Is there a way to choose what card sets I want in Shandalar?

[lujo]

The ini file is Shandalar.ini in the same folder where the exe is. The error I have no clue about I'm more of a designer than a developer

The AI opponents will use slightly tweaked original decks unless you download a deckpack. These are mostly all over the place in terms of quality and difficulty to play against, including the one I'm currently designing.

The new cards are "implemented", but the AI doesn't handle a lot of them well, there are bugs, and we're actually (or at least I am) exploring what works, what needs to be done about stuff that doesn't work, and puting togather a deck that's fun to play against / usable by the AI can take a workday.

But I'm putting those in, so if you want to play against new cards and help by yelling at me for making terrible decks and cards not working you can do so by picking up my decks and putting them in the "decks" folder. Or you can take someone elses, I'm sure they'd appreciate being yell... I mean feedback.

My current deck folder, with all decks tweaked or reworked but in progress of actually making it sensible is here, and the thread where it gets developed and I get nervous breakdowns from the state of the AI because of it occasionally is the "Improved feedback" thread, feel free to join in the insanity.

They're mostly a tad more brutal than I want them to be, but most of them actually work and seem to be less brutal than in other packs I've seen. If you do use them, check for updates regularly.

EDIT: If you use these and want to scream because of the AI being too brutal with them - you yell at me (in the improved shandalar playtesting thread). If it's about the AI being a pile of crap, that's for the bug tracker tracker.php (mind to report in the Shandalar section there). Don't yell there, the actual guy who knows coding and stuff doesn't like being yelled at.

[FadedSentry]

1. Starting from [Sets], towards the bottom of Shandalar.ini

I'm really kinda tech-illiterate so I'm probably going to make this sound stupid, but...

I've browsed over the entire file from where it says [Sets] all the way to the bottom and it has no actual list anywhere of the sets that are in. I see the instructions for how to disable a set, but again, if it doesn't have them listed I'm not sure how I'm suppose to.

The AI opponents will use slightly tweaked original decks unless you download a deckpack. These are mostly all over the place in terms of quality and difficulty to play against, including the one I'm currently designing.

The new cards are "implemented", but the AI doesn't handle a lot of them well, there are bugs, and we're actually (or at least I am) exploring what works, what needs to be done about stuff that doesn't work, and puting togather a deck that's fun to play against / usable by the AI can take a workday.

And just to make sure, when you say they are using slightly tweaked decks that's Shandalar right? Also, I assume the "deckpacks" change the decks AI's use but are they knowledgable about how to use the decks the right way if I use a deckpack? I've always been interested in AI programming in gaming so I'm hoping you guys can continue to advance it for Magic. =)

[lujo]

I'm also tech-illterate and I feel your pain. There's no list because they are all enabled. It's expected of you to put write all the ones you don't want to be in by hand or... i think it's expected of everyone to be tech literate or die, honestly, but that just my impression. EDIT: Folks are actually helpful, at least they try to be, but they don't seem to understand that instructions you get are completely arcane to non-tech literate folks.

---

No, the deckpacks are made by folks naively trusting that "implemented" means what you think it means, except it doesn't. Mine consists of stuff that I've spent more hours than you'd believe testing each card I add manually and sifting through the deckbuilder until I found combinations where the AI doesn't arse up too hard too often with. There's (currently) no way to script decks individually, and cards are mostly scripted globally. The AI has no clue about what the deck it's playing wants to do. The AI is by sheer coincidence good with a number of strategies (putting cards that are so good that you can't arse up with them whatever it does in decks pretty much), though, and it can be brutal to play against, but that mostly depends on if what the deck tries to do coincides with what it's globaly scripted to do (and the deckbuilder puts a lot of work into preventing accidents).

I have an opinion on this, but, as I said, I'm not capable of coding my way out of a paper bag. The whole thing is in pre-alpha state, though. So's my deckpack, there's plenty of non-functional things in there I'm working on every day. Whether the AI can kick your ass, that it most certianly can.

---

Oh, and there's a lot of handy customization added, too, in the .ini. That needs an actual guide, though.

[FadedSentry]

Ok, then I guess the last 3 things are...

1. Is there a list of what sets are in?
2. Can I have the AI in Shandalar use any of the custom decks?
3. When I go to change what sets I want in Shandalar, what's the best way to go about it. I see in the directions it says if I disable too many it might freeze.

So should I do maybe...
Alpha--7thEdition=Enable
and then just disable the rest?

[BlueTemplar]

i think it's expected of everyone to be tech literate or die, honestly, but that just my impression.

[...]

The whole thing is in pre-alpha state, though.

Partly by design, it would seem, for now :
viewtopic.php?p=182722#p182722

Arrabal, yes, installation is unacceptably poor.
[...]
Part of it's because I actually prefer it to be a bit difficult for the time being. The wider distribution this gets the sooner and more likely WOTC and/or whoever ended up with MicroProse's assets is to put an end to it.

