Manalink 3.0 Installation

[stassy]

Unfortunately I fear that sealed and draft are currently not working with the new cards past 2k limit.

If you mean Duel by Constructed, it work as intended.

[CirothUngol]

Just wanted to mention that I've updated the Manalink 3.0 Full Download on MediaFire to the 20120715_v3 update. I've removed all (hopefully) superfluous files from the install... that means no more Shandalar (go check out Shandalar 2012).
I've added some stuff, including all of the currently available Classic Rouges (79 of 'em), the few PlayFaces I did for forum members, freshly cleaned\converted PlayDecks (over 2700 from original sources), additional Adversary comments (added to Text.res file), and a few auto-extracting Art and Sound Mods.
The install is a bit different, it includes a tiny batch installer:

*Extract the two-part .RAR archive
*Click the ClickMe!.bat file to auto-extract the default Art and Sound Mods
*To apply other Mods; exit the game, click the Mod, re-start the game
*If Windoze asks about the Mods installing correctly, click "Yes"

Please post if you find any problems.

[ozks]

CirothUngol please check this post
if you wanna put this avatars in you next Update, i will be glad

http://www.slightlymagic.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=7793

[yunie00]

Ciroth, I can't see mine and my opponent lifepoints.. I wonder what's wrong?

thank you,

[stassy]

Do you see the player and AI portrait in the left side of the screen in Duel mode? If so just right click on the portrait and select "Flip back to lifepoints"

[grinnin]

Its been years since ive been here but I have to say that you guys have done amazing work. The new cards and the new graphics and mechanics– its all simply phenomenal.

Thank you to everyone thats helped make this, its really incredible.

[CirothUngol]

I'm trying out a new Installation Layout for the Full Manalink 3.0 Download, so I've uploaded a new version of the 20120715v3 Update. Includes a few new perks:

*Contains over a dozen auto-installing Mods
*ModFiles have a spiffy new icon stolen straight from the Microprose CDs
*New batch-controlled ArtMods for Rogues and PlayFaces (default is MicroproseOriginals)
*Improvements in BatchFile performance and display
*Renamed "ClickMe!" to "Install_Me_First!", to make it more obvious
*Create "ToggleSounds" on the fly, so now there's only one BatchFile in the Install Folder
*Includes UpdateInstallers for VB6 and VC++2010
*Updated the PlayDeck Analyser to v0.4b
*Added a couple of missing CardImages
*Now includes a tiny ReadMe!

There's 2 different downloads. The usual 2-part .RAR archive (labled "Complete"), and another archive without the VB6 and VC++ UpdateInstallers or CardImages (labled, appropriately enough, "NoCardImages"). This is for those who already have the CardImages, and don't want the additional 200+ MiB of unnecessary download; you can just copy the images over after installing. Other than that, they are exactly the same.

As always, please leave a post if you find any issues with the download.

a tiny ReadMe:

Code: Select all

----------------------
     Manalink 3.0
   July 15, 2012 v3
----------------------


Install
-------
After extracting the archive, just navigate to the Manalink 3.0 folder
and click the "Install_Me_Now!.bat" file. It will run the Default Mods and
create the "ToggleSounds.cmd" file. Then simply navigate to the Program
Folder and click on "Magic.exe" to play.

If you have any issues with text or art when first played, please reboot.

Windows Updates
---------------
Manalink 3.0 requires the Runtime Files for both Visual Basic 6.0 and
Visual C++ 2010 to be installed. If you need these for your system, you can
find them in the "WinUpdates" folder.

Mods
----
There are several "Mod.exe" files in the "Manalink 3.0" folder.
To use them first exit the game, click on the Mod, then restart the game.

These are simply executable .RARs; most of the ArtMods just dump their files
silently into the main Program Folder, clobbering what's already there.
The SoundMods are encoded in OggVorbis, so they dump .OGG files into the
Program Folder, and then run a BatchFile to extract them with "OggDec.exe"
The Rogues_ArtMods run a BatchFile that allows you to install as Rogues,
PlayFaces, or Both. You may also Replace or Add to the current Gallery.

ToggleSounds
------------
Click it when the Sounds are ON, and it'll turn them OFF.
Click it when the Sounds are OFF, and it'll turn them ON... hence the "Toggle".

This is a simple BatchFile to toggle the sounds ON and OFF. It does this by
ReNaming the "Sound" and "DuelSounds" folders and copying back the few
sounds necessary for the game to run to the "Sound" folder; or it removes the
"Sound" folder and ReNames the original folders so that the game can find them.
It's safe, simple, quick, non-destructive... listen to music while playing!
Works with any Manalink\Shandalar install, read the BatchFile for details.

PlayDeck Analyser
-----------------
A small multi-purpose app that corrects a folder of PlayDecks to match the
current Manalink Update. Good for checking your PlayDeck folder when a new
patch is released. It not only contains a small myriad of Search, Sort,
Substitute, Convert, and Replace functions for PlayDecks, but it also performs
several other Manalink-related tasks. See the ReadMe for more details.

