RuneScape Forum Archive | Minigames Rework or Removal

Deltaslug

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At this point ... if devs were to rework them ... just drop the "minigame" aspect.

Turn Soul Wars, Pest Control, and Barbarian Assault into PvM content.
Pest Control just becomes another mid tier slayer combat mob that keeps spawning out of portals. You might get points for killing X creatures, or now Void Knight Gear is now a uncommon drop.
Soul Wars, keep the soul fragment mechanic, but add in some more slayer creatures to kill and then make the 2 Avatars a Soul Reaper Task.
Barbarian Assault, ditch the current mechanic. Turn it into a quasi raid (clear the 10 rooms, just fighting instead of having waiting periods or the rooms needing certain roles). Or just drop players into the Queen and King and fight it out like normal bosses. Add them to soul reaper as well.

Trouble Brewing, could be left as is, just turn into a permanent activity where you just keep feeding the brewing machines. Each bottle you make, still awards XP.

Fist of Guthix could be redone into a method that requires skilling to harvest the ambient energy rather than just holding onto the magic stone.
Tbh, they could have turned into a lite-GWD at any point in the last decade (8 factions fighting over the scraps of energy, the FoG rewards now becomes a dungeon drop table).

All of these are merely examples of how to keep the existing areas and the spirit of what is going on in terms of story ... just ditching the minigame aspect.

You could go in solo or with friends.

15-Jan-2023 15:25:33 - Last edited on 15-Jan-2023 15:27:06 by Deltaslug

May

2023

ShallPrevail

Posts: 583 Steel Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

I do have to say your posts are very one-sided, you do give points in both directions but in a situation where minigames and PVP do prevail, you do not give supporting arguments on why minigames should be supported. Your small tweaks to the smaller minigames that don't involve PVP are almost irrelevant and would bring very minimum appeal to the community.

We need a boom, not a fake gavel and a statement saying minigames are dead and not wanted.

Back in the day minigames were just as popular as anything else in the RuneScape, nothing killed it except Jagex making the popular minigames hard to adjust to with the EOC update. Along with this they made PVM extremely rewarding and minigame content even less rewarding than it ever had been.

- I'm not sure where you're coming from but minigames are still relevant in OSRS, I logged on once at the lowest peak time and people were still in the minigame hub I went to. This again shows me you are just trying to shun minigames.

- Could you add why you would want more PVM content in an already PVM everything game? for example I have no idea why you would ever consider turning soul wars into a more PVM focused situation.

They literally converted and spent TONS of content time and advertising on the PVM wilderness update, and as you said they even added tier 87 rewards and MORE and Jagex literally said themselves it is already dead content? and it is, as I said it would be when it first released.

- D&D's were nothing but just an angle to try and make diverse content in a dying community for RS3, they should have went back to updating minigames once the covid pandemic hit as by that time players were coming back to RS3, AND they made huge adjustments to the game like Revolution and more.

Seeing the low player numbers and recent mobile support, I wouldn't be surprised if they just decided to take a small knee within the RS3 side of things. Clearly they didn't have the funds to invest in extra PVP developers as well.

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15-Jan-2023 21:36:47 - Last edited on 15-Jan-2023 21:59:52 by ShallPrevail

Deltaslug

Posts: 32,671 Sapphire Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

tl;dr #1 - not everyone is going to agree with you

tl;dr #2 - you proposed a problem which even Jagex admits to. while we agree on the problem, we don't agree on the possible solutions.

It's not my intent to hijack your thread, though I'll admit at this point that the number of posts would most certainly make that appear to be the contrary.

I do not deny my point of view. But it has been backed up by the comments made by Mod Jack and other devs over the years of them not wanting to do another BA level rework for a minigame. The fact they haven't done that, YET, performed ninja level reworks to reduce accessibility where possible should be a reflection of just how far they are willing to go.

The problem you've presented cannot be done to the scale you want in a reasonable timeframe.

The primary solutions for any individual minigame:
- remove
- large scale rework that retains existing functions or adds more
- smaller scale rework that does small things (ie QOL, removing reqs, etc) but not going "too far"
- repurpose (ie: Duel Arena, Bounty Hunter into Bounty Slayer)

The Burthrope Games Room is an isolated area. A dev started a project that would make the board games from that location available in a place like the GE. Now you don't have to go to 1 out of the way spot to play it. Now you can do it in an area with a lot of traffic.
Would you consider this a large scale rework? a smaller scale rework? would it even be a solution to the problem for those minigames to be made more accessible as "acceptable"?

