Collectible Card Game Headquarters

Hi Ive been making decks for a while but I want to release them for others to play how do I go about making A core File, Art File, Etc for the decks?

If you have not created any custom cards and only used cards from already released mods then technically you don't need to create a core wad all you need to do is list the mods you used for the deck as dependencies. This is the preferred method as if one of the cards you used from another mod gets updated and the person using your deck updates that dependency then your deck will use the updated version as well. This also works to minimize mod conflicts.

If you have created your own cards and just want to package up your cards in a core wad then the easiest method would be to put the files you want to package into a core into the appropriate places in the Deck Builder's custom data folder (if you haven't created one it can be created by using the "Setup Custom Data Folder" option under "Tools" in the Deck Builder). then once you've placed all your files in there you can use "Create Core Wad from Custom Data" to create a core wad.

If you are looking for a more complex solution (separating cards and art, combining in a content pack enabler, etc...) then you will have to create your wads manually. To create a wad manually first you need to start by creating an appropriate directory structure. Something like this:

• DATA_DLC_MyArtCore_unpacked
  • DATA_DLC_MYARTCORE
    • DATA_ALL_PLATFORMS
      • ART_ASSETS
        • ILLUSTRATIONS
• DATA_DLC_MyCardCore_unpacked
  • DATA_DLC_MYCARDCORE
    • DATA_ALL_PLATFORMS
      • CARDS
      • FUNCTIONS
      • TEXT_PERMANENT

Then you need to create your wad headers (@header.xml) for the wads and place them for example:

Code: Select all

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<WAD_HEADER>
  <ENTRY platform="ALL" source="DATA_DLC_MYARTCORE/DATA_ALL_PLATFORMS/" alias="Content" order="3" />
</WAD_HEADER>

• DATA_DLC_MyArtCore_unpacked
  • DATA_DLC_MYARTCORE
    • DATA_ALL_PLATFORMS
      • ART_ASSETS
        • ILLUSTRATIONS
  • @header.xml

Or if integrating the content pack enabler code something like this (with the CONTENTPACK UID being the IdBlock you use in the Deck Builder):

Code: Select all

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<WAD_HEADER>
   <ENTRY platform="ALL" source="DATA_DLC_MYCARDCORE/DATA_ALL_PLATFORMS/" alias="Content" order="3" />
   <CONTENTPACK UID="1000">
      <PD_SECTION>
         <APP_ID ID="213850" />
      </PD_SECTION>
      <CONTENTFLAGS>
         <AVATAR_CONTENT />
         <DECK_CONTENT />
         <GLOSSARY_CONTENT />
         <UNLOCK_CONTENT />
      </CONTENTFLAGS>
   </CONTENTPACK>
</WAD_HEADER>

• DATA_DLC_MyCardCore_unpacked
  • DATA_DLC_MYCARDCORE
    • DATA_ALL_PLATFORMS
      • CARDS
      • FUNCTIONS
      • TEXT_PERMANENT
  • @header.xml

Then once you have finished up your wad header(s) you populate your directory structure with your custom cards, art, functions, text entries, etc....

Once you have finished all the steps up to this point you can use Gibbed.Duels.Pack.exe to pack your wad. It is recommended to run it from a command prompt so that you can add the --compress command line option to compress your new core wad (creates smaller files).

It is not recommended to include cards, functions, or art from other mods as that will lead to mod conflicts and incompatibilities. If you do try to create an inclusive core that contains cards or other resources from other mods you are creating more work for yourself and for those who will be using your mods (they will have to check for conflicts, will see multiple copies of the exact same card in the Deck Builder, etc...).