RuneScape Plugins - FAQ
RuneNation
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Hey everyone,
RuneScape Plugins officially launched last week!
We can't thank you enough for all of your support with this update, whether you've been trying out the plugins for feedback, covering them in your content, or creating them yourselves.
The community's response to this update has been absolutely heartwarming for the team, so thanks for all of your kind words and constructive feedback. This is just the beginning - there's so many more plugins that we can't wait to get in your hands!
We wanted to take a moment to reflect back on the week and provide some answers to questions we've been seeing from you, such as when you can see more plugins, how frequently plugins will launch, and more.
FAQ
How long will Jagex take to approve new plugins?
Our next round of plugins should be launching on November 5th.
We're planning a two-week moderation and release cycle, with new plugins expected to launch every 2 weeks.
- Week 1: Plugins are selected for a batch, community developers receive advance notice. We check the code quality and compliance with guidelines.
- Week 2: Community developers may need to address required feedback. Stability checks are performed, and we target a Thursday release, allowing us to monitor feedback and issues before the weekend.
Why are plugins releasing in batches?
This approach helps us manage the initial influx of submissions and ensure each plugin receives the attention it needs during moderation. Having a regular release schedule also gives plugin developers clearer expectations around review timelines, feedback and release dates, making it easier for them to plan and prepare any changes.
We also think you all would prefer a predictable release schedule, with regular updates and communications about new plugins coming to the game, rather than sporadic updates as and when.
Updates and hotfixes to existing plugins will be handled differently. As was the case on Friday, these will generally be released as and when they're ready.
What factors determine which plugins gets reviewed first?
A range of factors will affect what goes into a batch.
These include:
- Date of submission: Earlier submissions generally receive some priority. This means that the plugins which have been in development through the API Council for some months will likely get priority.
- Community demand: Highly popular plugins will receive higher priority. This means that your feedback directly influences and shapes what gets moderated and reviewed.
- How easy files are to moderate: Plugins with smaller and well-documented code can be quicker to review and fit into release batches. This means that you can expect smaller plugins to be added alongside larger plugins, and we encourage developers to consider whether they can reduce the file size of their plugin where possible. Please do note that entirely AI generated plugins are generally harder to review for moderation and take longer as AI tends to bloat the lines of code significantly compared to a plugin written by an experienced human.
So, we'll select a batch at the start of the week, notify developers, pass them through moderation, and have them released all together, at the end of a 2-week period.
Can Jagex provide more transparency on the plugins that are in review, or soon to be reviewed?
Currently, there are over 250 plugins in draft, and over 200 plugins pending moderation. We're incredibly grateful for the hard work that has been put in here, and we're looking forward to reviewing them.
All plugins are subject to a moderation and review process, so we're being cautious about announcing any release dates for new plugins before they've actually passed moderation and review. Doing so risks hyping up the community for a specific plugin (*cough*, Clue Trainer) before they're ready and moderated.
Any number of issues can crop up during the moderation process, and the timescale for reviewing a plugin can vary a lot depending on what type of plugin you've created, and how it's been created too. Additionally, we're playtesting many of these plugins before they launch so we can monitor stability before release.
At the same time, we recognise many of you are excited about your own plugins, and it can be frustrating to submit a plugin to us with no idea on timescales that we're working with.
In the very short term, our strategy for moderation and review on the next batch of plugins includes a heavy focus on "staple" plugins that we know the majority of the community want, such as:
- Ground Items & G.E Price Library
- Farming and PoF Timer
- True Tile
- Highlighter
- Agility Helper
- Perk Calc
- Watchdog (this is an all-encompassing plugin, including in-game alerts).
- Drop Log
- Unified Log. Please note, this doesn't prevent our ongoing work to have this included as an in-game feature.
There are plenty more staple plugins, however, these are the ones that have been selected for prioritization this week.
Since these are large files, they will take longer to moderate and review.
- If moderation takes longer than expected, we may opt to select 2 or 3 "large" plugins here and mix them alongside smaller ones each week depending on how much progress we make.
- If it takes us shorter than expected, we'll add smaller ones into the batch too.
Unfortunately, we can't confirm whether a plugin will launch until it has successfully completed our moderation and review process. However, as things progress, we'll continue to assess when it makes sense to share further updates or make an announcement. We want to keep the community informed where possible, while also being mindful of setting expectations too early or placing unnecessary pressure on developers.
A final note, as we know many of you will be wondering about Clue Trainer specifically. We're in close communication with the community developer, Zyklop, and we recognise the huge amount of time and effort that has gone into its development. The plugin isn't quite ready for submission yet, and we want to give the developer the time and space they need to get it there without adding any unnecessary pressure or expectations.
