Questions gathered since september!

[Takhen]

Hi there, I missed to read the forum since september, so I lost some news and I also have some questions to upgrade myself!
I would remember I don't speak english so well and it is the reason if maybe some questions of mine would be already ansered, in that case if you would link the topic I would try to read there, or if you want to teach with your words it is good too

So: back in my time you where all drained with Magic 2014, I would like to know if there is a link where I could download it for free (There are more versions as Theta, Skidrow? There are differences I would know before to chose a version? The system requirements are the same of 2013?)

Then I would to ask about the Xbox 360: I have the games of DotP from 2010 since 2014, but I can't found the DLC, could someone link where I could find them please?
Talking about Xbox 360: it is possible to apply the mods also there? I would love it!!!

The last topic of my questions is about the modding of dotp 2013 and 2014 too.
There are difference between the two games for that I should prefer to mod one and not the other? For example if one is more simple than the other, or if one allows the online game and the other doesn't.
Other difference: there are more already coded card for the 2013 or 2014? There are the better tutorial and tools for the 2013 or 2014?

Then I would like to answer which tools, tutorials, and already coded cards and decks, but first I should know if I have to download the 2013 or 2014

I would like to thank, thank, THANK you a lot if you read since there, and I would love you if you try to answer to my questions

[RiiakShiNal]

So: back in my time you where all drained with Magic 2014, I would like to know if there is a link where I could download it for free (There are more versions as Theta, Skidrow? There are differences I would know before to chose a version? The system requirements are the same of 2013?)

Yes, there are cracked versions of both games and if you search around you can find torrents and/or direct downloads for them. DotP 2013 has Steam, Skidrow, and Theta versions while DotP 2014 has Steam, Skidrow, and 3DM versions.

Yes, there are differences between the two games. DotP 2013 has Planescape mode while DotP 2014 has Sealed Deck mode (Sealed Deck mode can only be modded for local play as online play requires authentication from a WotC/Stainless server). DotP 2014 engine can support some cards that were impossible to code in DotP 2013. System requirements are about the same since there weren't that many changes between the two versions.

The last topic of my questions is about the modding of dotp 2013 and 2014 too.
There are difference between the two games for that I should prefer to mod one and not the other? For example if one is more simple than the other, or if one allows the online game and the other doesn't.

Short answer: If you want to play online you need to use the Steam version. Though if you want to play online with mods know that all players in a match need to have the exact same mods otherwise the game will either prevent a connection from being established or crash.

Other difference: there are more already coded card for the 2013 or 2014? There are the better tutorial and tools for the 2013 or 2014?

No idea which version has more cards coded for it. Though most modders have stopped working on DotP 2013 in favor of DotP 2014.

Most of the tutorials for 2013 will also apply to DotP 2014. There are also a couple of tutorials specifically for DotP 2014.

DotP 2013 has more tools available for it while DotP 2014 has some of the same tools but they have been further improved. Also I believe thefiremind's web generator has been converted from DotP 2013 to DotP 2014 so if you were looking to use that to create simple cards then it will probably only work with DotP 2014.

Some tools work for both versions of the game (Gibbed Tools, Eglin's tool, etc...).

[Takhen]

DotP 2013 has Steam, Skidrow, and Theta versions while DotP 2014 has Steam, Skidrow, and 3DM versions.

So which version is better to download, which are the differences?

Short answer: If you want to play online you need to use the Steam version. Though if you want to play online with mods know that all players in a match need to have the exact same mods otherwise the game will either prevent a connection from being established or crash.

The Steam version? With 2013 I needed the Skidrow version and a mod added.
Only Steam version can play online? But the steam version is playable offline also without Steam or Steam will be needed also for offline playing?

No idea which version has more cards coded for it. Though most modders have stopped working on DotP 2013 in favor of DotP 2014.

Most of the tutorials for 2013 will also apply to DotP 2014. There are also a couple of tutorials specifically for DotP 2014.

DotP 2013 has more tools available for it while DotP 2014 has some of the same tools but they have been further improved. Also I believe thefiremind's web generator has been converted from DotP 2013 to DotP 2014 so if you were looking to use that to create simple cards then it will probably only work with DotP 2014.

Some tools work for both versions of the game (Gibbed Tools, Eglin's tool, etc...).

If you don't konw which version has more already coded cards you make my think that the number is near the same, my doubt was that 2014 had too low cards because of the less time of publishing

Could you link to me the topics/tutorials/tools/modded cars or something I need to know if I want to mod the 2014, please? I have already the tools and some informations, but maybe there are newer and easier from when I read the forum the last time, then I don't know where the 2013 tools are also allowed for the 2014!

