Save the Date! 26-Feb-2010

[Askthedude]

Searched and didn't find another topic.

 

 

On the weekend of the 12th of March 2010, we will be running a "bonus XP weekend" for RuneScape members. This has been officially announced in our newsletter (if you haven't already, then sign up for it here).

We've put together this blog as more of an FAQ to answer any questions about the weekend and we will be around on the forums to answer any questions that come up.

 

What exactly is a bonus XP weekend?

 

As the name implies, there will be the opportunity over the weekend of the 12th of March to gain extra XP for standard training activities

 

When will this be happening?

 

Between the hours of 12:00PM GMT on Friday 12th March and 12:00PM GMT Monday 15th March (so, all of that Saturday and Sunday). These times are a rough estimate, but we will put a news post out as soon as the event starts.

 

I don't use GMT! Tell me what time this will be in my country.

 

Here's an idea of times in different areas:

EST - 07:00 AM Friday 12th to 07:00 AM Monday 15th

PST - 04:00 AM Friday 12th to 04:00 AM Monday 15th

Australia - 23:00 PM Friday 12th to 23:00 PM Monday 15th

CET 12:00 PM Friday 12th to 12:00 PM Monday 15th

Brazil (east) - 09:00 AM Friday 12th to 09:00 PM Monday 15th

For more information, please use the handy and helpful Time Conversion Thread.

 

How does the bonus XP work?

 

When you initially log in on the weekend, you will gain approx 2.7x XP for all "normal training" activities (see the question below for a list). While you are logged in, a timer will be running over the time you are logged into the game. Over time, the bonus will decrease to a minimum of 1.1x your usual rate.

Your XP rate will be shown in-game over the course of the weekend, and you will have access to an interface showing a running total of the extra XP you have earned (over what you would have normally earned) as well as the amount of time you have logged in. Your bonus XP rate will NOT decrease when you are not logged into the game, so do not feel pressured to play continuously.

 

What activities will earn me bonus XP?

 

Normal training activities will earn you the bonus XP. Every fight, log cut or hunter trap you lay will grant you a multiple of the XP it would normally give.

Typical training activities for each skill (not an exhaustive list):

• 
   
  
• Attack and Strength - melee combat
  
• Ranged - ranged combat, Circus
  
• Magic - magic combat and other spell casting (e.g. enchanting jewellery, alchemy, teleporting), Circus
  
• Defence and Hitpoints - from all forms of combat
  
• Agility - completing courses, using shortcuts, Circus
  
• Construction - building rooms/furniture in your POH
  
• Cooking - cooking food on range/fire/spit
  
• Crafting - crafting pots, armour, jewellery, battlestaves, blowing glass
  
• Farming - weeding, planting/harvesting crops, checking tree health
  
• Firemaking - lighting fires, burning evil tree roots, lighting beacons
  
• Fishing - catching fish
  
• Fletching - fletching bows/arrows/crossbows/bolts, etc
  
• Herblore - cleaning herbs, mixing potions
  
• Hunter - setting/checking traps, butterfly/bird/impling catching, falconry
  
• Mining - mining ores/gems, mining shooting stars
  
• Prayer - burying bones
  
• Runecrafting - crafting runes at any altar, combination runes
  
• Slayer - doing Slayer tasks
  
• Smithing - smelting ores, smithing metal bars
  
• Summoning - infusing pouches, summoning familiars
  
• Thieving - pickpocketing, thieving from chests/stalls
  
• Woodcutting - cutting trees/evil trees
  

 

What is the specific calculation for my modifier?

Formula and graph of bonus XP calculation

 

WARNING: Maths below.

 

The calculation for this is as follows:

If you put this into a graphics calculator or even Wolfram Alpha you will see a parabolic curve. It has a nice smooth reduction over time. At 10+ hours we set the multiplier to be 1.1 (the tangent of this equation).

We hope any of you that are studying maths will get a kick out of knowing the internal calculations we are doing to get the value of your multiplier, and of discussing it on the forums.

