In a recent behind-the-scenes development blog post, Jagex drew the spotlight onto the upcoming Sailing skill in Old School RuneScape. The developer showcased how the sailing experience has evolved over time and confirmed that players will have the opportunity to test it out next year. Recommended Videos
Jagex conducted a poll of new skills for Old School RuneScape players in 2023, and Sailing emerged as the winning choice. Since then, the development team has been working tirelessly to craft the new system. A select group of players were invited to participate in Closed Tech Alpha sessions to give feedback. Naturally, what players are most eager to know is when they will be able to try out this skill, and Jagex assured that Open Tech Alphas will commence early next year, featuring a number of intriguing features to make sailing a worthwhile pursuit.
“Sail, Salvage, Shipwreck”
There are numerous fascinating details in this development blog post, but I would like to highlight a few that I believe make Sailing an excellent reason to immerse oneself in Old School RuneScape ahead of its debut. Firstly, an underrated aspect showcased in the post highlights ship-to-ship combat. Jagex explained how they had to put in a great deal of effort to make this functionality work seamlessly. Spells will only hit players when the sides of their ships are properly aligned. I envision that this will add an extra layer of excitement to sailing, as someone might be able to come along and take you down after you have amassed a significant amount of treasure.
Speaking of plundering, Jagex hinted that among the activities available to level up your Sailing skill are salvaging shipwrecks and accepting missions from ports. In the starting area depicted in the map shown above, the sea has been highlighted to indicate the areas where you will engage in these activities as you familiarize yourself with the new skill. I presume that Port Tasks will involve delivering goods from one port to another, while Salvaging will be more involved and likely require you to head to specific points on the sea to recover lost items. However, this is just the beginning, and I am certain that Jagex has more surprises in store for the Sailing skill.
With the first open playtests not set to begin until 2025, one might think that the Old School RuneScape community would desire things to progress more quickly. But this is not the case at all. Many fans have praised Jagex for demonstrating what has been accomplished and for continuing to take their time, as is evident from the discussions on the game’s subreddit. I am a big fan of games like Dredge and, in fact, any game that involves seafaring. I believe that Sailing is a superb fit for Old School RuneScape and will offer fans like me who are seeking something different from the typical set of skills a chance to truly engage and immerse themselves.
