Creating a rich and immersive survival experience rooted in magic, exploration, and player creativity was the core objective for Jagex.
Our collaboration began with a clear goal: to deliver a fully functional Vertical Slice that showcases the unique gameplay features and establishes a foundation for the community alpha launch. This stage was crucial in securing player feedback and refining core gameplay.
- Delivered a Vertical Slice that formed the foundation for community alpha launch and feedback
- Created modular, scalable systems for future development phases
- Close collaboration with Jagex teams ensured alignment on creative vision and technical goals
- Agile development approaches enabled rapid iteration on core gameplay and UI features
Working hand-in-hand with Jagex, Virtuos supported their team in the creation of a Vertical Slice, delivering a polished, playable build featuring core gameplay mechanics and UI elements. This involved close coordination across disciplines to ensure a smooth, cohesive player experience that demonstrated the game’s potential to fans and stakeholders alike.
The Vertical Slice included early integrations of player-driven survival systems, magical abilities, and the vibrant creatures populating the wilds, setting the standard for the future evolution of RuneScape: Dragonwilds.
Exploring the magical landscapes of RuneScape: Dragonwilds
Careful UI/UX design made for a more fluid player experience
Image by Gamerant, gamerant.com/beginner-tips-runescape-dragonwilds/
To help make the player experience as seamless as possible, Virtuos sought to optimize the technical implementation of the UI architecture for RuneScape: Dragonwilds. We built intuitive navigation flows and added HUD elements, all of which were essential to smooth gameplay.
Our team developed and integrated critical UI components, including Build System UI, Compass, Crafting UI, Floating Damage, Health/Stamina, Interactive Map, Inventory, and Notification Systems. Balancing functionality and aesthetics, the system was designed to feel immersive yet accessible, enabling players to focus on exploration and combat without distractions.
One of RuneScape: Dragonwilds’ standout features is its deep, player-driven building mechanics. Our programmers collaborated with Jagex to prototype and deliver the first working iterations of these systems. This early version provided a strong foundation for future game builds, allowing for faster community feedback and iterative development.
These building systems empower players to craft their environments creatively, enhancing survival strategies and encouraging unique playstyles within the RuneScape universe.
The player-driven building system
Virtuos assisted Jagex in implementing a diverse range of features, from resource gathering and crafting to combat mechanics. One particular focus was on the magical and exotic abilities that define RuneScape: Dragonwilds’ unique player experience. By layering these abilities over existing survival systems, it helped enhance the core survival gameplay loop, increasing depth and player choice, making every encounter and decision feel more meaningful and impactful.
To breathe life into the world of RuneScape: Dragonwilds, our AI programmers designed dynamic enemy and creature behaviors that adapt to player actions and environments. This resulted in engaging, unpredictable encounters that challenge players and keep gameplay fresh.
From territorial beast AI to cunning enemy factions, the diverse creature behaviors add layers of strategy and excitement to exploration and combat.
Diverse enemy and creature AI behaviors create dynamic encounters
Animation programming support was a critical component of our contribution. We ensured characters, creatures, and environmental elements moved fluidly and responsively, enhancing immersion and combat satisfaction.
By closely integrating animation systems with gameplay mechanics, our programmers helped deliver a polished and seamless player experience.
Animation programming ensured fluid and responsive movements
“Virtuos Paris were a really strong addition to the RuneScape: Dragonwilds team at Jagex. They embedded successfully into the day to day of the project, and all worked with skill, initiative and dedication. Everyone from Virtuos showed real investment in the project and care for the quality of what they were delivering to support us.”
Lead Producer, Jagex
Virtuos Paris celebrated this collaboration as an exciting journey into the heart of a new RuneScape adventure, setting a high bar for quality and innovation in survival game design.
Only by mastering survival and uncovering ancient secrets can players hope to slay the Dragon Queen—alone or with allies
