IAm Dave Osborne, Senior Narrative Designer at Jagex Games Studio for the popular MMORPG RuneScape - AMAA!

I only have this question: Why did you hate my childhood? Because of you, almost the entirety of my 5-8th grade years were spent on the computer not making friends.

It's revenge. Remember that next time you forget to tip your waiter.

Do you have any plans to include a Mod Mike NPC in RuneScape? I believe he would make an excellent protagonist, perhaps as a mighty demon slayer or maybe even the saviour of Gielinor.

Just a thought. :)

He sounds like a tired and overused archetype.

full rune pls

Sure, I'll swap you for a full Breaking Bad boxset

Hey Dave? Why are you running from your past? Just because you're a successful game designer doesn't mean you should ignore your past achievements as a super stuntman.

SUPER DAVE OSBORNE! You know what, we didn't have him in the UK. But still, I've searched him out, watched his show and even his animated series. I even jumped from the top of a light railway. Again, like a boss.

When writing a story, what are some of the crazier/cool ideas that you wanted to implement but were not able to have in the game?

Wow. This is my favourite question of the day, bar none. Here are my top three:

• You start a quest, but then have no memory of how you completed it. You have to work backwards through your own memory to figure out what occurred.
• An NPC is chasing a monster that eats through the walls between dimensions. She then gets stuck as a dimensional hole close in around her. You have to hop from dimension to dimension looking for her backside to give it a push.
• You start a quest against a mad wizard who removes all your ingame interfaces. You have to start a quest to win them back, one by one.

That first idea is incredible - I think it could work as a fun standalone a la One Piercing Note - plenty of Memento references too I'm sure - were these flat out denied by the powers that be or could you submit them again?

Haha, they have been proposed over the years, and were likely too wacky or too trollish (the interface one in particular) to work. Still, it gives you an insight into my mind.

Isn't the first idea pretty much what happens in Icthlarin's Little Helper?

Oooh, good point. In my head, the idea was at least 3.6x better than ILH. Promise.

I think that's awesome!

How long does it take for a story to go from the drawing board to the game usually? Do you have a backlog of stories or do you choose a select number and work heavily on them?

Often a quest sits on the drawing board for months, so it's a hard question to answer! I'd say roughly three months, on average.

We have a schedule of stories that we want to tell, but I don't have a sack of finished quests under my desk, I'm afraid.

Do you ever merge quests? Like you had two on the drawing board and put them together? If so which quest?

I can't think of any we've merged. Can you believe that the Mahjarrat series - Tale of the Muspah, all the way to the Ritual - was originally going to be one quest, like Recipe for Disaster? That's crazy.

First and foremost, let me say that you have done an awesome job keeping RuneScape's Lore interesting and addicting. However, I haven't kept up with it recently because I absolutely despise the EoC.

SoWreck3d has made a video about it, and it already has 5K likes to get "old style" servers back. Are there any plans?

Link here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNfgzOuzruM

Thank you! That's very kind of you to say. I'll have to watch the video in my own time, I'm afraid, but I'll give it a spin.

Any plans for a quest which involves the fourth wall?

Amazing! Are you currently in employment? Could I recommend you for a position?

How much do players that bot bother you?

A lot. Lots of lots. They've occasionally taken our focus away from releasing relentlessly good updates, and for that they will never be forgiven.

Have you guys ever considered going to a platform?

Nah, I'm the guy who misses the train.

Ah, okay - I'm the wrong person to ask about that one. I would love to catch RuneScape on my Ipad, or have it big-screen (with achievements!) on the Xbox 360. I guess the time would have to be right, and I can't help wonder how the complex interactions in RuneScape would be crammed onto simpler input devices

I appreciate you answering the last question in had. I just had this one pop into my head, has there ever been a suggestion you've made purely as a joke, but was actually implemented? If so, what was it?

Hahaha, your questions are fantastic.

I was once asked by someone in HR to come up for a name for a reward system, something that would reward staff members for the good work they do. I had a think, and came up with a number of ideas. At the end of that list was a joke idea - I called it "Jagexcellence". Of course, they chose it, and people haven't forgiven me.

Hi Dave! Awesome AMA

My question: When you guys log on and are "acting normal" or just 'playing like everyone else,' what exactly are you doing? Observing? Monitoring? What?

Thanks so much!

We're playing around with our mod tools, giving you funny hats and big feet that only we can see. We're trolling you and you don't know it.

