Impossible Cards (tracking, discussing, etc.)

[Splinterverse]

My code is meant to use with KICKER_PAID trigger, which you commented out. The one you kept, with SPELL_PLAYED and WasKicked, has no chance of working, as I wrote earlier.

Ah my bad. Doing too many things at once. Let me try it again.

[Splinterverse]

Ok. Still doesn't work. In this iteration, the Saproling Infestation trigger was present. I tried both the uncommented and commented out versions inside of Prohibit.

[thefiremind]

In Saproling Infestation you have a <RESOLUTION>...</RESOLUTION>, you forgot "_TIME_ACTION".

In the meantime, you can remove Morality Shift from the impossible cards: here's the code I wrote now, and it works.

Morality Shift spell ability (tested and working) | Open

Code: Select all

  <SPELL_ABILITY>
    <LOCALISED_TEXT LanguageCode="en-US"><![CDATA[Exchange your graveyard and library. Then shuffle your library.]]></LOCALISED_TEXT>
    <LOCALISED_TEXT LanguageCode="fr-FR"><![CDATA[Échangez votre cimetière et votre bibliothèque. Mélangez ensuite votre bibliothèque.]]></LOCALISED_TEXT>
    <LOCALISED_TEXT LanguageCode="es-ES"><![CDATA[Intercambia tu cementerio con tu biblioteca. Luego baraja tu biblioteca.]]></LOCALISED_TEXT>
    <LOCALISED_TEXT LanguageCode="de-DE"><![CDATA[Vertausche deinen Friedhof mit deiner Bibliothek. Mische danach deine Bibliothek.]]></LOCALISED_TEXT>
    <LOCALISED_TEXT LanguageCode="it-IT"><![CDATA[Scambia tra loro il tuo cimitero e il tuo grimorio. Poi rimescola il tuo grimorio.]]></LOCALISED_TEXT>
    <LOCALISED_TEXT LanguageCode="jp-JA"><![CDATA[Exchange your graveyard and library. Then shuffle your library.]]></LOCALISED_TEXT>
    <LOCALISED_TEXT LanguageCode="ko-KR"><![CDATA[Exchange your graveyard and library. Then shuffle your library.]]></LOCALISED_TEXT>
    <LOCALISED_TEXT LanguageCode="ru-RU"><![CDATA[Exchange your graveyard and library. Then shuffle your library.]]></LOCALISED_TEXT>
    <LOCALISED_TEXT LanguageCode="pt-BR"><![CDATA[Permute seu cemitério por seu grimório. Depois, embaralhe seu grimório.]]></LOCALISED_TEXT>
    <LOCALISED_TEXT LanguageCode="zh-CN"><![CDATA[Exchange your graveyard and library. Then shuffle your library.]]></LOCALISED_TEXT>
    <LOCALISED_TEXT LanguageCode="zh-HK"><![CDATA[Exchange your graveyard and library. Then shuffle your library.]]></LOCALISED_TEXT>
    <RESOLUTION_TIME_ACTION>
    local player = EffectController()
    local gcount = player:Graveyard_Count()
    local lcount = player:Library_Count()
    local thinDC = EffectDC():Make_Chest(0)
    -- Loops will be made over the thinner between graveyard and library, in order to optimize performance
    if gcount &lt; lcount then
       for i=0,gcount-1 do
          thinDC:Set_CardPtr( i, player:Graveyard_GetNth(i) )
       end
       player:MoveLocalZone(ZONE_LIBRARY, ZONE_GRAVEYARD)
       for i=0,gcount-1 do
          thinDC:Get_CardPtr(i):PutOnBottomOfLibrary()
       end
    else
       for i=0,lcount-1 do
          thinDC:Set_CardPtr( i, player:Library_GetNth(i) )
       end
       player:MoveLocalZone(ZONE_GRAVEYARD, ZONE_LIBRARY)
       for i=0,lcount-1 do
          thinDC:Get_CardPtr(i):PutInGraveyard()
       end
    end
    </RESOLUTION_TIME_ACTION>
    <RESOLUTION_TIME_ACTION>
    EffectController():ShuffleLibrary()
    </RESOLUTION_TIME_ACTION>
  </SPELL_ABILITY>

[Splinterverse]

In Saproling Infestation you have a <RESOLUTION>...</RESOLUTION>, you forgot "_TIME_ACTION".

