Moving away from cards.txt

[slapshot5]

That is the correct fix.

Ok. Thanks. I've committed that fix.

-slapshot5

[slapshot5]

With the new individual cards files, how would people feel about adding lines that are parsed as comments? Comments could start with a "#". Comments would only be valid on a per line basis. i.e.

This would be allowed:

Code: Select all

Name:Judge of Currents
ManaCost:1 W
Types:Creature Merfolk Wizard
Text:no text
PT:1/1
#Comment - my whenever keyword works!
K:WheneverKeyword:BecomesTapped:Type/Merfolk:Play:ModifyLife/1:ControllingPlayer_Self:ASAP:Yes_No:Initiator - OwnedByController:Whenever a Merfolk you control becomes tapped, you may gain 1 life.
SVar:Rarity:Common
SVar:Picture:http://www.wizards.com/global/images/magic/general/judge_of_currents.jpg
End


But this would not:

Code: Select all

Name:Judge of Currents
ManaCost:1 W
Types:Creature Merfolk Wizard
Text:no text
PT:1/1   #Invalid comment
K:WheneverKeyword:BecomesTapped:Type/Merfolk:Play:ModifyLife/1:ControllingPlayer_Self:ASAP:Yes_No:Initiator - OwnedByController:Whenever a Merfolk you control becomes tapped, you may gain 1 life.
SVar:Rarity:Common
SVar:Picture:http://www.wizards.com/global/images/magic/general/judge_of_currents.jpg
End


If there's no objection, I'd like to make this change. It could help for explaining keywords, and fixes to keywords.

-slapshot5

[Rob Cashwalker]

Thanks for the fix. I forgot to do it last night before going to sleep.

Comments sound good.

[friarsol]

So I just updated the Python script to handle the changes from cards.txt to cardsfolder/. This is based off local changes I had done to add Sets into cards.txt so this will add Sets into the Data files as well. Of course, we don't have to use them until things are setup, but I figured it'd be good to have it.

How do we want to handle sets? After running the updated script, this is the output for Abyssal Specter:

Code: Select all

Name:Abyssal Specter
ManaCost:2 B B
Types:Creature Specter
Text:Whenever Abyssal Specter deals damage to a player, that player discards a card.
PT:2/3
K:Flying
SVar:Rarity:Uncommon
SVar:Picture:http://www.wizards.com/global/images/magic/general/abyssal_specter.jpg
SVar:Sets:8ED,7ED,6ED,ICE,5ED
End


I figure a comma delimited list is probably all we need for Sets.

It seems weird now that we're parsing Name, ManaCost etc that Rarity, Picture, and Sets should be SVars. They really should just have their own parsing code block near the others. Thoughts?

[slapshot5]

I figure a comma delimited list is probably all we need for Sets.

We may want to associate rarities with sets. Clone for example is Rare in M10, but Uncommon in Revised.

It seems weird now that we're parsing Name, ManaCost etc that Rarity, Picture, and Sets should be SVars. They really should just have their own parsing code block near the others. Thoughts?

I would say they don't need to be SVars. I don't know what Rob's full master plan was though.

-slapshot5

[DennisBergkamp]

Comments sound great!
As for the sets, this would indeed be a great feature... especially for drafting / questing.

[Rob Cashwalker]

"Full Master plan"... great now I've entered the realm of dictators.....

Anyway...

Until these changes are made, the SVars need to stay as is. But to prepare, here is what I was thinking, and we can debate the pros and cons.

Set:{COD}:{Rarity}:{Set-specificPictureURL}
Set:{COD}:{Rarity}:{Set-specificPictureURL}
...

At some point, the madness of hard-coded rules text being assembled in the Card.getText() is going to bite us, so I'd like to have a separate text field automatically updated:

Oracle:{OracleText}

[friarsol]

"Full Master plan"... great now I've entered the realm of dictators.....

Anyway...

Until these changes are made, the SVars need to stay as is. But to prepare, here is what I was thinking, and we can debate the pros and cons.

Set:{COD}:{Rarity}:{Set-specificPictureURL}
Set:{COD}:{Rarity}:{Set-specificPictureURL}
...

At some point, the madness of hard-coded rules text being assembled in the Card.getText() is going to bite us, so I'd like to have a separate text field automatically updated:

Oracle:{OracleText}

I think I like SetInfo better than just Set.

I'm fine with an Oracle field that's only edited by the Script. Would it mostly be used for the Card Description? Trying to parse it for Ability description would probably be a nightmare.

I'll keep the Script locally until we figure out what we want with it.

[Rob Cashwalker]

SetInfo it is.

Yes, just for the displayed card text. All the keywords, abilities and effects will carry their own text and descriptions and only use them when they need to prompt the user.

[Chris H.]

At some point, the madness of hard-coded rules text being assembled in the Card.getText() is going to bite us

`
Yeah, I have a lot of recent teeth marks to show off.

so I'd like to have a separate text field automatically updated:

Oracle:{OracleText}

`
When this happens, would it make sense to also keep the "Text:" field? With the rules moved to the Oracle field, the Text field could then be used for the occasional Note. This would help to keep them separate from one another.

[Rob Cashwalker]

Wouldn't it make more sense to have a field or SVar specifically for the occasional note?

[Chris H.]

Wouldn't it make more sense to have a field or SVar specifically for the occasional note?

`
I thought that I would bring it up while the planning stage is moving forward. I think that a field or a SVar that is designed for the occasional note would be a good thing.

[Rob Cashwalker]

Here's some of my vision regarding the next generation of the keyword script. mtgrares, this may look familiar.

shock.txt:

Code: Select all

Name:Shock
ManaCost:R
Types:Instant
Text:Shock deals 2 damage to target creature or player.
Spell:DealDamage:Tgts$Creature,Player:NumDmg$2
End

[friarsol]

I bet that turns into this without too much trouble:

Code: Select all

Name:Shrapnel Blast
Cost:1 R Sac<1/Artifact>
Types:Instant
Text:As an additional cost to play Shrapnel Blast, sacrifice an artifact. Shrapnel Blast deals 5 damage to target creature or player.
Spell:DealDamage:Tgts$Creature,Player:NumDmg$5
End


Or whatever form abCost is in once our keywords are more flexible.

[Rob Cashwalker]

Hmm... now we're getting somewhere.

It also will easily become this.
prodigal_pyromancer.txt:

Code: Select all

Name:Prodigal Pyromancer
Cost:2 R
Types:Creature Human Wizard
Text:Tap: Prodigal Pyromancer deals 1 damage to target creature or player.
PT:1/1
ActAbility:DealDamage:Tgts$Creature,Player:NumDmg$1:Cost$Tap
End