New Limited Edition plans

[Gargaroz]

Ok, so here's the complete plan for the New Limited edition.
If anyone besides me, Orion79, Sonic and Masaaki would like to contribute, just post here.
I'll do the coding part, the rest is up to you
You can edit the art or edit the CSV or Magic.exe.
Share with me your thoughts and, if you're willing, start editing the Limited CSV and, if you know what you're doing, MagicLimited.exe.

-- NEW LIMITED EDITION --
- SLOT 0000 - 0291 --> Unlimited cards plus some other stuff. Leave the unlimited card alone, put "Coded card" to 0 for anything else.
- SLOT 0292 - 0521 --> M12, all the available cards from M11 should be moved here, following the M12 checklist. For the cards already available, leave the slot empy, we couls use it for the tokens.
- SLOT 0522 - 0751 --> Scars of Mirrodin
- SLOT 0752 - 0884, 0893-0899, 0911-0916 --> Mirrodin Besieged
- SLOT 0917 - 1082 --> New Phyrexia
- SLOT 1083 - 1332 --> Innistrad
IMPORTANT : Does not replace anything in slot 885-892 and 900-910.

As you could see, there will be enough space for the two expansions of Innistrad and M13.

P.S. : Since I'm having toubles with my Internet connection, I'll try to be here as much as I can, but this is not assured.

[Gargaroz]

I just forgot : the cards already available among Unlimited cards SHOULD NOT BE MOVED. There are many hardcoded / reserved slot among them.

[0rion79]

Dear Gargaroz, accordingly to how things are devolping, I think that the best thing do to is to release a totally NEW Microprose's Limited set. The game, in fact, doesn't need any installation and may run just copying the files from a folder to another one.
So, the best idea that I can share is to release another "pack" to install in a totally different folder, containing only what is really necessary to run Constructed and Limited (which would become Limited 2 and Limited 3) and the "slot" for Custom Version that players may use to copy & draw the cards that they like more. You can't even guess the crazy decks that I did with cards that you didn't include in Constructed
Another big advantage is that players would not be forced to delete all of their decks built with Limited, since they would be stored together with the proper folder containing the used cards.
I just have to ask you to be very precise when you recode cards with new code pointers. In fact, when I see bugs with Custom version 1 time on 3 it is because they are using an older code pointer than Constructed.

About editors, with my latest patch I have released also some instruction to properly use My2000. Since I'm very busy and only have the time for hit-&-run games, I will release clear instructions about cards. If people will share those codes, we'll have a more ordinated deckbuilder and slightly smarter AI.

[Gargaroz]

The way this New Limited will be released is still to be decided, Orion.
I think we should release as a new "standard" Limited edition : people could easily keep their old Limited and decks via backuop and this will make the installation really easy for new players.
However, this could be release as a separate Mod too, with a .bat file and so on, we'll decide later.

As for your "instructions", are you talking about the text file that came with the package you sent me ? I could post it here if you like.

[Masaaki]

I have compiled a list of the slots mentioned above and the cards that will fill these slots.
In the "import" row I have written the slots where the cards are already coded, "c" stands for constructed version.
As you can see we will need at least 19 slots more for Innistrad.

I'll edit the art for now.

[Sonic]

Masaaki seems to be on top of this, so I’ll defer the project him. I did all the typos and format corrections on both csv files when I recompiled the artwork folders towards the end of last year (took a month and a half). So I'll let someone else have a bash at this project.

The artwork itself is no problem. I keep all the currently available core/expansion/promo artwork archived in the same 288x232 HQ format as I use for the SCV compiled artwork releases. Apart from three Innistrad cards I've already compiled the artwork for this months Constructed release using HQ pic (just waiting for the V3 bug release before releasing all three card art updates in the SCV forum).
Much of the old artwork can simply be renumbered from the current folders – and if Masaaki wants I could help out by starting to compile the rest from the xls file he posted.