If I had a penny for every time I did that . . . it's always the little stuff.

At any rate, I changed it and now it works with the trigger firing in the cost as well as in the main ability. I think it's best in the cost, so that's where I've left it for Prohibit to be uploaded later today (along with Saproling Infestation). We'll have to figure out a way to get that code into all of the existing Kicker cards. I'll definitely add it to any that I code.

In the meantime, you can remove Morality Shift from the impossible cards: here's the code I wrote now, and it works.

Are you planning to upload it to the 2014 mod? Last I heard you didn't have 2014 installed, so I'm happy to throw it into the card, test and upload. I'll put your name as author and editor of course. Just let me know.

Glad to see you are figuring out some of these "impossibles" for us. The more cards, the better!

[thefiremind]

Are you planning to upload it to the 2014 mod? Last I heard you didn't have 2014 installed, so I'm happy to throw it into the card, test and upload. I'll put your name as author and editor of course. Just let me know.

In fact I tested it on Magic Duels, but I think that all functions I used are available in 2014 as well. Sure, feel free to integrate the code in the full card and upload it in the CW, that's why I posted it here.

[Splinterverse]

Are you planning to upload it to the 2014 mod? Last I heard you didn't have 2014 installed, so I'm happy to throw it into the card, test and upload. I'll put your name as author and editor of course. Just let me know.

In fact I tested it on Magic Duels, but I think that all functions I used are available in 2014 as well. Sure, feel free to integrate the code in the full card and upload it in the CW, that's why I posted it here.

Awesome. Will do!! Thanks!

[Splinterverse]

OP has been updated.

[thefiremind]

Just noticed Demoralize in the impossible list, which I think is perfectly fine to code. It wasn't called "menace" at the time DotP2014 was released, but CHARACTERISTIC_CANT_BE_BLOCKED_EXCEPT_BY_TWO_OR_MORE_CREATURES is the same thing.

[Xander9009]

Just noticed Demoralize in the impossible list, which I think is perfectly fine to code. It wasn't called "menace" at the time DotP2014 was released, but CHARACTERISTIC_CANT_BE_BLOCKED_EXCEPT_BY_TWO_OR_MORE_CREATURES is the same thing.

Actually, the CW has a fake characteristic for menace, in fact.

Menace on EffectSource | Open

Code: Select all

<STATIC_ABILITY>
      <LOCALISED_TEXT LanguageCode="en-US"><![CDATA[Menace]]></LOCALISED_TEXT>
      <LOCALISED_TEXT LanguageCode="fr-FR"><![CDATA[Menace]]></LOCALISED_TEXT>
      <LOCALISED_TEXT LanguageCode="es-ES"><![CDATA[Amenaza.]]></LOCALISED_TEXT>
      <LOCALISED_TEXT LanguageCode="de-DE"><![CDATA[Bedrohlich]]></LOCALISED_TEXT>
      <LOCALISED_TEXT LanguageCode="it-IT"><![CDATA[Minacciare]]></LOCALISED_TEXT>
      <LOCALISED_TEXT LanguageCode="jp-JA"><![CDATA[威迫]]></LOCALISED_TEXT>
      <LOCALISED_TEXT LanguageCode="ko-KR"><![CDATA[호전적]]></LOCALISED_TEXT>
      <LOCALISED_TEXT LanguageCode="ru-RU"><![CDATA[Угроза]]></LOCALISED_TEXT>
      <LOCALISED_TEXT LanguageCode="pt-BR"><![CDATA[Ameaçar]]></LOCALISED_TEXT>
      <LOCALISED_TEXT LanguageCode="zh-CN"><![CDATA[威慑]]></LOCALISED_TEXT>
      <LOCALISED_TEXT LanguageCode="zh-HK"><![CDATA[威懾]]></LOCALISED_TEXT>
      <CONTINUOUS_ACTION layer="6">
         local oSource = EffectSource()
         if oSource ~= nil then
            RSN_Characteristics_Set(oSource, CW_CHARACTERISTIC_MENACE, 1)
         end
      </CONTINUOUS_ACTION>
   </STATIC_ABILITY>
   <TRIGGERED_ABILITY replacement_effect="1" active_zone="ZONE_LIBRARY">
      <TRIGGER value="BEGINNING_OF_STEP">
         return MTG():GetStep() == STEP_UPKEEP and MTG():GetTurnNumber() == 0
      </TRIGGER>
      <RESOLUTION_TIME_ACTION>
         RSN_Characteristics_CreateManagers()
      </RESOLUTION_TIME_ACTION>
   </TRIGGERED_ABILITY>
   <TOKEN_REGISTRATION reservation="1" type="_MANAGER_CHARACTERISTICS" />
   <HELP title="CW_MORE_INFO_TITLE_MENACE" body="CW_MORE_INFO_BODY_MENACE" zone="ZONE_ANY" />

