Card Development Questions

[Zirbert]

I was working on some zombies, and hit some problems. I'll keep it one issue to a post, for simplicity's sake.

I was trying to get Soulless One scripted, but I gave up after several attempts. Is there a way to get Forge to calculate power and toughness by adding those two variables (zombies on battlefield + zombies in graveyards)? I tried basing it on Dauntless Dourbark, but that didn't work (Count$ TypeOnBattlefield.Zombie,TypeInAllYards.Zombie). I tried using X for one of them ("Count$TypeOnBattlefield.Zombie/Plus.X) and defining X as Count$TypeInAllYards.Zombie in the Subvar, but Forge REALLY didn't like that (crashed).

I tried so many combinations and variations of syntax and technique that I lost track not long into it. Am I just barking up yet another unclimbable tree?

[Sloth]

I was working on some zombies, and hit some problems. I'll keep it one issue to a post, for simplicity's sake.

I was trying to get Soulless One scripted, but I gave up after several attempts. Is there a way to get Forge to calculate power and toughness by adding those two variables (zombies on battlefield + zombies in graveyards)? I tried basing it on Dauntless Dourbark, but that didn't work (Count$ TypeOnBattlefield.Zombie,TypeInAllYards.Zombie). I tried using X for one of them ("Count$TypeOnBattlefield.Zombie/Plus.X) and defining X as Count$TypeInAllYards.Zombie in the Subvar, but Forge REALLY didn't like that (crashed).

I tried so many combinations and variations of syntax and technique that I lost track not long into it. Am I just barking up yet another unclimbable tree?

Yes, I think it's not possible at the moment. Should be easy to enable it though.

[Zirbert]

Thanks for the info, Sloth!

I guess I can combine these two, because they're both yes/no answers. I suspect that both are No, or at best, "not yet", since I couldn't find examples of any cards that indicate otherwise:

-Are nonmana Morph costs doable? (Pay X life, discard, etc.)

-Can tokens be defined as having triggered abilities (as opposed to straight Ability Factory single-line abilities)? I was trying for Skirk Ridge Exhumer, but couldn't make it happen.

[Hellfish]

Tokens with triggered abilities are possible. Check out Mitotic Slime on the SVN.

[ZzzzSleep]

I was working on some zombies, and hit some problems. I'll keep it one issue to a post, for simplicity's sake.

I was trying to get Soulless One scripted, but I gave up after several attempts. Is there a way to get Forge to calculate power and toughness by adding those two variables (zombies on battlefield + zombies in graveyards)? I tried basing it on Dauntless Dourbark, but that didn't work (Count$ TypeOnBattlefield.Zombie,TypeInAllYards.Zombie). I tried using X for one of them ("Count$TypeOnBattlefield.Zombie/Plus.X) and defining X as Count$TypeInAllYards.Zombie in the Subvar, but Forge REALLY didn't like that (crashed).

I tried so many combinations and variations of syntax and technique that I lost track not long into it. Am I just barking up yet another unclimbable tree?

Would it work to have a base power/toughness of TypeOnBattlefield.Zombie and a static pump of TypeInAllYards.Zombie? Or would that have unintended consequences?

[Zirbert]

Tokens with triggered abilities are possible. Check out Mitotic Slime on the SVN.

Thanks, that looks like I'll be able to adapt it. And thanks for tweaking those 2 Zombie cards from pack 2 to the latest and greatest methods, too!

[Zirbert]

Is there a way to get Forge to calculate power and toughness by adding those two variables (zombies on battlefield + zombies in graveyards)?

Would it work to have a base power/toughness of TypeOnBattlefield.Zombie and a static pump of TypeInAllYards.Zombie? Or would that have unintended consequences?

That's a really interesting idea, and would be easy to script. I'm not seeing any problems with it offhand.

On a side note, I'm already worried about how I implemented Strength of Night - I'm think the Kicked version might just be a multicolored spell to Forge with a cost of 2 G B, which has unwanted interactions with some triggers (Gloryscale Viashino, the Eidolons, etc.). I haven't tested that yet, and I'm hoping I'm wrong. This may explain why we don't seem to have many off-color kicker cards....

