The Epic 18-Year Journey: How Old School RuneScape’s Sailing Skill Finally Set Sail

<p>It’s hard to believe it’s been over 20 years since many of us first stepped foot into what is now <strong>Old School RuneScape</strong>. Gielinor has transformed dramatically, its borders expanding to offer countless new adventures, making it one of the most enduring MMORPGs. The game’s world map has finally seen its last blank space filled in, marking an end to years of uncharted territories. While the landmass of Gielinor is now fully explored, a boundless ocean of blue tiles still beckons. For decades, players have dreamed of a Sailing skill, a way to build their own vessels and discover the mysteries of the high seas. After 20 years, filled with forum discussions, internet memes, April Fool’s jokes, and even some unsuccessful community polls, Sailing is officially setting sail. With its launch slated for November 19, we had the incredible opportunity to speak with Jagex’s Kieren Charles (Design Director), Ed Pilkington (Principal Narrative Designer), and Elena Nordmark (Senior Game Designer) for an exclusive look at the development process.</p><p>The concept of sailing has been a deep-seated part of RuneScape’s lore for a long time. For years, players have relied on NPC-piloted ships to traverse Gielinor, from the iconic Lady Lumbridge carrying adventurers to Crandor to confront Elvarg, to the festive Tempoross party boat. This reliance on pre-arranged transport made sailing an integral, yet passive, element of the <strong>Old School RuneScape</strong> experience. Despite this, the dream of constructing one’s own vessel and exploring the uncharted seas remained just that—a dream, leaving the vast expanse beyond Gielinor’s known shores a tantalizing enigma.</p><p><em>[Video: A sneak peek into the upcoming Sailing skill in Old School RuneScape]</em></p><p>Once the idea of Sailing truly captivated the community, Jagex, in their characteristic style, fully embraced it. They famously announced the skill’s arrival on April 1, 2007, as an April Fool’s prank, a joke they reprised in 2014. However, it wasn’t until 2015 that Jagex revealed their serious intentions for the skill. In RuneScape, new features are traditionally put to a community poll, requiring a significant ‘yes’ vote to proceed. For years, Sailing struggled to gain the necessary support, much like Marty McFly’s future audience, the player base simply wasn’t ready. It took until 2023 for the community to finally give Sailing the green light. So, after such a long and winding road, what compelled Jagex to consistently revisit this ambitious concept?</p><p>”It’s truly about the enigma of the vast ocean,” Charles explained. “The concept aligns perfectly with the game’s core themes. It represents an area that players have largely been unable to interact with meaningfully. While NPC-driven boat travel has always been a part of the game, the idea of having your own vessel, discovering hidden islands, and exploring underwater realms feels like a natural and overdue progression. We’ve discussed this for years, and it’s time to grant players this freedom. The sheer scale of what the world map will offer with Sailing is astounding.”</p><p>”There’s a brilliant, almost humorous, aspect to it,” Pilkington chuckled. “<strong>Old School RuneScape</strong> prides itself on its ‘old school’ identity, on preserving the game’s classic feel. Despite continuous weekly updates, maintaining that original vibe is paramount. In a peculiar way, a skill that was once a community joke becoming a reality feels incredibly on-brand for the game.”</p><img alt=”A unique ‘Tortugan’ creature, resembling a turtle, in Old School RuneScape’s Sailing update.” width=”550″ height=”309″><p>Over the years, Jagex has steadily expanded Gielinor’s landmass, most notably with the sprawling continent of Zeah in 2016. The final updates for regions like Varlamore arrived recently, coinciding with <strong>OSRS’s</strong> surging popularity and record player numbers. While these past expansions focused on contiguous land, Sailing introduces a diverse array of scattered biomes across the ocean. Players can discover islands rich in resources or encounter unique oceanic creatures, such as the turtle-like Tortugans. A significant design hurdle for Jagex was ensuring the ocean itself offered engaging activities, making sea travel as dynamic and interesting as land exploration. Nordmark highlighted this as a crucial learning experience for the team, particularly in balancing spatial management with compelling content.</p><p>”Given the sheer vastness of the ocean, we had to grapple with fundamental questions, such as what would govern accessibility to certain areas,” Nordmark explained. “Similar to Woodcutting, where advanced axes require specific knowledge, we pondered how Sailing would define skill-gated progression. This led to the concept of different water types, each demanding higher Sailing proficiency to navigate effectively. This realization not only shaped an engaging skill progression but also preserved future expansion opportunities for the maritime world. This was truly the genesis of the skill.</p><p>”We dedicated considerable thought to maintaining content density at sea, recognizing its stark contrast to land-based areas,” she continued. “Take Lumbridge, for instance; it’s brimming with activities—woodcutting, sheep shearing, goblin slaying, numerous quests. We questioned whether replicating this terrestrial density at sea was appropriate. In reality, oceans are often sparse. However, as a game, it’s essential for something to be happening. A barren sea would quickly become monotonous, so achieving that crucial balance presented a novel and fascinating challenge for us as well.”