The Runescape team has announced that the much awaited Evolution of Combat overhaul has officially kicked off its beta phase starting today. Through the Evolution of Combat, RuneScape has undergone the most significant change in its 11-year history. That in itself is pretty big news as this is one of the best MMO games of all-time.
Rumours and speculation have run amok among the RuneScape community as players have tried to guess just what this exciting new content will contain. With the developers promising a totally revolutionary change to the game – upping the level of immersion and player involvement while, critically, retaining the features and overall charm that have made the browser-based adventure so popular – players have been rushing to sign up for the chance to take part.
I’ve included some frequently asked questions from the RuneScape forums about the update below.
Who can access the beta servers?
The beta servers are accessible at launch by two sets of players:
All players who signed-up to the beta who had a year?s consecutive membership.
50,000 selected players who also signed-up to the beta.
How will I know I can access the beta?
All successful applicants to the beta will have received a confirmation email from us today. Anyone can try to load the beta, but if you are not on the beta list you will be unable to log in.
I signed up to the beta but did not receive an invite. How can I still take part?
From the 7th July onwards, all members will be able to access the beta every weekend until it ends, so you?ll have plenty of opportunities to try it out and give us your feedback.
What if I?m a free player?
You won?t be able to participate in the Evolution of Combat Beta unless you’re a member. Of course, you’re welcome to take out membership if you’d like to take part in the upcoming beta weekends.
How can I access the Beta Servers?
The Evolution of Combat Beta runs within a different version of RuneScape, isolated from the main game and accessed through a different applet. You can access the beta from the main Combat HQ page.
You will not be able to access the beta by switching worlds from the main game; remember that you can only access the beta from the Combat HQ
How do I log into the beta servers?
Click the link on the Combat HQ page and you can then log in using your normal RuneScape username and password.
Please note that it isn’t possible to use the downloadable client to access the beta.
How many game worlds are there?
There are 9 beta worlds in which you can play and help to test the Evolution of Combat. These beta worlds can be accessed via the Combat HQ page (as mentioned above); not through the normal RuneScape game.
If all of the beta worlds are currently full, you will be placed in a queue, just as you are when normal RuneScape worlds are full. It will let you know where you are in the queue and you will be logged in as soon as there is an available space. Should the lobby be full, you will be notified as such, and will be able to play the normal game until a space becomes available.
Please note that private messages will only work in the version of the game that you logged into first. So – if you log into the beta, start a conversation in the lobby via private message, and then log into the main game while you’re waiting, you’ll only be able to continue that conversation once you’re in the beta.
What character do I use in the beta?
Once you?ve logged into the beta, hit the Import Save button at the bottom-left of the lobby to import your character over.