Gatherer Fix Update
June 2014
In the last weeks Gatherer DB was updated again.
As of now the "old" way of loading spoiler information from the DB does not work anymore.
I found a workaround - but did not implement it as of yet, since I expact Gatherer to change soon again.
As of now ONLY images are loaded from Gatherer, no spoiler information. This means new card sets can not easily retrieved from
Gatherer.
Since I know of now one accept me who ever did load new sets from Gatherer I think the restriction could have been worse.
Just remember to load images via the menu "Cards->Import Suported Sets" and you will be fine.
Regards Malban
----
JPortal 1.3beta
(HTML vrsion of this text is found under. http://www.deamonsouls.de/jportal/c8b98989.html)
This is a beta release. It still has some rough edges!
There are few things to consider / know. I write them down as they come into my mind... no particular order.
This Helpfile
although updated - is in many places not up to date.
V 1.2 In order to not break the "old" JPortal (and the quests etc...). The old AIs are kept as they were. Quests and the like - are the same.
Quests / Set: Starter 2000
For the 1.3beta update no new quests are available yet. This also means the new cards from the "Starter 2000 Set" (which for the first time have real instants, artifacts, enchantments, kickers...) are - without cheating - not available for persistent players. In order to play with these cards you must play a "quick" game - and build a deck beforhand.
New enhanced AI
As there are no new Quests and all old ones use the old configuration. The only way to play against the new AI ist to play agains eMalban. eMalban is per default the only named AI that as of yet uses the new code! (Amongst other things: The old AI does not know about new card types: artifact / enchantments)
Autosave
(See Configuration Screen image below) Per default autosaving is switched on. This means befor each players turn the gamestate is saved to a directory xml/autosave. If you play many games, that directory may get quit crowded. If you do not want those saves anymore - remove the tick in configuration for autosave. See also: Help with crashes
OOM
Out Of Memory
The new AI can be a memory monster. The default settings reduce the amount of memory it uses and should not cause any Out of memory exceptions (heap memory of 1 Gig expected). If you fiddle with settings this will/may change. Follwing switches are dangerous to change:
(Config) full vmatch in branches
(Config) Clean non highscore leafs
(EAI Config) Enable OOM Prevention
if above is disabled ? allmost ALL EAI config settings are dangerous!
Debug EAI Window
If you play against an EAI, you can press CTRL/Right Mouse button on any card of that AI - to open the EAI Debug Window. Per default the game pauses after each EAI evaluation. You can switch the pausing of by removing the "tick" on the first screen of the debug window.
Mana Pooling
Although no "real" mana pools are implemented (although I wanted to) - some things changed here.
Befor -
you had to pay a card "after" you played it. For that reason it was possible to collect the mana for paymnet of a card AFTER you played it out.
Now -
You have to have the mana in the pool befor you play a card in order to be able to pay the playing out.
It does not seem like that big a difference, especially since I still allow mana generation of Basic Lands "on the fly" - which means you are still able to fill the mana pool from basic lands after you played out a card. For "Portal"-Players no visble change occured. Conceptionally it does make a difference in the inner workings of JPortal.
Since Mana generation (see below) is now an activated ability. Such an ability goes on the stack. After the stack is resolved the activation takes place. This means the mana is only available AFTER resolving the stack. But - in order to play or activate a card, and to be able to put it on the stack you must pay for it BEFOREHAND. Thus if you want to play/activate a card it is not possibly to pay for it with mana generated AFTER the payment is needed, which somehow does make sense. (Right now Basic lands have "direct" mana generation, they do not go on stack - don't know if that is allright - comments anybody? But the playing is smoother this way :-) )
Cards can not be tapped anymore
This might sound strange for any "Portalers" out there. But I think the correct view of things in MTG is:
You can activate cards. To activate a card you have some sort of payment for the activation. Tapping a card is (sometimes) the payment (or part of it) to activate it. For that reason, players can not tap cards any longer but only activate cards. If cards have the "paymenttype" "TAP", and the card is untapped - it will be tapped "by the game" not by the player.
