Seers' Journal: 2nd Edition - New and Improved!

[niperwiper]

 

 

 

GRAPHICS VERSION

 

(STRONGLY RECOMMENDED)

 

 

 

The Seers' Journal Online - Second Edition

 

(includes the First Edition, if you click the link at the top of the page)

 

 

 

 

 

 

TEXT VERSION

 

 

 

[hide=Text]

 

[2nd Edition] April 4th, 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

Introduction

 

by Unorclan/Book

 

 

 

Welcome to the 2nd edition of the Seers' Journal, formerly known as the Gielinor Tribune!

 

 

 

As those who have read the 1st edition can already tell, yes, we have abandoned the original layout for the Journal. Unfortunately, it caused too many problems and slowed down one too many computers, therefore we have chosen to go with a simple text layout for this 2nd edition! As you are reading this, our Graphics Team is working hard to design and create a brand new and more manageable layout that will be easy on everyone and their computers. You can look forward to seeing the new layout in the 3rd edition!

 

 

 

The Seers' Journal is always glad to have our readers give us feedback here and on our forums. In the future, we hope that this will become easier for all of our supporters and that our readers will become an interactive community with our Staff. Within the next few weeks, the Journal will be opening up a new website to the public. I hope everyone is looking forward to that, as we will be having the best and most talented designers working on this website.

 

 

 

We are also proud to announce that we have added two new members to the team: Tylerelyt (Creative Writer) and Me_Hate_Libs (Columnist)! I'm sure you'll be seeing some great articles from these guys in the future! If you're interested in writing for the Seers' Journal, then please visit our forums and fill out an application.

 

 

 

I hope you enjoy the 2nd edition of the Seers' Journal!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The "X" Factor

 

by Earthpoet

 

 

 

John Henry is part of an American folk story that tells of a legendary railroad worker. No man could compete with the strength and speed of John Henrys hammer. One day, John Henry decided to challenge a steam-powered hammer to a duel. It was an epic battle of man versus machine.

 

 

 

In a game like Runescape, new updates are inevitable. New content that's introduced will invariably have an impact on the already existing content. In some cases, the new updates can force older methods of playing to become obsolete, such as the impact the Pyramid Plunder minigame had on Thieving. Other times, updates are intended to only improve the efficiency of training without degrading the challenge of the game.

 

 

 

Last week, Jagex released the X-option for players offering bones at Player Owned House altars. The update was met with the same criticism that it has seen when the option was presented in other skills. Many are happy with the update, but there are a few John Henry players out there who resent it. The John Henrys of Runescape claim that the X-option will ruin Prayer, causing it to become too easy to train now. While training Prayer has become more efficient, it has not increased the rate of experience gained, nor the speed at which it can be gained. The only intent was to affect the number of clicks needed to train with. For some players, that is enough to warrant injustice.

 

 

 

Some people, no matter what, insist on dragging their knuckles when it comes to change. They find a routine that suits them and expect everybody to follow their set method. They expect to wake up in the morning to find everything where they left it the night before. Every update is met with a fire of criticism, claiming the game is being ruined, and yet the game continues to grow.

 

 

 

After reviewing many threads, it boils down to about two basic arguments: fear of the cost of bones increasing, and fear it will turn Prayer into an easy and "buyable" skill comparable to Fletching and Cooking. The first argument may have some truth, but it demonstrates a lack of ingenuity. Did the clever merchant see this update as a hindrance as he seized the opportunity to stock up on bones for profit?

 

 

 

The latter of the two arguments suggest that the prestige of Prayer will diminish with the new update and thus lose its desirability. This argument often comes from players who have already achieved a high Prayer level. This argument is hollow, and sometimes can be found rooted in selfishness. Unlike Fletching and Cooking, training Prayer by offering bones does not generate a finished product to offset the costs.

 

 

 

The biggest factor ignored is that the methods of training Prayer have virtually been untouched. There is no new way to train prayer being offered, only an improvement added to reduce the clicks required. While the X-option has made things a little easier, it hasnt turned the skill into childs play. It takes approximately the same amount of time to train (some say even longer), requires the same amount of bones, and uses the same method to train. The greatest benefit of the update is reducing the chance of injuring your wrist from repetitive motion. Reducing clicks means reducing Runescapes contribution to a generation of carpal tunnel disease. Sorry, but health benefits trump the high-scores list.

