Download Original MicroProse & ManaLink Game Files!

[Borodin]

Good information; thanks for that. I was able to install the 2010 ISO (with its 2011 patch), which isn't compatible with the Enemy PlayDecks--if I read the instructions correctly.

[n3r0]

All links are no longer available. Could you please re-upload them?

[CirothUngol]

Yea, with the fall of MediaFire most of the active links for Microprose MtG went down with it. Sad...

I had a bunch of this stuff in my old MtG folder. You can try to snag any of that stuff, if you'd like. You can also grab a few new things from the links in my signature.

[n3r0]

There are two folders: Manalink 2.0 and Manalink 2.x 20100109
Is one of these versions newer than in Microprose MtG 2010 Custom Installer?

[CirothUngol]

No, the 2010 Custom ISO is a special version that solidified the advancements in Manalink at a point just before the look of the game changed (additional graphics, game modes, etc.). It's the most similar to the original game, and contains a super-spiffy installer, Vista/7 compatibility, etc.

The Manalink 2.0 folder contains both the 2010 ISO and a VirtualMachine for Mok's early Manalink 2.0 version.

The Manalink 2.x folder contains full installs for the 20100109 update, which was one of the last updates before the CardIDs started to change. That version still contains many of the newer enhancements familiar to Manalink 3.0.

[n3r0]

Should I install 20100109 update over 2010 ISO?

[n3r0]

Guys?

[gmzombie]

Find ciroth ungols file. He usually has a more recent full setup.

[CirothUngol]

Should I install 20100109 update over 2010 ISO?

Nope, that's not how it works.
I'm sure this is confusing to those who haven't been aware of Manalink's advancements over the years. Here's an approximate TimeLine:

1997) Original Microprose MtG is released
1998) Microprose MtG: Duels of the Planeswalkers is released
2001) Mok releases his Manalink 1.3.2 Unofficial Update
2006) Mok releases his final Manalink 2.0 Mod, and then promptly disappears
2007) Community Updates to Manalink 2.0 begin
2009) New graphics and GameModes added to Manalink
2010) 2000 card limit is reached and old cards start being removed
2010) The CCGHQ Custom ISO is released
2011) Mok briefly reappears and helps Devs to break the 2000 card limit
2012) Manalink 3.0 is released (now with a 16384 card limit)

Manalink has seen many changes and additions over the years, so properly updating a basic Microprose install can be a real difficult and convoluted pain... hence the complete updated versions. Although they all use MtG DotP + Manalink 1.3.2 as a base, once updated they're quite incompatible with each other... especially the 2010 Custom ISO. It has a few custom updates of it's very own, and you should never use any other updates on that version.

There are several "complete" versions available:

Manalink 1.3.2 - The original Microprose MtG: Duels of the Planeswalkers with all 649 cards enabled, direct peer-to-peer network connections, and several fixes to Shandalar that make it playable on 'modern systems' (i.e. anything faster than 300Mhz). This version has been compatible with every edition of Windoze I've ever owned (95b, 98SE, 2000, XPsp3, 7x64) and I still play it occasionally.
Manalink 1.3.2 update is dated August 12, 2001.

CCGHQ 2010 Custom ISO - No new Game Modes or ArtWork (other than CardArt), but this version is quick, responsive, and stable as hell. It looks, acts, plays, and installs just like the original game, but contains more than twice the number of cards! I believe the 2010 ISO contains all of the updates that were written in ASM, before C programming was enabled for new cards (drastically simplifying and speeding up the process). Still my favorite version and probably the one I play the most.
The last update for the CCGHQ Custom ISO was July 21, 2011.

Manalink 2.0 - Since it was in constant development by several people over many years, there are simply oodles and oodles of updates for this version. It introduced all of the current extra Game Modes (Momir, Challenge, Draft, etc.) as well as all of the improved graphics and CardArt updates. It also used separate executables to work around the 2000 card limit (Magic.exe, MagicLimited.exe, MagicCustom.exe, and MagicGY.exe), with each executable requiring a separate CardArt Folder.
The last update for Manalink 2.0 was December 1, 2011.