Hello Dave! I have 3 questions. 1. Will there ever be more features for non-members? More quests, items, more places to explore? 2.Why did you guys take out the Romeo and Juliet quest? It was one of my favorites. 3. Is there a reason why some quests and characters get deleted?

Absolutely, we have some meaty content for free players this year. You won't have to wait too long for some of it.

As for Romeo and Juliet, I can understand your frustration - it was not the worst quest in the world. For me - and these are my feelings, not the reasons we removed it - Romeo was too intrusive and annoying, and (most importantly) it foregrounded characters that just weren't from RuneScape. I want players to say "RuneScape is original, imaginative and creative". Romeo just didn't do that.

As for question 3, I can understand that you're attached to those quests, but simply layering more and more content on to RuneScape isn't the right answer. If we had that approach, then the good quests would be among the bad, and old-style fetch quests would sit next to the more immersive experiences. I want new players to keep playing, to keep RuneScape social, and the best way to do that is keep them playing the best stuff.

If you could re-write a piece of lore so, instead of just being retconned, it never existed in the minds of the players in the first place, what would it be?

Wow, that's a mindblowing question! I have to say, 100%, it's the death of Zaros. One of the most intriguing and mysterious characters, and the player never gets to meet him, and we'd have to jump through hoops to get him back in the world.

Hi Dave, can you make sure my son Mike eats the fruits and veggies I pack for him in his lunch? I used to go to his school everyday to make sure he ate, but now that he's older and has a job, I can't come in to work with him anymore otherwise I'd embarrass him.

Hi Mrs Mikesmum,

Unfortunately wee Mike spends most of his day eating candyfloss and drinking sugary drinks. It took us an hour to coax him down from the fire escape last Friday. Please send help. :(

Best wishes, Mod Drebin

I saw him eating a gold bar between two caramacs. Just saying.

Hello! Thank you for doing an AMA. I have a couple questions:

1.) What was the reasoning behind players who are set as single-combat not being able to attack players set as multi-combat in the wilderness, and vice-versa? It seems to me that the old system of multi-combat/single-combat areas in the wilderness was far superior to making two arbitrary 'groups' of people who can't inter-attack each other.

2.) This one is kind of technical, sorry if I do a poor job of explaining it...why does attacking someone in the wilderness not lock them into combat until they attack back? This essentially allows for a player never to get attacked if they have enough friends to pull someone off them.

I guess both my questions boil down to: are there any plans to tweak PvP combat in the wilderness, or is Jagex happy with the way things are now?

Apologies, but I'm really not the person to ask. Hopefully there will be other AMAA's in the future to help answer your questions.

Hi Dave,

Two questions:

• Are there any plans to add more quests/items into the wilderness? It seems like everything that used to make the Wilderness unique is being added to the rest of the world (i.e. rune rocks) to the point where there is no purpose to travel in to the wilderness except for PKing. Are there any plans for the addition of unique rewards/activities to the wilderness to try to bring more people out there for non-PKing purposes?

• Are their any plans to revamp/rescale any skills that no longer scale well? For example, requiring 99 smithing to produce a rune plate.

Something will be added to the Wilderness next week! As for quests, one next year will take place under the Wilderness, but will not be a dangerous PvP area, I am afraid.

While a Wilderness quest sounds attractive, it would also be hated by a large proportion of our non-PvP story players. Sorry!

Hello Mod Osborne,

Would you rather fight one Nex sized MMG's or 1000 MMG sized Nex'?

But seriously, any hints on how you guys are taking care of RWT'ing this year?

I'll be honest, I used to buy and sell gold for real world money but stopped after two weeks when I realized how it destroys the game and how unfair it is and how stupid I was to do it. I would love to be able to help out with the RWT problem if I can.

MMG is huge. I'm not kidding, he's a beast. So, one Nex-sized MMG to go, please.

[deleted]

Definitely. 'Soon' may be optimistic, as we have big plans for story in the next month or so, but I plan to drop a huge tome on you all. It's about time there was an official history of RuneScape. Which reminds me, look out for a motion comic that will summarise a lot of the story in three lovely minutes.

Any chance of another quest with Ariane? I really enjoyed them.

Also, more quests involving Doric? The rework was epic and I'd like to see how his business evolves :)

Also, have you thought of creating quests which involve the banks of Runescape? Or some lore about how they were created? I don't know, I just want to know more about them! :P

And, any plans to make more quests like the Making History ones?