Notes
-----
This ReadMe is just a stub. Manalink is currently in a state of flux, and there
are many aspects of the game that worked in v2.0, but are broken in v3.0. This
probably includes (but may not be limited to) Sealed Deck, Draft, Rotisserie,
Momir Basic, EDH, etc. Many of these may work, but with sporatic results.

Since these issues are expected to be eventually resolved, the composition of
a full ReadMe at this time is pointless. Development is ongoing and updates
are frequent. For the newest info on Patches, Updates, and WhatNot, please
visit the Manalink 3.0 Forum at http://www.slightlymagic.net/forum/

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


August 21, 2012

[stassy]

Install
-------
After extracting the archive, just navigate to the Manalink 3.0 folder
and click the "Install_Me_Now!.bat" file. It will run the Default Mods and
create the "ToggleSounds.cmd" file. Then simply navigate to the Program
Folder and click on "Magic.exe" to play.

The file is named Install_Me_First!.bat instead of Install_Me_Now!.bat

The green for main text is a bit too dark for black background, The title text is ok

You should say in the Readme that the bat file enable 3 mods (the default ones), so user know what to enable after install.

Guess it's time to clean a bit the Playdeck folder (seems to be Orion79 last deck pack is missing aka Versus decks and Expansion decks), I'm a bit ashamed to find my test decks in there

[CirothUngol]

Drat!
I changed the name of the BatchFile at the last minute trying to give it a more obvious name... and I thought I had changed it everywhere else. Oops ^_^

Are you sure that the green used for the title wouldn't be too bright? It seemed too bright when I was testing it... I'm good either way, so I might change it in subsequent releases.

The user doesn't have to enable anything. The BatchFile runs the Mods for default Art, Sound, and the "MicroproseOriginals" Rogues. Afterwards the user need only click "Magic.exe" to play. I should probably change "MicroproseOriginals" to "Default", so it's more obvious what is and isn't installed to start with.

Yea, I've been using the same giant cache of Import PlayDecks for many months now. Do you have a better set to import from? If so, please share. I really only play SealedDeck and Random Gauntlet, so I'm sure there are lots of undesirables in there.

Thanx for taking the time to test it out, Appreciate.

[stassy]

Are you sure that the green used for the title wouldn't be too bright? It seemed too bright when I was testing it... I'm good either way, so I might change it in subsequent releases.

Well, for me the color tint was too dark but it might be due to my screen which brightness is set to text mode, anyway it's just personal taste so you can leave it like that.

The user doesn't have to enable anything. The BatchFile runs the Mods for default Art, Sound, and the "MicroproseOriginals" Rogues. Afterwards the user need only click "Magic.exe" to play. I should probably change "MicroproseOriginals" to "Default", so it's more obvious what is and isn't installed to start with.

That is why the user need to know that the default settings are enabled, so he can change if needed (for example the very useful sound mod)

Yea, I've been using the same giant cache of Import PlayDecks for many months now. Do you have a better set to import from? If so, please share. I really only play SealedDeck and Random Gauntlet, so I'm sure there are lots of undesirables in there.

Unfortunately not, since I am busy with finishing testing the whole Kamigawa set (half cards checked!), but you can safely remove test.dck and some dupe cards such as easyas123xxxx.dck. The idea of sorting deck in specific folder might be interesting and worth a look (sort by author or set).

[smith666]

Hi guys
For me sounds doesn't work on this new version, in the older version sounds work fine Manalink_3.0_20120410, ToggleSounds script is switched on, and i have all sound files in the instalacion folder, but I hear only a coin flip in the game . What is the problem???(OS win7 32bit)

[Sylphis]

Hi,
I've the same problem than smith666 : no in-game sounds (and no music in deck builder) except "the fliping coin" (OS 32 bit Win7). Sound files unzziped correctly as they could be played by any media player. Copy/paste with older version does not correct this bug. Any ideas ???

[CirothUngol]

...are you DoubleClicking the Magic.exe file directly? If not, please see this post in the Development forum. I've noticed that running Magic.exe from the CommandLine or from a BatchFile seems to disable the Sounds... at least on my Win7x64 system.

If not, exactly what setup are you using? Is it the MediaFire Download? Did you extract on top of your other install? (you probably shouldn't do that).

[stassy]

I can confirm the sound is disabled in your version CirothUngol, in mine the sound is ok (starting with Magic.exe).

Also I noticed that in my version I can see the Magic.Exe process in the sound panel (so I can shut off sound separately in win x64 from others programs) while in your I cannot see anything.

[stassy]

Ok found the culprint, somewhat your package is missing the file Magsnd.dll which probably manage the whole game sound system (Magic.exe but also Deck.exe). You should be able to retrieve it from an old version since it was not changed since 1997.