 

 

 

The Prayer skill, like many other skills, have seen a big evolution over the years. When looking at the entire scope of training, the X-option is a minor adjustment. There was a time not long ago when there were no gilded altars to offer your bones to. Before that, there was a time when there was no ectofuntus and no shades to burn in Mortton. If players wanted to train Prayer, they did it the old-fashioned way by digging a hole and burying them. Even today, this is the only option for F2P. They have no altar, no ectofuntus, no Mortton, and no dragon bones. If they want 99 Prayer, they dig a hole and bury their big bones, all 869,000 of them, one at a time. Still, no matter what method is available (or not available), players have been able to train Prayer all the way to 99.

 

 

 

Over the years, Prayer has become easier to train and will probably find even easier ways in the future. As for you players still craving a challenge, start digging. Nobody is preventing you from burying your bones. This method should satisfy all of those missing clicks you desire. Dont go buying your bones either! That would be cheating, because we all know its only challenging if you gather them yourself.

 

 

 

Regardless of how you choose to play, consider there will always be changes made. Established strategies today will become nothing more than future stories of how hard we had it. Those that choose to remain stagnant in their principles will often be left behind. It is the person who chooses to adapt and overcome their changing environment that will find success, both in the game and in real life. Some changes will bring new problems, but more often than not you'll find that Hey, put it back! is not the best solution. Players who resist new efficiencies, for fear of losing their recognition, will inevitably become as obsolete as their old methods.

 

 

 

Oh, and in case you are not familiar with how the the man versus machine duel ends in the folk story, John Henry collapses and dies of exhaustion. Happy Scaping.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Financial Mirrors

 

by Niperwiper

 

 

 

Many times you'll hear the more dedicated players in this game refer to Runescape's "economy," and just as often you'll hear some squabble about the use of such terminology for a simple game. I would, however, argue strongly in favor of Runescape possessing an economy. Runescape has a variety of industries and methods of earning money within them. In spite of our ability to all do the same thing, there are many types of players in the game.

 

 

 

After a long enough timeframe, you could see yourself as a white-collar worker who earns great amounts of money due to your prodigious skill in something, such as with 91 runecrafting or 85 slayer. There are stock brokers in merchants, who speculate and foresee their potential stocks in items rising and falling. There are the bums who do nothing but sit around, talk, and dance with friends. There are even the grunts who grind their way through gathering skills, acting as a sort of blue-collar worker. Like someone in a real-life sawmill who cuts log after log, a Runescape woodcutter contributes log after log to the Runescape economy to be converted into finished goods.

 

 

 

But our economy is rather turned on its head in this aspect; there is a big difference in how these finished goods are valued. A few logs can be furnished into a fine dining table and sold for a much higher price in the real world. But a log in Runescape either sells for itself at a low price, or is converted into a plank, which is then turned into nothing-- or should I say, nothing but experience?

 

 

 

That's what our entire economy is based on. It cares little for personal enjoyment, a nice car, or a great dinner. The closest thing we have to this is reflected in outfits, but what's the most celebrated part of an outfit? That's right! It's the cape, more specifically the skillcapes, which require an astonishing thirteen million experience to get. Experience is the main force behind everything financial in this game, and it is the reason for the prices behind nearly every item, besides the rares. People seek enjoyment and luxury in real life by working; we seek fame and experience.

 

 

 

With this comparison in your head, I would like to address something more personal now, that you can perhaps relate to in some way. My Runescape financial habits strongly reflect my own financial habits in real life. Let me elaborate. In real life, I rarely have too much money built up in savings. I spend my money when and where I want to, specifically for my pleasure and enjoyment and I do what makes me happy when I feel like it.

 

 

 

I'll take a few nights out on the town with my friends instead of saving up to repair my old laptop. I spend money on trips that I can just barely afford, mostly because I see little or no point in having money if you don't spend it. My parents always tell me to try to invest my money, let it build by putting it in a certificate-of-deposit or letting some broker take care of it. This would be smart; I agree. But it's not me, not at this point in my life. I'm young and reckless.

 

 

 

I'm the exact same way in the game. Remember, we're equating experience in Runescape with luxury/vanity in the real world. (Although I have better looking outfits in the game than in my real life!). I rarely have much money in my bank. I am a level 132 with 2100+ total level, and I am commonly asked by lower levels how much money I have. I sheepishly reply that I only have a couple million in cash, by that I usually mean between one and six million. Some laugh, but most just seem bewildered. Where's all your money?

 

 

 

Oh, it goes towards my experience, every bit of it. I occasionally indulge in barraging guards or people in the duel arena, but nearly every bit of cash I get in this game goes towards those lovely numbers that follow my name on the High Scores page. Either that, or it goes to my in-game equivalent of an awesome trip to some exotic place, a high-priced weapon or a rare piece of armour.

