Java has powered Runescape for the last twelve years. That’s an impressive feat for a browser game that houses over a million regular players. But with the release of Runescape 3 (definitely a thing), a new tech is in town; boasting more horsepower, speed and options.
That tech is HTML 5.
Runescape 3 will be powered by the web standard HTML 5. It will give Runescape the technology base it requires to evolve and improve in the future. It means faster load times, better graphics and instantaneous updates. And Runescape 3 will be the first game of its kind to use this new tech.
Runescape 3 is the third iteration of the Runescape game; the same world of Gielinor, but rendered in HTML 5. There are new features: a tear and share styled user interface and world events that will allow players determine future storylines.
The technological improvements HTML 5 offer are myriad. The game’s graphics engine has been completely overhauled, and now includes shadow effects and a vast increase in the game’s draw distance. For the first time in history, players will be able to see the sky.
Jagex are recommending Google Chrome as the browser to play Runescape 3, but support for other browsers is in development. And HTML 5 is cross platform; Jagex are open in their ambitions to deliver a version of Runescape for tablets in the near future.
The Java client will remain, but make no mistake: HTML 5 is Runescape’s future. Jagex will support both, until the majority switch to HTML 5.