JPortal is still allive, Version 1.2 is in the works

[Malban]

Hello to you all.

I would just like you to know that rigth now I am updating JPortal.

Following is a list of things I have allready done, and the todos to be still done .
If you are adventurous, you can check out the last version via SVN and try for yourself.

Todo:
- do some new quests
- update help
- update FAQ


Changes from Version 1.0final to 1.2beta (allready implemented)

- New:
- implemented all Set cards of set "Starter 1999"
- implemented all Set cards of set "Portal three kingdoms"
- some of them include new abilities which were not present befor like:
- legendary creatures
- tapping in "Blocker" round (Kongming's Contraptions)
- tapping of "Attackers" with opponent chosing cards on reaction to that
- effect "buf others as long as xxx is in play" (e.g. Kongming, "Sleeping Dragon")
- some special abilites (like horesmanship)
- toyed around a bit with quest mode,
new quests can be build with types:
- must win in # turns
- destroy # number of creatures
- don´t let more as # of your creatures be killed
additionally you can play a quest with a PreSet.
- I define a Preset as a "Game Situation", which means, you can give a quest player and/or opponent a given hand/graveyard/library/land/creature lists with which
the quest must be fullfilled.
- a quest like Rescue lady XX makes more sense if you have predefined settings
- might imlpement even a tutorial this way
- you can chose a starting player for quests now
- a new menu item "import supported sets", which lets you (... well) import all supported sets at once
- Match Stat window now shows Quest progress and some more player related stuff

- technically: "abilities" (invoked by tapping) now go on stack and
are not evaluated at once. There might be some more "accept stack" clicking needed
but for some new (and maybe many future) cards that was neccessary


- Bugfixes (numerous, can´t tell them all):
- some gui stuff for Linux, where texts were cut off etc.
- now I know you MUST have Sun JAVA 1.6 at least in order for JPortal to work
less won´t do, and Gnu Java won´t work either, I developed JPortal using
Netbeans and for that it seems to take a liking in Sun Java
- default start in Window mode now, for better Mac "compatabilty"
- tried fixing AI that it won´t endless loop anymore
a) fixed AI implementation
b) implemented a "Watch" mechanism for endless loops, which will break
it internally (and give an error message to debug log)
c) If a card for a situation is selected by AI and not accepted by the
game, AI won´t chose the same card again, it now never
choses (in one round) the same card for the same situation
I hope that will fix the rare occasions of endless loops

Malban

[Malban]

Just to continue giving information...

Short term:
-----------
All above (last post) mentioned things are implemented.

Next thing I am implementing right now is a "Booster Draft" mode.
- drawing,
- rounds,
- deck building
- etc

is all done.
Last thing to do is enable the AI to draw cards according to AI settings and build a (more or less) intelligent deck.

Target for a new release is within 2 weeks time.

Mid term:
---------
Following that I will probably do something else. And as I know myself after that I will implement "Starter 2000".

This doesn´t sound like much, but with that small set of 58 cards JPortal will support:
- Artifacts
- enchantments

While a small step set wise it will be a huge step game wise

I guess I will have a release 1.3 including the above sometime spring 2011
(although the actual coding will probably be done in a few days time)

Long term:
---------
Following that I will change the hint systems, and therefor the whole AI code, to be situation based. Otherwise more complex cards will be fiddlestick to do hints for.

Next supported set will be:
- "Fifth Edition" a whooping 434 complete Magic Set!
- the first non-starter set!

I expect (if I will be in the mood) I might do that till mid 2011.
(Here the coding will take significantly longer, with testing and documentation I calculate about a months time of coding)

- as allways - the newest version can be gotten via svn.

Malban

[Huggybaby]

Very nice!

[Malban]

Hello,

updated the online help at:
http://www.deamonsouls.de/jportal//index.html
(quite a few chapters added, but never finish-able .-))

Especially for Booster draft (which is now complete):

http://www.deamonsouls.de/jportal//8b10072c.html
http://www.deamonsouls.de/jportal//cf6ec1b9.html

bye bye

Malban