[Masaaki]

The artwork itself is no problem. I keep all the currently available core/expansion/promo artwork archived in the same 288x232 HQ format as I use for the SCV compiled artwork releases. Apart from three Innistrad cards I've already compiled the artwork for this months Constructed release using HQ pic (just waiting for the V3 bug release before releasing all three card art updates in the SCV forum).
Much of the old artwork can simply be renumbered from the current folders – and if Masaaki wants I could help out by starting to compile the rest from the xls file he posted.

That's great!
Yesterday I started editing the art from gatherer and it was pretty ugly. If you already have HQ pics, then you are in a better position to edit the art.
I've started moving the art files we already have, so I'd leave the new ones to you.
After that I'll continue on the M12 cards in the CSV.

[Gargaroz]

Masaaki and everyone else, please use this updated list of slots. I compacted M12 slots (we cannot move the Ulimited cards), so I gained at least 14 slots.

[0rion79]

Gargaroz, trust me: I'm quite skilled in ergonomics and I really think that it would be much better to use at own advantage the fact that this game doesn't require any installation than using other ways, as you did with Golden Years
This is my advice: as long as we can't break the 2k cards limit (but maybe we will soon, I have that feeling), we can create different packs that holds different Magic ages, which share share the same DLL file which stores all the code, but not other resources. I'm sure it would come in handy!

About CSV instructions here what follows:

1 - the best thing to edit the CSV file is not to use Skymagic Editor (which is great for the exe, instead) but Microsoft Excel. Depending on your version, activate filters and lock the first horizontal line for better view. While you work, feel free to use grasseto style and any color to mark your cards: they won't be saved in the CSV format.

2 - tags. Some are very intuitive, others are not.

ID - is the card's ID. It must be in progressive order. Just to prevent bugs, if you had to switch slots select a bunch of the first 3 slots (from 0 to 4, eg) and drag to the end of the table: it will re-number all the slots, fixing any mistake.
Full Name: it is the card's full name that will appear in the deck editor.

CODED CARD: 0 = no or token; 1 is yes, which will made the card to appear in the deck editor.

Name - card's name in the game.

Expansion - This is tricky, because most of you often do a lot of mistakes with that. It makes the cards to appear in the rigth set both for deck editor and sealed deck game.
0008h - Astral Set/Manalik 2.0
0020h - the Dark set
04h - Arabian Nights
01000h - Token
0100h - Legends
0800h - Unlimited
40h - 8th Edition
0002h - Antiquities
1000h - Rules Engine reserved slot

Important Sets names may be changed editing the CueCards.txt file, so if you are planning to release new Limited sets, you may edit those values (and maybe evolve GMZombie's special DLL)

Card Type
1 - Artifact
2 - Enchantment
3 - Instant
4 - Interrupt
5 - Land
6 - Sorcery
7 - Creature
8 - Token

DB Card Type 2 This category gives precious advices to AI about how to use cards. It may also have occasional consequences on deck editor.
0 = None
1 = Ante card (if a card has its value, it may screw up with deck editor and showing the deck in non-ante games.
2 = Stealing (eg. Control Magic)
3 = counterspell
4 = X spell
5 = Discard effect
6 = Draw cards/return from graveyard/tutor
7 = Gain life
8 = Prevent damage (as Oasis or Greater Realm of Preservation)
9 = Destroy lands
10 = Provides mana
11 = "Entangle" effect (slow down the game, as Boomerang or Stasis)
12 = Inflatable/creatures' mana-activated abilities
Since some cards may have multiple effects, when you code new cards you have to choose a priority. All previous lands have "provides mana" even if they have other effects, while X casting cost is often selected if there are no other effects.

Rarity
1 - Common
2 - Rare
4 - Uncommon
3 - Chronicles Special (Uncommon almost rare)

Req Colorless; Black; Blue; Green; Red; White: They are just the required mana of each kind.

Num Pics As the name suggests, it tells how many arts that card has. If it is wong, you may have an empty gray image or other arts won't figure out.

