It seems that Party Pete was so busy partying that he forgot to inform everyone of a change to his Party Room!

You see, Party Pete is on a life-long mission to bring the 'party' to everyone on RuneScape, so he has developed an unlikely partnership with the Bank of RuneScape. Through this alliance, he believes that the 'party' will spread like wildfire.

Now, when the Party Room lever has been pulled, different things will happen according to the market value of the items in the party chest:

• A value of up to 50k: there is a 10 second delay before the balloons drop.
• 50k - 150k: there is a 1 minute delay before the balloons drop. The Falador bankers and Party Room barmaids will announce that a party is happening.
• 150k - 1 million: there is a 5 minute delay before the balloons drop. The Falador men and women, bankers and Party Room barmaids will announce that a party is happening.
• 1 million+ : there is a 10 minute delay before the balloons drop. The Falador men and women, bankers and Party Room barmaids will announce that a party is happening. Nearly all the bankers across RuneScape will also announce that a party is happening, and will offer free teleports to the Party Room.

The bankers have entered into this agreement as they believe it will stop the Party Room being used as a means of transferring wealth covertly.

We've made some important changes to how duel tournaments work.

The first change is to how wins are determined. If neither player has died at the end of the three minute period, the player who has done the most damage in a duel will proceed to the next round, unless both players have dealt equal damage. In this case, the winner will be chosen by the Duel Tournament judge.

We have also reduced the number of players needed for a registrar to initiate a duel tournament. This will make it easier for you to enter tournaments of various levels.

For further information, please read the Knowledge Base article.

The Grand Exchange:

Are you fed up of trying to be heard above a crowded Varrock Marketplace? Are you tired of organising to meet players who want to trade with you? Do you just want to get on with the things you enjoy, rather than standing around, hoping that someone wants your full splitbark armour?

If the answer is "yes" to any of those questions, then Brugsen would like to direct you to his marvellous new Grand Exchange! This huge establishment is home to a RuneScape first - an item marketplace - where members and free players can buy or sell a huge range of items.

Using the Exchange couldn't be any easier:

• Bring items you wish to sell or money to buy stuff with.
• Speak to one of the Grand Exchange clerks to either put items up for sale or to make a bid on any items.
• The clerks will take your items or money and look for a matching bid/sale to match you up with.
• You may have to wait for your bid to be accepted or for the clerks to find a purchaser - then again, it could happen in moments!
• You will receive a message when the trade has been completed and you can go to the Grand Exchange or any bank to pick up your purchases or money.

Members are able to make six offers for sale or purchase at any one time, while free-to-play adventurers can have two. To make best use of these, Brugsen has advised his clerks to accept stacked and noted items; for example, 1,000 cut diamonds would only take up one slot, allowing you to make five other trades at any time!

The clerks also have the ability to convert armour into 'sets', which will only take up one slot. To find a list of the armour types that can be made into 'sets', visit the Knowledge Base article.

Market Prices in the Grand Exchange:

There is a limit to the amount you can buy or sell items for in the Grand Exchange, which is generally set at 5% above and below the 'market price', and it is impossible to buy outside of these boundaries. This will create a stable economy that cannot be abused by players who seek to manipulate prices to the disadvantage of others.

The market price is affected by any trade that occurs in the Exchange. If an item frequently sells for more than the market price then it will rise in value, but if it consistently sells for less than the market price then it will go down.

Initial market prices for items were decided after extensive research by Brugsen and his market experts, so should be very close to the item costs you are used to.

This market price will not only be used in the Grand Exchange. You will find that the value of staked items in the Duel Arena will also change, as will the player stock in the shops of RuneScape.

Keep an eye on item values to make sure you are buying or selling at the correct time. Reading the market and anticipating when it will go up or go down is an art in itself! However, the alchemy value of items is NOT affected. So, whatever you do, DON'T go high-alching your party hat! You'll still only get 1 gp, and you wouldn't like that...

For more details on the Grand Exchange and market prices, chat to Brugsen or the Grand Exchange Tutor for a tutorial. There is also a lot of information and some FAQs on the Grand Exchange Knowledge Base page.

In other news...

