Turn it up! It's RuneHQ Radio!

You heard me. That's right, RuneHQ has live music broadcasts. Not only do we have 1 stream but we have 3 streams! So turn off that Ipod and get over to...

Click on the graphic above (or on RuneHQ Radio at the left column) to start listening right now. You can also discuss about the RuneHQ Radio on the forums. If you are not registered, just click here to go to the registrations page. If you have problems validating your email, make sure to check your junk/bulk email box or you can send an email to forum_admin@runehq.net.

Tune In

There's different music available at different times of the day. If you don't hear something that you want, feel free to post on the forums and let the DJ's know. They'll keep you satisfied with their vast and varied collections of music. Another great feature is that you can chat right on the RuneHQ Radio page while you listen. So tune in!

Thanks to Richie_s for creating this graphic.

~ Maonzhi ~

Quotations taken directly from Runescape.com

18 April 2008 - Billing System Maintenance

Card payments and services are temporarily unavailable while we perform some essential maintenance on our billing systems. This affects:

• Taking out a new subscription by card
• Cancelling a subscription

We are aiming to restore these services as soon as possible and apologise for any inconvenience caused.

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Discuss this update on the forums.

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18 April 2008 - FunOrb: Arcanists and Shattered Plans

We have made several changes to FunOrb, the new gaming website from Jagex, makers of RuneScape. The first of these is to Arcanists, which was recently voted 'favourite FunOrb game' in a RuneScape poll. Many of you will be pleased to hear that multiplayer Arcanists is now available to registered and unregistered free players!

You can now enjoy this online wizard-battling game with your friends or anyone else, taking them on with Arcane or Fire spellbooks. If you wish to unlock and explore other spellbooks, you should subscribe as a FunOrb member.

We also released a stunning new multiplayer game: Shattered Plans - a galaxy-spanning strategy epic that allows up to six players to battle for supremacy and decide the fate of worlds.

The objective is simple: control as much known space as possible and wipe out your opponents. By conquering star systems, you stockpile the resources necessary to construct fleets, which can then be sent out to spread your influence further.

Every game map is randomly-generated, so no two games will be alike as you take on the galaxy!

Visit FunOrb to make the most of these two great updates. We only plan to post FunOrb news when we feel you'll appreciate the updates, and we certainly feel that these changes are worth telling you about. FunOrb players would recommend that you try Arcanists out!

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Discuss this update on the forums.

Quotations taken directly from Runescape.com

17 April 2008 - Players' Gallery

Dragons have invaded this month's Players' Gallery and Postie Pete isn't going to argue with them! You may think him cowardly, but he's not keen to test whether skulls or magical sacks are flammable...

If you want to look upon their beautiful draconic visages, then check out the Players' Gallery now. Just don't forget your anti-dragonbreath shield!

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Discuss this update on the forums.

Did you not make it to the finals of that American Idol Audition? Have you always wanted to sing your heart out for more than your cat or dog? Well! Here's your chance to showcase your singing talents here at RuneHQ at our monthly KARAOKE event!

Click on the graphic above (or on RuneHQ News and Information at the right column) to gain access to the forums to sign up to sing. If don't already have a RuneHQ Ventrilo Account then click here. If you are not registered for the forums, just click here to go to the Registrations page.

Ventrilo 101

Ventrilo is a handy software program that allows people to chat with each other over the internet through the use of a microphone connected to a computer. If you are unfamiliar with the Ventrilo program, take a look at our Ventrilo Guide to get started. You will get a step-by-step walk through on installing the program and setting it up. Feel free to join us anytime on the GGHQ Ventrilo Server for a friendly chat or instant access to your fellow players for some hints, tips, tricks, or advice for Runescape.

Thanks to Supersims for creating this graphic!

~ Maonzhi ~

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Quotations taken directly from Runescape.com

15 April 2008 - Grand Exchange Database

Many of you asked for the ability to view graphs of market values and track item prices as they rise and fall. Well, this week we introduce the Grand Exchange Database Beta, which does exactly that!

Skilled merchants will find the Grand Exchange Database to be an invaluable tool, enabling you to keep an eye on prices as they rise or fall. Get in quick if you wish to buy low and sell high!

If you prefer crushing creatures to trading on the Exchange, why not use the Database to find out the market value of a weapon you want or the value of a drop you have just received?

The Grand Exchange is currently at a 'Beta' stage. This is so that we can listen to the feedback of everyone who uses it and make any necessary changes.

If you have any feedback, please visit the 'GE Database Feedback' thread in the Website Feedback RuneScape Forum.

Summary

Where to start using the Grand Exchange Database Follow the link here to start using the Database. Alternatively, there is a link from the RuneScape front page, below 'QuestHelp'. Requirements: None - both members and free players can use the Grand Exchange Database. Access to: A visual guide to Grand Exchange market prices and fluctuations!

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Discuss this update on the forums.

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15 April 2008 - Treasure Trail Expansion

Around 50 new clues have been added to the medium and hard Treasure Trails this week with the introduction of some taxing riddles and anagrams. Prepare to have your brain twisted as you decipher some true puzzlers!

We couldn't have spiced up the clues without doing the same to the rewards, so we've brought them up to date this week. You'll get your puzzling mitts on more familiar items such as Construction gear, and new rewards like jewelled canes, animal masks and the top hat.

For a list of additions to the Treasure Trail items, please visit the Knowledge Base here.

Summary

Requirements to access the new Treasure Trails clues and rewards: This content is members-only. A clue scroll is all you need! Access to: New medium and hard difficulty anagrams and riddles. New items, including the black crossbow, black/adamant/rune canes, animal masks and the top hat.

In other news...

In Customer Support news, we are very pleased to announce an update to our Offence Appeal system. This update allows players to appeal their previously-issued permanent mutes. For more information about this change, visit the 'Appeals Update' thread in the News and Announcement RuneScape Forum, or type the following quick-find code into the 'Jump to thread' text box at the top of the Forum window: 13-14-482-56082709.

There is now a minimum and maximum number of players required to start a game of Bounty Hunter, so the craters don't get overcrowded. As a result, we've increased the number of worlds Bounty Hunter can be played on.

It seems that Summoning pets were behaving slightly strangely. Now, a black labrador will no longer change colour when it's fully grown!