Mod Direct Fire [...] Mod Library Manipulation- These modalities tell how the AI uses some cards. They are cumulative with the previous flags. The general rule is that 1 means "direct effect"; 2 is "interact with main effect". Eg, for Mod Direct Fire, Disintegrate has 1 since it deals direct damage, while Mana Flare or Rukh Egg have 2 since the first one helps to deal more damage and the second one is an ideal target for bolts.

Then there are other special values in detail:
Mod Land Destructor: 4 = alternative mana sources and similar; 5 = Land Sacrifice (Balance, Zuran Orb); 6 = cards that protect lands (Consacrate).
Mod Discard - 4 cards that protect the hand (Library of Leng), 5 = Mass discarding (Balance)
Mod Gain Life = when it is 2, they are cards as Fastbond or Hurricane that also harm the human player. 3 = prevention; 4 = loss of life (not damage), but this may not be right since value 4 is not present in any original Microprose-coded card.
Mod Enchantments 1 = is enchantment; 2 = draw with enchantments (Verduran Enchantress) 4 = source that destroy them; 5 = source that forces sacrifice.
Mod Artifacts 1 = is artifact; 2 protect them (Guardian Beast); 4 = source that destroy them; 5 = manipulation (tap, steal); 6 = side effects (Crumble, Hurkyl's Recall, Xenic Poltergeist) 7 = clone artifact.
Mod Creature 1 = is creature; 2 = pump creatures; 3 = resurrection & good side effects; 4 = source that destroy them; 5 = creatures that kill other creatures (Royal Assassin) and stealing spells (Control Magic); 6 = spells that may be used to hold creatures OR at own advantage(Spirit Link, Tawnos's Coffin) 7 = steal from graveyard and clone.
Mod Library Manipulation 1 = tutor, 2 = support (very rare, better not to use); 3 = millstone effect.

[b]Mod Dummy 1, 2, 3 and 4[/b] Unknown & unused (0 to all slots by default)

AI Inc Power/Toughness Indicates the enhancement granted by inflatable creatures and spells. So Giant Growth gives +3/+3 and so you have to put 3 and 3 in each value.

AI Power; AI Toughness It indicates the effective creature's power & toughness used by AI. So, if Triskelion is by fact a 4/4, use 4 in each field even if it is a 1/1 creature with 3 +1/+1 counters on it.

AI Base Value It goes from 0 to 200. It is used in several chances, as for sealed deck creation or AI's targeting processes. Higher is a value, more powerful a card is for AI.

Dependent Arifact / Creature / Wall - it tells if a card is (1) or is not (dependant) from such permanents. Probably value 2 may be used but for sure let's just use value 0 or 1. Eg. Mishra's Workshop may only be used with artifacts and so giving 1 to it will make the AI to use it only for interaction with artifacts.

Sleighted Color value go from 2 to 56 and each means if a card may be hacked or not. Those values are cumulative and may be summed:
2 = black, 4 = blue, 8 = Green; 16 = Red; 32 = White.

VS Black/Blue/Green/Red/White - It is used to tell if a card has any specific effect vs. the specific color, as Northern Paladin vs. Black

For Black/Blue/Green/Red/White - It is used to tell if a card has any specific effect at advantage of a specific color. Eg, Kaisa is at Green advantage. Values may be only 0 (no) or 1 (yes)

Count as Black/Blue/Green/Red/White - It is used to tell if a card has any specific effect at advantage of a specific color. Eg, Kaisa is at Green advantage. Values may be only 0 (no) or 1 (yes)

Vs. Black/Blue/Green/Red/White Land - It is used to tell if a card is used to destroy any specific kind of basic land. Eg, Flashfires vs. Plains. Values may be only 0 (no) or 1 (yes)

For Black/Blue/Green/Red/White Land - It has a very generic meaning, in fact is used to tell if a card may get advantage from the presence that kind of land into play. It includes Gauntlet of Power as well as Drain Life. Values may be only 0 (no) or 1 (yes)

Counts as a Black/Blue/Green/Red/White Land - It is used for lands that produce more than one kind of mana. Values may be only 0 (no) or 1 (yes).

