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Magic: the Gathering |OT10| Aether Revolt - That shit that make your Soul Burn slow

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Wulfric

Member
For Pauper players

XlNQw6x.png


MTGO be more complex than NASA mission control...
 

Yeef

Member
How does that take a month to fix?
It could be a case of just not having the man-hours to do it. I'd imagine they're focused on Amonkhet at this point.

I'm more interested about what in the underlying systems makes it require any work at all. I'd think pauper legality (or legality in any format, for that matter, but especially rarity-based ones), would be exclusive rather than inclusive. Commons should be legal in the format by default unless specifically banned or excluded.
 
Pretty sure it's built by unpaid interns using popsicle sticks and glue.
I like to imagine Wizards being so daft that they think they can build a software program using physical objects. Like trying to photoshop by using a bag of rice and glue.

The whole of MTGO is a pile of spaghetti code, as evidenced by their implementation of the Theros Archetypes and how they were coded into the game. I haven't done much coding in a long time, but their solution of hard coding it makes no sense.
 

Santiako

Member
It could be a case of just not having the man-hours to do it. I'd imagine they're focused on Amonkhet at this point.

I'm more interested about what in the underlying systems makes it require any work at all. I'd think pauper legality (or legality in any format, for that matter, but especially rarity-based ones), would be exclusive rather than inclusive. Commons should be legal in the format by default unless specifically banned or excluded.

I mean, even if they have to flag them as pauper legal one by one it shouldn't take more than an hour for a single person to do that.
 

aidan

Hugo Award Winning Author and Editor
I like to imagine Wizards being so daft that they think they can build a software program using physical objects. Like trying to photoshop by using a bag of rice and glue.

The whole of MTGO is a pile of spaghetti code, as evidenced by their implementation of the Theros Archetypes and how they were coded into the game. I haven't done much coding in a long time, but their solution of hard coding it makes no sense.

The thing that's stuck out to me, more than anything, was the foil version of a card was bugged (functionally—the card didn't work as intended), but the non-foil version worked just fine. Instead of foiling being a boolean that toggles a graphical affect on a player's specific card, it seems like foil/non-foil cards are treated as separate entities entirely.

This makes absolutely no sense from a databasing/coding perspective, and hints and how twirly and twisted the spaghetti code really is.
 
The thing that's stuck out to me, more than anything, was the foil version of a card was bugged (functionally—the card didn't work as intended), but the non-foil version worked just fine. Instead of foiling being a boolean that toggles a graphical affect on a player's specific card, it seems like foil/non-foil cards are treated as separate entities entirely.

This makes absolutely no sense from a databasing/coding perspective, and hints and how twirly and twisted the spaghetti code really is.
During one of the betas there were 3 evolving wilds available and only 1 of them didn't work. Each art is its card on MODO
 
I mean, even if they have to flag them as pauper legal one by one it shouldn't take more than an hour for a single person to do that.

Every version of a card is a distinct object and they don't automatically inherit all traits and behaviors, so if a card that used to only be Uncommon has a Common version printed they have to configure everything so the system can correctly identify that all versions of the card qualify despite most not being common.
 
The thing that's stuck out to me, more than anything, was the foil version of a card was bugged (functionally—the card didn't work as intended), but the non-foil version worked just fine. Instead of foiling being a boolean that toggles a graphical affect on a player's specific card, it seems like foil/non-foil cards are treated as separate entities entirely.

This makes absolutely no sense from a databasing/coding perspective, and hints and how twirly and twisted the spaghetti code really is.

I completely missed about the foil card, but yeah, that's a much better example of Spaghetti Code.

I mean, hypothetically, there's a few keywords that functionally could be done by Boolean values. Vigilance is effectively "Does attacking cause this creature to become tapped? NO", Reach is "Can this creature without Flying block a creature with Flying? YES" Haste is "Can this creature attack or tap itself the turn it is played? YES"
 

aidan

Hugo Award Winning Author and Editor
During one of the betas there were 3 evolving wilds available and only 1 of them didn't work. Each art is its card on MODO

Every card should have one singular instance in the DB, and then the visual/set/art characteristics applied over top of that:

Card -> Set (which would determine the frame, art, etc.) -> Promo Frame/Foil/etc.

But, they obviously didn't build the legacy code/database with this in mind, and appear to have to code each version of every card individually.
 
Yeah, let's be a little bit fair to the current MTGO team: they're working on a backend codebase that's fifteen years old, which they've never been given the opportunity to rebuild top-to-bottom for modern purposes despite the length of time involved. Anyone who's ever worked on a legacy codebase like that knows the kind of horrible bullshit you have to do just to keep the lights on after a certain point, and how little individual developers (even working together) can really do to fix it.

Ultimately the problem is that the backend is not designed to do what it needs to do in 2017, and the only functional solution is to build something new -- which is exactly why they're building something like this from scratch now.
 

Yeef

Member
I mean, even if they have to flag them as pauper legal one by one it shouldn't take more than an hour for a single person to do that.
Apparently, people seem to think it has something to do with leagues. I don't use MTGO, so I don't know all the specifics on how they handle leagues, but I thought that leagues were starting and stopping all the time. If leagues run for specific dates, then it does make some sense; you don't want to make new cards legal in the middle of the league.
 

aidan

Hugo Award Winning Author and Editor
Yeah, let's be a little bit fair to the current MTGO team: they're working on a backend codebase that's fifteen years old, which they've never been given the opportunity to rebuild top-to-bottom for modern purposes despite the length of time involved. Anyone who's ever worked on a legacy codebase like that knows the kind of horrible bullshit you have to do just to keep the lights on after a certain point, and how little individual developers (even working together) can really do to fix it.

