Java Question

Hi Rsbandb, this school year i've began taking Computer Science at my high school. Atleast at our school, the entire Computer Science course seems to be focused around learning Java. I understand the basics of Java, but what I don't understand is how java is combined with models and animations to create a game like Runescape. I realize this is an extremely broad question but what I am asking is could somebody explain how Java combines all of these to make a game? Thanks.

Short answer: lots of hard work.

Longer answer: Combined with as you say the animations and models there's also the game client and game server. Each of these has to handle interactions in their own way. Essentially the way any client-server game works is that the client manipulates a user interface in order to perform actions on the server. These server actions then make permanent changes to your account in a database of some sort. At the same time when you're manipulating the interface the models which were pre-loaded while downloading the game files are activated and animated.

I'd like to know more about Jagex's client-server architecture since it's interesting to me from a software engineering perspective. I do know that the tools they use are all made in house which is saying something.

The above is just a best guess based on things I know and it might be entirely different for their game.

Thanks guys, that was helpful.