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RuneScape is a Java-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG ) operated by British developer Jagex Ltd. With over fifteen million active free accounts and more than three million paid member accounts, RuneScape has achieved second place of the most played MMORPG games in the world, and the most popular free MMORPG in the world for two years in a row.

RuneScape offers both free and subscription content and is designed to be accessible from any location with an Internet connection, and to be able to run in any ordinary web browser without straining on/or expending system resources. Since its release, the game has been praised for its free-playing abilities and its availability on a web browser. Each month, the website has around 10 million unique visitors, and 6 million unique players access their accounts to play the game.

Yahoo! recorded "RuneScape" as the fifth most popular overall search term for the year of 2008 - this makes it the only video game in the top ten, despite other big-name games being released in that year. For the same year, it was the number one most popular search term for Canada specifically.

History and development


DeviousMUD, the forerunner to RuneScape, was created in 1998 by Andrew Gower. The game, which was never publicly released, used isometric graphics. In 1999, Gower completely rewrote the game, albeit with no improvements to the graphics or several other aspects of the game. This version was released as a public beta version for approximately one week before it was withdrawn.

As a Cambridge University undergraduate, Gower worked on a complete rewrite of the game with the assistance of his brother, Paul Gower. The isometric view was replaced by a mixture of both 3D and 2D sprites. The game, renamed RuneScape, was released to the general public as a beta version and for testing on 4 January 2001 and was originally operated from their parents' house in Nottingham. In December 2001, the Gower brothers and Constant Tedder formed Jagex to take over the business aspects of running RuneScape. By that time, there were over one million registered accounts.

On 27 February 2002, a membership service was created, allowing players to choose to pay a monthly fee to access a variety of additional features including new areas, quests, and items. This service significantly changed the focus of the game.

As RuneScape became more popular, Jagex began planning major changes. Although only a graphical update was initially planned, the developers opted instead to rewrite the game engine completely, introducing a version that consisted entirely of three-dimensional graphics, with other significant improvements. While in development, this version was known as RuneScape 2. A beta version of the new engine was made available to paying members on 1 December 2003. At that time, the game had 660,000 free players and 58,000 members. The finished version was launched on 29 March 2004. Upon release, RuneScape 2 was renamed RuneScape, and the older version of the game was kept online as RuneScape Classic. On 2 February, 2006, Jagex banned more than 5000 Classic accounts due to cheating. On 2 August, 2006, RuneScape Classic was closed to new accounts and restricted to paying members who had played Classic at least once in the prior six months.

On 16 May 2006, Jagex upgraded RuneScape's game engine, primarily as a back-end upgrade rather than a visible graphical boost. In particular, the amount of memory required to run RuneScape was significantly reduced, allowing the game to be expanded and improved without increasing the loading time for most players. As of March 2007, RuneScape had more than 9 million players. The engine was upgraded once again on 26 June 2007, to allow Jagex to add more complex content to RuneScape in the future.

On 5 July 2007, an article was released in which Andrew Gower told an interviewer he saw a release of RuneScape onto seventh-generation gaming consoles such as (the Wii, the Xbox 360, and the Playstation 3) as "tempting"; however, he states that there are currently no such plans to do so.

On 10 December 2007, Jagex, faced with widespread real world trading rule violations, decided to remove several key areas of the game, especially player killing in an area called, "the wild". Many serious players believed that the game needed to keep several of these areas at least in part; the update prompted a record number of users in the rants forum, and it is estimated that over 60,000 membership subscriptions were canceled. However, many of these memberships canceled were macros themselves rather than legitimate players.

On 1 July 2008, RuneScape High Detail, also known as RuneScape HD or RSHD by some, which was a major overhaul of RuneScape ' s graphics and the single largest update of RuneScape 2 to date, was released to members as a beta. On 14 July 2008, this update became available to non-members and the entire RuneScape community.

Jagex appointed current CEO, Mark Gerhard as of 1 February 2009 (a Sunday), though it was not announced on the RuneScape homepage until 9 February. He promised to make the members version of RuneScape seem like an expansion, instead of simply becoming a "full version" of the free-to-play version/game. He also commented on opinions that RuneScape had been "dumbed down", promising players that it was not aimed extensively at a child-based consumer audience.

