Adding Cards to an Existing Game

[Crovack]

Is there any easy way to add cards to an existing game such that they could be loaded by those who haven't seen them before if they don't have them personally?

A simplistic example would be to include a "custom" card folder/set where players could add any cards they desired.  In multiplayer games the cards would simply load the card picture from the person using the card.  It wouldn't necessarily need to have the full info of the card (for MtG info like casting cost, etc, could simply be neglected and the card could be used as-seen with no text if necessary).

The reason I bring this up involves several significant reasons that would add more flexibility to the game.  First, anyone wanting to use preview cards from to-be-released sets could do so by simply adding the appropriate card image to their 'custom' folder.  This allows for playtesting of preview cards weeks or months before they're officially released.

This also allows for a few other nice additions, such as custom-art cards.  Have a custom artwork Force of Will you love?  Scan it into your machine and add the image to your 'custom' folder.  Want to make your own set of cards?  Add them to your 'custom' folder.  Heck, want to use the player-made cards that mtgsalvation produces?  Custom folder again!

Lastly, I don't know how difficult it would be but it could be made possible to even trade custom cards through the client.  This may be too bandwith intensive and it may be simpler to tell people to .zip them and email them to each other, but allow for a function when you right click on a card not in your database to "save as custom" would allow for trading of individual card images (again, like a custom art force of will) rather easily.  Entire sets could still require sending outside of the game.

[Trevor]

This is a good idea. I will implement a system for this.

[Crovack]

Awesome.  Again, thanks!

[Crovack]

Just curious what kind of time frame something like this might require?

[GnKoichi]

I'm concerned by the implications of this request. Can we make sure that players know when a card or plugin is custom content? A new player to a game might not be able to recognize that their opponent has played a card that doesn't actually exist.

[Gordon228]

it might not have the card text so it's obvious to me at least.

[GnKoichi]

Lots of players will only look at the card image, not the "text" that lackey uses. I think it's very important to have some kind of identifier for custom content.

[Cyrus]

Maybe Trevor could add a function in the preferences menu allowing you to see a special symbol on custom cards. Having this be a toggle seems important for people who want to use their own custom cards without there being a random symbol on it, but also lets the opponent see which cards are custom.

[Crovack]

Could be something as simple as an icon on the card (similar to adding red/green counters, but just a little symbol).

Ideally I imagine something like a gold-border would be ideal, but may add an unnecessary level of complication.

You could also simply have a setting to "do not load custom art images from other players", which would make the card show up as a blank.  In this case, ideally, you'd have a drop-down menu on the card that would allow you to "load custom art image".  This way cards that were custom would simply show up as blank until you intentionally loaded them.

[Crovack]

Bump.
Any update on this?

[Trevor]

Bump.
Any update on this?

I'm working on more important things at the moment. I'll let you know when I'm focusing on this.