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The Great Orb Project

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The Great Orb Project.
The Great Orb Project is a Runecrafting minigame located in the Runecrafting Guild. To play this game, players must have a Runecrafting level of at least 50, and they must also have completed the Rune Mysteries quest. The official worlds for this minigame are 60 for members and 61 for free players.

Contents

[edit] Location

RuneScape uses the British convention for floor numbering: Ground floor, first floor (immediately above the ground floor), second floor, etc.

The minigame is located in the Runecrafting Guild, through a portal on the first floor of Wizard's Tower. The tower is located south of Draynor Village, or through the East teleport in the Wizards' Guild.

[edit] Travel

[edit] Worlds

Worlds 60 and 61 are the official worlds for this minigame, as designated by Jagex. This was announced during the Distractions and Diversions update on 2 September 2008. However, world 132 has become an unofficial world for "50/50" games or tie games.

[edit] Personalities

[edit] Gameplay

[edit] Objective

The objective of the game is for players to move as many orbs corresponding to their team colour as they can to the altars. The team with the most orbs when the timer runs out wins.

[edit] Starting the game

Talk to either Wizard Acantha (green team) or Wizard Vief (yellow team) to join the game. Each team requires at least two members to notify Wizard Elriss to open the portal to start the game. With the 19 August update, players can now join the least populated team by talking to wizards found within the Guild. In order to join a team, you need to have at least 2 free inventory spaces and empty weapon and helmet slots.

[edit] Equipment

Three wands are given when players enroll to either one team, namely a Green/yellow attractor, a Green/yellow repeller, and the Green/yellow barrier generator. A hat is also given to distinguish which side players are on. The hat and attractor wand are equipped automatically.

Image Name Use
File:Runecrafter hat y.PNGFile:Runecrafter hat g.png Runecrafter hat Helps identify team members, and opposition.
File:Yrepellerwand.pngFile:Repeller wand.gif Repeller wand Pushes the orbs away from the caster.
File:Yellow-attractor2.pngFile:Attractor wand.gif Attractor wand Drags the orbs towards the caster.
File:Ybarrierwand.pngFile:Barrier generator.gif Barrier generator Creates a barrier which blocks the way of players and orbs of both teams from passing through.

[edit] Other useful items

[edit] Leaving a team

To switch teams before the minigame, players can simply destroy any of the wands given BEFORE the game starts. Doing this will NOT result in the 10-minute time penalty for abandoning the game. Players can also speak to any wizard in the Runecrafting Guild to leave a team.

[edit] Rounds

There are 6 rounds for free players and 8 rounds for members, which are the following Runecrafting altars:

The Cosmic altar, Law altar, Blood altar, Death altar, and Astral altar are not included since some people may have not completed the quests needed to access these altars.

Each round lasts 2 minutes, excluding the break between each altar. There may also be a waiting period before starting a game. A complete F2P game lasts around 15 minutes, while a P2P game lasts around 20 minutes.

[edit] In the battle

To score points, the team's orbs must be led to the 1-grid square around the altar, by either attracting or repelling the orbs which will spawn randomly around the altar. Note that it is possible to attract or repel the opposing team's orbs until the last 30 seconds of the game.

[edit] Barriers

At the same time, players can also set up barriers with the barrier generator which block the way of orbs and players. Orbs of both colours stop moving as they reach a barrier, and players are forced to click on it to pass normally.

Any player may destroy the barriers by simply choosing 'destroy' option without going near the barriers. Multiple players can try to remove the same barriers at the same time. Removing a barrier from your team requires a single try, although destroying the opposite team's barriers may require a couple tries.

Each team member can only set one barrier each time. If a player has a barrier still up and tries to put another down, his/her original barrier will be removed while the new barrier is put in. If the player is already standing where the other team is going to put their barrier, they can later make a barrier on top of the other team's barrier, and then destroy it.

[edit] Activity bar

An activity bar was added on 18 August 2009, which indicates how active a player is. This bar gradually depletes over time. Once a player's bar reaches the bottom, the player will be removed from the minigame and sent back to the Guild. In order to keep the bar up and to stay in game, players must attract or repel orbs or create barriers which will boost the bar back up. The bar is reset after each round.