Servers


RuneScape servers are located throughout the world, which are numbered and referred to as worlds by players and Jagex. The servers use Unix, Debian GNU/Linux, and Cisco IOS software, and they are located in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Australia, Finland, Belgium, Mexico, Brazil, Ireland, Norway, Denmark, New Zealand and Sweden. Historically, servers have been located in areas where they will provide the best connection for players in a cost-effective manner. Servers are moved or added as the need arises.



Each of the RuneScape servers allows 2,000 players to connect simultaneously. The servers are divided into free servers, accessible to all players, and member servers, accessible only by those players who choose to pay a monthly fee for additional content. Unlike many other MMORPGs, RuneScape characters are not bound to a particular server, but rather can switch freely among the servers each time they access the game. Some servers are given suggested activity labels, allowing players performing tasks that require or are made easier by group participation, such as mini-games, to more easily find each other.

In addition to the RuneScape servers, there are two members-only servers for RuneScape Classic, both located in the United Kingdom. Each of these is limited to 1,250 players, allowing a total number of 2,500 simultaneous RuneScape Classic players. Only players who played RuneScape Classic in the six months prior to the banning of about 5,000 accounts are able to use these.

Advertising
To support RuneScape's free content, advertisements are displayed above the playing screen for free-players. On 13 July 2006, Jagex signed an exclusive marketing and distribution contract with WildTangent Games, which granted WildTangent the right to handle advertising in and around RuneScape in the United States. The deal also allowed WildTangent to distribute RuneScape through the WildTangent Games Network, a distribution channel, reaching over 20 million PCs. WildTangent has stressed that this agreement will not change the way RuneScape is presented and that they plan to make the presence of the advertisements, vital to RuneScape, as non-invasive as possible.

Jagex moderators have stated that there will be no in-game advertisements. Since computer users may use advertisement blockers which may discourage advertisers, Jagex introduced a rule that prohibits players from blocking the advertisements in the free game.

Jagex had introduced video adverts, which free players would have to wait to finish before they could play the game (usually a time span of 10 seconds or longer). However, these were found to be very unpopular, and Jagex removed them completely in February 2009 despite the fact that they generated "significantly more revenue than other adverts".

Other languages
On 14 February 2007, Jagex released a German closed beta translation of RuneScape. The German edition of the game can now be played by anyone. Currently, there are six German language servers online: three that are for members only, and three that free players can also use. The French version was released on 10 December 2008, but was announced on the English site on the 11th with many users looking forward to the update. After releasing FunOrb (another Jagex Creation), in Brazilian Portuguese, it was fairly obvious that the next version of RuneScape to be released in a different language would be Brazilian Portuguese. They also announced it on a Behind The Scenes Post. . On 23 July 2009, RuneScape Brazil was released for everyone to play, though it was not on the recent news posts until the 24 July.

Membership
The members form of RuneScape is an optional service that provides extensive additional content and extra features when compared to the free-to-play version of the game. Most quests and several skills, as well as three-quarters of the world map, are reserved for members. Members can play more mini-games with unique rewards, use additional items, and have access to improvements for nearly all skills. Paying users also receive considerably more storage space for their items, priority customer service, the ability to vote in most player polls, and the ability to post on the official forums at any level. Regular game updates are usually reserved for members; however, a few updates each year affect the free version of the game.

Monthly membership fees are set at £3.50, $5.95 USD, $5.00 CDN, €4.60, $8.20 AUD, $9,90 NZD or $8.90 SGD, if paid with a monthly subscription using a credit or debit card. Monthly subscriptions can be canceled at any time without losing the days for which the player has paid; however, refunds are not available for unused days if a player cancels or is banned due to rule infractions. Other payment methods are available, including PayPal, check or money order, and telephone providers in certain countries; however, these payment methods generally charge a fee added by the payment provider. Payments made by check or money order are typically for a set number of months.

On 18 August 2008, the membership fees increased by $0.95 USD for new subscribers. However, previous and already subscribing members would still only have to pay $5.00 USD if they have paid before 18 August, (for example, if one had paid on 17 August, then each subsequent payment, assuming there are no "pauses" between payments, would remain as $5.00 USD). Regional or international charges and billing fees still have to be taken into effect (if present), though.

Members are granted access to members-only servers, which have no in-game advertisements displayed during play, disputably resorting in less lag and/or distraction. Although members can play RuneScape on free servers, all member-specific content and items are available only within members' servers. Also, note that Members cannot access free servers while standing in a members-only area.