 

 

 

In any case, I can clearly tell that my habits in this game mirror my ones in the real world, and, to be honest, I'm quite pleased with how that feels. I feel my time on this game has been a success. Have I wasted a lot of time? Sure, but I've gotten to know myself, my limits, and the reach of my personality and natural abilities. I've also made plenty of great friends whose friendship I wouldn't trade for any other experience. I may not be a Zezima, but I'm proud of myself and I get a strange sense of comfort from knowing that my real-world habits applied to a virtual world result in success, even if it's not the maximum success possible; perhaps you can feel the same way somehow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Top 10 Most Important RuneScape Moments

 

by Earthpoet

 

 

 

In the last edition, we took a look at some of the most significant moments in the game. This week we finish our list with the top 5 finalists. Some of them may seem obvious, some of them you may havent heard of yet, but I feel these are the most important moments to ever happen to Runescape and they deserve their place in the history books.

 

 

 

 

 

5. The Falador Massacre

 

 

 

How does an ordinary Pker become a legend? Why, go on a killing spree of course! On June 6, 2006, a party was thrown at Cursed Yous house in World 111 to celebrate being the first player to reach 99 Construction. A few players discovered a bug with the POH that allowed them to attack other players outside of the house and anywhere in the game. (At that time, the only place to PK was in the Wilderness.)

 

 

 

Several players were involved, but the most infamous of them all was Durial321. He stocked up on Ice Barrage spells, headed to Falador, and proceeded to wreak havoc. Many players were in Falador Square, lazily high alching millions worth of equipment while wearing their most expensive items, and then Durial321 arrived.

 

 

 

The first, unsuspecting players were slaughtered immediately, leaving millions of gold behind in a pile of bones. Once players were aware of what was happening, they banked their equipment and crowded around him, begging to be killed next. Player mods were left helpless, asking the crowds to disperse and stop encouraging him. The massacre lasted about an hour, and roused the development team out of bed in the middle of the night to end it.

 

 

 

The account was banned and the bug was fixed, but Jagex elected not to perform a rollback, nor return anything to players who claimed to have lost items during the incident. Durial321 later said, in an interview, that at the time the massacre occurred he wasnt thinking about the consequences of his actions, but instead he was caught up in the moment. Returning items couldnt change history though, and the story buzzed through the community over the next several weeks. Many players stopped alching their goods outside of a bank, and other players were nervous to wear any of their rares for months after the incident. The Falador Massacre remains a legendary story in the history of Runescape, and deserves its spot at #5.

 

 

 

4. The Grand Exchange

 

 

 

The Grand Exchange (GE) reshaped the way players buy and sell from one another. Prior to its inception, players were faced with many inconveniences with the market system. If a player wished to sell nature runes they typically would have to sell in bulks of 1000s to make a sale. Players would usually find it difficult to sell one piece of armor as most buyers were only interested in the whole set. The GE allowed these players to place their items anonymously for sale without the hassle of scouring forums and hopping worlds looking for a buyer.

 

 

 

The GE also created a universal price on all goods and services. This reduced the chance of an uninformed player selling their valuable items for junk. However, the GE also came with heavy price limits on items as well as limits on amount of purchases in the GE, forcing many merchants to reform their way of doing business.

 

 

 

The GE proved to be both a convenience for players to do business on the market, and a restriction on how players operated their businesses. It changed how many players chose to interact in a big way.

 

 

 

3. RS2 release

 

 

 

On December 1, 2003, Runescape launched the Beta version of its next generation of Runescape. Upgrades included a new aerial camera view, 3-D textured landscape and characters, a reforming of the combat system (The Combat Triangle) and multi-combat warfare, a recalculation of combat levels and a more efficient way of training combat. Prior to the release, level 123 was the highest combat level, mage was thought of as a supplemental skill to melee, and chickens were thought to be the most efficient way of training combat. The reaction from the player community was mixed, with some praising the new graphics while many resented the drastic changes to the gameplay. The game grew exponentially, and today this is the version Scapers are most familiar with.

 

 

 

Still, many die-hard fans missed the original game, now known as Runescape Classic (RSC). Jagex maintains 2 servers for RSC to support the older players that began playing at the start, but you must have already started out with a RSC account and it must stay active every six months.