Last week, there seemed to be some ground movement near the bank in west Falador. We've called in the landscape gardeners and it's been leveled out.

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Discuss this update on the forums.

Quotations taken directly from Runescape.com

11 April 2008 - PayPal Subscription Reductions

We have changed the way that PayPal payments are made. Instead of using PayByCash to process any PayPal transactions, you will now be making payments directly to PayPal.

This means that, in the majority of cases, we can offer a reduced subscription cost when paying for RuneScape using PayPal. This reduction may be as much as 10-20% off our previous PayPal prices.

These changes are available to anyone who has a verified PayPal account. If you wish to set an account up, please visit Paypal's website.

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Discuss this update on the forums.

Quotations taken directly from Runescape.com

9 April 2008 - Fist of Guthix

A number of Guthix druids have discovered an unexplored cave under the lower Wilderness, just north of Varrock. Inside is a new, one-on-one, tactical PvP combat minigame, available to both members and free players!

The cave appears to have been left undisturbed since the time of the god wars, guarded over the years by Fiara, a giant earwig and protector of something called the Fist of Guthix. Great powers emanate from this 'Fist' and the druids have managed to convince Fiara to allow them to gather charges from it. Being light on numbers, they need others to help them, which is where you come in!

In the spirit of Guthix, Fiara has introduced a 'balance' to this minigame. For each adventurer looking to absorb the power of the fist, there is another trying to chop, range or cast spells at them!

You and another adventurer must each take a turn being the hunted or the hunter. The hunted's task is to survive as long as possible, storing charges in a stone of power as the time counts down, while the hunter simply has to defeat the hunted in as quick a time as possible!

The energy of this mysterious area has quite an impact on those who attempt to absorb the power from the Fist of Guthix. Even the mightiest of warriors will find themselves severely weakened as they avoid the hunter, making it incredibly difficult to survive for long. The cave does offer some help in the form of places to hide, but will this be enough?

After both you and your opponent have had a chance to be the hunted, victory is assigned to those who stored the most charges in their stone of power. Fist of Guthix tokens will then be given out, based on how well you did, with which you can purchase a wide variety of rewards, including magical gloves to help you boost your XP, spiked shields and many more.

Fist of Guthix is available to play on ALL free and members worlds. There is a list of recommended worlds on the Themed Worlds Knowledge Base page.

We have also put a cap on the number of players who can play Fist of Guthix on any world at any time, which is set at 250 players. This will maximise your enjoyment of Fist of Guthix and minimise any conflict from other ongoing matches!

Summary

Where to start Fist of Guthix: North of Varrock, in the lower reaches of the Wilderness. Requirements: None - Fist of Guthix is available to both free players and members. Access to: A new, one-on-one, tactical PvP minigame under the Wilderness A new area the size of Ape Atoll Rewards, including clothing with set effects, available to free players as well as members A Fist of Guthix Hiscores table for those who have a rank of 500 or higher

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In other news...

Hunter pet variations have been added to many places in RuneScape. Monkeys, squirrels, raccoons and geckos can now be found in several different shapes, colours and sizes, so get hunting!

The Party Room chest has been changed to better reflect the value of the items that are in it. It now checks the items against the Grand Exchange market price, so you should find a more accurate drop party value in banks or the Party Room.

Having looked at feedback on the Forums, we have changed the ibis, granite crab and granite lobster so that they give a small amount of Fishing experience when catching fish - a nice little bonus, we think you'll find!

A few graphical issues popped up last week: a pier in Neitiznot disappeared and a small hole opened up on Karamja! Guthix has restored the balance and these have been repaired.

Finally, a change has been made to the Culinaromancer's chest and the gnome ingredients shop at the Grand Tree. Item prices in these shops should be more attractive.

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Discuss this update on the forums.

Hello everyone! Today we are pleased to bring you an update that was waiting to happen to this guide.

Please welcome the revamped version of the Mort'ton Shade Burning guide. We find that this change will help you with future burning.

Updates thanks to Fireball0236 and others.

~ Jakesterwars ~

Have you visited the Forums?

We would like to feature the great forum community we have here at RuneHQ, just in case you may have been missing out on all the great discussions, interactions with fellow players and staff, and all around fun! So.....

Click on the graphic above (or on Community Forums at the left column) to gain access to the forums. If you are not registered, just click here to go to the registrations page. If you have problems validating your email, make sure to check your junk/bulk email box or you can send an email to forum_admin@runehq.net.

A Sneak Peak

Here's a brief list of different features the forums have to offer. If you don't find what you are looking for, you can always post a suggestion and let us know what you want to see on the forums or the site.

• Quest help Discussions
• Runescape Discussions
• RuneHQ Events Discussions
• Humor and Fakes Discussion
• Clan Discussions/Recruitment/Videos

and much more!

Thanks to Richie_S for creating this graphic!

~ Maonzhi ~

April Fools!!! We sure hope you didn't fall for that little trick we just played on ya!

If you did, oh well. I hope you're not one of those grumpy people that can't take a joke! hahahahahahahaha!

We here at RuneHQ are trying to make this a fun filled April. We have lots of fun things planned for you. We hope you all are as excited about the upcoming events that will be posted soon as we are. We cannot wait to get started! We hope to joke our way around and all through this month and make everyone laugh and smile!

Please post your April Fool's pranks on the forum; we want to hear all about the dirty tricks you played on your friends this devilish day! Give someone some good ideas of things to do to their friends. If you need help playing a practical joke on someone please feel free to ask for help. We want today to be fun and exciting for all you little jokesters out there today!

Just remember, life is no fun if you cannot laugh at yourself and others. Don't take life too seriously! Laugh, have fun, play a joke on a friend, make fun of yourself! Above all else, today is a day to laugh!

~MrStormy~

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Quotations taken directly from Runescape.com

1 April 2008 - Behind the Scenes - April

The first of April's updates seems to attract abbreviations: F2P, PvP, OMG - all of these could be used to describe Fist of Guthix, our next combat minigame. We could say that this will be a safe, single-way, Wilderness-based game available to both free players and members, but that would ignore some important details. Attack strategies, defensive tactics, well-timed escapes: Fist of Guthix will employ all of these to create a memorable combat minigame.