[edit] End of a round

After each round, players will receive a number of Rune essences (or Pure essences for members) based largely on both teams' scores. If players' inventories are full, the extra essences will be dropped to the ground. Players can then choose to craft them into Runes at that altar or to keep them for latter altars (either in their inventory or in pouches).

While Runecrafting in the minigame, a player will receive twice the normal xp for each essence (with the usual multiple runes based on his/her Runecrafting level). The Explorer's ring's (2 or 3) bonus also apply. While wearing Runecrafting gloves, the experience received is three times the normal amount. For example, players normally gain 5 experience for crafting Air runes, but when crafting Air runes in the minigame, they will receive 10 experience. And if they are wearing air runecrafting gloves, they will receive 15 experience. The 10% possibility of 5 extra experience (and an extra rune) per essence from the ring applies to any of these cases.

A purple portal will then appear in the altar. Players will need to step into it to be teleported to the next altar for the next round. People who stay behind at the altar will be dragged into the next round after 30 seconds. After the final round, the portal will teleport players back to the Guild.

A game can also abruptly end if members of either team quit the game which may send all players back to the Guild.

[edit] Abandoning a game

Abandoning the game will result in a 10-minute time penalty where players will be unable to play the next game until the penalty expires. This penalty will progressively decrease to a minimum of 1 minute as the game continues. There are a number of ways to abandon an on-going game:

  • Getting disconnected.
  • Leaving an altar via the altar exit portal, rather than the portal created by Wizard Elriss.
  • Destroying any of the wands given before the game.
  • Teleporting.
  • Climbing up any of the ladders in the chaos altar.

Abandoning a game will return the player to the Guild.

Not participating will also get you a 10 min penalty

[edit] Tips

  • Having a high runecrafting level makes your barriers stronger and you can break the opposing teams barriers much more easily.
  • Always have at least 6 (or 8 for members) inventory spaces reserved for carrying the crafted runes. This eliminates the need of banking runes after each game.
  • Try to keep some essence for latter rounds for better xp and value, such as:
    • Keeping essence for the last members round, where Nature runes may be crafted. This is because Nature runes are the most profitable runes craftable in the minigame, selling for around 298 coins each.
    • Keeping essence from the mind round for the water round, as these give more experience and are more valuable runes. The use of Water runecrafting gloves further increases the experience generated.
    • For free players, keeping essence from the body round to make Air runes at the beginning of the next game in conjunction with Air runecrafting gloves for better value and xp.
  • Organise the team so that some team members are "anchors", "scouts" (or "feeders") or "defenders". Anchors usually stay close to the altar converting orbs into points for the team. Scouts generally lookout for new orbs to appear, and stray further away from the altar, bringing orbs closer to the altar. Defenders generate barriers and keep enemy orbs away from the altar.
  • Similarly, divide the team so that players stands at each side of the altar to attract orbs spawning at any side easier and faster.
  • When orbs are stuck behind a pillar, try standing diagonal to the orbs before attracting the orbs. This way the orbs will go through the Pi-shaped pillars. If the orb is between the Pi-shaped pillar, try attracting it from BEHIND the Runecrafting altar.
  • Repelling the orbs by standing behind them is often more effective when threading them through the corners.
  • Try not to attract orbs from team members, especially when team members are facing each other. Doing this will often make the orb harder to score since both people are trying to do different things with it and are getting in the way of each other.
  • Tapping is useful when playing in large groups. This is when you just click on the orb and then on another, this allows the orbs to be pulled towards the altar quickly. You then allow team mates in a better location to pull the orbs to the altar. This allows many orbs to be pulled at once, often giving 40-50 orbs an altar.
  • Resting is a useful action for one to do when one is waiting for the game to start or to be put into a team. Agility levels are also important to let you run for a longer time.

