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30 August 2009

3OO

First of all, I'd like to give a shout out to fellow RS blogger Merch Gwyar who is celebrating her birthday today.

She's holding a big party at her house, which would've been cool to attend since a handful of other players from the blogging community are going to be there. However, the event's going to take place at an ungodly 4.00am for me due to our huge timezone differences, so I had to turn Merch's invite down.



On the plus side, I already have plenty to celebrate about even without the party. I hit the 300 million total exp mark today whilst on a Slayer task to kill Steel Dragons. In hindsight, I probably should've done something like buy a bottle of Fortunato's finest wine for the occasion, but meh. I think the satisfaction of reaching such a major milestone will more than suffice.


Me wandering around the deeper regions of the Brimhaven Dungeon.

Besides helping me make that final push to 300 million exp, Lapalok's assignment also gave me another reason to make a trip down to the Brimhaven Dungeon to collect some more of the bones for the Odd Old Man's wishlist. I picked up the tailbones from the Red, Bronze, Iron and Steel Dragons which were in the vicinity. I think I'm still less than half way through the list, but at least I'm making progress.

And before I end off this entry, I took a screenshot (pictured below) of five penguins amassing within the South Yanille wall in world 36. Apparently, several players in the server had somehow painstakingly shepherded them there from their original locations. Many thanks to Vaskor for directing me to the makeshift penguin prison!




Stuff achieved today: Completed Steel Dragon task, reached 300 million total exp

Posted by Timothy Gold at 11:27 PM |

29 August 2009

Evolution

It's annoying how I keep overlooking the little Developer's Blog section in the Runescape main page.

At least three new entries have been added. I know Zelda's excited about the promised name changing system brought up in Mod Duncan's article. He's not particularly pleased with the numbers at the back of his name. Also, I imagine it must get quite irksome after a while when other players keep mistaking him for a girl because of his username.

I'm personally satisfied with my current alias and have no plans of changing it when the update does come out. Rather, it was Mod Chris E's diary entry regarding improvements in the Runescape game engine, RuneTek, which really caught my attention.

He, Andrew Gower and a handful of other mods have been working on a more updated version of RuneTek for the last eight months. Certain features formally exclusive to the HD mode such as fogging effects will soon be made available to players using the SD mode. Brand new graphical features would also be added to both modes, such as sky boxes, particle effects, bloom lighting effects and water reflections.


RuneTek 2 (Runescape Classic). RuneTeck 1 was the original 3D engine
for the games Jagex created prior to RSC.


RuneTeck 3

RuneTeck 5. Oddly enough, it looks completely identical to the graphics
in RuneTeck 4 (the current game engine). Presumably, the additional
effects haven't been implemented yet.

Admittedly, I'm not entirely sure what the first two changes entail, but I'm sure that this is an update worth looking forward to. It's facinating how Runescape keeps evolving; this is perhaps illustrated best by the various screenshots of what looks like the Port Sarim docks using the different versions of RuneTek, which Mod Chris included in his article.


Stuff achieved today: Completed Aquanite task, Completed Dagannoth task

Posted by Timothy Gold at 11:02 PM |

27 August 2009

Publicity

Icey Dan's plans to start up a video promoting RS blogging is causing quite a stir.

It's certainly a novel idea. His requests for the input of fellow bloggers have been met with a fairly enthusiastic response. Around a dozen have already contributed some tips for blogger hopefuls, as well as their own personal reasons for choosing to create their sites in the first place.

I'm not sure how Icey Dan is going to incorporate all of this into his video, but I hope that it succeeds in its goal of encouraging other players to start up their own online journals of their characters' adventures. Presently, even the almost-daily writings of Vaskor and Kitt, plus the more sporadic but no less appreciated posts of other fellow RS bloggers cannot sustain me. It'd be good to have some new blood in the Runescape blogging community.


Stuff achieved today: Level 80 Mining, Completed Spiritual Mages task

Posted by Timothy Gold at 9:46 PM |

25 August 2009

Habits

Ranarr seed prices have leapt recently, making me reluctant to restock on my supply.

