Sealed - possible fix

[Sonic]

I may have a way to fix Sealed

I've been through the 'Expansion Rarity' codes in the manalink file, and compared them with the entries in the original games Rarity.csv. Most of the codes for the original cards in the manalink file are either missing or wrong.

I've managed to reconstruct the 'Expansion Rarity' column by recreating the codes from the data for the Sealed sets in the 'New Rarity' columns in the manalink file. (Revised, 4th, 5th, Chronicles)

Although I now need a consensus as to what to do with Editions 6th - 8th.
I'm thinking along the lines of merging the rarities of the cards in 6th and 7th into the code for 8th, with the rarity of 8th taking preference if there's any difference between the cards in each edition.

Any opinions?

[Gargaroz]

Well, we're actually using the new rarity system did by Mok, but if that could be fixed without too much effort, do it.

[Aquillion]

There's another problem.

Fixing it to the 'correct' values would mean that the vast majority of cards would never show up in Sealed! Is that really desirable?

I suggest choosing one of the various packs used in Sealed and making it the 'everything' pack, with all (non-special, non-token) cards present, and with rarity taking precedence as noted.

I suggest either Revised or 4th edition; all cards in them are present elsewhere, and they're available as decks, which is important. And the difference between them is not huge.

(This assumes we can't just add new packs to Sealed, which would be better. Though the interface would not be suitable to a huge number of expansions; perhaps simply bundling Manalink with an external program to manage the lists used for Sealed would be best.)

[Sonic]

Ok, this is what I've managed to establish.

The sets related to the filter buttons in the Deck Builder - The Dark, Legends, Antiquities, Arabian Nights, and Unlimited - are available to the Sealed Deck game by default, as are the Basic Land cards. You can't disable any of these sets via the Expansion Rarity codes.

The Expansion Rarity codes only relate to the others sets in the Sealed Deck game (Revised, 4th Edition, 5th Edition, Chronicles, and 8th Edition)
If you set all the cards rarity codes to 0h in the manalink file and then start a Sealed Deck game with two 4th Edition Starter Packs. If you then go to the Deck Builder, right click on the 'Forth Edition' button and make sure you only have 'Forth' ticked, you end up with no cards shown - so it's safe to say the codes do at least do something.
Although why you get 76 'Air Elemental' cards when only 'Unlimited (default)' is ticked, I have no idea.

Anyway, we can either restore the original game with 6th, 7th and 8th playable via the 8th Edition Starter Packs and boosters. Or lump everything else in with 8th Edition Starter Packs and boosters.

And to be honest, I'm all for the first option. Because if you think about it if you put some 8000+ cards in a single set (which is usually no more than 250 cards in a core set), the likelihood of ever getting anything but a single of any particular card is massively increased.

[Sonic]

Been mucking about and had another idea.

It's possible to replace the code for Revised, 4th Edition, 5th Edition, Chronicles, and 8th Edition with later core sets, and relabel each set in the Sealed Deck Pack/Booster Screen and the Deck Builder.

We could replace the above with the last 4 core sets - Magic 2010, Magic 2011, Magic 2012, Magic 2013 - and Modern Masters (reprints)

It would require the ordering of the 'Expansion Rarity' code to be modified so that the current 4th Edition button in the Deck Builder would filter and show 'Unlimited (default)' and the last two core sets - 'Magic 2012', 'Magic 2013'.

So the code would need to be modified to

1st digit - 8th (Magic 2010)
2nd digit - Chronicles (Modern Masters - boosters only in Sealed Deck game)
3rd digit - 5th (Magic 2011)
4th digit - 4th (Magic 2012)
5th digit - Revised (Magic 2013)

In the pic below I have a Magic 2013 Starter Pack selected in the Sealed Deck Screen and we can see Evolving Wilds, Primal Huntbeast, Warclamp Mastiff and Watercourser are in the pack - all cards that only in appear the Magic 2013 core set. So the codes still work as expected.



Yet again, in the Deck Builder with all other sets disabled and the current 4th Edition button updated to show Magic 2012/13 and filtered to show only 'Magic 2013' - we see Warclamp Mastiff and Watercourser correctly filtered in the set.



So the idea works and seems sound enough.

Opinions?

Oh yeah! And we could rotate the sets when Magic 2014 is released.



Startup screen with sets relabelled

[stassy]

The best current options would be...more options aka the return of the fileswap method in order to provide to players the ability to play sealed with 5 sets of their choices.

Or maybe a macro to modify the Rarity.csv at will, though I don't think it's possible for people who don't have spreedsheet editing software to use it.

Also, maybe move this thread to dev section?