[edit] Cooperative Play

[edit] 50/50 Games

50/50 or altar sharing games are overall a more efficient method of playing if you are in the game for tokens and have difficulty winning in a normal game. If you want to play this game for the challenge and competition, this method is not recommended. This type of game involves each team winning an equal number of games. While one team wins an altar, members of the opposing team simply do nothing. The fairest way of winning has been shown to be 4-4 whereby yellow team wins 4 games, the green wins the next 4. This method may seem risky as it is possible that an opposing team-member may not adhere to the arrangement over the course of the game. The less risky method is 1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1 whereby yellow wins 1 game, then green wins the next, then yellow again, and so on. Member players play also the 3-3-1-1 method, where one team wins 3 altars, second - next 3, then the first team wins next and second team wins the last altar. World 99 is the unofficial 3-3-1-1 world. It gives the confidence of getting equal number of tokens. However, the outcome of the game is rarely affected unless an entire group of people rebel. These arrangements tend to win every player around 540 tokens (see how rewards work below). There is also a F2P version where they play 3-3 which is in worlds 155 and 152. First 3 altars are for yellow next 3 are for green (405 tokens per game). 50/50 should earn around 1167 tokens per hour on F2P servers and 1800 per hour on P2P servers.

[edit] Three for Two

This is a new way of altar sharing, designed to get more tokens per average round, it gets free players a max of 494 tokens per average round and members a max of 632 tokens per average round. It works best with 5 players as then you can have the greatest proportion of winning players each time (teams cannot differ in size by more than one person), and is based on 100-0, where for example green team is always allowed to win all altars.

The rounds (in a 5 person game) go as follows

Round Green Yellow
1 Player 1, Player 2, Player 3 Player 4, Player 5
2 Player 4, Player 5, Player 1 Player 2, Player 3
3 Player 2, Player 3, Player 4 Player 5, Player 1
4 Player 5, Player 1, Player 2 Player 3, Player 4
5 Player 3, Player 4, Player 5 Player 1, Player 2

This can be done with four and above players, even numbers being the least effective to have and the lower odd number the better.

[edit] Rewards

When all the rounds are finished, Runecrafting guild tokens will be awarded. For each altar that a team wins, each player on that team receives 100 tokens. For each altar lost, players receive 10 more tokens. An additional 200 tokens for members, or 150 tokens for free players, are awarded to players on the team that won the most altars. If both teams win the same number of altars, then the majority bonus is split evenly between both teams (100 tokens for members and 75 for free players). Therefore, the maximum number of tokens members can receive is 1,000, while the maximum number of tokens free players can receive is 750.

Note: To receive tokens for a given altar, you must participate at it. Participation consists of attracting/repelling any coloured orb. It does not matter which team you are on. Creating a barrier does not count as participating.

These tokens can be traded with Wizard Elriss for robes, teleportation tablets, essence, talismans and staves. All of these rewards are untradeable, except for the essence and talismans.

[edit] Runecrafter Robes

Main article: Runecrafter Robes
A player wearing the blue Runecrafter Outfit.
Image Name Tokens
File:Runecrafter hat g.pngFile:Runecrafter hat.gifFile:runecrafter hat y.PNG Runecrafter hat 1,000
File:Runecrafter robe g.pngFile:Runecrafter robe.gifFile:Runecrafter robe y.png Runecrafter robe 1,000
File:Runecrafter skirt g.pngFile:Runecrafter skirt.gifFile:Runecrafter skirt y.png Runecrafter skirt 1,000
File:Runecrafter gloves g.pngFile:Runecrafter gloves.gifFile:runecrafter gloves y.PNG Runecrafter gloves 1,000

Notes

In-game Runecrafting bonuses:

The bonus provided by this clothing, added to the player's Runecrafting level, determine the speed at which the player is able to attract or repel the orbs, as well as the distance from which he is able to attract them. This boost does not affect the actual Runecrafting level, therefore a player cannot suddenly craft a new set of multiple runes they weren't able to before.

[edit] Talismans

All talismans except for death and blood talismans can be purchased with Runecrafting Guild tokens. Free-to-play talismans sell for 50 tokens, and members-only talismans sell for 125 tokens.

[edit] Runecrafting staff

Main article: Talisman staff

Buying a Runecrafting staff costs 10,000 Runecrafting guild tokens. It allows players to enter the designated altar (just like a Runecrafting tiara), as well as distracting the eyes in the Abyss to help them sneak past. To bind a talisman to a staff, simply take the talisman and the Runecrafting staff to the talisman's altar and use either of them on it. A Runecrafting staff that does not have a talisman attached cannot be wielded. Once a talisman is attached to a staff, it cannot be disassembled.

