Mining and Smithing rework postponed

[Cally Raven]

Posted today on RSOF

29 July 2016 Community

Mining & Smithing Rework Postponed


Hello everyone,

Earlier this week, we shared more information on the Mining & Smithing rework in a live stream, on our forums and across social media.

That led to huge amount of feedback from you all, which we didn't want to rush through or ignore. With that in mind, we've taken the tough decision to postpone Mining & Smithing to next year.

Why?

It's important that the Mining & Smithing Rework is the update you want: it changes the game you play, and you asked for it in last year's survey.

But, when we presented the design, it was clear that we weren't close enough to what you expected. You had a lot of fair feedback and concerns, including issues with the core parts of the update. In particular, you felt the update was bloated with things you didn't need or didn't need changing, yet was leaving a lot unfinished.

We want to make sure that we get this right first time. We also want to spend time chatting with you, to highlight and solve the core issues. Let's produce something that benefits the game now and in the long-term, while also meeting your expectations.

What now?

Mining & Smithing's September schedule slot will be filled with a number of updates that focus on improving the game, and we'll share those updates next week. We will also use some of the additional time to get a head start for the epic Sliske's Endgame quest!

Once again, we're sorry for the delay, but we feel we're making the right decision for Mining & Smithing and the game for years to come.

Mod Osborne, Lead Designer

[Jax]

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa * snif*

[Dima]

Listening to player feedback is the reason the player base keeps declining.
Well, this, and all the Solomon bullshit.

[Cally Raven]

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa * snif*

Listening to player feedback is the reason the player base keeps declining.

It's definitely frustrating when you have been expecting an update, but if people don't want it then they gotta listen. I had a look and wasn't best pleased with what they were proposing to do. Did you look at the re-work proposals Dima?
Also I am not sure the numbers are declining per se, just nowhere near as many bots etc which brings the total number of players down a lot. Others that leave I think have quite a few other reasons for not playing Rs any more, imho

[Cally Raven]

Thought I'd post Mod JD's post from Mod Jack (he has no access to the forums from home)
You can fin it on RSOF Quick find code: 16-17-744-65819988 to give him your thoughts on this

Copied from Mod Jack as he has no access to the forums from home.

My rough plan for Mining & Smithing from this point is as follows:

First, work with the community (and devs) to gather a new, agreed list of requirements and restrictions for what rework must do and also what it mustn't do. Many of these are likely to conflict so we'll have to negotiate a compromise. This may involve a lot of exploration and explanation of how things like the economy actually work, and what the long term impact of changes and lack of changes will be. It's important to develop this consensus so that this doesn't become EOC 2.0 or rWildy 3.0.

Second, reuse the existing design where it fits into this new requirement framework.

Thirdly, design new features or take suggestions to fill the gaps and differences between the design and the requirements where that is necessary.

Where possible, I'd like to break the design down into smaller sections that we can agree and approve parts of it in isolation without having to accept or reject the whole thing. For example, we may be able to agree that the new mining mechanics are solid and bank that independently of debates over drop tables.

I've attached an informal list of what I consider to be the big questions that need answering. I have my own personal answers to some of these questions, but almost all of them are subjective and some sort of community consensus is what I need to attempt to gather. Feel free to let me know your own opinion, and to make your case for why others should agree with you. I'm sure there are a lot more I haven't thought of, so I'll add to the list if I need to.

Big Questions

- Should we try to maintain the status quo as much as possible, or make radical changes if we think we need to?

- Which compromises are acceptable to get a higher quality update?

- How important is it for the core gameplay of a skill to be satisfying and enjoyable?

- How important is the core gameplay of a skill compared to auxiliary updates (e.g. Artisan's Workshop)?

- What should be the balance of profit between:
> Bossing
> Slayer
> Gathering skills
> Manufacturing skills

- Is it acceptable for a skill to be costly to level but profitable at cap?

- What is the fundamental driving force behind the economy? How do we protect it? Should we?

- To what extent should we be trying to control the economy as opposed to having a free market?

- What virtues do we want to promote by making them profitable? (e.g. time, effort, skill, loyalty) Should we be thinking in this way at all?

- What should be the balance of availability and effectiveness between gear from skills and gear from drops?

- Is it acceptable for any drop table values to fall? If so, by how much?

- Is it acceptable for low level materials to become less useful and therefore less valuable?

- Is it important to protect alternate skilling methods that were added to freshen the skill?

- Is it important to protect benefits which the player worked hard for?

- Is it important to protect benefits which the player was just given at no real cost?

- Is newer content more important to protect than older content?

- Is better content more important to protect than poorer content?

- Is it acceptable to make content into dead content if it improves other content? Is it better to have two mediocre but viable options, or one awesome option and one terrible option?

- How valuable is it to have two different skilling paths to provide for alternate playstyles? Will the overwhelming majority just use the "best" one?

- How important is inflation? How much does it affect players? What risks are acceptable to combat it? Are those risks more dangerous than the inflation itself?

- What proportion of PVMers are PVMers just because it's more profitable? What proportion of them would prefer to be skillers if that was an option?

- How do we maintain some relative degree of parity between different playstyles?

- Assuming it's necessary, how do we nerf something without driving away the players who currently love it?

- Is a minigame like mining shafts necessary to make the core gameplay balanced?

- How much raw cash (and/or alchables) should players be able to earn, as opposed to items which have to be traded?

- Is a prestige or mastery system necessary to make the update worthwhile?

- What is the right balance of rewards between active and AFK content?

- How important is it to protect labels players are familiar with? (for example, runite being a household name and important pillar of the economy)

- How important is DIY? Is it something that should be protected or encouraged?

- What are players actually earning money for?
> To buy prestige rares?
> To buy combat equipment? For what specific purpose?
> To buy mats for other skills?
> To hoard for expenses in the future?
> As an accomplishment in its own right?

- What influence does that goal have on money making methods?

- What are players actually levelling skills for?

- To unlock some ability or benefit?

- To unlock a quest requirement?

- To get a skillcape or max cape?

- What influence does that goal have on skilling methods?

Thanks! I look forward to reading your responses.


Mod Jack

[Touristguide]

2 of my favorite original skills