Manalink 3.0 - The current version was officially released on January 28, 2012 and is developed by Gargaroz. It uses a completely different CARDS.DAT format than previous versions to accommodate the expanded card list and also contains an updated DeckBuilder, new CardArt file naming format, plus a few other graphic updates. The version found in my MtG Folder has Shandalar completely removed.
The March 22, 2013 update contains 7437 coded cards and 9515 CardArt images.

Shandalar 2012 - Shandalar.exe (the "adventure" part of the game) was updated in 2001 as part of Mok's Manalink 1.3.2, and didn't receive another update until December 2011. No new cards were added, but it now uses the updated DeckBuilder, CardArt, and DuelArt from Manalink 3.0 and has pre-juiced SaveFiles... other than that, it's the same ol' Shandalar. Great as ever. ^_^

These versions should all be considered separate entities, and you should always use the appropriate Base Install when updating.

Oh, about Manalink 2.x 20100109. That's approximately the last version of Manalink 2.0 before the inevitable removal of older cards to make room for new ones (because of the 2000 card limit). It comes complete with Game Modes and updated ArtWork, etc., and retains backwards-compatibility with all of the original PlayDecks (which is no longer an issue with Manalink 3.0). If desired, it can be used as a Base Install for further updates of Manalink 2.0 (never go backwards).

Newest downloads can be found at the links in my signature. I'm currently planning on rebuilding the 2.x 20100109 version (because the PlayDeck Analyser has exposed much incorrectness) and Shandalar is about to get a Major professional-style upgrade courtesy of hip63 (who built the 2010 Custom ISO installer). I've just seen the Beta, and brother... spectacular doesn't even begin to describe it!

Personal Note: Nobody is gonna read that wall of text. ^_^

[stassy]

I am tempted to put it in the wiki instead in a history page

[Legorol]

Thank you for this post:

I'm sure this is confusing to those who haven't been aware of Manalink's advancements over the years. Here's an approximate TimeLine:
...
Personal Note: Nobody is gonna read that wall of text. ^_^

I just stumbled across these forums a few days ago, and was slowly starting to get my head around things. For someone like me who is here to understand, learn and experiment, and not just download the latest one-click solution, this post was extremely informative. I read it all

As an aside: I got to this site because I was looking for the original ISO images for the original MtG, SOTA and DOTP. Many of the download links in the first post no longer work, and none of the links in your signature contain a folder with original ISOs.

Eventually, having read the whole thread, I found one link buried in one of the posts to your complete MediaFire folder. As far as I can tell, that link was pretty much the only place on the Internet that contained all the original ISOs, including SOTA, which noone seems to be able to find anywhere else. Thank you!

[CirothUngol]

I read it all

Oh, a glutton for punishment are we? ^_^

I'm glad that you've found this Forum, and that you've found it to be useful. This is easily the best place on the Net to discuss Microprose's Magic: The Gathering Software. If any answers are to be had, then this is where you'll get 'em.

I'm also happy that the ISO downloads are still working on MediaFire. I was forced to abandon them because of MediaFire's recent weirdness. Those ISO Images were all pulled from Real CDs by yours truly... just before I sold them on eBay about a decade ago.

I've done much experimenting with the original games as well, so if you have any questions either I or one of the other knowledgeable denizens of CCGHQ will try to help you out. Also, if you find anything neat, be sure to share it with us!

Here's a couple of tidbits that you can use with the original games:

PlayDeck Analyser - This application will correct the CardID Numbers in PlayDeck.dck files to make them compatible with any version of the game... original, hacked or otherwise. Also has many other functions, including the ability to convert the original CARDS.DAT files to CSV so you can peruse them in Excel or the like.

Classic Rogues Gallery - A set of new Rogues and PlayFaces for use with any version of the game. Created by Stassy and myself, these look much better than the originals (personal opinion, of course)... albeit quite a bit sillier as well. I like that.

