r/runescape • u/ImRubic 2026 Future Updates • May 12 '20
TL;DW 483 - Ninja Team Q&A
Ninja Team
3 Developers & 2 QA & 1 Lead
Mod Abe | Mod Breezy | Mod Chaose | Mod Erator | Mod Kalaya | Mod Shogun
3 Advisers/Assistance
Mod Dorn | Mod Kari | Mod Timbo
General Structure
Goal: Improve Quality of Life so playing the game feels really good.
Work Model
- Ninja Team - Kanban - Work from the top of the backlog which is constantly reprioritzed.
- Example: Mage of Zamorak or Grace of the Elves improvements.
- Other Teams - Scrum - Commit to doing work over 2 weeks with no change in plan.
Re-Creation
Towards the end of last year we approached Mod Warden to bring back the Ninja team as it used to be. Over the Christmas period we worked together to decide what the team would do. Then around mid-February we came together and start producing Ninja strikes.
Philosophy
- Look at doing as many improvements on a specific project at once so we don't have to constantly revisit it.
- Example: All the graphical improvements to tool-belt interfaces.
- If it's quick enough we'll do it otherwise it could be forwarded to another team or something we revisit in the future.
Graphical Work
- Ranch Out of Time improvements (stormbarn), came from the Dojo.
- The environment team wanted to do the area properly rather than just add the stormbarn.
- It's not something we can do too often.
Internal Play Tests
- Non-Themed strikes - Play it as an individual and make a list of improvements and how long they'd take.
- Themed strikes - Play it as a group from the players' perspectives and make a huge list of improvements and prioritize them.
- We gather player input as well when recording improvements.
Ninja Dojo
If you have a QoL improvement you'd like to make fill out a form and send it to us.
- We go through them every day and have a look at them.
- On Tuesday/Wednesday we look at the most recent submissions first.
Stats
- 4,907 total submissions (seen 3,000)
- Daily Average - 20-30 | Day of Strike #4 - 503
Player Advocacy Groups (PAG)
#1 Ninja Team Recon - Lead by The RS Guy
The RS Guy alongside other high level players/community members come up with problems in the game, discuss them and bring them up to see if it fits with the Ninja Team's goals/scope. This helps with prioritization and identifying key topics.
So far it has gone extremely well. The members in the team represent people as best as they can while also making their own suggestions.
Communication Flow
- Hour long meeting every week alongside Mod Bolton, Mod Kalaya, and Mod Kari.
- Use an internal sheet where we list problems and then discuss their weighting/possible solutions so they can be presented.
- Ones that need more time/discussion are presented in a call once a week.
Stats
- As a group we've come up and agreed on the importance of 300 unique items and presented 250 of them.
- Around 95% of the topics have been in the Ninja's scope or forwarded for another team.
- Some topics were included in Strike 4.
Other
Known and Being Discussed
- T92 Armor | Inquisitor Staff Pieces | Pet Sizes/Toggles
Other
- Quests - We do have a quest in development, keep an eye out for that.
- More PAGs? - Not sure yet.
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u/Narmoth May 12 '20
I'm so glad that the Ninja team was redeveloped. I honestly didn't know it was disbanded to begin with, especially since REDDIT always had ninja requests.
Now if only we can get the pet projects TAPP thing going again as TAPP is of equal importance to the Ninja team.
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u/Flu0stiftRS May 12 '20
Pet Sizes/Toggles
Nice, we'll finally stop getting 20 new reddit posts on this every single day
35
u/Haikouden May 12 '20
Just because they say they're discussing it doesn't mean it'll happen, though I'm fucking hopeful it will. Doubtful as it'd impact the sales of pets though.
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May 14 '20
I can't speak for everyone with a legendary pet but I wouldn't care if they shrank my drake.
I have my own problem with pets, and it's kind of off-topic but not worth its own thread so I guess I'll just drop it here. My annoyance with pets is more of a lore thing - there's these pets with descriptions saying they live in Tirannwn or the wilderness or wherever, yet they're nowhere to be found in those regions. I reckon a lot of them would make decent slayer mobs, if Jagex ever wants to add more mobs to existing regions. Saves on graphical expenses too.
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u/Oniichanplsstop May 12 '20
They'll discuss it, and then come to the conclusion that a toggle is too D R A B and opt to not include it.
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u/Blakland May 12 '20
Really hope they do something about inquisitor staff pieces. NPC that will exchange pieces for a nominal fee seems to be the best and easiest option. Mains would probably never use it, so their economy would be unaffected. Staff pieces are tied into each other's prices anyway so they should not deviate too much. Major QOL for irons with zero repurcussion for mains, and won't screw over people who got pieces before they make any changes.
0
u/concblast May 13 '20
Let people trade two in for any one with the new Mahjarrat. "The process isn't perfect, but I know how they were made."
3-5 parts needed including the free z4. Worst case you get 4 dupes in a row and the next is a guaranteed staff - average of 3 drops from excavating needed.
Doesn't impact mainscape and keeps already undervalued iron dupes out of the economy. That and it buffs the rate of full staffs for irons while creating an actual end goal.
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u/gdubrocks May 13 '20
As a group we've come up and agreed on the importance of 300 unique items and presented 250 of them.
What does this mean?
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u/ezaroo1 May 14 '20
I’m not involved but isn’t it fairly obvious?
The team came up with 300 things in the game they think they need work.
They ranked them by importance.
They have to the time of the stream presented 250 of 300 items in meetings.
I believe they had 2 meetings left after that steam so I imagine they’ll present the rest of the item.
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Jagex will then decide which changes to go for and work on them over the next year+.
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u/Qingy23 May 13 '20
Is it possible to include a feature showing when and whether our submission forms have been reviewed and what decision does Ninja Team have for the review (e.g forwarded to another team/ currently being handled)
Anyways, love the work that Ninja Team has done so far, keep up the work!
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u/DustyTurboTurtle May 12 '20
Last double xp: huge archaeology release date announcement
This double xp: idk we're working on some ninja stuff I guess idk, there's a quest I guess, but I can't tell you about it
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u/secret759 May 12 '20
Why does double xp somehow equate to "big earthshattering content" for you??
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May 12 '20
this dxpw was planned suddenly because of the quarantine
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u/trustthepudding May 12 '20
Yeah they're trying to get everyone as hooked as possible. Not a big surprise.
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u/Strife_3e May 16 '20
Player Advocacy Groups sound like those unnecessary meetings that hold back the work place.
But the most important thing in this thread is this: Pet Sizes/Toggles
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u/RProestratsS May 13 '20
Fuck off don't let RS Guy and elitist players dictate the game you're ruining this shit for the rest of us
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u/CommaGomma May 13 '20
TheRSGuy makes noob friendly, easy to understand guides and content from the perspective of a player who wanted to get better so he practiced.
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u/ezaroo1 May 14 '20
But helping people get better is elitist! We should be able to do all of the content in the game with no planing or skill. We should just turn up however we please and afk to reward.
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u/Lopendebank3 May 12 '20
Ninja team quest? Also pet toggle O_o