For that reason it is not longer possible to untap a just tapped basic land. In general it is possible to activate an ability - but it is not possible to "unactivate" an ability.
Think befor you do something :-)!
UI
In order to do the above, I decided to change the mouse button meanings.
Now it goes as follows:
LEFT CLICK
-> targets a card in any way, playes out a card appoints an attacker or a blocker
RIGHT CLICK
-> activates cards (also activates (former taps) lands)
MIDDLE CLICK (or alternatively SHIFT LEFT CLICK)
-> sends the card to the information panel
SHIFT RIGHT CLICK (not changed)
-> expands graveyard and libraries (and shrinks them again)
ALT RIGHT CLICK (you probably did not use that) (not changed)
-> PAUSE the game
While we are at it:
CTRL LEFT CLICK
If available -> show HQ picture of a card.
CTRL RIGHT CLICK
If player is an enhanced AI -> show debug window
Artifact and Enchantments
Are new to JPortal. They are displayed in the battlefield like creatures. Enchantments that are set to a creature are put on that creature. Creatures are displayed (as befor) left bounded in the battlefield display. "global" enchantments - or artifacts are displayed right bounded in the battlefield display, this way you can discern the visually.
New in JPortal 1.3 (all little stuff I can think of):
new AI
Achievements (about 50 different as of now)
HQ-Card support (CTRL Left click on image)
Theme support
player avatar
Hint Button (Found in player Info Panel: "Hint")
Starter 2000 set (artifacts, enchantments, etc)
Stack arrows
Weighting mechanism (also included in Match stats)
Card Shop picture changed
EAI Debug Window with Schedule / Plan / Stack CTRL RIGHT on Player that is EAI
EAI Debug Window with Match Interpreter
AI Battle Sim - Menu (Fun feature ... not where usefull anymore)
Import Special
Import Set & Join with JPortal known cards
Edit Set - Card Flags (not used)
Edit Set - Enhanced hints
Heap - only Cards with OK Flag = Y
Edit Set - enhanced hints
Edit Set "next / previous" buttons
Debug matches from Play gamelist ? more options on start
Weighting can be shown
Configuration
Debug ? Show EAI Scoring
Player ? autoTap Lands (not done)
Player ? use space to draw
Visuals ? alpha settings for deatch / sickness
Sound ? Maps, + Card Activated / Achievment award
Rules ? completely new ? not done
AI ? Configure AI ? enhanced AI included
Card collections shows number of cards
Card sets shows number of cards
Option: # Cards in Hand ? Excess discarded
Option: Stack Targeting.
Option: Legendary support
Test "automation" for AI, including some testcases
free configurable Weighting / Scoring for situation evaluation
Help with crashes
There is no absolute failsave. I tried debugging and provoking JPortal to produce errors - and I can honestly say IMHO it is very well tested. Nonethless errors/ crashes can happen. It is also a fact that changing some of the settings will result in the game running OOM etc. Anyway, if you run into reproducable errors I would like to know about them. The keyword in the last sentence was reproducable . Which I know can be hard in a game with random elements.
Things you can do to help - or which can help you helping me.
Screenshot
If something is wrong - make a screenshot.
log / debuglog
JPortal has two different log files, the "normal" log, which is more a protokoll of actions. And the debug-log which shows many additional information. Each game session produces its own set of log files in the subdirectory jportal/log. The default verbosity setting for a beta distribution is "3", which provides already much information (you can go up to level five - which explodes the output dramatically).
Autosave
In the beta distribution autosave is switched on. Which means in the beginning of each turn the card state of the game is saved to the directory jportal/xml/autosave. The first file of each series is saved with the remark "START" somewhere in the filename. If you order the files produced by date - I need all files after the last "START" autosave. These resamble in "single turn steps" the state of the game - and will if at all possible - enable me to reproduce the error.
