27-Oct.-2010 Emergent Gameplay letter

[Hamtaro]

Dev Blog

Editor’s note

 

Hello there,

 

Welcome to this community blog, which is designed to give you some insight into the alternative gameplay that many of you submerge yourselves in. Everyone loves to see new content but not all new content needs to be graphical, a new skill or a fresh quest. Creating a new way to play can be just as engaging and the versatility of RuneScape can make developers of us all! Yes, even those of us with absolutely zero tech skills!

 

Gielinor is such a thriving world that when you’re not slaying dragons, working towards the next skillcape or pwning enemies, there’s still a myriad of places to go, people to meet and activities to get involved in. In this blog, I’ll guide you through just a bit of what’s out there and how you can get in on the action. If you want to try something different, then this is the place for you.

 

In the future, we will get even more feedback from you, but for now, I just want you to enjoy October’s issue by a warm fire as the days get shorter and colder (or even warmer, depending on where you are lucky enough to live).

 

Mod Edu

 

Outside the box: Emergent Gameplay

 

Full of possibilities and endless opportunities, emergent gameplay can come under both of these terms; it just all depends how far you're willing to go through the looking glass. Most players will spend a few minutes with the items or element in question, only to leave it on the side. Others will spend days of gameplay, finding new use out of their new-found item.

 

Most people use their own competitive urge to create and spawn new types of games. For example, throwing a ball around is one of the games passed down since the Middle Ages and many players have emulated it in RuneScape through ?199,200,483,61674305"]Gnomeball. For those who prefer things a bit more combat-based, fighting rings present their own brand of ?199,200,243,61311113"]Wrestling Entertainment Goodness (not known as WEG). If the challenge of a mighty tournament sounds appealing, then there’s a whole community of people waiting to meet you in the ?199,200"]tournaments section of the forums.

 

Player-owned houses can be a gold mine for creators everywhere: amateurs of architectural design can surpass themselves to create what they want: hotels, restaurants, nightclubs, even professional meeting rooms. Some people even choose to become international businessman overnight by creating their own corporations, combining all of these individual businesses.

They’re all waiting for you here: ?201,202"]Businesses and Services.

 

Adepts of the marketplace may have met one of the various supply companies. Designed to complement existing trading methods such as the Grand Exchange, they ‘set up shop’ here in the forums with a well-appreciated personalised touch and a face to the shopkeeper. The customer gets their product, the seller gets the cash and everyone is happy. Once in a while, it isn't so bad to talk with one another.

 

The successful alternative to this is lending items: you're not going to get in on this cheaper alternative by using the Grand Exchange, so players running rental services have found great success for the cash-minded adventurer or party-goers. A great example is ?201,202,653,61435086"]Purge’s item lending service.

 

You would be mistaken to believe that only players endorse this new gameplay: J-mods do it too! Stick around RuneScape during a public holiday and, chances are, you’ll come across events organised by us that show you a different side of the game. Sometimes, it’s a small twist on a current theme (eg PvP hide and seek) while at other times we’ll add brand new content to the game, just for the event. You might have seen two fairly recent examples of this with Cryptic Clue Fest and Oktoberfest.

 

Over the years, we’ve seen player-created gameplay come alive and thrive. We’ve also seen millions of events and, over that time, we’ve come to understand what works and what doesn’t work quite so well. Here are my top five things to think about if you’re in the creative mood and want to - essentially - create your own RuneScape content:

 

1. Be unique. Really do not let yourself be restrained.

2. Think of open-ended concepts. Passing a ball or building a POH house are great for this as the options are so diverse.

3. Be solid. Think carefully about how your idea works.

4. Think of how to get other people involved. It’s always more fun with friends!

5. Have fun. You tend to be more creative when you’re in a positive mindset and are enjoying what you’re doing.

 

So, there's really something for everyone in RuneScape, even if you sometimes have to go beneath the surface to find it. Find a shovel and dig: you never know what treasure you will fall on!

Muses by the community

Serious business with the community

 

First of all, I would like to thank all those who attended the Businesses and Services Community Chat meeting on the 9th of October, looking into why they joined this community in the first place and what made them stay.

 

Special thanks go to House Guild for offering her service for the community.

 

Jamandy52, owner of the B&S directory: 'Something unique that didn’t already exist' while Jaxster joined as part of his Skilling goals into some of the various supply companies.

 

Verailium is attracted to the social and creative aspects of the community and W as in Will loves the lack of trolls.

 

Stelle Pie loves the idea of ownership that the community gives to him, but it’s left to House Guild to sum it up very nicely: 'To me it is one of the most fun parts of the game.'

 

Everyone was curious at first and hopefully, you will be as well.