I keep asking more and more questions, sorry! I'd like to add, thanks a lot for the AMA + Lore stream + all your work at Jagex. Really appreciate it :)

• Purify

All of the heroes will feature again, whether that's independently or alone. We have roles and arcs planned for each of them, and the heroes you know now will be unrecognisable by the time you are finished with them.

I'm glad you liked What's Mine Is Yours, even if it's one of the few that I didn't design! Still, I'm with you - I really liked that moment when the ribbon was cut. Still, no plans currently for Doric.

As for your bank question, you have hit on something that has been suggested at Jagex Towers regularly! There are a lot of people who want to do a Grand Exchange quest, for example - imagine taking part in a heist - but it hasn't been greenlit quite yet.

Any idea if the Kudos Isle will tie into any existing lore or questlines. If so any hints?

Kudos Isle is something of a passion project for Mark and Mod Maz. One day, they'll get to make it. Listening to their plans for it, it would be steeped in some very interesting lore and some giant creatures.

Hello Mr. Mod Osbourne sir (the formalities are endless ;P) I was just wondering if the mysterious cities of Menaphos and Priffdinas will be released? I realize the elven quest series should be expecting another quest, I was wondering if it would be a grandmaster type quest? Also, I saw the rework of the Prince Ali quest was to possibly introduce Menaphos in the future? Am I on the right track here or am I looking too much into it? :o I'm a HUGE fan of the quests in the game :) thank you for your time m'lord

edit: the m'lord is because I'm in a downton abbey kind of mood :3

Ah, Menaphos. My number 3 city after Prifddinas and Arposandra. We'll get there eventually, but it's oh so hard to get something like that greenlit.

An elf city would HAVE to be grandmaster. There's no way round it.

I'll pass on that we have a big desert fan in the house. We have plans for the desert pantheon, and I'm looking for ways that Crondis and Het could be explored.

I have a few questions ranging from RuneScape in general to specific lore questions.

1. Jagex has been putting higher production values in the most recent quests, but a large portion of players turn off the audio, play in minimum detail, and skip over the dialogue while using a guide. What do you have to say to these players?

2. How has Jagex's attitude towards the lore evolved from when you joined until now?

3. How much of the lore about the Wushanko Isles was already written versus written during the development of Player Owned Ports?

4. What gods are worshipped in the Wushanko Isles?

5. If the Stone of Jas was teleported away during Ritual of the Mahjarrat, is this the last we'll see of the Stone?

6. Will Kerapac's plot to kill Jas be explored?

7. What was so special about the three dragonkin in Ritual of the Mahjarrat? Wouldn't all of the existing dragonkin unite against the False User?

8. Will the advancement to the year 170 be for all players or just those who have completed certain quests?

9. How were the Lunar mages able to construct runecrafting altars in obscure locations like underneath Castle Drakan and the Temple of Light?

10. In Legacy of Seergaze, there was a conspiracy to nullify the Edicts of Guthix. Will this be addressed in this year's world events?

11. How long have the gods updates been planned? Are they some of the earliest ideas Andrew and Paul wrote, or something new?

1. Good question. I have no problem with those players. Sometimes you want to lightly play RuneScape, watching a movie as you do so. I do it, and I wouldn't force a player to pay attention. That said, I'd ask them to just try one - give it a go as intended, with headphones on and exploring off the critical path. If we haven't convinced you, then fair play.
2. It's changed massively. It's not in one person's head any more; we're more acutely aware of what we want to do in the future; we're looking to outdo each other with each story. There are so many differences, and I haven't even gone into Graphics or Audio.
3. PoP was approached differently from any other piece of content. We created a full story bible for the islands several months before release, and the dialogue was written exclusively by a writer (well, me, and structured by another two designers). Hopefully the quality improvement is noticeable.

1. They are Hinduistic in the manner that they treat sea monsters as sacred, but otherwise the Eastern Lands have no deities. Although, the west are trying to bring some in.
2. Ummm, pass!
3. Kerapac wants to kill Jas? I'm not sure that's quite the case. That would be one way to break the compulsion, but I believe he is more pragmatic than that.
4. They are the most powerful, the most vocal, and the ones who have 'given in' to their compulsion more than the others.
5. It will be for everyone

Of course Kerapac wants to kill Jas! He said it in the fourth dragonkin journal. "I will find a way to free the dragonkin from Your curse. We will remove the shackles You put in place and we will kill you."

