RuneScape: Dragonwilds – Eye on Ashenfall Updates Bring Quality of Life and Exciting New Features
RuneScape: Dragonwilds continues to captivate its dedicated player base, currently averaging 2,911 active players, with its steady stream of updates and improvements. The latest patches, Eye on Ashenfall 0.9.1 and 0.9.2, have introduced a wealth of quality of life changes, gameplay enhancements, and fresh content that enrich the overall experience. From localization support to revamped combat AI and new cooking mechanics, these updates demonstrate the developers’ commitment to refining the game while honoring its RuneScape roots.
Localization and New Cooking Mechanics in Eye on Ashenfall 0.9.1
The 0.9.1 update marked a significant milestone for RuneScape: Dragonwilds by expanding its accessibility to a broader audience. Localization support for Portuguese (Brazil) and Spanish (Latin America) was introduced, allowing players from these regions to enjoy the game in their native languages. This was complemented by the addition of dedicated regional channels on the official RuneScape: Dragonwilds Discord server, fostering a more inclusive and vibrant community where players can connect and strategize in their preferred language.
Beyond localization, the 0.9.1 patch brought a major overhaul to the cooking system, affectionately dubbed Cooking 3.0. This update replaced 16 existing foods and 2 drinks with new or parallel iterations, refreshing the culinary landscape of Dragonwilds. Players can now utilize the brand-new buildable Cooking station known as the Stone Range. This station allows adventurers to cook a variety of meals and infusions, combining components prepared on campfires into space-efficient, highly satiating dishes. The Stone Range not only adds depth to the cooking skill but also encourages players to experiment with new recipes and strategies for survival and combat preparation.
Combat Feedback Enhanced with Hitsplats
One of the most beloved features from classic RuneScape has made its way into Dragonwilds with the introduction of hitsplats. This visual feedback system displays damage numbers above enemies, providing players with immediate and clear information about their combat effectiveness. Hitsplats now show outgoing damage, critical strikes, and damage types such as burning or poison. Additionally, enemies with resistances to certain weapon types display darker hitsplats, signaling reduced damage effectiveness. This nuanced feedback helps players make tactical decisions on the fly, adjusting their combat style or weapon choice to maximize damage output.
While hitsplats have been enthusiastically received, the developers have opted not to include “splashes” (indicators of missed attacks) at this time to maintain visual clarity. They remain attentive to player feedback and are open to refining the system further based on community input.
Music Overhaul: More Tunes, Less Silence
Music has always been a cornerstone of the RuneScape experience, and Dragonwilds is no exception. The 0.9.1 update doubled the amount of in-game music, adding over 30 minutes of new tracks. This expansion was achieved through close collaboration between composer Peter Michael Davidson and the in-house audio team, including Mod Debris and Mod Dodds. The music system was refactored to reduce the gaps between tracks, ensuring a more continuous and immersive auditory experience. Players can now enjoy a richer soundscape that blends classic RuneScape melodies with new compositions tailored to the unique environments of Dragonwilds.
Quality of Life and AI Improvements in Eye on Ashenfall 0.9.2
The subsequent 0.9.2 update focused heavily on quality of life improvements and crucial bug fixes, addressing some of the community’s longstanding concerns. One of the most appreciated changes is the enhancement to the skills menu. Previously, scrolling to a specific skill level-such as level 50-was a tedious process requiring endless scrolling. Now, clicking on any skill automatically scrolls the menu to the player’s current level, saving time and frustration. This seemingly simple change has been met with enthusiasm, as it streamlines navigation and improves the overall user interface experience.
Combat AI throughout the Ghornfell Region also received significant tweaks aimed at balancing difficulty and reducing player frustration, particularly in Tier 3 content. Rangers, for example, now fire at a more predictable and engaging rate, with reduced accuracy when the player is engaged in melee combat with other AI. Their rapid-fire bows have been replaced with a slower firing rate, and scopes have been removed to increase the chance of missed shots. Berserkers experience less forward momentum, making their attacks more manageable, while wolves attack less frequently and deal reduced damage. Druids have been nerfed with lower poison damage and shorter range for their Nature Fang attack, as well as diminished poison application. These changes collectively create a more balanced and enjoyable combat experience, with more adjustments planned for future updates.
New Movement Mechanics and Event Improvements
Another practical addition in 0.9.2 is the ability for players to roll while wading through water. This new movement option addresses a common annoyance-having to spam the jump key to escape enemies like goblins in swampy areas. Rolling through water not only adds fluidity to movement but also enhances combat and exploration tactics in aquatic environments.
To improve the fairness of world events, base raids, and hunted events, the update introduced a delay/grace period after respawning. This prevents players from being immediately targeted upon re-entry, giving them a moment to regroup and reducing frustration caused by relentless attacks. This thoughtful change respects player downtime and encourages more strategic engagement with PvP and event content.
Bug Fixes and Stability Enhancements
Alongside these gameplay improvements, 0.9.2 addressed several bugs. Notably, using more than one spellbook page no longer causes attempts to overwrite a filled spell slot to select a random spell, a frustrating issue for spellcasters. Additionally, building totems in solo worlds now retains their functionality when the world is opened to the public, ensuring consistency and reliability in player-built structures. Vaults in the Highland and Bloodblight Swamp areas also received fixes to improve stability and player experience.
Looking Ahead
RuneScape: Dragonwilds is steadily evolving into a rich and engaging MMORPG that respects its RuneScape heritage while carving out its own identity. The recent Eye on Ashenfall updates demonstrate a clear focus on player feedback, quality of life, and balanced gameplay. With localization expanding the community, new cooking and combat features enhancing depth, and ongoing AI and bug fixes smoothing out rough edges, the future looks bright for Dragonwilds adventurers. Players can look forward to continued improvements and fresh content as the developers remain committed to delivering a polished and immersive experience.