There is a massive range of rewards to win for playing Fist of Guthix, so we'll give you a wee teaser. The rune berserker shield, like most of Fist of Guthix's rewards, degrades with use, but it also offers you some hefty defence bonuses and a Strength boost; the battle robe set will sometimes pay for mind, chaos, death or blood runes that you use when casting a combat spell; and the Runecrafting gloves will double the experience you gain from crafting runes of the glove's type!

Talking of rewards, where could you possibly find a top hat, animal mask, adamant cane and black crossbow? It could only be the Treasure Trails, and this month will bring our next installment. Among the new weapons, clothes and hats will be some brain-twisting new clues to untangle, ranging across the medium and hard difficulties.

It is at this point in the month that the skies will darken, a fog will descend and a bloodcurdling scream will echo out. What could bring on this strange and eerie change? Ah, it must be the fourth in our Myreque quest series: Legacy of Seergaze! With no help forthcoming from Misthalin and vampyres continuing to collect their scarlet tithes, the Myreque have been calling on mercenaries to aid their cause. Meanwhile, deep in Paterdomus, Drezel has found something strange that could shed light on Morytania's gloomy past...

Not so gloomy are the graphical improvements to the Morytania entrance area and the icefiends of RuneScape. Expect Paterdomus temple and its grounds to become more grand and foreboding, and the icefiends a sight more icy and fiendish.

A nod must be given to the website updates. The Grand Exchange Database will be released this month, having had its image issues resolved, displaying graphs and statistics of Grand Exchange market prices. There's also a Summoning guaranteed content poll, the latest Players' Gallery and the Postbag from the Hedge.

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Discuss this update on the forums.

The official RuneHQ April Newsletter is here. Take some time, sit back, and enjoy yourself with the new information and happenings coming your way.

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Quotations taken directly from Runescape.com

31 March 2008 - Summoning 2

Summoning Rebalancing:

You can break Summoning 2 into two halves. The first is a rebalancing of the skill using your feedback. We have chosen to do this because we wanted Summoning to be one of the most well-loved and appreciated skills, so your help was needed to get it back on track.

What did we find out from the Forums? You told us that familiars did not stick around for long enough before they disappeared, and that renewing them was often a pain. With this update, each familiar stays out for a set period of time, regardless of the summoner's skill level, so there is no need to renew your familiar. The period that each familiar stays summoned has, in general, been increased - the spirit dagannoth, for example, stays out for a whopping 57 minutes!

Secondly, you told us that summoning familiars just wasn't rewarding enough. With the rebalancing, we have given each familiar a stand-out ability that makes them well worth summoning - a feature that budding Pikkupstixes have been eager for. You will now find that Summoning a creature is far more preferable to either selling the pouch or high-alching it.

Many of you felt that combat familiars should give combat XP. We definitely agree, so each combat familiar now gives XP when they cause damage. The amount is equal to how much you would have received, had you done the damage yourself. The experience will be in one of the combat skills, which depends on your choice of familiar - the spirit jelly, for example, gives XP in the Strength stat.

Taking your combat familiar into battle will reveal our next improvement: each creature is significantly tougher. They can soak up damage like never before and many will hit harder, making them more than useful for challenges like the God Wars. We can only encourage you to try them out and see just how improved their combat abilities are.

Acquiring charms has been made easier this week, with charm drops added to nearly 20 of our Slayer creatures. For those who prefer sleight of hand over the crossing of swords, we have also added charms to the Dorgesh-Kaan chests, so thieves can access them, too.

Recharging Summoning points has been made easier, with miniature obelisks scattered across the world to keep you topped up; you can now summon familiars almost anywhere and take them with you without worrying too much about having to dismiss them; buttons have been added to help you 'dump' items from your familiar to your inventory and your familiar to your bank; headgear and headdresses can hold more scrolls per item; many existing helmets can be enchanted to hold scrolls; and some of the familiars' inventories have been expanded to a jaw-dropping 30 slots, so your pak yak can now hold more than you can. Phew!

For more details of what has changed with the Summoning rebalancing, visit the Knowledge Base page.

Extra Summoning creatures:

The second half of Summoning 2 is what we originally planned when Summoning was first released: an injection of high-level, dauntingly huge beasts. So, this week, the big guns arrive, largely in the form of the titans. These humanoid creatures don't only have a killer punch; significantly increase your chance of success when Mining and Firemaking, boil adventurers in their own armour or even recharge amulets of glory! You can expect them to range all the way up to level 99, too.

A few inches shorter, but no less daunting, are the big cats from the Hunter skill. As an example of just how many things each familiar can offer you, the graahk, kyatt and larupia are capable of teleporting you to Hunter areas, boosting your chances of trapping a creature, and lending a powerful paw when you need them in battle.

We can guarantee that the other familiars do more than make up the numbers. Fans of Pest Control will know the void pests, with their ability to teleport you to the landers, while other recognisable familiars include the talon beast, spirit mosquito, pyrelord and the fearsome giant chinchompa. These familiars are spread over the Summoning skill levels, inviting you to train it that little bit higher. So, go grab your charms and get stuck in!

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Discuss this update on the forums.

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31 March 2008 - Gnomecopters

In a quiet field east of Draynor Manor, two enterprising gnomes have founded Gnomecopter Tours, featuring the latest development in gnomic flight technology. They're open for business now, offering free-players (and curious members) the chance to take a look at distant lands, including the beautiful elf village of Lletya, the frantic battlefield of Pest Control and the Trollweiss and Rellekka Hunter area.

Summary

Where to start using gnomecopters: The gnomecopters depart from the field north of Lumbridge windmill. Requirements: None - this update is available to members and F2P! Access to: An aerial tour of some of the best members-only content.

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In other news...

Abyssal bracelets have been changed to 'Forinthry bracelets'. These still protect you, as before, but will now allow you to escape when teleblocked by the Wilderness revenant ghosts. The bracelet's charges essentially counter a Teleblock spell that has been cast on you.

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Discuss this update on the forums.

Quotations taken directly from Runescape.com

27 March 2008 - The State of Play

In February's edition of State of Play we promised to report regularly on anticipated updates, giving you a better idea of how they are progressing. This week, we feel it's the right time to catch up with Summoning, PvP minigames and some other releases we have planned.

Summoning Improvements:

Progress has been made on Summoning 2 and we plan to have this released by the end of the month. It is currently past the balancing and entering the final QA stages.