Membership benefits on the German, French and (Brazilian) Portuguese servers carry over to the English servers and vice-versa.

Gameplay


RuneScape takes place in the fantasy-themed realm of Gielinor, which is divided into several different kingdoms, regions, and areas. Players can travel throughout the gaming world on foot, by using magical teleportation spells or devices or mechanical means of transportation. Each region offers different types of monsters, materials, and quests to challenge players.

Players are shown on the screen as customizable avatars. They set their own goals and objectives, deciding which of the available activities to pursue. There is no linear path that must be followed. Players can engage in combat with other players or with computer controlled monsters (NPCs), complete quests, or increase their experience in any of the available skills. Players interact with each other through trading, chatting, or playing combative or cooperative mini-games.

New players begin by playing a tutorial quest, Unstable Foundations. They are led on a set path where they learn most of the non-member skills needed to succeed in Gielinor, the realm of RuneScape. After completing the tutorial, players can access information from tutors located in the towns they explore, or from an advisor button which can be accessed at any time. The advisor can give helpful information on different topics including money making, skills, and various items. Some stores and shops also provide free samples of low level equipment and the basic items needed for various skills.

Community
RuneScape players represent a wide range of nationalities and ages. Most players speak English to some extent. Players who speak languages other than English tend to gravitate to servers populated by other players who speak the same language; some worlds have larger numbers of players who speak Spanish, Dutch, French, German, or other languages. It is not uncommon, however, to see many languages on the chat screen throughout RuneScape. A German translation of RuneScape has been released as an open beta.

A set of official RuneScape Forums created entirely by Jagex programmers is available to players on the RuneScape website. On the forums, players are able to participate in game discussions, play player-made forum games, make arrangements to buy or sell items, and interact with the community. Free players can read the forums, but posting on them is reserved for paying members or free players with more than 12.5million xp. The RuneScape forums are quite diverse, allowing thousands of players to access them at any given time. Each forum has its own specific list of rules enforced by forum moderators.

Players can submit questions via an e-mail address listed on the website to any NPC in the game. Selected letters are answered in an update called Postbag from the Hedge, typically at the end of each month. This feature began on 26 September 2005, and has since become one of the most accessed pages of the site. Beginning 24 September 2002, players could submit questions to the Gods of RuneScape; however, this feature was discontinued on 9 December 2004. Players can also submit original RuneScape related artwork, some of which is displayed in a gallery on the RuneScape website. Media featured have included sculpture, comics, drawings, and paintings.

Many fansites have been established by players, none of which are supported or recognised by Jagex. In order to provide players with an alternative, official site to get the information they want or need, Jagex introduced the Knowledge Base, (now called the Game Guide) which offers information on gameplay, the main RuneScape rules, and account security. However, at least one major fansite has criticised Jagex for not recognising fansites' contributions to the development of its game.

RuneScape has a player economy based largely around items produced using skills. Raw materials are collected using the extracting skills, such as Fishing, and are processed into more advanced materials with processing skills, such as Cooking. The products produced by processing skills, such as armour or food, are often sold and used by players in combat. Some players engage in arbitrage, commonly referred to as "merchanting", in order to turn a profit in game by buying and selling items. Historically, inflation has caused some instability in the game economy. Inflation is caused by a variety of factors, including the large number of resources put into the game by macroing. and the release of new skills such as Construction.

Rules and cheating
Jagex has put in place a number of rules for player conduct, such as rules against offensive language, scamming, and bug abuse. To enforce the rules, RuneScape uses three types of moderators: Jagex moderators, who are actual Jagex employees; player moderators, who are trusted ordinary players who enforce the rules in the game; and forum moderators, who are trusted players who police the game forums. On the forums, Jagex moderators are identified by gold crowns and backgrounds on their posts while forum moderators have green crowns and backgrounds; in game, Jagex moderators have gold crowns next to their names in chat while player moderators have silver crowns. In addition, any player has the ability to report rule-breaking using a "report abuse" feature; misuse of this feature can result in action being taken against the reporter. The effectiveness of Jagex's hunt on abusers has been debated in an article posted on Twitchguru.

