Tip.It Times Presents: Rules is Rules

[Kiara_Kat]

This week's Edition of the Tip.It Times has been released. Feel free to discuss the article or post any comments. If you have any criticism, please make sure it's constructive! :D

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rules is Rules

 

 

 

The Editor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Tuesday, 2nd January, Jagex announced that Rule 7 and Rule 9 had been revised and that third-party clients would no longer be tolerated, and would be deemed completely illegal and their users would be banned. The announcement was rather ambiguously worded and seemed to imply that using any form of chat or instant messaging while playing...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click here to read the rest of this article.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reminder: this topic is for discussing the article, not for bashing users who may or may not use third party clients. Remember, our forum rules still apply here, and will be enforced.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks

[Gyroman26]

hmm interesting

 

 

 

too bad there was a lot of flaming when they revised rule 7 and 9

 

 

 

i always get in the world i want, fast without using third part programs.

[Shadowcheval]

I don't use third party programs, mostly because I don't wanna lose my password. Anyways, its good that Jagex is willing to make a group chat :D

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edit: 2nd post, woot

[Doughnut]

Intresting topic, I agree with pretty much everything our loverly editor wrote. :)

[Kaphias]

I thought something would be written on that.

[glaurung]

the irc client is hardly any reason for me useing SS. i use it more for a few of the links(prices, and calculators is pretty much it) and the conveniance of clicking F12 to take a screenshot and have it automaticly save

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

you know what i think would make things much simpler? jagex could just maker their own client. it would have links to things in their knowlage base as well as to their forums and highscores.

 

 

 

they could have their own chat client moderated by jagex so no keyloggers or whatever could be sent through that. although with the new chat system comming up i dont think this will be completly necicery. as long as it would have handy links to the knolage base, a high score checker and simpler screenshot saving i would be really happy with it and would much rather use that than SS or somthing else like that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

come to think of it, i wish jagex would provice clan support in much of the same way. have another section of their site that links to a page with a clan dirrectory of sorts. just select the clan your in and it could take you to your clans section of the website. each clan leader(s) would be given some admin powers over their forum and event calander and things like that but jagex would be able to edit anything they wanted at will.

 

 

 

this would eliminate the need for people to break the rules about advertising sites to people so they know about your clan site.

 

 

 

there could also be a clan highscores added. could have things like total members, average combat lvls or average total lvls.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

that is as far as i have thought the idea out but more may come. i wouldent be surprised if this has already been sugjested though.

[Macmaster92]

I think i read that jagex is going to make a new chat system for players in the updated rules im not shure about the exact words though but we really need a new player interface like the one in the new mini game barbarian assault. 8-)

[hellbellz]

Pretty "Alrightish" article. I really couldn't care about third party systems myself. My Norton Antivirus System's firewall(s) won't even let me use SS.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And to the part near the end, about the "baby", I think that's exactly how Jagex thinks of it. They just want it to stay how they intended it to, but yet their own players, their funders for their wealth need something else.

[04arch3r]

Pure ridiculous, I would estimate that at least 50% of all paying memebrs that play runescape use some sort of 3rd party program whilst using runescape. These programs are not to benifit the user in any way whiel playing the game. Jagex can't enforce this rule anyways. Just as it cant enforce the account sharing/drop trading rule.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is just another meager attempt for Jagex to have complete control over how we play runescape, and should be completely ignored.

[Dexek]

Nice article. I myself don't use third party clients, or anything for an unfair advantage.. although common sense can be an unfair advantage. :lol:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My quick and easy way to get into the full worlds such as 1, 2, and 16 are to simply save them to my favourites. Which I do not believe is against the rules. Its just too bad Jagex can't enforce all the rules they set, but maybe they can scare some people into stopping. :roll:

[Elphinstone]

Nice article, as always. Just like to point out that i'm a teen. And i don't live via Instant Messaging. In fact... i don't even think i HAVE instant messaging. Let me check... Nope. None.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry, i'm just poking holes in an article. Keep writing em, i enjoy reading them.