I actually welcomed the price spikes however, since the Ranarr herb itself has also risen in value. I sold my entire stock at over 11k apiece, which I think is a record high.

Not that these price fluctuations weren't without their drawbacks, of course. I had to content myself with using Cadantine and Lantadyme seeds as a less profitable substitute during my herb rounds for the last couple of days. This interruption of my Ranarr Farming would've distressed me greatly if it had taken place maybe two years ago, back when I was still religiously trying to squeeze in as many herb rounds a day as possible, but my attitude towards the cash cow has grown lax over time.

Maybe it's for the best. Personally, I believe that exp takes precedence over gp. It's good that I can continue finishing up with, say, a Slayer task without feeling guilty, even long after my Nature Amulet has gone off.

Anyway, while I'm still on the subject, I've decided to include the completion of Slayer assignments under the "stuff achieved today" section I customarily slot in at the end of all my blog entries. I could record the Combat exp I gain while doing those tasks instead, but if it's not Farming, I usually can't be bothered tracking down any exp I receive past level 99.


Stuff achieved today: Completed a Gargoyle task

Posted by Timothy Gold at 10:08 PM |

23 August 2009

New Tenants

Finally finished with the menagerie.

I had to blow over 1.5 million to ensure that the new room came equipped with the best features, but it was worth it. The menagerie's pretty much an extension of my garden now, which I thought was a really good touch. It's still mostly vacant, but I aim to slowly get it filled up over the following weeks.


The current residents of my menagerie

Keeping in mind that the Natural Pet House is the only piece of Magic Stone furniture I've ever built (thus giving it a considerably exorbitant price tag), going all out to upgrade to the roomiest abode may seem unnecessary at this point. However, all expenses were paid for, courtesy of the sale of the Abyssal Whip I acquired from one of the 198 Abyssal Demons I killed later during the day.



Although presently satisfied with my latest work on the Gold Estate, I still feel a slight yearning to build a second menagerie of the volcano variety in my dungeon. Imagine the possibilities with the right Summoning level and pets at your disposal. I could fill the desolate looking habitat with Hellcats, Phoenixes, Vultures, Zamorak Hawks, Abyssal Minions and especially Dragons. As impossibly difficult as it may seem, I'd be hardly surprised if there are already players out there trying to work towards such an ideal setup.


Stuff achieved today: Built Menagerie

Posted by Timothy Gold at 9:13 PM |

20 August 2009

Clutter

I made a wasted trip to the Odd Old Man's shack without any vinegar for the bones I wanted to pass him.

He wouldn't accept them unless they were polished, and I've now resigned myself to the fact that my RS avatar will always get reduced to a doormat whenever I aid NPCs who enjoy pushing their luck. The least the senile old coot could've done was to take care of the mundance task himself, especially after I had already taken care most of the grunt work.

And so my bank account still remains cluttered with bones. I also haven't gotten round to building that menagerie, so my pets will have to put up with my cramped bank vault for a little while longer. I'm going with the Garden habitat, but still lack most of the construction supplies.


Stuff achieved today: Nothing much

Posted by Timothy Gold at 10:22 PM |

18 August 2009

Spoiled For Choice

Made some progress with the Odd Old Man's wish list.

I've taken care of a few of the hard ones such as the bones from the Mithril and Black Dragons. I had the good fortune of being assigned those two monsters from Lapalok for the first time in a long time. Hopefully, more will soon follow; I don't want the sub-quest to needlessly drag on. I think I still have at least half a dozen dragons to kill, plus the wide assortment of other creatures on the old man's list.

Runescapers were treated to a Construction update, among others, sometime this evening. Menageries to house pets and restore Summoning points may now be built in POHs, and I have no qualms about spending a little extra for the fancier features of the room. I'm caught between building the Desecrated Pet House with a volcano habitat in my dungeon, and the Natural Pet House with the Garden habitat next to my formal garden.