[EDIT - I tested Strength of Night, and playing it kicked doesn't trigger Demon's Horn or Entropic Eidolon. Looks like we're OK to do off-color kickers. Updating in case my wondering set anybody else to wondering.]

Anybody else got any thoughts on the "static + pump" idea?

[jeffwadsworth]

Is there a way to get Forge to calculate power and toughness by adding those two variables (zombies on battlefield + zombies in graveyards)?

Would it work to have a base power/toughness of TypeOnBattlefield.Zombie and a static pump of TypeInAllYards.Zombie? Or would that have unintended consequences?

That's a really interesting idea, and would be easy to script. I'm not seeing any problems with it offhand.

On a side note, I'm already worried about how I implemented Strength of Night - I'm think the Kicked version might just be a multicolored spell to Forge with a cost of 2 G B, which has unwanted interactions with some triggers (Gloryscale Viashino, the Eidolons, etc.). I haven't tested that yet, and I'm hoping I'm wrong. This may explain why we don't seem to have many off-color kicker cards....

[EDIT - I tested Strength of Night, and playing it kicked doesn't trigger Demon's Horn or Entropic Eidolon. Looks like we're OK to do off-color kickers. Updating in case my wondering set anybody else to wondering.]

Anybody else got any thoughts on the "static + pump" idea?

That would be a hack. It is better to wait until the xmath is brought up to date. Just my opinion.

[friarsol]

That would be a hack. It is better to wait until the xmath is brought up to date. Just my opinion.

Woohoo a convert! I agree. Just wait until the code is updated. It's not like we're slow pokes about updating things around here.

[Zirbert]

That would be a hack. It is better to wait until the xmath is brought up to date. Just my opinion.

Woohoo a convert! I agree. Just wait until the code is updated. It's not like we're slow pokes about updating things around here.

It's also not like there aren't plenty of other scriptable cards that I can do instead. My "cards to try" list gets longer every time I look at Gatherer. So, motion carried: for the time being, I shall allow Soulless One to rest in peace.

[slapshot5]

I think I ran into this one other time. Are AbilityFactory abilities added before or after the CardFactory processing would take place? I'm thinking before. Is there a reason for this? It makes cards like Genju of the Realm not scriptable because the AF ability is cleared when card.clearSpellAbility() is called.

Code: Select all

Name:Genju of the Realm
ManaCost:W U B R G
Types:Legendary Enchantment Aura
Text:no text
K:Enchant Land
#This doesn't work because I think abilities are added before CardFactory is processed, which clears this ability.  Same problem as Caribou Range I think.
#Interestingly enough, the trigger works
A:AB$Animate | Cost$ 2 | Defined$ Enchanted | Power$ 8 | Toughness$ 12 | Types$ Creature,Legendary,Spirit | Keywords$ Trample | SpellDescription$ Enchanted land becomes a legendary 8/12 Spirit creature with trample until end of turn. It's still a land.
T:Mode$ ChangesZone | ValidCard$ Card.AttachedBy | Origin$ Battlefield | Destination$ Graveyard | TriggerZones$ Battlefield | Execute$ TrigReturnOwner | OptionalDecider$ You | TriggerDescription$ When enchanted land is put into a graveyard, you may return CARDNAME from your graveyard to your hand.
SVar:TrigReturnOwner:AB$ChangeZone | Cost$ 0 | Defined$ Self | Origin$ Graveyard | Destination$ Hand
SVar:Rarity:Rare
SVar:Picture:http://www.wizards.com/global/images/magic/general/genju_of_the_realm.jpg
End


The trigger fires off as expected however.

-slapshot5

[friarsol]

Slap, just change the card.clearSpellAbility() to card.clearFirstSpellAbility() (I think thats the name) we shouldn't be just clearing all of the spell abilities there anyway.

[slapshot5]

Slap, just change the card.clearSpellAbility() to card.clearFirstSpellAbility() (I think thats the name) we shouldn't be just clearing all of the spell abilities there anyway.

Thanks. That worked. I only did it for the generic aura code. If I can get an AF_Enchant up and running, most of this should be moot anyway.

-slapshot5

[jeffwadsworth]

Cheers.

[jeffwadsworth]

Fixed.