[RiiakShiNal]

So which version is better to download, which are the differences?

Skidrow, Theta, and 3DM are cracked (illegal) versions while Steam is the only legal version of the games. Skidrow tends to not update after they crack a game so their versions are usually outdated.

The Steam version? With 2013 I needed the Skidrow version and a mod added.
Only Steam version can play online? But the steam version is playable offline also without Steam or Steam will be needed also for offline playing?

That's why I said that was the short answer. DotP 2013 could be played online using a hybrid of the Steam and Skidrow versions with an external program called Greenluma which basically uses the Steam service but with fake AppIds, but it wasn't a very good solution and had problems.

I have not heard of anyone playing DotP 2014 online using a cracked version.

Steam versions require Steam both online and offline (pretty obvious).

If you don't konw which version has more already coded cards you make my think that the number is near the same, my doubt was that 2014 had too low cards because of the less time of publishing

I don't know because I don't keep up with all of the other modders work (I never have). When DotP 2014 came out we saw that most of our tools and methods from DotP 2013 worked so we were able to basically jump in and start playing around with the files even while waiting for Rick to come out with a new patch DLL. So there was considerably less downtime with DotP 2014 than there was with DotP 2013. Also because of how similar modding was between the two games even less experienced modders were able to convert to the new game relatively easily.

I managed to update my Deck Builder for DotP 2014 within a few of weeks of the game becoming available so users were able to build new decks and get their feet wet modding faster which probably also helped. Some of the more experienced modders stepped up quickly producing cards and function libraries which made cards easier to build as well.

Could you link to me the topics/tutorials/tools/modded cars or something I need to know if I want to mod the 2014, please? I have already the tools and some informations, but maybe there are newer and easier from when I read the forum the last time, then I don't know where the 2013 tools are also allowed for the 2014!

Well, you can already see the forums, but we also have a Wiki page with information and links. Beyond that, do a little reading (most topics have appropriate names and are in appropriate places), you would be surprised what you can learn that way.

[Takhen]

Skidrow, Theta, and 3DM are cracked (illegal) versions while Steam is the only legal version of the games. Skidrow tends to not update after they crack a game so their versions are usually outdated.

Which are the difference between skidrow and theta (or 3dm)? I have 2013 theta, I remember it had a problem less than the skidrow version but I can't remember which was...something like that the skidrow "remembers the first time you start so if you do something and restart you won't however see the difference", something like that...someone remember better than me?
Other differences?

[RiiakShiNal]

Which are the difference between skidrow and theta (or 3dm)? I have 2013 theta, I remember it had a problem less than the skidrow version but I can't remember which was...something like that the skidrow "remembers the first time you start so if you do something and restart you won't however see the difference", something like that...someone remember better than me?
Other differences?

Skidrow version is based on DotP 2013 v1.0 and does not include the updated functions and bug fixes that were released later. Theta has versions from v1.0 to the updated versions from the expansions and deck packs which includes the new functions and bug fixes. The different versions store the profiles in different places. Theta also allows you to specify additional AppIds instead of just the default ones to make the game work (this allows for manual unlocking of additional decks instead of having all of them already unlocked).

All versions of the game have limited deck memory. Only a specific number of deck configurations can be stored (just like in DotP 2014) any other decks will "reset" upon exiting the game.

Though the game may retain some information about a deck even if the deck configuration is not saved, such as how many card ids are used for the deck. So if editing a deck to add cards often you will need to delete your profile to get the game to recognize the additional ids (allowing the new cards to show up). This usually only matters to modders, who frequently change decks as they are creating/testing/adjusting them.

[Takhen]

This seems to be importanti, but I wasn't able to understand clearly because I can't remember so much about modding
What the appid was useful for? What it is?

[RiiakShiNal]

This seems to be importanti, but I wasn't able to understand clearly because I can't remember so much about modding
What the appid was useful for? What it is?

AppIds are used to unlock content. In DotP 2013 they are primarily used to unlock cards (promo cards use a different method).

In general terms an AppId is an ID that is associated with an application on Steam, when these IDs are applied to a person's account they indicate that the application has been bought. Over time their use expanded to expansions, DLCs, and can even be used to unlock features. The DotP series has used them for the games themselves, expansions, deck packs, unlocking and foiling specific decks and with DotP 2014 even uses them to unlock additional sealed deck slots.

Cracked versions generally either automatically provide AppIds for the game and its expansions and features. The Theta version took this one step farther by actually keeping track of which AppIds the application requests and provides them once requested (which allows decks to start with locked cards which you can unlock on a deck by deck basis as you choose from within the in-game Deck Manager). It does require that the game be restarted before the newly recorded AppIds will actually register as available in game though.