RuneScape's HOT new look!

First topic message reminder :

All three of these are large/wide images. Even with my high-res, I can only see the width of Baronlands on the World Map (but the other two only just cut off). So... I'd recommend clicking on them to open them in another tab/window to view them more easily. A lot of work has gone into them and I'm satisfied I have done enough. I don't want to plan the whole game, or, at least not for a version I plan on sending to Jagex - so I'm happy with them. Except for the misspelling of "Al Karid".

...although, I've decided to claim it's a tribute to DeviousMud rather than a mistake.

Lumbridge, detailed, parchment-style;

Spoiler:

Misthalin, detailed, (crude) terrain-style;

Spoiler:

World Map, simplistic, parchment-style;

Spoiler:

Names of new locations are completely random, aside from those with an author (such as "by Psychoboy8" on Agerdomus). So... if you want to bagsy one, go for it. The map uses hexakis gridding and a six-point compass to match. For those who cannot tell, this relates to the stone of Jas' hexakis gridding and I've made up the lore that the magic-matrix was woven into the planet when Guthix did his stuff (whether first time around or not, if you believe in the etch-a-sketch theory).

The sun rises in the Eotres, and sets to the Vesp. "Eotres" means "dawn", and "Vesp" is short for vesper, meaning "evening". North meaning "to the left of the rising sun", and South meaning "the region of the sun". Prior to astrological advancements and further understanding of the magical-matirx within our planet, it was recognised that Gielinor only had four points. A North and South, for magnetic purposes, with Vesp and Eotres making up the the perpendicular axis. However, it was noted that the moon does not orbit perpendicular to the planet and research was carried out. It was decided that the planet must have six cardinal directions as the moon follows an orbit at 60° to North, and sets at 240° to the South. Eotres was moved so that it still, although now more accurately, pointed to the point of the rising sun, and Vesp moved North to match. Lune was the name given for the point of moonrise, and Hath being mistranslated as the point of moonset. "The moon hath set too South" was the correct translation, however, multiple forms of verbs had been dropped from the English language some time in the past (such as thou, hath) and the word Hath wasn't translated, believing it to be a word to mean the moon; "The moon, Hath, set too South." Whilst the mistranslation was identified, the first "official" six-point compass had already been commissioned - thus, the name Hath was adopted.

Some older equipment still uses an "imperial", four-point compass. Fortunately, modern compasses are typically shown with 12 points (the additional points marking North-Vesp, North-Lune, and so on), meaning there still exists a four-point star within the image. Our trusty sextant uses four-cardinal points, North, Eotres, South and Vesp, thus few changes are required (in terms of game-programming*).

*creating a hexakis mapping system might be difficult, although, I don't fully understand how the sextant works anyway... so it might be easy.

You do know that in the Recruitment Drive quest that the Temple Knights
have figured out that there is about 2,000,000 players and npcs in
RuneScape at all times. Don't you?

That's quite a few... but I think it should be about... 10,000,000 players and NPC's. Maybe 5-10k players per server plus the huge increase of NPC population.

yeah maybe 10*the npc density with same monster density...if that makes any sense

Monster density would have to increase... surely? The big area of grassland between towns in Varrock can't be empty... and I don't think that having loads of "Man" and "Woman" is a good idea. ...I mean, why not have a few deer in the trees? Some wild boar, and the odd large cat? Possibly even some land-birds? Giant rats would of course have a larger populous, and Elekesh'kaan would be full of goblins (melee and ranged uses).

Guards would be higher levelled, and the watchtowers would contain guards who use ranged - so some good Ranged-target practice that Melee and Magic can't hog!

I need to add a couple of the miscellaneous locations such as the Stone Circle where the Delrith is slain. Or should that be in Paterdomus? Like... just outside Varrock? In that little bit of land that will be above the Lumberyard.

I think I've spelt Faladorn wrong... I'm getting the sudden thought that it's spelt Farradorn (the archaic name for Falador, mentioned by Guthix in the God Letters - similar to Avarrocka and Varrock).

I once played some adventure games. Can't remember the name. There were large groups of monsters strolling around, killing them all would give you some rare item etc.

I suggest that there should be groups of monsters wandering around. Example:

Goblin Leader
2x Goblin Spearmen
1x Goblin Healer
4x Goblin clubman

or something, that would make the area more interesting and making travelling a little more dangerous as it should be.

Yes! Traveling monster groups...another one of my dreams coming true!

