Jump to content

Seers' Journal: 1st Edition - Formerly the Gielinor Tribune


unorclan

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 73
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

For those who can't see the images...

 

 

 

[hide=Text Version of the 1st Edition]bwbanner.png

 

[1st Edition] March 21st, 2009

 

 

 

divider.png

 

 

 

Introduction:

 

by Unorclan/Book

 

 

 

Welcome to the first edition of the Seers' Journal, formerly known as the Gielinor Tribune!

 

 

 

After many months of vacation, the old Gielinor Tribune management came back on the scene. We're ready to start afresh with new ideas, new staff members, and, most obviously, a new name! Many changes have taken place since we became the Seers' Journal, all of which I'm sure you'll enjoy.

 

 

 

I'll point out the obvious first: the new layout! With this new layout, you are able to click on any article in the content bar (left side) and it will link you directly to the article you clicked! This great new feature really organizes all the articles for easier reading and allows you to quickly choose which article you'd like to read without all the scrolling that was involved in our old layout.

 

 

 

But not just our look has changed; we also have many new Staff members on the team! In no particular order we have: Earthpoet (Columnist), Omnitec (Columnist/Comic Artist), Sir Hartlar (Advice Columnist), and Niperwiper (Graphic Designer/Columnist)! I'm sure you'll love all the works that come from our new Staff members!

 

 

 

We have also moved over to a new forum which can be viewed through this? link. Though much has changed, we still have the same promise the Gielinor Tribune had: "work hard to make the best, the most informative, the most entertaining, and the most enjoyable RuneScape newspaper out there and to always keep our reader's expectations."

 

 

 

I hope you enjoy the first edition of the Seers' Journal!

 

 

 

 

 

divider.png

 

 

 

The Chosen Commander Analysis

 

by Earthpoet

 

 

 

On Tuesday, Jagex released the anticipated 150th quest for Runescape, The Chosen Commander. The Chosen Commander marks the conclusion of the 5-part Dorgeshuun quest series. Accompanying the quest is a new story in the Lores and Histories section titled, The Chasm of Light, which discusses Zaniks curious meeting with Juna at the Tears of Guthix, and a new article on the history of the goblins in the KB section. The Jagex Store released a limited edition zip-hoodie to commemorate the conclusion of the Dorgeshuun series.

 

 

 

Previously, Jagex has released landmark quests to celebrate their 50th (Legends) and 100th (Recipe for Disaster) quests. Jagex posted, on their Twitter blog, a teaser of the 150 quest with a link to the Jagex store displaying the new clothing.

 

 

 

It is rumored that delays had pushed back the release date of the quest so Jagex could correct any bugs and ensure the quality of the content would be satisfactory. Players expectations grew higher for the new quest during the two-week gap with no updates prior to release. It had been over two months since the last quest was released.

 

 

 

The quest begins with the player investigating the possibility of H.A.M. soldiers secretly poisoning the children of Dorgeshuun. Zanik eventually reappears to aid you after mysteriously disappearing at the end of the Land of the Goblins quest. Bandos, the Big High War God, returns seeking revenge on the city of Dorgeshuun for disobeying and hiding from him. Zanik and the hero are then tasked to save the underground city from its doom.

 

 

 

The player is rewarded at the conclusion of the quest with experience points, a new crossbow and access to a new agility course. Another new weapon is available as an NPC drop as well.

 

 

 

The player communitys reaction has been fairly mixed, citing the low requirements and low rewards as an example of the poor qualities of the quest. The day after the release, the Bandos agility course was modified to reduce the amount of experience points gained for completing a lap, sending high agility players back to Ape Atoll.

 

 

 

Though the negative feedback for the rewards may seem justified, The Chosen Commander is a fun, and fairly easy quest to complete. The plot line runs smoothly and builds to an exciting climax to the story. For true lovers of quests, the storyline will not disappoint. The quest doesnt send the player out of their way to locate obscure items, or talk to distant NPCs merely for the sake of inconvenience. The quest is fluid with good dialogue, good cutscenes, and a couple of good new songs unlocked. If you do quests only to unlock rewards and areas then this quest will be far too long for you and can be skipped, but if you are interested in Bandos, and the history of the goblins, then this quest series is a must.

 

 

 

 

 

divider.png

 

 

 

Critical Analysis of March

 

by Omnitec

 

 

 

March has been a slow month so far, especially after the removal of Behind the Scenes, but why did Jagex suddenly stop releasing brilliant updates?

 

 

 

March began with a helpful update: the "deposit all" feature. Favoured by skillers, it proves to be a nice method of collecting resources by simply clicking one button to store all the items in your inventory, even what you're wearing. But the update getting its own news page seems to over escalate its importance. Does it really seem like a huge update that they've introduced a few small buttons which cut down on a couple of clicks while you're collecting a single resource? This update was accompanied with the introduction of:

 

 

 

1) A 1,000 gp limit to what you can drop in PVP combat.

 

2) An "Amount-risked" feature embedded within the Items Lost on Death interface.

 

3) A small sound update.

 

4) The removal of the "humidify" spell in Soul Wars.

 

5) An increase in the number of Red Chinchompas you can hunt.

 

 

 

The number of updates here seems to tell a different story than what is being shown. Yes, we have seen a considerable amount in one post, but they're mostly small fixes and removals. The early update on the 3rd of March seemed to give hope for an improved month to come, compared to February, but sadly this wasn't to be.

 

 

 

Until the 17th, updates weren't particularly related to the game: a wallpaper and a new story in Lores and Histories. It was getting to be quite a slow month. The removal of Behind the Scenes was beginning to take its toll on adventurers. However, the anticipation behind the introduction of the 150th quest was building.

 

 

 

Nearing the end of March came the end of the Dorgeshuun series, revealing our friend Zanik's final curtain for the goblin era. The six-quest series was brought to a close on the 17th of March 2009, earmarking the 150th quest to be created by the team. Mod John A gave a teary goodbye to his quest-child, whilst the rest of us continued as normal. Under the new leadership of Mark Gerhard, the quest brought the first sign of an actual update in March. Its arrival shocked many, and not just because of the surprise update.

 

 

 

The quest starts with the goblin city of Dorgesh-kaan. Our goblin friends were speculating their usual H.A.M worries, fearing the organization had poisoned the children. The rest of the quest focused on Zanik's return from Yu'biusk and the reign of Bandos flooding down upon the goblins. I decided to complete the quest on the day of release as it was the 150th. I thought I might be well rewarded for completing it. However, after finishing, it all seemed a little under par, and not just the rewards. Considering the big build up that escalated around numerous forums for the 150th quest, and especially after the release of 'While Guthix Sleeps', this quest comes up short.

 

 

 

Yes, it is the end of an era for Goblin quests. It had confrontation with Bandos and it wasn't an overly boring quest, but I expected more. The 150th quest was rumoured to even be a possible sequel to 'While Guthix Sleeps' or the release of another Grandmaster quest. Most questers agreed it was going to be something special from Jagex. Yet, the quest seemed a little amateur, not something you could get your teeth into and say "Wow, Jagex really did well today." It seemed more like "Dude, where's my quest?!" It was a long build up to an under par quest.

 

 

 

Mark Gerhard dubs 2009 as the year of renovation, one which takes what we know and love and improves it whilst rewarding players with new updates. So far, for February and March, we've seen a minigame physically closed, interfaces tweaked slightly and an entire news post just on how we walk with a small lag. It all seems too patronising. Why has the flow of updates suddenly stopped? It all seems somewhat improvised from here on in, as we don't know whats coming at all. Is that what they want us to think? Maybe it was the wrong choice to take out Behind the Scenes. The flow of updates seems to have subsided dramatically with its removal. I remember the promise of bringing Development Diaries back, but where are they?