It's also important to clarify that our moderation process can only begin once a plugin has been formally submitted for review. Until then, we're unable to assess or approve it, regardless of how much progress has been made. We appreciate everyone's enthusiasm for Clue Trainer and ask for patience while Zyklop continues their fantastic work. If you'd like to keep up to date with progress, check out the dedicated Clue Trainer thread here.
Is mod.io necessary to use plugins?
Some form of authentication is required to support the plugin system. In the long term, we're planning to implement this via Jagex Single Sign-On (SSO), but as that isn't quite ready yet, we're using mod.io's email authentication process. Once that is done, authentication will happen seamlessly without any input required, even though mod.io will remain as the platform that plugins are delivered via.
In the meantime, as this platform offers a range of services that we need (hosting, moderation, distribution), having them do it for us means we can focus on the plugins themselves, which we think the community would prefer us to spend time on.
We're still investigating how we can resolve issues with some e-mails not being compatible (e.g those with a '+' sign in them). In the meantime, please use a different email where possible.
Are plugins releasing on mobile?
Yes! The plan is to ensure we have parity on mobile, however, we can’t confirm a date for this yet.
Can I provide feedback or report a bug with a particular plugin?
Absolutely!
We've asked all plugin developers to include information or relevant links on theirmod.io plugin page, so players know where to report issues, suggest improvements or get in touch with the creator directly. Each plugin developer will have their own preferred way of receiving feedback and bug reports.
If you've encountered an issue with a particular plugin, we'd recommend checking itsmod.io page first to ensure you're contracting the developer through their preferred channel(s).
How are issues being tracked?
The RuneScape Plugin Discord is currently the best place to report and discuss issues affecting the Plugin Hub and API, as well as raise concerns about individual plugins. We're regularly monitoring the Discord, allowing us to identify issues and share updates with the community as new information becomes available.
Major issues will be communicated more widely through dedicated announcements or PSAs, while smaller issues and ongoing investigations will primarily be handled through Discord for now.
As a reminder, Jagex's plugin moderation process focuses primarily on ensuring plugins meet our guidelines, rather than providing comprehensive quality assurance or guaranteeing that every plugin is bug-free. Sometimes it won't be immediately clear whether an issue originates from the Plugin Hub, the API or an individual community-developed plugin. In those cases, we may need some extra time to discuss as a team before communicating anything to the community.
While we're unable to individually track every issue affecting community-developed plugins, your feedback and bug reports are incredibly valuable in helping developers identify problems and improve the overall plugin experience.
If you're unsure what's causing an issue, please don't hesitate to raise it in the RuneScape Plugin Discord and we'll take a look!
Quest Helper
When are more quests being added?
Quest helper is created by community developers in their own free time. Jagex doesn't dictate the cadence of updates, and we're greatly appreciative of the work that our community developers have put in. Please pass your thanks on to them if you get a chance to meet them!
Initially, the team prioritised early-game quests because they were shorter and helped them get to grips with the new RuneScape API tools. Going forward, their priorities will depend on community demand, technical complexity and other factors!
Can players request specific quests?
The team will take into account your feedback, so let them know which quests you want to see added. You can submit your requests through the Quest Helper Discord. Please note, lots of factors affect which quests get prioritized in Quest Helper, and it's ultimately up to the developers' discretion.
Can the community help the Quest Helper team?
Absolutely!
The Quest Helper team is open to receiving help on the project. If you think you can assist with developing quests in Lua, or providing useful quest data, please contact the Quest Helper team in their Discord to find out more.
Join our Plugin Developer Community
We're building a community where RuneScape plugin developers, aspiring creators and curious players can come together to share ideas, learn from one another and help shape the future of RuneScape plugins.
You don't need any programming experience to get involved. Whether you want to develop your own plugin, learn how plugins work, contribute to existing projects or suggest ideas for a new plugin, this is the place to be.
It's also the best place to connect directly with other plugin developers, get advice and feedback, collaborate on projects and stay up to date.
Join the RuneScape Plugin Discord!
Plugin Development and Documentation Website
Bookmark the website developer.runescape.com. This is our single space for important documentation on the process of creating plugins themselves, and contains all the specific information you'll need around legal bits, guidelines and more.
Livestream with the Quest Helper Team & Mod Jewel
Not had enough of plugins?
Check out our dedicated livestream Q&A here where we interviewed Mod Jewel, our Plugin Moderator, and members of the Quest Helper team, ZoinkWiz and JosTheFarmer!
That's it for now!