Manalink Update Feb 8 - Challenge tweaks

[Wronskian]

It is not really about the new update, but i did not want to create a new thread for that : I cannot use Mimic Vat for the challenge Gimme!.

[discoransom]

I just retested this, and was awarded Serum Powder. I wonder if you hadn't restarted manalink before starting the challenge.

Thanks for taking a look at it. The problem must be something random on my end. I've beaten it from a fresh start-up several times now. This happened a couple times with other challenges- it will work eventually.

[aww1979]

The only bugs I addressed are
...(4) Updated the ai choice of how to use certain planeswalkers

I just played the planeswalker decimation challenge, and because the AI is too stupid to use planeswalkers most of the time, I beat it on my 4th attempt. I'd have been owned on at least half of the games on that attempt if the AI had been using its planeswalkers. It's not even using Garruk to make beasts most of the time anymore, and that was one it used to be reliable with. I'm not sure what you changed, but it doesn't seem to EVER use a planeswalker now unless it is responding to one of its own spells.

If you want the spoilers on this challenge, and my runs with it, it is the 11th post on page 3 of my thread in the decks&strategy forum.

[aww1979]

I also redid the Land Ho challenge earlier today, and with Exploration I did it on my first attempt! Strip Mine/Wasteland work very well with Petrified Field when Exploration is on the table, and Rishadan Port to lock down what's left

I haven't redone Dude yet, because it's going way too slow on my computer, but it seems like it'll be fairly easy, too. I'm not sure if it's just from having an elf army on the board to slow the game down, but I can't get past round 2 without locking up.

[discoransom]

If I could offer some criticism of the planeswalker challenge...

The round (6?) with the 5 planeswalkers is probably bad for this challenge from a player deck design standpoint, because it limits deck design to storm, belcher, etc. Decks that just ignore the computer.

I spent about 6 hours today testing different designs, and came up with several deck ideas that all give the player a fighting chance.

But having all those 'walkers in one round automatically defeats nearly every deck I brewed up. With a deck like belcher or storm, that round is actually not any harder than the others. You either go off by turn two/three or lose.

Here's a list of decks that I modified for this challenge- all of them can potentially win, except for round 6.

Metalworker/MUD
Goblin/Battlecry aggro
Oath
Show and Tell/Eureka
Affinity
Vengevine Survival with disenchant effects
White/Red Quest for the Holy Relic


I guess my point is that many interesting deck variations can potentially be used to take on this challenge- and the challenge would still be just as difficult.

[aww1979]

I got through the planeswalker challenge with an affinity deck in a couple tries, but the AI was using its planeswalkers maybe on 10% of its turns. I'd have lost half the games otherwise.

[discoransom]

I got through the planeswalker challenge with an affinity deck in a couple tries, but the AI was using its planeswalkers maybe on 10% of its turns. I'd have lost half the games otherwise.

Strange- for me, all 5 of the first planeswalkers used their abilities each turn, with few exceptions. Elspeth T. and Venser don't seem to do anything. I wonder why they don't do anything on your game?

[monopoman]

I would like to point out a slight bug which I am not sure can be fixed.

If you play a General in the EDH aka Commander format like Karador, Ghost Chieftain you will not get any reduction on his casting cost via creatures in the graveyard.

If this can be fixed it would be very nice to make him far more viable in Manalink 2.0 as a general.

[scorpionx1]

how do i get the artwork for blightsteel collossus?

[stassy]

The latest card art pack can be found in the Wiki :
http://www.slightlymagic.net/wiki/Installation

[Salbei]

how do i get the artwork for blightsteel collossus?

Straight from the FAQ:

Missing Artwork

Q:I´m missing the artwork for card XXX !
A:Do it yourself !

1.find out the card ID
open the deckbuilder and put the card with the wrong/no artwork into a deck and save the deck.
browse to your Playdeck folder and look for the deckname . now open the .dck file with the notepad.
1st row contains the card IDs.

Code: Select all

    ID      Quantity  Name
    .1064   1     Sphinx of Jwar Isle

2.get the Artwork for the card
google for the artwork or go to a random cardshop with pics. rightclick the image of the pic and save it to your computer.

3.edit the image
use paint or whatever to open the image of the card.
select just the artwork and cut it out.
create a new file and paste the artwork in. (so there is just the artwork visible).

4.save the image under the card id
so in this case you want to save the file as 1064.jpg.
the card must have 4 numbers -> so the artwork for card 27 must be named as 0027.jpg.

5.move the file to your CardArtNew folder

[stassy]

Just a thing about the image adding tutorial : the image crop need to be of 288 x 232 or it will be only partially shown in the game or distorded.

[Sonic]

If it helps. When I was assisting Jatill with the artwork for his updates, I wrote some instructions for the WIKI on how to prepare and edit the card artwork for the game.

http://www.slightlymagic.net/wiki/How_t ... ard_Images