 

 

 

I loved Behind the Scenes. I had something to look forward to, when I knew exactly what Jagex was planning, and how the progress was going. Its removal makes it seem like Jagex doesn't know where it's heading, and players now have to look in different areas for information on what is happening. This could be beneficial for the future, as future surprise updates can prove to be more appreciated and wanted than those we know are going to happen. But for March, evidence of this is yet to be seen.

 

 

 

So, with a few more days to go as of this edition, will Jagex pull out the stops for this month, or will they continue the slow trickle already shown? This writer supports them in avoiding the latter, and hopes that April will be more beneficial to the game. I just hope March isn't an indicator for the rest of 2009.

 

 

 

divider.png

 

 

 

The 10 Most Important Moments in Runescape

 

by Earthpoet

 

 

 

Runescape has a lot of history, both in the game and out of it. How does one compile a list of the most important moments? The first question you have to ask is: What impact did it have in the direction of the game and its players? Did it create a buzz among the community? Did it force players and developers alike to rethink how the game is played? Certainly, a list of this magnitude would have to be based on perception, but I feel these are a few moments in the game you should consider if it changed the way you play.

 

 

 

 

 

10. The God Wars

 

 

 

The God Wars dungeon explored the possibilities of team play. It was the largest dungeon of its kind, and certainly the most difficult to master. This dungeon was not for the meek, but those who did brave the forgotten caverns had the possibility of obtaining a myriad of valuable drops.

 

 

 

The dungeon didnt only cater to cooperative play. High-level slayers could be found poaching Spiritual Mages for their valuable Dragon Boots. Rangers killed aviansies for high rewards training.

 

 

 

The God Wars dungeon also laid insight to an interesting background and history of Gielinor. This dungeon continues to be one of the most dangerous, and most rewarding challenges in the game today.

 

 

 

9. The Old Nite

 

 

 

We know the big names in Runescape, but there is one that lives on as a legend. The Old Nite was known for his exemplary behavior as well as the number 2 player in Runescape. It wasnt his levels or achievements that set him apart, but the example he set to the Runescape community. The Old Nite sadly passed away in 2006, and left a legacy in the game. Urban legends in the game have popped up about a gravestone in level 13 Wilderness that has been placed as a tribute. I cant comment on whether these rumors are true or not, but the fact that so many players wish to believe it is true is a testament to how he touched the community.

 

 

 

The Old Nite may be gone, but he lives on in tribute. He proved that, even in a video game, there are real-life heroes.

 

 

 

8. The Party Hat Dupe

 

 

 

Any programmer worth their salt will tell you bugs are inevitable. All you can do is try your best to catch the biggest ones and hope to correct the ones you miss. One player, SixFeetUnder, discovered a bug that even Jagex stated, its taken over 10,000 combined years of Runescape playing for anyone to find it.

 

 

 

The bug allowed SixFeetUnder to send commands to the server and allowed him to create new items in his inventory. The bug got leaked, and then things got a little chaotic. Prices of rare items plummeted. The bug got so out of hand that on November 7, 2003, Jagex issued a public statement offering any player a reward to step forward and show the developers how the bug abuse worked.

 

 

 

It is reported that Jagex banned SixFeetUnder, and several others involved, but did not remove all of the duped items in the game, nor performed a rollback. Some believe the incident still has an impact on the economy. The pink partyhat (now known as purple) was at the time the most expensive item in the game. After the incident was resolved, the duped items were left in the game and this partyhat, while still considered valuable, dropped to become the cheapest of the six partyhats.

 

 

 

7. Runescape HD

 

 

 

Runescape players have a history of defending the game in spite of its graphics. They have often had to overcompensate this by praising the depth of content, the intricate storylines, and the freedom of play. After years of being referred to as WoWs ugly sister with a nice personality, it was only a matter of time before Jagex took action.

 

 

 

Coming off the heels of their most controversial updates was probably one of their most welcomed updates to the game. On July 1, 2008, Jagex released a Beta version of Runescape featured in high detail. The features included better graphics, more fluent motions, and an optional full-screen mode.

 

 

 

Runescape maintained its appeal of low spec requirements on a browser-based client, but the HD version offered a more pleasing environment, and a more enjoyable game to play.

 

 

 

6. Zezima Fever!

 

 

 

It would be hard to conduct this list without mentioning one of the games most famous players (and believe me, I tried). He was the first player to max out all of the available skills (1980) and he held the number one spot on the hi-scores for longer than any other player.

 

 

 

But do stats and hi-scores earn the right to be in history? Nope. What sets Zezima apart is his influence in the game. With countless videos spotting Zezima, RS wedding videos, throngs of players surrounding his every move, and even a Zezima Girl video parodying the Obama Girl song, its hard to comprehend the level of fame this character has earned. Im sure youve heard the rumors. Here are a few of my favorites:

 

 

 

Zezima is a Chinese child slave chained to his chair and forced to play Runescape.

 

Zezima is an old lady living alone with 100 cats.

 

Zezima doesnt exist. Hes merely a creation of Jagex to encourage players to addictively play and try to catch him.

 

 

 

With all of the wild speculation about this player, its almost disappointing to discover he is actually just a nice guy who happened to enjoy Runescape. It reminds me of a scene in the movie, Forrest Gump, where Gump is running back and forth across the United States. Crowds soon take notice and begin following him everywhere he went, asking if he was running for world peace or the homeless. Gump replied, I just felt like running.

 

 

 

Love him or hate him, you probably know his name, and have seen the impact he has had on others. Ive seen almost as many variations of Zezima names as I have Link, or Legolas, and thats why Zezima deserves his spot in the top ten.

 

 

 

STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT EDITION OF SEERS' JOURNAL WHEN WE'LL REVEAL THE TOP FIVE MOST IMPORTANT R.S. MOMENTS OF ALL TIME!

 

 

 

divider.png

 

 

 

A Vicious Rant on The Bandos Agility Nerf

 

by Niperwiper

 

 

 

On March 17, 2009, Jagex released "The Chosen Commander," its 150th quest. Upon its completion, a new area called the "Bandos Throne Room" is unlocked. This room contains several new NPC's to fight and an agility course, which although is unnamed and still not even in the Agility Guide in-game, I will dub it as the "Bandos Agility Course."

 

 

 

On its release day, the course offered 600 agility, 250 strength, and 250 range experience per lap. Estimates of 30-40 seconds being taken per lap were recorded; therefore, the course could potentially generate 72k agility, 30k strength, and 30k range experience per hour. At the slower speed of 40 seconds, it could potentially generate 54k agility, 22.5k strength, and 22.5k range experience per hour.

 

 

 

However, and this is a big however people, the failure rate of the course was very high. Even those at 99 agility were reporting falling up to five times an hour, and those at 80 were falling one out of every three times. At 74 agility myself, even after eating a summer pie, I would find myself slipping and falling on the middle statue, the hardest obstacle on the course, up to 10 times in a row sometimes. Failure causes you to have to restart the entire course. Not only that, but unlike other courses such as Ape Atoll, nearly all your experience per lap is acquired at the final grapple. All of this comes together to mean that failing an obstacle greatly reduces your experience rate.

 

 

 

This high failure rate made the course inferior, in most respects, to the existing courses for nearly all levels in terms of just agility. But if one wanted to train range and strength on the side, then at high levels, perhaps 85 agility and up, this course was ideal. Good experience rates for training range without chins are between 30 and 50k xp/hr. Compare that to the maximum rates of training on the Bandos Agility Course, and you can see the great utility that could have been attained from training here.

 

 

 

But apparently Jagex screwed up. The next day, the course was changed, with the following message:

 

 

 

Hi,

 

 

 

Earlier today, we made some alterations to the new Bandos agility course.

 

 

 

With a requirement of level 60 Agility, we intended it to be a great course for players around and just above this level. At higher levels, we'd hope that people would then consider other courses, as after all, no-one wants to run around the same course for too long and it's always nice to have a change of scenery.

