Graphics

The graphics in RuneScape have been continuously evolving, from simple RuneScape Classic graphics to a nowadays' RuneScape HD. This evolving is made possible thanks to fast internet connections, the fast improving performance of players' computers and JaGEx's technology.

DeviousMUS & RuneScape Classic
DeviousMUD was the predecessor of RuneScape Classic, written in 1998 and then rewritten and released as a public beta, for only one week, in 1999. There are only very few screenshots of it from which we can see it had very simple, isometric, graphics. RuneTek 1 was used to develop it. RuneScape Classic, which RuneScape members can play today, is the newer version of DeviousMUD, released in October 1999. It has four separate views, one in each of the cardinal directions (North, East, South, and West). The players, NPCs and monsters are 2D sprites in a fairly low-detailed world.

Release of RuneScape 2 and afterwards
With the release of RuneScape 2 (now called RuneScape), Jagex unleashed a 3D engine, which brought many graphical improvements. Two detail levels were available: Low Detail and High Detail (not to be confused with the graphics option currently called High Detail). High Detail offered, among other improvements, musical effects and more texture than Low Detail. As the RuneScape map expanded with the release of new areas, many new visual effects, such as snow on Trollweiss Mountain and the electrical effects in the Killerwatt plane, were added in-game. Also many old and more visited locations, such as Varrock, Falador and Lumbridge, were updated among other graphical updates.

RuneScape High Detail and afterwards
RuneScape HD was mentioned for the first time in An Image of the Future  and in the following  An Image of the Not-Too-Distant Future newsposts. More information was included in A New Look RuneScape: Part 1 and A New Look RuneScape: Part 2 Development Diaries.

We've considered a hardware-rendered version of RuneScape a number of times in the past, but it was only two years ago that we felt Java was mature enough. -Andrew, Lead Developer

RuneScape High Detail finally came out on 1 July 2008 to members as a beta. On 14 July 2008 it was released to all players. HD offered fullscreen mode for the first time, although it could also be used in the normal game window size. HD was also updated to offer a resizable game window on 5 August 2008.

The numerous upgrades from the old High and Low Details to the new High Detail included:


 * Textures were added on the ground, players and NPCs, monsters and just about everything.
 * The face in the talking panel when talking to NPCs received a massive overhaul.
 * Water was upgraded to look more like water; it was made semi-transparent, and the bases of rocks were shown.
 * There's a shadow to everything, including moving shadows (flags, for example).
 * Blending in ground textures showed things like dark soil merging to lighter soil.
 * Fullscreen, and later Resizable mode, were offered.
 * A fog took the place of the black off the edge of the game viewing area.

Here are some of the sneak-preview pictures which were included in An Image of the Future and the follow-up An Image of the Not-Too-Distant Future developer's blogs.

Runetek 5
On 2 September 2009, Runetek 5 was released. Runetek 5 allowed HD (previously Runetek 4) and SD (previously Runetek 3) to run on the same game engine. This was accompanied with many improvements to SD, including the options of fullscreen and resizeable screen modes, distance fogging, underwater visibility, and ground blending and smoothing. HD was also improved with further shadowing, particle effects, and a more detailed map. Particle effects and a more detailed map were also given to SD.

Graphical objects still planned to be added to the game are sky boxes, bloom lighting effects and water reflections. Another important detail about Runetek5 is that it takes RuneScape one step closer to becoming a console game.

Standard Detail and Safe Mode
On 8 February 2010, SD was improved. SD was given more of the features of High Detail, but Jagex also said that the new SD is faster than the old SD. Despite this, the old SD was retained as a detail level called "Safe mode." The new SD mode apparently is intended for people with fast CPUs but poor graphics cards. The new SD actually uses more CPU power than HD, but this is because less GPU is used by SD.

List of updates
2010
 * 8 February - Options to turn on textures, shadows and lighting on Standard Detail mode are released
 * May 13 - Added DirectX support and a new graphics options panel that can automatically select the best options for your computer.

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 - RuneTek 5 released
 * 21 December - Particles were introduced

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, platebodies, 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

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, Crandor-Karamja Dungeon
 * 3 July - Baxtorian Falls
 * 9 July - Birds, mugger
 * 24 July - Camelot, Seer's village, Keep Le Faye and their inhabitants
 * 10 September - Pirates
 * 18 September - Area near Ourania Cave entrance
 * 2 October - Edgeville

2006
 * No Graphic Update Occurred.

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, Makeover Mage's house
 * 17 October - White Knights

2004
 * 21 March - RuneScape 2 released, complete graphic makeover