[Aswan jaguar]

The first idea that comes up in mind is that this is not bug related,but development material and the discussion is better to be moved there.It can have proper attention or even attract new interest in sealed there as others don't check all bugs.

[Sonic]

The first idea that comes up in mind is that this is not bug related,but development material and the discussion is better to be moved there.It can have proper attention or even attract new interest in sealed there as others don't check all bugs.

Thanks for moving the post. You're right, it makes far more sense putting it here.

[Sonic]

@stassy - Just for now I'd really like to concentrate on the format of the Sealed Deck game from the perspective of an update or clean install - so people with no knowledge (or interest) in tweaking the game can just play it.

To that end I've created some test files, using the most recent core sets as I outlined above. The mods Cards.dat file directly replaces the one in the current 'Manalink June 2013: The Prophecy of Dragon's Maze Nemesis V2' patch - the files are essentially identical apart from the updated exp rarity codes in the mods file, so it shouldn't affect normal card bug testing.
The other three files (Text.res, Menus.txt, CUECARDS.TXT) update the card pack/boosters text, the deck builder's '4th Edition' button filter text and it's hint text.

Back up the original files first, then drop all the replacement files in the Magic/Program folder.

Have fun.

Sealed Deck Test Files - http://www.mediafire.com/download/e5jmc ... k_Test.zip

[gmzombie]

this would also be cool if it was current standard rotation. dont know if that can be done but would be fun. at least RTR gatecrash, dragons maze right now m13 and also a modern masters. just a thought,.

[Sonic]

this would also be cool if it was current standard rotation. dont know if that can be done but would be fun. at least RTR gatecrash, dragons maze right now m13 and also a modern masters. just a thought,.

Could be done.

Although, it would result in some slightly messy Deck Builder filtering.

Due to the limitations of the 'expansion rarity' code in designating any set as a Pack or a Booster in the Sealed Deck game. As in:

1st digit - Packs/Boosters
2nd digit - Boosters only
3rd digit - Packs/Boosters
4th digit - Packs/Boosters
5th digit - Packs/Boosters

And the fact that the Sealed Deck game only allows for a maximum of two packs and four boosters.
It would make sense to use the smaller set within the current block (Gatecrash), which comes with no Basic Land cards, only available in the Sealed Deck game as boosters (boosters don't include Basic Land). Whereas the larger two sets (RTR, Dragon's Maze) could then be set-up as packs/boosters.
Although, in reality, the paper set Dragon's Maze doesn't include Basic Land cards - minor detail.

This then leaves M13 and Modern Masters with the remaining two packs/boosters bits - which would result in these two sets being filtered via the deck builders current 4th Edition filter button.

From a game maintenance point of view it could only really be updated once a year. You couldn't realistically do a rolling block set update, as all three sets in the current block would need to be active in manalink before it really makes it practical to update Sealed Deck Game.

[gmzombie]

This kinda makes me wonder if we could change the setlist buttons Luke dark legends and whatnot to more like the 8th edition button with the new menu.

[Sonic]

This kinda makes me wonder if we could change the setlist buttons Luke dark legends and whatnot to more like the 8th edition button with the new menu.

If only.
As far as I can make out from trawling though the original games Rarity.csv file, the sets related to the original games Deck Builder filter buttons - The Dark, Legends, Antiquities, Arabian Nights, and Unlimited were all lumped in under a single rarity designation of ‘Original Set’ and are most probably hard coded to use what we now know as the ‘Rarity’ column in the manalink.csv. Seemingly due to a total lack of foresight on Microprose’s part to originally give each set its own rarity entry, as they later did with Revised, 4th Edition, 5th Edition, and Chronicles - which Mok then later adapted into the second 'Expansion Rarity' column in the manalink.csv.

[gmzombie]

one thing that i noticed is if you get rid of rarity.csv the game dosent work at all. so its still looking at that csv but why? why not adapt the manalink.csv to this. change a few things around and just have what they have in the csv currently.

Also do u have a manalink csv file that is parced like the rarity.csv or do u know how to properly parce that manalink.csv file. Also if u change the I'd at the first line in the csv it will no longer sylk file error.

[Sonic]

one thing that i noticed is if you get rid of rarity.csv the game dosent work at all. so its still looking at that csv but why?

No idea.

Also do u have a manalink csv file that is parced like the rarity.csv or do u know how to properly parce that manalink.csv file. Also if u change the I'd at the first line in the csv it will no longer sylk file error.

Sound like you're using Excel?
I use Libre Office with csv files as Excel doesn't recognise many csv formats - and won't load the Manalink.csv without trashing the planeswalker text entries.