March kicks off with a couple of workshops – the Elemental
Workshop IV quest and the Artisan’s Workshop, home of a
long-awaited update to the Smithing skill. Then there’s Bonus
XP, wealthier rings, uglier trolls and singing pirates (oh, and a
second quest, this one involving pirates).



style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">Elemental
Workshop IV

The first planned updated for March is the next quest in the Elemental
Workshop series, and it’s, like, totally cosmic, man. Well,
perhaps not ‘totally’ cosmic...because
it’s chaotic too! You see, Elemental Workshop IV will not
only bring with it access to the cosmic machine, but the chaos machine
as well, and you’ll have to solve the puzzle of how to get
both of them working again.



Follow in Vitruvius’s footsteps and get these machines online
again, and you’ll soon be wearing the brand new rewards that
come with it – this time in the form of elemental gloves and
boots. The quest series’ story also starts to come more to
the fore this time, as you’ll not only learn more about what
happened to Vitruvius and his apprentice, you’ll also meet
the series’ first proper character... Well, sort of.



style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">Artisan’s
Workshop

The Smithing skill will then be next in line to receive its
long-awaited update. Some industrious dwarves are preparing to set up
shop with an Artisan’s Workshop in south-east Falador above
the Mining Guild. These artisans aren’t the friendliest of
dwarves, but they’re willing to open up their workshop to
humans, providing new training opportunities, so long as you provide
your own ores...



Dwarves are ever in need of new cart track to make repairs and expand
their network, so everyone is free to lend a hand here. Life as a dwarf
must also be fraught with danger, as there is also a constant demand
for dwarven burial armour, the creation of which is taught within the
workshop’s walls to any who have a bit of experience under
their belt. Parts of these two training methods are available to
free-players, though members will be able to get more out of them.



Members then gain exclusive access to two further training methods:
cannon repair and decorative swords. Aksel in the cannon repair room
would have you believe that “working with these silver
beauties” is reward enough, but it’s also a decent
training method for mid-level smiths and up. The real challenge for
high-level smiths, though, is making decorative swords...
It’s not for everyone, as it’s a fine and precise
art, but those who can master it will learn much.



There’s all sorts going on in the workshop, so while
you’re busy with one of the four main training methods, keep
an eye out for other opportunities to gain favour with your surly,
beard-covered artisan hosts. Rewards consist of small boosts and
bonuses for training in the Artisan’s Workshop, and the
option to ‘bling’ your dwarf multicannon.



style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">Bonus
XP Weekend

If you missed the announcement newspost, the next thing coming for
members in March will be our third Bonus XP Weekend. The event will run
from noon on Friday 11th March until the end of Sunday 13th March, and
will follow the same format as the last one (a starting multiplier of
2.7x, which decrements every 30 minutes; Summoning capped at a rate of
1.1x). For and FAQ about the event, check out the Three Cheers blog,
and if you’d like to discuss it on the forums, head on over
to The Next Bonus XP Weekend thread.



style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">Ring
of Wealth Update

RoW, huh, what is it good for? That’s a question open for
debate, but, further on in March, we’re aiming to add a few
more plusses to the positives column. That’s right,
everyone’s favourite enchanted dragonstone ring, the ring of
wealth, is going to start to live up to its name a little better.



For starters, there will be messages that tell you when the ring has
actually done something, so there’ll be no more guesswork.
There will be slight increases to the chances of receiving rare drops
from popular bosses, clue scrolls and unique Slayer drops. Also, it
won’t just increase your chances of gaining an item from the
so-called ‘rare drop table’, but will also increase
the value of a handful of standard drops on many NPCs.



The ring will also be getting some very specific benefits for things
such as Pyramid Plunder, Bork, Barrows, kingly implings, plus a couple
of handy teleport options. As a result of this increased usefulness,
the ring will also have ‘charges’ added to it, as
is the case with most other enchanted jewellery.



style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">Trolls
and Trollheim Graphical Improvements

March also has some graphical updates in the pipeline – this
time it’s the turn of the trolls. Some of the new designs
were used for the troll characters in the recent King of the Dwarves
quest, but the rest of the game’s trolls (and their
mountainous home) will soon be getting the same rocky new look.



style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">Clockwork
Syringe

Barrelchests! You scabbed Captain Donnie’s picket line and
stitched up Mi-Gor’s harebrained scheme, so those two are
teaming up with a third of Rabid Jack’s hench-captains
– a mechanic who’s going to ‘fix the
problems’ (and the problem is you!). They’ve got a
plan so dastardly that they’re gonna get away with it too,
unless some meddling adventurer cares to step in.



Prepare for what may be the craziest pirate quest yet with home
insurance claims, a hazing interrogation, ‘long
drops’, vengeful seagulls, Barrel Busters and a boatload of
zombio-mechanical madness. (Note: no kittens were harmed in the
development of this quest.) It will be the first quest with a
Dungeoneering requirement (of level 50); other requirements include
Construction, Defence, Slayer, Smithing , Summoning and Thieving in the
60-75 range.



If it’s been a while since you last got down with your inner
pirate, don’t get your shanties in a bunch – a new
all-singing, all-rhyming character is being added to the game to give
you a colourful ‘rum’-soaked rundown of your
various tales from the high seas. Keep an eye out for Bard Roberts (and
his critical chum, Stanky Morgan) showing up on Mos
Le’Harmless later this month.



style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">In
other news...

Some of March’s other updates will include a Fremmenik
longship’s worth of tiny tweaks and gameplay improvements to
the Dungeoneering skill, and graphical improvements to Lumbridge Swamp,
yaks and cows.



Have fun!