Many of you have asked what the rebalancing entails. Well, we do not want to ruin the surprise completely, but we can say that we have changed our philosophy towards balancing familiars. Instead of having lots of benefits that ADD UP to create a useful familiar, we have decided to make sure that each familiar will have one stand-out ability that makes it awesome.

Take the beaver, for example: currently, it boosts your Woodcutting, counts as a knife, produces logs when Woodcutting and offers the Multichop special move. On their own, these abilities add up, but don't 'stand out', as such. Well, with our change in policy, the beaver will soon make you logs and planks no matter what you are doing at the time, in a similar vein to Ava's Accumulator from the Animal Magnetism quest.

We can also reveal that the combat familiars will give you XP when used in battle. Each combat familiar will have a specific skill that they raise your XP in during combat - the spirit jelly gives Strength XP, for example. This will be equal to the XP you would receive if you had caused the damage yourself.

Friends List Changes:

When we released the changes to the Friends List on the 25th of February, we never intended them to impact on your enjoyment of RuneScape. In fact, the changes were made so that you could chat easily with your FunOrb friends and vice versa.

Unfortunately, as many of you have pointed out, the text used in the interface was difficult to read for some, leading us to make changes to its colour scheme. This was only a short-term solution, however, and the FunOrb and RuneScape Game Engine teams are collaborating to make something that will be appreciated by 'Scapers and 'Orbsters alike.

Item Lending:

The item lending feature has progressed past the proposal stage. Unfortunately, the Game Engine developers in charge of the project have had to delay it while they work on issues with serverload that came to light during the Audio Week release. These problems meant that worlds went out of action for a period of time and the developers have been tackling this issue so it does not happen again.

We're aiming to have this resolved in the next couple of weeks, so that item lending can be made a priority again. For the moment, we can tell you that the item lending feature will be session-based, allowing you to transfer objects to another player for the period that you are both logged in.

New PvP Minigame:

Our next PvP minigame is entering the last stages of QA. Many of you have asked on the Forums about some aspects of this minigame - in particular, how it differs from the Duel Arena.

Well, firstly, we can promise that the game is nothing like the Duel Arena or even Bounty Hunter. This game calls for strategy, requiring far more than just combat. It demands mastery of both offensive and defensive tactics while offering fantastic rewards that you can receive nowhere else.

We plan for this minigame to be available to both members and F2P, which means that everyone can expect some enhanced equipment with great set effects. We will continue improving both free-to-play and members' PvP content in the future. Expect more news in upcoming State of Plays!

Clan Wars Changes:

We've had a good look at the suggestions players have been sending in for Clan Wars. In particular, we'd like to add a 'run-in' option, where players will be permitted to re-join the battle after they've died. The first team to achieve a pre-agreed number of kills may be declared victorious. Along with this, we're looking to provide a choice of arenas, each with different scenery and obstacles. We've got plenty more Clan Wars features planned - including some 'dangerous' ones - so keep your eyes peeled for information.

Random events:

We had planned some work on the random events of RuneScape quite some time ago. We were looking to see if we could remove most of them, because a decent number were not particularly good at stopping modern-day bots. Since the threat of bots and macros has been largely removed, we feel that this is a perfect opportunity to address the problem again. For the moment, we are concentrating on our PvP minigames to compensate for the Wilderness changes, but the random event proposal has been approved and is in the pipeline.

Grand Exchange:

Issues with item images have meant that the Grand Exchange Database has been delayed until mid-April. We apologise for this continued delay; we intend to release the database when we are certain that it delivers on its aim - to give you a strong visual idea of market price trends over a long period of time.

Our Grand Exchange price changes are still ongoing. The godswords and flatpack furniture are examples of items that have had their value changed thanks to your feedback.

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Discuss this update on the forums.

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27 March 2008 - Summoning Wallpaper #4

We seem to have reserved the most humongous, terrifying and downright impressive creatures for Summoning 2. Visit the Downloads section if you don't believe us. It's the clash of the titans!

These high-level familiars will be yours at the end of March, when Summoning 2 arrives. Can you control them? The titans are pretty skeptical that you can...

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Discuss this update on the forums.

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27 March 2008 - Postbag from the Hedge

After last month's hectic Player Takeover, Postie Pete returns to the usual Postbag format with a bumper bag of replies from your favourite RuneScape celebrities.

The bankers are back, answering queries about what they do in their spare time, a demon replies to one of his fans and something moves in the deep, dark places of this world...

Click here to read the latest selection.

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Discuss this update on the forums.

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27 March 2008 - Lores and Histories - Tumeken's Dream

This month, Reldo has received a parcel of books from the High Priest of Icthlarin, who loaded them onto his camels and sent them packing all the way to Varrock. You should have seen the mess they made on the palace carpet! Queen Ellamaria wasn't best pleased, but then, when is she ever?

Anyway, Reldo set about translating these books and has published an extract - entitled Tumeken's Dream - for your reading pleasure.

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Discuss this update on the forums.

As a lot of you have probably noticed we have made some changes recently to RuneHQ. We are working on some layout changes and other neat things for the site. We hired someone to start working on a site redesign for us. We want to change the look of RuneHQ since it has been a while since we did our last site redesign.

We also added a new AD company and a new string of ads. Some of these ads need to be filtered out and we are aware that some of the ads are causing people issues. We are working on getting these cleaned up. Trust us when we say we hate annoying ads just the same as you. If you have a problem with an ad, please alert us of the details for that ad and we will filter it out.

We do not want people having virus scanners going crazy or causing browsers to crash, that is just not right. Some of the ads from the new vendor were questionable and caused some major issues for folks, for that we are truly sorry! We have done our best to filter out the offending ads, but we need your help to make sure we got all of the ones we need to, so please let us know right away if you see ads that need squashed.

We value your contributions to the site and we are trying to improve things and bring you new features. We do however have to comply with the rules of Jagex and not introduce things that would cause them to frown upon RuneHQ. We were looking into a video hosting service as well as several other new features but we have to make sure that the new features are within the rules. We want to be friendlier to clans and have some hosted clans on our servers. We are providing Ventrilo channels for clans as well as other features. We are working with RuneHead on an IRC network for clans to use.