[Hugh_Mannity]

Nice article, as always. Just like to point out that i'm a teen. And i don't live via Instant Messaging. In fact... i don't even think i HAVE instant messaging. Let me check... Nope. None.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry, i'm just poking holes in an article. Keep writing em, i enjoy reading them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

:D Does that make you the exception that proves the rule?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My son and his friends are always on IM *checks other room* Yep he's chatting now. He doesn't care if I ground him, or take away his allowance. Just as long as he gets to keep his IM and his WOW account...

[infinite_echo]

instead of jagex creating a client....how about putting the tools INSIDE the java applet itself.....like SS, move the game applet to the top left or wherever they please and put tools around the empty space.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

good article

[lauren1211]

great article, but he should have mentioned jagex's promise for an ingame group chat system. i personally use/live by/worship/would die without swiftswitch, so i was understandably annoyed (as were many others, according to the editor) when it was banned. i'm glad they came to their senses, and i like the idea of jagex creating their own client for runescapers.

[Kewl_Sabre]

It's a good article about what happened. I notice it avoids the messy debate about the protests of 27 and 81.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It doesn't use strong terms when talking about Jagex's decision to ban third party clients, which is how I feel about it. I think it was a dumb and annoying thing to do but I didn't riot in the streets because of it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As the editor said, maybe this will encourage Jagex to talk to players AHEAD of time BEFORE they make a decision. It shouldn't take shouts of "save ss!" throughout Runescape before they come to the right conclusion.

[Xewleer]

well... that doesn't affect me much... though i did know a guy who used ss and who knows what else to steal passwords, i just checked, hes not banned yet... but the thing is... he used the safe stuff!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(i cant report, havent seen him do it, though i know he can)

[ComedyInK]

why doesnt Jagex just tell all the people that these are the trusted programs that can be used? But put a disclammer that we are not the makers of these programs, and use them on your own risk. I love using SS!

[Krokomaster]

I think Jagex should definitely improve the in-game window, look at all the black space on the sides when youre playing 1024x820 or whatever resolution that is.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I mean, how hard can it be... especially when you've designed something as complex as RuneScape. A little button that brings a world panel, to allow you to switch world quickly, a little button that brings out a panel with quick hiscores, and a party program allowing a group of people to "privately" chat together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I use SwiftSwitch solely for these three reasons, not for anything else really. And I am sure many people are the same.

[confused]

Never used ss so don't really care. :|

[CloudSeller]

In my first year & a half of RS, I never really noticed the limitations - of chat, of fan sites ... it all seemed normal "the way things are".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But the last year I've been playing EQ2 on&off. I even chose it because it was supposed to be fairly easy to solo - as I'm used to doing in RS (it is, more or less :) ).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But I've discovered the fun of grouping - the ease of using different chat channels - the ready acknowledgement of fan sites & add ons, even their mods will point to them & say "this is a good example of what we like to see people develop" - the use of different interfaces (if anyone plays & doesn't yet have EQ2Map well go get it now! :mrgreen: ).

 

 

 

I realise RS is a very different game, and the much younger player base obviously has an effect; but somethings could be improved.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1: Interfaces/modding

 

 

 

Having different interfaces within the game are presumably very difficult if not impossible due to being java - which I guess is why these other programs use stuff outside the RS window.

 

 

 

But I can see the attraction of the extras & would almost certainly use something if it were deemed "legal".

 

 

 

Just bear in mind some of us still use 600x800 some of the time :boohoo: .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2: Chat & groups

 

 

 

The chat thing especially is very frustrating. In the mole cave, when you want to yell "here", in any of the mini games when you want to talk to a group & not everyone else around.

 

 

 

Barbarian assult is worse than the rest - the grouping is so primitive I've felt like cringing. Shame as it sounded so good when I read about it. Only the person with the scroll knows who might be on their team, you can sign up to several, the scroll doesn't reflect who's left until you try to go down the ladder.

 

 

 

And as for the healer's interface - my fury would cringe - bars and/or coloured cues please!! Reading the numbers & trying to decide who needs attention is so slow.

[SwreeTak]

Really nice article! You got a very nice point too!

[remoteman]

Great article, hopefully it will give that little nudge to jagex to show them in the right direction. I was hoping for a mention of the world 27 riot though, over 20 cannons in fally sq and hundreds of people shouting 'no ss is no rs!' over and over was a sight to see.

