Behind the Scenes - February 2015

This February, Zamorak’s planning one heck of a heist, and the Wildywyrm returns for good. Plus, we’ve got improved Demon Flash Mobs, the awesome GameBlast charity event and Double XP Weekend, and streamlining tweaks to combat.

We’re definitely feeling the RuneScape love this month – read on to find out more!


Demon Flash Mobs

Members Only

Demons need love too, so this month were giving our Demon Flash Mobs some well-deserved TLC.

They've been made considerably more rewarding, giving better basic drops with some new, unique additions.

First up, there's a set of tradeable titles, based on the names of demon bosses, including 'the Frostborn', 'the Glorious' and 'Executioner'.

Demon bosses also have a chance to drop new, tradeable summoning materials used in three level 82 pouches. The demonic familiars summoned from these pouches are aggressive, and once you enter combat, they will attack nearby monsters of the same type you’re up against - even if you yourself aren't fighting at the time.

In addition, Demon Flash Mobs no longer deal extra damage to players using the Protect Item prayer, which should make attacking them in the Wilderness a less terrifying option.


Wildywyrm and Lava Strykewyrms

Members only

The Wildywyrm first opened its toothy maw back in February 2011 as a special holiday event, and it’s never left your thoughts despite its short lifespan. Keen to add more oomph to its home, we’ve brought it back permanently, meaner than ever and capable of dropping a range of new gear.

If you haven’t heard of it before, the Wildywyrm’s a giant version of a strykewyrm found only in Wilderness. She’s also brought her smaller brothers, level 94 slayer targets known as lava strykewyrms. The Wildywyrm will spawn very rarely, although JMods will be able to make her appear at will! Each killed Wildywyrm offers a drop to everyone who participated in the kill, meaning more loot for all!

And what loot it is! On top of new ashes, which give the best Prayer XP of any ashes in-game - she and her smaller brothers can drop upgrade items for the abyssal whip, staff of light and dark bow.

These make new level 85 combat gear with unique special attacks, and with new degrade mechanics inspired by OSRS. Try the new whip, which can drag your target towards you; the powered-up new staff; or the bow, whose passive effect and special attack really reward a high-skilled player.

You won’t spend coins to repair the weapons – rather, the base item will degrade to dust, leaving you with the upgrade item to reuse. This adds a much-needed item sink that’ll really help the economy.


Dishonour among Thieves

Members-only quest

I talked about it back at RuneFest – a quest all about Zamorak pulling together a crack team of his toughest, most cunning, most dangerous followers to pull off an epic heist, the likes of which Gielinor has never seen.

A sequel to 'Missing, Presumed Death', this new Intermediate-level quest (requiring level 30 Thieving and Agility) sees Zamorak and his most elite crew attempt to steal the Stone of Jas from the clutches of the master of shadows – Sliske.

The chance of direct contact with Zamorak, Nomad and the rest of the crew - plus being part of the heist of the century - is something not to be sniffed at. Rewards include a brand new cape with thieving bonuses, plus hidden XP chests for higher-levelled players!

Dishonour among Thieves

Double XP Weekend/GameBlast15

Don’t forget the GameBlast event and Double XP Weekend starting on 20th of February! We will be live streaming our 24-hour charity event at Jagex HQ, and you’ll be able to join in by donating to the Well of Goodwill or taking part in your own charity events!

The Community Team have plenty of events, competitions and madcap challenges planned, and you’ll be able to buy a new cosmetic outfit from Solomon’s Store, where 100% of the money gained goes straight to SpecialEffect: the charity behind the GameBlast event.

Double XP Weekend lasts from the 20th until the 23rd of February, so get your banks ready now for maximum return!


Player-Suggested Combat Changes

As polled last year, players voted for the return of a number of monsters to be made aggressive again. Due to the close nature of the poll (there were only a couple of hundred votes in it), we have removed the more dangerous monsters (like dragons) from this list. Let us know how it feels, and if you want more monsters added to the list. Give us your feedback!

We will also be significantly improving combat responsiveness, allowing you to instantly trigger an attack when you use an ability, and change targets more easily. Revolution mode has also been improved, and should stop and start in a more responsive manner.


In Other News...

Valentine's

Throughout the game and via Treasure Hunter, you’ll be able to gain petals to unlock new emotes, costumes and weapons with a lovey-dovey feel or a dark, bitter tinge. You can even unlock any of the items you may have missed over the last two years! The crazy new effects on offer include exploding your enemies into a million hearts. Awwwww.

Solomon’s Store

Solomon gives you wings! 4 new sets to be exact - feathered, bladed, gemstone and ethereal - designed to complement a wide range of costume types. He’s also added a new Nomad pack, complete with awesome costume, weapon overrides and nomad walk animation – the first ever to be offered in his store. There’s a new pet called Fimberzizz, too, if you’ve got some Loyalty Points or RuneCoins to spend.


Have Fun!

It’s a corker of a month, and I can’t wait to see you get to grips with all this content.

Don’t forget – RuneLabs is now open, and you can now support ideas that you think best match this month’s criteria. Get stuck in and get the content you want into the game.

Have fun!

Mod Mark


What is a Behind the Scenes article?

Behind the Scenes is a sneak peek at the planned game updates that we hope to launch in the coming month.

This, however, is only a plan - not a promise - that a particular update will be released in a particular way or at a particular time. To get you the highest quality updates as quickly as possible, we usually keep on tweaking and testing right up until the moment before release, so sometimes things change or take a bit longer than expected. We aren't afraid to change our plan if necessary, as we will never launch an update before it is ready.

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