The developers of Old School Runescape have released a significant update focused on improving the Sailing skill's boat combat mechanics. This patch addresses widespread player feedback regarding the perceived weakness of cannons and introduces several quality-of-life features alongside a new sea monster. The changes aim to create a more satisfying and integrated combat experience for players on the high seas.
Acknowledging that a previous update made player gear feel less impactful than intended, the development team has removed the damage cap for player attacks from boats. This adjustment means combat against sea monsters now functions identically to land-based combat, allowing high-level gear to perform as expected. The goal is to make progression feel rewarding and to reduce the length of tedious sea battles.
Central to the update is a rebalancing act for cannons. The initial changes, while aligning with long-term goals, resulted in certain high-end magic items significantly outperforming even top-tier cannons. This created frustration for players who invested considerable time acquiring items like the Dragon Cannon. In response, the developers are actively working on a revised design to make cannons feel more powerful and satisfying to use, with a solution expected in the coming weeks rather than months.
A key new facility is the Ballistic Attractor. Players can build this device on their Sloop or Skiff after completing the Animal Magnetism quest by speaking to Ava. It requires 10 Mahogany Planks, 5000 Water Runes, 1000 Law Runes, and 5 each of Lead and Steel Bars to construct. Its primary function is to recover 60% of fired cannonballs, substantially reducing the ongoing cost of engaging in boat combat and making the activity more economically sustainable for regular players.
To streamline naval engagements, players can now build two cannons on the same side of a Sloop, designated as 'first' and 'second'. This removes the need for awkward boat maneuvering, or 'wiggling', to bring both cannons to bear on a target simultaneously. Although ships have up to four potential cannon hotspots, the maximum of two active cannons at any time remains unchanged.
Crew management has also been enhanced with the new 'Fire at Will' command. Accessible via a toggle on the Sailing side panel, this mode instructs the ship's crew to automatically search for and attack any sea monster within range. The crew will maintain focus on a target until it is defeated or moves beyond double the attack distance, at which point they will acquire a new target. This automated mode lasts for 10 minutes before the crew takes a break, but can be reactivated instantly, allowing captains to focus on navigation and strategy.
A new threat has appeared in the Tangled Kelp: the Veiled Kraken. This sea monster possesses very high Magic defence and is weak to Heavy Ranged attacks, while also employing melee strikes against players who venture too close. Its unique drop table includes the Dragon Cannon Barrel and Inky Paint, providing a more active method to obtain the barrel compared to the passive shipwreck salvaging activity. Players with Level 80 Sailing can also acquire Bounty Tasks for the Veiled Kraken from Port Tyras and Deepfin Point.
The introduction of the Veiled Kraken led to a fix in the Bounty Task generation system, which had been causing certain tasks to appear incorrectly. This correction has rebalanced the rarity and commonality of all available tasks. The developers have requested player feedback on this systemic change.
Further technical adjustments include a hotfix to revert loot behavior so it bypasses scenery as it did prior to the update. Additionally, the Dwarf Multicannon will no longer fire at sea creatures, a change implemented to preserve the balance of Bounty Tasks which are designed around boat-based combat. The developers estimate that the cumulative effect of these combat changes will keep kills per hour roughly consistent, with mid to low-level boat setups potentially seeing marginal improvements.
The team has scheduled a live stream to discuss these changes and the future of Sailing, inviting players to submit questions and feedback via Discord or social media platforms. This update is positioned as a foundational improvement, setting the stage for future content such as NPC boats, which the developers have indicated they are nearly ready to detail.