 

 

 

RM

[arendra]

Nice article! I agree with the editor, but I've never had trouble with my client, so I'll keep using it. The best protection is common sense!

[Ginger_Warrior]

I don't normally agree with JaGeX and their rule policy. Maybe the fact I'm on a black mark for breaking a serious rule (which I never did nor have any intention to) has something to do with that. But I'm sorry I have to come in to bat for JaGeX on something here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I would question why JaGeX enforced these rules:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have done this for two main reasons:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a) The sheer number of users losing their account/password to programs which pretend to be one thing but actually steal their password;

 

 

 

B) Problems with some of these programs including extremely unsafe chat channels where large amounts of scamming go on, and users encourage each other to try to break the rules

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Those two arguments for enforcing these rules seem fair, I don't think anyone can deny that there is a massive problem with both password scamming AND trade scamming. Unfortunetely, some people don't appreciate what it's like to give so much effort into acheiving something - they'd just rather take the shortcut!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But I don't believe that these two arguments are the reason behind JaGeX doing this. When you consider that the Animal Magnetism and An Enlightened Journey are both quests which have clearly aimed to teach science, it's not hard to see that they're trying to appeal to parents, in the same way that Playstation, X-Box or Nintendo (ie. games companies)would have parental information pages on their website. At the end of the day, a fair deal of the people that play RS can't actually pay for their own membership - they have to use a parent as a medium to pay for RS! These rules were clearly aimed at making people more secure (ie. parents), and if people are more secure, they'll be prepared to pay for membership; or even let their children play on it full stop!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But what actually triggered the huge uprising? Nothing is ever just 1 factor-caused, but I think there's 2 main reasons. The first is that so many people use it and feel emotionally attached to it, so as soon as one person complaied, it spread like wildfire. It sounds silly, but if someone was to say the RS is illegal and is to be banned, I think nearly all of us would imitate the protestors on the official forums. Why? Because we're emotionally attached to this game, in the same way that lots of people are dependant on 3rd-party chat clients for example. JaGeX completely underestimated how many people use 3rd-party clients, hence the huge response on the forums.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The other reason - The fact that there is nowhere else for the anger to be directed. Unless I'm wrong, the forums is the only place where RSers can vent their anger at JaGeX. The complaint system of JaGeX is poor (although I have to give them credit actually - I sent a complaint a few days ago and received a reply in 2 days time, but nonetheless it is still poor). Hence, no-one used it. If you vented your anger in the game, it's always in the back of your head you're gonna get reported by a noob who reports absolutely everything to become a P-Mod. Hence, no-one did. If there was anywhere else for players to actually complain and protest, then this massive protest on the official forums would have had less strength, and would have eventually run out of steam. Maybe that's a thought for JaGeX in the future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There's only 2 things JaGeX can do if they want to get rid of 3rd-party clients. The first is to improve the chat system currently in place. It becomes tiresome having to scroll down a list looking for people in a clan. This is why people use chat clients. If they update it enough and make it better than the 3rd-party chat clients, people will feel less compelled to use them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The second is to, as the Editor said, create one of their own and put it up for purchase, with which the money gained can somehow be used to fight autoers and macroers. Although forcing a charge might just make people turn the free clients. Has anyone thought about perhaps expanding the RS game window horizontally? A half-decent chat system could be put there!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the end of the day, it's not JaGeX's responsibility to look after your computer. It's yours! But JaGeX while trying to clamp down on scamming etc. are in fact succeeding entirely in promoting it...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry my post is soooo long lol

[starev91]

I agree with much of the article. People should take care of their computers, not have others take care of them....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jagex probably just wanted an easy solution to the problem, and banning them altogether seemed easiest to them I suppose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

--

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, and a note my views of ss: It does give a slight advantage to those who use it, as the IRC channels is a feature that allows groups to talk together, which in some situations can mean the difference between running into several ice barrages or not. Until ss has support for Mac and Linux, or Jagex gives players ingame group/clan chat, I personally don't like it, as it gives Windows users an advantage (one that the Jagex client doesn't, as the Jagex client is the same thing as the site). True, I could just have an IRC client open, but clicking back and forth between windows could, again, make the difference. Therefore, I personally consider ss unfair on some users and therefore supported it's being made against the rules--a controversial position, to be sure, but mine nonetheless.