General DotP 2014 Coding Questions

[Rockenchick]

The problem is on this line:

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EffectSourceLKI():Damage():PreventAll(), TriggerObject():GetPlayer())

The line should be:

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Damage():PreventAll()

• Damage() is a global function (not part of the card object).
• Parenthesis are mismatched (extra close at the end of the line).
• PreventAll() does not take any parameters and you can't separate statements using ",".
• There is no point in having TriggerObject():GetPlayer() there since we don't need the source's controller for anything.

I'm so grateful, it finally works!
I was really relying far too much on code from a card rather than using logic it seems.

[Rockenchick]

Having issues with getting Brand to work. I tried using ( FE_IS_PERMANENT) and GetOwner (although I have no idea where GetOwner should be placed if it should at all, so I was just guessing). Testing conditions were against a deck that played Act of Treason (really that's all the deck has besides land cards to keep conflicts low) and whenever one of my creatures is stolen for the turn using Brand doesn't do anything.

These are the 2 forms of code I've tried without success:

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<FILTER filter_id="0">
         local filter = ClearFilter()
         filter:Add( FE_IS_PERMANENT, true )
         filter:Add( FE_OWNER, OP_IS, EffectController())
      </FILTER>
      <CONTINUOUS_ACTION layer="2" filter_id="0">
    local card = FilteredCard()
    if card ~= nil then
       card:SetController(EffectController())
                    end
      </CONTINUOUS_ACTION>


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<FILTER filter_id="0">
         local filter = ClearFilter()
         filter:Add( FE_IS_PERMANENT, true )
      </FILTER>
      <CONTINUOUS_ACTION layer="2" filter_id="0">
    local card = FilteredCard()
    if card ~= nil then
       card:GetOwner():SetController(EffectController())
                    end
      </CONTINUOUS_ACTION>

[Xander9009]

(This is not the solution, just a note.) In the second attempt, this line is messed up:

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card:GetOwner():SetController(EffectController())

GetOwner returns the owner, a player. So, that line tries to set the owner themselves to be controlled by EffectController(). Essentially, it's doing this:

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Player:SetController(Player)

For that to work, you'd need it to check that the owner is effect controller, and if so, set the controller to effect controller.

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<FILTER filter_id="0">
  local filter = ClearFilter()
  filter:Add(FE_IS_PERMANENT, true)
</FILTER>
<CONTINUOUS_ACTION layer="2" filter_id="0">
  local Card = FilteredCard()
  if Card ~= nil and Card:GetOwner() == EffectController() then
    Card:SetController(EffectController())
  end
</CONTINUOUS_ACTION>

The reason it's not working could be because you don't have a duration. Static abilities can have continuous actions without durations. All other types of abilities MUST have a duration block, even if it's not actually going to do anything because the ability is indefinite. Duration blocks return true when the duration is up and the effect should end. Since you don't want that to ever happen:

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<DURATION>
  return false
</DURATION>

Try that and see if it does anything different.

[Rockenchick]

The reason it's not working could be because you don't have a duration. Static abilities can have continuous actions without durations. All other types of abilities MUST have a duration block, even if it's not actually going to do anything because the ability is indefinite. Duration blocks return true when the duration is up and the effect should end. Since you don't want that to ever happen:

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<DURATION>
  return false
</DURATION>

Try that and see if it does anything different.

Leaving off a duration was indeed the issue, the first code I presented works fine with that duration added. Thanks for letting me it's needed for most actions.

[RiiakShiNal]

Or you could have just called SetBaseController() in a RESOLUTION_TIME_ACTION instead of using a CONTINUOUS_ACTION since that would be more accurate (and keep the number of running effects that have to be calculated to a minimum).

[Rockenchick]

Having an issue with Lingering Death. I can't seem to find a way for the end step to be recognised as the controller of the creature it's attached to, instead the action is activated on my end step. Looking at the code it says controller, so I take it the enchantment is being seen as being controlled by whomever attached it, even though it's on another players creature, that does make sense, I guess. However, can't find a function to get it to recognise the controller should whomever is the controller of the creature it's attached to.

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<TRIGGER value="BEGINNING_OF_PLAYERS_STEP" simple_qualifier="controller" to_zone="ZONE_ANY" from_zone="ZONE_ANY">
    return MTG():GetStep() == STEP_END_OF_TURN
    </TRIGGER>
    <RESOLUTION_TIME_ACTION>
         local parent = EffectSourceLKI():GetParent()
         if parent ~= nil then
            parent:GetPlayer():Sacrifice( parent )
         end
      </RESOLUTION_TIME_ACTION>
  </TRIGGERED_ABILITY>

[thefiremind]

However, can't find a function to get it to recognise the controller should whomever is the controller of the creature it's attached to.

