2002
In 2002 RuneScape grew tremendously, continuing to rapidly gain popularity and enjoying frequent and massive content updates.
Key updates this year were:
- The release of Pay-to-play, which made it possible for RuneScape to continue existing.
- Sound effects. RuneScape was previously silent.
- 23 new quests. Most of these quests would later be used as parts of long-running & iconic quest lines.
- Expansions of RuneScape's land mass all the way to the Tree Gnome Stronghold. This would be the furthest west that RuneScape would expand to until late 2004, in RuneScape 2. Still today, over 20 years later, the swaths of land added by the end of this year represent most of the core continent of RuneScape, in both Old School RuneScape and RuneScape 3.
- Herblaw, along with 14 potions to create
- Fletching, which accompanied a massive expansion to Woodcutting
- Thieving, which accompanied the release of Ardougne and had been teased for over a year
- Agility, which accompanied the Yanille agility dungeon and Salarin
- Removal of the Class system
- Tutorial Island
- RuneScape's first non-quest related boss, King Black Dragon
- In November, Fatigue was added, in an effort to combat Macroing
On 11 June this year, Andrew Gower wrote in a news post that "a lot of the originally planned aspects of RuneScape are now complete" and revealed that he was working on "Vastly vastly improved graphics". By the end of 2003, the "graphics update" would creep in scope, culminating in the release of the RuneScape 2 beta.
January
editFebruary
edit- 4 February
- 21 February
- 25 February
- 27 February
- Update:Latest RuneScape News (27 February 2002)
- RuneScape membership
- New skill: Herblaw
- New quests: Druidic Ritual, Lost City, Witch's House, Hero's quest, Merlin's Crystal
- Update:Latest RuneScape News (27 February 2002)
March
edit- 1 March
- 2 March
- 3 March
- 18 March
- Update:Latest RuneScape News (18 March 2002)
- Blood Rune released with high level spells.
- Teleport to Camelot.
- Wilderness area in Edgeville Dungeon.
- Glass Making ability for Crafting.
- New Monster - Black unicorn.
- Two additional full time staff members are are hired by Jagex
- Update:Latest RuneScape News (18 March 2002)
- 19 March
- 22 March
- 25 March
- 26 March
- Update:Latest RuneScape News (26 March 2002)
- Modifications to Fletching (more experience for stringing bows) and Woodcutting (more experience for cutting trees)
- Update:Latest RuneScape News (26 March 2002)
April
edit- 9 April
- 10 April
- 12 April
- 22 April
- 30 April
- Update:Latest RuneScape News (30 April 2002)
- New skill: Thieving
- New quest: Tribal Totem
- New area: Ardougne
- Update:Latest RuneScape News (30 April 2002)
May
edit- 8 May
- Update:Latest RuneScape News (8 May 2002)
- Fire Giant released.
- Make over mage released.
- Level - 56 wilderness open.
- Curry released.
- Update:Latest RuneScape News (8 May 2002)
- 23 May
- 28 May
- Update:Latest RuneScape News (28 May 2002)
- Fishing Contest was released
- Monk's Friend was released
- The client was quietly changed to send a different packet opcode when walking to a tile. This would likely be used for the stat-wipe the next day.
- Update:Latest RuneScape News (28 May 2002)
- 29 May
June
editJuly
edit- 3 July
- 5 July
- 10 July
- 12 July
- 18 July
- 19 July
- 20 July
- 23 July
- Update:Members' quests
- New quests: The Holy Grail, Tree Gnome Village, Fight Arena
- Update:Members' quests
- 26 July
- Update:Hiscore tables
- Hiscore tables now have a search option and display the top 100,000 players.
- Update:Hiscore tables
August
edit- 15 August
- Update:Sheep and cults
- New quests: Hazeel Cult, Sheep Herder
- Update:Sheep and cults
- 26 August
- RuneScape 2 development: Update:In the pipeline...
- Update:Fake previews
- 27 August
- Update:Multi-part quest
- New quest: Plague City
- New spell: Ardougne teleport
- Update:Multi-part quest
September
edit- 4 September
- 9 September
- Update:Sea Slug Quest
- New quest: Sea Slug
- Update:Sea Slug Quest
- 11 September
- 19 September
- RuneScape 2 development: Update:Graphics Previews
- Update:Latest RuneScape News (19 September 2002)
- 24 September
- Update:Tutorial island
- New area: Tutorial Island
- New quest: Waterfall Quest
- New monster: King Black Dragon
- Update:Tutorial island
- 25 September
- 30 September
October
edit- 9 October
- RuneScape 2 development: Update:3-D Update
- 11 October
- 18 October
- RuneScape 2 development: Update:A preview is sneaked (18 October 2002)
- 23 October
- Update:Updates galore!
- 2 members quests, Biohazard and Jungle Potion
- The town of Yanille
- The members spells Enfeeble, Stun, and Vulnerability, along with the Soul rune.
- Dragon bones
- The combat system was changed so that Monsters that were far weaker than the player would no longer auto attack.
- Update:Updates galore!
- 25 October
- 30 October
- 2002 Halloween event, during which Halloween Masks were dropped.
November
edit- 1 November
- 6 November
- 11 November
- 13 November
- Update:Latest RuneScape News (13 November 2002)
- Fatigue system was released.
- Wilderness monsters made aggressive regardless of level.
- Update:Latest RuneScape News (13 November 2002)
- 14 November
- Update:Fatigue - version #2
- Fatigue system tweaked.
- Update:Fatigue - version #2
- 15 November
- 25 November
- 28 November
December
edit- 2 December
- 11 December
- 12 December
- Update:Agility skill online
- New skill: Agility
- New quest: Grand tree
- Update:Cheating scum banned
- 400 players banned.
- A prototype version of the Tourist trap quest is under development, although it has a significantly different plot. The non-player characters Shantay, Irena, Shar, Mehman, and Drucas are present for the first time.
- Update:Agility skill online
- 23 December
- 25 December
- Update:Merry Christmas
- 2002 Christmas event, introducing Santa Hats.
- Update:Merry Christmas
Hiscores
editFirst players to achieve level level 99 in a skill:
- Firemaking - Cowchicken or Dragoon 787
- Attack - Ladykilljoy
- Strength - Ladykilljoy
- Hits - Zonghui
- Thieving - Swedemike
- Mining - Joe Bill64
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