 

What activities will NOT earn me bonus XP?

 

• 
   
  
• Quest XP rewards
  
• Items that give XP (e.g. genie lamps, tomes of experience)
  
• XP rewards at the end of minigames (e.g. Tears of Guthix, Soul Wars, Pest Control)
  
• Anything which allows point exchange for XP (e.g. Penguin Points, Brimhaven Agility Arena tickets, Slayer incentives, Mrs Winkin's World of Seeds shop from Vinesweeper, jade vine)
  

 

Can I use my clay items, Penance horn, brawling gloves, etc, to add to my bonus XP?

 

These items will not work during the weekend as the effects of the bonus XP weekend will override any other items or areas that enhance XP rates. The item will not degrade when used during the bonus XP weekend. This includes clay items, Penance horns, brawling gloves, flame gloves/ring of fire, Fishing/Runecrafting/dragon slayer gloves and POH altars.

 

Why are you running this?

 

It's an idea we've had for a while (and we’re obviously not the first gaming company to think of it; many online games have bonus XP weekends). We wanted to give people a chance to do training on existing skills before we launch the new one (note: this isn't a teaser for the skill's release date).

 

I'm not around that weekend. Will I be able to use my quota another time?

 

No. The bonus XP effects will only be available over this weekend.

 

What happens if I miss out

 

Don't worry. If this event goes well, then we will likely be running further bonus XP weekends.

 

Why is this members-only?

 

Future bonus XP events may well be opened up to free players as well, but we're waiting to see how this one works before making that decision.

 

But what if I don't want to play for the whole weekend?

 

The ideal time for training with bonus XP is during your first few hours of in-game time over the weekend - the diminishing returns means that once you’ve played for more than 10 hours you will no longer be getting a significant advantage in your training.

 

Don’t you think this cheapens training?/I already have 99 in all skills.

 

We think this is an update which appeals to a wide spectrum of players - from people who have just started out and will welcome a boost, to mid-level players striving for a goal, to high-level players training their last few skills, and even to those maxed-out players who are aiming for the 200 million mark in a skill. As everyone is being given the same opportunity, and that the significant benefit only lasts for ten hours, we do not feel it cheapens anything.

 

Isn’t this going to ruin the economy?

 

Ten hours of increased XP isn't going to harm the economy any more than the release of any other new way of training skills. We do expect prices for certain items to rise in the run up to this weekend, but to then naturally level out afterwards. This is one of the reasons we are giving plenty of advance warning.

 

What will you do to stop merchant clans, etc, taking advantage of this knowledge?

 

To effectively manipulate a price you need a unique item that doesn't usually have a lot of variation in value. We're expecting demand to go up for certain items in the run up to this update, but this isn't something which can be set by a single agenda as the economy as a whole is going to be up.

 

Who developed this/who will answer my questions?

 

Mod Fnord was the technical developer for this project, with Mod Chihiro helping with design and Mod Knox being around to answer questions.

Any further questions that we haven’t covered will be edited into this blog entry in time for the bonus XP weekend. We’ll be monitoring the forum thread for the next few days, but please be aware we can’t always give personal answers to questions immediately.

[SoulAttacker]

Pretty cool, but it's a shame that I'm planning on maxing out that day and won't have the need for the enhanced exp rate.

[Danqazmlp]

Makes me wish I still had members. There are some skills I would love the chance to have double exp in. Hopefully it will go well so they do more during the summer.

[bored321]

hmm, think ill be using my first few hours on summoning (glad i'm saved all my charms since i got 88), then rest doing slayer.

[Raee]

Can't wait, hopefully I remember because it sounds pretty good.

[Saradomin_Mage]

Well, it's a good thing I saved my summoning charms.

[Emmentail]

Hmm 2x on summoning.. Woo I have lots and lots of charms saved up! And then to slayer probably.. And lots of herbs coming my way from MTK!

[Lep]

So... Herblore 2x as cheap?

[Saradomin_Mage]

This update will force you to prioritise though ... the Bonus XP is a multiplier across all skills, right? So you'd have to train the skill you want most first, then any secondaries later.