 

 

 

Our intention was that at level 60, this course would be just slightly underneath the existing Werewolf course, and at level 65, this course would excel, giving you a better rate of XP than the popular Ape Atoll course. However, that benefit is capped, as once you're an expert at the course, you can't get any better than perfection. Once you reach slightly higher levels such as 70, you'll find the Ape Atoll course is once again the best in terms of rate of XP. Obviously, which course is best for you also depends a little on your relative skill on each course and your preference for which environment you enjoy.

 

 

 

We tested all the courses to see how fast they can be completed and calculated the XP which we would need to give to achieve this band within which the new Bandos course is the best. Unfortunately, the change from the original development value to the new calculated value was missed, resulting in the course being the best in the game from level 60 onwards.

 

 

 

We don't want to make all the other great courses redundant, so we have corrected the value. We are sorry for this oversight and apologise for any disappointment caused.

 

 

 

Finally, we would like to thank you all for your awesome feedback regarding The Chosen Commander. As always, we take your feedback very seriously and are pleased that the majority of you enjoyed the quest.

 

For the record, it really annoys me that they don't post updates like these on the Front Page. But let's get into this message.

 

 

 

First of all, how is it remotely possible that Jagex even has Quality Assurance playtesters? I'm beginning to think that they just code things, run through it a few times to make sure it looks like what they coded, and then release it to the public. I say that because there is absolutely NO WAY the playtesting team could not have picked up on the exorbitant failure rate associated with the course's experience rate.

 

 

 

The reason it was balanced was because it had such a high rate of failure. You'd sacrifice agility experience, compared to other courses, in order to attain a respectable range and strength experience rate at the same time. Many people hate training these skills for various reasons, so this combination was ideal.

 

 

 

We tested all the courses to see how fast they can be completed and calculated the XP which we would need to give to achieve this band within which the new Bandos course is the best. Unfortunately, the change from the original development value to the new calculated value was missed, resulting in the course being the best in the game from level 60 onwards.

 

This quote REALLY gets on my nerves, as it shows the playtesters have absolutely no idea how to gauge the game experience. Anyone else see the problem here just from what I just said? Yes, from level 60 onwards this course would be faster than any other course out there. But apparently they totally forgot about the failure rate of the course. This completely changes how good the course is and you absolutely can NOT depend on the raw data of just the experience maximums to decide where to place this course. Failing an obstacle significantly decreases experience times and the failure of Jagex to recognize this has made this course a joke.

 

 

 

It now offers 380 agility, 125 strength, and 125 range experience per lap. Let's run through our numbers again. You're familiar with how I do these, so I'll just spit them out. Top speed: 45.6k agility, 15k range and strength xp/hr. Low speed: 34.2k agility, 11.25k range and strength xp/hr. But guess what? The failure rates have hardly changed. Nice work. I never saw that coming. Now it might be handy for a couple of levels in the 60's, but you're not in that level range too long in any case, now are you?

 

 

 

 

 

Jagex Mod Paul said recently:

 

Yes I agree that there should be updates for people in the level 80 to 99 level range, but I still think it's not unreasonable for us to call level 70 updates high level.

 

 

 

I bet Jagex is patting themselves on the back now for making this course awesome for those high levels who still swim in the Ape Atoll rivers. You didn't benefit the high levels with this one Jagex; you crushed the first decent update for us that's been introduced in a long time. All the latest training methods you have introduced are supplementary to skills, distractions and diversions from the real training. On Tuesday, we were teased with the sight of a real new way to train a couple of skills, and just like that it vanishes.

 

 

 

This course was never meant to be a low level course, as this latest nerf claims it was. Anyone can see that from just looking at the xp/lap rates of the other courses and comparing their speeds and failure rates. This course was the gift for those people in the upper 80's to 90's training agility, a way to change THEIR scenery that they must see far more than any low level. It didn't unbalance them; it offered a great CHOICE rather than a replacement, which is so rarely seen in the Agility skill. It was meant to be a high level course and 60-70, regardless of what Jagex says, is not a high level in Runescape.

 

 

 

Maybe they've been playing too much WoW. A poll conducted on the Truthscape forums revealed that only 8% of its members believe 60 - 70 is a high level in a skill. 75% of them believed high level is at or between 80 and 90. You finally had it right Jagex, you finally introduced a good high level update, balanced to the other courses, balanced to experience rates, and balanced to Agility fans. But it was too much for you to keep that around somehow. Perhaps I wouldn't be so angry if you had only nerfed the range and strength experience of the course, since that would have been logical and still provided a decent amount of experience for not even training those skills. But alas I can never expect so much, can I? Thanks, yet again, for nothing.

 

 

 

divider.png

 

 

 

Mountains of Gold, Anyone?

 

by Sir Hartlar

 

 

 

It is arguably the most frequently asked question in the game how can I make money? We all know the generic responses to this, whether it be to spend hours at the God Wars Dungeon to work your way to millions or raise your Runecrafting level sufficiently so that you can craft two nature runes with one essence. Hell, some may even suggest you try dancing for coins in Varrock square! Finding a good method of making money can be difficult, and at times frustrating. If you cant log on for hours at a time to kill Zilyana in hope of that hilt then you will need a few ways to make a little bit of money every day. Remember, it all adds up.

 

 

 

The first thing I am going to suggest to you is Manage Thy Kingdom. This minigame is available to you after the completion of the Throne of Miscellania quest and is best used after completion of the Royal Trouble quest. To access the real rewards this can offer you, I would recommend you have a starting cash pile of 750k plus an extra 75k per day you want to reap the rewards of your kingdom. After youve put the money in the coffers, raise your favour to 100% by chopping maples or mining coal and begin to watch your cash pile grow. Returning everyday to top your favour back up to 100% will ensure maximum profit. Currently the best items to have your workers collect are raw fish and then coal. These will provide you with a profit of around 125k a day, for only five minutes work. This can fluctuate, however, so I recommend you use the calculator here to ensure you can receive the most out of this game.

 

http://runescape.wikia.com/wiki/Calculators/Miscellania

 

 

 

Another way to increase your cash pile is by taking advantage of the battlestaves you can buy from Zaff daily, for a reduced price. After completing the Varrock Achievement Diary, you can purchase 64 battlestaves a day for only 7,000 gp. By investing 448k every day, you will get a profit of around 64k. Combine this with your MTK earnings, and you are already up to 190k for fifteen minutes of running around.

 

 

 

Whilst we are on the subject of low price items purchasable every day, allow me to point your head in the direction of Catherby. More specifically, the amiable Arhein and his limited stock of pineapples and seaweed. He will sell you 80 pieces of seaweed at the price of 2 gp and 40 pineapples at the same cost. This will add another 20k to your cash pile once sold and you will now find that in less than thirty minutes you will have reached just over 200k from these three activities alone.

 

 

 

Your second from last stop will be in the flax fields of Seers Village. After completing the hard tasks of the Seers Diary, Geoffrey will give you 120 noted flax for free. This is a further 9k to add to your pile!

 

 

 

If youve completed the Hand in the Sand quest, youll know that Bert will give you 84 buckets of sand every day for free. Not only that, but the annoyance of running to and from the bank can be forgotten during this activity as he is kind enough to deposit them straight into your account for you! At 134 gp each, youll be looking at a further 11k to add to your cash pile which now amounts to 230k.

 

 

 

I know what youre all thinking, but before you write these methods off as nothing more than petty cash, let me show you just how much you could be missing out on:

 

 

 

230k a day,

 

1.6m a week,

 

6.4m a month,

 

77m a year.

 

 

 

Of course, you could forget about the money aspect of things during these activities and use them as an opportunity to get some cheap experience. The sand, seaweed and battlestaves are just crying to be crafted together and the pineapples will fill two compost bins to the brim. You could choose instead to let your workers collect maple logs for you to burn, or maybe some herbs to make a few potions. Another advantage of doing these activities is that you will be seeing more of the Runescape world, so who knows when youll run into a disguised penguin or a meteorite?