I'd just like to say the dragonkin journals are my favorite piece of lore. The way the fourth one transitions to a threat to Jas is just... sexy. The mod who wrote it needs to get some Treasure Trail sweets.

Haha! He's a new developer and I will definitely do that. I like those books too, and I can't wait to get Kerapac in game. He's going to be crazily cool.

1 When is the next lore stream ? 2 Any plans for the Mahjarrat in 2013? 3 Who build the mysterious statues(the big heads)? 4 Did the dragonkin that robert the strong kill have a name if so what is it ? 5 Is kearapac dead? 6 When will we meet more dragonkin? 7 Will the two new skills be lore oreintated like dungeoneering ? 8 Will we be seeing more lore jounals drops for bosses and why wasnt kalpite king given one ? 9 When can we expect to see the dungeoneering finale or at least the next segas? 10 How do you guys decied which quests to rework any plans to rework imp catcher? 11 Any plans for eva cashien seems a shame to only use her in only one quest? 12 What god did the werewolfs follow before they were enslaved by the vampyres 13 Horses real or not ? 14 Will we ever get to vist the Mahjarrat homeland 15 Is the penguin motherland acheron or are they to seprate places 16 Will we ever get a quest based on fist of guthix 17 Is there more then just the archipelago to the eastern lands prehaps further east and is it the same archipelago as the cursed archipelago

Right, I'm going to hit the first few as the questions are mounting up. 1) The lore stream was a success, so I can see it happening pretty soon. We've got big story movements (sounds painful) in the next few months, so it will be a good time to do it. 2) Definitely, yes, absolutely. Kharshai, Sliske, Azzanadra - I have plans for most of them. 3) You know, that's a good question. I had imagined that they were sentries for a god. 5) Kerapac is very much alive and will feature ingame. Quote me on that!....

1. There are plans, and those plans would melt your retinas. 7. There will be plenty of lore, but not delivered in the same manner as Dungeoneering. 8. You will see some more lore drops, and the KK has a well developed backstory that we may get into in the future. 9. I would love, LOVE to do that, and sooner rather than later. It's a desire of both mine and Mark's, so who knows. 10. We have plans to rework a couple of quests this year, but they won't be as dramatic as Prince Ali.

What's your most favourite story line in Runescape, and why?

What's your favourite book?

My favourite narrative idea in the game is the 500-year rejuvenation ritual of the Mahjarrat. The idea of a race whittling down their number and getting more and more powerful with each ritual is fantastic. Kudos to Paul Gower for that one.

Favourite book? Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. That makes me a wee bit depressing.

If you could do any of the Runescape quests irl, which would it be?

Wow! That's difficult! I'm a Back to the Future fan, so let's go for the History quests.

Alright, Mr. Mod Osborne, I have a few questions.

1. What has been the best update in your opinion?

2. What was the worst update in your opinion?

3. And, since you're the narrative designer.. Since Lucien was revealed to be Nomad's master, will he be featured in the next Mahjarrat quest, and if so, will he be a protagonist? I really want a protagonist Nomad.

1. This will probably be controversial. Lodestones or the Grand Exchange.
2. Sheesh, that's hard. I've never been a fan of King Arthur. But don't tell him that.
3. Nomad's still on my mind. What's interesting is that Mark thinks he's dead, while I think he's very much alive. We'll see who wins. I'm thinking a game of naked cribbage.

Will we ever be able to permanently bind ourselves to a god's service? Will this limit our interactions with opposing god's followers?

I wouldn't want the binding to be permanent, but you will definitely be able to do something similar. There wouldn't be a faction/reputation system in place, however - the best implementations of a rep system have done it from the ground up, and I'd want your reputation to reflect existing quests

I'm actually playing in another tab as we speak. I'm still trying to adjust to the EOC, it was a major change in the game, but I'm liking it.

What is your favorite quest series in the game and what are you most looking forward to in the future?

Thanks for a great game that even us older players can enjoy :)

Favourite quest series? Oooh, now we're talking. Can I say the Fremennik Sagas? Most under-rated content in the game, they are. That sounds like a topic for discussion - what's the most under-rated stuff ingame?

Another quick question then, are the raids (so far goblin and next week demon) a sort of proof that gods are getting more influence on Gielinor? I mean, these goblins and demons have to have come from somewhere, and they are both warriors of specific gods. Thanks for your previous answers.

Goblins not so much. Demons, yes. Yes, yes, yes. The demons can sense something - they're sniffing in the air, and they can smell a change is coming.

What position did you start out at in Jagex? how long have you worked for them?

