RuneScape is a fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) released in 2001 by Jagex Ltd. It is a graphical browser game implemented on the client-side in Java, and incorporates 3D rendering. The game has approximately 10 million active accounts per month, and is recognised by the Guinness World Records as the world's most popular free MMORPG.
RuneScape takes place in the world of Gielinor, a medieval fantasy realm divided into several different kingdoms, regions, and cities. Players can travel throughout Gielinor on foot, by using magical teleportation spells and devices, and many other methods such as charter ships. Each region offers different types of monsters, resources, and quests to challenge players. The game's fictional universe has also been explored through a tie-in video game, Armies of Gielinor , and a novel, Betrayal at Falador .
Players are represented in the game as customizable avatars. RuneScape does not follow a linear storyline; players set their own goals and objectives. Players can fight NPC monsters, complete quests, or increase their experience in any of the available skills. Players interact with each other through trading, chatting, or by participating in both combative and cooperative minigames and activities.
The first version of RuneScape was released on 4 January 2001 in beta form. As the game's popularity grew, the game engine was rewritten, and its beta was opened to paying players on 1 December 2003 under the name "RuneScape 2". It was renamed RuneScape upon its stable release on 29 March 2004.
History and development
Andrew Gower wrote RuneScape with the assistance of his brother, Paul Gower. The game utilized a mixture of both three-dimensional and two-dimensional sprites. It was released to the public as a beta version on 4 January 2001 and originally operated out of their parents' house in Nottingham. In December 2001, the Gower brothers and Constant Tedder formed Jagex to take over the business aspects of running RuneScape . Jagex developed an interpreted domain-specific scripting language called RuneScript which is used by RuneScape's server for event handling. On 27 February 2002, a monthly membership service was introduced, allowing access to additional features including new areas, quests, and items.
As the game gained more users, Jagex began planning major changes. The developers completely rewrote the game engine so that the graphics were entirely three-dimensional producing a version called RuneScape 2 . A beta version was released to paying members on 1 December 2003, which ended on 29 March 2004. Upon release, RuneScape 2 was renamed RuneScape , and the older version of the game was kept online as RuneScape Classic . On 12 January 2006, Jagex banned more than 5000 Classic accounts due to cheating, and RuneScape Classic was closed to new accounts and restricted to paying members who had played Classic at least once between 3 August 2005 and 12 January 2006.
To support RuneScape's free content, advertisements appear on a banner above the playing screen on the free-to-play servers. Since computer users may use advertisement blockers, which may discourage advertisers, Jagex introduced a rule that prohibits players from blocking these advertisements. On 13 July 2006, Jagex signed an exclusive marketing and distribution contract with WildTangent Games, which granted WildTangent the right to handle advertising in and around RuneScape in the United States. The deal also allowed WildTangent to distribute RuneScape through the WildTangent Games Network, reaching over 20 million consumer PCs. Jagex moderators have stated that in-game advertisements will not be re-introduced.
On 16 May 2006, Jagex upgraded RuneScape's game engine, primarily as a back-end upgrade rather than a visible graphical boost. The game's memory requirements were reduced, allowing the game to be expanded and improved without increasing the loading time for most players. The engine was upgraded again on 26 June 2007 to allow the addition of future content. On 1 July 2008, Jagex released a beta of their "High Detail" mode for members, which was extended to free players two weeks later. Before the launch, Jagex stated that it would be officially revealed at the 2008 E3 trade show.
In February 2009, Mark Gerhard became the new CEO of Jagex, and announced large changes in the way the company would manage the game. The announcement focused on removing the perception of Jagex as "a secretive and closed-off company" and promised to increase communication with fansites, communicate more directly with players, and give a greater focus to the free version of the game. The two immediate examples of this new approach was the removal of video adverts and a series of Question & Answers sessions with the players.
In September 2009, it was announced that RuneScape Classic would be re-opened to the public, including a feature where players could rent and administrate their own server, giving them the ability to allow or ban any player of their choice, as well as enabling or disabling any cheat codes they would like. The game was re-opened for two weeks on 11 November 2009 to paying RuneScape members, who would be permitted to continue playing Classic after that time so long as they logged in during the two-week period.
On 1 October 2009, paying members were given the ability to change their displayed names, seen by other players in the RuneScape game and forums, to be different from their usernames, which are used by players to log in to these services.
On 8 October 2009, RuneScape was launched in India through the gaming portal Zapak, which is responsible for marketing and distribution. Rob Smith, Jagex's chief operating officer, described India as "an important market for us ."
Servers
As of August 2009 there are 171 English RuneScape servers located throughout the world, which are numbered and referred to as worlds by players and by Jagex. They are located in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, Australia, Sweden, Finland, Belgium, Mexico, Brazil, Ireland, Norway, Denmark, New Zealand, France, and India. The large number of servers scattered around the world provides the best connection for players in the most cost-effective manner. Servers are moved or added as the need arises.
Each RuneScape server allows up to 2,000 players to log in simultaneously, allowing a maximum capacity of more than 340,000 players. The servers are divided into free servers which are available for all players, and servers which are reserved for paying members. Some servers are given activity labels, allowing players performing tasks that require or desire group participation to group together. In addition to the RuneScape servers, there are 2 servers for RuneScape Classic .
Other languages
On 14 February 2007, Jagex released a German open beta translation of RuneScape . A French version was introduced on 10 December 2008, and a Brazilian Portuguese version was released on 24 July 2009. There are 5 German RuneScape servers, 2 French servers, and 5 Brazilian Portuguese servers.
In an interview, former Jagex CEO Geoff Iddison stated that "We do plan to go East with it to the Asian market and the Eastern European market too" and "RuneScape is not for Japan, but it could work well in Malaysia for example. And where's India in all this? I think RuneScape is a game that would be adopted in the English-speaking Indian world and the local-speaking Indian world. We're looking at all those markets individually".
Gameplay
Players begin in a secluded area, where they are taken through a tutorial, a set path where they learn the most basic skills in RuneScape . After the tutorial, players have access to tutors and advisors located in the towns they explore, who can give players appropriate information about their respective skills. When the tutorial was introduced on 24 September 2002, it was set on a secluded island, often called "Tutorial Island". A new tutorial was briefly introduced on 14 July 2008, but due to technical difficulties, the original tutorial was reinstated before being replaced again on 17 September 2009.
Players set their own goals and objectives as they play the game. They can train the in-game skills, engage NPC monsters and other players in combat, and complete quests at their discretion. Players interact with each other through trading, chatting, or by participating in minigames and other activities.
Skills
The 24 skills in RuneScape enable players to perform various activities within the game, allowing for interaction with NPCs, the environment and other players. Players gain experience points in a skill when they utilize it. For example, mining an ore trains the mining skill, and when the player accumulates enough experience points in the skill, their character will 'level up'. As the skill level rises, the ability to retrieve better raw materials and produce better products increases, as does the experience awarded if the player utilizes the new abilities. The total skill level of a player pa
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