3910]

So how good is the new agility course? Any data? Faster than Ape Atoll?

 

I heard you can get about 50-60k/hr and that you fail a lot.

[Bauke]

So how good is the new agility course? Any data? Faster than Ape Atoll?

 

I heard you can get about 50-60k/hr and that you fail a lot.

 

So that would mean it's faster.. but more annoying.

[aspeeder]

oh sure, have a cave enterance right there :oops: , im finishing this thing up! :

[Tesset]

Man, I never knew how fun finishing a quest without a guide could be.

 

So, do we have info on what Zanik's crossbow's special does? I have a suspicion that it either stops healing or lowers defence, but does anyone know for certain?

[Sunli]

[hide=Spoiler!][/hide]

 

 

 

I really liked this quest - kudos to the team at Jagex and especially Mod John A for a nice finish on not only a humerous but also a moving and touching quest-serie! :

 

 

 

I must say this weapon will be interesting to test out:

 

[hide=Zanik's crossbow][/hide]

[Cooldude3910]

Lol @ the -5 prayer bonus

[khil01]

Loved the new quest, was expecting something bigger for 150 but i liked it.

 

 

 

Can someone help me with something, i got a granite mace drop (from an ork btw they do drop them) but on the ge they are worth 40k while people are offering 3mill, me having never done junk trading before, does anyone know a good junk i could get easy?

[Death]

After all the quests ive done, I have learnt its not about the reward, but the experience of doing the quest.

 

Once you learn to enjoy the quest and not rush through it to be the first to get the rewards, you will stop complaining about crappy rewards, because doing the quest in itself was reward enough.

 

 

 

I would personally complete every quest even if I got no reward whatsoever for doing them.

 

Its the experience of doing the quest, which I find being the reward. :

 

 

 

[Cooldude3910]

The street price is 3m? Isn't the mace the same as the maul?

[Misterknowitall]

What a annoying [cabbage] quest.

 

 

 

Investigate the nursery? Gg telling me what I need to search for.

 

You should read quest dialogues. They sometimes tell you what to do/look for.