It's been six-and-a-half years. I started out as an editor, having worked as a music and sports journalist. Once we started editing the ingame content (not before lots of text errors had already gone ingame), I was offering limited game design feedback that soon became extensive game design feedback. By three years ago, I had been moved into a game design position and I was lucky enough to specialise in story. It's unexpected and I still love it to bits. I hope you can tell!

Hi Mod Osborne,

I really enjoyed the quest 'Murder Mystery'. Is there any quests coming that are similar?

Thanks for the AMA!

Oooh, you should play One Piercing Note! I have to admit that Murder Mystery isn't one of my favourite quests - I'd happily rejig it and bring it up to current standards - but the approach of positioning the player as an investigator is well-worn but successful. Personally, I won't rest until we get luminol ingame.

That quest would be amazing with voice acting.

Thanks for the reply!

Edit: Please, please never do anything similar to One Small Favour. I would rather put a toothpick under my toe and kick a wall than do that quest again.

Agreed. Don't tell anyone, but that's my least favourite quest. It's just not how I roll.

how many guardians of guthix is there? also is grim a guardian of guthix and will we see a lot of them 2013

Fantastic question! This gives me a chance to drop in some spoilers: look away if you like your story in a chastity belt. There are, in my eyes, the same number of Guardians as there are UPRIGHT stones in a Druids' Circle. You've seen Fiara, Juna, Valluta and Death is indeed a Guthixian Guardian. I have one more in mind who is ingame already (also likes a story) but I'm going to keep that close to my chest. And the GoG will feature soon, trust me.

Are there any Elder Artifacts that we may walk past everyday without anyone knowing the true power of the artifact?

Hells yeah! Oh, I wish I could tell you. Needless to say, minds will be blown.

What's your view on RWT?

From below and slightly to the left. No, right! I never get that correct.

Hello Dave, I have four questions; What are the plans for the humble Ecto-Token? Is the Kharid-ib an Elder Artifact? Are there many Elder Artifacts in the Desert? Are the Desert Pantheon bound by the Edicts officially?

Oooh, quickfire questions...

No plans that I'm aware of. No. Perhaps - actually, yes. Demigods would have to do something tremendous to be affected by the Edicts (if the Edicts exist at all)

It sounds like there's going to be a lot of good lore this year, is there anything you're absolutely bursting at the seams with which you can't resist giving us a hint about?

Also, keep up the good work!

Congrats! You're my last post for today, and I apologise if I've missed you out. I've been typing like a madman!

So, something juicy: our next quest introduces not one but TWO new guardians of Guthix. And possibly even a visit from Nex...

I have multiple questions from clan-mates who couldn't get an account:

1) Is the Kharshai reveal still scheduled for January? as said in a livestream

2) Is the first god quest still planned for early this year?

3) Is there a possibility of getting some backstory on Jhallan, as he's the first Mahjarrat we (technically) meet?

4) Is there a possibility of more RS novels to be released?

5) Is Guthix the rarest butterfly?

6) Will Morytania ever be restored to a lively place?

7) Are there any other Icyenes other than Zilyana present on Gielenor?

8) Did man come from earth when they travelled from the world gate?

9) Will we see dragonriders in the flesh?

1) You've got me there. Blame Mark, blame Christmas, blame the blue makeup that people keep making me wear. It's nearly there and we plan to unleash it soon, but not in January. 2) First god quest? You could argue that we've already had plenty. 3) Jhallan, to me, has been and gone. I'm not ruling out the possibility, but I see him as a tragic character who has had his time in the sun. 4) I would love there to be, but there are no plans currently. 5) Well, you can't get much rarer than Guthix.

6) I shudder to imagine how we would achieve that in an MMO! 7) Not yet, well, kind of. 8) No. 9) I would not be surprised if didn't not see that.

After the game on the Christmas Livestream, I've been wondering. Have you actually had any crazy clubbing experiences? Also, will you go clubbing with me after Runefest?

What's your favorite game other than Runescape?

As for in-game questions:

Will there be more rewards in the future for player owned ports?

Will the new production skill be a "buyable," or will it require us to gather our own resources beforehand?

Finally, will you delay MEP3 as long as possible so that I don't have to spend a whole day getting frustrated at an annoying puzzle? :D

Oh my word, you watched the livestream. All I can say is that I apologise, and my mother would not be proud. As for club experiences, I've had plenty! I just can't talk about them. Honestly, I just...can't.