Although, due to the layer system and how granted abilities work, in order to grant menace to another card, this code needs used.

Granting menace | Open

Code: Select all

<STATIC_ABILITY>
      <LOCALISED_TEXT LanguageCode="en-US"><![CDATA[Equipped creature has menace.]]></LOCALISED_TEXT>
      ...
      <CONTINUOUS_ACTION layer="4">
         if EffectSource() ~= nil then
            local Parent = EffectSource():GetParent()
            if Parent ~= nil then
               Parent:GetCurrentCharacteristics():GrantAbility(0)
            end
         end
      </CONTINUOUS_ACTION>
   </STATIC_ABILITY>
   <STATIC_ABILITY resource_id="0">
      <LOCALISED_TEXT LanguageCode="en-US"><![CDATA[Menace]]></LOCALISED_TEXT>
      <LOCALISED_TEXT LanguageCode="fr-FR"><![CDATA[Menace]]></LOCALISED_TEXT>
      <LOCALISED_TEXT LanguageCode="es-ES"><![CDATA[Amenaza.]]></LOCALISED_TEXT>
      <LOCALISED_TEXT LanguageCode="de-DE"><![CDATA[Bedrohlich]]></LOCALISED_TEXT>
      <LOCALISED_TEXT LanguageCode="it-IT"><![CDATA[Minacciare]]></LOCALISED_TEXT>
      <LOCALISED_TEXT LanguageCode="jp-JA"><![CDATA[威迫]]></LOCALISED_TEXT>
      <LOCALISED_TEXT LanguageCode="ko-KR"><![CDATA[호전적]]></LOCALISED_TEXT>
      <LOCALISED_TEXT LanguageCode="ru-RU"><![CDATA[Угроза]]></LOCALISED_TEXT>
      <LOCALISED_TEXT LanguageCode="pt-BR"><![CDATA[Ameaçar]]></LOCALISED_TEXT>
      <LOCALISED_TEXT LanguageCode="zh-CN"><![CDATA[威慑]]></LOCALISED_TEXT>
      <LOCALISED_TEXT LanguageCode="zh-HK"><![CDATA[威懾]]></LOCALISED_TEXT>
      <CONTINUOUS_ACTION layer="5">
         if EffectSource() ~= nil then
            RSN_Characteristics_Set(EffectSource(), CW_CHARACTERISTIC_MENACE, 1)
         end
      </CONTINUOUS_ACTION>
   </STATIC_ABILITY>
   <TRIGGERED_ABILITY replacement_effect="1" active_zone="ZONE_LIBRARY">
      <TRIGGER value="BEGINNING_OF_STEP">
         return MTG():GetStep() == STEP_UPKEEP and MTG():GetTurnNumber() == 0
      </TRIGGER>
      <RESOLUTION_TIME_ACTION>
         RSN_Characteristics_CreateManagers()
      </RESOLUTION_TIME_ACTION>
   </TRIGGERED_ABILITY>
   <TOKEN_REGISTRATION reservation="1" type="_MANAGER_CHARACTERISTICS" />
   <HELP title="CW_MORE_INFO_TITLE_MENACE" body="CW_MORE_INFO_BODY_MENACE" zone="ZONE_ANY" />

I could probably clean that up so it uses layer 5 all the time, and the text alone is granted on 6 or 7 by the manager, but I didn't think of that at the time.

[Splinterverse]

I just finished going through each card in the missing cards list and organizing my future development work.

Along the way, I saw some cards that I am not sure are possible.

Please forgive me if any are obviously impossible or possible. I just reviewed over 700 cards, so it can be a blur sometimes.

Looking at the list below, which ones would you consider possible, impossible, aproximate-able, and/or require coding to many other cards?

