User-Made cards

[Chris H.]

This message thread is for Arcanis222 and anyone else that has an interest in how cards are added to forge without additional coding.

The first step to making User-Made cards is to find the file named "cards.txt" that is located in the root directory/folder. Make a copy of this file and load the copy into a text editor. You will find in this file a brief description for each of the cards that is included in forge.

At the top/start of this file, we try to place all of the newest cards that we have added and all of the pre-existing cards that we have recently changed.

Scroll down through the file and you will notice that the creature cards have the following format:

Card Name:
Cost:
Type:
text string, or if no text string the words "no text"
Power/Toughness:
Keyword 1st
Keyword 2nd
Keyword last

The spell, artifact and land cards have a similar but slightly different format. There is a list of keywords that are currently implemented and this list can be found on this forum message:

http://www.slightlymagic.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=701&start=60#p14260

Spend some time getting familiar with the "cards.txt" file and the keywords and feel free to ask any questions that you may have.

[Rob Cashwalker]

I think his thread request was aimed at fan-made cards... like Tortuga....

Though using just cards.txt, one could make many fan-made cards... like a mana elf that has double strike and lifelink....

[Arcanis222]

I Was requesting that.. We had a forum to compile fan made cards, and maybe even make a set if we all contribute enough?

[Rob Cashwalker]

Check out Magic Set Editor forums for complete sets of fan-made cards....

http://magicseteditor.sourceforge.net/tracker

[frwololo]

We also have a few cool handmade sets over at Wagic's forums, you might want to check them out for inspiration:

http://wololo.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=325
http://wololo.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=329
http://wololo.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=309

[MageKing17]

GATRYHETKYHSRLKGhsdeajkglhsrkgjhasdlkgyherklghaskldfhaslgfjblgl.

There are so many things wrong with that card I don't even know where to start.

[frwololo]

GATRYHETKYHSRLKGhsdeajkglhsrkgjhasdlkgyherklghaskldfhaslgfjblgl.

There are so many things wrong with that card I don't even know where to start.

I don't personally know Final Fantasy much, or Magic The gathering's "balance" concepts to understand exactly what you mean.
But who cares about what's right or wrong when the users clearly create these sets for fun?

I for one am EXTREMELY happy to see people enjoying the game so much that they take the time to contribute with such cool things

[MageKing17]

I don't personally know Final Fantasy much, or Magic The gathering's "balance" concepts to understand exactly what you mean.

Well, if you take balance issues into consideration, it's even worse.

But who cares about what's right or wrong when the users clearly create these sets for fun?

Perfectionists care.

I for one am EXTREMELY happy to see people enjoying the game so much that they take the time to contribute with such cool things

I have an account on the Magic Set Editor forums. Trust me, I know that there are plenty of people out there who can make cards without glaring errors... and even more who can't.

[GandoTheBard]

I don't personally know Final Fantasy much, or Magic The gathering's "balance" concepts to understand exactly what you mean.

Well, if you take balance issues into consideration, it's even worse.

But who cares about what's right or wrong when the users clearly create these sets for fun?

Perfectionists care.

I for one am EXTREMELY happy to see people enjoying the game so much that they take the time to contribute with such cool things

I have an account on the Magic Set Editor forums. Trust me, I know that there are plenty of people out there who can make cards without glaring errors... and even more who can't.

Yeah but nothing for nothing...you aren't helping by not exposing the errors and just ridiculing the attempt. Id much prefer you to say something like:

Well for starters the cost is too low for the insanely high p/t or the first strike. Even the 3x W doesn't pay for the huge first striker. Now that said it isn't nearly the worst or close to near the worst of cards invented by over zealous users.

Also why a 5 color background when it is a) hard to look at and b) the wrong visual cue for a monowhite costed card? then there is the matter of the Type which is...Not Magic. Well the Creature part is fine. The SOLDIER First Class part isn't. Better would be Legendary Creature -- Human Soldier.

On the plus side it is a rare so the undercosted/overpoweredness is slightly alleviated by that.

See now if youd said that youd be adding a positive contribution instead of just adding more negativity to a thread where it is pointless to do so. Pardon me if my critique of your critique doesn't sit well. Somethings are harder to swallow.

[MageKing17]

Yeah but nothing for nothing...you aren't helping by not exposing the errors and just ridiculing the attempt.

Nobody asked what the errors were. If you'd like to hear all them them:

• The cost. Even putting aside the issue of whether or not Cloud is really a white character (AVALANCHE is a terrorist organization that fights against the de facto world government), 2CCC for a 7/7 first striker is a bit ridiculous.
• The background is all five colors. The card is monowhite. This makes no sense.
• "First Strike" should be "First strike".
• Shouldn't Cloud be Human?
• "First Class" can't be a creature type. A First and a Class doesn't make any sense. If they're supposed to be together, you can hyphenate them, like Assembly-Worker (see Urza's Factory), so "First-Class".
• Cloud was never in SOLDIER. You could argue he went through the same treatment and therefore has similar abilities and therefore would be susceptible to something that targeted SOLDIERs, but in that case, you should be arguing that his creature type should be Monster, not SOLDIER.
• The flavour text says "You just don't get it.. There isn't a thing I don't cherish." First off, grammatically it should say "You just don't get it... there isn't a thing I don't cherish." Secondly, the actual quote is, "You just don't get it. There isn't a thing I don't cherish!"
• He should be legendary.

