This year, Jagex replaced the Old School RuneScape duel arena with a 1v1 format, since the old version was used to facilitate trade in real money (RMT) and other illegal activities to OSRS gold. It's been a while since the change, smart players have already adjusted to the new format by using new strategies to make money fast which led the studio to issue warnings.
The new strategy is known as "chucking" which involves placing massive sums of GP on a 1v1 duel typically requiring an intermediary to pay the winnings padded to the person who won the duel. In recent times there have cases where one person will fight for another to get a share of the prize pool which is overinflated.
"As you're aware the primary reason behind the removal of the Duel Arena was to stop an activity that we considered to be incompatible to our regulations," said Jagex. "However we've observed that since the advent of the PvP Arena the rule-breaking activities have been adapted to. They are essentially akin to 'commission stakestaking' and are becoming more common in previous inhabitants within Duel Arena." Duel Arena."
"We need to be explicit: community chucking regardless of whether you are hosting or taking part it is not permitted and is in violation of rules of the Games of Chance section of our Game Rules," warned the studio. "This is the case regardless of whether the host gets tips or not. Also, any staking, or dueling that is done with the help of a middleman is prohibited. We will pursue people and accounts who are involved in staking or throwing."
Another form of activity Jagex warns of is against the game's terms of service are giveaways that re-roll. "A Re-roll giveaway is an event where participants are invited to participate, usually for cost, to have the chance of winning some prize. After a certain number of participants have registered and the host has decided to select an unlucky winner out of the pool of entries," the studio explained. "After the winner is selected the viewers are occasionally encouraged to make the host a donation or tip, usually in the form real-world money - in order to roll the results of the "giveaway'. It can be repeated any number of times as well as a potential infinite number of replays."
"These kinds of giveaways are not permitted because they are in violation of the rules laid out under the Real World Trading section. The hosts of these kinds of giveaways will continue to face disciplinary action against them. Giveaways can only be accepted when they are managed with good intentions, with basic mechanics, and are accessible to all," the studio maintained.
One of the changes that are coming into RuneScape in the coming year will be the death mechanic that has been promised modification that will drastically cut down the costs of dying within the traditional MMORPG. Traditionally dying in Gielinor meant you lost everything you owned, with the exception of those that you were protected from dying. It was extremely frustrating and expensive, however it also helped to keep the economy stable and costs in the right place.
Fast forward nearly a decade and the gold sink that is caused due to the loss of objects upon death isn't as important as it was in the past. This led to the conclusion that it was time to alter the death mechanics so that it makes it more lenient, particularly for those with the right equipment, who are more likely to lose important items.
After the updated death system is in place all items that are added to the death system will be charged a minimum mortality cost, which is 0.1 percent. This change will reduce the cost of reclaiming some items by as much as 80 percent, and for others by as high as 96.7 percent. Parties will no longer be required to sell their possessions to OSRS buy gold retrieve the items left behind by their fallen friends. To counteract the massive decrease in the cost of death and its impact on the game's econometrics, Jagex will be adding 2 percent tax to all transactions that exceed 50 coins.