Rookgaard has always been a novice island, intended for new players to learn the game's features in peace. The island did not offer high-difficulty levels of monsters, which allowed for leisurely exploration. New characters appeared in the temple, where they were thrown into the whirlwind of adventure, only to be ready after some time for what awaited them on the main continent. Who among us doesn't remember entire teams heading to Minotaur Hell? But not everyone remembers exactly how the island has changed over the years. In this article, I will try to explain it to you.

With version 3.0 of the game, the map was enlarged from 160x160 to 512x512 pixels. It was at this time that the nucleus of the novice island - Rookgaard - was most likely created. Enlarging the map resulted in the creation of the first city - Tibia City, which is an early version of today's Thais. In addition to the main continent, other islands also appeared on the map, such as Fibula, Meluna and Rookgaard. They are already visible in the map presentation of version 4.0. In the initial phase of development, all islands were similar to each other and did not stand out for anything special. The part of the Rookgaard area that already existed around 1997/98 constituted today's eastern part of the island and the small area where the city is now located. At that time, the entire island was covered with green areas and had nothing special. Over time, this would all change, and the island would fall into the hearts of players from all over the world.

Major changes to Rookgaard began to appear around version 5.2. The eastern part of the island began to take on its characteristic shape, and the first town was built, along with a temple, shops, part of today's academy, a mill, a barn, and a bridge that led to the open part of Rookgaard. The first NPCs were:

• Cipfried
• Obi
• Seymour
• Amber
• Willie
• Dallheim
• Hyacinth
• Blind Orc

In the west of the city, there was a small island with a rock. You could get to it through the entrance on the left, just behind the barn, under the city walls. Currently, however, this small island does not exist.

Already at that time, outside the city walls, there was an entrance to the underground in the north, leading further to Trolls or Minotaur Hell. There also appears to have been a cave entrance with bears to the south and wolves to the north, as well as a Ghoul burial ground.
However, this is not entirely certain, and the assumptions result from the available maps. Screenshots proving the existence of these places come from versions above 6.0.

The year 2001 brought the expansion of Rookgaard to the west, which could be reached thanks to a bridge that was moved in later versions of the game. The new area offered two caves - one in the northern part and the other, located on the western shore. Poison Spiders could be found in both of them. There was also an Orc Tower to the west, with Orc Spearmen circling around it, harassing inexperienced players. The Orc Tower wasn't the only one - the Troll Tower and the Wasp Tower also appeared. A descent into the catacombs with Skeletons was added to the game, and next to it a place of worship known to today's players as "Stonehenge". A respawn of bears has appeared, probably not yet fenced like today. To the south, there were marshes where snakes could be found. More importantly, for many players returning to Rookgaard with nostalgia, an island with the legendary Sword of Fury appeared. Which of you felt your heart beat faster when you saw this sword for the first time?
The city has been slightly improved and expanded. A new shop has also been added with NPC Al Dee, selling equipment for adventurous players.

Game version 6.4 brings small changes for Rookgaard players. There is a tavern with Norma and map corrections.

The continued improvement of the map accompanied the expansion of the city. The biggest changes took place in the very heart, where the temple was modernized, the Obi store was enlarged, and the academy was expanded with a library. Additionally, a new building was added - Tanner Tom's shop, which became every Rookstayer's favorite place, giving them the opportunity to resell dead rats. However, the most visible change on the Tibia maps was the expansion of the city, with a southern path leading to Lily's shop, which specializes in basic magic and offers antidotes and health potions.
In the new part of Rookgaard, there are also additional entrances to the city's canals. However, most of the newly added land remained undeveloped, giving the island a specific character.

Two years after the introduction of premium accounts to the game, a part of the island dedicated to these players was added west of the city. In addition to the wild areas, a part developed by the city was also added, including the Lee'Delle store, where it was possible to buy and sell basic equipment, the second part of the mill, and a small building resembling a temple, which housed The Gatekeeper acting as The Oracle on the side premium. Several new NPCs also appeared, such as Billy - Willie's brother, and Zerbrus - a guard on the bridge leading outside the city limits. There was also the monk Louie, who was near the cave, afraid of what he found there.

The PACC side offered a wide selection of monsters, such as wolves, bears, skeletons, trolls, minotaurs, and, new to Rookgaard, goblins. The cave complex led to a quest in which we could get: Sandals, 4x Snowball, 5x Small Stones, Pan, Vial of Milk and 50 gp. The newly added areas held new secrets. The grave of the jester Bozo and the already famous Maze of Fury appeared. The riddles didn't have to be explicitly stated. A closed door or a lever that was inaccessible was enough to stimulate the players' imagination.

On the FACC side, the location of the bridge leading to the western part of the island has been changed.

Tibia 7.6 introduced minor changes to the island. Some elements have been improved, and new ones have been added. A beach appeared to the north, and the rock next to the Sword of Fury was connected.

Changes in version 8.2 introduced Tutorial Island. The island was located south of the city. Newly created characters would spawn on the west side of this island and go through a tutorial until they crossed over to the east. Thanks to this, new players could learn the game's functions. The game also offered the option to skip tasks.

Additionally, there was a beach where players could relax or play waterball.

In 2011, Rookie Guard Quest was introduced into the game, which resulted in changes to the appearance of the island. The Orc Tower and the entrance to the PSC basement were removed from the western part of FACC. In return, players received access to Orc Fortress. An entrance to the Spider Queen has been added across from the Troll Tower. In the east, there was an entrance to the wolves' lair, and in the southeast, there was a cemetery with catacombs. The troll caves in the north have been expanded. A new room was added to the academy's basement, increasing the library's resources.

Unfortunately, after completing the quest, players lose access to these places, and the quest can only be started between experience levels 1–5. Some of them decide not to complete the quest in order to retain access to part of the orc fortress forever.

Trampled paths appeared on the map to make it easier to move around the island, and many landscape elements were added or changed. The western part of FACC was divided by a strip of trees and vegetation, forcing players to cross the rock behind the bridge.

These are minor map changes, mainly in the areas related to Rookie Guard Quest, including the cemetery on the FACC side.

And we come to the current map of Rookgaard, which has not changed noticeably since 2012. The island is already past its glory days and is a memory for most players. However, from time to time, new adventurers appear, longing, driven by nostalgia for what used to be - a slow pace, no race for the highest laurels. I hope that I managed to guide you through a piece of Rookgaard's history without any major mistakes, and that new players fascinated by this part of the Tibia world will continue to appear on the island.

Finally, I would like to present a short animation of how our beloved island has changed. Regards,
Rookie Team