</p><img alt=”A player in Old School RuneScape engages in salvaging a shipwreck, likely a new activity in the Sailing skill.” width=”550″ height=”309″><p>A pivotal aspect of balancing Sailing’s exploration mechanics involves the increased speed of movement at sea. Traditionally, Gielinor operates on a tile-based system where players move one tile per server cycle, or ‘tick’, while walking, and two while running. With the introduction of ships, players will experience an unprecedented acceleration, moving at an impressive four tiles per tick – a significant boost in traversal speed never before seen in the game.</p><p>”Experiencing this enhanced movement speed is incredibly satisfying,” Charles beamed. “It sounds deceptively simple, but this level of rapid traversal has been unattainable until now. Navigating the ocean at four ticks per cycle on a ship, with players on nearby beaches witnessing your swift passage, is an amazing feeling. It’s remarkable that a new skill can fundamentally alter how players interact with the world, introducing an entirely fresh way to move around. This capability is likely why we couldn’t have implemented Sailing any sooner; it required the right talent and team scale, as it presented a monumental technical challenge to bring to fruition.”</p><img alt=”An Old School RuneScape player navigating a small raft across calm waters, showcasing early-stage Sailing.” width=”550″ height=”309″><p>While the concept of Sailing has been explored in various forms throughout the years, its current iteration has been under active development since late 2022. Among the numerous challenges Jagex encountered during this period, Charles revealed that neither the sheer scale nor the content density posed the greatest hurdle. Instead, the most time-consuming aspect was perfecting the fundamental mechanics of ship operation.</p><img alt=”An Old School RuneScape player and a deckhand preparing for a ‘Barracuda Trial,’ indicating ship-based challenges.” width=”550″ height=”309″><p>”We implemented a system we refer to as ‘World entities’ to achieve this,” he elaborated. “Essentially, you have a moving object—the boat—physically traversing the ocean, while players can simultaneously move across its deck. This presented an unprecedented challenge, especially concerning controls. Unlike human movement, which is instantaneous, boats possess turning circles; they cannot pivot on a dime. Questions arose: should they decelerate? At what rate should they accelerate? How should sail adjustments work? Should it maintain continuous motion? Unlike a player clicking a tile and stopping, our decision was for boats to maintain movement. You choose a direction, the boat gracefully arcs to face it, and it continues indefinitely until an obstacle is encountered. This distinctive movement mechanic demanded extensive development.</p><p>One of our engine developers crafted a Unity prototype to thoroughly evaluate various concepts before integrating them into our proprietary engine. This process heavily involved players, with small, NDA-bound groups consistently testing in the office until we collectively refined the optimal feel. Throughout the initial year of the project’s three-year timeline, our primary focus remained on perfecting this core mechanic. It’s incredibly difficult to design ship combat, cannon functionality, or Barracuda Trials when the fundamental movement of the ships themselves remains undefined. This created a significant dependency, impeding progress on other features until the basics of player-controlled ship movement were fully established.”</p><img alt=”A visual display of various new items and resources introduced with the Old School RuneScape Sailing skill.” width=”550″ height=”309″><p>In contrast to previous standalone skills like Hunter, Sailing boasts extensive integration with over ten existing skills, offering unprecedented new avenues for progression across the game. Enhancing your ship, for instance, involves Construction, Crafting, and Smithing. Additionally, players can discover new species of fish to cook and concoct powerful potions using newly found coral and other marine components. Pilkington emphasized that this deep integration was crucial for ensuring that the first new <strong>Old School RuneScape</strong> skill in almost two decades felt inherently part of the game’s fabric.</p><p>”From the outset, we recognized the inherent risk that Sailing might feel isolated from the rest of the game, a concern exacerbated by its literal detachment from land-based activities,” Pilkington stated. “Players embark on uncharted waters, a stark departure from their established routines. Our priority was to ensure Sailing felt intrinsically ‘Old School,’ despite its innovative technology and new environments. Deep integration with existing game mechanics became a cornerstone of its development.</p><p>”Most successful skills incorporate some level of integration, even if basic. For example, Construction introduced new tree types for planks. This served as our initial framework. We meticulously assessed every skill, asking, ‘Can this integrate with Sailing?’ While some, like Runecrafting, proved challenging to meaningfully connect, many others were perfect fits. Naturally, building a boat immediately brought Construction into play.”</p><img alt=”A trio of Old School RuneScape players engaged in woodcutting, potentially gathering resources for the Sailing skill.” width=”550″ height=”309″><p>However, such deep integration presents a dual challenge. Over-integrating Sailing could grant it undue influence over the Gielinor experience, essentially making it a mandatory skill. Player agency is fundamental to the <strong>MMORPG</strong> genre, and Charles emphasized the critical importance of striking the right balance to avoid upsetting the community, potentially leading to widespread discontent.