 

 

 

2. Capes of Accomplishment

 

 

 

There was a time when achieving level 99 in a skill seemed pointless. Once you unlocked all of the abilities of certain skills (fletching, herblore, etc.), it seemed useless to keep going. Still, many players saw a mountain to climb and got to work. When asked why bother training a skill that has no more rewards, all the skiller could do was echo famous mountain climber, George Mallory, when he was asked why bother climbing Mt. Everest, Because it is there.

 

 

 

All of that changed on October 18, 2006. Jagex released Capes of Accomplishment to recognize the hard work players put in to achieve a level 99. Every skill had their own unique cape and featured with each skillcape was a unique emote action. Additionally, questers were greeted with a similar reward upon completion of all quests in the game, but are required to complete every future quest released to maintain their capes.

 

 

 

A side effect of the skillcapes was the tremendous impact it had on the skilling community. It motivated the addiction of players to powertrain their skills at a faster rate. Prices of raw materials slowly increased (later being balanced out by an influx of goldfarmers). More players were willing to buy their skills.

 

 

 

I can safely report nobody asks to see my Cooking emote today, but on the day they were released it was a big sense of pride. Crowds would gather to cheer on players showing off the new emotes. Despite some opinion, skillcapes are still desirable, and represent a significant achievement for any player. Yes, even cooking.

 

 

 

1. RWT updates

 

 

 

Goldfarmers and autoers became a growing problem in the game. Woodcutting and fishing spots were infested with low-leveled characters from the black market. The prices of raw materials were plummeting while the prices of rare and discontinued items were soaring. On December 10, 2007, Jagex announced their intentions of combating the Real World Trading problem threatening the integrity of the game.

 

 

 

Though the controversial decision was officially announced in December, changes to the game were already happening in a deceptive fashion as early as October. Shops began selling infinite items, Lootshare and the Assist system were introduced, the Grand Exchange was born, the party room format was changed, and staking had all been but eliminated. Most of these changes were introduced under the guise they were enhancements or improvements to the game rather than mere replacements for what would be lost.

 

 

 

The biggest changes occurred with the announcements of elimination of pking in the Wilderness, unbalanced trade restrictions, and gravestones, as well as the true intentions behind these changes.

 

 

 

The news created a fierce backlash from the player community. Giving gifts, pking, staking, and merchanting had been changed forever, and many honest players were concerned that Jagex may have thrown the baby out with the bathwater. Forums flamed, Riots arose, and many players quit. Runescapes future looked uncertain.

 

 

 

Runescape did rise out of the ashes; many old players stayed, and some new ones have joined the ranks, but the question that still lingers is: Was it worth it? Real World Trading has declined dramatically. Scamming players is more difficult and often less profitable. Lending and PVP worlds have been introduced with a positive response. Jagexs goal in the RWT updates seem to have, for the most part, been met, but the player community has lost many liberties taken for granted in the game. However, prior to the update, there was an outcry for Jagex to do something about it, accusing the developers of not caring enough about the situation. In the aftermath, I would consider borrowing from an old proverb, Be careful what you wish for. The demands many players made resulted in a big sacrifice for all.

 

 

 

Whether you agree with Jagexs decision or not is moot. The RWT updates affected every player in the game, whether you are a pker, merchant, or skiller. The bold updates not only changed Runescape and its community forever, it made news throughout the online gaming community. And thats why it tops the list of the most important moments in Runescape.

 

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

 

 

 

And so there you have it, a list of Runescapes best and worst times. Do you think I got them all right? Some of them? None of them? Feel free to discuss what you think should be on the list. I look forward to hearing from you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Are We There Yet?"

 

by Sir Hartlar

 

 

 

A word that is thrown around more than any other in this game is efficiency. If you arent doing things efficiently then you can be sure to find yourself jumped on by that math-obsessed clique that revels in the various equations and formulae that can be formed to get the best out of the game.

 

 

 

As a columnist it is neither my duty nor intention to preach efficiency like a half-crazed, bug-eyed druid. There are many ways in which you can speed up your gameplay and enhance your experience gains, one of which being your method of travel. It has long been the case that teleporting is the quickest way to get around Gielinor, but Jagex has implemented a number of intriguing new travel routes to allow you to get from one place to another with ease.

 

 

 

The first of these interesting and often unused aspects of the game Id like to discuss is the charter ship system. These boats offer you a variety of destinations at very reasonable prices, some more useful than others. The city of Ooglog is far from the reach of any teleportation spell, and other than the distant gnome glider just north of the city, it would seem a difficult place to get to. However, a quick boat ride from Catherby will cost you only 3400 coins and proves to be a very easy method of getting to the resort. This gives you access to all of the spa pools, which could grant you with unlimited run energy or perhaps the ability to fend off Bandos followers in the God Wars Dungeon.

