15-Mar-2010 - The Blood Pact and Lumbridge Catacombs

Pfkninenines · Global Moderator 12/4/08

wrote:

Some adventurers never retire, but, as they get older, they learn the value of teamwork. Veteran adventurer Xenia has seen some Zamorakian cultists take a prisoner into the catacombs beneath Lumbridge Church, but she wants another adventurer to join her before she heads in after them. Xenia was there when the catacombs were built, so she knows something about the dark secrets that they contain. If the cultists have discovered those same secrets, then their prisoner will be only the first of many victims. It's up to you to stop them.

The Blood Pact is the first free-to-play quest we’ve released in many years, not counting the tutorial and seasonal events. It's meant as a suitable first adventure for a brand new character. Completing the quest will reward you with a set of weapons and access to the Lumbridge Catacombs – a dungeon that’s also designed for low-level characters, full of new monsters to fight, which drop the collectable parts of a new costume item.

Mod John A
RuneScape Content Developer

Summary:

Where to start The Blood Pact:
Speak to Xenia in Lumbridge Church’s graveyard.

Requirements to complete The Blood Pact:
None.

In other news...

With the release of The Blood Pact, there are now 300 Quest Points available in the game. If you have the full 300 points, make sure you speak to Xenia again after completing The Blood Pact, as she has a special reward to help you show off your dedication to quests. Unlike the Quest Cape, the new item's requirements will stay fixed at 300 Quest Points even after new quests are released – once you can wear it, you can wear it forever.

Weapons with a high-enough slash attack can now cut through webs. These are items such as the whip, Dharok's axe, the dragon 2h and battleaxe, godswords, Guthan's spear and the staff of light.

Adbot · **Posted:** March 15th, 2010, 8:06 am

Southrend · **Posted:** March 15th, 2010, 8:57 am

I guess it's a nice update for really, really low leveled F2P levels. They did a nice job on the new monsters. It's just a bit sad that the rewards are only nice when you're level 10 or less.

Not a 1/5 because the update isn't terrible for everyone. I vote a 2/5 because I couldn't care less but there are people who like this.

Alex_SE · **Posted:** March 15th, 2010, 9:12 am

Really, really short quest. But it wasn't that bad. I'm sure level 3 players will enjoy it more than I did. The reward is pretty useless.

After you complete the quest you gain access to the catacombs.
Getting all the statues there gives you about 2k coins reward after you talk to xena... I mean Xenia. Which isn't bad for really low leveled players.

I also got the mask thing by killing the monsters in the catacombs but it looks really bad...

Duke Juker · RSBandB Donor since 07/01/2010

Since this is geared toward low-level players, it's not a great update for me or really any high level player. It's always nice to see them add f2p updates, esp. ones that provide a better starting point for newer players. But since it is also the 300th quest point, I suppose I'll give it a 3/5 all round.

CreepyPirate · **Posted:** March 15th, 2010, 1:36 pm

I hate to be "the one" to do this but what are people paying there membership fees for?

Clearly it's not servers because Jagex have said in the past the adverts cover the costs for F2P. So you're paying for the updates. Don't see why they should get one let alone get one and not actually give the paying members anything for two weeks in a row now. And the week before that was largely about the hit point update which again was aimed at F2P.

You've got plenty in the F2P game to keep you busy for a long time. Admittedly theres even more to do in P2P but that's the point. How long did this quest take to make? How about the HP update? How many man hours where spent on that? how many members updates could of been out by now if they had the extra man power?

Used to be. Long ago in a galaxy far far away updates came every few months if you was lucky. Then rs2 came out and the was weekly. I don't see an improvement in quality on the updates from back then - in fact in some areas (see summoning) it's suffered awfully compared to the start (see runecrafting and slayer). Seems to me Jagex have highered more people, grown, and yet have oddly slowed down on the updates and quality.

I hope this does not become a trend get back to doing what you did best it worked, you was growing and you was successful.

Italy4life · **Posted:** March 15th, 2010, 5:00 pm

Well from a p2p p.o.v this is a really worthless update except for hardcore questers but being a little less self centered and thinking back to my f2p days this is something i would jump up and down for so i guess it was a good update for f2p but there is plenty of reasons for p2p to be mad.

Adbot · **Posted:** March 15th, 2010, 5:00 pm

Duke Juker · RSBandB Donor since 07/01/2010

Well, Creepy, I see what you are saying. On the flip side, f2p doesn't really get much attention anyway. Like you said, members pay for that extra content which they do get. But you can't completely leave f2p out of the picture. Where do you think new members come from? F2p is essentially the first step to becoming a member. F2p for Jagex should be a little taste of members, but with hardly the content of members. When they add little things like this, it will encourage people who being to play to have a good starting point, keep playing, and later on decide to become members. Although I agree with you for the most part, I still believe f2p updates are important to keeping the Runescape community stable and slowly growing.

On a sidenote, I think Jagex has put a lot of time into developing the next skill and quests. Even though they have more people, it still takes just as much time to come up with and develop good, quality content for members. Just give it some time. Like you said, their is plenty of stuff to do in members right now. Don't worry if they take a month off to work on f2p stuff or to develop new member stuff.