16-Jan-2023 01:52:38

Jul

2020

Cam8528

Posts: 723 Steel Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

it makes me sad to think that at one point and time minigames like the duel arena, castle wars, pest control and barbarian assault were the brainchild of some teams of developers at jagex. like, someone's major addition to the world of runescape during their career was the development testing implementation and seeing thousands of players filling lobbys across world servers to play this new minigame, this new addition to gilenor.

perhaps these hollow minigame lobbys patiently waiting for swathes of time to populate and fill up for even a single round, will benefit from NPC additions to the lobbies. if it takes 20 players to start a game and only 4 people are waiting in the world designated for that minigame, every 15 minutes during revolving round-starting events, the 16 other slots will be populated by npc characters.

if a lobby is empty, the server won't waste resources starting a minigame round for only npc players. but as long as 1 person wanders in to barbarian assault, they will be able to enjoy the hard work that was put in to developing minigames that give runescape color, flavor , and personality.

~~cam’s sig~~

16-Jan-2023 18:37:26

May

2023

ShallPrevail

Posts: 583 Steel Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Deltaslug said :
tl;dr #1 - not everyone is going to agree with you

tl;dr #2 - you proposed a problem which even Jagex admits to. while we agree on the problem, we don't agree on the possible solutions.

It's not my intent to hijack your thread, though I'll admit at this point that the number of posts would most certainly make that appear to be the contrary.

I do not deny my point of view. But it has been backed up by the comments made by Mod Jack and other devs over the years of them not wanting to do another BA level rework for a minigame. The fact they haven't done that, YET, performed ninja level reworks to reduce accessibility where possible should be a reflection of just how far they are willing to go.

The problem you've presented cannot be done to the scale you want in a reasonable timeframe.

The primary solutions for any individual minigame:
- remove
- large scale rework that retains existing functions or adds more
- smaller scale rework that does small things (ie QOL, removing reqs, etc) but not going "too far"
- repurpose (ie: Duel Arena, Bounty Hunter into Bounty Slayer)

The Burthrope Games Room is an isolated area. A dev started a project that would make the board games from that location available in a place like the GE. Now you don't have to go to 1 out of the way spot to play it. Now you can do it in an area with a lot of traffic.
Would you consider this a large scale rework? a smaller scale rework? would it even be a solution to the problem for those minigames to be made more accessible as "acceptable"?

Well I would say the millions of players who enjoyed RuneScape 12 years ago do agree with me, and the fact they left RS3 and still haven't come back says all that needs to be said.

If you're going to talk in one context or in small context's, you're already wrong and gone. Nobody is thinking about board games when we think of RuneScape.

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16-Jan-2023 20:12:11 - Last edited on 16-Jan-2023 20:14:36 by ShallPrevail

May

2023

ShallPrevail

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For anyone working on RuneScape as a developer, they need to think in large scale. For example if they are working on the board game update, they need to think what else compliments it and how can we make everything in the game flow together.

And this thinking can never stop, yes of course when actually creating it you can put things aside, but when brainstorming and thinking about the game itself, your thoughts can almost never just stop which is what I believe is part of the problem.

Not to say it's the developers fault, as the company itself has goals and this would actually shun the developers from achieving this greatness. Which is why it just leads to the company not investing enough money in their own game.

As a lead developer, they have to look at numbers, and also listen to what they have to do to make the company happy. Just because they say something isn't working doesn't make it accurate per say, they just need to make everyone happy and unfortunately they did it for a very bad situation.

- My problem is, not only are they lying but they are also leading people on just to make their numbers look good. This is something that I will never stand for, they are a bully to minds that are trying to grow.

And take this with a grain of salt, I'm not trying to depict anyone as evil even though they may be, but I've seen to much pointing the figure at the players from this company and it's complete rubbish.

