Conspiracy and the Draft

[friarsol]

So it looks like Conspiracy isn't going to be available for MTGO, but we can do better than that.

Here are cards and how we might handle them:

All Conspiracy type cards. These should be drafted as normal, and only be able to be added to a special Deck Section. But the effect is varying and sometimes effects outside of the game things:

Advantageous Proclamation - Reduces minimum deck size, changes deck conformance before the match even starts. New Deck Size for Draft is 40 - (Advantageous Proclamation in Conspiracy Section*5)

Backup Plan - Number of starting hands = 1 + Backup Plans in Conspiracy Section. Shuffle N-1 hands back into your library before you mulligan. This one seems really awkward, and I have no idea how we'd display this.

Power Play - Before the dice roll to see who goes first, if any Power Plays are in the Conspiracy Section filter out all players who don't have one in the section.

Sentinel Dispatch - Pretty simple script. I think we even have some scripts that use "first upkeep"?

Worldknit - Just a simple static ability:

Worldknit | Open

S:Mode$ Continuous | EffectZone$ Command | Affected$ Land.YouCtrl | AddAbility$ AnyMana | CheckSVar$ X | SVarCompare$ EQ0 | Description$ As long as every card in your card pool started the game in your library or in the command zone, lands you control have "{T}: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool."
SVar:AnyMana:AB$ Mana | Cost$ T | Produced$ Any | Amount$ 1 | SpellDescription$ Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
SVar:X:Count$InYourSideboard
(Not sure if we have a better way to count cards in zone? Just took the first one I found.)

Hidden Agenda Conspiracies:
Shouldn't be too bad, start the game effect where you name a card. And you flip and reveal the conspiracy at any time in the future. None of the effects are that crazy
Brago's Favor - Spells of the named card cost 1 less.
Double Stroke - Fork spells of the named card.
Immediate Action - Creatures of the named card have haste.
Muzzio's Preparations - Creatures of the named card ETB with an additional +1/+1
Secrets of Paradise - Creatures of the named card are Birds of Paradise.


Draft changing Effects: Reveal as you draft or Draft face up (How to send this information around? How does the AI handle them?)

AEther Searcher - Record the name of the next card you draft. When ~ etb, search for any card matching a name recorded by any card named ~ in the draft.
Cogwork Spy - Look at the next card drafted from this pack.
Cogwork Librarian - As you draft a card, you may draft an additional card, if you do replace ~ with that card.
Deal Broker - After the draft, reveal a card in your pool. All players may offer a 1-1 trade with that card. You may accept one trade.
Lore Seeker - You may add an additional pack to the pool. Draft that one immediately after this pack, before the next pack you'd receive. It's completely drafted this round (This one might cause problems with how we our draft currently works?)
Lurking Automaton - Record the amount of picks you drafted this turn. ~ P/T is equal to the highest number recorded by any card named ~ that you drafted.
Whispergear Sneak - Flip face down during draft, look at any unopened pack in the draft.

[Marek14]

Backup Plan -- maybe it could have UI like Fact or Fiction? Display the different hands as piles, choose one to keep, shuffle the rest. I wonder how it would interact with Vanguards that change your hand size... would the additional hands be the same size or seven since that's what's written on the card?

Sentinel Dispatch -- the Chancellor cycle from NPH uses the "first upkeep" triggers.

AEther Searcher and Lurking Automaton might need a special command in deck files if the draft deck should work later.

Worldknit -- wouldn't this code start applying the ability if the sideboard becomes empty during the game (for example through Wishes)? Worldknit mentions what cards you started the game with, so it should be always or never.

[friarsol]

Backup Plan -- maybe it could have UI like Fact or Fiction? Display the different hands as piles, choose one to keep, shuffle the rest. I wonder how it would interact with Vanguards that change your hand size... would the additional hands be the same size or seven since that's what's written on the card?

AEther Searcher and Lurking Automaton might need a special command in deck files if the draft deck should work later.

Worldknit -- wouldn't this code start applying the ability if the sideboard becomes empty during the game (for example through Wishes)? Worldknit mentions what cards you started the game with, so it should be always or never.

Assuming somehow you could get conspiracy and vanguard cards in the same game instance (which it seems like Wizards may be overlooking), I'm guessing since it specifies what your starting hand size would be that your extra hands would all start at 7 cards no matter what your Vanguard Max Hand Size is and it could possibly be a way to "cheat" a larger starting hand size for your first turn. Although, you'd still need to discard down to your Max Hand Size at the end of your first turn. Maybe you can ask Maro to clarify.

