Jagex’s RuneScape Dragonwilds: From MMO to Survival Co-op Adventure

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As an enthusiastic supporter, I can’t help but express my excitement for the upcoming survival co-op adventure, Dragonwilds from RuneScape, set to sprint into early access in Spring 2025. With a strong potential of becoming a cherished companion to both RuneScape 3 and Old School RuneScape, I can hardly wait!

It’s important to note that Dragonwilds is a cooperative survival adventure game, rather than an MMO like Jagex’s well-known games. However, there are clear similarities between the two, making it understandable why the Cambridge developers chose this genre specifically.

In 2021, Jageg started experimenting and brainstorming concepts that ultimately formed into Dragonwilds. As the objectives of the project grew clearer, development progressed rapidly.

Prior to its debut, we had a chat with Jesse America, Executive Producer at Dragonwilds, to delve into the background of this intriguing project, understand why it preserves the distinctly British heritage of its predecessors, and grasp the significance of the number 99.

The power of community

Jagex has been consistently refining and enhancing games for years, sometimes even spanning over several decades. For instance, RuneScape 3, previously known as RuneScape 2, has undergone numerous updates starting from the year 2004.

At one point, I pondered, “What kind of project aligns well with Jagex’s perspective on games and game development?” America shared his thoughts, emphasizing that it should avoid the route of becoming an AAA developer as this isn’t typically Jagex’s approach. Instead, we sought a concept where we could collaborate with the community in its development.

For two decades, Jagex has placed great emphasis on gathering input from the community, understanding that it plays a crucial role in their endeavors. Balancing fan feedback with their own vision has been a priority, and they’ve come to realize that nurturing a strong community contributes significantly to the endurance of a survival game, particularly in America.

In our gaming experiences such as Old School and similar titles, we’ve made it a priority to consider player suggestions and implement changes accordingly. Starting from this player-centric approach, I found myself exploring the realm of survival games.

In simple terms, Old School RuneScape – which was once a version of RuneScape 3 and later became its own game in 2013 – adds content to the live game only after it receives enough player approval votes. This unique democratic method sets it apart from most MMOs, though it’s not perfect as not every good idea is accepted. However, for a game in Early Access, this approach can be very beneficial in understanding player sentiment.

Dragonwilds is set in the region of Ashenfall, a land overrun by the Dragon Queen and her brood.

During our conversation, it wasn’t clear if Jagex plans to use that specific format for Dragonwilds. But one thing is certain, the concept of player autonomy and liberty was always front and center in our discussion.

For RuneScape gamers, freedom to chart their unique play trajectory and personal adventure within the game is crucial, mirroring open-world survival games. Additionally, elements such as base construction, resource collection, conflict resolution, and numerous other features are common across these games. Each survival game offers its own distinct flavor.

Skilling & killing

In Dragonwilds, just like in RS3 and OSRS, players can employ magic, melee, and ranged as the main methods for combat. However, unlike traditional combat systems that have a triangle of ‘styles’ where one is strong or weak against another, Dragonwilds does not follow this pattern. This means you’re free to use any of the three combat styles at any time without worrying about their effectiveness against each other.

He explains that the system is more flexible than the combat triangle itself, but since they’re still in Early Access, many aspects of the game, including this one, follow a balanced approach – elements that fit an MMO, survival genre requirements, and a unique blend.

Dragonwilds’ skills exhibit a shift towards being more structured and regimented as opposed to open-ended. For example, similar to RuneScape 3 (RS3) and Old School RuneScape (OSRS), each skill has a particular task associated with it that can be raised to level 99. This is a continuation of the level cap from the previously mentioned games, which was enthusiastically shared by America.

He confirmed with a grin that I’d be taking my beloved RuneScape skills to the pinnacle of level 99! Each skill will have unique rewards, even special Survival Magic spells!

Survival Magic is unlocked by levelling various skills and confers powerful benefits.

Progressing further in the art of Woodcutting could grant you access to Survival Magic. As you advance, you’ll not only gain benefits and advantages, but also the ability to harness certain magical skills related to that area, each with its unique function to aid you in the realm of survival.

In Dragonwilds, it’s yet unclear if leveling up each skill will require the same amount of time as in its related games. However, whether you’re an avid grinder or not, it seems the designers aim to encourage specialization in various skills from the start. This means that if you don’t have a high enough Woodcutting level to cut a specific tree, don’t fret; your friends can lend a hand.

Explorers together strong

In survival games, teamwork is essential, and that’s exactly what Dragonwilds offers. It allows for a multiplayer experience with up to four participants, enabling each player to advance jointly within a common world.

In simpler terms, America said, “Your advancement is tied to who you are as a person. Whatever skills or accomplishments you’ve gained remain with you, even if you were to step into another world. You can continue making significant progress in someone else’s world.

A significant aspect of this advancement will involve the development of questlines and story progression. This feature is frequently praised within the MMO community for its creation of personalized quests rich in storytelling, intriguing puzzles, and innovative gameplay mechanics.

We don’t want to spoil the story by revealing too much, but when it comes to quests, our aim was to create ones that are rich in narrative quality instead of typical fetch or kill missions.

From my perspective as an enthusiast, I’d like to emphasize that while simple kill missions might still be part of the learning process, the focus is clearly shifting towards deepening the quest and lore experiences within the game. America has made it clear they aim to delve deeper into these aspects as development progresses.

A key element of the story involves the pursuit of the Dragon Queen and her offspring, who seem enamored with the Isle of Ashenfall.

We’re absolutely planning to focus on the ‘Dragon Slayer’ narrative, where defeating these leaders, their followers, and even their descendants brings recognition as a dragon slayer. This recognition enhances your own power.

Overcoming the tough task of slaying colossal lizards that dwarf you ten times over requires great effort. Yet, every explorer needs a sanctuary to return to after a day’s struggle. Dragonwilds possesses the craftsmanship for construction, much like in RS3 and Old School, where it’s all about enhancing one’s living space.

Dragonwilds’ building systems are tied directly to a dedicated Construction skill.

Our goal is to ensure everyone has a satisfying experience, even if they’re not particularly fond of what we offer. Based on feedback from our Alpha testing, we’ve successfully developed an excellent building system, complete with snap-to-place functionality, rotatable pieces, and individual components that enhance the overall user experience.

Is it possible for dragons to swoop down and torch your home to the ground? While I haven’t asked specifically, one potential risk to your efforts, should you choose to do so, could come from other participants in this scenario.

Friendly Fire

In simpler terms, “Dragonwilds does indeed offer Player vs Player (PvP) interactions, which we refer to as ‘friendly fire.’ You can activate this feature when creating your world for you and your friends. Regarding PvP’s significance, America views it as a promising aspect, but emphasizes the necessity of player input to determine how much emphasis will be placed on PvP and other content in the game’s future development.

We greatly value your opinions regarding this game. We’re eager to know what features you prefer and what aspects should take precedence. While we have our own set of concepts that excite us, your feedback will significantly influence the game’s direction and its priorities.

The anticipation and faith in Dragonwilds’ capacity for triumph became increasingly noticeable, spreading contagiously, as each answer was given during an interview emphasizing the crucial role of collective game development collaboration between studio and public.

It’s yet to be determined whether Dragonwilds will join Jagex’s lineup of triumphant tales, but if any opportunity exists, this could be it. Combining a sandbox MMO with survival (particularly survival) seems like an intuitive move that Jagex is well-equipped to execute.

RuneScape Dragonwilds enters Steam Early Access this spring.

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2025-04-12 19:49