There are also rules prohibiting the use of third-party software to play the game, known as macroing, and the sale of game items for real money, known as real-world trading. In the early days of the game, most cheaters were individual players using special programs that exploited weaknesses in the game's client-server communications by sending false data to the server. In response, Jagex made direct interaction with the client very difficult. Players then began using macro programs to automate mouse clicks for repetitive tasks. Random events, requiring human reaction and decision making, are one method Jagex employs to attempt to disrupt such programs. According to Jagex, many cheaters are now based in game sweatshops in East Asia, making gold to sell to players for real-world money, an issue in many other MMORPGs. In response, Jagex issued a statement condemning real-world trading, which had already been against the rules. In the statement, they also claimed that they were seizing billions of gold and banning thousands of accounts every week for cheating. On December 10, 2007, Jagex removed or changed several key elements of the game, making Real world trading almost impossible, but upsetting a huge number of players.

Reception
As of December 2003, RuneScape was one of the fastest growing out of all of the MMORPGs, having a userbase fifty percent larger than that of EverQuest. The game is praised for its free play abilities. JustRPG gave it a score of 83%, and summarised the game with: "In short, the game of Runescape is a fun, addictive game, and while the graphics may not be perfect [this review was done before the RuneScape HD update], for a game written in Java, they aren't bad. The skills are varied, the community is alright, and it'll eat up your time if you aren't careful."

PC Gamer UK in December 2003 states that while the "traditional RPG values of questing, slaying monsters and developing your character in a familiar medieval setting" won't "have the big boys trembling in their +2 Boots of Subscriber Gathering," this is offset by the game's accessibility through a web browser, "compounded by a version of the game that allows free adventuring before players upgrade to a members account," describing the game as "an unsurprising success."

A three-year study published by Brunel University in March 2006 claims that playing RuneScape can be beneficial to players. The study concluded that the nature of games like RuneScape can teach teenagers vital skills that they will need as they enter the labor market, including working hard to achieve goals. An article on Twitchguru in March 2007 claims the opposite, that the skills and lessons learned in RuneScape are not suitable for children.

The Yahoo! Buzz Log stated in May 2006 that, "while it may not be as easy on the eyes as some other popular online RPG games, like World of Warcraft, City of Heroes, or EverQuest, RuneScape is still a lot better way to kill time than pushing around cells in a spreadsheet."

In June 2009, RuneScape was named Best Desktop Game at the Seventh Annual Duke's Choice Awards, which recognise "the year's most influential Java technology-based applications" and "highlight the efforts of the Java developer community and the innovative applications they create".

A reasonable portion of the gaming community mocks or makes fun of RuneScape due to its outdated graphics, which are not state of the art for most contemporary online games today. However, a noticeable effect has been observed in that much of the jeering has quelled significantly after the release of Runescape in HD.

Easter


2002 Easter event: Easter eggs

On Easter 2002, easter eggs were dropped. They heal 120 life points and are eaten in a single bite. The easter eggs are considered rare because they were only dropped on Easter day. Also, some people ate them because they healed a fair amount of life points, for something that did not have a price at the time.



2003 Easter event: Bunny ears

In 2003, Jagex still had holiday drops, but they were much more different. Players could only get one of the holiday items and all the items were untradeable. The Easter Drop was a set of Bunny Ears which players could wear on your head. If they are lost, players can go to Diango or Thessalia for a replacement.



2005 Easter event: Rubber chickens

Rubber chickens were a holiday item available on the 21 March 2005 for only two weeks. During this time, Jagex placed an Easter bunny in Falador as a non-player character. Players could talk to the bunny and ask for a task, with as a reward a Rubber chicken. The rubber chicken can be equipped as a fun item rather than a real weapon as it has negative bonuses. When equipped, players can "whack" other players with it. Sometimes the Rubber Chicken could slip out from your hands before whacking another player.



2006 Easter event: Easter rings

Players needed to dig up Easter eggs, which were buried by bunnies.. When they found a blue magic egg with a bunny print on it, and ate it, they would temporarily turn into a bunny. If they ate the egg over a hole, they would be able to enter the rabbits' warren. In the middle you could find the Easter bunny. After the player had given 10 eggs to the nearby children, the bunny would give him an Easter ring. When worn, this ring turns the wearer into an egg.



2007 Easter event: Chicken sets

The Chicken Set was a holiday item received from the 2007 Easter event. If the "Flap" emote has been unlocked from the Stronghold of Security, when wearing all the pieces of the set, players can do an improved Flap emote, where their avatar lifts off the ground slightly as if flying. The Bunny-hop emote is also unlocked if it has not been unlocked in a previous Easter event.