 

 

 

These methods wont earn you millions quickly, and are by no means a replacement for those sure fire methods like runite mining and green dragon hunting, but instead they provide you with a quick boost that will help you build your stockpiles of gold. In the year that Jagex has labelled as the update year, why not update your Runescape habits and give your character's cash pile a modest boost? You wont be buying party hats and godswords with this type of money, but your concerns may be shifted away from the gold coin side of the game just a bit.

 

 

 

divider.png

 

 

 

ForsakenMage Interview

 

by Unorclan/Book

 

 

 

ForsakenMage is currently a Global Moderator on the Tip.it Forums and is famous for her eight level 99 skills - all completed in F2P.

 

 

 

So, ForsakenMage, about how long have you been playing RuneScape?

 

 

 

A: I've been playing for almost eight years now. I started in late April 2001 after being introduced to the game by my younger brother, who was introduced to the game by a close friend of his.

 

 

 

In your many years of playing RS, have you ever been P2P?

 

 

 

A: Unfortunately no.

 

 

 

Unfortunately?

 

 

 

A: Sometimes I feel I'm missing out on what the game has the offer. With the fact that it's constantly being updated, I know that I have even more things to "worry" about working on if I ever do join P2P. I'm a real stickler when it comes to completing tasks, so seeing the growing list of quests and achievement diaries kind of bothers me. If I ever do get P2P, chances are I'll be leveling up some of the skills first before I attempt to complete the quests. Another thing would be the fact that I feel bad missing out on my friends' level 99 P2P skill celebrations, or even just participating in mini-games.

 

 

 

Could you tell us a little more why you didn't get P2P in the beginning?

 

 

 

A: When P2P first came out, I had no means of obtaining some sort of financial support for myself, being too young to have job or being too busy to even get one. I didn't want to ask my parents to help me get members because I knew they'd say no to paying a monthly fee for a game, even though it was only $5.00. I decided to just take the game as it was, and perhaps use it as a way of challenging myself. I saw how P2P made the game easier in terms of leveling and thought that maybe I could do things the hard way to make my goals seem more worthwhile. This is probably the only thing that keeps me from taking out my credit card right now to pay for members. :P

 

 

 

 

 

Alright, so everyone knows about all those 99 skills you have - but what your first skill that you trained to 99 and how long did it take you?

 

 

 

A: My first skill I trained to 99 was woodcutting. Unfortunately, it took a lot longer than I wanted to, over several months to a year from level 85 in fact. My attention span at the time was pretty short, so I ended up alternating between training for 99 woodcutting and 99 defense.

 

 

 

What was your favorite skill to train to 99? Is that your favorite skill out of them all?

 

 

 

A: I would have to say defense was my favorite skill to train 99. For some odd reason, when I started to try a hand at player killing on RuneScape Classic, I wasn't able to hit my opponent on any mode other than defensive. This stuck for a while through RuneScape 2, but now it's more or less been adjusted to normal standards. Must've been a fluke I suppose. :P What I liked about training defense was just the fact that I didn't have to deal with taking so many hits from the NPCs as I did with training attack and strength. It's definitely my favorite skill, mostly because it allows me to pick and choose more appropriate armor with better ease when required, and of course its main purpose of lessening some of the damage taken. :)

 

 

 

Alright, now lets talk about today - what are your current goals for Runescape?

 

 

 

A: Right now I'm working on getting 70 Runecrafting and 99 Range. It has not been an easy road since I got 99 Fishing last year due to some financial responsibilities. For the moment, I'm working on Runecrafting, so if you're ever on World 7 you'll see me running between Falador East Bank and the Air Altar. :P

 

 

 

How did you first find out about Tip.it?

 

 

 

A: In the days of old and long gone, Jagex had links on their website to major fansites with ratings besides them. For some reason or another, I chose Tip.it, which carried a "silver star" ranking at the time instead of this other fansite that had a "gold star" rating. I found that the guides were easier to read, and the Tip.it community itself was rather open and relaxed.

 

 

 

When did you become a Moderator of the forums?

 

 

 

A: I first became a moderator for TIF on October 7, 2002. I was then the youngest person to have joined the staff at the time. It was pretty funny to say the very least. There was a post for applications at the time, and after some gentle prodding from some of the current staff at the time, I decided to give it a shot. I was such a little spammer back then so I was really hesitant about it. :P I became a global moderator shortly after, and then became an administrator in early 2004. Unfortunately, due to personal reasons, I requested to drop back down to Global Moderator, and later down to Local Moderator. College had kept me pretty busy, so I wasn't able to moderate as much as I would have. Now that I've graduated from college, I have some more time on my hands. :)

 

 

 

What would you say is your most memorable moment in Runescape?

 

 

 

A: My most memorable moment in RuneScape would be when I got my first party hat on RuneScape Classic. It was a green one that I had bought with three rune ores from a close friend of mine. To this day I still have it. :)

 

 

 

Ever been very tempted to sell that party hat? If not, why do you think you've been so adamant to keep it no matter what?

 

 

 

A: There were a few times where I was tempted, but held back because of the sentimental value there was there. The same went for the rest of my discontinued items. Some have said that I'm rich monetarily, but I think I'm rich in the sense of friendship and the memories connected to the items than the monetary value in them.

 

 

 

Have you ever been active in any clans? If so, tell us a little about your experience with clans.

 

 

 

A: I've been in a couple of clans over the years of playing the game. I first started in Silver Foxes (2001), and then joined Black Dragon Knights in January 2002. Due to some leadership and rule changes of the clan, I left BDK and joined Kill on Sight in February of 2002. I stayed with KoS, reaching into the leadership ranks, and then retiring in the summer of 2004. I finally joined 'The' Clan, where I found myself engaged in assisting in creating the clan high scores as the Clan Statician (before RuneHead's high scores came about). I later joined 'The''s Council and became a leader for their junior clan, 'The' Futures. It was in 'The' that I learned a lot of about clan wars and public relations. I am currently a "Heroic Knight" in the clan, which pretty much means I'm a retired member, but remain with them in events when called upon if able.

 

 

 

So let's talk some about outside of the game. It looks like you're an active author in the Varrock Library, can you tell us a little about that?

 

 

 

A: Role playing when I was younger had inspired me to get into story writing. Most of my stories are not Runescape fanfiction, but I try to write a little something for the game now and again (the latest one being "Saradomin's Sun," which has been published in the Tip.it Times for the month of February). These days I'm suffering from writer's block, so it's been hard to try to continue on this one particular story I have, "The Doubt and Assurance of Things." Hopefully a muse will come along soon!

 

 

 

Well thank you very much for taking your time to answer these questions, I wish you goodluck in your goals on RuneScape and with your creative writing!

 

 

 

divider.png

 

 

 

Seers' Journal Comic & Games!

 

by Omnitec

 

 

 

28kujol.png

 

 

 

mbn2pd.png

 

 

 

divider.png

 

 

 

Credits

 

 

 

Our Staff

 

Junka666 (Founder)

 

Unorclan/Book (Editor-in-Chief)

 

Randox (Manager)

 

Skill_caster (Manager)

 

Leaf (Lead Consultant)

 

Earthpoet (Columnist)

 

Niperwiper (Graphic Designer/Columnist)

 

Omnitec (Comic Artist/Columnist)

 

Sir Hartlar (Advice Columnist)

 

 

 

The "Did You Know" Section

 

Kinggabe, Sadukar123, Teh1andonly1, Tracker4502, Withered Laurels, Wkw427, and the rest of the TruthScape community! Thank you![/hide]

unorclanpixelsigzu1.png

Thanks to the amazing talent of Jopie211 for the sig!

Finest Fist of Guthix Strategy Guide

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You can post more than one image per post you know.

 

LOL! That's the best reply I've ever seen. If you look closely, each image is made up of 25-30 smaller images to allow the navigation bars and links within the images to work on forums. You can't, sadly, put 400 images in one post.

