RuneScript was created to allow non-programmers to jump into creating quests and content with no prior experience. It lacks some features - there are no for loops, no true arrays (you can forget they exist), and originally didn't even have a boolean type or local variables.
Our Implementation
Our RuneScript implementation deviates in a few ways. This is mostly because we continued to learn history during the project's development.
- Some language features that were introduced later in RS' lifecycle: local variables, procs, booleans, structs, enums, dbtables, and debugprocs. Macros are not supported currently.
- Pointer checking supports inversions:
if (p_finduid(uid) = false) { return; }is valid code, and code following it will have the pointer set. - Local variable declarations work at any scope. Traditionally the real game must have them at the top level. We can do:
if (xyz) { def_int $example = 0; }meanwhile in the old days you would havedef_int $example = 0; if (xyz) { $example = 1; } - We split strings on the pipe
|character to continue text on newlines if we need a manual break to match screenshots. - Our content isn't written with any general purpose global variables, but they are supported. Jagex has been working on removing/reworking their general purpose variables in content for years.
We would absolutely add and use every 2004 language behavior if we could get more questions answered!
History
RuneScript's current iteration started with the announcement of RuneScape 2's development in 2002. RuneScape Classic had its own separate language known by the same name, but it was very different and not as capable.
During the 2002-2004 development cycle there was a tool called scriptconvert made to aid in the transition to the new engine.
2004
Weak queues get added with the introduction of Make-X in September. This gives developers a way to easily queue cancellable actions. Closing interfaces will clear weak queues.
Enums get added. Originally called mes - presumably because they were a quick way to do data-driven dialogue messages. They likely weren't fully featured until later if so!
Varbits get added to optimize varp storage and reduce the manual bit math some developers were doing.
2005
Strong queues get added. This gives developers a way to interrupt players (by closing interfaces) before these queues run.
Region commands get added to create and manipulate instances.
The p_loaddelay command gets added. This can be seen on the Magic carpet ride, if your client is waiting to load the area the server will halt you for up to 10 ticks each time it moves to the next waypoint.
2006
Procs get added by a FunOrb developer. Macros are replaced with procs, #multi dialogue was translated into @multi and ~p_choice was created as an alternate method for dialogue flow.
2009
Structs get added - Ash convinced Andrew it was better than creating objects and putting data on them.
2012
Database Tables "dbtables" get added. This allows for a read-only database lookup to store information as rows and columns.