2008 Easter event: Chocatrice capes

The Chocatrice cape is the reward for completing the 2008 Easter event. When operated, the player performs an emote in which a giant Easter egg forms around the player then followed by the player bursting out from the top. Note that in the event if you get 10 chocolate chunks after you get the chocatrice cape you unlock the Bunny-hop emote. It can be stored in the Toy Box in the Costume room of a Player-owned house.



2009 Easter event: Easter carrots

The Easter Carrot is the reward for completing the 2009 Easter Event. The carrot can be equipped/wielded as a fun weapon. When you have the Carrot wielded, you will be able to "Whack" another player, for this, the player has to right-click another player and there will be a "Whack" option. It has the same uses as a Rubber chicken.



2010 Easter event: Squirrel ears

The squirrel ears are the reward for completing the 2010 Easter Event. The ears are equipped/wielded as a hat. When wearing the squirrel ears the player can summon the squirrel minions and perform the Squirrel juggle emote.

Hallowe'en


2001 Hallowe'en event: Pumpkins

Pumpkins were among the first holiday items that were dropped by Jagex on Halloween of 31 October 2001. They heal a total of 140 Life points in one bite. It is strongly recommended that a player notes the item as it may be accidentally consumed, especially since they are rare and extremely valuable.



2002 Hallowe'en event: Halloween masks

The Halloween mask appeared in three colours: green, blue, and red. A Halloween mask covers the entire head of the wearer, similar to a full helmet. Historically, the green Halloween mask has been the least expensive of the set. The red Halloween mask is the most expensive in recent history, although at times the blue Halloween mask was more expensive.



2003 Hallowe'en event: Scythes

Scythes were the last holiday items to be dropped in RuneScape Classic, and the last piece of content that was added to RuneScape Classic before RuneScape 2 was released. When they were dropped, players were only allowed to pick up one each. If a player tried to grab another one, their message box would show the message" "You already have a scythe, you don't need another one." Players can wield a scythe as a two-handed weapon. Scythes have the ability to crush, stab, and slash.



2005 Hallowe'en event: Zombie heads

In 2005, players had to scare zombie found in the Lumbridge Swamp. If they did it correctly, the head of the zombie would fall off. Players can right-click the head and talk with it or select actions which other players can see. The head cannot be equipped. If the player got the head via the Hallowe'en event, if they lost the zombie head, they have the ability to go to the Lumbridge Swamp and find another one. Players could scare the 'trick or treating' kids in Lumbridge with the zombie head, making them drop some sweets.



2006 Hallowe'en event: Jack o'lantern masks & Skeleton Sets

The Spooky set, also known as Skeleton Costume, gives no bonus in any stats. Players had to banish different coloured ghosts in order to receive the costume. The costume consists of a mask, shirt, leggings, boots, and gloves. The outfit can be reclaimed from Diango in Draynor Village if lost or destroyed, and items may be stored in the costume room of your house.



2007 Hallowe'en event: Grim reaper hoods

In 2007, players had to do a few favours for the Grim Reaper, which included; Finding his previous servant's skull in the garden, Clean up his lounge, and going through a little course that involved going on a slide, jumping on springboards, wading through a pool of slime and avoiding pitfall traps. After players complete those tasks, they would go downstairs and talk to the Grim Reaper and receive his hood, the Zombie Hand, and the Scared emote.



2008 Hallowe'en event: Warlock sets or Witch sets

After giving Maggie 4 Chocolate drops, 6 Popcorn balls, and 5 wrapped candies, a male player will be given a warlock set and a female player will be given a witch set. This set will change into a witch set if the player changes into a female or attempts to wear the warlock set as a female. The set gives NO stat bonuses; it is only for display.



2009 Hallowe'en event: Eek the Spider & Web Cloak

After putting cobwebs into the Grim Reaper's house, the Spider Queen will give you a Web Cloak and Eek the Spider. Eek can be equipped taking the weapon slot and like the cloak gives no bonuses. with Eek equipped, players have the option to "Play with" Eek, in doing so an animation will play where Eek spins a web in between the players hands and hangs down from it.

