It’s been a busy few months and we’re excited to bring you an update on some of the game’s biggest behind-the-scenes developments. From the ongoing progress with our new renderer, to what’s around the corner for the HD Beta, the API tool, and Official Client Plugins – there’s a lot to get into, so let’s get going!
Since our initial rollout, we’ve seen promising signs that the new renderer beta is doing exactly what it was designed to: helping us identify issues in the mission to improving performance and implementing toolsets for the future, all while preserving that iconic Old School look. Your feedback has been incredibly valuable in helping us identify bugs and fine-tune the system. Thanks to your support, we’re steadily moving toward to the level of stability required before we can introduce major new visual features.
We’re keeping a known issues table updated on Discord and in our launch blog. We’re also still taking your feedback, so you can drop any new renderer-related bugs you spot in our dedicated Discord space. You’ll see there’s a lot to go through, so it’s really helpful for us if you check against the known issues list first and try not to make any duplicate posts.
Right now, our top priority is stability. We want to squash any bugs causing crashes, then we’ll move on to gameplay affecting issues, followed by general visual glitches that affect aesthetic rather than gameplay. However, as the team works through the list, you still might see some of the more minor issues solved along the way.
We can’t yet say when the work will be finished, as there’s a lot to get through and nasty bugs can disrupt timelines. It’s safe to say though that we’ll be keeping you updated every step of the way.
Upcoming Changes
In case you missed it, we recently implemented the following fix:
- Title screen locked to 60 fps.
In the next update, you’ll see:
- Re-added the ‘Limit FPS’ to the mobile display panel.
- Large improvements to visuals in PoH and several other areas when using the new renderer. This work isn’t complete, but should be especially noticeable in non-boss areas.
Then as we move through August, we’re looking to add new settings to give players better control over performance and visual fidelity. Stay tuned!
Our core focus right now is getting the new renderer in the position it needs to be to allow us to unleash Gielinor in HD. We just wanted to take this moment to thank everyone who’s provided feedback and bug reports. It’s been incredibly helpful!
If this is the first time you’re hearing of our official HD mode… Where’ve you been? Let’s give you a quick rundown:
- HD mode will be an opt-in graphics mode that brings Gielinor to life like never before.
- We’ll start out with a beta, just like we did with the new renderer, and once again we’ll be looking for your help to catch pesky bugs!
- It’ll be released in batches, but once complete, it will include:
- Dynamic sunlight
- Shadows
- Atmospheric fog
- HD Water
- And more!
- Our goal is to truly capture the essence of each and every location in the world, curating the lighting and atmospherics to suit the area, rather than just a blanketed HD preset covering the entire game.
At RuneFest, we shared that the HD Beta would arrive in Summer, contingent on the new renderer’s stability. While we continue to work on the new renderer, we believe an Autumn release is more realistic given the work we still need to do to get it right. We’d never launch HD without confidence that it’ll run smoothly for everyone.
In the meantime, we’ve been hard at work preparing content for testing, and what better way to showcase that than with Varlamore: The Final Dawn?
Here’s a quick before-and-after from some of our new areas:
We’re itching to get this in your hands, but only once we feel confident it’s ready for everyone to start testing. Thanks for bearing with us!
Now, we’re ready for the rest of our sound effects to make the change, too. We want to reassure you that converting to 16-bit will not affect the DNA of OSRS audio. The heart and soul of what you hear will not change. We know how nostalgic and comforting the soundscape of OSRS is, and it’s always been a priority throughout the project.
We’re aiming to make this switch in September, and it will apply to any client you access the game with.
It’s time for another instalment of “in case you missed it”. If you’re all caught up, feel free to skip.
The TL;DR:
- Plugins add anything from extra accessibility features and gameplay tips to QoL functions to suit your playstyle. If you’re a RuneLite user, or have dabbled with mods on other games outside of OSRS, you’ll likely already be familiar with the power of plugins.
- We’re bringing plugins to the Official Client – this means mobile! Of course, desktop ‘Scapers will benefit too, but we’re particularly hyped to bring plugins to mobile gamers.
- When the tool reaches its final form, anyone in the community will be able to develop their own plugin, whether they’re an established creator or an aspiring dev looking to dip their toes in.
- We’re using a Lua-based API.
- We’ll be launching an intuitive in-game Plugin Hub to download, install and manage plugins, all from the comfort of your game screen – including on mobile.
- We will have a dedicated community space for all-things plugin, connecting players, plugin devs and J-Mods on a collaborative development journey.
The Plugin Guild
We’re excited to preview a new initiative: The Plugin Guild, a dedicated community Discord for both aspiring and experienced developers to talk all things plugins. Whether you’re looking to build your own, or just keep up with the latest updates, this is the place to be! The Plugin Guild is its own unique server which will serve as a hub for collaboration and knowledge sharing, with direct access to our devs. We’re hoping to build a stable and powerful plugin ecosystem. We’ve already onboarded a small group of key community developers to help us lay the groundwork, ensuring we’re set up for success when we open the doors to all of you eager to get involved.
We’re still not quite ready to share a release date for the Plugin Hub and Guild just yet. Our priority is to ensure that it launches in the best state possible, with a roster of meaningful Plugins and an intuitive user interface. As soon as we have a fixed launch date you’ll be the first to know.
We know there are lots of plugins you’d like to see, but what we want to stress here is that this is a marathon, not a sprint. When the gates open, we intend to have a small set of plugins to get you started and focus on building that library over time. We’ll do this by helping guide and support community devs that want to bring their ideas to life on the Official Client.
At this stage we don’t have a definitive list of launch plugins, nor do we want to put pressure on our current creators by speculating on their work. This is going to be a collaborative project that will come together over time. The exciting thing is though, with the ability to use plugins on mobile, it’s a chance for us all to do something completely new! When we can share more specifics though, we will!
You can also discuss this update on the 2007Scape subreddit, the Steam forums, or the community-led OSRS Discord in the #gameupdate channel. For more info on the above content, check out the official Old School Wiki.
Mods Abe, Abyss, Acorn, Arcane, Archie, Argo, Ash, Ayiza, BigRig, Blossom, Boko, Bruno, Chilly, Criminal, Crystal, Curse, Daizong, Donkey, Ed, Elena, Enigma, Entropi, Errol, Freddie, Fuzz, Gecko, Gengis, Gizmo, Goblin, Grace, Grub, Halo, Harold, Hend, Hornet, Husky, Ivory, Jalo, Jamesy, Jerv, Keyser, Kieren, Kirby, Kurotou, Leebleh, Lenny, Light, Liron, Lykos, Mack, Manked, Markos, Maylea, Mobius, Moogle, Morty, Moz, Necro, Nin, Nixon, Nox, Nylu, Ori, Other, Philomel, Pork, Pumpkin, Puppi, Rach, Redfield, Rice, Roq, Roy, Ry, Saiyan, Sarnie, Schmidt, Shogun, Shroom, Sigma, Skylark, Smithy, Sova, Squid, Starry, Suharun, Surma, Sween, Tide, Titania, Titus, TJ, Tomb, Tsourorf, Tyran, Veda, Vegard, West, Wolfy & Yume
The Old School Team.
