API & Plugins September Preview
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Welcome Back! It hasn't been long since we last showcased some of the incredible plugins being developed through the RuneScape API Project, but our community developers certainly haven't been sitting still!
Last time around, we revealed that Quest Helper is coming to RuneScape, alongside our first look at some plugins, including Tile Markers, Menu Entry Swapper and plenty more!
The response from the community was fantastic, and since then, our developers have been busy turning feedback into features, experimenting with new ideas and continuing to push what we thought possible with the API.
We've got an update on Quest Helper, some brand new plugins to show you for the very first time, and are introducing more community developers who are putting the API through its paces. From tracking your drops to tackling clues, from improving Rituals to making those everyday interactions with RuneScape feel that little bit smoother, there's a lot to get through.
So, let's take a look at what's been happening!
Index:
General Update
The pace behind the API Project is continuing to pick up!
Since our last update, we've continued working closely with our community developers as they build, test and, occasionally, try their very best to break the tools we're putting into their hands. This process is incredibly important. Every new plugin gives us another opportunity to see how the API performs in real-world development, uncover functionality that developers need and identify areas where we can make the experience even better, both for developers and players.
And as you've probably gathered from the growing list of plugins in these blogs, developers are putting the API to work!
We're now seeing everything from small quality of life improvements to much more ambitious projects taking shape, and that's exactly what we hoped an official plugin ecosystem would enable. Rather than us deciding every possible way the API could be used, we're giving talented community developers the tools to solve problems, experiment with ideas and build experiences that they themselves want to use.
We're also continuing work on the wider ecosystem that will sit around these plugins. That means refining the processes, guidance and safeguards needed to make discovering and using community created plugins a safe and seamless part of RuneScape.
There is still plenty of work happening behind the scenes, but with every new plugin the possibilities are becoming much more tangible. The projects we're showing today are another great example of just how broad those possibilities can be.
And speaking of big projects, let's start with one that received quite the reaction last time...
Quest Helper
Last month, we shared an early look at Quest Helper, one of the first major projects being developed with the RuneScape API and certainly the most anticipated within the community! Since then, development has continued at pace, and the plugin is steadily evolving from an exciting proof of concept into a powerful in-game questing companion, with more and more supported quests being added regularly.
Like last month, we've grabbed a handful of snippets to showcase how Quest Helper can provide clear, contextual guidance while players explore, solve puzzles, and advance through quests, all without needing to leave the game to consult an external guide.
For many players, in-game quest guidance has long been one of the most requested possibilities for RuneScape plugins. Seeing that idea begin to take shape is an important milestone, not only for Quest Helper, but for the wider API project and the opportunities it will create for developers and players alike!
Developer Notes
Since our first preview, the Quest Helper team has been working incredibly hard to make sure we get this right. That work goes beyond implementing the quests themselves. As development has progressed, we’ve identified several areas where additional engine support was needed.
These improvements are helping us build a stronger foundation for Quest Helper, particularly when tackling some of RuneScape’s more complex and unconventional quests.
One example is Broken Home. Navigating the mansion made this a particularly challenging and time-consuming quest to implement, but it also gave us a valuable opportunity to test how Quest Helper can make even the trickiest environments easier to understand and move through.
When we first revealed the plugin, the team had completed three quests. Much of our early work involved carefully reviewing the existing Quest Helpers, gathering the information they had already built and bringing it together into a format we could use for this new plugin.
There’s still plenty of work ahead, but the foundations are getting stronger, the team has settled into their respective roles and Quest Helper is supporting more quests all the time. We’re excited to keep building on that progress and share more with you in the future!
- Quest Helper team: Zoinkwiz, JostheFarmer, TechPure
Clue Trainer
Clue Trainer is a powerful and highly configurable clue-solving plugin for RuneScape, designed for both newcomers and veteran clue chasers. It enhances the clue-solving experience with interactive overlays, optimized movement strategies, and real-time puzzle assistance.
Developed by a Clue Chaser for Clue Chasers, Clue Trainer has grown into a trusted tool with over a thousand daily users, now coming to the official plugins project. This plugin is a joint effort between Zyklop Marco & Ngis.
Developer Notes
"Clue Trainer for Alt1 has been around for 3 years now and has even been nominated for a Golden Gnome this year. I continue to enjoy working on this and am proud that Clue Trainer will be available at release for the official client API.
We are aiming to release with feature parity with the latest version for Alt1: Puzzle solvers, compass triangulation, scan solving using decision trees, and the full set of optimized paths theorycrafted over years by the Clue Chasers community and entered into Clue Trainer by Ngis. While pushing Alt1 to its limits has been great fun, the official client API allows us to move beyond the limitations of simple screen reading and 2d overlays.
You can look forward to a smoother solving experience with 3d path highlights, highlighted dig spots, containers, and NPCs, and fewer hiccups caused by not-quite-reliable screen reading. Many new things are possible now." - Zyklop Marco
Opportunity for Feedback (Reddit sub-thread / Discord thread)
- If you have used Clue Trainer before, what irked you about the Alt1 version of it? What feature are you looking forward to the most?
- Are you interested in creating and publishing your own method packs? What type of editing tools would you like to see?
- Are you interested in clue speedrunning? Which categories would you like to see?
- Is there something you have always wanted from a Clue Trainer plugin?
- Is there anything in the preview you would change?
- Is there anything missing?
Drop Log
Drop Log tracks supplies used, drops gained, and items kept, with a detailed ledger and charts showing kills and loot over time!