Since you are using BEGINNING_OF_PLAYERS_STEP, the player playing the current turn is inside TriggerPlayer, so you just need to check if it's the same as the creature's controller. Incidentally, when you are using simple_qualifier="controller", you are basically using a shortcut for TriggerPlayer() == EffectController().

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    <TRIGGER value="BEGINNING_OF_PLAYERS_STEP">
    if MTG():GetStep() == STEP_END_OF_TURN and
        ((TriggerPlayer() and EffectSource()) and EffectSource():GetParent() ~= nil) then
        return TriggerPlayer() == EffectSource():GetParent():GetController()
    end
    return false
    </TRIGGER>

(The from_zone and to_zone attributes are useless in a trigger that doesn't check for zone changes, I know you can find them on official cards, but they are probably result of careless copy-pasting.)

[xanthics]

DotP 2014 -- Community WAD

In my journey to make the AI less terrible with dual lands I've been experimenting with having the land type randomized if the controller is AI. However my current implementation proves to be very time consuming(about 2 seconds per dual land). Is there a better way to code this block? Right now its checking, during upkeep -> is controller ai -> if yes choose random.

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   <TRIGGERED_ABILITY linked_ability_group="1">
      <TRIGGER value="BEGINNING_OF_PLAYERS_STEP" simple_qualifier="controller">
         return MTG():GetStep() == STEP_UPKEEP and EffectController():IsAI() == true
      </TRIGGER>
      <RESOLUTION_TIME_ACTION>
         LinkedDC():Set_Int( 0, MTG():RandomNumberBetween(0, 1) )
      </RESOLUTION_TIME_ACTION>
   </TRIGGERED_ABILITY>

[Xander9009]

If you add replacement_effect="1" to the triggered_ability tag, it won't get a resolution timer.

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   <TRIGGERED_ABILITY replacement_effect="1" linked_ability_group="1">
      <TRIGGER value="BEGINNING_OF_PLAYERS_STEP" simple_qualifier="controller">
         return MTG():GetStep() == STEP_UPKEEP and EffectController():IsAI() == true
      </TRIGGER>
      <RESOLUTION_TIME_ACTION>
         LinkedDC():Set_Int( 0, MTG():RandomNumberBetween(0, 1) )
      </RESOLUTION_TIME_ACTION>
   </TRIGGERED_ABILITY>

[xanthics]

That fixed it for me. Trying the following out for a few days with a friend to see if it breaks anything.. But has been playing nicely so far.

This is my terrible, thrown together Python3 code for modifying all the multimana cards.

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import os

def main():

    aiMana = '''   <TRIGGERED_ABILITY replacement_effect="1" linked_ability_group="1">
      <TRIGGER value="BEGINNING_OF_PLAYERS_STEP" simple_qualifier="controller">
         return MTG():GetStep() == STEP_UPKEEP and EffectController():IsAI() == true
      </TRIGGER>
      <RESOLUTION_TIME_ACTION>
         LinkedDC():Set_Int( 0, MTG():RandomNumberBetween(0, {}) )
      </RESOLUTION_TIME_ACTION>
   </TRIGGERED_ABILITY>
'''

    root = "C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Steam\\SteamApps\\common\\Magic 2014 - Custom\\Modified Gibbed Tools r6_b10 " \
           "Binaries\\DATA_DLC_COMMUNITY_CORE_unpacked\\DATA_DLC_COMMUNITY_CORE\\DATA_ALL_PLATFORMS\\CARDS\\"
    for r, d, f in os.walk(root):
        for i in f:
            with open(root + i, 'r', encoding="utf8") as fi:
                x = fi.read()
                if "\"CARD_QUERY_CHOOSE_COLOUR\"" in x and x.count("</MANA_ABILITY>") > 1:
                    cou = x.count("</MANA_ABILITY>")
                    xx = 0
                    fi.seek(0)
                    fi2 = fi.readlines()
                    for l in fi2:
                        if "MANA_ABILITY resource_id" in l:
                            break
                        xx += 1

                    print(cou, i)
                    with open(root + i, 'w', encoding="utf8") as fo:
                        for l in fi2[:xx]:
                            fo.write(l)
                        fo.write(aiMana.format(cou-1))
                        for l in fi2[xx:]:
                            fo.write(l)


if __name__ == '__main__':
    main()

[Xander9009]

That fixed it for me. Trying the following out for a few days with a friend to see if it breaks anything.. But has been playing nicely so far.

