MTGForge 02/08 (unofficial BETA) version

[Chris H.]

Attached below you will find an archive containing the updated common.txt, uncommon.txt and rare.txt files. This is the originalRarities and include all cards. These files have not been play balanced.

I used Rares new card set editor to assign the rarities to the new 27 cards that come with the MTG Forge 02-08 beta version. I also discovered that I somehow had failed to add a rarity value to the Yore-Tiller Nephilim card. I have corrected this mistake.
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[Chris H.]

I just noticed that the recent beta versions do not include the instructional files that served as documentation. These files were part of Rares distribution.

We old timers quickly toss these files to the side and ignore them. Anyone new to this program would likely find some info in these files that would be very useful.

I would like to suggest that we start including these files with future Forge distributions. We could place these instructional files in a sub-directory named "Documentation" and this would be similar to moving the jpgs to a "pics" sub-directory.

Looking back at previous versions that I have backed up onto my hard drive I find these following files to be candidates:

first game.pdf
how to play.pdf
Magic History.html
Quick Start.html
readme-compile.html
readme-install.txt
readme.html

[DennisBergkamp]

Never knew these files existed, but yes it's true, I just checked the 12-03 version and noticed it does indeed have these files
I will be sure to include them with the next release.

[Chris H.]

Never knew these files existed, but yes it's true, I just checked the 12-03 version and noticed it does indeed have these files
I will be sure to include them with the next release.

Rares mentioned today that he wanted to update one of these files with the current list of keywords.

[mtgrares]

I wasn't sure how important the instructional files were, like first game.pdf. Maybe I will create another file on the Google Project named something like "MTG Forge Docs" so people won't have to keep downloading the same stuff over and over again. (I know file size isn't all that important, but I still think of those people with dialup.)

The exe just looks for the file "run-forge.jar" and executes "Gui_NewGame", so the exe file never changes between releases. I used JSmooth from SourceForge to create the exe file. In the past Java was incorrectly installed on my PC and I couldn't directly run the jar file, but the exe would work because it would look to see if Java was installed anywhere on your PC. The exe also makes MTG Forge seem more like a regular program.

As a side note, it would be nice if MTG Forge showed the user the error message. For errors, I just throw RuntimeException which is fine when I'm programming. If an error occurs, like attacking on your first turn with Raging Goblin, the program generates a RuntimeException but the user never sees the error message. I'm myself have accidentally done this a few times, and then I say duh. :]

[DennisBergkamp]

(I know file size isn't all that important, but I still think of those people with dialup.)

Do they still exist ? I could include them for the next BETA release, I think it only adds a few hundred Kbs, RAR compression is pretty good...
I will definitely add run-forge.exe.

[Rob Cashwalker]

Do they still exist ?

What, Dialup service? sure it still exists, even on basic DSL, transfer speeds are still slow enough to care about file size. Especially with the card picture downloading - that's 30 MB on top of the 1.5 MB MTGForge download. Hence the request had been made for simple pictures, hence the pic generator in the card set editor.

[mtgrares]

Does dialup exist, who knows? I go to the library and use its high speed internet.

[GandoTheBard]

Dialup does exist and it still has quite a large customer base of people who are either ignorant of any good reasons to switch, like paying a relatively cheap price to do the minimal things they do, got roped into a long term dialup plan by the evil (AOL) corporations that run the mega isps. Also low end broadband (750kps top download speed) is a very common thing, particularly here in the US. Abroad I think standards have been raised a bit. My own broadband while not lowend is not exactly ADSL. or whatever the superhigh speed internet is called these days. (I remember when it was all ISDN.) So yes you still have to be aware of the poorer segment of society that makes up your potential player base. Sad but true. Id be a dialuper if it weren't for a friend.

[Chris H.]

Attached below you will find an updated card-pictures.txt file and an updated cards.txt file. These files contains the 19 new cards that make use of the new TgtKPump keyword which is included in MTG Forge 02-08.

The new jpgs will appear in the root directory for Forge. You will want to move them to the pics subdirectory.

These 19 new cards using the TgtKPump keyword should be beta tested and any problems should be reported on the bugs forum. Thank you.

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[Chris H.]

I added the 19 new cards that make use of the new TgtKPump keyword.

This archive contains the updated common.txt, uncommon.txt and rare.txt files for use with the 19 new cards that make use of the new TgtKPump keyword in MTG Forge 02-08.

These files replace the original rarity files and have not had cards removed for play balance issues.

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[mtgrares]

Thanks Chris. I need to zip up everything and post it.

[Chris H.]

Thanks Chris. I need to zip up everything and post it.

You are welcome and happen to come by at a perfect time. You should gra the newest version ( MTG Forge 02-24) while you are here. Lots of bug fixes, new cards and new features.

[michael123]

I just noticed that the recent beta versions do not include the instructional files that served as documentation. These files were part of Rares distribution.
[..]
first game.pdf
how to play.pdf
Magic History.html
Quick Start.html
readme-compile.html
readme-install.txt
readme.html

Where can i find those documentations, esp. the readme-compile? In the current version is only one readme, but not the information i search.

[Chris H.]

Where can i find those documentations, esp. the readme-compile? In the current version is only one readme, but not the information i search.

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Those files are now out of date.

The best sources of information can currently be found here at this forum. The Developer's Corner contains information on how to get and build the source code. The Forge wiki also has some additional information. There are also knowledgable people here who can answer your questions.