 

 

 

Anyway, for those of you having trouble with the first page. I will place the text-only version of the articles here as well

 

 

 

[hide=Text Version of the 1st Edition]bwbanner.png

 

March 21st, 2009

 

 

 

divider.png

 

 

 

Introduction:

 

by Unorclan/Book

 

 

 

Welcome to the first edition of the Seers' Journal, formerly known as the Gielinor Tribune!

 

 

 

After many months of vacation, the old Gielinor Tribune management came back on the scene. We're ready to start afresh with new ideas, new staff members, and, most obviously, a new name! Many changes have taken place since we became the Seers' Journal, all of which I'm sure you'll enjoy.

 

 

 

I'll point out the obvious first: the new layout! With this new layout, you are able to click on any article in the content bar (left side) and it will link you directly to the article you clicked! This great new feature really organizes all the articles for easier reading and allows you to quickly choose which article you'd like to read without all the scrolling that was involved in our old layout.

 

 

 

But not just our look has changed; we also have many new Staff members on the team! In no particular order we have: Earthpoet (Columnist), Omnitec (Columnist/Comic Artist), Sir Hartlar (Advice Columnist), and Niperwiper (Graphic Designer/Columnist)! I'm sure you'll love all the works that come from our new Staff members!

 

 

 

We have also moved over to a new forum which can be viewed through this? link. Though much has changed, we still have the same promise the Gielinor Tribune had: "work hard to make the best, the most informative, the most entertaining, and the most enjoyable RuneScape newspaper out there and to always keep our reader's expectations."

 

 

 

I hope you enjoy the first edition of the Seers' Journal!

 

 

 

 

 

divider.png

 

 

 

The Chosen Commander Analysis

 

by Earthpoet

 

 

 

On Tuesday, Jagex released the anticipated 150th quest for Runescape, The Chosen Commander. The Chosen Commander marks the conclusion of the 5-part Dorgeshuun quest series. Accompanying the quest is a new story in the Lores and Histories section titled, The Chasm of Light, which discusses Zaniks curious meeting with Juna at the Tears of Guthix, and a new article on the history of the goblins in the KB section. The Jagex Store released a limited edition zip-hoodie to commemorate the conclusion of the Dorgeshuun series.

 

 

 

Previously, Jagex has released landmark quests to celebrate their 50th (Legends) and 100th (Recipe for Disaster) quests. Jagex posted, on their Twitter blog, a teaser of the 150 quest with a link to the Jagex store displaying the new clothing.

 

 

 

It is rumored that delays had pushed back the release date of the quest so Jagex could correct any bugs and ensure the quality of the content would be satisfactory. Players expectations grew higher for the new quest during the two-week gap with no updates prior to release. It had been over two months since the last quest was released.

 

 

 

The quest begins with the player investigating the possibility of H.A.M. soldiers secretly poisoning the children of Dorgeshuun. Zanik eventually reappears to aid you after mysteriously disappearing at the end of the Land of the Goblins quest. Bandos, the Big High War God, returns seeking revenge on the city of Dorgeshuun for disobeying and hiding from him. Zanik and the hero are then tasked to save the underground city from its doom.

 

 

 

The player is rewarded at the conclusion of the quest with experience points, a new crossbow and access to a new agility course. Another new weapon is available as an NPC drop as well.

 

 

 

The player communitys reaction has been fairly mixed, citing the low requirements and low rewards as an example of the poor qualities of the quest. The day after the release, the Bandos agility course was modified to reduce the amount of experience points gained for completing a lap, sending high agility players back to Ape Atoll.

 

 

 

Though the negative feedback for the rewards may seem justified, The Chosen Commander is a fun, and fairly easy quest to complete. The plot line runs smoothly and builds to an exciting climax to the story. For true lovers of quests, the storyline will not disappoint. The quest doesnt send the player out of their way to locate obscure items, or talk to distant NPCs merely for the sake of inconvenience. The quest is fluid with good dialogue, good cutscenes, and a couple of good new songs unlocked. If you do quests only to unlock rewards and areas then this quest will be far too long for you and can be skipped, but if you are interested in Bandos, and the history of the goblins, then this quest series is a must.

 

 

 

 

 

divider.png

 

 

 

Critical Analysis of March

 

by Omnitec

 

 

 

March has been a slow month so far, especially after the removal of Behind the Scenes, but why did Jagex suddenly stop releasing brilliant updates?

 

 

 

March began with a helpful update: the "deposit all" feature. Favoured by skillers, it proves to be a nice method of collecting resources by simply clicking one button to store all the items in your inventory, even what you're wearing. But the update getting its own news page seems to over escalate its importance. Does it really seem like a huge update that they've introduced a few small buttons which cut down on a couple of clicks while you're collecting a single resource? This update was accompanied with the introduction of:

 

 

 

1) A 1,000 gp limit to what you can drop in PVP combat.

 

2) An "Amount-risked" feature embedded within the Items Lost on Death interface.

 

3) A small sound update.

 

4) The removal of the "humidify" spell in Soul Wars.

 

5) An increase in the number of Red Chinchompas you can hunt.

 

 

 

The number of updates here seems to tell a different story than what is being shown. Yes, we have seen a considerable amount in one post, but they're mostly small fixes and removals. The early update on the 3rd of March seemed to give hope for an improved month to come, compared to February, but sadly this wasn't to be.

 

 

 

Until the 17th, updates weren't particularly related to the game: a wallpaper and a new story in Lores and Histories. It was getting to be quite a slow month. The removal of Behind the Scenes was beginning to take its toll on adventurers. However, the anticipation behind the introduction of the 150th quest was building.

 

 

 

Nearing the end of March came the end of the Dorgeshuun series, revealing our friend Zanik's final curtain for the goblin era. The six-quest series was brought to a close on the 17th of March 2009, earmarking the 150th quest to be created by the team. Mod John A gave a teary goodbye to his quest-child, whilst the rest of us continued as normal. Under the new leadership of Mark Gerhard, the quest brought the first sign of an actual update in March. Its arrival shocked many, and not just because of the surprise update.

 

 

 

The quest starts with the goblin city of Dorgesh-kaan. Our goblin friends were speculating their usual H.A.M worries, fearing the organization had poisoned the children. The rest of the quest focused on Zanik's return from Yu'biusk and the reign of Bandos flooding down upon the goblins. I decided to complete the quest on the day of release as it was the 150th. I thought I might be well rewarded for completing it. However, after finishing, it all seemed a little under par, and not just the rewards. Considering the big build up that escalated around numerous forums for the 150th quest, and especially after the release of 'While Guthix Sleeps', this quest comes up short.

 

 

 

Yes, it is the end of an era for Goblin quests. It had confrontation with Bandos and it wasn't an overly boring quest, but I expected more. The 150th quest was rumoured to even be a possible sequel to 'While Guthix Sleeps' or the release of another Grandmaster quest. Most questers agreed it was going to be something special from Jagex. Yet, the quest seemed a little amateur, not something you could get your teeth into and say "Wow, Jagex really did well today." It seemed more like "Dude, where's my quest?!" It was a long build up to an under par quest.

 

 

 

Mark Gerhard dubs 2009 as the year of renovation, one which takes what we know and love and improves it whilst rewarding players with new updates. So far, for February and March, we've seen a minigame physically closed, interfaces tweaked slightly and an entire news post just on how we walk with a small lag. It all seems too patronising. Why has the flow of updates suddenly stopped? It all seems somewhat improvised from here on in, as we don't know whats coming at all. Is that what they want us to think? Maybe it was the wrong choice to take out Behind the Scenes. The flow of updates seems to have subsided dramatically with its removal. I remember the promise of bringing Development Diaries back, but where are they?

 

 

 

I loved Behind the Scenes. I had something to look forward to, when I knew exactly what Jagex was planning, and how the progress was going. Its removal makes it seem like Jagex doesn't know where it's heading, and players now have to look in different areas for information on what is happening. This could be beneficial for the future, as future surprise updates can prove to be more appreciated and wanted than those we know are going to happen. But for March, evidence of this is yet to be seen.