[edit] Notes

[edit] Runecrafting Teleport Tablets

Main article: Runecrafting Teleport Tablets

Runecrafting Teleport Tablets are a stackable single-use teleporting devices (similar to teleport tablets made in a player-owned house) that teleport the player outside the specific altar. Thus, players require a talisman, tiara, or Runecrafting staff to enter the altar. They are also the only teleport tablets available to free players.

It can be argued that these tablets do not save much time while runecrafting, as it takes time to collect the points required for these tablets. The time taken to acquire the tablets may be wasted, as some runecrafters believe conventional runecrafting through the Abyss is just as fast, given the amount of time to collect tablets.

[edit] Rune Essence

The last reward a player may buy with their Runecrafting guild tokens is essence. Although the reward screen says "Rune Essence" on both free worlds and members worlds, the type of essence received actually depends on which type of world the player is on, both costing 1 token per essence. Players on free worlds obtain rune essence, while players on members worlds obtain pure essence. Players can specify the amount of essence to buy with a Buy X option. The essence are noted for convenience.

[edit] Money making

[edit] Free-to-play

For free players, the best money-making method from playing The Great Orb Project is to buy water talismans, which sell for 6,147 coins each. As you can earn a maximum of 750 tokens each game, these tokens can be used to buy 15 water talismans, for a total of 92,205 coins for every game played. Since each game lasts 12 minutes, free players can potentially earn up to 461,025 coins per hour (not counting the time to bank them).

[edit] Members

For members, purchasing pure essence is a better alternative, as they sell for 160 coins and only cost 1 token each. As members can earn a maximum of 1,000 tokens each game, these tokens can then be used to buy 1,000 pure essence, for a total of 160,000 coins for every game played. Since each game lasts 16 minutes, members can potentially earn up to 600,000 coins per hour. However, this can prove difficult, as, for starters, it is difficult for a player to receive 1000 tokens from a 'perfect game' without having a clan or a pre-arranged agreement. Also, even if one does seem to be in a 'perfect game' it is highly likely that so many players leave the game, that everyone is forced out, and only receive points that they have already earned, and not ones that they would have earned from the other altars.

[edit] Glitches

Main article: The Great Orb Project Glitches
  • From 8 June 2009 to 9 July 2009, a glitch occurred in the free-to-play version of the minigame where the last two altars, which are available only to members, were counted in the score at the end of each game. Since free players cannot access those altars, the game recorded both teams as having "lost" those altars. Therefore, if a team won all six altars, the game would tell them that they won six altars but lost two, giving them 770 tokens instead of 750. If both teams won three altars, then the score would be 3-5 for both teams, and both teams, having "lost" the game, would receive only 350 tokens. This has been fixed with the 8 July update.
  • Up to 9 June 2009, a glitch would sometimes occur where the mind altar would be given to the team that won the air altar, regardless of which team actually won the mind altar. This has been fixed with the 9 June 2009 update.
  • There is a glitch that occurs in mind, earth, fire, and body altar that if you use a barrier right by a wall, you can move through the wall with the "pass through" option on barriers.
  • There is a glitch that occurs if you have a full inventory with at least one space occupied by runecrafting altar and/or runecrafting guild teleports. When you try to buy the same kind of teleport, it won't let you; it will say that you don't have enough space in your inventory. However, what you have in your inventory and what you are trying to buy are the same item, and are stackable; therefore you could assume that you do, in fact, have enough inventory space.
  • There was a glitch (which was noticed in F2P) where if a player was inactive in 1 out of the 6 rounds, and the final score ended up being 3-3, the player would be rewarded as if the final score was 4-2 in favor of the player, without interfering with other player's scores. This allowed people to obtain extra tokens in 50/50 rounds.
  • If a player leaves the game after a round has finished but before they get teleported to the next altar anyone who has already stepped through the portal will be kicked out of the game but if you don't move onto the next altar immediately you can be the only person playing the game and will still earn the right amount of tokens according to how many altars won.
  • Some players "glitch" other players into the game when there are not enough players by destroying their wands at the last possible second. (When the timer goes blank just as it finishes closing up.)
  • Some players experienced what is called a "one versus five glitch." It happens when four players on the same team log out, but the game does not end. The only player standing has to face five opponents.