I haven't completely ruled out the other habitats and houses either, so it'll probably take the rest of the week before I begin the rennovations.


Stuff achieved today: Nothing much

Posted by Timothy Gold at 10:46 PM |

16 August 2009

Fur 'n' Seek

The Odd Old Man from Fur 'n' Seek needed me to collect and tan the hides of creatures found around the Relleka area for some Varrock Museum exhibit.


Me speaking with the Odd Old Man.

The monsters were found pretty close to one another, so I didn't have to make multiple trips and teleports to run the old man's errand, unlike during the quest's prequel. I delivered all the requested items within half an hour of starting the quest and received a modest exp reward for my services.


The various hides I had to collect

I'm a little disappointed that the big fight I had been anticipating would only take place after I fulfill the Odd Old Man's wishlist of bones. Some can be obtained quite conveniently through Slayer tasks, while the rest would require me to make the extra effort of hunting down monsters I don't normally kill. Crawling Hands are definitely beneath Lapalok's notice, and I'm not sure if has any particular interest in Red Dragons either.




Stuff achieved today: Gained 250k Summoning exp, Completed Fur 'n' Seek

Posted by Timothy Gold at 9:28 PM |

14 August 2009

Mystery Monster

I still have done nothing about the quest.

I only had enough time to Farm and Slay today, and I couldn't even finish the Waterfiend task Lapalok assigned me. Anyway, from what I've read about Fur 'n' Seek, an uber quest boss monster capable of hitting 40s is somehow involved.

It's gotten me quite excited since I now know that it won't be just another "fetch" quest. I hope protection prayers work against the mystery monster. What is that Odd Old Man up to anyway?

Stuff achieved today: Nuffink much

Posted by Timothy Gold at 11:02 PM |

11 August 2009

Machinima Competition

A new quest is out; I think it was released while I was still in bed.

It looks like a continuation of the Rag and Bone Man quest, but I doubt it'll reveal anything particularly insightful since the series so far doesn't have much of a storyline. Still, I'm somewhat curious about its rewards, but working on the quest would probably have to wait until Friday night or the weekend because I'm completely presently bogged down with real life stuff.

Jagex has also decided to organize a machinima competition, and some very attractive looking prizes will be offered to the winners. The event was clearly put up in an attempt to reach out to the player community, which makes it very likely to be the brainchild of Mark Gerhard, as he had expressed his conviction multiple times towards opening up the company. A good move on his part, I'm sure.

I can't wait to view the five shortlisted competition entries.


Stuff achieved today: Nothing much

Posted by Timothy Gold at 10:40 PM |

09 August 2009

Aquanites

Lapalok gave me my first Aquanite assignment yesterday, so after reading up a little on the new Slayer monster, I teleported over to the dungeon near Relleka to fight them.



They weren't as dangerous as I had initially thought, but I was still forced to make two separate trips and use three Bunyip pouches to wipe them all out. The drops were so-so. I wasn't lucky enough to get that badass looking amulet with the shark tooth, which was a shame since I had seen it appear on the front page of the GE database for at least two days, under the top price rises section.

But beyond my slaughter of a newly discovered species in Gielinor, it was just Slayer training as per normal, with little else to discuss.


Stuff achieved today: Nothing much

Posted by Timothy Gold at 10:20 PM |

07 August 2009

Website Additions

Granted, it's not an actual game update per se, but I really enjoyed the recent additions to the Runescape website.

The latest Players' Gallery is one of the best thus far. Special mention should be given to Leondrrmasta and Jsaulflores for their work on DKS Concept and Dedication to Female RS Gamers respectively. A pity Leon can't write as good as he draws, but that's just me being a grammar Nazi as usual.

The wallpapers were great too, though I've yet to look through this month's Postbag from the Hedge. I have, however, already read Mark Gerhard's Q & A article and both questions and answers have surprised me. We get to learn that the mystery skill Jagex is working on will be made available to the F2P audience. I honestly don't think that such a measure is necessary for Free players, but am nonetheless happy for them. Beyond F2P acces, both he and Jagex are still being incredibly vague about what exactly the skill is though.