 

 

 

The canoe system is also a method of transportation not often talked about in the game. At 57 Woodcutting, you are able to take a Waka canoe into the wilderness and this opens up new pathways to various activities. Mid-wilderness clue scrolls are now less tedious, as it is only a simple matter of teleporting to Edgeville and taking the boat upstream. You can also use the canoe as a quick means of taking yourself to the King Black Dragons lair or to fight the lesser Green Dragons, if you are after something less perilous.

 

 

 

Another method of transport I feel is often underrated is the hot air balloon system. After completing the An Enlightened Journey quest, you can unlock various stations after the completion of a puzzle. Although the uses of this method of transport are few and far between, I feel it still deserves a mention. For instance, travelling from the Castle Wars station to Varrock can provide a very fast way of converting oak logs into planks. The Taverley station is also in the nearby vicinity of the tree patch, which can offer a faster way to complete your Farming runs if you dont want to move your house to Taverley.

 

 

 

My final word is going to be on the fairy ring network. Most people are aware of this and it would be foolish for me to say it is underused, but I feel it is certainly underestimated. Typing in CIP will get you to Miscellania far quicker than running from the POH portal in Rellekka, and without this intricate system we wouldnt have the alternative Abyss that caters for higher level slayers. If you are trying to shave time off your herb runs, you could also spare a space for your Dramen staff to get to the allotments just east of Canifis.

 

 

 

These four methods of transportation may not seem very useful on the surface, but if you allow yourself to think outside of the box a little, you can find very unique ways of utilising the many different travel networks this game has to offer. Those that preach the ways of "efficiency" will delight in informing you that the way you get to your chosen activity can have a huge impact on how effective you are being. Whether you are looking to increase your experience per hour in a hard-to-reach area or find a way of getting that Mort Myre Fungi just a bit quicker, these different methods of transport are definitely something to consider.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interview with Turtlefemm

 

by Omnitec

 

 

 

Hey! First off, thanks for taking the interview!

 

 

 

(Should I say something? *snicker*) I've never been interviewed before, I have no idea what to say!

 

 

 

Just be yourself :P

 

 

 

Okay, well.. Thanks for inviting me to be interviewed. It took me by surprise.

 

 

 

No problem! To kick things off, for anyone who doesnt know, what would you say you were most well known for?

 

 

 

Well, around the forums I'm most known for being an administrator. On Runescape I guess I'm most known as a player moderator/high level. I've been playing since July 2001

 

 

 

Oh cool! How long have you been a mod for?

 

 

 

It's actually been a relatively short time, considering how long I've been playing. I became a mod in May of last year.

 

 

 

Nice :). So how did you first find out about Tip.it?

 

 

 

Several years ago I was invited to join by a friend of mine, back when it was "scapeboard." I've been part of it ever since. It sure has grown.

 

 

 

Yep :) So you're an Admin across the boards, how long have you been one?

 

 

 

I've actually been an admin since last June. I was a moderator before that for a few years.

 

 

 

How did you get the position?

 

 

 

It was offered to me by another Administrator. I'd been a Global Mod for quite some time, but a Super Mod in training so in stealth mode... Hehe.. But I had been working closely with the team during and after the deletion of the boards and it was decided that I should be invited into an admin position. It has been a great experience.

 

 

 

So do you have a specific job?

 

 

 

Administrator IS a specific job; we all pitch in with a whole lot of things, I guess having the TET admin label would make that specific...and I work with the Tip.it Times Editorial Team. But really, I try to work on anything that might be needed.

 

 

 

Interesting :). So let's talk a bit about in game. How did you first discover Runescape?

 

 

 

My son, he was 13 at the time (2001), found it and he said "MOM.. you HAVE to try this.. I swear you will like it!" He begged me for a few days and then got me to make my character, yes Turtlefemm, and I loved it! I didn't know how to bury bones and I died on my first day because I ran into the Al Kharid desert and didn't know how to equip the iron mace I found.. a scorpion got me :D

 

I got totally into it and there were only 4 worlds at that time when I started, and no members yet.

 

 

 

Do you consider yourself any specific type of player?

 

 

 

I just love the game...I maxed out all my combat skills except summoning, it's 88 so far :P I'm 137 combat and i've got 12 99 skills. I also have a noob skiller :D Thieving is my favorite skill though.. It was my first 99. I got it in classic! :)

 

 

 

So I've heard :P. I see you've got 54th position in the highscores with thieving! What do you love about it?

