The latest developer diary from the folks at Runescape looks at the efforts that went into making the game's new rest system.
On another cold morning in the Jagex office, deep in the Wilderness, we were offered the prospect of working on a slightly different project from normal. Run energy is seen as a stumbling block by new players. No one likes to see their run energy drained and be forced to run-walk to their destination, so we were determined to make sure the new improvements would benefit the average player.
Before beginning our full test cycle, we had to ensure we understood the content as much as possible by reading through the design documentation and also having face-to-face meetings with the developer, Mod Chihiro. This was the ideal opportunity to outline any aspects of the project that needed to be given more careful consideration. The main issue that arose was that some balancing had been done, but that the numbers were not final. This meant that the time it took for run energy to recharge while resting, either anywhere or at a specified rest spot, was not finalised and liable to change.
Read more here.