[edit] Trivia

  • A player can exit the Nature altar (Body altar for F2P) without a time penalty but this is not recommended since its better to wait the last 2 minutes of gameplay and get some tokens.
  • The first player to touch an orb of his colour controls the orb. As long as that player is still controlling the orb, the orb will not respond to attempts by other players on his team to attract or repel that orb, until the first player releases hold of that orb. This has bothered new players since they believe that the game is glitched or otherwise laggy when the orb doesn't respond to them.
  • This minigame is the first skill-related minigame that free players can play.
  • When the exit portal in each altar in examined, the info is, "Look at you, examining things when there's Runecrafting to do!" This could be a reference to the game, Portal. A similar line in Portal appears in the song "Still Alive" and reads: "Look at me still talking, when there's science to do."
  • Another reference to Portal's "Still alive" is after failing a match without getting a single capture (Altar), 'Wizard' Vief will say "This was a disaster! I'm making a note here: HUGE FAILURE", instead of "triumph" and "Success"
  • Players in Runecrafting altars but not participating in the minigame can sometimes see players playing The Great Orb Project.
  • Players that lost at all altars did not receive any tokens until the 19 August 2008 update.
  • As per the 27 January 2009 update, players are no longer allowed to sit around Fletching and alching things while they're meant to be participating in the Great Orb Project.
  • Two games can be played at the same altar but players won't see the players in the other game.
  • You cannot place a barrier close to exit. If you will attempt to do this, message will appear: "Please do not block the exit."
  • If you do not go through the portal you are pulled through, but if you go through at just the right time, you go through the portal and then you are pulled through, and so you get the appearing animation twice.
  • If you create a barrier over a fire in the fire altar, the fire will go out.
  • If a player pushes an orb very far out of the water altar stage, the orb will come back one step from the boundaries of the minigame.
  • It is possible to repel an orb far enough that it cannot be accessed by any player (commonly referred to as "dead orb"), this only occurs on water and fire altars.
  • It is perfectly possible to bind the power of the altars into tiaras during the game; certain players who have attained multiple talismans, have no available bank space, and who find it inconvenient to travel long distances to manually reach the altars, use the project as a method to do so.
  • The render order of some of the scenery in the Great Orb Project waiting area was altered on November 9 2009.

[edit] Music

Music unlocked:

  • Second Vision

[edit] Gallery

A player wearing the Runecrafter hat, goggles up and goggles down.

Talisman Staff Bonus.

An Omni-talisman staff being used to distract the eyes in the Abyss.

A player wielding an Omni-talisman staff made by combining an Omni-talisman and a Runecrafting staff.

Floating rune essence.

A player wearing the Green robes with goggles on.

A player wearing the Yellow robes with goggles on.

[edit] References


v • d • e
Minigames
Team games

Barbarian Assault • Blast Furnace • Castle Wars • Clan Wars • Fishing Trawler • The Great Orb Project • Pest Control • Shades of Mort'ton • Soul Wars • Stealing Creation • Trouble Brewing • Vinesweeper

Solo games

Archery competition • Barrows • Champions' Challenge • Creature Creation • Gnome Ball • Gnome Restaurant • Impetuous Impulses • Mage Arena • Mage Training Arena • Pyramid Plunder • Ranging Minigame • Rogue Trader • Sorceress's Garden • Tai Bwo Wannai Cleanup • Tears of Guthix • Temple Trekking • Treasure Trails • TzHaar Fight Cave

PvP games

Bounty Hunter • Burthorpe Games Room • Castle Wars • Clan Wars • Duel Arena • Fist of Guthix • Mobilising Armies • Soul Wars • Stealing Creation • TzHaar Fight Pit

Agility courses

Agility Pyramid • Ape Atoll • Bandos agility course • Barbarian Outpost • Brimhaven • Dorgesh-Kaan • Gnome Stronghold • Penguin • Rogue's Den • Werewolf Agility Course • Werewolf Skullball • Wilderness

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