PicViewer and Image Conversion - A small set of tools to View and Convert the proprietary PIC image files from the original Microprose game.

You can also look in the \Mods\ subfolder located at the new download links. All of the SoundMods and the ArtMod_Rogues_Classics should work with any version of the game.
...and be sure to check out Shandalar 2012 and help us troubleshoot it before the final release. Any comments or suggestions you may have are appreciated.

[Legorol]

Thank you for the awesome welcome and informative reply! Here is a wall of text to repay your kindness

You could say I'm a masochist. My hobby is to go back to old games I used to play, find them and get them working, for fun. I often have more fun resolving the technical issues than playing the actual game I like to explore the historical development of a game, see what various patches have done to it over time, etc.

With the Microprose MtG, I'm particularly interested in Shandalar, but I'm looking at its other parts too.

I want to be able to run versions of MtG it in a form that is as nearly identical to the original as possible. So I prefer unmodded versions, no additional cards, fan updates etc. Of course with old software it's often not possible to be completely "original", and you need a patch (such as Mok's 1.3.2) to run them on modern systems.

I also want to get an understanding of the developments that have been made to the game on these boards, and have at least a general overview of the different versions. By now, I broadly understand the difference between the original games, early unofficial patches (Mok's Manalink 1.3.2 and Manalink 2.0), various Manalink 2.0 updates, the 2010 ISO, Shandalar 2012 and Manalink 3.0. (Boy, there sure are many things to learn).

I'm messing around with a number of things at the moment. Thanks to you, I now have three original ISOs: MTG 1.0, SOTA 2.15 and DOTP 3.0 (would be great to find SOTA 2.0 as well ) I have downloaded a ton of stuff from these boards, and I am organising them for myself For example, got a copy of the 2010 ISO and its last Update, Shandalar 2012, the "critical" Manalink 2.x.20100109 update, and the early unofficial patches (e.g. Mok's 1.3.2 and 2.0).

To my surprise, I found the original Microprose published patches at ftp[colon-slash-slash]ftp[dot]atari[dot]com/patches/mtg/ so I am slowly getting my head around the original versions of the game, and which patch was for what: MTG 1.0 and 1.25, SOTA 2.0 and 2.15, ManaLink 1.1 and 1.3 and so on. I am in the process of collecting all the Readme files for these versions and patches.

I am experienced with virtual machines (Virtual PC, VMWare, VirtualBox, Bochs, DosBOX), so I set about installing Windows 98 and the original MtG ISO. It runs fine in Virtual PC, but Shandalar is too fast of course. One thing I'm trying to do is to set things up in Bochs, where you can control execution speed.

One of the things I want to know in complete detail is which cards are available in Shandalar, and quite separately in Duel/Gauntlet, for all these versions:
* Original MtG
* Original MtG + SOTA
* DOTP
* DOTP + SOTA
* How are each of the above modified by the official ManaLink patches (for example, ManaLink 1.1 installed over original MtG adds additional cards, but are not playable)
* How is this changed by Mok's ManaLink 1.3.2, which enables cards for play that are not normally enabled (for example, 1.3.2 installed over original MtG + ManaLink 1.1 enables all cards in Deck Editor)
* What decks do the enemies use when you have only original, original + SOTA, only DOTP, DOTP + Sota?
I know that some of this are age-old questions (e.g. the issue of whether DOTP alone includes all cards or not, just needs enabling), but I hope to compile a definitive list.

I don't really have any questions for you experienced forum goers right now; so far I learnt an awful lot from reading these forums and experimenting, which I'll keep doing. I'm sure though I'll come across something soon that I can't figure out myself

I have one small contribution to make, in case anyone finds it useful. I was getting a ManaLink 1.3.2 version of DOTP working on a Windows 8 32-bit system. I ran into the issue of all the text missing, and I understood that I need to apply Spectre's ACT fix. The problem is, the compatibility database I could get from these forums (MtG_-_DotP AppCompaT fix.sdb) is 64-bit, and as such the Compatibility Administrator refuses to open it on a 32-bit system.