When buying items from the 'player stock' tab in shops, prices will now be based on whichever is highest: the predefined prices or the Grand Exchange price. This change is necessary because the shops were a way that players could covertly transfer wealth. Selling items into shops or buying from the 'main stock' tab in shops will still be based on our predefined prices, though some shops have had slight changes to the prices that they will buy and sell items at.

Due to player feedback, we've added a fifth registrar to the duel tournaments. We've also adjusted the tournament ranks at which you can join up for them. Hopefully, you should find that starting your career in duel tournaments is a little easier and the majority of players will have access to two registrars, pitting them against players of a more suitable level.

The duel tournament worlds have also been adjusted. Please check the world list for the latest worlds which tournaments are running on.

The minimum tournament rank to get on the Hiscores has been reduced to 1,800 so more players can track their progress. If you don't initially appear, you will have to login if you have a rank above 1,800.

That speck on the horizon we first mentioned in this month's Behind the Scenes is now a little closer. It's just about big enough to make out some writing on its side... What could it be? What does it say? And just what on RuneScape have wolpertingers got to do with it? All these questions and more are answered in today's brand new Development Diary (well, okay, maybe not the wolpertinger one just yet).

There's no more news here. Just click here and read our new Development Diary!

Duel Tournaments:

A large area, dating back to the Second Age, has been excavated beneath the Duel Arena, and what better use for it than a new player-vs-player minigame! This is the home of duel tournaments; a challenge for those who felt that only one round of fighting in a staked or friendly duel was a bit wimpy.

For those brave enough to take on up to 63 other players in a duel tournament, there is the potential to win 64 times your original entry fee: high stakes indeed, for an event that will demand your very best.

Which leads to our second addition: Duel Tournament Rankings! Your duel tournament history will be recorded by your rank, which can be viewed from the Hiscores table if you have a rank of 1,900 or above.

The rank will determine which of four ranked tournaments you can enter; for example, high-ranked players can fight other high-ranked players in the 1,900 - 3,500 tournaments. With duel tournaments, you will always be facing opponents of a similar duelling ability to you, across a range of randomly generated tournament rules.

Your rank will also affect the size of the entry fee. Higher-ranked matches generally have higher entry fees, and there is the chance to win much more - up to 64 million gp!

To ensure that you have plenty of opponents, we are keeping duel tournaments to specific servers. Visit worlds 28, 44, 46, 48, 54, 59, 64, 78, 83, 98, 110, 114, 121, 129, 130 or 132 to spar with the very best that RuneScape has to offer. We are keeping an eye on the duel tournament activity on these worlds, so this selection may change.

There are a huge number of tournament rule combinations, gathered from player submissions and the recent Duel Arena poll, so no tournament will ever feel the same. Fancy fighting through six rounds with no food? Or four rounds with no armour? The variety is massive, offering a challenge for every type of player, whether they are hungry to reach the top or happy to enjoy themselves.

To access the duel tournaments, travel down the stairs south of the Duel Arena Hospital.

Please read the knowledge base article here for more information.

Duel Arena Changes:

We have made some necessary changes to the above-ground staked and friendly duels of the Duel Arena:

• There is now a cap to the amount a player can win in the space of 15 minutes in a staked duel, which is set to 3,000 coins. This limit will make it harder for real-world traders to unfairly use the Duel Arena as a covert way of transferring items. Of course, if you want to take part in some high-stakes duelling you now have the duel tournaments instead!
• The gp value of any item wagered in a staked duel is defined by the 'player value'. This 'player value' of an item will change according to any market fluctuations once the Grand Exchange has been introduced.
• Logging out of a staked duel will mean that you have forfeited the match, and the staked items will go to your opponent.
• Stats boosted before entering a duel will reset to their normal value at the start. You can still use potions during the duel, provided they haven't been disallowed.

In other news...

Various trees on Farming patches had accidentally been enlarged. Also, the texturing on the diseased versions caused them to look quite odd. Both the texturing and size of the trees have now been fixed.

Teleport sounds have been changed so that they're only heard by the spell's caster. Previously these sounds caused some confusion as to what was going on in the player's surrounding area.

Oldak from the Land of the Goblins quest is now a little more helpful when you're further along in the quest. He will continue to teleport you back to the temple if you bring him two law runes and some molten glass.