 

 

 

I'm 54th? :o you know I was either 16th or 19th EVER to get 99 thieving. I got it back up to 16th.. but it sank because I didn't feel like grinding on a finished skill anymore. I just love the pickpocketing aspect the most, and all the different things to steal from. The pyramid isn't my love of thieving at all.. lol.

 

 

 

So what sort of things do you get up to nowadays in Runescape?

 

 

 

I haven't spent a whole lot of time on Turtle recently, ohh I recently got 88 summoning and 137 combat, that was fun! I wander around talking to people, because I find myself needing to sometimes when I'm on my noob name.. to remind people to behave or whatnot.. since I'm a player mod, so actually I hang out and socialize a lot. And actually it's usually in a woodcutting setting so I carry my axe lol.. and I even got to fight a few evil trees I happened to bump into!

 

 

 

Oh cool, speaking of recent updates, what sort of things have you liked, and haven't you liked?

 

 

 

Well, I am not much into the mini-game things, so I haven't really tried those at all. I like most of the updates we have had recently. I am pretty agreeable about most things, I suppose. The last time I was freaked out was back when the trade limit was imposed. Oh.. yes one update I wasn't thrilled with was the decision to force the party room activity to only be on two worlds. We were already pretty restricted about doing things with friends, so that made me sad.

 

 

 

Do you listen to the music on RuneScape while you play on HD?

 

 

 

I listen to actual music mostly, but I have taken to using the other sounds in RS recently. They're fun.

 

 

 

Fun! ^^ What sort of music do you listen to then?

 

 

 

I listen to a wide variety.. except NO COUNTRY (shudder).

 

 

 

Do you have a favourite band?

 

 

 

Not an actual favorite all the time.. I have a lot that I listen to.. Right now I'm into specific songs, but I like the killers :D and I like weezer too.

 

 

 

Oh cool. So what would be your most memorable Runescape moment?

 

 

 

I guess if I had to look at it that way, I'd say the day members came out and I joined. Going through the gate into the Taverly area, we were all kind of "Omg" and dazed.. And at that time you could log out and in on a free world and still be on that side of the gate.. Free players would congregate on the other side and act confused. I alched my dragon battle axe once .. when it was the only "valuable" dragon weapon, back in classic.. That was memorable in a not so great way.. haha. On my birthday in 2002 I was cutting trees in Seers village and typing silly things.. nobody was around and I was singing the birthday song to myself. Randomly a stranger came by and traded me and gave me a blue party hat and I said thank you and she left fast and I don't even remember her name. They weren't worth millions then.. but I will never get rid of that hat.

 

 

 

So what other sort of things, apart from Music, do you like to do in real life?

 

I'm an artist and I spend hours creating art. Real life is mostly at home, talking to friends online is part of my real life as well... they're real, but i don't have much time for anything else. I read books both on and offline... I guess that's about it right now.. art, reading, gaming, and forums.

 

 

 

Too true. I think that's all, thanks so much for taking some time to answer the questions!

 

It's been great talking to you, thanks again for choosing to interview me! See you in RS or on the forums!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Jagex Cup

 

by Earthpoet

 

 

 

One cup to rule them all...

 

 

 

Well, there are actually three cups up for grabs, but the cup everybody has their eye on is the Combat Cup. Some of Runescapes most elite clans have entered the tournament for a chance to win. The Jagex Cup is another example of the new direction the company has taken this year, promising to be more active with its players and becoming more transparent. Some players have regarded this bold move by Jagex with suspicion. What is the Jagex Cup, and what is the companys motive behind this new tournament?

 

 

 

What is the Jagex Cup?

 

 

 

In simple terms, the Jagex Cup consists of three clan-based tournaments: the Skilling Cup, the Combat Cup, and the Combined Cup, each with their own prize. The Skilling Cup invites teams of ten competing against each other in a series of skills, at the end of which the combined total experience gained from each team in that particular skill will be tallied and the team with the most experience points at the end of the contest is declared the winner. The Combat Cup has clans face off at the Clan Wars minigame in an elimination-style tournament. The Combined Cup is set in the Stealing Creation minigame where twenty-man teams will compete against each other.

 

 

 

The tournament that has created the biggest buzz is the Combat Cup. Runescapes finest and oldest clans have thrown their hat in the ring to compete for glory. These arent a simple band of pures looking for a good time. They have been around for years, host their own private websites and forums, use various tools to communicate such as Ventrillo, Teamspeak, IRC chat, and instant messengers to deliver commands in real-time privately. They are highly organized while often bringing over 100 members to a war, and have fights that can last for over twelve hours.

