DevBlog:Rare Item Implementation in Old School RuneScape
It’s been a hard journey but now it is time to bring it to an end. Although the community was certain that rare items should return, we weren’t able to come to a consensus on how to bring each one back. This is why we put in a backup plan, in some way we had to deliver these items to you.
When we considered the backup plan we wanted to make sure we addressed the wants and concerns of as much of the community as possible. The biggest issue was that some areas of the community didn’t want these items to have such a great impact on the economy as they have historically while others wanted then to still have some value. We think we have achieved this in the backup plan as the limited time these items will be available each year will allow them to gain value while not allowing them to impact too much on the economy.
We also saw that there was a big demand for these items to be distributed in the way they were originally. Although this would not have been possible in many of the cases due to the content no longer being available, we still wanted to give the original feeling of having to be in the right place at the right time. Spawning only one item at a time in every world was what we thought was the best and fairest way to achieve this. It meant no matter what time-zone you were in, you had a chance of getting something while not allowing too many in game.
So, how and when will you be able to get your hands on these items? In early June we will start releasing a different rare each week starting with Scythes, then Pumpkins and the week after that Halloween Masks. On every world there will be only one spawn of these items at a time. Once that spawn has been collected, it will respawn elsewhere on the world. Once all these items have been distributed you will be able to obtain them again during the corresponding holiday period (for example, you will be able to get Christmas crackers every Christmas).
On top of that we will be doing some community events over the summer which will reward those that attend with these items. You will be able to take part in old style drop parties, PK a J-Mod to get what he drops or see if Party Pete has something hidden in his balloons! There are lots of opportunities to get your hands on these items over the summer and the more active you are, the more chance you have of getting one. Make sure you are a part of it.
Thanks,
Mod Mat K
If you ever wanted a classic rare now would be the time to subscribe again. It's not specifically stated whether or not there will be restrictions on where the rares are dropped and there are huge areas of the map like Ape Atoll, Isafdar, Khazari Jungle, and even the Fremmy Isles that players who aren't active questers won't be able to access. More experienced players will definitely have an easier time finding rares if they're dropped in those large secluded areas.
Oldschool Runescape was great fun the first couple months it was open with heaps of old players online, many who hadn't been seen in years. After that it seems people got bored and stopped playing again though. I did the same a while after because Oldschool Runescape just isn't the growing and relevant world it was when it was the actual live game. In the end it was just a big nostalgia hit. Personally I'm done with Runescape at this point and I don't hold much value in these new rares over the ones that players obtained a decade ago. Cynical, I know, but it's just how I feel.