The plugin lets players compare historical drops using today’s prices, create custom drop tables to measure and share their luck against the Wiki or other players, and assign personalised item tiers so valuable or notable drops are easy to identify at a glance. This plugin is being created by Techpure.
Developer Notes
"I want to create a place where a person can go and see accurately what's been dropped or missed and kept. To be able to track a monster's drop end to end is a Data Nerd like myself's dream. I don't only code to please myself but the people who use what I developed. I am super pleased to be working on this project as I can go "all out" in what I can expect and give." - Techpure
Opportunity for Feedback (Reddit sub-thread / Discord thread)
- What do you think of when you think you're going to get a Drop Log plugin?
- Would you like more than just monsters tracked? If so, what kind of materials or instances of items you would like tracked?
- Would you like a a certain drop to be tracked or individual items to be tracked?
- Is there something you have always wanted from a Drop Log plugin?
- Is there anything in the preview you would change?
- Is there anything missing?
Ground Items
Keep track of nearby drops with Ground Items! The plugin displays item names, quantities and Grand Exchange or High Alchemy values directly in the game world. Drops are sorted into value tiers using thresholds you choose, with filters for ownership, individual tiers, highlighted items, hidden items and items with no value.
You can even change how drops appear with custom colors, opacity, animations, tile highlights and despawn timers. The Recent Drops panel tracks your session drops and helps you locate items that are still on the ground. Optional pop-ups and sounds are available for value tiers, pets, trophies, upgrade items and clue scrolls. And once you have a setup you like, the Share feature lets you copy your saved settings and send them to someone else!
They can paste and import those settings directly into the plugin. This plugin is being created by Pavy.
Developer Notes
"The aim of Ground Items is to make useful drops easier to notice without filling the screen with information you do not need. The filters, visuals and alerts can all be changed or disabled, so you can keep things simple or build a setup that works for you. Development is ongoing, and community feedback will help shape future improvements and quality-of-life features." - Pavy
Opportunity for Feedback (Reddit sub-thread / Discord thread)
- Is there something you have always wanted from a Ground Items plugin?
- Is there anything in the preview you would change?
- Is there anything missing?
Job Gauges
Job Gauges is designed to give style-specific overlays to help track important resources and cooldowns in a centralized location. Giving you quick insight for your cooldowns so that you can plan ahead and focus on fighting instead of hunting for the correct buff on your buffs bar. This plugin has been developed by Nyu.
Developer Notes
"I'm so happy to have been given the opportunity to bring Job Gauges to the official API! I know some of you have been waiting a long time for it to make its return. It's coming back and better than ever!" - Nyu
Opportunity for Feedback (Reddit sub-thread / Discord thread)
- Are the overlay designs intuitive? Was there anything tracked that you had to ask yourself "What is this meant to be tracking?"
- Because it made the settings bloated & confusing, I decided against adding the ability to reposition each of the 33 components individually. If it is important to you that you be able to do this, please speak up and I will prioritize it!
- Is there anything you saw tracked that you don't think is important to track?
- Is there anything else you didn't see that you would like tracked?
- Is there something you have always wanted from a Job Gauges plugin?
- Is there anything in the preview you would change?
- Is there anything missing?
Rituals Helper
Rituals Helper is designed to give you a bit more visual clarity and feedback when doing Necromancy rituals! It makes the random events stand out and alerts you when a glyph is depleted or missing. This plugin is being developed by Friendliness.
Developer Notes
"When I was doing some Necromancy rituals on Leagues, I realised I found it a bit hard to see when random events showed up, glyphs were broken, whether my pedestal had an item on it... One of my friends who's colourblind told me they also struggled to see things as there's a lot of blue on a blue background. With the ritual helper I'm hoping to resolve those issues!" - Friendliness
Opportunity for Feedback (Reddit sub-thread / Discord thread)
- Are there any things you struggle to see when doing rituals?
- Is there something you have always wanted from a Rituals Helper plugin?
- Is there anything in the preview you would change?
- Is there anything missing?
Anti-Drag
This plugin will prevent you from dragging an item while holding the shift key for a specified delay. This plugin has been developed by J3.
Developer Notes
"Adding a slight drag delay to the things you might want to add to your actionbar should give you the freedom to leave it unlocked. That way, you don’t have to worry about accidentally dragging your spells and buttons around mid-combat." - J3
Opportunity for Feedback (Reddit sub-thread / Discord thread)
- Is there something you have always wanted from a Anti-Drag plugin?
- Is there anything in the preview you would change?
- Is there anything missing?
Looking Ahead
And there you have it, another glimpse at what's being built at the spearhead of the RuneScape API project by a smaller group of developers.
What's particularly exciting for us is the variety we're beginning to see. Some plugins tackle long requested quality of life features, others provide entirely new ways of presenting information already available in-game, and some are exploring ideas we hadn't even considered when we first started building the API, and we're still only scratching the surface. We of course can't wait to see even more variety and creative ideas take shape once the API is in the hands of the entire community.
Just like last time, your feedback remains a huge part of that process. If something you've seen today looks exciting, if there's functionality you'd love to see added, or if you've spotted something you'd approach differently, get involved in the conversations on our dedicated Reddit and Discord threads.
A huge thank you once again to all of the community developers giving their time, experience and creativity to the project, and to everyone who's been following along and sharing their thoughts so far.
We've shown you another handful today, but there's plenty more to come.
See you in Gielinor!