I can see the current version is based on a build shortly after the 2004 release, but where is the additional content and updates coming from? Are you going to slowly update the game until 2005, 2006… until you reach 2024?
The beta launch newspost has the official word: Beta Launch: What's next? | 2004Scape
- Are you going to work on future 2004 updates, maybe even 2005+?
Exactly the goal. This is a progression server powered by an effort to openly preserve the game. When we cross a milestone to another year, the previous year will be copied and run as a fork while the main server continues on. If you want to stay in a previous year, you can. You do not have to restart from scratch to play in a future year.
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Sometimes around mid 2006 Jagex started encrypting mapdata. It’s possible to move beyond that but it’s more tricky because some cache versions don’t have the full mapdata.
How would the splitting occur? I am thinking of highscores etc. Would every potential year have its own highscore?
And if one were to migrate to a later year, I assume there is no possibility to return to a previous year? How do you have these things figured out, or are these things not decided yet?
They copy your account.
The 2004 one stays in 2004.
The 2005 one stays in 2005.
If you get a level in 2005 it won’t affect your 2004 version.
If you stick to 2004, gain levels after the split, and later want to go to 2005 the levels you gained after the copy wouldn’t be transferred.
Essentially the server will split into two separate servers.
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Is encrypted map data a real issue? Vscape is on 2007, 2009scape is on 2009, Darkan is on 2012, etc
So prior to when it was encrypted all the mapdata was available.
After they encrypted it RSPS programmers had to make a special client for RuneScape where you would log in to actual RuneScape on this modified client and run around to all areas of the map to get the mapdata.
So while there are plenty of client revisions they don’t all necessarily have ALL the map data. Since this is preservation if we’re missing quest areas that the mapdata runners weren’t able to get it’s unusable for what this project wants to do.
With that said you can technically brute force map data. I don’t know how hard that is but I remember light232 (guy I ran map data for back in like 2008? 2009?) told me it was possible all those years ago.
Edit: I don’t remember what version I ran. I think it was 525? But I had quest cape at the time and painstakingly went to every single area so I know there have to be SOME versions that have 99% data if Light232 shared it. With that said even with what I did there are some areas you only access during the quest so I’m sure I missed a handful.
Oh, okay!
So this means you get a copy transferred to new servers, and those copies become independent after the transfers, and not the original profile going back and forth 
That makes sense. Copies transferred and remain as independent server profiles 
That’s correct. So if for example on 2004 your account was a pure and it transfers to 2005 on the 2005 you could make it a main and still PK on it as a pure in 2004. 
Thank you for the clarity!
~Hydrated