RuneScape Discussion

First of all, I'd like to say hello to everyone, seeing as this is the first issue in which I am the Runescape Discussion head! As for articles, we squeezed in three this month. First, we have Pvp Worlds - "Pkers' Heaven Returns?", by Dragonclaw8. This talks about the PvP worlds and the effect it has had. Next, we have Wall-Street, by Dr Skull. This talks about the Grand Exchange and its similarity to the real life stock market. Finally, we have What About The Quest Cape?, by Buffalo. This talks about skill capes and quest capes and the differences and similarities between the two.

~ Dr Skull

PvP Worlds- "Pker's Heaven Returns?" - By: Dragonclaw8

Months and days went by as a 10 month period of silence stirred over RuneScape's members. The tides have managed to turn though. In recent updates, Jagex promised to return a popular sport for many RuneScape players. However, this time they brought it back, but with a twist. PvP Worlds, are worlds in which you are allowed to attack anyone, anywhere, anytime, any place for the exception of respawn points, banks, and some guilds. With that being brought back, they have also ensured that no real-world trading will occur. This is so by giving a predetermined drop when somebody else is killed. So, now the question is, has the PKer's Heaven Returned?

In January, a not too popular announcement was made saying that PKing was getting out of hand with the large amounts of suspected real-world rading occuring. With that said, PKing was removed, and the entire Wilderness had been revamped to fit a new type of PKer, called a revenant. These creatures annoyed many, and they wanted to bring back the old PKing. Jagex heard the cries of member's, and created this counterpart of the past RuneScape Classic Wilderness.

Since the recent update of the PvP worlds, thousands flocked and returned to RuneScape hoping to see the PvP worlds actually returning. Upon their return, they weren't disappointed. Many worlds that you could do this mini-game in were full. They scrambled and sought out what they had been waiting for, some player killing. With that, came an effect. The armor and weapon prices have gone up dramatically over the last few days. Now, some buying processes at the Grand Exchange have been a little slower than usual. It was apparent that many were ready to return and have fun.

It does appear that a PKer's Heaven has returned, but, it doesn't seem like it used to be. In old PKing, the drops were anything the user was carrying if they were skulled, and the exception of the three most-valued items if they weren't. Now, you recieve a predetermined drop which is decided by the game system. It is also determined upon the impressiveness of the kill. It is more likely to recieve a better drop from killing a player on your own than with a large amount of players working alongside of you. Another factor is based upon how long you've been in a PvP world, how many people you've killed, and the level of players you've killed. To avoid Real-World Trading from occuring again, Jagex says it is not possible to recieve the player's items upon killing them. To many, that is the least of many's worries.

Some new items were brought to the game, all special for PvP worlds. They are member's items, but in a corrupt state of being. They are accesible by a free-player, but may not be wielded or worn for more than 30 minutes. An example of this is the 'Corrupt Dragon Items'. These are retrieved after you've killed someone in a PvP world. Something that seems to be stirring the economy is that they are tradeable. Now, all real dragon armors have been facing a rather sway in price drop and raise because everyone's money is going towards the corrupt armor, which is cheaper than them, but is still rather expensive. Merchanters will have some trouble here, but the economy will be sure to shape up again once the craziness of the moment has died down, and PvP has become a daily thing.

Jagex brought back in PKers with this last update, from a craze which lasted about 10 months of no PKing. Now that they are back, I'm pretty sure it's safe to say that Jagex released a PKing Heaven, with preventing real-world trading, a huge problem they had with the old PKing. Similar to it's RuneScape Classic idea, PvP has now caused a huge phenomenon to return to RuneScape, and many seem to be happy about it.

[ Back to top ]

Wall-street - By: Dr Skull

I can almost guarantee that you will not hear, "Can you show me where Wall-Street is?" or, "Where can I find the stock market exchange?" as you stroll down a street in Runescape. Although you may hear, "Where's the Grand Exchange?", with, of course, not as good grammar. But really, what's the difference between the real life stock market and the Runescape Grand Exchange?

Stocks move up and down, and are tracked with charts, similar to those on the Grand Exchange Beta. People use the stock market to make money, just like people use the Grand Exchange to merchant, resulting in them making money. You can buy and sell within a short period of time or a long period of time on both the Grand Exchange and Stock Market. There are also limitations on both. The stock market closes at a certain time while you can only buy a certain amount of items on the Grand Exchange in a limited amount of time.