We want RuneHQ to be your site for everything related to RuneScape and also hope we can turn the site into a community you can use for things outside of RuneScape also. We are working on other sites for you; GameTalkHQ and MediaGraphixHQ are always looking for other places to spread out to help out our community.

If you have ideas or things you would like to see from Global Gaming HQ and RuneHQ please let us know. If you have coding or web site development skills and want to help out with the site redesign, please let us know! We do value your input and constructive criticism. We want to do things to help you make your life a little better. We want to be your friends and neighbors.

~MrStormy~

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Welcome everyone! We have two updates helpful in training for both F2P and P2P. Also, check them out just to increase your Runescape Knowledge!

Welcome the Stronghold of Player Safety guide and the Stronghold of Player Safety Dungeon Map.

The guide was written by Skeletonmat and thanks to everyone who helped with corrections and updates. The map was made by Jett_Man.

Onwards to the next two updates!

The next guide we have will help you power mine with coal and teach you some tricks to make some quick cash with it, too. Please take a look at the updated Coal Trucks Guide for more information on how to use them.

Give a thanks to Cloudsfinalh and everyone who helped with this guide!

Our final update is the re-written version of the Castle Wars guide. Take a peek if you're a Castle Wars freak!

Thank Jett_Man and everyone else who helped for this guide!

~ Jakesterwars ~

Quotations taken directly from Runescape.com

18 March 2008 - Easter 2008 - For All Players!

It seems that the problem-prone Easter Bunny is once again experiencing difficulties. He's spent so much time redecorating his warren that he hasn't noticed critters burrowing in and devouring his entire chocolate stockpile.

Now, devoid of cocoa stocks, the chocolate egg production has ground to a halt and the forecast for Easter celebrations looks bleak. No need to worry, though - the Easter Bunny is an inventive sort, and has come up with an eggs-emplary new idea: use a chocatrice! These fearsome creatures, incubated from a chocolate-coated cockatrice egg, can turn their targets into chocolate with one lethal, chocifying gaze.

It falls to you, then, to create this curious creature. You'll need to track down some of the lost chocolate to make a chocatrice egg and then carefully incubate it. The critters who ate the chocolate supply are sealed in the Easter Bunny's tunnels and will prove a suitable target for your chocatrice.

So, this Easter, you will come to the aid of chocolate lovers everywhere, incubating your own chocatrice, guiding it around the Easter Bunny's tunnels and turning the greedy rats into something altogether more delicious...

Summary

Where to start the Easter Event 2008: Investigate the rabbit hole, between Falador's southern gate and the Rimmington mine. Requirements: None - this update is available to members and F2P! Access to: A new emote and Easter item!

In other news...

The music system now has a counter which keeps 'track' of how many songs you've unlocked. You'll have the Air Guitar emote in no time!

Players will now always receive a TzHaar fire cape and 8,000 TokKul after defeating TzTok-Jad. You can keep any extra fire capes you win as spares in case you lose them, or speak to TzHaar-Mej-Jal, master of the Fight Cave, who will purchase spare fire capes from you for 8,000 TokKul a piece.

We're constantly looking at item prices on the Grand Exchange and how they match up with similar items and those that are unfinished versions of other items. Prices for some of these sorts of items have been adjusted following this pattern. For example, an unstrung necklace will more closely follow the price of the strung version.

You might have found in the recently refurbished Edgeville Dungeon that fighting chaos druids was a slow process. The death animation has been reduced so you don't have to spend as much time waiting before picking up your loot!

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18 March 2008 - Server Maintenance

A small number of worlds will be offline shortly for some essential maintenance to improve the quality of service. They will be restored as soon as possible.

This only affects a small proportion of all of our available worlds, so you should still be able to find a world to match your needs.

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Discuss this update on the forums.

Quotations taken directly from Runescape.com

13 March 2008 - Players' Gallery

This month, Postie Pete has returned with a Players' Gallery of RuneScape-related humour and comics. So, if you feel like a laugh over the Easter season, view this month's Players' Gallery here.

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The guide for the new Kennith's Concerns quest has been added to the site. Thanks goes out to Fruitcheese and everyone who helped.

~ [Im4eversmart] ~

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Quotations taken directly from Runescape.com

11 March 2008 - Kennith's Concerns

As ever, there are strange occurrences afoot in the slug-riddled town of Witchaven. Kennith, the odd little boy with a (justified) aversion to sea slugs, is convinced that the townsfolk are up to no good in the caverns beneath the town and he is looking for a brave adventurer with a talent for Mining to investigate.

Could it be that the sea slugs are looking to get revenge for the events of Slug Menace? Or is there some new threat looming large over Witchaven? How does Kennith's new friend, Kimberly, fit into all of this? You will need all of your wits, digging talents and sneaking abilities to find out.

Along the way, players can expect to reunite with Ezekial Lovecraft, all round man-in-the-know, in an effort to outwit the horde of secretive villagers who are determined to keep their great 'work' a surprise. You may even be introduced to an extremely volatile new kind of ore. One thing is for certain: not everything is what it seems in Witchaven...

Summary

Where to start Kennith's Concerns Talk to Kennith in Witchaven. Requirements: Slug Menace A Mining level of 46 Access to: The mines under Witchaven Ability to mine and sell a volatile new ore Access to a repeatable mini-task

In other news...

We've added a feature that allows you to keep an eye on the remaining charges of your crystal saw. You will now be able to track how much the crystal seed has drained when used for Construction.

Several sound effects have been added or improved in areas of RuneScape: from creaky doors and creature sound effects to travelling sounds and swords clanging against armor.

Tokkul and obsidian drops have been fixed and will once again drop for those Lootsharing while fighting TzHaar creatures.

Finally, you'll be pleased to know that the Kill Count in the God Wars Dungeon should correctly update when using CoinShare.

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11 March 2008 - Stronghold of Player Safety

Professor Henry has opened a new Misthalin Training Centre of Excellence, south of Edgeville. Here, you can take a test that asks questions about staying safe in Runescape, earning some great rewards in the process!

If you're in the mood for combat, there are rumours that an old jailhouse has been discovered beneath the Centre, completely overrun by insects of an unnatural size. Strap on your fighting boots, arm yourself and get ready to investigate, as only a true adventurer can!