However, a setup guide for the fix on this forum included pictures, with enough details of what is actually in the database. So I recreated a 32-bit version of the compatibility database from scratch. Applying that to my system fixed the missing text issue, and Manalink 1.3.2 now runs perfectly on my Windows 8 32-bit.

You can find both the 32-bit and 62-bit Application Compatibility fixes attached to this post:
viewtopic.php?f=55&p=115808#p115808

[CirothUngol]

Here is a wall of text to repay your kindness

...oh, Goodie!

I often have more fun resolving the technical issues than playing the actual game

I've played this game so consistently and for so long that I too spend much more time poking at its innards than playing the game itself.

With the Microprose MtG, I'm particularly interested in Shandalar...

As are many others. Until the December 2011 update Shandalar.exe was virtually untouched, with only minor fixes for speed and compatibility. Even now, the only really new thing to be added in the last update is the ability to load other graphic formats instead of the proprietary PIC format. Everything else is done to files outside of Shandalar.exe.

To my surprise, I found the original Microprose published patches at ftp://ftp.atari.com/patches/mtg/

Wow, that's really nice to see. I lost those many years ago, and I'm grabbing them now. Thanx for the link!

I am in the process of collecting all the Readme files for these versions and patches.

Neat! As previoyusly stated, we'd appreciate you sharing anything you find/create/discover. We can never know too much about our favorite PC Game.

One of the things I want to know in complete detail is which cards are available in Shandalar, and quite separately in Duel/Gauntlet, for all these versions:

You can effectively find all available cards in Duel by scanning through DeckBuilder after installing each version. I know that DotP contains all available cards and it also introduced network play (Manalink). SotA added Sealed Deck play and either added or enabled some cards. If you install DotP on a clean system and update with Mok's Manalink 1.3.2 all available cards and play modes are enabled.
As for Shandalar, I remember one of the original Microprose updates breaking the SaveGame files forcing you to start over, so I'd bet that cards or other stuff was added to Shandalar.exe at some point. I also seem to remember Shandalar having two cards that were unavailable in Duel; Akron Legionnaire and Stone-Throwing Devils... I think. ^_^

Remember, you can use PlayDeck Analyser to get a breakdown of available cards from the CARDS.DAT file... but since I'm unable to find where early versions store the "CODED CARD" status, you can't trust that value for any original versions except for DotP + Manalink 1.3.2, to which it defaults.
You can also use the PDAnalyser to check and rebuild CardArt folders for both Manalink 2.0 and 3.0, if you eventually wish to play with the myriad of updates available for those versions.

What decks do the enemies use...

Enemy PlayDecks are found in the \DECK\ subfolder. These are minorly updated with each expansion to take advantage of newly available cards. Be sure to check out Jiansonz's Enemy Decks Overhaul for an in-depth look at each of Shandalar's 55 Enemys, the Decks they wield, rewards they give, as well as updated competitive Decks for them to use and other great info. It's easily one of the best threads on the entire forum (again, personal opinion).

I know that some of this are age-old questions (e.g. the issue of whether DOTP alone includes all cards or not, just needs enabling)...

Yes, I'm quite sure of it. But still, a definitive list of which cards are available through which expansion would be a great addition to the Wiki.

I have one small contribution to make, in case anyone finds it useful.

I'm sure some users will... and again, thanx for contributing to the growing pool of info, fixes, and knowledge here at the CCGHQ.

It might be best to direct any questions or info regarding the exact inner workings of files and executables to the Developer Forum. There are plenty of folks with Guru-style knowledge who commonly hang out in there.

[demarest]

Is anybody able to re-up the 64-bit MtG_-_DotP.sdb ? Both links in opening post are outdated. I had downloaded it a couple years ago and can't seem to find it. Thanks.