If for some reason autosave was switched off - if the game still reacts - try doing a "normal" save (Menu: AI?AI Test Center ? Save gamelist). Since this is than the save AFTER the problem I also need more info on what happened... (the file is found in the directory JPortal/xml/debugmatches)
What were the prerequisites of the fault? (what card was played...)
If you are adventurous, you can than try to reproduce the fault by yourself - all you need are the entries in the menu: AI?AI Test Center...
If not - pack the data up in a ZIP and send it to me.
31.01.2011
Release 1.2a
-----------
Changes in 1.2a
---------------
Implemented Suggestions from "justme" :-)
- To apply this "release" unzip the file over the existing JPortal directory
- Configuration of timing of error/ warning messages
- Booklet settings are saveable ("Save" button)
- Booklet can be Refreshed ("R"-Button)
- Booklet color checkboxes added
- Booklet sorting for "number of cards owned" added
- small bug AI / Forked Lighting fixed (bad fix - but works)
- Hints can be situation based now - compatible to old settings, new settings possible not
implemented in AI yet
- Quest dependencies added for:
* by quest (default, compatible to old settings)
* by card in heap
* by set possible (for player)
* by money available
* number of victories (at least)
- space bar "emulates" player done button
- space bar also "quits game", wehen game is over
Intro
-----
What is JPortal:
- a game environment to play Portal against a computer AI (in the future maybe more)
- it has a grafical user interface which - once learned - is very easy to play with
- extensive help
- expandable AI via scripting
- expandable Card-Engine via scripting (although base card types only of Portal-packages available)
- all Portal and Portal the second Age cards implemented
(all instants, sorceries and creatures, that means even "weird" once like:
"Alluring Scent", "Omen", "Piracy", "Exhaustion", "Last Chance", "Sylvan Yeti",...)
- "interesting" computer AI´s with "personality" - which also can be configured
- a quest system (although this can still be expanded - I have some ideas left)
can buy boosters in a shop, edit your decks and browse your Card-collection
in a "booklet"-like display... (and a Quest-Designer)
- AI- Battles against each other...
- all that in open source (java)
Installing
----------
I provided two Installer versions both created with: IzPack and its GUI -> PackJacket
For all version:
Don´t change the last "directories" Name (JPortal). Otherwise there might be installer errors.
If ou ever want to get rid of JPortal, you migth want to execute the uninstaller and tick the "forced" checkbox.
or just delete the JPortal directory, apart from a JRE, JPortal has no need of any other directories,
dlls or the like.
Windows
-------
There is one executable file, which installs JPortal called "JPortalLinuxInstall_XXX.exe".
There is a check in the installer for a high enough Java JRE, anything above 1.6 should be allright.
All other needed jars etc are provided.
This should be straight forward and I don´t expect problems.
If the installer can´t write to the install dir, that might be your user settings under windows.
You can than either run the installer as admin, or chose a directory (usually any other than the windows system dirs)
that is writeable, remember to call the install dir "JPortal" (see below))
If Windows can´t install downloaded pictures it is because you need admin rights to add subdirectories to "Programm"- Path.
Either run the JPortal with admin - or install in a different (from "Program Files") directory.
Linux
-----
There is a "jar"- installer for the linux version ("JPortalLinuxInstall_1.0b.jar"), created with the same installer.
It "should" work alright, but for me it worked well only a number of times, and I
couldn´t quite figure out when it worked fine and when it didn´t.
(The installing allways works, but the created desktop items only now and than)
The installer actually should create desktop icons to run JPortal. Sometimes this works, sometimes not.
If these shortcuts do not work, just go to the install directory and type
java -jar JPortal.jar
If you have a working jre on your system than the game should start.
Actually the only difference of the two versions are the icons for the desktop icons.
Linux wants "*.png", windows would like "*.ico".
Windows users (if you don´t trust executable), can also use the installer it should work alright, only the
icons on the desktop will be the usual java-icons, not the JPortal icon.
