Virtual Playtable Forum

I'vo got a problem when trying to initialize the program. "Error initialize vpt.system.NativeClassLoader"

I fixed this error. Redownload from main page.
Also I make setup and portable variants.

Thx, works great now

Shall be tested later :) Thank you!

edit: especially for the portable version :)

edit2: you can try 7zip to save some bandwith ?

.zip created with 7zip is almost same size (I use WinRar to create .zip)

Setup install application into C:\Program Files\... and automatically install Java on local machine if it's not exists.
Portable version use Java from local app folder and can be just copied to flash drive and runs anywhere without java installation.

If portable uses local java, while setup installs it.. then why the .zip portable is 66MB while the other is 48MB? I would have expected the one which includes Java to be bigger..

EDIT: nevermind.. got things wrong.. portable is bigger and it's obvious..

Other than that, would there be any other advantage to the setup version, except for the included java? I see no reason not to prefer the portable version every time otherwise.

About file sizes, I will try later change this. Zip has not good compress ratio, but it is well known format. If I use LZMA for portable it has same 48Mb, but not compatible with default .zip extractor in Windows and need other third party software for extract or I need to create self-extracted .exe setup to uncompress.

Also setup/portable will have different way to autoupdate and different folders to store game modules, settings and user decks. Portable will use same folder where Playtable.exe (and need read-write access to this folder), setup will use Program Files folder for app (which is readonly on Vista/Windows 7) and user's folder for other files (Currently these folder difference and autoupdate not implemented yet).
Portable version installed in C:\Program Files\.. later will have same problems for updates and user files as MWS because of readonly access and files virtualization for Program Files.

Also I have one question about Setup version (Portable version will use for all files same folder where Playtable.exe)
Currently I use this default path to load/save deck files:
"C:\Users\~User name~\My documents\Virtual Playtable\"
But what path should I use for download/store card images, it's more than 1 Gb and "My documents\..." is not good place for it. Also Program Files is not good because of readonly access.
I know that should be user option to set this path, but waht should be "default" path?
I can use "C:\Users\~User name~\Application Data\Virtual Playtable\" or "C:\Users\All users\Application Data\Virtual Playtable\", but this folder is hidden from user and is not obvious to user if he want to see/copy these images manually.

Why not just ask at first start ?

Usually user don't know too. Even if ask, should be default value to select.

Let it be program folder ? So when they want to delete / move program to another PC they can just copy the folder without looking where all is ? Dunno my opinion.

I find the two possible "packages" quite confusing too.. I still haven't grasped pro and cons of both, and I think they could also cause a lot of mess when users come to ask for tips and issues regarding installation and miscellaneous problems.. wouldn't it be better to just have one portable version, which would work fine in any situation?

> wouldn't it be better to just have one portable version, which would work
> fine in any situation?

Protable version will not work if you install it in C:\Program Files\... on Windows 7 because this folder is readonly.

Read only? Does it depends on user settings? I have Win7 and never had any problems like that.. could be because I've disabled user account control? Would portable version work in that case?

> because I've disabled user account control

Yes, because of it.

Tested the build.. here some suggestion I may have already given, but just in case..

1) casting cost for cards in hand should be placed a bit lower: it's covering art this way (which is very useful otherwise to recognize cards quickly). Lowering it a bit would just cover the card text, which is unreadable anyway

2) I've noticed some "move card to->" options do not work. Apart from the exile (which does not exists yet), I've noticed that moving cards option simply does not work for cards on the playfield

3) when I open the library/grave/generic-card-stack, there's no way to view the cards in an ordered list, to quickly get a specific card

4) when I open the library/grave/generic-card-stack, there's not way to move cards within the stack: this is really useful if not almost needed for cards like Sensei's Divining Top and many others

5) there's no right click menu for cards viewed in the pop up window opened when viewing a stack

6) an additional icon next to the mana counter, to keep track of the storm count, would be quite helpful

Version 0.41 available.
Added Card Images for "Innistrad".
Deck Editor shows both sides of double-faced cards.

Det,

Great job with the double faced cards. Are you working on a way to transform them in test mode? Also, do you have an estimated time frame for when Virtual Playtable will available for playtesting? Thanks again for all your hardwork

Thank you, nasuellia.

> Is it me or at the moment isn't possible to test decks one versus each other?

It's not possible yet, but I will add it in next build in about one-two weeks.

So, any updates coming?

Is netplay planned? If so, is it coming any time soon? I would much like to be able to play this online with my friends!

Yes, I'm working on netplay right now, will be available soon.

Ok,I am a new member to the whole '' Magic Game '' community and I would say that we are really lucky to have the game online/offline.
About Virtualplaytable now... I think it's better than MWS as a new player it's interface made me like it more.I know that its still in an updating phase but I think its still better.In the next version I would like to see.

-> 1)Online Play.
-> 2)Offline Play (Hot-seat type).
-> 2)Offline Play (Bot type).
-> 3)Private Online Play.(IP servers with passwords like online play, that is mostly a feauture.)

I am sure you people know what is hot seat playing but I will just explain it in a few words for people who do not know about it. It is when two people share the same computer to play a game such us "HEROES",take turns and play on the same computer and have the ability to make decks on the same computer too.

How can you play "Hot-seat" if you should have your hand closed?

Hot-seat type is suited for training purposes with your friends.
learning through various strategies and then go online and play with more experience.
Plus I know that making a bot who can actually play Magic with levels Beginner,Intermediate etc. is really difficult and it needs days of programming,maybe months.
Which means hot seat play will help in training before someone actually release a good Magic bot version.

I'm not actually finding this hot-seat feature particularly useful.. maybe on some mobile device, but at home you don't often have friends to test decks with.. much easier to just play with them online.. something that even MWS easily allows through P2P (serverless) connection.

I also find the idea of hot-seat playing MtG really awkward.. as turns require a lot of interaction between the two players, and you would need to hide/show your hands after every thing you do just to show your opponent the game state and ask if he wants to respond in any way... seems unplayable.

But you do not have to cover your cards.
You are training remember?
I have many friends who play MtG with open cards.
They participate in tournaments here in Greece as well.
They do that and they discuss strategies and explain to amateurs how and what to play.

Personally, I disapprove testing with revealed hands: it makes you take decisions you wouldn't actually take in a real game.. but besides that, I stress that P2P connection should be far than enough. You could even launch 2 clients on the same machine and emulate hot-seat by connecting one client to each other locally if you really need.

Of course, it's not that this feature wouldn't be useful at all: just not worth enough to dedicate precious development time at this stage, at least IMHO.