</p><p>”We must remain grounded, as it’s easy to overextend,” Charles cautioned. “If nearly every skill becomes intertwined with Sailing, it risks overshadowing others. While Sailing will be incredible, our goal isn’t for it to dominate the game beyond what other skills already do. The challenge lies in finding that perfect equilibrium. As Sailing unlocks new islands and destinations, there’s a temptation to place anything and everything there – a new Runecrafting altar, a unique mining rock, and so forth. But taking it too far would be heavy-handed, leading to a meta where players feel compelled to ‘train Sailing, then do everything else.’ We need a strong sense-check to prevent this.”</p><img alt=”An Old School RuneScape player carrying a crate towards a table laden with gold coins, representing potential rewards or trade.” width=”550″ height=”309″><p>From a narrative standpoint, Sailing posed a significant challenge, potentially requiring extensive retrofitting across RuneScape’s vast quest library. Consider <strong>Dragon Slayer I</strong>, where players must repair the Lady Lumbridge to reach Crandor and defeat the formidable Elvarg. If players could simply sail there on their own ship, this iconic Old School quest element would be bypassed. Fortunately, and to Pilkington’s pleasant surprise, the original narrative team had already meticulously covered such contingencies years ago.</p><p>”Initially, it was a major concern,” Pilkington admitted. “However, upon reviewing the quests, we discovered it wasn’t as problematic as anticipated. In fact, we’ve made no significant alterations to existing content to accommodate Sailing, only minor narrative tweaks. One fascinating example was <strong>Dragon Slayer I</strong> and the question, ‘Why couldn’t players simply sail there themselves?’ Revisiting the quest dialogue, we realized the writers had already answered this two decades ago.</p><p>The quest dialogue explicitly states that the map reveals a hidden path through treacherous reefs, impassable by ordinary vessels. It concludes by noting that only one or two specialized Crandorian boats, no longer produced, can undertake the journey. I found myself thinking, ‘My work here is already done!’ This served as a wonderful confirmation that Sailing integrates seamlessly into the world, demonstrating that even in 2004-2005, developers had a keen understanding of Gielinor’s broader mechanics, even if not directly contemplating Sailing. Ultimately, we made very few changes, which is a great outcome; there was no need to retroactively alter classic quests.”</p><img alt=”An Old School RuneScape crew transporting goods to a ship, highlighting logistical aspects of the new skill.” width=”550″ height=”309″><p>With the core mechanics established, Jagex progressed to scaling Sailing for its public alpha at this year’s Runefest, followed by a comprehensive beta in June that showcased the early skill experience. While initial feedback has been largely positive, Sailing has also encountered its share of critics. Some concerns stem from ambiguity regarding its identity as a standalone skill versus a world expansion that simply facilitates other skilling activities. Naturally, a segment of the player base, resistant to any form of change, voiced apprehension that significant directional shifts might push <strong>Old School RuneScape</strong> closer to <strong>RuneScape 3</strong>. Charles and his team acknowledge these worries but firmly assert that every measure has been taken to preserve the authentic Old School spirit.</p><p>”This is a monumental change, a vast and deeply integrated addition to the game,” Charles affirmed. “There’s always a risk of missteps, which is why our approach has been meticulously cautious, involving continuous community consultation, public showcases of various features, and extensive behind-the-scenes player testing. All these efforts ensured we got it right. Now, community sentiment around Sailing is overwhelmingly positive, far more so than at any other point in the project. It feels like we’ve reached a culmination, and we are confident we’re delivering something that will excite players, sustaining their enthusiasm long after launch. I genuinely believe this is the best skill we’ve ever created. Its impact on the world, its rich additions, and the sheer enjoyment of the skill itself are unparalleled. No one could truthfully claim that running laps on Ardougne rooftops is more engaging than the possibilities this skill offers.”</p><img alt=”An Old School RuneScape crew assembled on the upper deck of a ship, ready for nautical adventures.” width=”550″ height=”309″><p>Undoubtedly, Sailing stands as a testament to Jagex’s passion, demanding significant technical innovation and meticulous design. The goal was to forge an entirely new experience that felt authentically Old School, introducing fresh and engaging gameplay without disrupting the existing skill ecosystem. As Charles highlighted, the <strong>OSRS</strong> community’s involvement was continuous, providing invaluable feedback and crucial “vibe checks.” This skill is the culmination of years of ideation and iteration—a two-decade-old meme brought to life. Regardless of its reception, Jagex’s unwavering commitment to the Old School spirit is evident. I, for one, eagerly anticipate hoisting sails, weighing anchor, and discovering new fortunes on the high seas when Sailing launches on November 19. Just don’t hold your breath for Sea Shanty 3!</p><p>What are your thoughts on the highly anticipated <strong>OSRS Sailing</strong> update? We’d love to hear your opinions on this expansive new skill and what you’re most excited about!</p>