[Me_Hate_Libs]

But but but but but but why...?

 

We all like a little extra experience, but what the hell is this?

 

Weekends are already crowded enough on the weekend, do they want extra people to log on?

 

I want to know why they're doing this.

 

Maybe I'm looking a gifthorse in the mouth, but this is completely out of left field.

[Orc]

I just used all my charms to get 93 summoning the other day, it's so quick you can easily get over 2x the xp and get around 6m xp instead of 3m if you have the charms.

 

I just went straight to the g.e to buy herblore, toadflax arn't buying :(

[Ezkaton]

Woah now this is interesting..... I think I'll spend some on herby, summoning then back to slayer I guess...... They seem to be making 85 easier for me to get :D yays, I'll soon be able to pie dark beasts ;p

[ilovecuttingyews]

Ugghh....no charms left, almost done my herby goal. So many things I could have saved for this.

I don't know how I feel about this. People will obviously nolife to take advantage of this. So many thoughts right now I can't even think (probably too early). I'll edit this later.

Raw item prices are going to go balistic. If this is Jagex's way of trying to fix the economy.....arggghhh!

[Me_Hate_Libs]

I wonder if they're gonna run another Strange Power thing on the weekend so they're trying to max the people on when it happens?

[Zaaps1]

Too bad it doesn't do anything to the Gilded Altar... :(

 

Would the Ectofungus work?

[Saunamajuri]

Thank you, Jagex. I got a bank loaded with herbs, seeds, charms, essence and logs. I was gonna train tomorrow, but now that I know this... :thumbsup:

Well, might as well try the fire cape till 12th of march.

[Danqazmlp]

I think they are just trying to do different things instead of the regular events. More of a testing ground to see if they can give server-wide bonus exp.

[Racheya]

Finally, I can force myself into doing some Runecrafting. I'm needing the monies so I might as well do it when getting double exp :thumbsup:

[I_am_Geed]

[bleep] YES CRAFTING

 

 

SUPER EXP HERE I COME

 

Lol im going to buy out dragonghides with what money i have in anticipation for this

 

Will sc needles stack with this?

[Krampell]

Lets see, should I train Runecrafting to speed up my way to 80. Or maybe Herblore (because it's expensive)

Or maybe prayer because it's so darn expensive too.

[bored321]

Well, its only the first <10 hours that worth using after that its only a 10% bonus. I usually do like 8 hours over a weekend if I have something to do in game, so its not much different from any other weekend.

[Ezkaton]

I wonder if they're gonna run another Strange Power thing on the weekend so they're trying to max the people on when it happens?

 

Nah I doubt it. They may get a few more people than normal on the weekend but surely not too many more? Don't forget it lasts from the friday to the monday which is plenty of time..... And the boost only seems to last for about 8 or so hours before it's just 1.1exp. Hmmm.... I could easily get 70-75 heblore nomnomnom :D

[Grimy_Bunyip]

expensive skills are the only ones that are worth it really

 

train runecrafting for 3 hours, get 8 hours of xp and 3 hours of gp

then train herblore for 8 hours after the update, spend 8 hours of gp

OR train herblore for 3 hours, spend 3 hours of gp

train runecrafting for 8 hours after the update, earn 8 hours of gp

 

clearly runecrafting is the LAST skill you want to train unless you just hate it so much that clicking on altars burns an emotional scar into your mind ^_^

[Lep]

[bleep] YES CRAFTING

 

 

SUPER EXP HERE I COME

 

Lol im going to buy out dragonghides with what money i have in anticipation for this

 

Will sc needles stack with this?

 

SC Needles will NOT stack. You're better off training a skill without experience bonuses already in game.

 

*Puts offer for 550k Pure Essence and 20k Red Chins*

[Rhonda]

TBH, this looked suspicious, especially the link to the RS login page, but I did find it on the RS home page.

 

Runecrafting - crafting runes at any altar, combination runes

 

Wonder if that includes the Ourania altar?