RuneScoop

[2010/01/27] The RuneScoop Soapbox #4 - No Wine Before Its Time

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 16:18:00 EST

A now-famous catchphrase used during wine advertisements in the 1970s told customers that a winery would �sell no wine before its time�. This slogan conveys simply the idea that you can�t rush quality, and while software doesn�t need to be aged like wine, it too should not be released before it is ready.

[2010/01/27] The RuneScoop Laboratory!

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 16:18:00 EST

I'm pleased to announce a new feature here at RuneScoop: the RuneScoop Laboratory. This members' only feature highlights specific gameplay tests that I undertake in order to compare equipment, learn important aspects of gameplay, and bust some of the myths that circulate around the game. The first report, "Strongly" Overrated, focuses on the obssession many RuneScape players have with strength bonuses. They pay through the nose for gear that provides one or two extra strength points, and whine like babies whenever any gear is modified in such a way that reduces its strength bonus. But how much of a difference do a few strength points really make? You might be surprised.

[2010/01/27] Major Beastopedia Expansion

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 16:17:00 EST

I just added a whopping 40 new monsters to the all-new, revised RuneScoop Beastopedia, the most detailed bestiary for RuneScape on the net. There are now 166 monsters in this guide, which is getting close to the original total of 203 when the Beastopedia was first published. Most of the new monsters are from combat levels 90 to 110, and include popular beasties such as dust devils, aberrant spectres, gargoyles and blue dragons. This is a members only feature for now, and I will be continuing to add to it over time. In addition to adding a bunch of new monsters, I also revised most of the resource pages in the Beastopedia, to fix certain issues and make sorting by column more accurate.

[2010/01/19] Additional RuneScoop Updates

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 19:45:00 EST

Another Beastopedia Expansion: I have added 19 more monsters to the all-new, revised RuneScoop Beastopedia, the most detailed bestiary for RuneScape on the net. This brings the total number of monsters to 126; most of the new additions are from combat levels 80 to 90. This is a members only feature for now, and I will be continuing to add to it over time.

Soul Wars Cape Update: One of the rewards from the new quest Nomad's Requiem is a blue or red cape that provides +8 to all defensive stats and +12 to Prayer. In my opinion, this is now the best overall cape for general combat in the game, especially when using prayer. I have made updates to both the members' version and the free version of the Dynamic Moneymaking Guide to reflect my recommendation to use this new cape for players with very high or extremely high skills. Certain descriptions have also been changed, and certain resource assumptions updated, but I am not retaking images that previously showed me using other capes.

Torstol "Hack": Demand for the herb torstol has gone through the roof due to its use in the new high-end overload potion. The GE price for grimy herbs has been trailing well behind the price for clean herbs, creating distortions in both the Moneymaking Guide and the Herblore optimization guide. I put in a miniature "hack" that will, for now, value grimy torstol at the same level as clean torstol. I'll undo this later if and when prices stabilize.

Changed Extreme Potion Values: The new extreme potions are untradeable, so I computed for them a value based on the utility of the potion both in actual use and as components to make overload potions. I didn't like the way I was doing this before, which was assigning them values that I thought were too high, so I made some adjustments. This primarily affects the Herblore Skill Optimization Guide.

[2010/01/19] The RuneScoop Soapbox #3: Why They Say You Don�t Play

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 19:43:00 EST

The RuneScoop Soapbox #3: Why They Say You Don�t Play: High level players sometimes accuse Jagex developers of not playing their own game. This comment is unfair, but there�s a kernel of truth to it�it represents the frustration felt by players who believe that the company introduces content that it wouldn�t if its developers played the game seriously.

[2010/01/19] The RuneScoop Prayer Skill Optimization Guide!

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 19:46:00 EST

The RuneScoop Fishing Skill Optimization Guide! I'm very happy to announce the fourth section of the RuneScoop Skill Optimization Guide, to help you train Prayer. It follows the sections dedicated to Crafting, Fishing and Herblore, is also for RuneScoop members only, and goes far beyond the ordinary skill references you'll find on other sites. I chose to do Prayer next because it is notoriously expensive, and a lot of players are trying to level the skill to take advantage of the new ancient curses. This new guide will let you compare methods such as burying, using a gilded altar, or using the Ectofuntus. It will also allow you to check what bones are the most cost-effective to use as prices change on a daily basis. The Prayer Skill Optimization Guide will save you hours of real world time, and becoming a RuneScoop member is very easy and affordable. Join today!

[2010/01/13] Soapbox #2: Putting the Cape Before the Horse

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 12:29:00 EST

Soapbox #2: Putting the Cape Before the Horse: In my second Soapbox article (for members and non-members) I respond to the incessant whining from players who have come to believe that the quest cape is some sort of an entitlement. Because it isn�t. Oh, and the new quest isn�t that hard anyway.