 

Questions & Answers

 

Question

Will there ever be a time where we (Businesses & Services Community) will be left on our own without Jagex's support to help build ourselves up? What is the next course of action for Businesses & Services (B&S)? - Raja

 

What will you, as a Jagex moderator, do to help further increase in quality and quantity the community of gnomeball, and Tournaments as a whole? - Cicobe1

 

Answer

I believe that at the end of the day, we're giving you support because you deserve it. The B&S community is capable of coming up with new ways to approach RuneScape as a game and as an overall community. In return, we wish for you guys to have a great experience.

 

Some examples of the support we can bring you:

- 'Promote my stuff': if it’s good and needs that golden touch, we can bring it.

- We can come to your gatherings or events.

- We can give you some advertisement: this is a good example.

- If it’s really, really good: we can give you some YouTube or frontpage support!

 

From my perspective, if it’s good it deserves to be mentioned and supported by us. Once the word is spread that there are some pretty awesome things in the community, there will be more people to come and enjoy the experience and thus enhance it.

 

Question

Will there be any in-game content updates that would help the B&S community in the future? - Purge

 

Answer

To be honest, 'Businesses & Services' and 'Tournaments' forum communities are hosts to variants of Emergent Gameplay and they seek to take content and use it in unique ways. This means that any potential updates could spawn a new aspect in the community!

 

I wouldn't rule out content designed to enhance your experience directly, however, as we have done things like this in the past (Faruq's tools). Something like this suggestion from a fellow player fits the bill: 'I feel houses need a way to kick one person out of our houses without having to kick everyone else. It would allow (wrestling) shows to run more smoothly, improving our shows and preventing any delays.' - Samual Dude

 

We cannot promise to make every great suggestion become a reality - but if we really like it and we think it will help people, then there’s a good chance it will end up on the ‘to do’ list!

 

For anyone out there, feel free to pass on suggestions that may be useful in this regard in the appropriate Jagex & Community threads:

 

?201,202,696,61101501"]Businesses & Services J&C

?199,200,343,61519605"]Tournaments J&C

 

Get into the action: Wrestling!

No holding back in these fights to the death.

 

Future submissions

House Guild is sharing her thoughts on Emergent Gameplay.

 

 

 

Want to be in the next issue with your comments, pictures or artwork? Grab my attention in an interesting fashion and you could potentially have your input in the next issue, whether that’s your comments, some advertisement or some good old-fashioned artwork. I generally come and visit the Tournaments and Businesses & Services forum communities, but drop a line anywhere: hopefully, I’ll catch your call and get in touch.

 

Tournaments can be found ?199,200"]HERE.

For Businesses & Services, visit ?201,202"]HERE.

Not to advertize, but I think there was some Tip.It Times Article related to this? A Path Less Travelled :-w

[Wingless]

I've always looked for immersive ways to put myself in games, but RuneScape isn't one that I can do so in. The ideas and such in this article make me think no different either...

[Grimy_Bunyip]

when I read the article, it was as if the jmod was trying to coerce me into doing more emergent gameplay by not so subtly offering suggestions.

 

The examples given don't really make sense in the context of the typical RS gamer anyways.

 

who is ever going to open a restaurant in their POH? or a "stripclub" as Jagex suggested <_<

[Wingless]

who is ever going to open a restaurant in their POH? or a "stripclub" as Jagex suggested <_<

 

I did that once cause I got bored. I invited some girl friends round, locked them in the Throne Room cage and made them strip to basic clothes and dance. It was lols :^_^:

[stonewall337]

when I read the article, it was as if the jmod was trying to coerce me into doing more emergent gameplay by not so subtly offering suggestions.

 

The examples given don't really make sense in the context of the typical RS gamer anyways.

 

who is ever going to open a restaurant in their POH? or a "stripclub" as Jagex suggested <_<

 

 

This. Jagex once again shows their lack of knowledge about their players. Emergent gameplay is, more commonly using things like cannoning in single, etc. Things which may not be "designed" that way, but which are more efficient, or fun.

[green9090]

Yeah, this is more like time wasting roleplaying... Emergent gameplay is something that Jagex has shown themselves to be vehemently against. "Oh you alch your arrows to make an altar? NERF!" "Oh you sell flatpacks with fremmy boots 3 and make a profit? NERF AND BUG ABUSE ACCUSATIONS!"

 

Jagex HATES people using content in ways they didn't specifically have in mind if it gives any sort of advantage. To read a dev blog about what they think emergent gameplay means is hilarious and depressing at the same time.

[Emmentail]

Right.... So I saw emergent gameplay, and thought this would be an admission from Jagex that occasionally players find ways to twist the game to their advantage without it actually being classed as a bug.

 

Instead, it's about role-play... :rolleyes: Really?

[All_Is_Great]

Not everyone plays the game to max out and boss hunt so they can buy divines and phats :rolleyes:

Not everyone is uber efficient at everything they do :rolleyes:

Other people like to enjoy other elements of the game. For example, sometimes I just like to relax in the games room and play some draughts or runeversi. So don't be surprised when there are players who enjoy this type of emergent gameplay with their friends.

