When you think of Runescape you probably think of several things: quaint, pixel graphics, wise old men, a lot of woodcutting, and some extraordinarily large rats. But you also think of community; a game built by devs in direct response to players. Having attended RuneFest a couple of months ago, the ion Jagex has for its game is very much mirrored by its playerbase – the MMORPG feels, in many ways, like a reciprocal exchange of ideas. Runescape Dragonwilds' creative director Rich 'Mod Rook' Turek tells me that the team wants to foster that same sense of community and freedom in its new survival spinoff, and he knows that the introduction of mods will be key to doing so.
Mods are, after all, the ultimate expression of player freedom, but also of developer trust. In many ways, you're handing the keys of your shiny new Porsche to a merry band of misfits who could, potentially, wreak havoc. When I spoke to Jagex about MMORPG is a labor of love, not something to be gatekept.
Turek wants survival game, to have that similar sense of coziness and chaos, and he knows that mods and private servers are going to be one of the community's most-requested features. Good news, folks: Turek confirms mods are "definitely on the table" going forward.
When I ask if Dragonwilds will remain an impenetrable boxed product experience like other triple-A titles, Turek shakes his head. "No, we want to bring the community in as much as possible," he says. "The first step on that journey is making sure players can host their own servers. Those servers will have some settings that you will be able to customize – we're still figuring out what those things are going to be.
"Modding is most definitely on the table. It's always in our discussions. But we're trying to refine the core loop of the game at the moment, and we're making sure that we have a good amount of content that players are going to enjoy. Then it's like 'okay cool. What tools can we give players to be able to express themselves and create new experiences in our game?' That's very much core to what we want to do, and it's how Jagex works as well in of player agency and getting the community involved."
While mod and private servers aren't on the Runescape Dragonwilds roap yet, there are plenty of things to get excited about. From the hardcore mode – which Turek tells me was inspired by the same one in the base MMO, and has a "unique twist with that Runescape lens" – to magic and ranged trees and, of course, more adorable critters, Ashenfall's future looks bright.
Runescape Dragonwilds is out now in early access. You can here.
If you're planning on diving into Ashenfall with your friends, check out our list of all the Runescape Dragonwilds spells if you prefer magic over might.
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