 

 

 

So, with a few more days to go as of this edition, will Jagex pull out the stops for this month, or will they continue the slow trickle already shown? This writer supports them in avoiding the latter, and hopes that April will be more beneficial to the game. I just hope March isn't an indicator for the rest of 2009.

 

 

 

divider.png

 

 

 

The 10 Most Important Moments in Runescape

 

by Earthpoet

 

 

 

Runescape has a lot of history, both in the game and out of it. How does one compile a list of the most important moments? The first question you have to ask is: What impact did it have in the direction of the game and its players? Did it create a buzz among the community? Did it force players and developers alike to rethink how the game is played? Certainly, a list of this magnitude would have to be based on perception, but I feel these are a few moments in the game you should consider if it changed the way you play.

 

 

 

 

 

10. The God Wars

 

 

 

The God Wars dungeon explored the possibilities of team play. It was the largest dungeon of its kind, and certainly the most difficult to master. This dungeon was not for the meek, but those who did brave the forgotten caverns had the possibility of obtaining a myriad of valuable drops.

 

 

 

The dungeon didnt only cater to cooperative play. High-level slayers could be found poaching Spiritual Mages for their valuable Dragon Boots. Rangers killed aviansies for high rewards training.

 

 

 

The God Wars dungeon also laid insight to an interesting background and history of Gielinor. This dungeon continues to be one of the most dangerous, and most rewarding challenges in the game today.

 

 

 

9. The Old Nite

 

 

 

We know the big names in Runescape, but there is one that lives on as a legend. The Old Nite was known for his exemplary behavior as well as the number 2 player in Runescape. It wasnt his levels or achievements that set him apart, but the example he set to the Runescape community. The Old Nite sadly passed away in 2006, and left a legacy in the game. Urban legends in the game have popped up about a gravestone in level 13 Wilderness that has been placed as a tribute. I cant comment on whether these rumors are true or not, but the fact that so many players wish to believe it is true is a testament to how he touched the community.

 

 

 

The Old Nite may be gone, but he lives on in tribute. He proved that, even in a video game, there are real-life heroes.

 

 

 

8. The Party Hat Dupe

 

 

 

Any programmer worth their salt will tell you bugs are inevitable. All you can do is try your best to catch the biggest ones and hope to correct the ones you miss. One player, SixFeetUnder, discovered a bug that even Jagex stated, its taken over 10,000 combined years of Runescape playing for anyone to find it.

 

 

 

The bug allowed SixFeetUnder to send commands to the server and allowed him to create new items in his inventory. The bug got leaked, and then things got a little chaotic. Prices of rare items plummeted. The bug got so out of hand that on November 7, 2003, Jagex issued a public statement offering any player a reward to step forward and show the developers how the bug abuse worked.

 

 

 

It is reported that Jagex banned SixFeetUnder, and several others involved, but did not remove all of the duped items in the game, nor performed a rollback. Some believe the incident still has an impact on the economy. The pink partyhat (now known as purple) was at the time the most expensive item in the game. After the incident was resolved, the duped items were left in the game and this partyhat, while still considered valuable, dropped to become the cheapest of the six partyhats.

 

 

 

7. Runescape HD

 

 

 

Runescape players have a history of defending the game in spite of its graphics. They have often had to overcompensate this by praising the depth of content, the intricate storylines, and the freedom of play. After years of being referred to as WoWs ugly sister with a nice personality, it was only a matter of time before Jagex took action.

 

 

 

Coming off the heels of their most controversial updates was probably one of their most welcomed updates to the game. On July 1, 2008, Jagex released a Beta version of Runescape featured in high detail. The features included better graphics, more fluent motions, and an optional full-screen mode.

 

 

 

Runescape maintained its appeal of low spec requirements on a browser-based client, but the HD version offered a more pleasing environment, and a more enjoyable game to play.

 

 

 

6. Zezima Fever!

 

 

 

It would be hard to conduct this list without mentioning one of the games most famous players (and believe me, I tried). He was the first player to max out all of the available skills (1980) and he held the number one spot on the hi-scores for longer than any other player.

 

 

 

But do stats and hi-scores earn the right to be in history? Nope. What sets Zezima apart is his influence in the game. With countless videos spotting Zezima, RS wedding videos, throngs of players surrounding his every move, and even a Zezima Girl video parodying the Obama Girl song, its hard to comprehend the level of fame this character has earned. Im sure youve heard the rumors. Here are a few of my favorites:

 

 

 

Zezima is a Chinese child slave chained to his chair and forced to play Runescape.

 

Zezima is an old lady living alone with 100 cats.

 

Zezima doesnt exist. Hes merely a creation of Jagex to encourage players to addictively play and try to catch him.

 

 

 

With all of the wild speculation about this player, its almost disappointing to discover he is actually just a nice guy who happened to enjoy Runescape. It reminds me of a scene in the movie, Forrest Gump, where Gump is running back and forth across the United States. Crowds soon take notice and begin following him everywhere he went, asking if he was running for world peace or the homeless. Gump replied, I just felt like running.

 

 

 

Love him or hate him, you probably know his name, and have seen the impact he has had on others. Ive seen almost as many variations of Zezima names as I have Link, or Legolas, and thats why Zezima deserves his spot in the top ten.

 

 

 

STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT EDITION OF SEERS' JOURNAL WHEN WE'LL REVEAL THE TOP FIVE MOST IMPORTANT R.S. MOMENTS OF ALL TIME!

 

 

 

divider.png

 

 

 

A Vicious Rant on The Bandos Agility Nerf

 

by Niperwiper

 

 

 

On March 17, 2009, Jagex released "The Chosen Commander," its 150th quest. Upon its completion, a new area called the "Bandos Throne Room" is unlocked. This room contains several new NPC's to fight and an agility course, which although is unnamed and still not even in the Agility Guide in-game, I will dub it as the "Bandos Agility Course."

 

 

 

On its release day, the course offered 600 agility, 250 strength, and 250 range experience per lap. Estimates of 30-40 seconds being taken per lap were recorded; therefore, the course could potentially generate 72k agility, 30k strength, and 30k range experience per hour. At the slower speed of 40 seconds, it could potentially generate 54k agility, 22.5k strength, and 22.5k range experience per hour.

 

 

 

However, and this is a big however people, the failure rate of the course was very high. Even those at 99 agility were reporting falling up to five times an hour, and those at 80 were falling one out of every three times. At 74 agility myself, even after eating a summer pie, I would find myself slipping and falling on the middle statue, the hardest obstacle on the course, up to 10 times in a row sometimes. Failure causes you to have to restart the entire course. Not only that, but unlike other courses such as Ape Atoll, nearly all your experience per lap is acquired at the final grapple. All of this comes together to mean that failing an obstacle greatly reduces your experience rate.

 

 

 

This high failure rate made the course inferior, in most respects, to the existing courses for nearly all levels in terms of just agility. But if one wanted to train range and strength on the side, then at high levels, perhaps 85 agility and up, this course was ideal. Good experience rates for training range without chins are between 30 and 50k xp/hr. Compare that to the maximum rates of training on the Bandos Agility Course, and you can see the great utility that could have been attained from training here.

 

 

 

But apparently Jagex screwed up. The next day, the course was changed, with the following message:

 

 

 

Hi,

 

 

 

Earlier today, we made some alterations to the new Bandos agility course.

 

 

 

With a requirement of level 60 Agility, we intended it to be a great course for players around and just above this level. At higher levels, we'd hope that people would then consider other courses, as after all, no-one wants to run around the same course for too long and it's always nice to have a change of scenery.

