Let’s talk Plugins, HD, and Mobile!
In July, we published an Official Client Update about our progress towards improving the core Old School experience. As promised, we’re back to give you some more information on the Plugin API, HD and Mobile.
We’re still working on all the features we mentioned in our previous update, but we’ve got some more exciting things to showcase this summit.
If you can't see the video above, click here.
As we mentioned in our last update, the team has been actively participating in an HD internal Alpha. The insights gained so far have been invaluable, and we'll be continuing this work over the next few months.
While the rest of the team has been testing HD, we've also entered some crucial stages of development. We are now in the final phase of lighting tools, which will enable us to add customized lighting to each biome in the game world. This will allow us to craft the ideal ambience and tone for each area during the internal Alpha, laying the groundwork for a future player-facing launch. We want to really emphasise the feelings of each area, from the heat inside the heart of Karamja's volcano to the gloomy swamps of Morytania.
Click on each image below to enlarge them.
If you can't see the images above; Image #1, Image #2, Image #3, Image #4, Image #5 & Image #6.
Additionally, we’ve begun research and development for extended draw distance via world streaming and how it will be used to support HD and Sailing. This feature will enhance your ability to see more of the game world at once, serving two main purposes: improving navigation by extending the visual distance and eliminating loading lines and map transition hitches for a smoother gameplay experience. Our goal is to improve the overall gameplay experience while also deepening immersion for both the game and the upcoming Sailing skill.
Speaking of immersion, water is one of the core features we’re looking at. The team has done an incredible job building the in-client water system and refining the final tools needed to achieve high-quality water. Although this is primarily an HD feature, Sailing has prompted us to explore improvements to the water in SD mode as well, especially since it was highlighted during the Sailing player consultation. We've made significant progress in developing our Water Technology, but there's still work to be done before Sailing the vast seas of Gielinor can look as stunning as it feels.
Click on each image below to enlarge them.
If you can't see the images above; Image #1, Image #2, & Image #3.
Finally, we're continuing our efforts to optimize the performance of both HD and the new SD modes. Our tests so far show improved performance across many of the devices we've tested, especially when it comes to PC and Mac.
Mobile is a key area we’re working on but given the wide range of devices available this process takes a little more time. While we are confident that most players will see a performance boost when switching from the current renderer to our new SD mode, we want to make sure we’ve done our diligence ahead of launch.
Our next HD update will be in early 2025, once we’re confident in the performance and optimisation of the project. When that time comes, we’ll aim to get it into your hands shortly afterwards, so you can experience it for yourselves.
There are still several enhancements for SD and HD modes in the pipeline which will lead to performance gains and better gameplay overall. We look forward to sharing more news with you early next year!
We’ve made some significant progress since our last update! The biggest news is that the Plugin API will soon be in the hands of well-known plugin creators, who’ll be getting a hands-on experience to see what our API can do. By giving these select members of the community early access, we’ll be able to identify any key issues and give them a chance to build their most-beloved plugins in time for launch. Speaking of which, we’ve made some great steps towards implementing the play-facing aspects of the API into the client.
If you can't see the image above, click here.
Please note that the plugins shown on-screen are just an example and are not reflective of any plugins that may be released.
Swinging back around to performance, we’ve had some positive results regarding PC and Mobile usage of the Plugin API. While there are still a few hurdles to overcome on Mobile, this has been very promising work so far! We’ve been keeping an eye on what plugins you can’t live without, and we’ll be ensuring that the official launch of the API will give you the essentials.
Can you believe that in October, it'll be the 6th Anniversary of OSRS on Mobile?! It's been a long time since Winter 2017 and we're ready to celebrate in style!
We mentioned in our previous video that we were taking more steps to ensure we’re making the right decisions when it comes to the new Mobile UI. Behind the scenes, the team has been conducting interviews with all types of players, from the people who play exclusively on mobile to the people who have never touched OSRS on mobile before. These interviews have given us precious insight, and we’d like to thank everyone who took part in the feedback process!
After all this hard work, the reception to the UI has been great across the board – so what better way to celebrate OSRS Mobile’s 6th anniversary than by giving you a new UI?
On October 9th, the new UI will officially become the core Mobile experience! You’ll have better parity with the desktop client than ever before, making it easier than ever to play on the go.
That’s not all, though! We’ll be continuing to elevate the Mobile experience with the addition of much-requested features like Tile Markers, NPC Highlights, HiScores and the long-awaited Menu Entry Swapper.
If you can't see the image above, click here.
With features such as Agility Highlights, Ground Items and Clue Scroll Helper already available on Mobile, all the new additions will bring the Mobile gameplay more in line with your desktop experience. Pickpocketing those pesky vyres will be a breeze and maybe, just maybe, those of you dying at kurasks can finally complete that Slayer Task.
If you’re struggling to keep up with all the amazing features available on Mobile, don’t panic – we’ll be putting together a handy newspost and video guide that will walk you through all the newest additions from the last six years.
Whether you haven’t tried Mobile yet, or don’t play as much – this is the perfect time to hop on and try it out.
As always, we want our future work to be a collaborative effort with the community and what better way than a good ol' survey! We want yo hear how you use RuneLite and your experiences with it's fantastic Plugin Hub.
So, what are you waiting for? Check out the survey below, or click here if you can't view it!
If you can't see the survey above, click here.
That’s a wrap on the latest Official Client update! Don’t forget to fill in the survey below to let us know your thoughts on all we’ve discussed today.
If you’d like to see all the awesome reveals from this year’s Summer Summit, check out the Overview Blog!
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.
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The Old School Team.