Christmas


2001 Christmas event: Christmas crackers & Party Hats

Partyhats, or phats for short, came from opening Christmas crackers. There are six differently coloured partyhats that all have the same shape. They can be worn on a player's head and resemble a crown. They give no stat enhancements. Because they are discontinued and are only obtainable from Christmas crackers which were dropped on Christmas of 2001, they are very rare items and are much sought after. This has made them very expensive items. They can usually fetch between 300,000,000 and 710,000,000 coins on the market.



2002 Christmas event: Santa Hats

A Santa hat is an item that was the final tradeable holiday drop, as part of the 2002 Christmas event. They were dropped only on 25 December 2002. All day they appeared randomly on the ground all over RuneScape, in batches about every six minutes. A player could pick up as many as they wanted. Although Jagex at the time described them as "just a bit of fun", they have since become an expensive and much-coveted item amongst players. Even if a player does not own a Santa hat, they can borrow one from a player via the Item Lending.



2004 Christmas event: Yo-yos

Yo-yos were available on 21 December 2004, for about two weeks. During this time, Santa was placed as an NPC in Varrock, Falador, Ardougne, Catherby, and Yanille. Players could talk to him and ask for a present. The present he gave was a yo-yo. Santa would only give one yo-yo to each player. Players can right click on the yo-yo and select tricks that other players can see.



2005 Christmas event: Hats, scarves & Marionettes

Hats and scarves were given out as part of the 2005 Christmas holiday event. They are non-tradeable and come in four different varieties. If a player destroys or loses their hats and scarves, they can get replacements from Diango in Draynor Village. After obtaining the various Christmas hats and scarves from Diango's workshop, players could take five boxes of baubles to a huge tree in the centre of Varrock. The reward for this was getting one of the marionettes.



2006 Christmas event: Reindeer hats & Wintumber trees

The Reindeer hat and the Wintumber tree are rewarded for completing the 2006 Christmas event. The hat has no bonuses and is untradeable. The tree is untradeable and can be planted on any free space in the Garden or on any free outdoor space of a player-owned house. If lost or destroyed the player can obtain another from Diango in Draynor village.



2007 Christmas event: Snow globes

The Snow globe is an item obtained during the 2007 Christmas event. Players must talk to the Queen of Snow in the Land of Snow, who will give them a snow globe as a gift. The snow globe contains a "snow"-covered model of Lumbridge Castle. Since the end of the event, Jagex has removed the snow globe's ability to produce snow around the player. The snow globe will continue to generate snowballs after the 2007 Christmas event, unlike the snowballs from the previous event, which melted a short while after.



2008 Christmas event: Santa suits & Ice Amulets

The Santa suit is the reward for the 2008 Christmas Event. Players were rewarded this from Santa Claus himself after freeing him from Jack Frost's ice sculpture. The set contains a Santa costume top, Santa costume legs, Santa costume gloves and Santa costume boots. Also, during this event the Head snow imp would give the player an Ice amulet to call a snow imp, which could help you find Jack Frost.



2009 Christmas event: Ghost costume & Candy cane

These were obtained by search in the cupboards of Ebenezer Scourge's house to make with bedsheets, chains, a needle and thread. These were then worn to frighten Ebenezer into releasing Santa from the cage he was locked up in and giving back the food and presents to the feast. The candy cane was later obtained by unwrapping the present Santa had given you, along with a scarf for your imp.

=Minor Holidays=

Jagex occasionally releases events for additional holidays. These events generally do not produce discontinued items and do not last as long.

Thanksgiving


2008 Thanksgiving event: Cornucopias, Raw Turkey, Raw Turkey Drumstick

This was the first Thanksgiving event ever. Players were awarded with a Cornucopia, which is used to store food. It may only store up to 140 life points worth of food. One click will replenish the amount of health lost depending on what the food was stored. It was dropped by Turkeys all around RuneScape, which also dropped the discontinued raw turkey and raw turkey drumstick.



2009 Thanksgiving event: Magnifying glass

Give Thanks emote if not previously unlocked, Magnifying glass, along with the Sleuth emote upon completing the Cryptic Clue Fest.

Start of May


2009 Start of May: Lilies of the Valley

Lilies of the valley were released on 28 April, to mark the beginning of May, despite being released two days before the first of May. They can be found all around RuneScape. As the examine text implies, they are only available for a limited amount of time. If he or she operates the lily or chooses the "Smell" option, the player will perform an emote where they will smell the lily.