Summary

Where to access the Stronghold of Player Safety The Misthalin Training Centre of Excellence is located directly south of Edgeville. Requirements: None - this update is available to members and free players! Access to: Player Safety dungeon training area, about the size of the Stronghold of Security Questions that test your Player Safety knowledge

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Mark Your Calenders for March 22!!!!

Don't miss it!! March 22, is a hawt day for our family here at RuneHQ. There is something for everyone, so don't miss out and be sure to join in on the fun.

KAROAKE: After the response we had from last months Karaoke party in Vent, we have decided to hold it again this month, but hopefully this time MrStormy and I will be able to attend. Come and join us for some fun, laughs, and perhaps a few tears (you will know what I mean if you have ever heard MrStormy sing). You will need a Ventrilo account, so if you don't have an account already, then stop by the FORUM for more information on how to get access to the RHQ Vent server.

CLANS: RuneHQ's first Ever Multi-Clan Event!!! Clans must be registered by March 19th, so please visit the forum for more details and to get your clan involved in this RHQ Tournament. This holds potential for your clan to gain your Recruitment Topic Pinned for 2-Weeks! This could mean a lot to your clan so sign up today!

MORE: Yes, there is even more going on on March 22, but the rest is a secret (don't tell anyone). Though I have promised not to tell the details, I will 'suggest' that there will be some Admins and Staff around on Runescape that day that might be up for a 'duel' or 'quest' or other Runescape related activities. Who knows? You may even see your name in the RHQ Newsletter??????

So mark your calendars for March 22 at 2:00 p.m and 8:00 p.m. CST for Karoake. If you need help converting the time, just check HERE for the time conversion.

~ ~ Stormy's_Amazon ~ ~

Hey everyone! Are you planning on purchasing a copy of Super Smash Brothers Brawl? Do you want to be part of an elite gaming clan and a community? If yes, then go check out {Pwn}, a Global Gaming HQ endeavor. Founded in June of 2006, {Pwn} has expanded to support divisions in Super Smash Brothers Brawl (Wii), Star Wars Battlefront II (PC), Halo: Combat Evolved (PC), Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (PC), America's Army: Special Forces (PC), and Counter-Strike: Source (PC).

Everyone can join the {Pwn} community, and to be a full-fledged clan member all you have to do is tryout against a high-ranking member in any games you wish to play.

We are always looking to expand into more games too, so if you can gather enough members in a specific game, you will be allowed to lead an official division in it. We look forward to playing with you!

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In other news, RuneHQ is holding its first Clan Tournament! All clans are invited. See the topic for more information.

~ [Im4eversmart] ~

Hello everyone, today we have a new City Guide for your eyes to view. Please take a look at the Oo'glog City Guide for more information!

Thanks goes out to everyone who contributed.

~ Jakesterwars ~

Quotations taken directly from Runescape.com

8 March 2008 - Billing System Maintenance

Card payments and services are temporarily unavailable while we perform some essential maintenance on our billing systems. This affects:

• Taking out a new subscription by card
• Cancelling a subscription

We are aiming to restore these services as soon as possible and apologise for any inconvenience caused.

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Hello everyone, we are proud to present to you our newest Mini-quest guide! Please visit The Hunt for Surok guide for more information!

This guide was written by Job_is_God and JoeC. We thank them and all those who helped as well!

~ Jakesterwars ~

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Quotations taken directly from Runescape.com

5 March 2008 - FunOrb!

You may have heard of FunOrb but know very little about what it involves. Well, it's a new website that we've released, offering a great selection of browser-based games that we'll be adding to regularly!

You'll find a variety of free games on offer, from fast and furious platformers to gloriously over-the-top shooters; from intense turn-based strategy games to brainbusting puzzles. Each of them are deep and massively enjoyable, enticing you to give them 'just one more go'.

If you have a RuneScape account then you can go to the FunOrb website, sign in and start playing immediately! This is because FunOrb is setup very similarly to RuneScape - each game has a 'free' element that can be played until you decide to become a member. Free players get highscores tables and some Achievements, while those who subscribe to FunOrb get access to full games, all Achievements, multiplayer games, a fullscreen mode and FunOrb Forums.

We also have extra website updates and games planned for the future, with new content every two weeks!

There are also features available for current RuneScape players. You can sign in to FunOrb with your RuneScape account, keeping the same Friends List and Ignore List. This means you can chat to friends across both games and even see which game they are playing (and trying to beat your score)!

What is more, RuneScape members can purchase a combined membership package for both FunOrb and RuneScape at US$7, or £4.60, when paying by credit card. That's only $2 more than your usual RuneScape membership! A FunOrb account on its own costs US$3 or £2 by credit card.

Our Rules now apply to both RuneScape and FunOrb. Rulebreakers will find that their punishments are effective on both sites.

Some of you have asked whether you can mention FunOrb on RuneScape Forums. Since we can guarantee that FunOrb is a secure site, you are free to talk about FunOrb on suitable RuneScape Forums and RuneScape on suitable FunOrb Forums.

We would also like to take this opportunity to say that FunOrb, although a product of Jagex, will not impact on our RuneScape updates. You will still be receiving the same quantity and quality of updates that you always have. There are separate teams dedicated to producing the very best content for FunOrb, so you can expect many more superb games in the future.

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Discuss this update on the forums.

You can also post about FunOrb in our new FunOrb Forum Category. You need to be a registered member of the the RuneHQ Community Forums to access this. Click here to register.

Quotations taken directly from Runescape.com

4 March 2008 - Chaos Tunnels: The Hunt for Surok

It seems that Surok has made a cunning escape from his Varrock Library prison and is intent on continuing his nefarious schemes. He even found time to steal some ancient tomes from the library, unearthing dark secrets and powerful magicks.

It is clear that Surok has plans to control the city of Varrock and it is up to you to stop him! Scuppering Surok may not be as easy as it sounds, however, as he has friends in very, very high places.

Surok was last seen heading east out of Varrock, towards the Chaos Tunnels that were introduced in January.

Have a care when entering the Tunnels, as they are dark and full of creatures - including dragons - that will attack without mercy! Be sure to only take what you are prepared to lose, for there are worse things than simple orks in the dark places of this world.