A new username system is also being designed, which would allow players to change their in-game name. It'll probably be something like the system in MSN; although the email address remains fixed, people can change your display name as often as they please. The idea of a console version of Runescape has also been brought up, but it'll likely take years for the project to come to fruition due to its immensity.


Stuff achieved today: Nothing much

Posted by Timothy Gold at 10:57 PM |

05 August 2009

Level 137 Combat

Got that Summoning level up earlier than expected.



Lapalok assigned me to kill Waterfiends. But being completely inexperienced when it came to fighting that particular monster, I consulted Mat who had very conveniently just begun on his quest to drive them to extinction as part of his Summoning training.

He very helpfully recommended me the type of equipment to bring, which included Black Dragonhide armour, a crushing weapon and Swallow Whole scrolls for my Bunyip. I had to make a trip to the obelisk near the Piscatoris Fishing Colony to get the latter item since I didn't have any. I infused 25 Bunyip pouches to get 250 scrolls, before deciding to train all the way to level 88 Summoning since I was already in the area.

It caused my Combat level to shoot up to 137 as well, though I didn't get any additional congratulatory messages. Anyway, I still lack a good crushing weapon; I'm thinking of buying a Saradomin Sword instead of simply borrowing Mat's, since I'll probably be killing such monsters in the long term.


Stuff achieved today: Level 88 Summoning (Level 137 Combat)

Posted by Timothy Gold at 9:52 PM |

03 August 2009

Haul

Went on a killing spree today and yesterday on Lapalok's orders.



The tasks were generally pretty good. I received two Abyssal Demon assignments and picked up two Whip drops while doing the first, but I'm still halfway through the second one. I also obtained a pair of Dragon Boots during my training, courtesy of the 194 Spiritual Mages I fought. The loot and exp are better than I had remembered.



I've also collected over a hundred Crimson Charms during the last couple days as a result of my re-newed interest in Slayer. Previously, it would've taken over a fortnight to amass that number of charms since Bork was my only source. I should be able to reach level 88 Summoning by the weekend and finally get that Combat level.


Stuff achieved today: Level 93 Slayer

Posted by Timothy Gold at 9:42 PM |

01 August 2009

What's Next

A cool coincidence. Mat invited me to come over to his server to watch him reach level 99 Defence, just as I was preparing to max out Prayer with Blesschat.



He agreed to wait for me though, so I offered a few dozen Dragon Bones to my Gilded Altar until only a 75 exp gap was left, before heading off to the Lumbridge Chapel where Blesschat awaited. Both level up and screenshot went off without a hitch.



I joined Mat a while later at the Poison Arrow for his 99, after purchasing my Prayer Skill Cape from Brother Jered. Zelda and Tiz, after logging out from Blesschat, also joined him for the Defence level up. The former couldn't resist making a jibe at me for drinking up all of Maggie's Goulash.


Congrats, Mat!

Anyway, it was the same procedure really. We all gathered around Mat, got our congratulatory messages ready, took several screenshots when he leveled, and then hurried off to the Defence Guide in Lumbridge for him to get the cape. Mat claims he's starting to get nonchalant about the entire thing after getting so many 99s, but although I'm already at my sixteenth maxed out skill, the thrill for me has yet to wane.


Me, Mat and Zelda performing our respective Skill Cape emotes.

I hope he'd show a little more concern and enthusiasm when he gets his next Cape of Achievement. He's chosen to go for level 99 Summoning, which is really impressive considering the cape's rarity. I've decided to resume my Slayer training, after a hiatus lasting over half a year. It'll probably be a long term thing, though I don't have my sights set on 99 yet. I'll just have to see how it goes.


Stuff achieved today: Level 99 Prayer, Gained 75k Summoning exp, Gained 50k Mining exp

Posted by Timothy Gold at 9:59 PM |




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