26th March 2009 - Development Diary

[Master_Smither]

Today we're releasing the first of a new line of Development Diaries. We'll be using these diaries to inform you of future content, give you an insight into the development process here at Jagex, and let you get to know the RuneScape developers a bit better.

 

 

 

These new Development Diaries will be different from the ones we used to do. They'll be more informal and personal, written by the developers themselves and keeping you informed about development milestones as they happen. The diaries will often track projects for the whole of their development, from the initial idea right up to release day. This process takes many months, so be aware that the projects today's diary is about won't be ready any time soon.

 

 

 

We'll be releasing these diaries regularly, and we'll be using them to track a number of different projects - so the next diary will be about a different project, but we'll get back to the subject of this diary in a few weeks. We won't be doing diaries on every project, though, so some releases will still take you by surprise!

 

 

 

The first Development Diary is entitled Reviving an old quest series. To find out which quest series we mean, check it out here

 

 

 

Mod John A

 

RuneScape Content Developer

 

 

 

[hide=The Development Diary]

26th March 2009 - Reviving an Old Quest Series

 

Welcome, O seekers of development truth! I'm Mod John A, RuneScape Content Developer, and in this diary I'll be taking you through the development of a new quest.

 

 

 

My last major quest project was the goblin quest series, which reached its conclusion recently with The Chosen Commander, leaving me free to work on another series. RuneScape has several storylines that have yet to be concluded, and I've been given one of them. I can now reveal that I will be working on - drum roll, please - the next dwarf quest!

 

 

 

I can't give you any details about the next dwarf quest yet, because right now there aren't any details. Im at the very start of the development process, and nothing has been decided yet. It's a very exciting place to be, but it's also daunting. I'm confronted with a blank page, and there are so many different things that I could write there that I don't know which one to pick.

 

 

 

Luckily, it's not a completely blank page. There are already two quests in the Red Axe series (The Giant Dwarf and Forgettable Tale...), and various other pieces of content involving dwarves. The first thing I did was play through these quests again and make notes. I wanted to identify the core features of the dwarf quests that I should carry through to the next one. Here are some of the things Ive come up with:

 

 

 

A comedic tone, but with a sinister subtext. On the surface, it's all about dwarves who are humorously drunk or have funny little personalities. Underneath that, though, there's clearly something serious and complicated going on with the Red Axe. As the series progresses, I can bring forward this sinister element, but without abandoning the funny dwarves doing funny things.

 

Physical puzzles, e.g. interacting with machines or finding the right items to combine, rather than interacting with characters. A good example of this is the train track puzzle in Forgettable Tale... I'll make sure to think of some nice puzzles for the next quest.

 

Memory wipes. These were introduced in Forgettable Tale... and are a great story element that I'd like to do more with.

 

An intriguing cast of characters. On one side, we have Commander Veldaban, who has the potential to be a great ally of the player. On the other side, Forgettable Tale... introduced a trio of very clearly defined villains (the head of the Red Axe, his axe-wielding right-hand man, and the ogre shaman). I can take these characters and develop them further in future quests.

 

That's pretty much all I have so far. My next task is to take these elements and forge them into a concept document that outlines the story of the next quest. Check back for the next development diary and I'll let you know how things are progressing.

 

 

 

Mod John A

 

RuneScape Content Developer

[/hide]

[obfuscator]

Failed url ;)

 

 

 

EDIT: Never mind, you fixed it.

 

 

 

As to the diary, I wasn't impressed. It lacked the in depth information I used to enjoy from the previous ones.

[psvstef]

as short as a dwarf

[C110]

I did just read it.

 

 

 

And since a emoticon says more then 1000 words..

 

 

 

:thumbdown:

[Ollyc3]

Looks like they typed it 10 minutes ago and just rushed it out..

 

 

 

Great replacement to the BTS :roll:

[Wingless]

Sounds interesting, I like quest conclusions... >_<

 

 

 

Arposanda, anyone?

 

 

 

^

 

| If thats how you spell it

[Omali]

I thought: an old quest series? MOURNINGS END, MOURNINGS END!

 

Oh...new quest series by a guy who is just learning about the dwarf storyline.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We got rid of the Behind The Scenes for this? I would much rather know what they're working on and have it delayed, than be kept in the dark other than a bi-monthly "sup guys, check me out being personal and stuff, oh by the way this isn't anywhere near completion so uh...bye"

 

 

 

I can see this going the same way as the last three times Jagex said they were getting rid of the Behind The Scenes. Expect a Behind The Scenes June.

[Michael]

Quite a short DD...

[TheDayRsDied]

I remember DD's. This is not a DD. This is an "updated" version of the DD I guess roflz.

 

 

 

I really don't care if they give info on new updates. Most games dont even give any information on updates untill the date of release. I always thought it was odd that they just gave all the information away in advance, and I hope that system never returns.

 

 

 

Instead of releasing these things, they should just do no BTS or DD's at all. Releasing these things and calling them "DDs" will only annoy people.

