The alpha version of our New Interface System (NIS) is now available to Gold and Silver Premier Club members, as well as a newly selected group of members who registered their interest in the RuneScape Beta Programme.

If you have access, you're ready to start trying out the customisation features and other improvements that the new interface system brings. First off, though, we'd suggest watching our bonus Behind The Scenes walkthrough video, filled with tips from Mod ThatJim on how to get started:

After that, log in by clicking here, then clicking the 'go to beta' button and logging in with your usual details. Please note: if you're eligible for the just the alpha, you'll be taken there automatically. If you're eligible for both the NIS Alpha and the HTML5 Beta, though, you'll be given a choice of which to log into.

You'll be given a choice of presets so you can start with something that you're used to, and from there you'll be free to tweak, reorganise and experiment to your heart's content.

You'll also notice some tweaks to the camera system. The angle from which your character can be viewed is slightly lower than in the live game, and you can zoom in and out with the mouse wheel for a much closer view than before. Play around with this and let us know what you think.

For now, the alpha is running on the Java client on dedicated servers with a separate game save to the live game. Your existing game save will be imported the first time you log into the alpha.

As we're at alpha stage, there will be glitches, performance issues and bugs. Please report these via the in-game bug reporting system, as it'll be a huge help in our ongoing development and testing.

What's most important to us, though, is your feedback. We're really pleased with how the new interface system is shaping up, but there are as many ways to play RuneScape as there are players. Try to find the best way to customise the interface for your play style, and experiment with different setups for different parts of the game. If there's something you want to do but can't, or if there's something could be made easier, let us know on the dedicated NIS Feedback & Discussion forums, set up for those with access to the alpha. Using your feedback, we are building an interface system that'll let you play your way.

As with the HTML5 Beta, we'll be expanding the group of selected members over the course of the alpha, so don't worry if you didn't get in right away - we'll let you know if you're chosen. Later, we'll also be making the New Interface System available for all members to try before its full release.

Any questions? Take a look at our FAQ or our wiki page.

Enjoy!

The RuneScape Team

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