Æther Web
Ætherflame Wall
Æthersnatch
Arboria
Atalya, Samite Master
Bitter Feud
Bitter Ordeal
Bone Dancer
Bower Passage
Break Open
Brothers Yamazaki
Butcher Orgg
Cairn Wanderer
Camouflage
Cephalid Snitch
Chancellor of the Tangle
Channel
Choking Vines
Chronomantic Escape
Coalition Flag
Coalition Honor Guard
Cocoon
Counterlash
Curtain of Light
Cycle of Life
Delif's Cone
Delif's Cube
Diseased Vermin
Disrupting Shoal
Divine Deflection
Dragon Hunter
Ekundu Cyclops
Emblazoned Golem
Energy Storm
Escaped Shapeshifter
Everlasting Torment
Eye of the Storm
False Dawn
Feint
Firestorm Phoenix
Forethought Amulet
Gaze of Pain
Ghostly Flame
Giant Turtle
Graxiplon
Grimoire Thief
Grip of Chaos
Halls of Mist
Harsh Judgment
Herald of Leshrac
Hidden Retreat
Hipparion
Hisoka, Minamo Sensei
Ichneumon Druid
Illusionist's Gambit
Imperiosaur
Imprison
Island Sanctuary
Kaervek's Torch
Karmic Justice
Keeper of Tresserhorn
Kentaro, the Smiling Cat
Krark's Thumb
Leonin Arbiter
Leonin Shikari
Lethargy Trap
Leyline of Singularity
Liar's Pendulum
Lich
Lightning Storm
Lim-Dûl's Paladin
Magewright's Stone
Mana Maze
Marble Priest
Master of Cruelties
Meddle
Mindlock Orb
Mirror Gallery
Mizzium Meddler
Mizzix's Mastery
Muck Drubb
Muraganda Petroglyphs
Myr Welder
Mystic Barrier
Nacatl War-Pride
Nix
North Star
Obscuring Æther
Ogre Enforcer

I did find some that I am pretty certain are impossible that I will be adding to the OP lists in the next update.

[Splinterverse]

Xander, the following cards are listed as missing in the spreadsheet, but were already listed in the impossible list. So, I'm not sure if the spreadsheet isn't picking up everything in your impossible text file or if these weren't listed there.

Angelic Field Marshal
Arctic Foxes
Arcum's Weathervane
Bastion Protector
Cold Snap
Comet Storm
Command Beacon
Command Tower
Commander's Sphere
Gangrenous Zombies
Gargantuan Gorilla
Goblin Furrier
Melting

I'll be updating the list at some point today. I will send you a new text file at that time in case it's helpful.

[thefiremind]

Wow, that's quite a list you got there... I'll try to help as much as I can. I'm reserving this post for duplicating your list and adding my comments for each card. If I don't complete the list all in one shot, expect edits in the future to this same post, adding comments to more cards.

But before tackling with the big list, a comment about snow cards in general, since some of them appeared on your latest post. Snow is a supertype that we can give to cards, so theoretically, we could code snow cards, except for those which use the snow mana symbol. Aside from wondering if it's worth coding snow cards without being able to use the snow mana symbol, you should be careful of not interfering with the Planeswalkers approximation: if it didn't get modified since the times when I was modding DotP2014, Planeswalkers are coded as basic snow enchantments under the hood.

Let's start with the big list.