My favourite game of all time is Toejam and Earl. It's a nostalgic choice, but I'm not ashamed.

Yep, PoP will expand and there will be more rewards.

Haha, and you're on with MEP3! I still haven't done it.

What other games do you like to play?

Wait, there are other games? Ah, okay, I'm loving the joys of the WiiU at the moment, inviting people over for some Nintendoland. I've just finished Walking Dead too, so you can expect me to pilfer and borrow from it for future quests!

do you play skyrim???

Uh, you just reminded me that I have it on my 360, ready to play. That game is so big and daunting. I guess I really should do it, otherwise the Fantasy Police will shoot me in the knee.

Are there any plans to introduce some Guthix-related weaponry? I know he seems like a pretty absent god when it comes to helping his followers, but I don't want to keep having to use heathen Godswords when I fight.

It's a tough one - Guthix, although balanced, was always a pacifist. When he came to the world he only brought farmers and peacelovers, which gives you an idea of his opinions on the odd streetfight. Still, I think you will see Guthix-themed items ingame very soon.

Thank you for enslaving me. So what influenced you to make RuneScape?

Get back to peeling the potatoes, harryman808. That stew isn't going to cook itself.

And I didn't make RuneScape, alas. Paul and Andrew are very much responsible and I am eternally grateful to them for it.

What are your favorite pizza toppings?

Create your own: jalapeno peppers, pepperami, red onion. Then I get it home and slap on some pesto, like a boss.

What narratives have you worked on and which one is your favorite?

I've worked on pretty much every quest from the past three years, in some capacity. I've also contributed to reworks, PoP, the story of clans...too many to mention! There are very few things that DON'T feature story, which makes you very much in demand.

As for the favourite narrative that I have been heavily involved with? The Occultist and Whaler in PoP.

How do you feel about the hours of repetitive tasks one has to go through in order to gain the max level and further complete the game? Is there a chance this will be changed in the way of lowering the xp needed/increasing rates or adding more tasks?

Also, are the dialogues in quests based on a storyline or are they made separately from eachother. With sequels made by the same team of developers.(difficult question, can't word it better)

As many people are protective of those hours as are annoyed by them. I couldn't possibly comment on the majority of what you ask, but I do like to skill with a movie on.

I think you're asking whether the same devs work on each questline. No, I'm afraid not - when you're releasing each week, the maker of the original quest may be busy (they have a skill, are working on clans, etc) so you have to pass the baton. Aside from that, developers do leave (branded traitors and we pop a small curse on them via Jagex-branded cauldrons), which means the curatorship passes on.

Did you do any work on Stellar Dawn, and if so what kind of stuff were you guys doing?

I worked on some ARG websites, but nothing more. Some of the stuff those guys were doing with world-building and race characterisation was astounding.

Hey Dave,

I'm just posting here to let you know that I quit playing Runescape because Korasi died.

:(.

Are you saying it left a Void in your life? You must be Korasi to leave! Sorry, I'm just being a Pest.

Is there a particular runescape god that you favor over others?

Yep. My favourite god is not currently a god. But they will be. And they will be thoroughly, absolutely amazing.

Super Dave Osborne?

Papa?

Is there any quest-lines or areas you would love to see updated, like the Wizards Tower and Al Kharid quests have been, that haven't been greenlit to be updated yet?

Elves, for one. The final Fremennik Saga, bringing them all together, is another. What's nice is that my biggest want, my number 1 we-have-to-do-this-quest is getting finished next month, or thereabouts.

why don't paying players have more of a say in what is and what is not released as content?

I assume you are talking about a contribution beyond suggestions on the forums and occasional Guaranteed Content polls. It's a fair point, and we don't do enough of the former anyway. You can expect much to change this year, however. I can recall two pieces of content off the top of my head that will allow you to decide on its fate completely and utterly - and they're not small pieces of content.

Did you and Letterman have a falling out?

Letterman touched my stuntman's helmet. He had to go down.

What's your favourite quest and why?

I'm a fan of the more modern quests. My favourite quest is actually out in the next two months (fingers crossed you like it as much as I do) while One Piercing Note and the Thok sagas excite me in very different ways.

What is the most frustrating aspect of your job?

To be honest, not having the time. There's so much you want to do, but you have to limit yourself. Personally, I'd have a quest every week, written by me, with a 'Panache' skill.

Gs whip or scimmy?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFw3AKv34RQ

Imagine a mixture of the two. Mr Whippy!