 

 

 

This highlights a noticeable gap between these old-school RSC clans and some of the fledgling RSB clans. In some cases, the gap is so wide that some clans have already forfeited without ever drawing their blades.

 

 

 

Tournaments like the Jagex Cup are nothing new. Clans have been warring for years, tournaments arranged, winners declared, and rankings that most of the community recognizes. The only twist this time is that Jagex has decided to get involved by sponsoring this tournament, but does the clan world recognize it as an official tournament?

 

 

 

Jagex in the Community

 

 

 

Some of the bigger clans appear to be treating the Jagex Cup as small potatoes: nothing more than a side project to occupy their time in between bigger adventures. Its hard to blame them; a single war over within an hour barely compares to epic battles spanning across several timezones.

 

 

 

Yet, the Jagex Cup is another example of the company attempting to be more involved with its community. In February, CEO Mark Gerhard published an open letter to the players, stating he wanted Jagex to be more open and listen to our players. While Jagex can be commended on taking a more transparent approach, many players have remained skeptical on their true intentions.

 

 

 

The player community has endured years of relative silence from Jagex, only receiving an occasional burst of being talked at instead of being talked to. As a result, Jagex has suffered many rants that carry a common trend: Jagex doesnt care about us. While the new direction could prove positive, the big question that looms is: Why now?

 

 

 

In spite of the silence, players have managed to develop their own sophisticated communities. Fansites have not only grown, but flourished; Tip.It alone has over 175,000 registered members. Players have written detailed guides and tips on quests and skills, developed an in-depth bestiary and item bank, and strategies for almost any aspect of the game.

 

 

 

Clans have formed tight communities that have managed to police their own. They utilize (and in some cases created) specific tools to allow them to plan for better decisions while remaining within the scope of the rules outlined by Jagex.

 

 

 

Some of the best players and the most insightful discussions of the game reside outside of Jagexs control. It is good to see that Jagex wants to participate, but the community has thrived on its own for years. Some players have gone their entire careers without ever seeing a gold crown in the game. It seems natural to want to feel hesitant about welcoming Jagex in their lives.

 

 

 

The results have been awkward, almost like having your boss (or teacher) crashing a party, trying to fit in with the gang. It may seem unfair, it is their game after all, but not everybody in the community is warming up to the idea. Jagex has to earn the respect of its players before being welcomed in. Its the price theyll have to pay for leaving us on their ignore list for so long.

 

 

 

Conclusion

 

 

 

This brings me to my earlier question: Is the Jagex Cup an official tournament? The irony is even though the developers of Runescape sponsor it, the decision will be left with the fans to choose if they will recognize it, or reject it. While the tournament has seen a healthy signup, will it create an endearing relationship between the staff and its community?

 

 

 

Can a change in Jagexs attitude towards its community in turn change the attitude of its community towards Jagex? Will this really be the cup to rule them all?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comics & Puzzles

 

by Omnitec

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The aim of the game is to get all the runes shown in the white box in each vertical and horizontal line, as well as in the 3x3 boxes, without 2 of the same rune occurring in the same line or box. To do this, you may want to open Paint and crop the runes in the right box, then copy and paste them into the grid, or print this off and draw them in. Good luck!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Credits

 

 

 

Our Staff

 

Junka666 (Founder)

 

Unorclan/Book (Editor-in-Chief)

 

Randox (Manager)

 

Skill_caster (Manager)

 

Leaf (Lead Consultant)

 

Earthpoet (Columnist)

 

Me_Hate_Libs (Columnist)

 

Niperwiper (Graphic Designer/Columnist)

 

Omnitec (Comic Artist/Columnist)

 

Sir Hartlar (Advice Columnist)

 

Tylerelyt (Creative Writer)[/hide]

 

 

 

 

 

Designer's Note: I was rather disobedient this version, having been given the reigns to publish this edition since Unorclan is out of town. He might briefly scold for this, but you'll notice that in the text version he mentions we're not doing a graphic edition. I decided regardless that everyone deserved the treat of seeing this edition as well as the PREVIOUS edition in its fully functional form. It was a surprise to the entire staff also, which I only just revealed to them last night. I have the graphical edition linked just above and the text version just after. Having designed it myself, I suppose I'm strongly biased to tell you to LOOK AT IT. It's no where near as laggy as the first edition and you'll surely enjoy it. This is the true form of the Journal's first layout as it was meant to be enjoyed and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did creating it with the incredible help of all our Staff. I am betting you'll love their articles and I look forward to hearing your feedback. We will soon be transferring a similar look to a real domain name and far more functional site soon. Thanks goes out to Tip.it for their continuing support!