[green9090]

Not everyone plays the game to max out and boss hunt so they can buy divines and phats :rolleyes:

Not everyone is uber efficient at everything they do :rolleyes:

Other people like to enjoy other elements of the game. For example, sometimes I just like to relax in the games room and play some draughts or runeversi. So don't be surprised when there are players who enjoy this type of emergent gameplay with their friends.

That's called roleplaying, or in the case you described, using content exactly how it's designed (the games room is rarely used, but it is designed for a specific purpose, and you're using it for that purpose).

 

Emergent gameplay specifically refers to using content in ways that it was not intended, usually in order to gain some advantage. What Jagex described in their blog is almost exclusively roleplaying, which is screwing around playing pretend in order to have fun.

 

Not that I have a problem with roleplaying, but I don't find it fun in the least, and I don't appreciate Jagex mixing it up with something that the game really could use more of.

[stonewall337]

Not everyone plays the game to max out and boss hunt so they can buy divines and phats :rolleyes:

Not everyone is uber efficient at everything they do :rolleyes:

Other people like to enjoy other elements of the game. For example, sometimes I just like to relax in the games room and play some draughts or runeversi. So don't be surprised when there are players who enjoy this type of emergent gameplay with their friends.

 

 

You obviously know nothing about what emergent gameplay is. That is normal content being played like it should.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergent_gameplay

[Golvellius]

Not everyone plays the game to max out and boss hunt so they can buy divines and phats :rolleyes:

Not everyone is uber efficient at everything they do :rolleyes:

Other people like to enjoy other elements of the game. For example, sometimes I just like to relax in the games room and play some draughts or runeversi. So don't be surprised when there are players who enjoy this type of emergent gameplay with their friends.

 

Welcome to tipit 2010.

The clownfaced elistest with far less than a clue about things have moved in.

Not really surprising that the first page of replies that are nothing short of efficiency trolling. (e.g. nightclub must mean stripclub)

Any thread that starts with fun is guaranteed to be packed with "thats stupid"/"waste of time" replies.

 

Anyhow, I used to use buy stuff from mining companies back in the day and run some rune ess for people.

It was kind of fun.

I thought it was more roleplaying and such for kids so I never got much into it.

Glad to see that trade restrictions didn't kill it off.

I guess have to look a little farther down the RSOF forum list more often.

I usually just get stuck in the mod section and then move on.

[green9090]

^Again, it's not an issue of efficiency, it's an issue of incorrectly defined terms.

 

If the blog had been titled correctly as roleplaying, we wouldn't be having this discussion. Emergent gameplay is not what this is.

[Golvellius]

You obviously know nothing about what emergent gameplay is. That is normal content being played like it should.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergent_gameplay

Yes of course, wikipedia is always right.

If they say emergent gameplay is bug abuse and real world trading then it must be, its so obvious.

Role playing... hell no.

Finding ways to abuse stupidity to max out your score... emergent. :thumbup:

[Obtaurian]

How in the world did this thread jump from "that's not emergent gameplay, that's roleplaying" to "[bleep] efficiency trolls@@#!@$@"?

 

Anyway, that's not emergent gameplay, that's roleplaying. Jagex mods obviously play Runescape. /lies

 

EDIT:

 

Not everyone plays the game to max out and boss hunt so they can buy divines and phats :rolleyes:

Not everyone is uber efficient at everything they do :rolleyes:

Other people like to enjoy other elements of the game. For example, sometimes I just like to relax in the games room and play some draughts or runeversi. So don't be surprised when there are players who enjoy this type of emergent gameplay with their friends.

 

Welcome to tipit 2010.

The clownfaced elistest with far less than a clue about things have moved in.

Not really surprising that the first page of replies that are nothing short of efficiency trolling. (e.g. nightclub must mean stripclub)

Any thread that starts with fun is guaranteed to be packed with "thats stupid"/"waste of time" replies.

 

Okay, seriously, did you guys click on the wrong thread or something? You two are the first to bring up efficiency. i don't even...

[green9090]

You obviously know nothing about what emergent gameplay is. That is normal content being played like it should.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergent_gameplay

Yes of course, wikipedia is always right.

If they say emergent gameplay is bug abuse and real world trading then it must be, its so obvious.

Role playing... hell no.

Finding ways to abuse stupidity to max out your score... emergent. :thumbup:

Would you care to find a source that supports your definition of emergent gameplay then? Because every definition I've ever heard is pretty close to Wikipedia's.

 

You know why? Because that's what emergent gameplay means.

 

I can almost understand people saying "DURR ITS JAGEX GAME THEY CAN DO WHATEVER THEY WANT THERE ALWAYS RIGHT," but they don't get to redefine terms that apply to all games.