Think of Runescape items as stocks, or the stocks like Runescape items. They go up and down, and people do lose money, but also make money. It can be risky, but in the end, it may turn out to be well worth it. So next time you’re just standing around in a bank (Because that’s where everyone hangs out when they’re bored!), go up to someone and ask them where Wall-Street is. See what their reaction is.

[ Back to top ]

What About The Quest Cape? - By: Buffalo

Skillcapes are items in Runescape that most players strive to achieve. There are 25 different types of skillcapes, each one showing that you have mastered the skill of the cape you have. This article is a brief look in on the benefits of a skillcape, and a very different type of skillcape- the Quest Cape.

What is a skillcape?

A skillcape (officially known as a Cape of Achievement) is rewarded to a player who has obtained 99 in a certain skill. They are given to you by an NPC who is a "master" of a skill for 99k. An example of this is the Head Chef in the Cooking Guild, who will give you a Cooking cape. A cape also comes with a separate hood, this is optional to wear, and provides no stat bonuses.

A skillcape is the second best cape in the game (best being the Fire Cape). It adds +9 to each defense stat, and +4 prayer if the cape is trimmed. Capes can also be Operated, and will boost the skill to 100.

If you have only one 99, your skillcape will come in a solid color, and the symbol of the skill (an anvil for Smithing Etc.) on the back. If you have more than one 99, your cape will come with a trim (your other cape, if this is your second 99, gets trimmed also!) that usually compliments the base color. Fletching has a base color green, and a yellow trim.

The owner of this cape owns only one skillcape, and has no trim.

The owner of this cape owns more than one skillcape, and has a trimmed cape.

Last, but not least, Skillcapes have a unique emote to them that represents the skill, and are longer and involve more movements than all the other emotes. For the Woodcutting skillcape, you will actually chop down a tree.

So, to sum it up, a skillcape;

• Shows that the wearer has the 99 of the cape.
• Can be bought for 99k by a "master" of the skill.
• Is the second best cape in the game, and can boost the stat of the cape to 100.
• Can be "trimmed" once a second 99 skill is achieved. This will give it a +4 prayer bonus.
• Have emotes that are more designed than other emotes, and represent the skill.

What is a Quest Cape?

The above section was merely to give you the back story on a skillcape, and to show you why the Quest Cape is so different.

A Quest Cape does not show that the wearer has a 99, in some cases the wearer doesn't have a 99 at all. It shows that you have completed each and every quest. Each time a new quest comes out, that quest must be done to be able to wear the cape. All the other skillcapes are kept permanently.

A Quest Caper's philosophy, is that the Quest Cape requires a different sort of work. It's not just using a shark on a fire, it's fighting bosses, solving puzzles, and actually have to get up a variety of skills to be able to meet a Quest's requirements.

Now that that's out of the way, we can compare these two capes.

What's the same?

A Quest Cape shows that the owner of the cape is indeed a "master" of Questing. He or she is an expert on the subject of the cape they own (as are other skillcape owners), but still cannot remember every single detail of their quests.

It must be bought for 99k from the master of Quests, which is the Wise Old Man (the man whoms blue Party Hat you oh so desire), and it has its own emote, which has you being carried away by a blue quest symbol. It also has the same stats as an untrimmed Skillcape.

What's different?

All the things said before about the owner of a Quest Cape not having a 99, and not being able to keep it.

However, even if a Quest Cape owner has one 99, or two 99s, the Quest Cape can not be trimmed. No matter what, it will always stay with the same solid white outer edge, and will not have a +4 prayer bonus. Why does it do this? A simple answer, I do not know, nor have I ever been able to find a clear-cut answer from Jagex, or from a player. Possibly, when more Achievement Diaries come out, a trim will be added, but who knows when that'll happen.

A Quest Cape can also not be right operated to boost anything. I say, why can't it boost Quest Points? Sound like a stupid idea? What about using it for, say, Tears of Guthix, or boosting our trade limit to a higher amount?

So, to sum up the quest section.

Similarities

• Quest cape shows that you have max quest points.
• Must still be bought for 99k from the Wise Old Man.
• Still has an emote.
• Same stats as an untrimmed Skill Cape.

Differences

• Quest Cape does not show that the owner has a 99.
• Must be obtained again when a new quest comes out.
• A Quest Cape can not be trimmed.
• Can not be operated.

My opinion? The Quest Cape should be brought up to the glory of a Skillcape, by being given a trim and an operation. All the Quest Cape has to show for us is that we worked hard to complete every quest, and we actually have to complete every new quest, so we can't just put it in our POH and never think of it again.

[ Back to top ]