[primadog]

you guys done it again!

 

 

 

Sad to see the graphics go through.

[blakdragon39]

I like this! I never caught the first edition, but there was all sorts of interesting stuff to read about. If I ever see another edition I'll definitely be here reading it. :D Good work!

[niperwiper]

you guys done it again!

 

 

 

Sad to see the graphics go through.

 

The graphics will still be around, but in a different format. From now on, however, we'll only be posting the text versions of these articles on the forums.

[Italian5kamikaze]

Very well written, I liked the sudoku type game with runes, finished it pretty quick though :)

 

 

 

Nice job.

[n_odie]

Enjoyed turtle's interview. :)

[niperwiper]

Haha, I like how she's one rank above KingDuffy 1 if you look at the graphics edition of the interview.

[stormveritas]

Nicely written. Learn something new every day, too. I always thought it was Sir Edmund Hilary who said the "Because it was there" line. Glad I factchecked before correcting and looking like a jerk.

[Marco]

Congratulations on another quality edition. Glad to see you're keeping up the extremly high production values which really distinguish this paper.

 

Keep up the good work ;)

[champion]

I liked the article on the top 5 moments and the comic. :P

[Will H]

This is even better than the first edition. Keep up the good work!

[Randox]

I somehow mannaged to not see the comic beforehand, so I got a good chuckle out of it. And thanks for all the responses too! We like feedback :thumbsup:

[Randox]

I somehow mannaged to not see the comic beforehand, so I got a good chuckle out of it. And thanks for all the responses too! We like feedback :thumbsup:

[Agent1777]

Even Better than the first on! Great job Staff of Seers journal!

 

 

 

~Agent

[Earthpoet]

Nicely written. Learn something new every day, too. I always thought it was Sir Edmund Hilary who said the "Because it was there" line. Glad I factchecked before correcting and looking like a jerk.

 

 

 

I went back and looked it up after you said something, too. :lol:

 

I certainly don't mind readers checking my facts. If you see something that you believe isn't true, please don't hesitate to point it out. I try to keep everything accurate, but I'm only human and it's nice to know others are keeping me honest.

[Me_Hate_Libs]

Youknow, Unorclan keeps asking me for articles and I've written around 3 for him, but yet none of them are being published. Makes me wonder why I've even written them.

[SirHartlar]

Youknow, Unorclan keeps asking me for articles and I've written around 3 for him, but yet none of them are being published. Makes me wonder why I've even written them.

 

 

 

That is something you should take up with him privately methinks...

[Enipeus]

very nice, I look forward for the next edition. :twisted:

[firsttsurugi]

Lol, your guy writing the X-Factor forgot to mention that John Henry won the competition in the end, or at least that is how I learned it. Very nice edition. I wasn't sure about this new team at first, but they've pulled through.

[niperwiper]

Actually first, it's a mix of both your stories: "John Henry beats the machine, but exhausted, collapses and dies."

 

 

 

So even though the manual means of doing something may be faster, it certainly isn't sustainable in the long-term, which is the analogy Earth was shooting for I believe.

[strilmus]

You mapped the "top ten rs moments" button wrong, because it affects the button below it instead of the one you're hovering over.

 

 

 

Fun read though.

[niperwiper]

Yeah I noticed that while I was testing, but noticed no reason for it to happen and it was only happening on IE. Too small for me to care much about :P

[Randox]

I hate issues with only one browser because there hard to fix (sometimes). I have one on a forum with a piece of javascript hiding a piece of glabal code when your off the main page. Firefox loads and displays the hidden code before it gets to the end of the hide code (it runs code as it reads it), where IE loads ALL the code then decides what to do which prevents a pice from getting loaded so it can be displayed for hal a second.

 

 

 

Libs, contact unorclan privately, and if he dosen't respond then contact me. And if you do contact me, I dont care if you pm me on these forums or the SJ forums, though all things considered it would be best if it were the SJ forums.

[Itsjustagame]

gonna have to go with the party hat dupe from RSC as a top 5...

[Gandorf61]

Wow every article was just great.

 

 

 

I couldn't wait to read the top 5 RS moments and I must say I wasn't let down. I'd have to agree with all of them.

 

 

 

I lol'd at the comic and totally agree with the X factor article.

 

 

 

Once again a great issue and I look forward to the next one, whatever format it may be.