[Racheya]

Guyyyyys this is like... only a bit of the Diary, as more happens more will come out!

 

 

 

I'm just happy we're getting a DD tbh ^_^

[Marco]

I remember DD's. This is not a DD. This is an "updated" version of the DD I guess roflz.

 

 

 

I really don't care if they give info on new updates. Most games dont even give any information on updates untill the date of release. I always thought it was odd that they just gave all the information away in advance, and I hope that system never returns.

 

 

 

Instead of releasing these things, they should just do no BTS or DD's at all. Releasing these things and calling them "DDs" will only annoy people.

 

 

 

I agree. Runescape is quite unique in that we were previously given information on all new content to be released a month in advance. Although my 'mmorpg' experience is limited, I have never known another game to do something like this. We were fortunate to have had the BTS for as long as we did.

 

 

 

I don't see the need for Jagex keep the players informed about future content. It strikes me as odd that, judging by the attitudes displayed by certain players, people seemed to be playing the game just for future content, and not for the huge amount of content we already have in-game.

[demonsbane37]

i was realy exited and when i read it... it was nice igues but so short...

 

i could sumerize it into 3-4 sentances...

 

well if they are frequent enough ill still be happy.

[Chained_life]

ew, terribly short, didn't they say they already had a few ready?

 

 

 

aw well, maybe they can conclude the dwarf series with a dragon pick axe \ ?

[totalpwnage]

I thought: an old quest series? MOURNINGS END, MOURNINGS END!

 

Oh...new quest series by a guy who is just learning about the dwarf storyline.

 

 

 

 

Mournings End storyline had dwarves involved. Underground Pass (klank and all), and Mournings End Part II with that dwarf by the altar. (Which still makes me go FFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU--)

 

 

 

"How did you get here?" I battled through tons of shadows doing an insanely hard puzzle, and how did you get here? "I came through the back way." D:

 

 

 

EDIT: Oh yeah, imo looks like they're trying to create speculation.

[stonewall337]

WAAAAYYYY too short. But I am glad that this quest series will be finished up.

[3hitm4g3u]

I knew I would miss those sweet, innocent BTS's.

[Bouwzie]

Disappointing.

[Seraphi]

Boy oh boy. A dwarf quest.

 

Why the hell can't jagex finish the storylines people actually want...?

 

like the elf series or the gnome series.

 

BTS was epic. why can't they just make one every 2-3 months to take off the "pressure"?

[WeatherMatt]

Big failure. A development diary needs to be more than this guy saying, "well, I've started thinking about a new quest, but I don't have anything yet." Dev diaries are about showcasing stuff actually IN development, and beyond the planning stage. There's basically nothing done on this new quest.

 

 

 

Also, new elf quest plz. But (as I said in HYT CC), if this one also involves copious amounts of beer, it may be OK.

[stormveritas]

I hope this is an early April Fool's joke.

[Master_Smither]

Yes it was way too short but I am hoping for this to be the dragon pickaxe quest.

[Kimberly]

as short as a dwarf

 

 

 

Lol. No kidding. :lol:

 

 

 

Arposanda, anyone?

 

 

 

 

I think from the sound of the DD he made it clear that he won't be ending it with just one quest. We've got two or more coming our way, I think, as he always took care to refer to future developments of the storyline as "quests" not "quest".

 

 

 

Tbh, Jagex succumbed to pressure again from its players. While many of us were crying for a DD, they gave it to us half-finished and too soon. These barely outline the concepts of future quests, I'd go so far as to say that these are 3am ideas just written down on paper. While it was nice to see what this Mod planned on doing, I hoped an article that was supposed to give us insight into the development of an update would actually cover...oh, I don't know, some actual developments. He said it himself that there's nothing even developed for this storyline.

 

 

 

Ah well. It's like the Monkey's Paw thing. Wish for your son to come back from the dead and he'll come back as a zombie :3 Braiiiinnnssssss...

[Will H]

What the hell was that? The only information was the title. That's no good at all!

 

 

 

:thumbdown:

[Asmodeous4]

Yes it was way too short but I am hoping for this to be the dragon pickaxe quest.

 

 

 

Very Probable.

 

Yes this was disappointing, extremely disappointing. No silly cartoons of Mods working hard or any depth whatsoever, just "Well I'm thinking about a dwarf quest, it's gonna be funny...So Yeah."

[magzar]

very very disappointing

 

 

 

now we have one of my favorite quest series being worked on by the same guy who wrote the chosen commander

 

 

 

absolute fail

 

 

 

Think about it. What questions were answered in The Chosen Commander? Why was Zanik chosen? Nope. What was Bandos really planning? Nope. In all actuality it was total [cabbage].

 

 

 

Basically it was this; The bad guy is coming oh noez!!!!! LOLWTFBBQ I broke his necklace, I win. The end.

 

 

 

It's kinda sad because the quest line had the potential to to end with a bang, and instead it just kind of trailed off into nothingness.