02 September 2016 |
Behind The Scenes | mod_robbie
Behind the Scenes: The Month Ahead – SeptemberTwo big dates should go into any self-respecting ‘Scaper’s diary this month.
The first is the 17th September, when RuneFest rolls into town (London, to be precise). Tune into Runefest Direct from 9:30am Game Time on our Twitch Channel. Cross my heart and hope to die, there will be a raft-full of humungous announcements for 2017.
The second date is the one to rule them all - the 23rd to 26th of September is Double XP Weekend. If you like the sweet, sweet taste of gains, then Double XP Weekend is a buffet you won’t want to miss.
Augmentable PickaxesIt’s worth remembering that Invention is now a thing during Double XP Weekend, allowing you to gain an additional 50% when Invention training. To celebrate, we’ll be making pickaxes augmentable, giving non-combat players another avenue for training.
Bounty Hunter & Crucible DeathmatchFor the rest of the month, there will be blood. Litres of it. And it starts flowing with the launch of Bounty Hunter and Deathmatch.
Bounty Hunter is the return of the PvP minigame that assigns you another player to hunt down and kill. But watch out: that same player has you as their target.
You can still go rogue and kill non-bounty targets willy-nilly, but the best rewards come from killing your targets – just don’t get taken down yourself, of course.
And what rewards there are too! Get your hands on kit upgrades for ancient equipment like Statius and Vesta, taking them to level 88. There’s a tradeable pouch that can store runes in your ammo slot, amulets of the forsaken that add set effects to Barrows armour, and level 85 Supreme Champion Weapons with their own special attacks.
Bounty Hunter is the choice for the hardened killer, with rankings to measure your PvP abilities and ensure quality matchmaking, but there’s another option for those who take their player-killing less seriously.
Deathmatchthrows you into the Crucible arena with a metric Thok-ton of power-ups, chicken armies and damage boosts. Then it’s 3, 2, 1, go! Kill each other as often as you like or are able. You might even get the opportunity to become Supreme Champion, a super-powered, boss version of yourself who can sweep the arena clear of opponents.
Deathmatch is a safe-death PvP minigame where the emphasis is on having a blood-spattered good time, all while snagging some great rewards.
What, you want to know what those rewards are? Fair enough: you can get upgraded Fremennik armour, ancient equipment drop enhancers, a Bounty Target Teleport spell, and ogre flasks, which will let you seal up and keep the Oo’glog pool effects.
Want to know more? Both full design docs can be found
on the forum.
Dagannoth Rework & Tales of NomadThe blood runs even deeper with our other September updates. A Dagannoth Kings graphical rework comes to the Fremennik lands, giving the daggermouths a lick of paint inspired by a Legend Arts concept. We’re also sprucing their caves in a dungeon rework that simultaneously brings a sexy sheen to the Lava Maze, Deep Wilderness Dungeon, Agility Dungeon and Forinthry Dungeon.
To keep the blood flowing, we’re dropping in a Tale of Nomad: a mini-quest that delves deeper into old scarf-face’s motivations and choices. For those who prefer to stab Nomad in the back than chat to his front, we’re offering a hard mode - just in case he wasn’t homicidal enough. The Nomad’s Elegy boss will be repeatable, demanding and rewarding, with a soul cape for those who defeat him.
Invention Perks & Currency Pouch ImprovementsAbandoning the blood analogy for a moment, we’ll be adding four new perks to dabble with, including Flanking, which offers increased damaged damage when you are to the side or rear of your opponent, and a couple of perks that offer huge benefits at the cost of two perk slots.
You can also expect an expansion to the currency pouch, allowing you to clear some much-needed space in your bank. If you’ve been drowning in sliskelion pieces, ectotokens and chimes, then you will be getting a lot more breathing room.
Crablet PlunderYou’ve likely also noticed the pitter-patter of tiny crab feet this month, as the Crablet Plunder September event is already a day in. Log into RuneScape every day, and the salty crablets will bring you a daily XP reward that you can optimise. You’ll get better XP rewards for logging in on multiple consecutive days, so make sure you’re grabbing that plunder on a regular basis!
It’s worth noting that the weekends (Saturday midnight to Sunday midnight) bring you rarer and more clawesome rewards, so it’s well worth checking in.
Treasure Hunter - Time to Train & Beyond the ArcOn Treasure Hunter, Time to Train returns in the lead-up to Double XP Weekend, giving you a timely injection of resources.
There is also an opportunity to go Beyond the Arc with an exploration-focused Treasure Hunter update that offers up a samurai outfit and weapon set, while Harvest Festival brings Farming, Prayer and Firemaking XP returns – to you and any friends that you feel deserve it.
Solomon's StoreSolomon adds the Gossamer outfit with a unique teleport animation to his store, but my personal highlight is the new Crystal Peacock armour. This little beauty is available throughout September with game cards.
Be sure to grab one, as a game card doesn’t have to be used for membership – it can also be converted into RuneCoins or Treasure Hunter keys. Premier Club gold members, as usual, get this set for free.
Have fun!
Mod Osborne