Menaphos can also be an opportunity to bring prospective gamers to the fold with a more packed chunk of OSRS gold. A new map, new quests, new lootnew systems, and an extended skill cap - all under a single release date. Menaphos is all about creating a critical mass of stuff for existing, lapsed, and new gamers to gravitate towards, which could make the decision easier for people who are on the fence about if or when to dip in.

Jagex have stamped a peculiar market onto Runescape's grim fairy tale setting over the span of its 16 years. It is a medieval fantasy realm that spans a huge number of environments and cultures, but in addition, it excels in steampunk and modern-day influences. In large part, that is as it's a world that is grown by means of hundreds of small content updates, most of which were alterations to existing locales.

Jagex seldom get to flex their muscle with a sterile space. What we knew of Menaphos was confined within the low-res stone walls at its boundaries - nothing else existed outside the trollish gates, which players can walk up to, but not traveling beyond. For the very first time, Jagex was operating with some of that empty space, producing articles for the Menaphos upgrade from scratch instead of building it on top of a town that already existed.

"We had this literal blank canvas," says Redstall,"the city must be there but at the moment it's just sand. We must choose how it was going to look and that has been lots of fun during the pre-production phase."

The look and tone that they settled cheap RS gold on is unquestionably very Runescape, a blend of ancient Egyptian design and lush, cartoonish blobs of color and life more reminiscent of modern-day Marrakesh. A glance of the crucial artwork tells you all you need to understand: you're getting a desert area; you are getting that Indiana Jones, matinee show vibe; you know there is likely to be more exploration, adventure, love, and political intrigue.