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Varlamore & Kourend Changes

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Joshie
Jul Member 2020

Joshie

Posts: 69 Iron Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Absolutely against locking things like Blood and Soul rune crafting, and Tithe farm behind those quests. It cuts out skillers almost entirely due to the requirement to kill monsters in them. I've been crafting blood and soul runes since 77 rc, and am now at 165M exp, but you're saying that if I don't reach 200M before you implement these changes, I'm either going to be locked out of the training method or have to risk combat on my account that I've been a skiller on since day 1 of OSRS? Ridiculous!

09-Nov-2023 12:03:34

Anjulet

Anjulet

Posts: 4 Bronze Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Original message details are unavailable.
Absolutely against locking things like Blood and Soul rune crafting, and Tithe farm behind those quests. It cuts out skillers almost entirely due to the requirement to kill monsters in them. I've been crafting blood and soul runes since 77 rc, and am now at 165M exp, but you're saying that if I don't reach 200M before you implement these changes, I'm either going to be locked out of the training method or have to risk combat on my account that I've been a skiller on since day 1 of OSRS? Ridiculous!



This would have a pretty big impact on skiller accounts.
Making things combat locked, after years of being accessible to skillers, is questionable!

Hope we poll and vote for this. :)

09-Nov-2023 14:56:06

More Anxiety
Dec Member 2018

More Anxiety

Posts: 2 Bronze Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
I agree with the previous replies that this would be unfairly restrictive to skillers.

Not sure why favour needs to be removed. I myself like the favour system, it gives each Kourend house more personality and makes the perks from getting high favour feel more rewarding. I like the feeling of earning perks, whereas the quests alone don't quite feel as rewarding as the favour system. I also feel that Kourend would be a bit emptier and less interesting without it, I've even met some good friends through gaining favour.

Yes I suppose some people might find it a bit grindy, especially ultimates but I personally don't think that should mean getting rid of it altogether, perhaps make it a bit easier to gain if this is the main problem. It also feels unfair on those that have recently grinded out the favour, again especially ultimates and newer players, just for favour to be erased completely.

This should absolutely be polled, I'd like to see what the community as a whole thinks of it, especially the skillers as this seems it would affect them the most. And if the system does get scrapped, I do hope there will be a better workaround so that skillers aren't locked out of content they have been able to use for a long time, as mentioned by the previous replies on this forum.

09-Nov-2023 15:51:39

Lord Drakan
Sep Member 2010

Lord Drakan

Posts: 7,053 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Lots of complaints by pures I see ... they restrict themselves then complain about it. In this case, though, if they are being locked out of significant content that had previously been accessible, it may be worth looking into. By which I don't mean to alter the proposed changes, but perhaps make whatever monsters those novice quests feature killable using poison or rings of recoil, if they aren't already. Recoils aren't an option for ironmen. I'd then suggest adding some reliable source of rings of recoil for ironman pures. That way they can do quests with easy combat. Good return for a one-off addition.

Overall, pretty solid changes. I would not have minded a rework of favour, but getting rid of it altogether works too. Certainly, there are plenty of changes I welcome (better transportation system, Kingstown Teleport update, etc.)

The Varlamore activities sound good, too. Thieving especially; a method with okay xp but mainly good money is certainly needed. The agility course is, perhaps, somewhat superfluous. Any courses that don't give marks of grace are inferior by definition, and the game does not really need a new course given its reliance on getting the graceful outfit. That said, an agility activity (a mid-levelled something akin to the Sepulchre in spirit) could certainly work. But one would need to have a good reason to forgo marks of grace.

Mining needs a rework as a whole, as you are aware. There are several mining activites already (Volcanic, Blast, Motherlode) but somehow all of them are inferior to power-mining iron (a level 15 ore), which is absurd. I am not sold on having another Mining activity when the existing ones need work. Why not build on the calcified deposit/bone theme with some Herblore activity? I don't think those really ... exist at all.

Prayer sounds good. How would it compare to the Ectofuntus?

Some miscellaneous remarks on the overall Zeah changes, most of which, as I've said, sound great!
Bizarre Boron Fusswell, scryer extraordinaire. OSRS: POH ideas & RS3 minigames & achievement ideas !

Perhaps you're half right; perhaps we can't win. But we can fight.
— Zanik

09-Nov-2023 16:01:42 - Last edited on 09-Nov-2023 16:46:11 by Lord Drakan

Aprilia
Aug Member 2023

Aprilia

Posts: 118 Iron Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Does anyone at Jagex remember what this game started out as? Growing too fast and too technical. Point and click, AFK, is the way... You're also beginning to saturate all of the original content with so many different methods. I have been gone for a month or so only to come back and discover now we are adding logs to fires and resting and so much more... I understand you guys probably have to come up with new ideas to appease your managers, but that is ultimately going to become the downfall of OSRS. Why fix what isn't broken. Rework terrible current skills to become better.. not add more to the map. How on earth is a new player going to come into OSRS and learn all of this when I've been playing 20 years and can't keep up? I know this will go in one ear and out the other, but I'm sad to see what this game is becoming. New complex bosses and skills are not OS. Keep it simple, keep it old school.

09-Nov-2023 16:01:44

Lord Drakan
Sep Member 2010

Lord Drakan

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Original message details are unavailable.
Searching for books in the library will only reward Books of Arcane Knowledge. These books will be given a small XP buff to counteract the loss of favour.
Magic XP increases from 11x level to 15x level.
Runecraft XP increases from 4x level to 5x level.