AI Flying; Banding; Trample; First Strike; Wall; Landhome It is used to tell the AI if a specific card has that ability or not. Values are 1 = yes; 2 = gives/gains; 3 = special; 4 = removes that ability.

Exp Rarity - It is used to calculate reprinting of cards into different sets. It is a 5-numbers value: ABCDEh where A is 8th Edition; B Chronicles, C Revised, D 5th Eidition; E 4th Edition and values may be:
0 = no reprinting
5 = common
1 = uncommon
7 = special chronicles
9 = rare
So a card as Birds of Paradise that has 10099h is Uncommon in 8th edition, no repringing in Chronicles and 5th and rare in 4th and Revised edition.

Power/Toughness Those are the true values for the deck editor and game. Using 100 as value (or 101, 102 ecc.) means that a creature figures as */* as Keldon Warlord.

Num of DB Abilities This doesn't really matter but helps to check that each creature has the proper abilities for the deck editor filters. Hope that one day we may extend the flags.

DBA from 1 to 8 are the slots to add creatures's static abilities, which are:

1 Banding
2 ?
3 First/Double Strike
4 Flying
5 Forestwalk
6 Vigilance
7 Islandwalk
8 ?
9 Mountainwalk
11 Poison/Infect
12 Protection (Black)
13 Protection (Red)
14 Protection (White)
15 Haste
16 Rampage
17 Regeneration
18 Stonning/Deathtouch
19 Swampwalk
20 Trample
21 Reach
22 Gives Banding
23 Gives First Stirke
24 Gives Flying
25 Gives Forestwalk
26 Gives Vigilance
28 Gives Mountainwalk
29 Gives Islandwalk
30 Gives Mountainwalk
35 Gives Protection from White
36 Gives Haste
38 Gives Regeneration
39 Gives Deathtouch
40 Gives Swampwalk
41 Gives Trample
42 Gives Reach
It may be very useful for deck editor filters. "Gives" also means "gains", as pump knights that gives flying or first strike to themselves.

Mana Source Colors as land types, it is very important for all those spells - creatures and artifacts mostly - that provide mana. Those values are cumulative and may be summed:
2 = black, 4 = blue, 8 = Green; 16 = Red; 32 = White.

Inflatable - means if a creature may be pumped in power or toughtnes: only 0 (no) or 1 (yes).

Hack Color as above, it tells if a spell has any land-related ability that may be changed with Magical Hack or similar spells. Values are the same:
2 = Black, 4 = Blue, 8 = Green; 16 = Red; 32 = White, related to lands of course.

Hack Mode - it is really a mistery. I can't figure it out. Values go from 1 to 7.

Enchant Type OWN/OPP: it is about the kind of enchantment that is played by player and AI point of views.
OWNER:
1 = gives advantage to self/creatures
2 = directly harm/hamper opponent or its creatures
3 = steals permanents
4 = double use 1+2, eg. Spirit Link
8 = affects lands (Spreading Seas, Evil Presence)
OPPONENT:
1 = is harming/hampering me or creatures and must be destroyed
2 = is giving advantage to my opponent
3 = affects lands (Spreading Seas, Evil Presence)
4 = double use 1+2, eg. Spirit Link
8 = steals permanents

Subtype(1)/Subtype 2 It is used for creatures' race and work and for other permanents types.
Here are some general rules
1 - always use left column (Subtype 1) for each non-creature artifact to add value 44, which is very helpful in the deck editor.
2 - For creatures, it is much better to add their race in left column (Subtype 1) and their work in right column (subtype 2). So if we have a Human Soldier, the ID for Human goes on left column and the ID for Soldier goes in the column on the right. It helps with Adaptive Automaton.
3 - Enchantments may be tagged with creatures ID (as Legendary or Planeswalkers ID) only using the column on the right.
4 - Legendary attribute is obsolete and may be included only for creature filters purpose.
Here is a full list of creatures ID: the one marked with "ZZ -" are placed at the end of the queue because they are unused so, if you want to code a new creature that doesn't have its proper creature type yet, simply open the Menus.txt file and rename an unused creature type.

