I've finally gotten around to checking out the WoW TCG plugin in Lackey and have found it to be depressingly ill-maintained. It's missing the last set, as well as a couple of others, I believe, card names from later sets lack capitalization, and the way card traits are split between the Type, Class, and Traits columns also irks me a bit. At first, I was going to simply add in the missing sets, but upon seeing that the entire card list is in a single file, and raid decks can't be efficiently run with the plug-in only having a deck, hero, and sideboard tab, I've decided I might as well just rebuild it from slightly more than scratch.
I'm certainly not someone with a lot of web presence, let alone presence in the community, and I really only intend to play with a couple of my personal friends, but if I'm going to be putting this much work into it, I figured I might as well check in to see what the community's thoughts on this might be. I know it's unideal to create a brand new plug-in rather than update an older one, but I have no idea who is currently the manager of this plug-in - if anyone (and it seems to be that no one's really filling that role).
Again, I'm doing this anyway for use with personal friends, so the plug-in will be made regardless. I suppose, really, I'm just checking in to see if anyone else would be interested in the final product, or perhaps even wouldn't mind lending a hand. I'm well on my way to having all of the card images at 312x440 and have just finished the Heroes of Azeroth part of the card list.
I would be interested and I will help where and when I can.
Well, the only thing that really needs help doing is simply the busywork of building the card databases. At least for now, I'm using roughly the same format as the original plugin. If you (plural, referencing anyone reading this, not just TriOpticon) want to help, then I suggest choosing a set (and telling us which one) that you'll do the spreadsheet for.
I'm attaching the Heroes of Azeroth spreadsheet for people to see the basic structure. While I'm sure you can figure out the basics, for completeness' sake, here's a full rundown of the columns anyway:
- Name: Obviously, the name of the card. To be written exactly as it is on the card, including capitalization, apostrophes, hyphens, and other punctuation. Include every card in the set, but do not include Foil or Loot cards as separate entries.
- Set: The set the card comes from. Since every set aside from Archive has at least a couple of unique cards, and to avoid accidentally missing one, I intend to include every reprint of each card, aside from the Archive set (since it is all reprints, though I may add it later). Do not include tokens in sets they were included in, however. I'll be doing all of them together, separately.
In this column, each set will be abbreviated using full initials (including 'of' and 'the', so Throne of the Tides will be initialized as tott). The class starter decks are 'starter 20__', with the appropriate year. I don't intend to differentiate between the Spring and Fall 2011 starters, however. I'll handle the various promo and other special cards myself, just to keep from having to explain all of their abbreviations.
Then again, I can fill in this column myself, as long as you keep to a single set in your spreadsheet and make it clear which set that is. - ImageFile: As can probably be inferred from the attachment, I'll be naming the image files using the set abbreviation and set number. The 2011 class starter decks have a slightly different naming convention. Cards with a back, of course, will have a second card image with the same name as the front but with a 'b' at the end. However, as with the Set column, I can fill this one in quite easily, myself, if you are unsure.
- Type: This is where the type of the card goes. Ability, Instant Ability, Instant Ability Ally (seems to be errata'd for totems), Ally, (Master/Monster/Scourge) Hero, Armor, Item, (2H) Weapon, Quest, etc.
I wouldn't be surprised if there's more in later sets, particularly the dungeons and raids. But this should give you a good starting point to figure out how to list things on your own. - Subtype: Essentially, whatever immediately follows the hyphen on the card's type line. For Heroes, this column includes the race and specialization. Cards that require a specific specialization should include Talent after the specialization (i.e. cards that require a Feral Hero should say Feral Talent).
- Traits: For Heroes, this is where the professions go (without commas). For other cards, generally whatever is on the far right of its type line (again, no commas).
- Class: For Heroes, obviously, the class. For other cards, whatever classes can use it, in the following order: Druid, Death Knight, Hunter, Mage, Paladin, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock, Warrior. Include commas. If a card useable by all classes, enter 'Any'. Oddly, cards from older sets before Death Knight was introduced that were available to any class at the time do not seem to have been errata'd to include Death Knight (at least, I have been unable to find any errata to that effect), so err on the side of caution and do not include Death Knight in those lists.
- Faction: The Faction to which the card belongs, or Neutral if it doesn't belong to one. Simple enough.
- Cost: The card's cost. Top right corner. If the card has a cost like '1+X', enter it with a capital 'X' and without spaces.
- ATK: Whatever number is in the lower left corner.
- Damage: The type of damage the card deals, as indicated by the lower left icon. Written in full, first letter capitalized.
- Health: Whatever number is in the lower right corner.
- Rarity: Heroes are always H, otherwise as follows. White/Common is C, Green/Uncommon is U, Blue/Rare is R, and Purple/Epic is E.
- Text: First off, in order to keep a unified and clear style, do not necessarily use the text as printed on the card. Sometimes errata changes or clarifies a cards effect. wow.tcgbrowser.com appears to be on top of the errata changes, so just replicate what it says the card's effects are, with the following notes:
{#} Use this for costs in a card's effect (including the {} brackets), obviously replacing # with the appropriate number or X.
{T} Use when the Activate symbol appears in a card's effect.
> Use when the arrow appears in a card's effect.
{A} and {H} Use when a card has a different effect in Alliance or Horde decks.
Cards that include "___ Hero Required" will instead simply have Talent after the card's specialization talent (see the Subtype column).
Always end each individual effect (including lone keywords) with a period in order to help with clarity when reading the effect in the Text column.
Again, thanks to anyone who can help. Of course, Heroes of Azeroth and Through the Dark Portal are already done, and I'm now working on the Class Starter 2010 set. Again, I'll also handle the various promo cards.
I've now finished all of the Heroes of Azeroth block, Class Starter 2010, and the promo, crafted, and other promo cards. I'm going to now go through and crop and resize all of the card images before continuing.
Sorry if this counts as a necro-post, but wanted to let anyone interested know that I am still working on this - slowly, but surely. I've now finished the Burning Crusade and Drums of War blocks, in addition to those I mentioned before. I'm thinking I'll upload the plugin as I have it so far, for critique.