Yea for these that need to record data, I was thinking it would be some specific Conspiracy data points that would be copied into somewhere useful during the start game functions.

Ah yea, I guess Worldknit should be using some type of Single time "static trigger" to record whether or not it's active as soon as possible. So maybe using similar Before game code that the Chancellor's use to set a flag.

[Marek14]

Paliano, the High City, spoiled today, also requires some notes

[Marek14]

OK, the set is completely spoiled, so we can have a complete look at the draft cards.

Wizards say that draft has no timing rules and if multiple players want to do something at the same time, the order is random. This, however, wouldn't work well in Forge since humans make decisions infinitely slower than AI.

Revealing:
All draft-affecting cards must be revealed when drafted.

Notes:
Some cards require making notes during draft. Each of these notes is tied to a card name to make things simpler (so a card can make use of notes made for any card with the same name). In deck files, the best solution would probably be to make new kind of parameter (draft note).
Following cards use notes:
AEther Searcher - notes card names, allows casting any noted card from hand or library for free when it ETBs. If the parameter is absent, the ability will trigger, it will still allow you to search (and shuffle) your library, but you won't be able to cast any cards.
Cogwork Grinder - notes a number and ETBs with this amount of +1/+1 counters. This parameter shouldn't be used multiple times, but if it somehow is, the proper behaviour would be to add all values into one. If the parameter is absent, Cogwork Grinder will ETB with zero counters.
Cogwork Tracker - notes a player name and is forced to attack it with its second ability. This one is troublesome. In pure draft, the parameter could literally record a player name. For other applications, I suggest to add an extra "Random Cogwork Tracker" parameter which will be initialized to random other player when the game starts. If multiple players are noted for Cogwork Tracker, the ability allows you to attack either. If the parameter is absent, the second ability of Cogwork Tracker doesn't apply and it can attack any player or planeswalker you want.
Lurking Automaton - notes a number and ETBs with this amount of +1/+1 counters. If the parameter appears multiple times, only the highest value is used. If the parameter is absent, Lurking Automaton ETBs with zero counters.
Paliano, the High City - notes a color. Its ability allows it to tap for any noted color. If the parameter is absent, it can still activate its ability and tap, but no mana will be produced.

Special draft effects:
AEther Searcher effect: next card is drafted face up and its name is noted for AEther Searcher parameter. If a deck file is saved, it will have this card name in AEther Searcher draft note.
Agent of Acquisitions effect 1: can be used before drafting a card if you have an Agent of Acquisitions face up to draft all cards from the pack instead. They are still drafted one at a time. After this is done, one Agent of Acquisitions is turned face down.
Agent of Acquisitions effect 2: player with this effect cannot draft any cards. This effect lasts until end of draft round.
Canal Dredger effect: if a booster pack only has one card after a pick and there is one player with Canal Dredger effect, the pack is passed to that player. If multiple players have this effect, passing player chooses one. Unclear: can a player with Canal Dredger pass a pack to himself? How does this interact with Agent of Acquisitions -- will a player draft all cards from pack or does he have to pass the last one to player with Canal Dredger effect?
Cogwork Grinder effect: allows removing a card from draft face down after drafting it. (As there are no timing rules, this is probably not a true "replacement effect" and can be interpreted as sequential.) Every time you do this, the Cogwork Grinder parameter during draft increases by one. When saving deck file, this parameter is stored as Cogwork Grinder draft note.
Cogwork Librarian effect: after drafting a card, if there are more cards remaining in the pack, one extra card can be drafted, and then a Cogwork Librarian must be put into the pack. Possible to do during Agent of Acquisitions drafting, but useless.
Cogwork Spy effect: if more cards are remaining in the pack, the next card drafted from it is revealed to this player.
Cogwork Tracker effect: the pack has to record the last player to pass it for this card to work. When drafted, the passing player's name is noted and later saved as Cogwork Tracker draft note.
Deal Broker effect: this effect applies after draft. The owner can reveal one card in his pool (even one already revealed), each other player than can choose a card in his pool and show it to him, then the owner can exchange his revealed card for one of the offered cards. Draft notes are apparently not transferred.
Lore Seeker effect: adds one booster pack to draft. If all packs are passed simultaneously in computer draft, it would be probably "synchronized" with the current pack. Lore Seeker enables situation where a player gets multiple packs to draft from, he can pick any of them first, but he probably can't look at them and then decide which one to draft from first (which is relevant here).
Lurking Automaton effect: players need "cards drafted this round" value. If this is the first Lurking Automaton drafted, set the Lurking Automaton parameter to this value, otherwise compare the value with current parameter and only replace the current parameter if the value is higher. The final value is saved as Lurking Automaton draft note.
Whispergear Sneak effect: if there are any unopened packs left, the player can have a look at one of them at any time. He can also look at the extra pack from Lore Seeker before it's opened. Whenever packs are passed, the player can look at any one of them before they get to next player. Every time a player uses this effect, he has to turn one Whispergear Sneak face down.
Paliano, the High City effect: player on right has to choose a color when Paliano is drafted, then the player who drafted it, then the player on left. All three colors must be different. Any color that wasn't chosen for Paliano before will be recorded and saved as Paliano, the High City draft note.

