Describing two-sided cards in their text.

[Aquillion]

Would it be possible to put a description of the back-side of double-sided cards on the front side's text? It's something of a pain to not be able to see what the other side does.

I'm not talking about any fancy display hack, just adding eg the following string to Instigator Gang's text: "// Wildblood Pack, Creature — Werewolf, (5 / 5): Trample, Attacking creatures you control get +3/+0. At the beginning of each upkeep, if a player cast two or more spells last turn, transform Wildblood Pack."

It'd be a bit clumsy and ugly, but it's better than having no way to see what the other side is at all.

[stassy]

Unfortunately the rule text is directly taken from the gatherer (that is also why we can't see properly Archenemy text effect and modified card like Cavern of Souls retain their original text) , so unless we figure out a way with something like legacy card *wink at Sonic* or just the gatherer website aside I don't know how it would be possible to integrate it.

[Korath]

Is the rules text in Manalink.csv built automatically from Gatherer, then? I'd always thought it was pasted in by hand.

[Aswan jaguar]

The text is taken by gatherer but inserted by hand as far as I know,so changes have to been done manually by copy/paste but in some cards the available space for text might not be enough.

[Sonic]

I use Gatherer Extractor to download the card set data and then export the set as an xls file into a custom spreadsheet to partially automate converting the data to Manalink specific. Much of it has to be done manually though as it can only be interpreted from the rules text.

As to the question of the transform card. It is possible to include the rules text of the flip face in the text of the casting face - I did it with the flip cards.

Some of the transform cards are quite 'wordy' and have a lot of text so it won't look pretty when you expand the card text, but it can be done fairly simply if people are in agreement that this is what they want.

Example:

Whenever this creature enters the battlefield or transforms into Huntmaster of the Fells, put a 2/2 |Sgreen Wolf creature token onto the battlefield and you gain 2 life.\nAt the beginning of each upkeep, if no spells were cast last turn, transform Huntmaster of the Fells.
//
Trample\nWhenever this creature transforms into Ravager of the Fells, it deals 2 damage to target opponent and 2 damage to up to one target creature that player controls.\nAt the beginning of each upkeep, if a player cast two or more spells last turn, transform Ravager of the Fells.

[Korath]

I think that's best.

There may be some way to add an effect card or to hack it into the right-click menu. I mostly find myself wanting to see the reverse side in the deckbuilder, though, and those solutions won't help there.

[Aswan jaguar]

Your example is just fine,Sonic.

[Sonic]

No problem - next update.

[Sonic]

OK, the next update has the updated text.

I finally chose to put the transformed card face name in bracketed italics along with it P/T.
Here's an example:

Huntmaster of the Fells Day face

Whenever this creature enters the battlefield or transforms into Huntmaster of the Fells, put a 2/2 green Wolf creature token onto the battlefield and you gain 2 life.
At the beginning of each upkeep, if no spells were cast last turn, transform Huntmaster of the Fells.
(Ravager of the Fells - 4/4) Trample
Whenever this creature transforms into Ravager of the Fells, it deals 2 damage to target opponent and 2 damage to up to one target creature that player controls.
At the beginning of each upkeep, if a player cast two or more spells last turn, transform Ravager of the Fells.

Ravager of the Fells Night face

Trample
Whenever this creature transforms into Ravager of the Fells, it deals 2 damage to target opponent and 2 damage to up to one target creature that player controls.
At the beginning of each upkeep, if a player cast two or more spells last turn, transform Ravager of the Fells.
(Huntmaster of the Fells - 2/2) Whenever this creature enters the battlefield or transforms into Huntmaster of the Fells, put a 2/2 green Wolf creature token onto the battlefield and you gain 2 life.
At the beginning of each upkeep, if no spells were cast last turn, transform Huntmaster of the Fells.