We have made a number of objects untradeable. These items were either quest objects that were not generally useful after the quest or they were easy to obtain items that were used by scammers who lied about them being rare. Examples include doogle leaves, doogle sardines, sulphur, spinach rolls, polished buttons, the Shantay pass and the axe flier.

The Billing System has had a rework to make it easier for you to start or change a subscription to RuneScape.

The first thing you may notice is the change to the front page. From the 'Account Management' area on the left, you are able to access two new sections. 'Billing FAQ' will tell you everything you need to know about subscribing and paying for RuneScape whilst 'View my account info' gives you the latest information on your account including the number of days credit remaining.

When you visit these sections you will also notice another change: the Billing System has been redesigned. You will find that actions now require less scrolling and clicking, reducing the amount of time you spend updating your account.

The pages also look very different, with each of them being headed by a logo that says 'Jagex' who, as you will most likely know, are the makers of RuneScape. The pages will all still be on a www.runescape.com web address and, even though they may look different, they are as safe to use as always. So, when subscribing you will be able see the padlock symbol in the usual part of your browser, which indicates that any transaction or information passed is encrypted and secure.

Our latest quest starts with a little goblin and a big dream. Grubfoot, the generals' dogsbody from the Goblin Village, has arrived in the Cave Goblin Mines and wants to speak to Zanik about what his dream might mean...

Journey into the secret heart of goblin religion, battle magic-wielding skeleton priests, and take on a whole new identity as you seek out the fabled Land of the Goblins.

This quest takes the focus off the H.A.M. storyline and puts it firmly onto the goblins. More will be revealed about the Big High War God, and Zanik will move closer to fulfilling her destiny. Your path may even bring you to a goblin transformation potion!

Summary

There are two new updates to existing content this week, both of which have been drawn from your suggestions and ideas.

The first of our changes is to the Assist System. When we released it, we wanted it to be an alternative way for players to help others. We also envisioned it to be a safe option for doing this, without any worries about item scamming.

Since its release, many of you have left comments about the Assist System on the Forums. Having read these posts, we have come to the decision that many of you have a strong and valid point!

Some forum-posters felt that the Assist System should not be used for getting hold of raw materials when using skills like Mining and Woodcutting. After all, getting hold of raw materials does not involve an actual exchange of items - it involves the passing of one item, or a group of items, to another player without receiving anything in exchange. A main aim of the Assist System is to make exchanging items safer and scam-free, so it does not apply here.

We had considered this when first creating the Assist System; however, we felt that some players would appreciate having this ability. Now, thanks to your feedback, we have reassessed this decision.

So, this week, we have limited the Assist System to those actions that do not consist of gathering raw materials. An exhaustive list can be found in the knowledge base, here.

The skills that can no longer be used with the Assist System are:

• Fishing
• Hunter
• Mining
• Woodcutting

We have also taken the opportunity to make the interface smaller, allowing the split-chat to appear clearly for those players who use it.

Our second update is to the skills interface. The changes are largely gathered from your suggestions, so thank you very much. We hope you appreciate them.

You will notice the first change when you hover over a skill icon on the skill interface. A pop-up window will now tell you exactly how much xp is required to train to the next level. This saves having to work it out, allowing more time for actually training that skill.

Your xp tallies are now separated with commas, so your 1567993 experience is now 1,567,993. We think you'll agree that this is much nicer to look at. The xp values are also justified to the right, so you can make at-a-glance comparisons quickly. Add to this a quicker pop-up window for your xp, and you have a tidy little update.

Following feedback and questions on the Forums, we wanted to clear up some worries that you may have.

The Assist System is designed to be a safe and convenient alternative to obtaining aid via the trading system. Before, if you had a willing high-level friend, you could do everything that the new Assist System offers.

If you can find someone willing to give up their time to help you fish, then they would surely have been willing to give you the fish previously and the Assist System is no replacement for putting in the work and levelling-up yourself.

For clarification on these points and many others, head to the Knowledge Base article here - after all, we're here to assist you!

Today we introduce a new means for players to help each other: the Assist System. This update allows a lower-level player to 'borrow' the skill levels of a more experienced player, creating objects that they could not before.

To take advantage of the Assist System, right-click on a player you would like help from and select 'Req. assist'. That player can then click a pink message that appears in their chat box, deciding whether or not to offer you assistance.