This is all what I know off the top of my head.

[GandoTheBard]

Same things I said essentially lol. Not sure I buy that bit about Cloud needing to be a monster or red. But that is a matter of FF Lore something I'll pass on arguing over.

[frwololo]

Well, thanks for the clarifications guys.
I think most of your comments assume that the set is meant to be played in the "Magic the Gathering" universe, which to me sounds as a huge limitation.

I understand that some people are trying to make sets that could be part of the real MTG game, but you could imagine a set using the Magic mechanics, in a slightly different universe (I'm still looking forward to a Star Wars mod for Wagic ).
The only reason 8/8 for 3{W}{W}{W} is too powerful is because you are assuming this card has been created to be played with other MTG sets, which could not be the case. The guy could create a whole mod of Wagic (or MTGForge) including only very powerful cards. After all, they could all be 400/400, as long as the equivalent of rod of ruin does 100 damage for 3 mana
Same goes for the cards subtypes, etc...

So it would be the same game rules, but in a completely different universe, wit a completely different scale of p/t, etc...

I have never tried to create a set myself, and I'm guessing part of the fun is making it well balanced, and looking like it could have been a real one made by WOTC. But limiting set creation to only that is like putting walls around your mind, adding limitations to yourself that the game engine does not.
I love the idea of constraints in artistic creativity (look for oulipo in wikipedia), but I think it shouldn't be considered as the only good way.

Not saying that there's a message conveyed in this card or anything, I am not the set creator, so don't get me wrong

[GandoTheBard]

Well, thanks for the clarifications guys.
I think most of your comments assume that the set is meant to be played in the "Magic the Gathering" universe, which to me sounds as a huge limitation.

I understand that some people are trying to make sets that could be part of the real MTG game, but you could imagine a set using the Magic mechanics, in a slightly different universe (I'm still looking forward to a Star Wars mod for Wagic ).
The only reason 8/8 for 3{W}{W}{W} is too powerful is because you are assuming this card has been created to be played with other MTG sets, which could not be the case. The guy could create a whole mod of Wagic (or MTGForge) including only very powerful cards. After all, they could all be 400/400, as long as the equivalent of rod of ruin does 100 damage for 3 mana
Same goes for the cards subtypes, etc...

So it would be the same game rules, but in a completely different universe, wit a completely different scale of p/t, etc...

I have never tried to create a set myself, and I'm guessing part of the fun is making it well balanced, and looking like it could have been a real one made by WOTC. But limiting set creation to only that is like putting walls around your mind, adding limitations to yourself that the game engine does not.
I love the idea of constraints in artistic creativity (look for oulipo in wikipedia), but I think it shouldn't be considered as the only good way.

Not saying that there's a message conveyed in this card or anything, I am not the set creator, so don't get me wrong

So what you are saying is you don't know what the intent of his card is?

Because it seems to me posting it on a magic forums suggests you were indicating it as an example of a creative magic card. If you weren't then you might have stated that. I don't think for a minute that your supposition is honest. I think you know as well as we do that it is intended to be a magic the gathering card with the rules of said game. But given that it is clear that the person was bringing a favorite character from another game into a game they enjoy which is all to the good. I started drawing my own magic cards with the same spirit over 15 years ago.

As far as limiting...What I think Mageking in his somewhat inherently hostile seeming way was doing was saying that throwing stuff up against the wall to see what sticks is a very casual way of creating anything. I could be wrong about that though. Personally I think creativity is great. Tempering it with reason brings better results.

It could be that the person who made that card has no real idea of how the game works in a larger scale than on his/her kitchen table. Which is entirely plausible. In that case the comments MK and I made could very well educate them if they were open to it. I am not at all caring about grammatical errors on cards. The Alpha and Beta sets had a few of those themselves so even the official game has them. But the other stuff seems to me to be more important. Types help determine parameters in magic as do costs and abilities. Balancing them creates a balanced game.

Now with all of that said I have a 120 card set that I slaved over that no one has commented on and while I imagine they are not all that exciting to anyone else I did it because I enjoyed it and I like the results. They aren't polished or perfect and I haven't managed to put any art to them yet (Alot of the art is there but since I had to leave the old uncut art on the old machine it will take some work to make it card sized again and all that jazz. My point being...it was fun doing and well worth it for that alone. No matter what anyone says if someone had fun making something then good for them and screw everyone else.

[Incantus]

My point being...it was fun doing and well worth it for that alone. No matter what anyone says if someone had fun making something then good for them and screw everyone else.

I agree completely

[Huggybaby]

I agree too, and I think most of the guys here get it.

Because it seems to me posting it on a magic forums suggests you were indicating it as an example of a creative magic card.

Your point is well taken, however, this is a computer card game forum, not a magic forum, and MTG Forge does not have to be played only with magic cards. If you want to get really literal, this topic is entitled "User-Made cards", not "User-Made Magic: the Gathering Cards".

throwing stuff up against the wall to see what sticks is a very casual way of creating anything.

Indeed, it's called brainstorming and it's a very effective technique, as long as the ideas are allowed to flow without being stifled early in the process. The winnowing comes later. Instead of saying "your card sucks" say "I propose this".

Let's keep the comments on the positive, suggestive side.