In this month's Month Ahead, Mod Ryan and Mod Anvil discusses the new design philosophy of training.

• Lean-back training ("true AFK"): your character performs an action over a period of time with no extra clicking or attention needed. Example: fletching an inventory of logs into unstrung bows.

• Lean-in training: your character performs an action over a period of time, but if you pay attention and click, you can get a benefit or bonus (or a detriment if you don't pay attention). Examples: rockertunities, lumberjack's intuition, time sprite, focus window and optimal construction hotspot.

• Active training: you click intensely, requiring full attention. Examples: heists or fishing frenzy.

It's Jagex intent to offer all three as potential methods for each skill, so you choose the activity or intensity that you like or need.

I do believe there's a vital difference between a lean-in training that is optional (if you want to train most time efficiently), that you can recover from your mistakes (like miscuts) and that doesn't (heavily) impact total xp (like time sprites or rockertunities), or one that is punitive.

Optimal construction hotspots are double penalising: you get 40% less progress AND you lose xp in the process, which you can never get back.

So while optimal construction hotspots are considered "lean-in", they are factually active, requiring constant attention in order to not lose xp. It's extremely punitive to even lean-back a little bit.

Full attention but with little input or stimulation is very boring for a player. It's the worst training method in RuneScape.

My solution: remove the Perfect Build status. Optimal Construction hotspots should only give the player increased progress gain. It's still lean-in training, but not punitive.

I like tracks that blur the lines between genres, or can fit in sets of either genres.

This track of David Tort is called This Is My House, but it looks a lot like techno.

What would you say it is: house or techno?

If you got any recommendations of similar tracks like this, please share!

Introduction

Pre-EoC, shields were a common sight in RuneScape. Now, they have totally disappeared. Post-EoC, they became switches to tank one specific hit from a boss. Post-Necromancy, the bone shield put the final nail in the coffin: you get all the perks from shields and none of the downsides.

But it doesn't have to be like that. The whole thing about shields was to lose damage for defensive capabilities. But now that we have both, why should that detriment exist?

Add a damage bonus to all shields equivalent to off-hand weapons.

Why (not)?

The biggest reason why shields are dead is the loss of DPS. But if they no longer lose DPS, because 2h, DW and mainhand+shield all have the same base damage, then players will be more inclined to use shields.

Compared to bone shield, shields will have the advantage to be able to use bash and revenge abilities, as well have improved debilitate, resonance, divert and barricade.

The use of defensive abilities is free of (extra) cost compared to bone shield, but bone shield costs become less relevant as you have more money.

But it's not like using a shield still doesn't have disadvantages. You can only use mainhand abilities, not 2h or DW (except defenders), and you lose a weapon perk slot with weapon-specific perks like eruptive, caroming, aftershock, flanking and lunging.

Also, to add some balance to it, there would be two types of shields.

Tank and power shields

Tank shields will have full defensive capabilities for their tier (armour rating, lifepoint bonus, damage reduction), but have the damage bonus 5 tiers lower. Examples: base shields, Toktz-ket-xil, third-age shield, crystal shields, Dragonfire shields, Linza's shield.

Power shields will have lesser defensive capabilities for their tier (armour rating 5 tiers lower, no lifepoint bonus (except Masterwork and Nex armour), , no damage reduction) but full damage bonus of their tier. Examples: spiked and berserker shield, dragon kiteshield, GWD1 shields, spirit shields, chaotic shields, RoTS shields.

This way, shields with the same level requirements can differ and still be relevant. It opens up the possibility for more shields, like Nex shields, masterwork shields, cryptbloom ward,...

But what about defenders?

Defenders, reprisers and rebounders will have 10 tiers lower armour rating and 10 tiers lower ability damage, and no lifepoint bonus or damage reduction, but in exchange can use both shield and DW abilities, or able to either have an armour or weapon gizmo on it.

It's up to Jagex to decide if they still need their effect (+3% accuracy boost and 1/15 chance to decrease the damage taken from a hit by 50-95%, which also increases the player's accuracy for their next attack by 20%.).

Defenders will still suffer a stat penalty, but not as heavy as now. They are also locked behind a heavy grind: to make a kalphite defender, repriser or rebounder, you need a perfect chitin, an untradeable drop from the Kalphite King, while having an ancient defender, reprisal or rebounder on you or in your inventory to be able to receive it, and combine it with a drygore weapon.

To make an ancient defender, repriser or rebounder, you need an ancient emblem as an untradeable drop from Nex, while having a corrupted defender, tainted repriser or blighted rebounder on you or in your inventory to be able to receive it, and combine it with a chaotic splint from the Dungeoneering reward shop.

To make a corrupted defender, tainted repriser or blighted rebounder, you need a corruption sigil, an untradeable drop from Barrows, while having a dragon defender on you or in your inventory to be able to receive it, and combine it with a Barrows 2h weapon. You need to receive a dragon defender as an untradeable drop from cyclopses in the Warriors Guild, but only if you got bronze until rune as drops first.

To be fair, you should have bronze-dragon reprisals and rebounders as well, maybe by showing a bronze-rune defender to the Magic Guild or Rangers Guild and exchanging it for one for free or a small gp cost.

