Clan Citadels – Cool!

Well hey there, it has been a while fellow bloggers! I don’t commonly write posts anymore, but I figured something this large would need some sort of coverage – especially since I’m an active member of the clan community.

Quite recently I saw a thread on Surreal’s forums covering a news post JaGeX made at some point last week stating they are developing a new concept called Clan Citadels. We’ve been treated recently to the clan system update which introduced customisable clan capes, mottos, forums, high scores and much more.

The clan update that JaGeX released was in my opinion something that truly changed the face of the game forever. It’s reached out to new and current clans and to this day gives clans more variety and makes them much more approachable and maybe even successful.

concept art

Clan Citadel concept art

Based off this clan system, having a castle in the sky with your clan symbol everywhere, being able to build your own skilling hotspots, a partyroom, a senate and even battlefield that only your clan can see and share is something that is truly groundbreaking for a game like Runescape.

The July Behind the Scenes article stated the following about the upcoming update:

Our graphics department have been busy adding over 4,000 new models and over 20,000 new animation frames to the game for Clan Citadels, making an environment that we are particularly proud of.

Clearly this is going to be a huge update to the clan structure in Runescape and I can only hope that all of this effort is actually appreciated and used for months and possibly years to come. This sounds like something that would really make or break itself in terms of functionality.

JaGeX have stated that any experience gained in the “maximum of seven” skilling hotspots which you can build with your clan inside your citadel will be less than what you get from the ground – which makes sense, but is a let down at the same time. Oh well, you can’t have everything you want, right?

My only concern about this update is that it may decrease prices of resources even more – though prices at the moment are horrible, they could get worse by allowing clans to have their own custom space for various resource collecting skills (assuming that is the case with the hotspots)

Either way, this update will make its mark and I will look forward to covering the rest of the story as it unfolds. I personally cannot wait for the Development Blog which will definitely tout much more information and a better look at what we should expect from it.

JaGeX and Clans

As you may already know, JaGex, the owners of Runescape have released a new update which concentrates on the clan community within the game. This was an update that was widely looked forward to and it most certainly did not disappoint… much.

Though JaGeX did make a massive step forward taking the risk in providing free tools to assist users to make Runescape clans, they made a few mistakes that are costing the clan community more than they are giving.

I was not amused that this update changed the face of what a clan is in Runescape. Many people see it as either a ‘free cape ride’, or a ‘group of randoms that pk together’. Though this is all well and good, most of these ‘clans’ serve the same purpose as a Clan Chat always did… a chat.

My gripe with this change is that players who are new to the clan world are directly exposed to a mess of free capes and wannabes. I thought being in a clan was about honour, experience and leadership – now that is all changing.

The quality of clans needs to step up, and JaGeX was probably better off making it more difficult to run a clan because overall, you get better quality and a stronger community. Now we must deal with the consequences of making a Runescape clan a 5-minute job.

Guthix help us.

Final Exams Underway

Well, I just thought I’d update everyone (just in case you’re wondering) where I am/have been lately. Recently, and most importantly, I have opened a new skilling clan called Surreal – this has taken up a majority of my time lately aside from exam study.

My exams are officially underway which means I am 24 days away from becoming a free man in society! Once I am, expect a little bit more activity around here. I intend to do some Spring cleaning soon, as well (around the website, anyway.)

See you soon, comment here and update me on what you’ve been up to if you like :)

Is RuneScape too easy?

So it seems evident to me that I’ve been stuck cooking for a while now, and I’m finally getting the hang of being a Runescape player again. Nothing much has changed to the game aside from the fact that you now can hit 500′s, but hey, what can you do? I’ve rejoined Skillers Empire – the most awesome skilling clan in the world and I hope to extend my adventures with them for a long time. It is clear to everyone now that Runescape is getting easier by the second. First we’re hitting vines for a living then we’re mining gold from infinite deposits, what more can you ask for?

Yes this sudden easy streak in the game will bring temporary players – but what will it mean for the long term of RS? Jagex really need to think things through before they make them, and let’s just hope that this new skill doesn’t just add to the problems that they already have.

Cooking Skillcape in Runescape

Behold - The Cape of DOOM!

On another note, I have a few strange rocks in my bank and I refuse to use them, I’ve been told that the rewards are pretty stupid and that they aren’t really worth it, so the Varrock Museum can wait till I have an inventory worth of them, then maybe they can have my lovely artifacts…

I love cooking, and it will be my first buyable 99 skill, but I’m uneasy about the fact that it is such an disrespected cape. It’s less than 35 hours of gameplay from 87-99 and it’s hardly a difficult skill. I’m not convinced that this will be any sort of challenge for me considering my background of past 99 skills. I’ve gotta get it done, and I doubt I’ll be having a party for this one. Just smile ‘n wave.