Cards that have an effect while in the graveyard.

by **mathusalem** » 13 Mar 2009, 15:50

I know I'm not a coder, and I'm pretty crappy when I have to faceSky's editor or the debugger but...
(I thought about that since a short exchange regarding Squee, goblin Nabob in the Top ten wish thread)
What if we think of cards using the graveyard as actually two cards.

one is the normal card while in play, in your hand, or in your library

But when it goes to the graveyard it trigger one of those Orange "special effect" cards
and we think of this card as a totally new card that has the effect of the card in the graveyard.

For example, if I wanted to do Wonder
wonder in play would just be a regular flyer

But if it goes to the graveyard it triggers an orange card that has "all your critters have flying"
and that checks that "wonder" is in the graveyard
Now that orange card would be the one working and being actually in play codewise - you see what I mean ?

Am I just rambling ? did you already think abouti it and thought it impossible ?

by **jatill** » 13 Mar 2009, 16:03

Yeah, I've thought about this. I think it's impossible using normal tricks. Any of these graveyard cards can work if they go to the graveyard from play (side note: coming this weekend, Rancor). But if they are milled or discarded into your graveyard, the game doesn't trigger their abilities.

We'd have to alter the game engine somehow to look in the graveyard for abilities as a state-based effect, or something. Way beyond what I know how to do.

by **aww1979** » 14 Mar 2009, 04:26

Nether Shadow works if it is milled or discarded or something, and goes to the graveyard (not from play). Maybe that will help...?

by **jatill** » 14 Mar 2009, 12:34

aww1979 wrote:Nether Shadow works if it is milled or discarded or something, and goes to the graveyard (not from play). Maybe that will help...?

I don't believe it does.

by **aww1979** » 15 Mar 2009, 11:23

I just tested and...

-Nether Shadow Legacy DOES appear if discarded from hand while at 8 cards, discarded by Wheel of Fortune, or by Mind Rot
-Nether Shadow Legacy DOES NOT appear when Entomb or Buried Alive or Millstone are used on it

Therefore, it seems it works fine when discarded from hand in any way (with Microprose and community cards) and that it does not work when milled from library (with Microprose and community cards).

I've also seen in play where the nether shadow legacy sticks around after a Timetwister or similar card, but I'm not sure what happens when you try to use the legacy.

by **jatill** » 15 Mar 2009, 12:48

Thanks for re-testing. Right now I have coded Progenitus to shufflle only from play, but it sounds like it's possible to make it work form hand too, which would be a big improvement. Unfortunately, for cards like Flashback and Squee, I think appearing in the grave from the deck is too common to create as approximations.