Debian / Ubuntu
---------------
I tried installing on standard Debian "Lenny" - that DOES NOT work.
a) Installer does not work - some weird errors with xml parsing...
b) JPortal itself does not work, sind some classes can not be found
This is because Debian it comes with JRE 1.5 and that not from Sun and therefore hasnt got e.g.
javax.sing.GroupLayout. (and (see issue a) some other).
After downloading and installing sun Java 1.6 everything ran fine.
-> So if under some Linux Versions JPortal does not work - please use Sun Java.
I developed JPortal using Netbeans - so it seems to be slightly Sun-affiliated.
Sorry I didn´t expect that - but I´m slo not going to change it soon.
Mac
---
Fullscreen mode does not work at the moment under Mac
(Mac has an unique menu system (on the top of the screen and not
one menu for each window as windows and linux), and java use it.
So, starting in fullscreen make this menu disapears and so,
it's impossible to use the software. I believe that if it starts in a window,
the problem is solved and the program will be complete compatible! )
If Fullscreen was switched on, you can help:
Quick resolution:
under JPortal directory, edit the file:
./xml/ConfigurationData.xml
change the line:
<STARTINFULLSCREEN>true</STARTINFULLSCREE>
to
<STARTINFULLSCREEN>false</STARTINFULLSCREEN>
Than JPortal will start in window mode. And will be playable again.
Card Sets
---------
When you first start there is a little help for downloading portal grafics from gatherer.
Once you get further into the game you might also like to download Portal the second Age card images
(since they are supported, and some quest opponents use them).
You have to do that yourself manually, just the same way you are shown from the start (or look at the help).
Internet adresses:
Homepage: http://jportalgame.de
Sourceforge: http://sourceforge.net/projects/jportaltgc/
Bugtracking: http://sourceforge.net/apps/mantisbt/jportaltgc/main_page.php
Forum: http:/ /www.slightlymagic.net/forum/viewforum.php?f=80
eMail: admin@jportalgame.de
Changes from 1.0-1.2
--------------------
Changes from Version 1.0final to 1.2
- New:
- implemented all Set cards of set "Starter 1999"
- implemented all Set cards of set "Portal three kingdoms"
- some of them include new abilities which were not present befor like:
- legendary creatures
- tapping in "Blocker" round (Kongming's Contraptions)
- tapping of "Attackers" with opponent chosing cards on reaction to that
- effect "buf others as long as xxx is in play" (e.g. Kongming, "Sleeping Dragon")
- some special abilites (like horesmanship)
- toyed around a bit with quest mode,
new quests can be build with types:
- must win in # turns
- destroy # number of creatures
- don´t let more as # of your creatures be killed
additionally you can play a quest with a PreSet.
- I define a Preset as a "Game Situation", which means, you
a quest can give player and/or opponent a given hand/graveyard/library/land/creature lists with which
the quest must be fullfilled.
- a quest like Rescue lady XX makes more sense if you have predefined settings
- might imlpement even a tutorial this way :-)
- you can chose a starting player for quests now
- a new menu item "import supported sets", which lets you (... well) import all supported sets at once
- Match Stat window now shows Quest progress and some more player related stuff
- added a couple of quests to open up the two new sets
- added booster draft as game mode
- updated help, still not really complete
- technically: "abilities" (invoked by tapping) now go on stack and
are not evaluated at once. There might be some more "accept stack" clicking needed
but for some new (and maybe many future) cards that was neccessary
- Bugfixes (numerous, can´t tell them all):
- some gui stuff for Linux, where texts were cut off etc.