Also the desert should be havily expanded, but then oases would be added. This idea is better than I first thought. ALso it would be the biggest thing since RS HD

Lol, d'you mean fully wandering? Or just team-AI in a local area. I'm mean... I can see goblins walking between their villages, but I don't really like the idea of packs of wolves leaving their area. But a pack of ranked monsters in Varrock is good, but they shouldn't leave Varrock... If you get me? Some things can, like I said goblins... Or a group of barbarians attacking Arrav from Farradorn.

Roaming guards who actually guard? Wild creatures will not attack NPCs (except in raid scenario-type things, like with the barbarian idea above). Basically, giant rats won't attack guards. However, they will attack players - if they are aggressive. If you run into the vicinity of the paths or towns with something attacking you, nearby guards will attack it... When NPCs raid towns, guards will all leave run to help... In Varrock you'd see all the trainees running to defend Varrock from Barbarians.

In Fable 2 the hobb warriors charge forward, the mechs (hobbs in suits with guns) stand just behind them, and the magicians stand out of the way. Mechs are killed twice - first time destroys the suit, leaving a warrior, and the second time kills the warrior. Magicians resurrect dead hobbs from the ground and will continue to do so until he is dead - killing the magicians also kills all undead hobbs they've raised. Magicians will occasionally throw spells at you. When magicians are killed the hobb warriors begin to panic, and when their number is down to a quarter they scarper. This is fairly simple monster AI.

Group drops would work the same as normal drops, I'm guessing, only all must be killed and the drops are slightly better?

I'm going to expand on the map when I get home... I'm probably do Farradorn or Lumb Fields.

Ye, of course you wouldn't see revenants near lumbridge. But you could see wandering goblins outside goblin encampments. It could be fun seeing carravans through the country and they are guarded, so you would have safe passage between towns.

It would be nice if the travelling circus was actually a travelling circus! They actually pitch up! Then, maybe every Wednesday, you can watch the circus being backed up and dragged in carts and caravans to the next site - meaning this D&D is only available for 6 days a week.

Lol, I think this is all coming together.

Ya.
Also certain forests should have denser forests, now that there is lots of routes to choose from, denser forests can be made.

Also it should take longer to sail from one place to another, those map sequences are far too fast.

I was thinking that transport would be in real-time. Such as canoeing on the River Lumb, the game is more than capable of rendering the whole journey! The Magic Carpets are currently the only realistic travel, lol. Sailing to places, as you can't really have huge boats leaving the harbour for each player, could just function similar to the steam engine. Players board the boat and it leaves. The journey from Port Sarim to Karamja could take about 5 minutes, but there would be more than one boat in rotation - so you wouldn't have to wait.

Sailing is a slow method... once you've been to a location you should set up a flight-route, or establish a landing area for gnome gliders, or something. Dwarves could create some helicopter type technology, or winged-beasts that fly you... however. Flight would be the fastest public transport, teleportation being the fastest transport.

Oh - and not all ports connect to all ports. Charter ships would have main ports that they connect to... rather than each ship going direct, you'd have to get off and transfer ships.

Argh... I did really good (in my opinion) with Varrock... now I don't know where to go!

Desert?

By "now I don't know where to go" - I meant in the sense that I had writers' block and I didn't know where to go with the drawing. I had no idea what I wanted anything else to look like... so I just got an image of Misthalin, matched up the River Lumb, and drew a blob on the other side that roughly lined up and added Farradorn Woods! Draynor, with my description, would be in Farradorn Woods (well, the Manor) - but I've pushed that down. Half of Edgeville would also be in-trees... but that's been pushed north.

Lol, I'm working my way down the map... I'm nowhere near the Desert!

Thumbnails to the gallery;


Full picture on the forums;

Spoiler:

Each area-title would appear independently on the map. Whilst in Varrock you'd see Varrock with surrounds maps detailed-out, only large titles visible and only enough to make up the square. You can zoom out to view the full world map in the same detail-less map, highlighting only the main names and area borders (some large scenario such as rivers and maps may be visible). You cannot zoom in on an area that you haven't explored/visited - it's even possible that other areas would fade-to-black. This adds an element of exploration to RuneScape! Veterans would have various levels of free fog removed depending on the completion of certain quests. Free to play players will not be able to see beyond their realm (even whilst fully zoomed out).

The Dwarven Outpost leads into the mountain. This replaces the camp they have on top of the mountain, unless their camp looks more camp-like considering the mountain will be more mountainous and not just the a cliff-edge. You can access the Tawny mountain range (aka, the Tawnies) from the Wilderness, the Tawny Cliffs and via the Dwarven Mines.

Do the names of the Barbarian Outposts work?

Seems fine.

Is that how you imagined the woodland?

Seems fine.

Lol, you've said that exact thing twice.

Seems fine.

... stuck on repeat, are we?!

Which way should I go next? South?

South seems fine.