We got the chance to sit down with Mark Ogilvie of Runescape and talk about the new Dungeons of Daemonheim update for the game. Runescape has remained one of the top MMOs out there. Simple graphics and fun game play have kept players young and old active in the game for a long time. Now as the MMO landscape continues to change, Runescape is putting in some upgrades to help players feel the adventure that an RPG should have.
Dungeoneering is the new skill that players will get with the upgrade and this skill will allow you to enter and complete instanced dungeons. Mark was quick to point out that the dungeons are ever changing and you will never get the same experience twice. With boss fights, puzzles and shifting designs the dungeons will give players some variety to level up skills, enjoy solo or group play, and bring the feel of adventure back to the community.
Mark wants to express to players that “You are the adventurer!” There are hundreds of rooms in the random system and thousands of monsters to fight. The system works to keep the dungeon different each time. Mark explained that Dungeoneering is now a part of Runescape and they want players to enjoy the new system. With an upgrade to graphics and constant changing game play they hope players will enjoy new experiences in the game.
One of the biggest elements to Dungeoneering is the Complexity of the dungeons you choose. You can set the dungeon for what you want to do. If you just want a hack and slash short run then you can keep it simple. However, if you want to work on other skills sets and fight some seriously heavy bosses you can raise the bar a little for your group to do some serious work. Mark explained that they wanted a system which allowed players to work at their own pace without having to commit large amounts of time. The heavy dungeons are there for players who want them, but you can keep to the simple fun and still have a good time.
Also the coding of the Dungeon system checks the player or group before they enter. If the group is combat heavy the dungeon will adjust to their style of play. If the group is skill heavy and going in to do some crafting or train other types of skills, then the dungeon will take that into account and create an environment that is closer to the player’s style. This system helps players work on the skills they want at the pace they want. Something Mark was very serious about.
The size of the dungeons also is in the players hands. If you only have a short time to play then a dungeon will run you about thirty minutes. A long raid style adventure will go on for about two and a half hours. Either way players can set the time frame to finish their adventures, something many of us would love to do. The higher your Dungeoneering skill becomes the more access you will have to hire puzzles and boss fights. This works hand in hand with Complexity and players can adjust accordingly.
Mark also went into some of the features they continue to work on for Runescape’s future. He wants to improve the grouping system for players. They are working to improve the system for players to group up much easier. Another thing Mark mentioned was doubling the number of boss monsters in the dungeons over the next few months. He wants to have more encounters available for players as soon as they can. They are also working on the first four hours of game play and making the game more dynamic in the beginning. They want players to have a more exciting beginning to the game and are working to take out some of the grind aspects which Mark feels turns players off to MMOs, especially early on in the game.
Runescape continues to do well and players have a lot of new material to work with. The Dungeon system is also coming with a graphics upgrade. Staying simple and true to core game play ideas Runescape has stood the test of time as a solid MMO. The new systems are in place to bring players back and add new content for existing players to explore the ever changing dungeons.