April fools


2004 April fools: Toy horseys

A Toy horsey is an item made as a joke by Jagex, poking fun at the requests made by players to have horses. It was released 1 April as part of the 2004 April Fools joke. It is the only sense in which horses exist in RuneScape, though unicorns are similar. Toy horseys are obtainable from Diango for 150 coins, and come in four different colours: white, black, grey, and brown. In addition players can make toy horses in the workshop of player owned houses.



2005 April fools: Spinning plates

The Spinning plate is a toy bought from Diango in Draynor village. However, it cannot be sold back to him, and was released as a joke by Jagex in reply to the constant demand of "Dragon plate" (Dragon platebody armour). On the spinning plate, there is a picture of a dragon. As the Dragon platebody has now been released, the value of the plate as a joke item is now obsolete. Diango says that the shipment of spinning plates were delayed by thieves, who apparently wanted "dragon plates" as well.



2008 April fools: Toy kites

The Toy kite is obtainable by talking to Diango in Draynor Village, for 100 coins. The Dragon kite was released as an April Fools jokes by Jagex on 1 April 2008. If the 'Wield' option is chosen, the kite will float along side of a player. If the 'Fly' option is chosen the player will appear, for a short time, to be flying the kite in a strong wind. The 'Fly' option will only be available if the kite is in your inventory instead of being equipped. Players can also click 'Operate' for the same purpose if the item is being worn.



2009 April Fools: Cabbages

Cabbages began exhibiting odd behaviour; such as bouncing up and down, and moving away and shouting catch phrases when a player attempted to pick them up. People would try to pick them up and they would bounce off saying phrases, and if the players caught them, they would have a wieldable cabbage, which could be thrown over by players.

=Replacing an item=

Tradeable Holiday Items
Even though some items, such as the esteemed Partyhats, can fetch up to hundreds of millions of coins street-wise, they are near worthless when alchemised or sold to General stores buying prices, which also coincidentally determines which items are kept on Death. Tradeable Holiday rewards are usually sold at 1 to 2 coins to a general store. This means that a player who dies while holding 3 near-worthless items (say, three trout) will lose the partyhat despite its much higher street and player value due to its lower store price (unless they used item protect to keep 4 items).

Untradeable Holiday Items

 * Ask Thessalia in the Varrock clothing store that is south-west of the main fountain for your Bunny ears or Scythe back and she will happily oblige.


 * Diango is found in Draynor Marketplace. He will return your holiday items if you lose them, as shown on the image above. He also sells Toy kites, Spinning plates, and Toy horseys.


 * Members can retrieve all untradeable holiday items from their Toy box, provided they completed the event and the item is not in their bank or inventory, or being worn.

Holiday emotes
Since the release of the Rubber chicken, Jagex also began to give a new emote with Holiday events. Some emotes can be found at the emote screen, while others can be done by operating a Holiday reward. Emotes related to holiday events are usually unlockable every year during the respective holiday events.

Emotes

 * {|class="wikitable" width="70%"

!Icon !Name !Unlocking method
 * align="center"|[[File:Scared emote icon.PNG]]
 * Scared
 * This emote was released with the 2005 Hallowe'en event. Players hide their head in their arms, shaking with their whole body.
 * align="center"|[[File:Bunny-hop emote icon.PNG]]
 * Bunny-hop
 * This emote was released with the 2006 Easter event. Players simply jump up and down like a bunny, scratching their nose a bit in the end of the emote.
 * align="center"|[[File:Zombie hand emote icon.PNG]]
 * Zombie Hand
 * This emote was released with the 2007 Hallowe'en event. The character hops backwards, avoiding a huge Zombie-like hand grabbing for it, making temporary scars in the ground.
 * align="center"|[[File:snowman.png]]
 * Snowman Dance
 * This emote was released with the 2007 Christmas event. Players jump from side to side in a happy Christmas-musical-way.
 * align="center"|[[File:Trick.png]]
 * Trick
 * This emote was released with the 2008 Hallowe'en event. To unlock, peer into Maggie's cauldron. The player lifts his arms and bats appear.
 * align="center"|[[File:Give thanks icon.PNG]]
 * Give Thanks
 * This emote was released with the 2008 Thanksgiving event. Players act like a turkey, then change in one. In turkey-form, the player will make some weird dances.
 * align="center"|[[File:Freeze.png]]
 * Freeze
 * Unlocked by completing the 2008 Christmas event. Players received it by talking to Jack Frost, which had to be found with the help of a Snow imp. The player freezes, melts, and gets back again.
 * align="center"|[[File:Around the World in Eggty Days icon.png]]
 * Around the World in Eggty Days
 * This emote was released with the 2009 Easter event. Your player leaves dust in the air, and then returns from behind, and eats an easter egg.
 * align="center"|[[File:Dramatic Point1.PNG]]
 * Dramatic Point
 * This emote was released with the 2009 Christmas event. Your player points directly forward while snow floats around them for a few seconds.
 * }
 * align="center"|[[File:Around the World in Eggty Days icon.png]]
 * Around the World in Eggty Days
 * This emote was released with the 2009 Easter event. Your player leaves dust in the air, and then returns from behind, and eats an easter egg.
 * align="center"|[[File:Dramatic Point1.PNG]]
 * Dramatic Point
 * This emote was released with the 2009 Christmas event. Your player points directly forward while snow floats around them for a few seconds.
 * }
 * This emote was released with the 2009 Christmas event. Your player points directly forward while snow floats around them for a few seconds.
 * }

