Graphics

History


The Graphics in RuneScape have been a continuously evolving part of the game over the 7 years that it has been released. As the internet connections and performance of player's computer have improved, Jagex has gradually increased the levels of detail available to players.

In RuneScape Classic players saw a game which had only 4 separate views, one in each of the cardinal directions (North, East, South, West) and players, monsters and animals were 2D sprites in a fairly low detailed world.

With the release of RuneScape 2 (now called RuneScape), Jagex unleashed a 3D engine, complete with 3D models and as a result, the graphics of the game were much improved. Two levels of detail, high and low, change the amount of texture in various locations around the game.

As the RuneScape game-world began to expand, with the release of new member's areas and various visual effects (Snow on Trollweiss Mountain and the electrical effects in the Killerwatt plane), Jagex and the players realised that older and more visited places were being left behind. This resulted in a series of graphical updates, mainly to Free-to-play areas of RuneScape - such as Varrock and Falador, although also to the TzHaar region. These updates still continue.

One of the most important graphical-related update is RuneScape High Detail (also named RSHD). The first sneak-previews of this were seen in An Image of the Future and the follow-up An Image of the Not-Too-Distant Future. In the May Development Diary: A New Look RuneScape!, they have further expanded upon this.

RuneScape High Detail finally came out on 1st July 2008, as a beta to members, and on 14th July, to all players. This gave many new changes to RuneScape graphics: fullscreen mode, animated and further shadowing, distance fogging and antialiasing are only some to be named. Later, also resized screen mode was released.

Another very important update is RuneTek5, which was released on 2nd September 2009. This gave many advantages to Standard Detail, including fullscreen and resizeable screen modes, distance fogging, underwater visibility, ground blending and smoothing. The updated HD version included even further shadowing, particle effects and more detailed map, which, in the case of last one, was also given to SD. Graphical objects still to be added to the game are sky boxes, bloom lighting effects and water reflections. Another very important detail about RuneTek5 is that it took RuneScape another step closer to become a console game.

RuneScape HD
RuneScape High Detail was released on 1th July 2009, and since then it has received numeruous updates.

Upgrades
The numeruous differences between RuneScape High Detail and RuneScape Standard Detail are: Two last ones were added to RuneScape SD with RuneTek5
 * The face in the talking panel when talking to NPCs has gotten a massive overhaul.
 * The graphics on the whole has changed.
 * Textures on the ground, players and NPCs, monsters and just about everything.
 * Water looks like water, being semi-transparent and seeing where rocks originate from.
 * There's a shadow to everything, including moving shadows (flags, for example).
 * Blending in ground textures, showing things like dark soil merging to lighter soil.
 * FullScreen and Resizeable mode.
 * Instead of being black around the edge of world where you are, a fog will take its place.

Here are some of the sneak-preview pictures which were in two sneak-preview blogs talking about RuneScape High Detail.

List of updates
2004
 * 21 March - Runescape 2 released, complete graphic makeover.

2005
 * 22 February - Lumbridge, nearby farms and forests, Draynor Village.
 * 22 June - More defined female bodies (i.e. torso distinguishable from male torso)
 * 26 September - Port Sarim, Rimmington, Musa Point, Thurgo's Peninsula, Melzar's Maze, Crafting Guild, Dark Wizard's Tower, Make-Over Mage's house.
 * 17 October - White Knights

2007
 * 22 January - Most of zombies, most of skeletons, ghosts and mummies.
 * 20 March - Cave goblins, cows, chickens and rabbits.
 * 24 April - Surface goblins
 * 8 May - Small spiders, scorpions, kalphites and metal dragons.
 * 27 March - King Roald
 * 29 May - Varrock and many of its inhabitants, Jolly Boar Inn, Cook's guild, Lumber Yard and other surroundings, Varrock Sewers, Lucien.
 * 4 June - Canifis, dogs, wolves, hellhounds, werewolves.
 * 18 June - Crandor, Karamja/Crandor dungeon.
 * 3 July - Lake Baxtorian
 * 9 July - Birds, mugger.
 * 24 July - Camelot, Seer's village, Keep Le Faye and their inhabitants.
 * 10 September - Pirates, children.
 * 18 September - Area near Ourania Cave entrance.
 * 2 October - Edgeville

2008
 * 5 February - Edgeville Dungeon
 * 22 April - Silvarea, Paterdomus, Myreque Tunnels and area between Paterdomus and Canifis.
 * 7 May - Dwarven Mine, Monastery near Edgeville, cats and monk robes.
 * 13 May - TzHaar city and its inhabitants, Party Pete.
 * 5 June - Numerous slayer creatures.
 * 1 July - RuneScape High Detail Beta is released to members.
 * Graphics for Lumbridge and its surroundings, Dorgeshuun caves, Lumbridge Swamp Dungeon, Al Kharid, northern Kharidian Desert with mine, Castle Wars and Ardougne are improved.
 * Player models, many animations and emotes, items (when worn) (such as all capes, fighter boots, full helms, plate bodys, vambraces and more)
 * Faces (hair, eyes and shape) and talking faces for humans, elves and vampyres.
 * Fires took on a glowing effect, instead of the old and dull plain old flame effect (including player-made fires).
 * Camels, cacti, fishing spots, mysterious ruins and runecrafting altars (not altar locations).
 * 14 July - RuneScape High Detail available to non-members.
 * please add date - Wall surrounding Prifddinas.
 * 5 August - Many banks were given red floor. Some houses of Southern Varrock seem to look like a wooden part was built over former barricades.
 * 12 August - Runecrafting altar locations.
 * 29 September - Graveyard of Shadows.
 * 11 November - Woodcutting animation.
 * 26 November - Fight Arena, Battlefield and The Legends' Guild.

2009
 * 1 April - King Vargas
 * 8 April - Highwaymen
 * 27 May - Leprechauns
 * 2 June - Zookeeper in Ardougne Zoo
 * 9 June - Forgotten Cemetery
 * 8 July - Sphinx
 * 2 September - RuneTek5 released
 * 21 December - Particles where introduced