1 November 2007 - Behind the scenes - November
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In recent months, we have been looking more and more at how wealth and objects move around the game. Our first update of the month, the Assist System, will continue in a similar vein, and owes a lot to your reports and suggestions. You told us that you wanted a system for offering services to others without actually transferring items. So, with the Assist System, we will bring you that ability. You will, for example, get a high-level crafter to cut your gems for you with no gems ever leaving your inventory! This system will be useful across a multitude of different skills and will be very easy to get to grips with.
The popular 'Make-X' option makes its way to the Smithing skill this month, so a blacksmith will be able to happily hammer away at an entire inventory of bars without multiple clicks.
This month also sees the release of the penultimate cave goblin quest. Ever since Zanik emerged from the mines below Lumbridge she has been faced with troubles very much of the H.A.M. variety. A different challenge faces her in this quest, which will require stealth and subterfuge to complete, taking you to places that have never been seen by human eyes, including some that have only been noted in goblin fable. Will a discovery of monumental proportions help bring the goblin tribes together? Only time will tell. Listen well and show your true knowledge to find a path to the Land of the Goblins.
As a result of numerous suggestions, we will also be making some changes to the skills interface. For one, we will be adding a 'How much xp till my next level?' statistic to each skill, so that you know just how close you are to achieving your goals!
Also this month, we will be introducing some fantastic changes to the Duel Arena. We have drawn information from a recent poll, various suggestions from players, forum posts and general feedback to create some improvements. There was overwhelming support for tournaments, so we will offer enough room for 64 players and large prizes. You wanted more options on the Hiscores table, well, soon you will be able to track your Tournament Rank, which will reflect your Duel Arena awesomeness!
Later in the month, we bring you the 'Grand Exchange'. This new building will be located in the north-west of Varrock and will house a huge new addition to the game: the ability to offer items to buy and sell across ALL servers and to ALL players! You might, for example, go to the Exchange and put a full Barrows set up for sale, for example - then, playing Skullball in Canifis, you might get a message telling you that they have sold and that you can go to the nearest bank to receive payment! The Grand Exchange will allow you to spend more time on the things you enjoy, providing a less time-consuming alternative to selling your items on the Forums or amongst the crowds of Varrock Marketplace.
Add a Guaranteed Content poll, Players' Gallery, Postbag and a Development Diary, and you have a month to remember.
We couldn't part from you without mentioning something very, very big on the horizon. The new year brings a stunning new update, and we are so happy with it that we are going to let a few hints trickle out over the next few weeks...
Sounds good, could this mean the new skill at new year too?