 

 

 

Our intention was that at level 60, this course would be just slightly underneath the existing Werewolf course, and at level 65, this course would excel, giving you a better rate of XP than the popular Ape Atoll course. However, that benefit is capped, as once you're an expert at the course, you can't get any better than perfection. Once you reach slightly higher levels such as 70, you'll find the Ape Atoll course is once again the best in terms of rate of XP. Obviously, which course is best for you also depends a little on your relative skill on each course and your preference for which environment you enjoy.

 

 

 

We tested all the courses to see how fast they can be completed and calculated the XP which we would need to give to achieve this band within which the new Bandos course is the best. Unfortunately, the change from the original development value to the new calculated value was missed, resulting in the course being the best in the game from level 60 onwards.

 

 

 

We don't want to make all the other great courses redundant, so we have corrected the value. We are sorry for this oversight and apologise for any disappointment caused.

 

 

 

Finally, we would like to thank you all for your awesome feedback regarding The Chosen Commander. As always, we take your feedback very seriously and are pleased that the majority of you enjoyed the quest.

 

For the record, it really annoys me that they don't post updates like these on the Front Page. But let's get into this message.

 

 

 

First of all, how is it remotely possible that Jagex even has Quality Assurance playtesters? I'm beginning to think that they just code things, run through it a few times to make sure it looks like what they coded, and then release it to the public. I say that because there is absolutely NO WAY the playtesting team could not have picked up on the exorbitant failure rate associated with the course's experience rate.

 

 

 

The reason it was balanced was because it had such a high rate of failure. You'd sacrifice agility experience, compared to other courses, in order to attain a respectable range and strength experience rate at the same time. Many people hate training these skills for various reasons, so this combination was ideal.

 

 

 

We tested all the courses to see how fast they can be completed and calculated the XP which we would need to give to achieve this band within which the new Bandos course is the best. Unfortunately, the change from the original development value to the new calculated value was missed, resulting in the course being the best in the game from level 60 onwards.

 

This quote REALLY gets on my nerves, as it shows the playtesters have absolutely no idea how to gauge the game experience. Anyone else see the problem here just from what I just said? Yes, from level 60 onwards this course would be faster than any other course out there. But apparently they totally forgot about the failure rate of the course. This completely changes how good the course is and you absolutely can NOT depend on the raw data of just the experience maximums to decide where to place this course. Failing an obstacle significantly decreases experience times and the failure of Jagex to recognize this has made this course a joke.

 

 

 

It now offers 380 agility, 125 strength, and 125 range experience per lap. Let's run through our numbers again. You're familiar with how I do these, so I'll just spit them out. Top speed: 45.6k agility, 15k range and strength xp/hr. Low speed: 34.2k agility, 11.25k range and strength xp/hr. But guess what? The failure rates have hardly changed. Nice work. I never saw that coming. Now it might be handy for a couple of levels in the 60's, but you're not in that level range too long in any case, now are you?

 

 

 

 

 

Jagex Mod Paul said recently:

 

Yes I agree that there should be updates for people in the level 80 to 99 level range, but I still think it's not unreasonable for us to call level 70 updates high level.

 

 

 

I bet Jagex is patting themselves on the back now for making this course awesome for those high levels who still swim in the Ape Atoll rivers. You didn't benefit the high levels with this one Jagex; you crushed the first decent update for us that's been introduced in a long time. All the latest training methods you have introduced are supplementary to skills, distractions and diversions from the real training. On Tuesday, we were teased with the sight of a real new way to train a couple of skills, and just like that it vanishes.

 

 

 

This course was never meant to be a low level course, as this latest nerf claims it was. Anyone can see that from just looking at the xp/lap rates of the other courses and comparing their speeds and failure rates. This course was the gift for those people in the upper 80's to 90's training agility, a way to change THEIR scenery that they must see far more than any low level. It didn't unbalance them; it offered a great CHOICE rather than a replacement, which is so rarely seen in the Agility skill. It was meant to be a high level course and 60-70, regardless of what Jagex says, is not a high level in Runescape.

 

 

 

Maybe they've been playing too much WoW. A poll conducted on the Truthscape forums revealed that only 8% of its members believe 60 - 70 is a high level in a skill. 75% of them believed high level is at or between 80 and 90. You finally had it right Jagex, you finally introduced a good high level update, balanced to the other courses, balanced to experience rates, and balanced to Agility fans. But it was too much for you to keep that around somehow. Perhaps I wouldn't be so angry if you had only nerfed the range and strength experience of the course, since that would have been logical and still provided a decent amount of experience for not even training those skills. But alas I can never expect so much, can I? Thanks, yet again, for nothing.

 

 

 

divider.png

 

 

 

Mountains of Gold, Anyone?

 

by Sir Hartlar

 

 

 

It is arguably the most frequently asked question in the game how can I make money? We all know the generic responses to this, whether it be to spend hours at the God Wars Dungeon to work your way to millions or raise your Runecrafting level sufficiently so that you can craft two nature runes with one essence. Hell, some may even suggest you try dancing for coins in Varrock square! Finding a good method of making money can be difficult, and at times frustrating. If you cant log on for hours at a time to kill Zilyana in hope of that hilt then you will need a few ways to make a little bit of money every day. Remember, it all adds up.

 

 

 

The first thing I am going to suggest to you is Manage Thy Kingdom. This minigame is available to you after the completion of the Throne of Miscellania quest and is best used after completion of the Royal Trouble quest. To access the real rewards this can offer you, I would recommend you have a starting cash pile of 750k plus an extra 75k per day you want to reap the rewards of your kingdom. After youve put the money in the coffers, raise your favour to 100% by chopping maples or mining coal and begin to watch your cash pile grow. Returning everyday to top your favour back up to 100% will ensure maximum profit. Currently the best items to have your workers collect are raw fish and then coal. These will provide you with a profit of around 125k a day, for only five minutes work. This can fluctuate, however, so I recommend you use the calculator here to ensure you can receive the most out of this game.

 

http://runescape.wikia.com/wiki/Calculators/Miscellania

 

 

 

Another way to increase your cash pile is by taking advantage of the battlestaves you can buy from Zaff daily, for a reduced price. After completing the Varrock Achievement Diary, you can purchase 64 battlestaves a day for only 7,000 gp. By investing 448k every day, you will get a profit of around 64k. Combine this with your MTK earnings, and you are already up to 190k for fifteen minutes of running around.

 

 

 

Whilst we are on the subject of low price items purchasable every day, allow me to point your head in the direction of Catherby. More specifically, the amiable Arhein and his limited stock of pineapples and seaweed. He will sell you 80 pieces of seaweed at the price of 2 gp and 40 pineapples at the same cost. This will add another 20k to your cash pile once sold and you will now find that in less than thirty minutes you will have reached just over 200k from these three activities alone.

 

 

 

Your second from last stop will be in the flax fields of Seers Village. After completing the hard tasks of the Seers Diary, Geoffrey will give you 120 noted flax for free. This is a further 9k to add to your pile!

 

 

 

If youve completed the Hand in the Sand quest, youll know that Bert will give you 84 buckets of sand every day for free. Not only that, but the annoyance of running to and from the bank can be forgotten during this activity as he is kind enough to deposit them straight into your account for you! At 134 gp each, youll be looking at a further 11k to add to your cash pile which now amounts to 230k.

 

 

 

I know what youre all thinking, but before you write these methods off as nothing more than petty cash, let me show you just how much you could be missing out on:

 

 

 

230k a day,

 

1.6m a week,

 

6.4m a month,

 

77m a year.

 

 

 

Of course, you could forget about the money aspect of things during these activities and use them as an opportunity to get some cheap experience. The sand, seaweed and battlestaves are just crying to be crafted together and the pineapples will fill two compost bins to the brim. You could choose instead to let your workers collect maple logs for you to burn, or maybe some herbs to make a few potions. Another advantage of doing these activities is that you will be seeing more of the Runescape world, so who knows when youll run into a disguised penguin or a meteorite?