- now I know you MUST have Sun JAVA 1.6 at least in order for JPortal to work
less won´t do, and Gnu Java won´t work either, I developed JPortal using
Netbeans and for that it seems to take liking in Sun Java
- default start in Window mode now, for better Mac "compatabilty"
- tried fixing AI that it won´t endless loop anymore
a) implemented a "Watch" mechanism for endless loops, which will break
it internally (and give an error message to debug log)
b) If a card for a situation is selected by AI and not accepted by the
game, AI won´t chose the same card again, it now never
choses (in one round) the same card for the same situation
I hope that will fix the rare occasions of endless loops
FAQ
---
I play a game and suddenly a "PAUSE" is displayed. what does it mean?
The game does not respond anymore, what happend?
I would like to play in Fullscreen, but the menuitem is grayed out?
I have a Mac and switched to fullscreen. But I can't access the menus anymore - HELP!
The game wants me to search the library/graveyard, how can I do that?
I like linux and have downloaded the game. But the installer quits with an error message, why?
In Player mode, I can only access Set XY. But I downloaded all supported sets, why?
What are the "adresses?
Pause
I play a game and suddenly a "PAUSE" is displayed. what does it mean?
This is a "little bit bad". It means there was some error in AI or card scripting. The game automatically pauses if in exception is thrown. You can look at the debug output to find out where exactly the exception was thrown. If you are advanturous you can try to fix the corresponding script (remember to clear the script caches afterwards - otherwise the game will not re-read the scripts). In some cases the debug window might not display all information for an exception. In that case a look in the newest log file might help. The log is allways "more" up to date than the display.
You can unpause the game by "ALT/RIGHT"-clicking any card-image. (BTW. you can also pause the game by "ALT/RIGHT"-clicking) Or using the pause menu-checkbox und "game". (At the moment a low priority bug exists, the gui-pause button is not updated when an exception occurs, to unpause you have to toggle the menu item twice!)
After "unpausing" the game continues. If the cause of the exception was not fixed - the game might pause again, if it reaches the same script again...
The game does not respond anymore, what happend?
This is more serious. Most probably again something in AI code went astray and for some reason or another AI hangs in an endless loop. As of Version 1.2 I implemented technical mechanisms to have AI watched what it does and this SHOULD not happen. All you can do is quit the game and remember exactly what kind of game situation you were in and have Malban fix it. (Screenshot, Log-Files...)
Fullscreen
I would like to play in Fullscreen, but the menuitem is grayed out?
Sorry, seems like your operating system does not support fullscreen, at least that is what the device information of java says.
I have a Mac and switched to fullscreen. But I can't access the menus anymore - HELP!
As it is, JPortal doesn't work on mac n fullscreen, but the solution is simple. Mac has an unique menu system (on the top of the screen and not one menu for each window as windows and linux), and java use it. So, starting in fullscreen make this menu disapears and so, it's impossible to use the software. I believe that if it starts in a window, the problem is solved and the program will be complete compatible! To fix JPortal once you can't access the menu do the following:
under JPortal directory, edit the file:
./xml/ConfigurationData.xml
change the line:
<STARTINFULLSCREEN>true</STARTINFULLSCREEN>
to
<STARTINFULLSCREEN>false</STARTINFULLSCREEN%>
Than JPortal will start in window mode.
Gameplay
The game wants me to search the library, how can I do that?
You SHIFT/RIGHT click the library/graveyard, it opens up. Now look at the cards and click the one you want to chose. SHIFT/RIGHT click again, to "close" the library. This method also works for the graveyard.
In Player mode, I can only access set XY. But I downloaded all supported sets, why?
You have to do some quests! E.g. to be able to access the second beginners set you have to complete the ladder quests series. As a final reward you will get the first booster of the second set. In the shop you are only allowed to buy boosters from sets you already have in your deck - so you must get a card of a new set from "somewhere" - which in JPortal means a quest!
Installation
I like linux and have downloaded the game. But the installer quits with an error message.
You most probably have a Debian or an Ubuntu Linux installation. Both of them come usually with Gnu Java. JPortal requires Sun Java at least 1.6 to run. I am sorry - please install sun Java - that should work allright.
Other
Download Latest Version
JPortal_V1.3GathererFix.zip (45.2 MB)