If the assistance is accepted, you are free to use the skills of the other player, making items and taking advantage of their higher levels. The assisting player receives all of the XP, while you keep all of the items you create. This makes the Assist System a quick and safe way to get help making items!

A hand-in-hand icon will appear at the bottom-right of your screen when you are being assisted:

A good example is making an amulet of Strength. You may have the level 49 Magic to enchant a ruby amulet, but not the 50 Crafting to actually make it. With the Assist System you can safely 'borrow' the skill levels of an expert crafter to cut an uncut ruby. Still using the Assist System, you can then make the ruby amulet at a furnace with a gold bar, an amulet mould and ball of string. With the use of an Enchant Level 3, you can turn your ruby amulet into an amulet of Strength.

The Assist System can be used with the following skills:

• Construction
• Cooking
• Crafting
• Farming
• Fishing
• Fletching
• Herblore
• Hunter
• Magic
• Mining
• Runecrafting
• Smithing
• Woodcutting

Notes:

• You can adjust your filters to allow or disallow any assist requests.
• You can earn a maximum of 30,000 experience in any 24-hour period by assisting people.
• You cannot assist someone with a quest, an Achievement Diary (they will not be able to mark a task complete if they were assisted in this way) or a minigame.

Summary

Read the Knowledge Base article here to read more about this system.

In other news...

Some of the children in Meyerditch and Burgh de Rott were missed out from the NPC update. They have been revisited by the Makeover Mage who has given them a more consistent look.

The time-out in the Duel Arena has been reduced to 30 minutes from the previous 60 minutes. We feel this is more than enough time to defeat your opponent with whatever method you agreed upon!

We've also updated the stat icons in the skills tab. They now have a more detailed look, while maintaining their classic characteristics.

The Smithing skill has also received the Make X feature, you will also be free to walk away from the anvil at any point if you make a mistake or change your mind.

In recent months, we have been looking more and more at how wealth and objects move around the game. Our first update of the month, the Assist System, will continue in a similar vein, and owes a lot to your reports and suggestions. You told us that you wanted a system for offering services to others without actually transferring items. So, with the Assist System, we will bring you that ability. You will, for example, get a high-level crafter to cut your gems for you with no gems ever leaving your inventory! This system will be useful across a multitude of different skills and will be very easy to get to grips with.

The popular 'Make-X' option makes its way to the Smithing skill this month, so a blacksmith will be able to happily hammer away at an entire inventory of bars without multiple clicks.

This month also sees the release of the penultimate cave goblin quest. Ever since Zanik emerged from the mines below Lumbridge she has been faced with troubles very much of the H.A.M. variety. A different challenge faces her in this quest, which will require stealth and subterfuge to complete, taking you to places that have never been seen by human eyes, including some that have only been noted in goblin fable. Will a discovery of monumental proportions help bring the goblin tribes together? Only time will tell. Listen well and show your true knowledge to find a path to the Land of the Goblins.

As a result of numerous suggestions, we will also be making some changes to the skills interface. For one, we will be adding a 'How much xp till my next level?' statistic to each skill, so that you know just how close you are to achieving your goals!

Also this month, we will be introducing some fantastic changes to the Duel Arena. We have drawn information from a recent poll, various suggestions from players, forum posts and general feedback to create some improvements. There was overwhelming support for tournaments, so we will offer enough room for 64 players and large prizes. You wanted more options on the Hiscores table, well, soon you will be able to track your Tournament Rank, which will reflect your Duel Arena awesomeness!

Later in the month, we bring you the 'Grand Exchange'. This new building will be located in the north-west of Varrock and will house a huge new addition to the game: the ability to offer items to buy and sell across ALL servers and to ALL players! You might, for example, go to the Exchange and put a full Barrows set up for sale, for example - then, playing Skullball in Canifis, you might get a message telling you that they have sold and that you can go to the nearest bank to receive payment! The Grand Exchange will allow you to spend more time on the things you enjoy, providing a less time-consuming alternative to selling your items on the Forums or amongst the crowds of Varrock Marketplace.

Add a Guaranteed Content poll, Players' Gallery, Postbag and a Development Diary, and you have a month to remember.

We couldn't part from you without mentioning something very, very big on the horizon. The new year brings a stunning new update, and we are so happy with it that we are going to let a few hints trickle out over the next few weeks...