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About

RuneScape is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) released by Jagex Games Studios in 2001. In the game, players adventure across the world of Gielinor, where they complete quests, combat enemies and train a variety of skills.

History

In 1998, the multi-user dungeon game know as DeviousMUD^[2] was created and developed by British game development company Jagex.^[7] In 1999, the game was updated with multiple skills, a simple turn-based combat system and multiplayer interaction. In 2001, a web browser version of the game was released on open beta titled RuneScape. In 2004, an updated engine for the game was released titled RuneScape 2,^[3] which included a graphics overhaul and an improved combat system. The original version of the game became known as RuneScape Classic. In 2013, RuneScape was updated to work with HTML5, allowing WebGL utilization, enhanced audio and fully customisable user interfaces changing its name to RuneScape 3.^[4] Meanwhile, Jagex released legacy servers for those wishing to play older variations of the game, which subsequently was referred to as "2007Scape".^[5]

DeviousMud (left) and RuneScape 3 (right).

In April 2017, a documentary was released by Jagex titled "The RuneScape Documentary – 15 Years of Adventure". It provides an in-depth look at the first fifteen years of Jagex and RuneScape, and includes various interviews with well-known players, Jagex staff and other game developers including Richard Garriott, the creator of Ultima Online. The documentary was delayed for a year due to concerns over legal permissions of products featured in it.

Closure of RuneScape Classic

On August 6th 2018, after almost 18 years since the game originally launched, Jagex officially retired RuneScape Classic and took the remaining servers offline. The decision to retire the game was based on multiple reasons such as lack of legacy support tools, increasing numbers of irreparable, game-breaking bugs, and lack of community safety support. ^[17]

Online Presence

Aside from the main website, there are a variety of different sites related to the game, including player clan websites and experience tracking websites. Two different Wiki sites based on the game are maintained, one for RuneScape 3^[8] and the other for older variations.^[9] Two subreddits also exist for the current and legacy variants of the game known as r/runescape^[12] and r/2007scape^[13] respectively.

Fandom

A large online and offline fandom exists for RuneScape. Many fans sites have been created and videos related to the game are commonly uploaded to YouTube. Each year, Jagex hosts a RuneScape-themed festival known as RuneFest^[10], which attracts players of all ages from both games to a weekend festival featuring RuneScape related content. Both variants of the game are also actively streamed on Twitch.tv, garnering thousands of viewers daily.^[11]

Notable Events

Duplication Glitch

The Duplication glitch was the most famous glitch in RuneScape Classic, occuring on 7th November 2003. The glitch was not originally an attempt to duplicate items. Player "Sixfeetunder" had been experimenting with a third-party client called AutoRune, to see the effects it had on the game. His original intention was to find a way to trade an un-tradable item, but instead discovered how to spawn any non-stackable item in the game. The glitch was revealed to others and following this, many players began exploiting it to spawn numerous copies of expensive items. Most notably, many copies of the then most expensive partyhat, the Pink Partyhat, were created. Following the mass duplications, many of the affected items' prices crashed, leaving a lasting effect that has affected the game's economy to the present day. The Pink Partyhat (later renamed to Purple Partyhat^[14]) went from the most expensive partyhat to the least expensive, due to the glitch.

The Falador Massacre

The Falador Massacre was an event that occurred in RuneScape 2 on 6th June 2006 (6/6/6) due to a glitch in the coding for the recently released Construction skill.^[15] Player "Cursed You" had become the first person to reach the highest level in the skill, and hosted a party in his player-owned-house to celebrate. During the party, he expelled everyone from his house in an effort to reduce lag. Players who had been inside the combat ring at the time of dismissal retained their ability to attack others, despite them not being in a 'PVP' zone. A small number of these players began to attack others who were unable to retaliate.

The most notable of these instigators was a player named "Durial321", who attacked and killed many players in the nearby town of Falador. Due to the way the death mechanics worked, anyone who was killed lost all but three of the items they were carrying. Durial and others were then able to loot those items for themselves. The most notable items looted by Durial were a Green Partyhat and a White Partyhat; two of the most expensive items in game. The massacre lasted almost an hour before Jagex Moderators were notified and took action. Many players (including Durial) were subsequently permanently banned for their role in the event.

Deadman Mode Tournaments

Deadman Mode (or DMM) is a game mode featured exclusively on Old-School RuneScape. The game mode utilises servers and save states different to the main OSRS servers so that account stats can remain separate. In this game mode, players are able to kill each other almost anywhere within the game, aside from a few safe-spots. It features heavily increased experience rates to allow players to level their stats quicker but imposes harsh death mechanics. Upon death to another person, a player will potentially lose up to 50% of the overall experience they have gained in their skills. The player who defeated them will also gain a key to their bank, allowing them to loot it. The loot rewards are removed from the player's bank when they die, whether the killer chooses to take them or not. The game mode also includes time limitations on various forms of travel and logging out, to prevent players from easily escaping fights.

A competitive variant of the game mode known as Seasonal DMM occurs quarterly, which is finalised by a tournament open to the top 2,000 players of the current season. Players are given a week to train their account before the elimination period occurs on the final day. Any players who die during the elimination period are removed from the tournament. This period lasts until only 256 players are remaining. Those 256 players then compete in 1v1 fights in a randomized tournament bracket. There are prizes for the top eight players, with first place being awarded $20,000. The finals of each tournament are streamed live on Twitch.tv.

Seasonal DMM was put on hiatus on 29th June 2019 with the final tournament occurring that day. Jagex have stated that they made this decision as they wish to revamp the game mode and hopefully bring back an improved version in the future.

Merchandise

An official online merchandise store^[16] is featured on the game's main website. The store sells many RuneScape related products, including items such as bumper-stickers, buttons and clothing apparel. Many unofficial products related to the game are also sold by other online retailers.

Novel Series

In July 2008, a RuneScape related novel was released titled "Betrayal at Falador". The novel, written by author T.S. Church and endorsed by Jagex received two sequels, released subsequently in 2011 and 2012. These sequels were titled "Return to Canifis" and "Legacy of Blood", and the series as a whole is considered to be canon to the game's lore. To promote the original book release, the first 10 copies were signed by Jagex employees Andrew Gower, Paul Gower and Geoff Iddison, author T.S. Church and the book's cover artist. The copies were then auctioned off on eBay; the first of which sold for £585.00.

Related Memes

73 / The B0aty Number

73 / The B0aty Number refers to an amount of damage inflicted to the Oldschool Runescape streamer B0aty during a 2015 PVP fight. The number has become associated with him within the RuneScape community and is often joked about when people see it.

Rune Fag

Rune Fag is an advice animal image macro series created in early 2010, which consists of the Rune Full Helm in-game item along with text mocking various elements of the game.^[6]

Tehnoobshow

Tehnoobshow is a YouTuber known for creating RuneScape machinima videos with self-referential humor poking fun at his noob status in the game, while he ironically calls everyone the same name.

Gnome Child

Gnome Child (also known as Slayer) is a generic NPC featured in RuneScape. The chat-box head of the character is often associated with dank memes.

Buying GF

Buying GF is an ironic phrase occasionally said by players indicating an interest in purchasing a girlfriend with in-game money.

Search Interest

External References

runescape mmorpg fantasy video game jagex andrew gower paul gower geoff iddison t.s. church gielinor dungeon deviousmud 2007scape richard garriott runefest duplication glitch sixfeetunder autorune partyhat falador massacre durial321 d