This is my terrible, thrown together Python3 code for modifying all the multimana cards.

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import os

def main():

    aiMana = '''   <TRIGGERED_ABILITY replacement_effect="1" linked_ability_group="1">
      <TRIGGER value="BEGINNING_OF_PLAYERS_STEP" simple_qualifier="controller">
         return MTG():GetStep() == STEP_UPKEEP and EffectController():IsAI() == true
      </TRIGGER>
      <RESOLUTION_TIME_ACTION>
         LinkedDC():Set_Int( 0, MTG():RandomNumberBetween(0, {}) )
      </RESOLUTION_TIME_ACTION>
   </TRIGGERED_ABILITY>
'''

    root = "C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Steam\\SteamApps\\common\\Magic 2014 - Custom\\Modified Gibbed Tools r6_b10 " \
           "Binaries\\DATA_DLC_COMMUNITY_CORE_unpacked\\DATA_DLC_COMMUNITY_CORE\\DATA_ALL_PLATFORMS\\CARDS\\"
    for r, d, f in os.walk(root):
        for i in f:
            with open(root + i, 'r', encoding="utf8") as fi:
                x = fi.read()
                if "\"CARD_QUERY_CHOOSE_COLOUR\"" in x and x.count("</MANA_ABILITY>") > 1:
                    cou = x.count("</MANA_ABILITY>")
                    xx = 0
                    fi.seek(0)
                    fi2 = fi.readlines()
                    for l in fi2:
                        if "MANA_ABILITY resource_id" in l:
                            break
                        xx += 1

                    print(cou, i)
                    with open(root + i, 'w', encoding="utf8") as fo:
                        for l in fi2[:xx]:
                            fo.write(l)
                        fo.write(aiMana.format(cou-1))
                        for l in fi2[xx:]:
                            fo.write(l)


if __name__ == '__main__':
    main()

It's a pretty good idea, but it's unnecessary. I already have a tool to add code to all relevant cards. If it works out nicely, I'll see about running it on that ability. My main concern is that there is a better way to do it, it's just more complicated. That is, determine the cards in hand it's possible to cast with the current mana producers, and then set those mana producers to specific colors so as many cards can be cast as possible. I'm not doing anything at the moment, so I'll consider looking into this again. I've gotten a bit more experience since I last attempted it, so it may go more smoothly. For now, though, that's certainly better than dual lands only being usable for one color.

[xanthics]

Using random mana for multi-select sources has been working well. Computer definitely feels a lot more active. Bugs Chrome Mox so that the computer can just use any color, but the computer doesn't use imprint correct anyways(never selects a card to exile on any card with imprint). Probably bugs Coldsteel Heart and similar for the computer, but it always chooses black for those anyways.

[Xander9009]

Quick question, mostly for Riiak. What all is required to add a subtype? Specifically, the new artifact type, Clue? I added this to a lol file:

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ARTIFACT_TYPE_COUNT = 4
ARTIFACT_TYPE_CLUE = 3

Note that CARD_TYPE_ARTIFACT is 0, so the band starts at 0. ARTIFACT_TYPE_FORTIFICATION is 2.

I also added "CARD_SUBTYPE_CLUE" to a text permanent file. But that's how creature types were done. I wouldn't expect it would be different for artifacts, but I don't know. It's also how planeswalkers were done, as far as I know. I checked that ARTIFACT_TYPE_CLUE is 3 like it should be, but "Clue" doesn't appear on the tokens. I checked that they have

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<TYPE metaname="Artifact" />
<SUB_TYPE metaname="Clue" />

I'm not sure what else to do. Any thoughts?

[RiiakShiNal]

You have probably forgotten to add the subtype to the appropriate SPEC file, this is what allows cards to actually use a subtype (tells the engine about the subtype). The TEXT_PERMANENT allows for the subtype to display correctly, and the LOL entries allow for Lua code to reference the number by a friendly name.

[Xander9009]

You have probably forgotten to add the subtype to the appropriate SPEC file, this is what allows cards to actually use a subtype (tells the engine about the subtype). The TEXT_PERMANENT allows for the subtype to display correctly, and the LOL entries allow for Lua code to reference the number by a friendly name.

Thank you. I knew what the TEXT_PERMANENT file did, but I thought the LOL entry was enough for both LUA and usage on cards. It's now fixed, with the Clue subtype both appearing and filtering properly.