The elven city, which some of us have been waiting the full duration of our big red veteran’s cape for, has finally been completely finished and released into an amazing new world of awesome for us to explore and train within. Of course I’m going to do an article about it! I was even asked to join Shane on the update. Couldn’t, though. Commitments. One day, you’ll understand.

So, Prifddinas. Let’s get it going!

How is it? Awesome!

Well worth the wait? … now there’s something I need to point out. We could’ve had it much earlier, but then it would’ve become a somewhat cleaner-looking clone of Shilo Village at best. No, we waited 10 years since the quest started. Ten years went by, technologies improved, the Jagex team expanded out into full orchestral soundtracks, stunning 3D graphics, and proper team-based planning, and we were given perhaps the pinnacle of what they could do. An evaluation, of all the work and technique they’ve put into improving themselves as a company, broadcast to us players to enjoy to the fullest extent.

So yeah. Totally worth the wait. No sarcasm. Seriously.

What’s my opinion on the skilling options that the city provides? I’m actually quite fine with them. They are all very high-level methods of training and require very high levels to do. Do I think they break the appeal of skills in that getting level 99 is now fundamentally easier like how the Runespan “broke” Runecrafting? … no, I don’t. The way I see it, the real challenge now is not level 99, but instead the level 120 cape and the 200 million exp mark. Sure, level 99 is now much easier to get and not as impressive to have the skill cape, but who cares? It’s like getting a black belt in kung fu, and then realizing there are further degrees farther down the road that take many times the amount of training. But a black belt is still a black belt, and is very impressive to have all the same, regardless of the skill and training method. There are things more inpressive for the truly devoted, but that doesn’t mean those without the available lifeless hours can’t have a moment of glory.

Oh, that reminds me; I now have 11 skills at level 99. Mindblow, right? After so many years, I’m finally getting my skills up that high.

Does Prifddinas appeal to expectation? Again, it’s pretty much the pinnacle of what Runescape can possibly offer us, and it stands as a sort of marker for the next big update to come in the (hopefully) near future that may or may not (or may) involve Construction. I can’t speak for the masses of people who have different tastes. Many only play the game for the adventure, visuals, music, and immersion. Many don’t care for the sounds or visuals and instead prefer getting fast exp and money. Many probably prefer we not have the option for such fast exp and money so that their own hard work from the past isn’t diminished by methods they didn’t have back then. But I think Prifddinas appeals to all these people. Beautiful immersion, epic means of training and moneymaking, and… hey, guys, bragging rights aren’t supposed to last a lifetime. You want to keep on achieving and get fresh new bragging rights. Get that 120 cape, then you can brag again. It’s hard work, being awesome.

What do I most enjoy about Prifddinas? Like many of the previous update, I enjoy the fact that Prifddinas has a lot of hidden things all around it, which makes me want to explore it more than simply looking over the minimap. Among the new lore-oriented memorium crystals, you also have a memorium crystal that takes a secret method of obtainment that had to be confirmed by a Jmod after much pressuring (callback to the hidden Ga’al event – that was awesome fun). Random rewards for completing the agility arena, including new emotes and some lore. An amulet that you must collect a rare random drop from each clan in order to complete for a secret benefit I don’t dare look up. Lots of chat options with all the chattable NPCs all around; some even unveiling even more hidden secrets throughout Prifddinas (you get tasked by Lord Amlodd to do something for a reward). And let’s not forget the city pretty much consolidates every important on-the-side thing you’d do on a daily basis into one simple-to-access area.

Jagex Dev Team, do us a favour, would you? More hidden updates. Simple. In fact, next big update, don’t dev-blog or tell us anything about it other than the subtle hint here and there. Let us figure things out for ourselves. Trust me; you will get a lot more hype for these hidden updates. In fact, we need a new “ring of visibility”, since we now have that effect permanently turned on. We need an item or something that allows us to see secrets that, while its immediate use is obvious, there are things elsewhere in the most obscure areas that may lead to hidden lore, unique items, or even mini-quests. The Measure is a good candidate. In fact, it’s already proven its potential with a few secrets of its own.

Wait… unless you’ve already done that. Shoot, did you already do that? Where’d I put that thing? I must go search the underground pass some more…

Until next time,

Cheers, cannoneers!