From the RuneScape Wiki, the wiki for all things RuneScape

The Objective system is an interface released on 17 September 2009^[1]. Players may choose a random objective from a list or choose a goal by right-clicking on a skill or quest. The objectives system was designed to help new players decide what to do when they are overcome by the large amount of things to do, but also to help higher leveled players keep themselves motivated when faced with a massive amount of experience to train.

Players will also be notified of what possible quests they are enabled to do, actions they may perform, and items they can wield/use/make after the objective is completed. No reward is given for completing an objective (minus any new item the players can create/use upon levelling-up).

Experience

The system is useful for showing how many more experience points a player needs to achieve a particular level in a skill.

Currently, the objective system marks a player's progress at 0% when the goal is set, and only goes up as the player obtains more experience from the experience at the time of setting the goal, and NOT based on the experience to the next level. The information on the benefits received from gaining more levels, such as new quests, new features of skills, etc. is shown.

Random objectives

The Random Objective System, found to the left of the Friends Tab.

The Random Objective option will provide players a selection of different stats to have a goal in. This helps with deciding what stat you wish to train. When clicked, the option will then transfer into the "Objective" tab next to the Friends List.

Maxed-out messages

Players who have completed all goals (skills, quests, etc.) are typically called maxed-out players. When these players used this "Random objective" feature, they would get a message saying: "You have completed the game! GO OUTSIDE! ~Love, Jagex." It would say: "But don't forget to come back for the next update ;-)".

Message for maxed-out players.

Message for maxed-out free players.

These messages were rumoured to be fake, but was confirmed by a Jagex Moderator, Mod Mark H, on the RuneScape Forums^[2].

Trivia

Players are congratulated before they reaches their goal.

• Before the Objective system was released, the image of the "Objective system" icon was leaked with two images showcasing the effects of "Animation tweening" ^[3].
• Some players get a message they have completed their goals before they actually do.
• If you set a Member Objective and log on to a Free world, you will still have a Member Objective.
• When completing the free game and receiving the message there is no comma after Love in "Love Jagex" but after completion of the full game there is one.

References