Hi all,
As you may know, Jagex recently launched a new website design, which included some new website features and changes to existing features on the RuneScape website. One of those changes was the
removal of all Free-to-play accounts from the RuneScape highscores.
Jagex's reasoning for this was summarized at the bottom of
last week's RuneScape news post detailing the upcoming changes:
In Other News...
- Along with the release of the new website, we will be making hi-scores a members-only feature.
This is for a number of reasons, but the main one is to keep them fresh. We want the hiscores to feature players who will compete with each other, tooth and nail, for hiscore glory. There are many dormant accounts within the hiscores that have not played for a very long time, and this will give new arrivals in Gielinor a shot at hiscore fame alongside the grizzled veterans on equal terms for all.
We want the hiscores to reflect the full range of content that RuneScape has to offer, and hope that they will be a big draw to the full, members’ game for those interested in high-level RuneScape competition on a level playing field.
In their comprehensive effort to keep the RuneScape Highscores "fresh", Jagex also (possibly accidentally) removed all stat data for F2P accounts from the Light Highscores Feed, which is used by fansites like RuneTrack to track players' stats. So, in addition to the fact that Adventure Logs remain a Members-only feature, this means that
Jagex has effectively removed any means of tracking F2P players' RuneScape stats.
Unfortunately, if you are F2P, this means: No more RuneScape stat signatures, individual stat tracking,
clan competition participation, or anything else that involves a fansite retrieving your stats.
Not surprisingly, this means that
RuneTrack will no longer be able to continue tracking F2P account stats. In order for Jagex to provide RuneTrack access to your stat data, you must now become a Member.
As a result of the removal of all F2P data from the RuneScape Highscores,
5,814 RuneTrack accounts (all of the F2P accounts) were moved to an inactive state on RuneTrack. However, note that these F2P accounts will remain in an inactive state on RuneTrack for now, instead of being completely removed, to retain their historical value. Seeing as this update affects so many RuneTrack users (and all F2P fansite users for that matter - F2P stat signatures from any site will no longer update themselves), I imagine
you may want to voice your feelings about this update.
However, whether you're for, against, or indifferent toward Jagex's removal of F2P accounts from the regular RuneScape Highscores - I think we can all at least agree on something much more sensible and a lot less controversial:
Jagex should keep F2P stat data on the RuneScape "Light" Highscores Feed for fansite use. As mentioned above, the RuneScape Light Highscores are a simplified version of the RuneScape Highscores which fansites use to obtain stat data. Here's an example Light Highscores link:
http://hiscore.runescape.com/index_lite.ws?player=S_U__O__M_I(Simply replace the player name at the end of the URL to access different players' raw stat feeds, and notice how it doesn't work for F2P players anymore.)
This way, Jagex could keep F2P players off the official RuneScape Highscores if they wanted to, but still allow fansites to access their stats (level and experience) via the light feed for tracking purposes. If Jagex's reasoning for removing F2P players in the first place is as they describe, they should have no problem making this simple change.
The Jagex Web Development team is currently monitoring
this feedback thread on the RuneScape Forums and I have also posted
my own thread "Keep F2P On the Light Hiscores", so feel free to
show your support for giving fansites access to F2P stat data via the Light Highscores.
Thank you for your support!
And as a final note, I'd like to wish those in the United States a happy Thanksgiving! =)
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