[strilmus]

I think what some of you were trying to say is that instead of presenting an actual example of emergent gameplay, Jagex is again trying to push their community forums into the spotlight.

 

No discredit to the people who enjoy them but really it's kind of funny that they don't know that everybody who would be interested in them is already participating.

 

Much discredit to Jagex in believing that this is going to make up for the long series of gaffes that they've made concerning things they've accidentally changed and were never actually aware of because nobody on their end knows how to play they game they've made. And then managed to appear to be shoving it under the rug by never mentioning these incidents at all in the article that was supposed to discuss them.

 

Also I find it disappointing that people think that they can discredit Wikipedia because it's the internets

 

Because in that case I'd think this entire conversation is wrong on every side because there's bias involved in every party GASP.

 

Anyway, I guess we can be trolls and elitists and sign this one off as another miss of the broad side of a barn by Jagex.

[Golvellius]

Also I find it disappointing that people think that they can discredit Wikipedia because it's the internets

 

And I find it equally disappointing that people are sheep who will believe anything that put into front of them because its from a "credible" internet souce.

I wonder how many times holocost deniers have gone into the Nazi/Adolf Hitler pages and changed the definition of "the final solution" from genecide to getting new upholstry for Hilter's sofa in 1944.

I remember when Sinbad the entertainer had to go on tv and profess that he wasn't dead because somebody started a rumor over the internet.

 

But, you know what, you can go argue with Jagex about what you think emergent means.

From now on when I see bug abusing half wit or a clown faced money grubber I am going to call them an emergent gamer.

And when I see somebody profess to be an emergent gamer, I am going to call them trash.

Works for me. :thumbup:

[Obtaurian]

Also I find it disappointing that people think that they can discredit Wikipedia because it's the internets

 

And I find it equally disappointing that people are sheep who will believe anything that put into front of them because its from a "credible" internet souce.

I wonder how many times holocost deniers have gone into the Nazi/Adolf Hitler pages and changed the definition of "the final solution" from genecide to getting new upholstry for Hilter's sofa in 1944.

I remember when Sinbad the entertainer had to go on tv and profess that he wasn't dead because somebody started a rumor over the internet.

 

But, you know what, you can go argue with Jagex about what you think emergent means.

From now on when I see bug abusing half wit or a clown faced money grubber I am going to call them an emergent gamer.

And when I see somebody profess to be an emergent gamer, I am going to call them trash.

Works for me. :thumbup:

 

I guarantee you that you've used some form of emergent gameplay to your advantage at some point or another. You probably do it often and don't even realize it. :thumbup: I know you're trying to be a clown, but you're not funny at all. Choose a different profession, please.

[strilmus]

And because this is the internet and you are a source, you'll automatically be wrong about everything, so it won't matter.

 

THE CIRCLE OF LIIIIIIIIFE

 

Anyway, the letter either changed nothing, or made more people visit the RSOF, so as far as they're concerned they don't even have to be right

[stonewall337]

You provide a better definition Gol. You won't. You never disprove, you just mock. Prove me wrong, or I am right.

[Obtaurian]

Proof that Golvellius engages in emergent gameplay (he's wrong here, but he's still arguing that this form of emergent gameplay is the best way to kill frost dragons):

 

LOL...

Whats the dps of cannon genius? (hint if your not in combat then the cannon goes multi and will lay up to 6 strikes per rotation on a single dragon thats moving overtop the thing)

Best way to kill frost dragons and actually get 200 kills an hour not just fiction from XpXtroll is let the cannon do the work.

Hide behind the rocks in the sw and let the cannon roll.

Only come out when there is only one dragon left, or a dragon goes around the rocks from the south attacks, or the cannon runs out of ammo.

Doesn't matter if you have rapier, spear, or cls.

Your dps sucks compared to the cannon when its working in multi mode (aka your not in combat or it really is a multiway zone).

Learn to compliment the cannon, not the cannon compliments you.

[ghjkl]

That doesn't work. Emergent gameplay is like killing tds to train rc.

[strilmus]

Or the thousands of people who used the spirit graahk's teleport function to speed up nature crafting and almost entirely ignored the graahk hunting area.

[Obtaurian]

That doesn't work. Emergent gameplay is like killing tds to train rc.

 

Yeah, it's hilarious to me. No wonder he hates emergent gameplay -- he's terrible at it.

[Omali]

[cabbage]. [cabbage] [cabbage] [cabbage] [cabbage] times a thousand.

 

Jagex does not like true emergent gameplay, because they have always seen such activity as either against the rules or against "the spirit of the game." Emergent gameplay was like fansites to Jagex: They claimed to love it, claimed to support it, but god forbid you mention it in-game your ass is either muted or banned, temporarily if you're lucky.