1 - Incarnation
2 - Artificer
3 - Advisor
4 - Pest
5 - Angel
6 - Snow
7 - Ape
8 - ZZ - Nightstalker
9 - Archer
10 - Dryad
11 - Enchant Artifact
12 - Antelope
13 - Assassin
14 - Atog
15 - Avatar
16 - Archon
17 - Plant
18 - Badger
19 - ZZ - Aurochs
20 - Locus
21 - Blinkmoth
22 - Basilisk
23 - Bat
24 - Bear
25 - Beast
26 - Bringer
27 - Slivers
28 - Berserker
29 - Monk
30 - Boar
31 - Trap
32 - Ally
33 - Ox
34 - Cyclops
35 - Camel
36 - Equipment
37 - Cephalid
38 - Chimera
39 - Centaur
40 - Cleric
41 - Shapeshifter
42 - Construct
43 - Cockatrice
44 - Enchant Creature
45 - ZZ - Citizen (token only)
46 - Demon
47 - Eldrazi
48 - Devil
49 - Crab
50 - Djinn
51 - Shaman
52 - Dragon
53 - Dauthi
54 - Drake
55 - ZZ - Deserter
56 - Druid
57 - Dwarf
58 - ZZ - Eye
59 - Dreadnought
60 - Drone
61 - Efreet
62 - Egg
63 - Elk
64 - Elder
65 - Elemental
66 - Elephant
67 - Elf
68 - Enchant Enchantment
69 - ZZ - Ferret
70 - ZZ - Flagbearer
71 - Minion
72 - Fox
73 - Faerie
74 - Homunculus
75 - Frog
76 - Goat
77 - ZZ - Graveborn
78 - Harpy
79 - Fungus
80 - Hellion
81 - Gargoyle
82 - Hippo
83 - Homarid
84 - Giant
85 - Gnome
86 - Goblin
87 - Lizard
88 - Hyena
89 - Jellyfish
90 - Soldier
91 - Gorgon
92 - Hag
93 - Human
94 - Horror
95 - Horse
96 - Kavu
97 - Hydra
98 - Imp
99 - Kirin
100 - Kor
101 - Juggernaut
102 - Kraken
103 - Lammasu
104 - Kithkin
105 - Knight
106 - Golem
107 - Kobold
108 - Enchant Land
109 - Leech
110 - Legend
111 - Land - Mountain
112 - ZZ - Licid
113 - Metathran
114 - Leviathan
115 - Monger
116 - Mongoose
117 - Land - Desert
118 - Moonfolk
119 - Mutant
120 - Mystic
121 - Bird
122 - Manticore
123 - ZZ - Nautilus
124 - Nephilim
125 - Merfolk
126 - Minotaur
127 - Ninja
128 - Masticore
129 - Octopus
130 - Myr
131 - ZZ - Orb
132 - Orgg
133 - ZZ - Oyster
134 - Ouphe
135 - Nightmare
136 - Nomad
137 - Land - Island
138 - Ogre
139 - ZZ - Pentavite (token only)
140 - Ooze
141 - Orc
142 - Land - Forest
143 - Pegasus
144 - Land - Swamp
145 - Phelddagrif
146 - Phoenix
147 - ZZ - Pincher
148 - Land - Plains
149 - Prism
150 - ZZ - Rabbit
151 - Reflection
152 - Barbarian
153 - Rhino
154 - Rat
155 - Cat
156 - Rogue
157 - Rigger
158 - ZZ - Salamander
159 - Scout
160 - Satyr
161 - Scarecrow
162 - Scorpion
163 - Serpent
164 - Shade
165 - Enchant Permanent
166 - Fish
167 - Pirate
168 - Samurai
169 - Saproling (token only)
170 - Serf
171 - Skeleton
172 - Slug
173 - Sheep
174 - Slith
175 - ZZ - Spawn (token only)
176 - Specter
177 - Sphinx
178 - Spider
179 - Spirit
180 - Soltari
181 - Spellshaper
182 - Griffin
183 - Spike
184 - Turtle
185 - Thopter
186 - Treefolk
187 - Troll
188 - ZZ - Not Used
189 - Werewolf
190 - Unicorn
191 - Vampire
192 - Sponge
193 - Squid
194 - ZZ - Squirrel (token only)
195 - Starfish
196 - Warrior
197 - Wall
198 - Praetor
199 - Thalakos
200 - Thrull
201 - Wizard
202 - Wolverine
203 - Wolf
204 - Wombat
205 - Enchant World
206 - Wraith
207 - Triskelavite (token only)
208 - Wurm
209 - Yeti
210 - Zombie
211 - n/a (disabled)
212 - Crocodile
213 - Illusion
214 - Insect
215 - Vedalken
216 - ZZ - Volver
217 - Weird
218 - Snake
219 - Sand
220 - Tetravite
221 - Whale
222 - Worm
223 - Zubera
224 - Assembly-Worker
225 - Hound
226 - Lhurgoyf
227 - Not Used
228 - Not Used
229 - Carrier
230 - Mercenary
231 - Rebel
232 - Viashino