Conclusion

It's ironic: the bone shield made shields dead content, but with one change, they could make shields relevant again. RS3 combat will never be balanced without shields.

The Fletching Re-Tiering is great! But the result is that there's a gap at level 30 and level 60.

I agree that it doesn't make sense to have teak and mahogany as bows (they are not flexible wood types).

I searched what kind of wood was used in medieval Europe (besides yew), and two stood out: ash and elm.

Ash could be T30, while elm could be T60. Yew was preferred for English longbows, but during shortages elm was allowed by the Crown.

Ash and elm were also used for crossbow stocks, and it would make more sense instead of teak and mahogany.

This is my attempt to fix one of the OG DM archetypes: Gaia The Fierce Knight.

My intent is to have a card that can be Special Summoned in turn 0, and can be used as a combo breaker. With a Nibiru-like condition, you can combo break your opponent with this card. You can force entering the Battle Phase during your opponent's turn, with this card or a card you control. The monster would be destroyed regardless, and no destruction protection will work. If this card would be destroyed, or you would Tribute this card because of a Ritual Summon or by the effect of Artillery Catapult Turtle, you can recover costs.

Card text:

(This card is also always treated as a "Gaia The Fierce Knight" card.)

If you control no monsters and your opponent Special Summoned 1 or more monster(s) this turn: You can Special Summon this monster from your hand. While face-up on the field, your opponent's monsters cannot activate effects and monster effects are negated during the Battle Phase. If this card is face-up on the field, if your opponent Normal or Special Summoned 3 or more monsters this turn (Quick Effect): You can choose 1 monster you control and choose 1 monster with 2300 or more ATK your opponent controls, and those monsters have to battle. After damage calculation: destroy the opponent's monster that battled by this effect. If this card is destroyed or if you Tribute this card: Special Summon 1 "Gaia The Fierce Knight" monster from your hand or Deck. You can only use these effects once per turn.

This card artwork is made with the assistance of AI.

What do you think, would this help the Gaia The Fierce Knight archetype?

EDITED FOR CLARITY

Requirements

Completed Rune Mechanics quest for access to the rune guardian pet

Level 100 Runecrafting (for highest Time Altar rune guardian)

POH with Menagerie with Mahogany pet feeder (67 Construction, 4 mahogany planks and 1 gold leaf) and Consecrated pet house, Desecrated pet house or Natural pet house (92 Construction, 4 mahogany planks and 1 magic stone) to store all rune guardian pets. You can use Mahogany pet house (67 Construction and 4 mahogany planks) but it only stores maximum 15 pets (so you'll need to store 1 rune guardian in the bank).

Recommended

Teleport method to Mage Training Arena: Mystical sand seed (for free, unlimited teleport) to Garden of Kharid, or Ring of duelling to Het's Oasis, or Fairy ring teleport to BIP (Islands: Polypore Dungeon), or wicked hood teleport tokens or Fire altar teleport tablets to Fire Altar

Wicked Hood or full infinity ethereal outfit with at least 15 wicked hood teleport tokens (for teleport to all altars, or 15 more teleport tokens to Fire Altar), or Runecrafting teleport tablets from the Runecrafting Guild, and fed all talismans for access to all altars.

16 House Teleport (Standard spellbook, 40 Magic, 1 air rune, 1 earth rune and 1 law rune) or 16 Teleport to house tablets

Method

After Rune Mechanics, you get a rune guardian pet as a reward. You can attune the rune guardian to one altar, it changes colour to match that altar. When the Time Altar was released, a new Time Altar rune guardian was released with it!

You can ask Apprentice Clerval in the basement of the Mage Training Arena for a new rune guardian if you lose one. He will give you the standard unattuned light grey version, and only if you don't own a rune guardian yet.

However, he will give you a new rune guardian if you store one in the Menagerie. This way, you can obtain multiple rune guardians.

The fastest way is to use the mystical sand seed to teleport to the Garden of Kharid and then run to the Mage Training Arena. Alternatively, you can use a ring of dueling to teleport to Het's Oasis or teleport to the fire altar via the Wicked Hood teleport tokens or Fire altar teleport tablets.

Then, go talk to Apprentice Clerval and choose the rune guardian dialogue option. Teleport to the altar with the method of your choosing, enter the altar and use the rune guardian on the altar. It will attune to that altar. Teleport to your POH and store the attuned rune guardian in your pet house.

Rinse and repeat for all 15 attuned rune guardians and the standard rune guardian.

Warning: rune guardian pets are physical pet items that are only stored in the bank or menagerie, they cannot be summoned through the Pets interface or used to override other pets. Once attuned, the rune guardian can only be attuned to a different altar but never reverted back to the standard version.

Trivia

You can use the Air Altar, Water Altar, Earth Altar or Fire Altar rune guardians to recolour the Infinity robe armour. Use the infinity robe on the respective altar with the attuned rune guardian either following you or in your inventory. Once coloured, the infinity robes are untradeable. You can remove the colour by using the robes on the rune guardian. It's sadly not possible to recolour the gloves and boots this way.

All sixteen rune guardians, starting with Time Altar rune guardian and going down until the Standard rune guardian.