 

 

 

These methods wont earn you millions quickly, and are by no means a replacement for those sure fire methods like runite mining and green dragon hunting, but instead they provide you with a quick boost that will help you build your stockpiles of gold. In the year that Jagex has labelled as the update year, why not update your Runescape habits and give your character's cash pile a modest boost? You wont be buying party hats and godswords with this type of money, but your concerns may be shifted away from the gold coin side of the game just a bit.

 

 

 

divider.png

 

 

 

ForsakenMage Interview

 

by Unorclan/Book

 

 

 

ForsakenMage is currently a Global Moderator on the Tip.it Forums and is famous for her eight level 99 skills - all completed in F2P.

 

 

 

So, ForsakenMage, about how long have you been playing RuneScape?

 

 

 

A: I've been playing for almost eight years now. I started in late April 2001 after being introduced to the game by my younger brother, who was introduced to the game by a close friend of his.

 

 

 

In your many years of playing RS, have you ever been P2P?

 

 

 

A: Unfortunately no.

 

 

 

Unfortunately?

 

 

 

A: Sometimes I feel I'm missing out on what the game has the offer. With the fact that it's constantly being updated, I know that I have even more things to "worry" about working on if I ever do join P2P. I'm a real stickler when it comes to completing tasks, so seeing the growing list of quests and achievement diaries kind of bothers me. If I ever do get P2P, chances are I'll be leveling up some of the skills first before I attempt to complete the quests. Another thing would be the fact that I feel bad missing out on my friends' level 99 P2P skill celebrations, or even just participating in mini-games.

 

 

 

Could you tell us a little more why you didn't get P2P in the beginning?

 

 

 

A: When P2P first came out, I had no means of obtaining some sort of financial support for myself, being too young to have job or being too busy to even get one. I didn't want to ask my parents to help me get members because I knew they'd say no to paying a monthly fee for a game, even though it was only $5.00. I decided to just take the game as it was, and perhaps use it as a way of challenging myself. I saw how P2P made the game easier in terms of leveling and thought that maybe I could do things the hard way to make my goals seem more worthwhile. This is probably the only thing that keeps me from taking out my credit card right now to pay for members. :P

 

 

 

 

 

Alright, so everyone knows about all those 99 skills you have - but what your first skill that you trained to 99 and how long did it take you?

 

 

 

A: My first skill I trained to 99 was woodcutting. Unfortunately, it took a lot longer than I wanted to, over several months to a year from level 85 in fact. My attention span at the time was pretty short, so I ended up alternating between training for 99 woodcutting and 99 defense.

 

 

 

What was your favorite skill to train to 99? Is that your favorite skill out of them all?

 

 

 

A: I would have to say defense was my favorite skill to train 99. For some odd reason, when I started to try a hand at player killing on RuneScape Classic, I wasn't able to hit my opponent on any mode other than defensive. This stuck for a while through RuneScape 2, but now it's more or less been adjusted to normal standards. Must've been a fluke I suppose. :P What I liked about training defense was just the fact that I didn't have to deal with taking so many hits from the NPCs as I did with training attack and strength. It's definitely my favorite skill, mostly because it allows me to pick and choose more appropriate armor with better ease when required, and of course its main purpose of lessening some of the damage taken. :)

 

 

 

Alright, now lets talk about today - what are your current goals for Runescape?

 

 

 

A: Right now I'm working on getting 70 Runecrafting and 99 Range. It has not been an easy road since I got 99 Fishing last year due to some financial responsibilities. For the moment, I'm working on Runecrafting, so if you're ever on World 7 you'll see me running between Falador East Bank and the Air Altar. :P

 

 

 

How did you first find out about Tip.it?

 

 

 

A: In the days of old and long gone, Jagex had links on their website to major fansites with ratings besides them. For some reason or another, I chose Tip.it, which carried a "silver star" ranking at the time instead of this other fansite that had a "gold star" rating. I found that the guides were easier to read, and the Tip.it community itself was rather open and relaxed.

 

 

 

When did you become a Moderator of the forums?

 

 

 

A: I first became a moderator for TIF on October 7, 2002. I was then the youngest person to have joined the staff at the time. It was pretty funny to say the very least. There was a post for applications at the time, and after some gentle prodding from some of the current staff at the time, I decided to give it a shot. I was such a little spammer back then so I was really hesitant about it. :P I became a global moderator shortly after, and then became an administrator in early 2004. Unfortunately, due to personal reasons, I requested to drop back down to Global Moderator, and later down to Local Moderator. College had kept me pretty busy, so I wasn't able to moderate as much as I would have. Now that I've graduated from college, I have some more time on my hands. :)

 

 

 

What would you say is your most memorable moment in Runescape?

 

 

 

A: My most memorable moment in RuneScape would be when I got my first party hat on RuneScape Classic. It was a green one that I had bought with three rune ores from a close friend of mine. To this day I still have it. :)

 

 

 

Ever been very tempted to sell that party hat? If not, why do you think you've been so adamant to keep it no matter what?

 

 

 

A: There were a few times where I was tempted, but held back because of the sentimental value there was there. The same went for the rest of my discontinued items. Some have said that I'm rich monetarily, but I think I'm rich in the sense of friendship and the memories connected to the items than the monetary value in them.

 

 

 

Have you ever been active in any clans? If so, tell us a little about your experience with clans.

 

 

 

A: I've been in a couple of clans over the years of playing the game. I first started in Silver Foxes (2001), and then joined Black Dragon Knights in January 2002. Due to some leadership and rule changes of the clan, I left BDK and joined Kill on Sight in February of 2002. I stayed with KoS, reaching into the leadership ranks, and then retiring in the summer of 2004. I finally joined 'The' Clan, where I found myself engaged in assisting in creating the clan high scores as the Clan Statician (before RuneHead's high scores came about). I later joined 'The''s Council and became a leader for their junior clan, 'The' Futures. It was in 'The' that I learned a lot of about clan wars and public relations. I am currently a "Heroic Knight" in the clan, which pretty much means I'm a retired member, but remain with them in events when called upon if able.

 

 

 

So let's talk some about outside of the game. It looks like you're an active author in the Varrock Library, can you tell us a little about that?

 

 

 

A: Role playing when I was younger had inspired me to get into story writing. Most of my stories are not Runescape fanfiction, but I try to write a little something for the game now and again (the latest one being "Saradomin's Sun," which has been published in the Tip.it Times for the month of February). These days I'm suffering from writer's block, so it's been hard to try to continue on this one particular story I have, "The Doubt and Assurance of Things." Hopefully a muse will come along soon!

 

 

 

Well thank you very much for taking your time to answer these questions, I wish you goodluck in your goals on RuneScape and with your creative writing!

 

 

 

divider.png

 

 

 

Seers' Journal Comic & Games!

 

by Omnitec

 

 

 

28kujol.png

 

 

 

mbn2pd.png

 

 

 

divider.png

 

 

 

Credits

 

 

 

Our Staff

 

Junka666 (Founder)

 

Unorclan/Book (Editor-in-Chief)

 

Randox (Manager)

 

Skill_caster (Manager)

 

Leaf (Lead Consultant)

 

Earthpoet (Columnist)

 

Niperwiper (Graphic Designer/Columnist)

 

Omnitec (Comic Artist/Columnist)

 

Sir Hartlar (Advice Columnist)

 

 

 

The "Did You Know" Section

 

Kinggabe, Sadukar123, Teh1andonly1, Tracker4502, Withered Laurels, Wkw427, and the rest of the TruthScape community! Thank you![/hide]

rawr.png

 

Truthscape Lover

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Could you put up a plain text/rich text version somewhere, cos i dont rly feel like loading god knows how many images to read this.

 

 

 

And also put a warning sign for dialup users? =x

 

 

 

A text version is available at the the bottom of the first page ;)

unorclanpixelsigzu1.png

Thanks to the amazing talent of Jopie211 for the sig!

Finest Fist of Guthix Strategy Guide

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.