Type Text: describes with words the kind of spell and its subtypes.

Rules Text & Flavor Text The original card's text with abilities. The space is limited, so for cards with a long text as Planeswalkers there may be the need to re-adapt it.

Damage Text It is used very rarely and only by very few spells which cause special damage or life loss, as Sylvan Library.

Effect Title Text & Effect Text They are used to name and describe temporary effects, as Exalted effect or inflatable/pump abilities.

Legacy Title Text & Legacy Text They are used to name and describe long-lasting effects, as Ifh-Biff Efreet effect. It is very similar to Effect Title & Text and much depends from how a card has been coded. Usually, if you see the orange background behind a card that you are using and there is no text, simply fill those values with the proper text. It adds a lot of nice flavor to the game.

Useless to say that many old-coded cards are filled with wrong informations... good job!!

[Gargaroz]

Great work, Orion !

Everyone, you can also look at this : http://www.slightlymagic.net/wiki/Manal ... Definition

And if you're willing to edit Magic.exe, check the second point of this FAQ : http://www.slightlymagic.net/wiki/Coding_FAQs

[Gargaroz]

Orion, the list of Subtypes you put is outdated.
For everyone, use this : http://www.slightlymagic.net/wiki/List_of_CSV_Subtypes

[Aswan jaguar]

Thank you Orion79 for your great work-explaining the csv values!
Now if a Moderator could put this to the Wiki with the great work made by Ciroth Ungol as well, we could possibly have even better results of the csv values by comparing this 2 csv surveys and helping the poor AI use all this great cards we have a little better[ as Orion79 who knows better(than me at least) says will happen]. I am hoping AI will do quite better.

Edit. A question to coders-developers from somebody ignorant:New cards are coded in C right?CSV values are in Assembly?If a card coded in C has been coded having infect e.g but I give it no poison effect or generally we have 2 contradictory codes which one prevails,the C one or the Assembly?

[0rion79]

Yours too Pests are no longer tokens only! Anyway, I'm gonna to update it right now.

@Jaguar, expect just minor improvements, even if still worthy of the job. CSV values are useful but AI is still very dumb.

[stassy]

Anybody can edit the wiki :p

[Gargaroz]

@ Answan Jaguar : values in the CSV are only references for the AI to play "better" the cars. The 80% of the AI is in the code, including the still mysterious "Reseved Infos" (does anybody ever completaly decrypted that ? I myself only knows a little about this).