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16-Jan-2023 20:18:09 - Last edited on 16-Jan-2023 20:36:13 by ShallPrevail

Jul

2020

Cam8528

Posts: 723 Steel Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

i like the "put the burthrope game room " minigames in a high traffic area like the g.E.

i think a portal to a weekly rotating minigame event located near the VIP portal is NOT the solution. it will be ignored.

no, it needs to be like a game of horseshoes on the grass next to the ViP portal. the minigame has to literally be within sight of the populous area. like the npcs and switches and levers and clickety elements of the minigame need to be you just walk on scene and the minigame HUD interface for this weeks featured minigame shows up.

at first, significant rewards should be obtainable by participating in the minigame. there should be an xp cap or some other ceiling that you hit during the week so that the tremendous xp payout or other reward is not abused.

simple games of horseshoes etc. will start out being on FtP worlds with equally enticing rewards. make it like the daily challenges, except it is weekly minigame rewards.

this allows a rather fine comb to be dragged through the variables and machinations of preexisting and neglected minigame content. this fine comb approach is important because so-called "portability" of minigame elements are fitted into new settings.

a few choice minigames need to be picked up, dusted off, and set upon a high shelf for all to view; i.e. the g.E opposite side to the VIP portal for example.

it needs to be like you just walk on the minigame featured area and you are automatically playing the minigame.

there should be a new addition to the g.e, an expansion if you will, to accommodate the Lobby of the Featured Minigame of the Week.

you literally walk to the section of varrock castle wall expansion to the north from the bank tellers at the ge. once you walk into this lobby area where lots of people congregate in order to complete the weekly minigame challenges (similar to the daily combat/skilling challenges). when a new round starts for the minigame, you are teleported into the minigame environment.

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16-Jan-2023 21:06:39

Jul

2020

Cam8528

Posts: 723 Steel Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

the actual details of how each new round is started (complete with participating NPC characters substituted for missing players as a new addition) will differ depending on the minigame selected to be dusted off and made into a weekly challenge.

it could be a monthly challenge instead. if dev teams need more time to run a fine tooth comb through minigames that need to be dusted off and redisplayed in populous locations.

there needs to be a world dedicated to these weekly/monthly minigame challenges. instead of a world specifically for barbarian assault or a world specifically for fish flingers, there needs to be a couple different worlds (servers in different locales for performance sake) dedicated specifically for "weekly/monthly featured minigame challenges". not specifically called that, but in order to participate in the weekly monthly featured minigame challenges and to reap the outstanding (capped) rewards for each month, you have to literally be in the specific world named "minigame monthly challenges". that way, it forces individual players and other larger groups of players who both have a common goal of completing the monthly minigame challenges to all be on the same world

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16-Jan-2023 21:13:00

Deltaslug

Posts: 32,671 Sapphire Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

One of the suggestions I've seen put out there is to have minigames with AI players.

Game needs a 2nd or up to 5 players to start? No prob!! Here is 1-4 AIs for you to play with.

Thing is ...
1) how many times have you seen video game AI be "Good" in situations?
2) how is it really any different than playing the minigame solo?

In something like Barbarian Assault or Pest Control, you need 5 players.
You'll either get 4 AIs that are like The Raptor (able to tank lots of hits and 1 hit everything they come across). Or you'll get 4 AIs that are unable to adapt to the situation (ie: they are great in a small area, but they only auto retaliate and the end up staying in 1 spot while you need help to deal with the bigger threat or the "healer bot" doesn't get to help healing you in time because it is prioritizing the other bots)

Or you end up with something in versus mode where the AI follows the same path and speed each time. If you are not "perfect" or "efficient" in your execution of game play, the AI will constantly win. Think of it like the races in Sliske's Endgame and Lunar Diplomacy. You can win. But how many tries does it take? Any lag or a misclick and you lose.

Alternatively, the could make the bot on "easy mode" and the player has 0 challenge. Thus why play a competitive minigame anyways if you know you're going to win? (though if you see how some minigames are played, you might not notice a difference ... players that AFK for thaler or players that immediately quit a game of GOP because they lost the first altar or the players that immediately quit FoG because you don't rush to the center each time and they take the penalty rather than play out a full game or in Mobilizing Armies where everyone waited until the 2 minute mark and cannoned their own troops for the 1 rank point for the 'loss' and go right into the next game)

18-Jan-2023 13:21:50

Deltaslug

Posts: 32,671 Sapphire Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

If I'm playing against an AI in a vs match of a minigame ... I'm basically already doing a PvM matchup anyways.

Let me play at my own pace.

Granted, I've just made an argument against AIs.

What are your arguments for AIs in minigames?

18-Jan-2023 13:22:59 - Last edited on 18-Jan-2023 13:23:48 by Deltaslug

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Minigames Rework or Removal