• Æther Web, Ætherflame Wall: I think you could code these by giving just the half of shadow that would make them able to block creatures with shadow.
• Æthersnatch: I managed to code it for Magic Duels and I think I haven't used anything that wasn't already on DotP2014. If you want to give it a try, here's the code (the important part is really short).
• Arboria: the ability doesn't seem impossible to me, but I'm not sure. You need to check if the rules for world enchantments are applied, and if they aren't, then they need to be applied manually.
• Atalya, Samite Master: the mana restrictions can be approximated by counting the amount of colored mana you can pay and then ask for a numerical choice with that maximum amount. You should search for my Crimson Hellkite, can't remember if it was for DotP2014 or for an even earlier version.
• Bitter Feud: seems possible to me.
• Bitter Ordeal: seems possible to me.
• Bone Dancer: there are lots of cards with "someone may do something, and if they do, this creature deals no combat damage this turn" (maybe I'll find other ones in this list?), there's no problem in doing that: definitely possible.
• Bower Passage: seems possible to me.
• Break Open, Obscuring Æther: they depend on the current morph/manifest approximation functions, I don't know.
• Brothers Yamazaki: if I remember correctly, we discovered that the legend rule in DotP2014 is based on Multiverse ID rather than name (as it should be), so we could theoretically make 2 Brothers Yamazaki with different Multiverse IDs and let them play together. There's a problem, though: what if you play a brother, and your opponent plays the same brother? Or if somehow a copy of the only brother on the battlefield is created? Then it wouldn't work anymore. I'd say it's impossible.
• Butcher Orgg: I had put this together with the Rhox cards, but this is actually worse. I'd say it's impossible even to approximate under any circumstance.
• Cairn Wanderer, Cephalid Snitch, Escaped Shapeshifter: the difficult part is handling protection, so it would depend on Xander9009's filter handling functions. He should be the one to answer on these.
• Camouflage: I would have called this card "Wall of Text"... I'm not even sure if I understood correctly what it does, but I'd call it impossible.
• Chancellor of the Tangle, Channel: by using Riiak's mana functions they should be possible.
• Choking Vines, Curtain of Light: "becoming blocked" without actually putting a creature that blocks is impossible.
• Chronomantic Escape: can be approximated with my suspend functions. The approximation lies in the fact that suspend shouldn't be an activated ability, but there's no other way to code it.
• Coalition Flag, Coalition Honor Guard: I'm pretty confident that forcing targets would be impossible.
• Cocoon: seems possible to me.
• Counterlash: seems possible to me.
• Cycle of Life: seems possible to me.
• Delif's Cone: seems possible to me.
• Delif's Cube: seems possible to me.
• Diseased Vermin: seems possible to me. Just keep track of the damaged opponents in a LinkedDC chest.
• Disrupting Shoal: seems possible to me. Note that, even if it's quite ridiculous, the card is worded so that it's not mandatory to match the target's mana cost with your choice of X: if they don't match, the spell won't be countered.
• Divine Deflection: I think it's possible, but damage prevention in certain amounts isn't easy to achieve: I'd advise caution.
• Dragon Hunter: I'm not sure. You could give it reach and then make an exception for anything that is not a Dragon, but then what if he somehow gains the "complete" reach? The exception should be shut down.
• Ekundu Cyclops: I could see some approximations be suggested for this one, but honestly, none that could be really viable. I'd call it impossible.
• Emblazoned Golem: unless someone has a brilliant idea about how to approximate the restriction on the kicker cost, I'd call it impossible.
• Energy Storm: seems possible to me.
• Everlasting Torment: seems possible to me.
• Eye of the Storm: seems possible to me.
• False Dawn, Imperiosaur, North Star: I don't know if Riiak's mana functions could handle these.
• Feint: seems possible to me.
• Firestorm Phoenix: you can't keep the card revealed. You could approximate the card by omitting that part of the effect, but would you be satisfied by that?
• Forethought Amulet: you could approximate this by preventing the damage that exceeds 2, but it wouldn't work with unpreventable damage.
• Gaze of Pain: this isn't redirection of combat damage: the creature would deal non-combat damage to another creature and no combat damage. So I think it's possible.
• Ghostly Flame: I'm not sure. Maybe you could approximate it by making the source of the damage colorless for a brief moment? It should be tested, and checked for wrong interactions.
• Giant Turtle, Halls of Mist: seem possible to me: just keep track of whether the creatures attacked or not in a LinkedDC register.
• Graxiplon: seems possible to me. This doesn't put the conditions on the blockers themselves: either it's unblockable or not, based on a condition that can be easily checked.
• Grimoire Thief: probably possible: the functions that allow this card to be coded are all there, even though I have never used CanLookAtWhileFaceDown so it should be tested.
• Grip of Chaos, Meddle, Muck Drubb: they would need to check for target legality, so they fall into Precursor Golem category.
