Can we re-examine challenge mode?

[Systral]

Yeah unrestricted saves and continues would be lame, I'm thinking something like what you described with a one-time save that got removed after being used or maybe a half-way savepoint after winning 5 games. It would be up to Jatill of course but I think something should be done to combat the I'd-rather-play-a-fast-deck-over-and-over-until-I-get-lucky-than-a-slow-deck-and-risk-wasting-two-hours-to-a-crash-or-manascrew-problem

[Tattooedoni]

Just continuing to spitball here but what about limited continues. I am thinking back to the idea that challenge mode is supposed to be a spiritual successor to ultima weapons, boss battles, and limited lives. Even just a singe continue might be good, because if you are playing loose or playing a bad deck you will lose twice. I don't know what kind of programing complexity it would take to add a continue or continues, and it would not address crashes. It is just a thought.

[benstride]

I think that Challenge Mode is a great feature. It provides a genuine rewards and a genuine challenge against an AI that is less than brilliant. The restrictions on decks force you to think about problems in a new way and come up with ideas and combinations that you would not have thought of otherwise.

I think one solution for new users who are confused by cards they put in decks not working, would be to have the pictures on the cards that are locked, modified with an image of a lock, saying "UNLOCK IN CHALLENGE MODE." When a challenge is unlocked, the card image would be replaced. There are already files being copied when the challenge is complete so this might be a reasonable solution.

[jatill]

I think one solution for new users who are confused by cards they put in decks not working, would be to have the pictures on the cards that are locked, modified with an image of a lock, saying "UNLOCK IN CHALLENGE MODE."

That's an interesting idea. I think it can be done.

Edit: if it can be done, I don't know how. But I have made 1 improvement. When playing cards, their title changes to 'LOCKED: chal 1 #3' when they appear in your hand. I can't do the same for the deck builder, unfortunately.

[blotto]

I've noticed some people have complained about "Challenge mode". Personally, I feel it's your program and you can do what ever you want and the rest can suck it. Your doing this for free afterall. I think what y'all have done here is fantastic and I'll take it anyway I can get it. What you might consider, if enough people have an issue with "Challenge mode" is offer an unlock code that you can obtain by making a reasonable donation to the cause. That amount would be set by the creators. This way you can either get the game for free, but have to over come some obsticals, OR you can buy the unlock codes for some amount.
Just my two cents.

[Marek14]

I've noticed some people have complained about "Challenge mode". Personally, I feel it's your program and you can do what ever you want and the rest can suck it. Your doing this for free afterall. I think what y'all have done here is fantastic and I'll take it anyway I can get it. What you might consider, if enough people have an issue with "Challenge mode" is offer an unlock code that you can obtain by making a reasonable donation to the cause. That amount would be set by the creators. This way you can either get the game for free, but have to over come some obsticals, OR you can buy the unlock codes for some amount.
Just my two cents.

Someone has already come with that idea, but it's a VERY bad one. At the moment jatill or anyone except for Microprose guys starts taking money in connection to their work on ManaLink, they would be in great trouble.

[blotto]

That's a good point, I forgot about that. But they are already excepting donations on this site. Plus, if they buy the unlock code only, and not the game itself then they are purchasing something that belongs to the programers and not Micropose. Micorpose has nothing to do with that part of the game. I don't know if that flies legally, but just a thought.

[stassy]

The donations here are for website maintenance, not coding commission I think.

[monopoman]

Yeah I assume those donations are to keep this site running but moderators can step in and let people know.

[Bog Wraith]

Well, I just spent over 2 hours playing the first challenge and lost in the very last game of the challenge! Very frustrating, but that's the way it is!
I too wish that there was a better or more fair way to compete in these challenges, but frankly, I don't see it happening.

I stand by what I posted earlier, that jatill is entitled to set the challenges in anyway he see's fit and that if I can't beat the challenge, I won't be unlocking the cards!

However, with so much time needed to devote in trying to beat these challenges, I am less likely to try them very often. Besides, there are so many other great parts to ManaLink & Shandalar, that I'd rather spend time with.

Oh well, so be it!

[Stroggoii]

You know, I really like challenge mode to play and see how you do, for fun.

But when you spend two whole days trying to win a piece of code op which paper counterparts go for $0.65, screwed once and again by random software crashes and ridiculous luck-dependant rules, it stops being fun completely.

We need to find a way to make the challenges skill dependant and not being "100% good hand, first turn and beg for no crashes or you're fucked again."

[sopcich04]

here is an awesome idea for a challenge. create the World Champion decks from the beggining!! now there will have to be some cards added to make this work like recall and some others but this would be fun.
i made the 96 deck(switched a few cards) and surprisingly it holds up very well against every other deck. only flaw: bad hands and games take forever

[sandman423]

Most of the challenges are impossible...I have only won 1...

and that was Easy as 1,2,3...

I want to get the following cards but I keep getting beaten in the first round no MATTER what deck I am using...

Also Perfect Storm is Impossible to go 9 straight turns to win in 1 turn...
Come on

Is there an easier way to unlock the cards like
Umezawa's Jitte
Bit Blast
Donate
Goblin Welder
Violent Ultimatum
Illusions of Grandeur

I have been trying for awhile to beat challenges, but they seem impossible...

I am coming back to Magic from being away for about 5 years and it is hard to wrap my mind around how to build a deck to beat the challenges

[RanDomino]

I really don't like having to complete luck-dependent challenges (both from impossible matchups and crashes) in order to play certain cards, but I like the idea of a format where there's some kind of progression instead of just being pure sandbox.

What about rebuilding Shandalar from scratch? It wouldn't (nor should it) have to be exactly the same, but just with the same concept- running around like it's Final Fantasy, but fighting monsters by playing Magic, and instead of items and skills you have cards; then, Shandalar's dungeons could be replaced by places you go to encounter the challenges to unlock certain cards and formats- for example, the "Dungeon of That's Big," in which you basically play the "That's Big..." challenge, including deckbuilding restrictions. Or the "Dungeon of Enter the Dragon" to unlock EDH on the game's main menu.

That way, no one complains that they can't play certain cards (since they're all unlocked in sandbox mode), and jatill gets a mode where you have to earn cards.

I doubt that Shandalar can be re-made using the old Microprose game as a base, but Shandalar is such a great game, even today, and I wish I knew enough programming to just reconstruct it myself...

[stassy]

Actually, MTG Forge got inspired by Shandalar and included a "story" mode in one of its mode.