Ultimately the problem is that the backend is not designed to do what it needs to do in 2017, and the only functional solution is to build something new -- which is exactly why they're building something like this from scratch now.

As someone who's done exactly that (worked with legacy code/databases) on a regular basis, yeah. There's only so much you can do.

Still, basic database design principles (such as storing data and variables in multiple tables layered on top of each other) existed back when MTGO was first being built, so there is some blame to be laid at the WotC's feet (if not the current developers/designers who have to work with the broken system.)

Apparently, people seem to think it has something to do with leagues. I don't use MTGO, so I don't know all the specifics on how they handle leagues, but I thought that leagues were starting and stopping all the time. If leagues run for specific dates, then it does make some sense; you don't want to make new cards legal in the middle of the league.

ND8fFOgl.jpg
 

Firemind

Member
This probably doesn't apply to most of you, but WotC is updating their online systems (lol) and merging DCI and Wizards stuff. I assume most everyone here has DCI numbers. But if you want to check your planeswalker points in the future but currently don't, it would be good idea to set that up.

http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/news/keep-your-dciwizards-account-date-2017-03-21
Oh my god even when I login to my account there's literally no way to contact them.
 

Wulfric

Member
Oh my god even when I login to my account there's literally no way to contact them.

Lol, you're right. The articles says they're doing maintenance today too.

You might have to do it from the customer service portal. Why there isn't a link to it is anyone's guess.
 

Ashodin

Member
dammit I want to make a Triskaidecaphobia modern deck

but it's going to be a Decaphobia deck too (Hidetsugu's Second Rite). Basically watch ya neck when you at 13 or 10.
 

traveler

Not Wario
dammit I want to make a Triskaidecaphobia modern deck

but it's going to be a Decaphobia deck too (Hidetsugu's Second Rite). Basically watch ya neck when you at 13 or 10.

In the world of fetches and Death's Shadow, where people purposefully drain their own life in a variety of ways?
 

bigkrev

Member
Do you think it's worth buying 2 or 3 playsets of Ajani Unyielding as a spec? It's down to $3, and I remember people being hyped on him at reveal. He's obviously not playable in the current standard, but i'd be buying him as a post-rotation spec, or a long term casual spec if that doesn't work out
 

aidan

Hugo Award Winning Author and Editor
Good recap.

They are gonna get fucked up.

If Chandra could defeat the Eldrazi titans by lighting them on fire, I'm sure WotC will find some way to jump the shark and have the Gatewatch overcome Bolas. Liliana will probably absorb the power of the Chain Veil and become a mega-Planeswalker or Urza-reborn or something and everything will be hunky dory after that.
 

Angry Grimace

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
Do you think it's worth buying 2 or 3 playsets of Ajani Unyielding as a spec? It's down to $3, and I remember people being hyped on him at reveal. He's obviously not playable in the current standard, but i'd be buying him as a post-rotation spec, or a long term casual spec if that doesn't work out

No.

It's not good for a 6 mana Planeswalker independent of the format.
 

OnPoint

Member
If Chandra could defeat the Eldrazi titans by lighting them on fire, I'm sure WotC will find some way to jump the shark and have the Gatewatch overcome Bolas. Liliana will probably absorb the power of the Chain Veil and become a mega-Planeswalker or Urza-reborn or something and everything will be hunky dory after that.

I mean they can pull whatever out of their ass, right? But I think they're setting them up for a fall here. If it's win win win win win win all the time there will be no weight or tension to the conflicts.
 

traveler

Not Wario
We have Ajani/Obi-Wan warning them not to take Bolas lightly and urging that them to recruit more allies before heading in, they're on Bolas' home turf and don't even have the slightest idea what his grand schemes are, and the second set is literally titled Hour of Devastation.

They're losing this fight.
 

Angry Grimace

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
We have Ajani/Obi-Wan warning them not to take Bolas lightly and urging that them to recruit more allies before heading in, they're on Bolas' home turf and don't even have the slightest idea what his grand schemes are, and the second set is literally titled Hour of Devastation.

They're losing this fight.

With no real consequences of course.
 

Firemind

Member
If Chandra could defeat the Eldrazi titans by lighting them on fire, I'm sure WotC will find some way to jump the shark and have the Gatewatch overcome Bolas. Liliana will probably absorb the power of the Chain Veil and become a mega-Planeswalker or Urza-reborn or something and everything will be hunky dory after that.
Please.

The Eldrazi are just dumb kaiju. Bolas is going to outsmart them all.

Image.ashx
 

Angry Grimace

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
Besides Nissa dying :p

Would anyone really care? She never does anything of relevance and even when she had a character arc in BFZ, she was insufferable because she has a personal writer who is a bad writer.

People complain about Nissa having so many cards, but trust me, having Gideon and Chandra around constantly is a lot more annoying and Jace has been around constantly from the get go.
 

aidan

Hugo Award Winning Author and Editor
Besides Nissa dying :p

With the game's struggles to attract women, there's no way they're killing off a female Planeswalker who they've spent several years retconning into a new personality. (Especially with no Green Planeswalker waiting to fill the void—assuming Garruk is G/B now, and not really Gatewatch material.)
 

Firemind

Member
With the game's struggles to attract women, there's no way they're killing off a female Planeswalker who they've spent several years retconning into a new personality. (Especially with no Green Planeswalker waiting to fill the void—assuming Garruk is G/B now, and not really Gatewatch material.)
I thought Urza is green now.
 

Angry Grimace

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
The reason they don't attract women to the game has nothing to do with the characters.

It has to do with the sweaty nerds who constantly get salty.
 
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