Nobody would do this for the xp. Maybe keep the Kingstown Teleport spell as a library reward (make it a very common scroll drop with a 1/5 chance to be found in any book, or something), or allow us to transcribe books found for our POH.

Original message details are unavailable.
It will no longer be possible to smith Shayzien Supply Armour. Instead, the armour smithed will simply be normal Shayzien armour.

Whilst this is fine, actually, I'd rather also keep the ability to smith supply armour and hand it in for Smithing xp, akin to the original burial armour from the 2011 Artisans' Workshop. However, the xp would have to be buffed significantly compared to the current values, to make it worthwhile. Maybe you could sometimes (not very rarely, 1/20 or so?) be given a piece of particularly good ceremonial armour to mount in the POH skill hall? (For more skill hall ideas, see thread in signature. :P )

Original message details are unavailable.
In addition, the damage taken from the sulphur clouds will be reduced, as will the overall number of sulphur clouds.

[...]

The Crafting XP from repairing fishing cranes will be increased from 3x level to 4x level.
In addition, repairing cranes will now also give 4x level Construction XP.
The process of repairing a crane will now also be slightly faster.

THANKS. Brilliant.

Original message details are unavailable.
Architectural Alliance will be removed from the game, and the XP Lamp will become a reward for A Kingdom Divided.

Shame to remove the entire thing altogether. My recommendation would be: downgrade it from a miniquest to a post-quest activity. After each of the five quests, you can enlist the corresponding architect, after which they construct the pretty statue of King Whatsisface and give you the lamp. (Required for AKD.)
Bizarre Boron Fusswell, scryer extraordinaire. OSRS: POH ideas & RS3 minigames & achievement ideas !

Perhaps you're half right; perhaps we can't win. But we can fight.
— Zanik

09-Nov-2023 16:07:52

More Anxiety
Dec Member 2018

More Anxiety

Posts: 2 Bronze Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Just watched the livestream about this announcement, a bit disappointed in both the little mention of this update's effect on skillers as well as the attitude of some in chat stating 'we shouldn't cater to limited accounts'.

I will state that I am a normal ironman account, however I still feel there should be more consideration as to how this update affects other builds, especially since it's not an addition of new content rather a removal of content that they were previously able to use for many years. I just personally feel it is unfair to penalise an entire account build that could enjoy this content beforehand.

Original message details are unavailable.
Recoils aren't an option for ironmen. I'd then suggest adding some reliable source of rings of recoil for ironman pures. That way they can do quests with easy combat. Good return for a one-off addition.


I agree this is especially a problem for iron skillers. I'm not sure how or if they can even get recoils. Iron skillers may seem like a small minority of the community but I have seen several in RS and even know one as a close friend. I do hope there will be workarounds for this- everyone should be able to enjoy RS regardless of their build, and Zeah RC and tithe is a good chunk of content to cut out, especially for skillers that may have relied on these methods.

I will be a bit sad to see favour go if they decide to scrap it, yes it could feel grindy but it made Kourend feel more alive and was a way for newer members to explore each house other than a quick visit for a quest. I'd prefer either a favour rework as suggested before in this forum, or simply make it easier if the grind is what most people dislike. And if it really has to go, there really should be some way for skillers to continue using Kourend as they are used to. A friend even suggested making quests give more favour so that those that can't do them can just do extra grinding and still access all the content.

09-Nov-2023 18:55:30

Doomed Druid
Oct Member 2021

Doomed Druid

Posts: 3 Bronze Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Some mixed feeling on this blog:

The new Varlamore content is nicely integrated with itself, using the Bone Shards to tie the new activities together in purpose.
The Minecart update is also a thoughtful expansion, bringing access to past new content

Kourend Favour I am on board for, but I do have trepidation around the precedent it would set in removing content. For many pieces of formerly outdated content, the OSRS team found quality compromises to bring new life to it while keeping it in game, which has set the bar for keeping existing content relevant. The Favour system needs an overhaul to be sure, but this initial blog seems to break the constraints of OSRS' design philosophy.

Side note for QoL - if we're going to toss the Favour Tab, I would love to see a Combat Achieve Tab take its place

09-Nov-2023 21:44:15

zeah fan
Feb Member 2023

zeah fan

Posts: 5 Bronze Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Not super pleased about the Farming Patch being gated behind the Medium Diary as a Zeah-locked Iron, as its not completable from within only Zeah. Nothing else in the newspost was shifted to the diary, including things you'd expect such as the Minecart fees, making the removal of favor a nerf on Farming for Zeah-lockeds. Not a huge blow, but it definitely feels like an unusual thing to single out vs other content that absolutely should be more restricted, such as Anglerfish and Lizardmen Shamans, which are heavily abused by botters and gold farmers. Favor acted as a speedbump to immediate access to these frequently farmed pieces of content, albeit ever so slightly.

Removal of Favor also seems really out of theme for Kourend, as the entire lore and story behind Kourend's questline is the unification of 5 otherwise splintered houses. Architectural Alliance and A Kingdom Divided made obtaining favor feel like actually contributing to the political development of Kourend as a whole, and was a key defining feature of the region. The Houses system was a great way to feel involved for most of the houses, and was very flavorful. Its removal and shifting the rewards to extremely early level quests for 90% of the rewards, or just removing the restrictions outright, feels incredibly shortsighted. I mentioned Anglerfish earlier, which is just becoming outright unrestricted; in comparison, Monkfish require completion of Swan Song, and Karambwans need Tai Bwo Wanai Trio. The changes should absolutely be re-evaluated in some way.

09-Nov-2023 22:42:26

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