Otherwise, more information about sets can probably be found by searching Shandalar and Manalink forums (especially the first stickied "Updates on the Way" post?), as well as their Wikis.

[lujo]

1. Not sure.

2. Custom decks? You mean deck packs? Or something else? In case of deckpacks like that one, yes, just make a backup of the "decks" folder, and put the one in the zip file in it's place. In case you mean make a custom deck in deckbuilder, it's a bit complicated.

Youre supposed to run the Shandalar exe through the command prompt (run in the start tab), but so it ends like this

(path)\Program\Shandalar --deckbuilder

This opens up the deckbuilder which is only limited to the cards implemented so far. Then you have to make the deck. Then you have to open the PlayDeck folder, copy the decklist, find the enemy you want in the Decks folder (you have to have a spreadsheet with all their numbers, it's linked up somewhere), and paste the decklist in it (deckbuilder deck format and shandalar one are different).

The AI will use it, but how well - well, you'll see XD

(this is all less complicated than it sounds though when you have that spreadsheet, but, again, not very user friendly at all)

3. Eh, the best direction, I think, is to turn on the old frames for everything, and not disable anything, honestly. Or you can try what you want and see what happens. Keep in mind that sets aren't fully implemented, and that enabling a "set" could mean anything XD

[BlueTemplar]

Yeah, so I forgot to add that when a game is in "pre-alpha" (or alpha, which traditionally means not all main features are implemented yet and the software is not even being shown to people outside of the development studio), it's generally not worth it to take time to write detailed guides when they are going to be obsolete the next week. (Here, it would seem that the development being slower, and somewhat relying on the community, some guides were still made.)

[FadedSentry]

=Otherwise, more information about sets can probably be found by searching Shandalar and Manalink forums (especially the first stickied "Updates on the Way" post?), as well as their Wikis.

Well, I did check the main wiki and didn't see anything about it. I'd also say I've browsed the forums decently well, maybe not quite going over them with a fine toothed comb, and can't find them.

1. Not sure.

2. Custom decks? You mean deck packs? Or something else? In case of deckpacks like that one, yes, just make a backup of the "decks" folder, and put the one in the zip file in it's place. In case you mean make a custom deck in deckbuilder, it's a bit complicated.

Youre supposed to run the Shandalar exe through the command prompt (run in the start tab), but so it ends like this

(path)\Program\Shandalar --deckbuilder

This opens up the deckbuilder which is only limited to the cards implemented so far. Then you have to make the deck. Then you have to open the PlayDeck folder, copy the decklist, find the enemy you want in the Decks folder (you have to have a spreadsheet with all their numbers, it's linked up somewhere), and paste the decklist in it (deckbuilder deck format and shandalar one are different).

The AI will use it, but how well - well, you'll see XD

(this is all less complicated than it sounds though when you have that spreadsheet, but, again, not very user friendly at all)

3. Eh, the best direction, I think, is to turn on the old frames for everything, and not disable anything, honestly. Or you can try what you want and see what happens. Keep in mind that sets aren't fully implemented, and that enabling a "set" could mean anything XD

I did mean the deck packs, yes.

Also, I did what you suggested in your first post and set everything to classic. It's not exactly what I want, but it does at least make the cards look better so I guess.


If someone can find that list of sets in the game I'd much apprecaite it.

Anyway, thanks for the help you 2. =)

[lujo]

WAIT!

Before you do anything, make sure you've updated to the latest version of the new Shandalar! Especially if you're using the deckpack, cards get added all the time and that download you got might be an older version.

viewtopic.php?f=76&t=17003&start=330#p187899

Find the big post by Korath here (if it doesn't automatically link it), and update!

[FadedSentry]

Ok, glad I noticed that post before continuing. XD

Um...the one I want to do is this one....

"Installation directions: If you're upgrading from TH1 or TH2 to TH3"

Right?


Anyway, thanks again.

[FadedSentry]

Ok, so...I thought i was all set to go. I installed your decks and loaded up Shandalar, and the game crashed on my first duel. No error given. =/

[lujo]

Not sure, but you do have to update it first!

And I'll reupload the pack, just a second I think I might've arsed up something.

EDIT:

There was an error with one of the decks I think, but you do have to update to nomad's bazaar 1. So put this deck in, update to Nomads Bazaar 1 (Korath's Post explains how), it should work.

[FadedSentry]

Ok, all updated and played a few matches, no problems yet. So, thank again. =)

[lujo]

^^ If you feel like yelling at me for those decks and give feedback and stuff (also pick up updated versions with better tweaks, I post one every other day, it's a work in progress), the thread is the improved shandalar testing thread.

If these are too frustrating to play against, other folks have made other decks, feel free to look around

(I made some undertested tweaks to the early black opponents earlier today, so if you notice odd things going on be sure to give a holler).


Enjoy

[FadedSentry]

It's funny you mention the black mage's minions were the ones you made changes to, as before I updated those were the very ones I was erroring trying to face.