Summary

Where to start Chaos Tunnels: The Hunt for Surok Start by speaking to Surok by the statue of Saradomin, east of Varrock Requirements to complete Chaos Tunnels: The Hunt for Surok: What Lies Below Level 44 Slayer A hefty Combat level would be helpful. Access to: A new boss fight in the Chaos Tunnels which can be repeated daily A hefty chunk of Slayer XP and guaranteed Summoning charms for those who defeat him!

In other news...

As a result of recent feedback, players can now take priest robes and gowns into Bounty Hunter. These items offer small Prayer bonuses that players might wish to make use of.

We've fixed an issue with the Assist System, so that runecrafters will be able to get 'double' runes if the assister has the necessary Runecrafting level.

The Friends and Ignore interfaces have been looked at and adjusted to make them more readable. These were slightly darker than intended.

We've been looking at a few smaller changes that will enhance your gameplay and you can expect more of these in the future:

• When reopening the Smithing interface, it will remember where you last scrolled to, similar to the bank interface.
• Romeo in Varrock will no longer interrupt you if you're passing through. You can still stop by, have a chat and see if you can cheer him up!

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Discuss this update on the forums.

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4 March 2008 - CoinShare and Grand Exchange Changes

Clan Chat owners now have the option to use CoinShare, an addition to the LootShare system that was requested by many of you on the Forums.

To start CoinSharing, LootShare must be activated on your clan channel. You can then choose 'CoinShare' from your Clan Chat Setup interface. It is an entirely optional addition.

CoinShare has no effect on the majority of items; they will still be allocated to members of the clan channel according to how 'lucky' they have been with previous LootSharing monster drops.

If you have CoinShare active, the following will happen if a monster drops something of great value, like a dragon chainbody:

• The item is immediately put on the Grand Exchange, set at the current market price.
• An equal amount of coins is dropped on the floor for each LootSharer. Each player can then pick their share up. The total number of coins is based on the item's lowest value on the Grand Exchange.

All of this happens immediately. For a list of items that can be converted to cash using CoinShare, and more information on how CoinShare works, please read the Knowledge Base article.

As there will be an increased number of LootSharers because of this update, we have doubled the number of LootSharing worlds. For a list, please click here.

Summary

Requirements to use CoinShare You must be on a LootSharing world. You must be in a Clan Chat channel with LootShare and CoinShare switched on. Access to: The ability to convert specific high-value items into cash and then share the amount equally with other LootSharers.

CoinShare and the Grand Exchange:

Following the State of Play, many of you posted your concerns about how CoinShare works with the Grand Exchange. The following bulletpoints should address the worries you have:

• We have decided to place CoinShare items on the Grand Exchange so that this update has no effect on the rarity of certain items. High-value items would become more difficult to find if they were all converted into cash with CoinShare. We will place these items on the Exchange so they stay in circulation.
• CoinShare items bought or sold on the Grand Exchange DO NOT affect the item's market value. Only items that have been placed on the Grand Exchange in a conventional manner can affect the market price.
• A CoinShare item will be set at the average market price and will ALWAYS stay at the average market price. So, if the item's market price moves up or down, so will the value of the CoinShare item.
• Players receive the lowest market price when CoinSharing because of its additional convenience. Players do not have to waste an inventory space when picking up a high-value item, they do not have to travel to the Grand Exchange and they are guaranteed money from its sale.
• Players do not receive additional cash once the item has been sold on the Exchange.

Grand Exchange Interface Changes:

The Grand Exchange has been managing item trades for a few months now, which is enough time for us to check the Forums, scan your feedback and put together some changes that will not only make it easier to use, but a lot quicker too.

A lot of feedback centred on the Grand Exchange interfaces, with many of you forced to click multiple times when selling or buying. The following changes should really reduce that wasted clicking time:

• When making a Buy Offer, the +1/+10/+100/+1000 buttons increase the quantity by that amount
• When making a Sell Offer, the 1/10/100 buttons set the quantity to that amount. There is no 1000 option here, instead there is an ALL button which sets the quantity to the total in your inventory
• The Buy/Sell buttons in empty offer slots now appear by default
• The Grand Exchange Item Search interface now opens automatically when you click to make a new buy offer
• If you are collecting five or more of the same item from your collection box, they will be certed/noted (as long as they do not normally stack in your inventory)

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Hello everyone, we're here to bring you a good update on the F2P quests that have been uploaded. It's not all of them right now, but they're on their way! All of these guides below listed was written by Sccrluk9 and it's greatly appreciated!

Cook's Assistant
Demon Slayer
Doric's Quest
Ernest the Chicken
Goblin Diplomacy

Thank you for reading,

~ Jakesterwars ~

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Quotations taken directly from Runescape.com

3 March 2008 - Behind the Scenes - March

Over the past few months, lots of you have offered us ideas for how to get the best out of the Grand Exchange and LootShare system. Well, by Guthix, our first update of the month will see the introduction of the best of these!

First will be CoinShare, which will convert high-level drops into cash and then share it equally between you and your battling clan compatriots. This entirely optional addition to LootShare will save clans from having only one player who benefits from a high-level drop, instead offering everyone a big bag of cash when a monster drops something awesome. This fabulous new system will put the item on the Grand Exchange at the market value without you having to do anything, and will give the CoinSharers cash immediately, based on the lowest boundary that the item can sell for. Now that's service!

Talking of the Grand Exchange, Brugsen Bursen has been working on the Grand Exchange interfaces. He will be streamlining them to require fewer clicks and less time when selling or purchasing wares. The Grand Exchange Database has taken Brugsen longer than he anticipated, however; he expects this Grand Exchange aid to be ready towards the end of the month. With it, players will have a visual way to search for items, check their value and even view price fluctuations over a period of time.

All of these Varrock distractions seem to have given Surok an opportunity for escape! March will bring an addition to the Surok storyline, following the fleeing wizard north out of Varrock and into the Chaos Tunnels. The rewards are plentiful for this mini-quest, but as is customary with Surok, expect some lies, deceit, chaos and a wee bit of brutal combat.

Lies and deceit will certainly be on the menu with this month's quest, Kenniths's Concerns, and it is a dish best served cold...while covered in slug goo. That's right, the sea slugs are coming back, and they'll be up to their usual hijinks, feeding on brainwaves and attempting world domination - the little scamps. Poor Kennith, the boy you saved from certain subservience on the Fishing Platform, is being hassled by the slugs once again and he will have a few tasks for you. Needless to say, they will test your abilities to the max.