• Harsh Judgment: seems possible to me.
• Herald of Leshrac: seems possible to me.
• Hidden Retreat: seems possible to me.
• Hipparion: it falls into Ghostly Prison category.
• Hisoka, Minamo Sensei: seems possible to me.
• Ichneumon Druid: seems possible to me: if the check can't be done through an interrogation, you can always use the good old RSN_ObjectDC (the tracking should happen in any zone, and LinkedDC risks to get wiped).
• Illusionist's Gambit: I saw a remove from combat approximation in the CW, so I'd say it's possible to approximate this card.
• Imprison: as long as you don't need to target it, you can counter an ability. The problem is to recognize if the ability has in the cost. I'd call it impossible.
• Island Sanctuary: seems possible to me.
• Kaervek's Torch: it falls into Not of This World category.
• Karmic Justice: it might be possible to code by using the trick I used on Sigarda, Host of Herons: if you set a flag when an opponent's spell or ability is about to resolve, you can see "who's to blame" when your permanents get destroyed.
• Keeper of Tresserhorn: seems possible to me.
• Kentaro, the Smiling Cat: seems possible to me.
• Krark's Thumb: it would probably require to change the cards that flip coins so that they are aware of this one.
• Leonin Arbiter, Mindlock Orb: same as the other card that prevents searching in libraries, they would require to change the cards that search libraries.
• Leonin Shikari: it would require to change all Equipments so that they offer the instant option when controlling this card.
• Lethargy Trap: seems possible to me. You'll have an alternate cost that will be available only when 3 or more creatures are attacking.
• Leyline of Singularity: the behavior of starting the game with it on the battlefield can be approximated by actually putting it on the battlefield as soon as the game allows to, without any bad side effect that I know of. As for making permanents legendary, you can use SuperType_GetWritable and add it.
• Liar's Pendulum: it depends on how you manage "name a card". There have been multiple approaches at this, and I don't know which one (if any) is being used in the CW.
• Lich: I think it's possible: there's a characteristic for not losing at 0 or less life and it should work (sadly, they broke it in Magic Duels, but in DotP2014 it was working if I remember correctly).
• Lightning Storm: I have never tried to put counters on a card on the stack, it needs to be tested. If it's possible to do that, I don't see any other problems.
• Lim-Dûl's Paladin: seems possible to me.
• Magewright's Stone: you could make a list of cards that have abilities with , but what about granted ones? I'd call it impossible.
• Mana Maze: seems possible to me.
• Marble Priest, Nacatl War-Pride: I think they have blocking restrictions that can't be replicated in DotP2014.
• Master of Cruelties: it could be approximated by asking the player if they want to attack with Master of Cruelties alone, and if so, the other creatures will be prevented from attacking. However you can't ask the question late enough (the first problem I explained about Rhox as well), so the opponents have the time to do something that may make you regret your choice.
• Mirror Gallery: definitely impossible, because the legend rule is handled internally.
• Mizzium Meddler: changing an ability target is impossible.
• Mizzix's Mastery: I don't know if there's a good approximation for overload in the CW.
• Muraganda Petroglyphs: it would require to change all vanilla cards, and also all cards that make other ones lose all abilities.
• Myr Welder: it falls into Necrotic Ooze category.
• Mystic Barrier: I think it may be possible... but it seems to me like a big headache for a card that makes sense only with 3 or more players.
• Nix: I think it may be possible by using the same trick I used on Prossh, Skyraider of Kher.
• Ogre Enforcer: I'd call it impossible unless someone comes up with a brilliant idea.

[Splinterverse]

Wow, that's quite a list you got there... I'll try to help as much as I can. I'm reserving this post for duplicating your list and adding my comments for each card. If I don't complete the list all in one shot, expect edits in the future to this same post, adding comments to more cards.

Thank you. Sorry it's so long. Each day I learn more and more and can hopefully weed these things out more easily on my own as time progresses.

(And you should see my notes on the ones that aren't impossible -- it's a massive list).

[Splinterverse]

OP updated. Demoralize removed and others added that I found during my analysis. Text file pm'ed to Xander.

[Xander9009]

Aside from wondering if it's worth coding snow cards without being able to use the snow mana symbol, you should be careful of not interfering with the Planeswalkers approximation: if it didn't get modified since the times when I was modding DotP2014, Planeswalkers are coded as basic snow enchantments under the hood.

No, this has never been modified. So far, the only major changes to planeswalkers have been to remove the protection being granted to them (because it was no longer necessary as all cards were updated to properly filter and test for planeswalkers and enchantments), and to implement damage being dealt to them via function calls (using the same code that already existed on the manager for taking normal damage).