Operating emotes

 * {|class="wikitable" width="70%"

!Icon !Item !Name !Operating method
 * [[File:Rubber chicken.PNG]]
 * Rubber chicken
 * Chicken Dance
 * This emote is only usable by those with a Rubber chicken, rewarded from the 2005 Easter event. This emote is used by either right-clicking a Rubber chicken and clicking dance.
 * [[File:Reindeer_hat.png]]
 * Reindeer hat
 * Reindeer
 * This emote is only usable by those with a Reindeer hat, rewarded from the 2006 Christmas event. To activate the emote, players must operate their hat while wearing it. It will make them act like a reindeer.
 * [[File:Chocatrice cape.PNG]]
 * Chocatrice cape
 * Giant Easter Egg
 * This emote is only usable by those with a Chocatrice cape, rewarded from the 2008 Easter event. Players must operate the chocatrice cape to use this emote. It will make players pop out of a giant, yellow egg.
 * [[File:Lily of the valley detailed.png]]
 * Lily of the valley
 * Smelling of a lily
 * [[File:Lily of the valley detailed.png]]
 * Lily of the valley
 * Smelling of a lily
 * Smelling of a lily

This emote was usable by the players with a Lily of the valley, rewarded from 2009 Start of May event. The player must click smell to perform emote. At the beginning of May, 2010 they again were released and could be picked up almost everywhere. (This leads to the assumption that Jagex will release these every year at the start of May.)
 * [[File:Magnifying glass.png]]
 * Magnifying glass
 * Sleuth
 * This emote is usable by the players with a Magnifying glass, rewarded from the Cryptic Clue Fest event which was released in conjunction with the 2009 Thanksgiving Event. When on the equipped, players can right click and press 'Sleuth'.
 * [[File:Candycane.PNG]]
 * Candy Cane
 * Spin
 * This emote is usable by the players with a Candy Cane rewarded in the 2009 Christmas event. When equipped, players may go to the equipped screen and choose 'Spin' from the right-click menu.
 * [[File:Squirrel ears.png]]
 * Squirrel ears
 * Juggle
 * This emote is usable by the players with a Squirrel ears rewarded in the 2010 Easter Event. When equipped, players may go to the equipped screen and choose 'Juggle' from the right-click menu.
 * }
 * Juggle
 * This emote is usable by the players with a Squirrel ears rewarded in the 2010 Easter Event. When equipped, players may go to the equipped screen and choose 'Juggle' from the right-click menu.
 * }

Trivia

 * Newer holiday items are yet to be lendable; this is synonymous with the fact that they can't be traded (you can't lend an item unless it can be put up in the trade menu). This has led to some dissent among the forums.
 * Many players have tendencies to criticise the newest holiday rewards saying they are being depreciated in quality and effort. Other players sometimes disagree and it usually results in notorious "flame wars" via the official forums or other Runescape-related websites.
 * The Cornucopia from the 2008 Thanksgiving event is the only holiday reward that is still obtainable even after the event. This was seen as a relief to some players that missed the event and has caused some requests to Jagex for other non-tradeable rewards from the past events to be obtainable in some way similar to the Cornucopia.