A test of a different variety awaits you in the Stronghold of Player Safety. This twin to the Stronghold of Security will be open to both free players and members, allowing those who prove their intellectual mettle in the Player Safety quiz to swipe rewards, splat cockroaches and taunt gublinch in the depths of the jailhouse below.

Also available to free players and members is our next holiday event, Easter 2008, which will bring yet another wily scheme from the Easter Bunny. What will it be this time? Well, the Easter Bunny has been noting the powers of the Summoning familiars in RuneScape - in particular, the petrifying gaze of the cockatrice. Using a complicated process that involves an incubator and a vat of finest chocolate, the Easter Bunny has hatched a chocatrice. Will the Easter Bunny's weapon of mass production work? You can bet your last gp that it won't...

In our third update this month for both free players and members, we will introduce the bizarre gnomecopters. These unwieldy vehicles have been invented by pioneering gnomes to take players high over a series of members' areas, like Castle Wars, Pest Control and Isafdar, giving them a gander at what they have to offer. The only problem is, they might look silly while they're doing it.

Certainly silly-looking (but you wouldn't say it to their faces) are the hordes of familiars and pets that make up Summoning Batch 2. These creatures look about as mean, big and unusual as TzTok-Jad after a bubble bath, so prepare for some high-level and demanding familiars. Although we had to delay the release of Summoning Batch 2, we can guarantee that this extra time has been spent well to give the creatures a little bit more of a 'kick', with rewards for persistent summoners and awesome abilities that'll knock their headdresses off.

We don't want to give away too much about these familiars in the Behind the Scenes, but you can expect a Summoning wallpaper to give you a graphical taster of what's in store. As you would expect from the end of a Behind the Scenes, there are also a number of other website-based additions to get giddy about, including a new Players' Gallery, Postbag from the Hedge and an entry in the Lores and Histories.

We told you there was a lot this month! Gadzooks!

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Discuss this update on the forums.

Welcome all users, we bring to you a new city guide for your viewing. If you want to check it out, roll around to the Crandor Isle guide to see the updates.

This guide was written by Skeletonmat, with much appreciation to everyone else that helped out.

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Tired of using the old Agility courses, take a look at the Dorgesh-Kaan Agility Course Map for a fresh way to raise your Agility.

This map was made by Iriel Red.

~ Jakesterwars ~

The official RuneHQ March Newsletter is here. Take some time, sit back, and enjoy yourself with the new information and happenings coming your way.

Quotations taken directly from Runescape.com

28 February 2008 - Development Diary - QA

Being a games tester is a dream job for many, but does the reality live up to the dream? In this month's Development Diary, we take a look at the various Quality Assurance teams at Jagex. Is it all just about RuneScape? Do they play games all day? Could it be the job for you? Read the Diary to find out.

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28 February 2008 - Postbag from the Hedge - Player Takeover!

For the second time this month, Postie Pete arrives with a bagful of letters. Instead of being packed with questions for your favourite characters, this bag is full of replies from YOU! If you want to read your business development plans for Balnea, your popular truths about the mahjarrat or read LT's favourite limerick, then check it out here.

Next month, the Postbag returns to normal, with Wise Old Man's plans for the Temple Knights included. This certainly won't be the last you hear of the Player Takeover, however, as there were so many responses. It even broke P.P's sack!

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Quotations taken directly from Runescape.com

27 February 2008 - Subscription Price Change - Canada

The price of a RuneScape credit card subscription in Canada has reduced from CAD7.30 per month to CAD5.00. There are a number of factors that determine how we set our prices (for example, currency and sales tax changes), and these have allowed us to lower our monthly credit card rate for our Canadian customers.

Both new and existing members can benefit from the reduction. The price changes will affect credit card payments in the following ways:

• If you wish to pay for a new subscription, the revised price is available now.
• If you make automatic monthly payments, the revised price will take effect on your next payment date.

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Quotations taken directly from Runescape.com

25 February 2008 - Changes to Vinesweeper and more...

Vinesweeper:

Last week, we felt that there were a number of improvements we could make to the rewards of Vinesweeper and how fun it was to play. These have now been made:

• All requirements to play Vinesweeper have been removed. Anyone can play.
• The Farming experience you receive for cashing in Vinesweeper points has dramatically increased
• The price of flags has reduced when purchasing them with coins OR points
• The price of seeds from the Winkin shop has reduced, so you can purchase more with your Vinesweeper points
• Ogleroots are now available from Blinkin for 10gp each
• Players leaving Vinesweeper with their flags are able to retrieve them from Blinkin for free, without being reimbursed for them
• The rabbits haven't been getting enough ogleroots in their diet and it's had some strange effects. The rabbits have grown in size, making them easier to target with ogleroots
• The Vinesweeper rabbits seemed to be very quick at eating seeds before the farmer could get there or you could stop them with an ogleroot. To solve this, you can now distract the rabbits with an ogleroot at a larger distance, allowing you to more easily protect your flags.

Other changes:

You may also notice that the Friends and Ignore tabs have changed. This is to allow for future compatibility with FunOrb, helping you to have a natter with friends on both games with ease!

Several market values of items have been adjusted. Broken items, such as Woodcutting axes, now have a market value that differs from their fixed version. This difference is equal to the cost that a player would incur if they repaired it.

The Farming patch spirit will no longer visit players who've attained a Farming level of 16 or above when they're standing near a Farming patch.

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Quotations taken directly from Runescape.com

22 February 2008 - Bounty Locate and VineSweeper

Bounty Locate Spell:

It became clear that the Bounty Locate spell was being used as a way to escape from combat in Bounty Hunter. This was never our intention and made it harder to get bounty rewards, so we have altered the spell. If you are in combat, you will run or walk towards your target rather than teleport there. You will still teleport to your target if you are not currently in combat.

Also, the Bounty Locate spell will no longer work if you are 'held' by another spell - Ice Barrage or Entangle, for example.

These changes are effective immediately.

Vinesweeper:

Having read your Forum posts, we felt that the rewards for Vinesweeper needed to be more worthwhile than they currently are. This enjoyable minigame is now having a shrewd eye cast over it. We plan to update the XP and seed