[swordshine]

I've added all the remaining normal MTG cards except Grenzo's Rebuttal, which contains something related to choosing a direction. I hope someone sets up basic UI to enable these "choose a direction" and/or "turn order" cards (Mystic Barrier, Order of Succession, Time Distortion).

[Marek14]

That's great Does Scourge of the Throne work correctly? As written, its two abilities work in different way since the second one uses intervening if and so it can't be stopped by changing life totals or removing Scourge of the Throne from combat, while dethrone is more robust...

[swordshine]

That's great Does Scourge of the Throne work correctly? As written, its two abilities work in different way since the second one uses intervening if and so it can't be stopped by changing life totals or removing Scourge of the Throne from combat, while dethrone is more robust...

Yes, I added some code to support the second triggered ability with intervening if.

[Marek14]

Official release notes here:

https://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/ ... enotes/cns

[friarsol]

Well, we should probably Merge the cards we have back into the trunk now that the 1.5.19 is out.

Our list of missing cards are:

All Conspiracy types. (which I'll go over again now that we have them all)
All Cards that effect the draft. (which Marek has already covered)
Grenzo's Rebuttal (which depends on Direction code)

I've updated the google doc to account for all of this.


Technically Conspracies are in your cardpool, and never in your "deck", but I think they just mean short hand of not in the portion of your deck that will become your library. Probably the best way for us to handle them is to allow players to add them into a Conspiracy Section of the draft deck that way they can be around early enough for specific things that happen before the game starts (like Advantageous Proclamation).

The main complexity that gets added here is sideboarding (Just in case you draft a whole bunch of Backup Plans?) for your Conspiracy Section. And making sure the deck editor treats Conspiracies in a similar manner that it treats Vanguards.

Advantageous Proclamation - Deck Conformation = [40] - 5*Advantageous Proclamation in Conspiracy Section
Backup Plan - A little tougher, would need to have some type of Dialog related to the TwoPiles dialog, for choosing which hand to start with.
Power Play - If any player has a Power play, instead of rolling start dice between all players, roll dice between all players with a Power Play.
Sentinel Dispatch - Similar to Chancellor of the Forge
Worldknit - At start of the game, record whether or not your sideboard is empty. Based on this flag, grant an effect.

Hidden Agendas: At the start of the game, as each conspiracy is moved to the Command Zone, name a card and place this face down. (Naming is secret)
Brago's Favor - Spells of the named card cost 1 less.
Double Stroke - Fork spells of the named card.
Immediate Action - Creatures of the named card have haste.
Iterative Analysis - Draw a card when casting Non-permanent spells of the named card.
Muzzio's Preparations - Creatures of the named card ETB with an additional +1/+1
Secret Summoning - When creature chosen name ETB, search your library for any number of those cards.
Secrets of Paradise - Creatures of the named card are Birds of Paradise.
Unexpected Potential - Treat mana as any color when casting spells of chosen name.

[Marek14]

Power Play - If any player has a Power play, instead of rolling start dice between all players, roll dice between all players with a Power Play.

Not quite correct -- with normal start dice you can choose between play or draw, but with Power Play if you win the random choice, then you start, no choice.

[friarsol]

It's a multplayer format. Everyone draws on their first turn. So there's just a starting player.

[Marek14]

It's a multplayer format. Everyone draws on their first turn. So there's just a starting player.

Nothing prevents you from using Power Play with only two players, though.

[friarsol]

It's a multplayer format. Everyone draws on their first turn. So there's just a starting player.

Nothing prevents you from using Power Play with only two players, though.

Come on now, it's just brief descriptions, you're really just hassling me with semantics.

[Marek14]

It's a multplayer format. Everyone draws on their first turn. So there's just a starting player.

Nothing prevents you from using Power Play with only two players, though.

Come on now, it's just brief descriptions, you're really just hassling me with semantics.

Semantics is important everywhere where computers are involved