Introduction

BotArena

BotArena is a sister project to my DeckBot project. Both projects use the same MTG engine to enforce rules, perform AI plays, retrieve card definitions etc. Unlike DeckBot, BotArena has a full graphical user interface with the following features:

The goal of BotArena and DeckBot is not so much about player vs player but about how to improve AI play with a computer player. As computers are getting more powerful, BotArena will get better automatically.

I have the following near term goals for BotArena

It is a work in progress. For more information, see also DeckBot.

MTG Images

Since all the MTG images are copyrighted, BotArena doesn't include any such imagees. However, follow these steps to get BotArena up and running with resources on the web (as usual, download at your own risk):

  1. To get MTG font:
    1. Download Shandalar at: http://www.the-underdogs.info/game.php?id=1550
    2. Unzip the downloaded file and run magic.part1.exe to extract all the files into a temporary directory
    3. Find the True Type font file Magis___.ttf
    4. Right click on the file and choose Copy
    5. Go to C:/Windows/Fonts in Windows Explorer and paste the file there to install the font
  2. To get MTG card images:
    1. Download MWS images:
      1. Go to http://www.mwsdata.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=4
      2. Follow the instructions outlined in the forum on how to get HQ images for MWS
      3. Currently you only need the following files:
        1. MWS+6E+Fulls.zip (or MWSHQ+6E+Fulls.zip if you can find it)
        2. MWSHQ+7E+Fulls.zip
        3. MWSHQ+8E+Fulls.zip
        4. MWSHQ+9E+Fulls.zip
        5. MWSHQ+U+Fulls.zip
        6. MWSHQ+PLC+Fulls.zip
    2. Create a folder called 'MWS' under your BotArena install directory and extract all the MWS files under it. You want to maintain the edition folder to separate images in each edition:
      MWSFolder
    3. Download a good quality card back image. You can find one at: http://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic:_The_Gathering
      1. Save the card back image file to \Program Files\BotArena\CardBack.jpg
    4. For token images:
      Put token images under a \TK folder. You will need to do a little bit of renaming to get this to work. First identify the token image file. If you want to use a 1/1 Goblin token image (e.g. Goblin Warrens), you want to name the image file "Goblin1-1.full.jpg". BotArena will try to locate this file first. If this file is not found, it will try the name without the power-toughness, i.e. "Goblin.full.jpg". Since BotArena cover-up the power-toughness area of the image anyway, there is really no need to match the image's power/toughness with the token.
  3. To get some nice wallpapers, try Wizards: http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/downloads.aspx?x=mtg/daily/downloads/wallpapers

MagicWand

Download

I no longer distribute BotArena because of the legality of the application. The download link is now disabled. DeckBot will continue to be available because of the text-based approach and no rules text is included.

1.1.10 changes:

  •  UI changes:
    • Stack window and size is now remembered
    •  For Pithing Needle, selecting an entry in the action list will show the card in the Preview window
  •  New 10th Edition Cards: Steel Golem, Stronghold Discipline, Faerie Conclave, Spawning Pool, Ghitu Encampment, Treetop Village, Forbidding Watchtower
  •  New Unlimited Cards: Bad Moon, Black Knight, Frozen Shade
  •  Unlimited Cards arlready added in other editions: Bog Wraith, Drudge Skeletons
  • Bug fixes:
    • Engineered Plague and Pithing Needle: shows all cards and all creature types instead of those in player decks
    • Millstone: fixed A.I. bug
    • Natural Affinity, Living Land: fixed crash
    •  Radjan Spirit: fixed bug which is not removing flying from creatures
    •  Sea's Claim: fixed bug
    •  Skirk Shaman (Sneaky Homunculus and many other similar cards): fixed logics which were reversed by a 1.1.9 change
    • Snake Basket: usage now should not trigger as 'spell casted'. Also changed Thrull Surgeon and Mind Slash.
    •  Story Circle: fixed A.I. bug
    •  Fixed a crash when searching cards in libraries
  •  Card info fixes: A lot of minor changes

1.1.9 changes:

  • UI changes: Added random deck selections
  • Deluge: not tapping non-creatures now
  • Ensnaring Bridge: corrected the comparison hand to the controller of the Bridge instead of the opponent's
  •  Root Maze: fixed casting cost
  •  Scion of the Wild: fixed card type
  • Shivan Hellkite: now deals damage
  •  New 10th Edition Cards: Colossus of Sardia, Pithing Needle
  •  Card info fixes: Cancel

1.1.8 changes:

  •  Deflection: now can deflect to targets in graveyards
  • Swords to Plowshares: now correctly credit life gain for pumped creatures
  • Terramorphic Expanse: fixed bug which allows searching of dual lands
  •  New 10th Edition Cards: Icatian Priest, Prodigal Pyromancer (already in PLC), Rage Weaver, Karplusan Strider, Shunt, Shivan Hellkite, Stun, Viashino Runner, Deluge, Doomed Necromancer, Viashino Sandscout, Vampire Bats, Thrull Surgeon, Sylvan Scrying, Snapping Drake, Skyhunter Patrol, Sky Weaver, Shimmering Wings
  • New Unlimited cards: Braingeyser
  •  Card info fixes:
    •  Mortal Combat, Spark Elemental

1.1.7 changes:

  • Bandage: fixed missing card
  • Cowardice: fixed targeting bug when the targeting is done in a triggered action
  • Crypt Rats, Crimson Hellkite, Consume Spirit: fixed mana bug
  • Peek: fixed draw card bug
  • Recollect: fixed casting cost
  • Card shuffling: adjusted shuffling count to compensate for decks with lots of cards
  •  Trample: fixed multiple blocker bug
  • New 10th Edition Cards: Distress, Furnace Whelp, Heart of Light, Mortal Combat, Persuasion, Phyrexian Rager, Pincher Beetles, Recover, Root Maze, Scion of the Wild, Spark Elemental, Time Stretch, Treasure Hunter, Whispersilk Cloak, Robe of Mirrors, Razormane Masticore, Terramorphic Expanse, Field Marshal, Chromatic Star
  •  New Unlimited cards: Control Magic

1.1.6 changes:

1.1.5 changes:

1.1.4 changes:

1.1.3 changes:

1.1.2 changes:

1.1.1 changes:

1.1.0 changes:

1.0.6.19 changes:

1.0.6.18 changes:

1.0.6.17 changes:

1.0.6.16 changes:

1.0.6.15 changes:

1.0.6.14 changes: 1.0.6.14 changes:

Changes in 1.0.6.13:

Changes in 1.0.6.12:

Changes in 1.0.6.11 (thanks to Franavalon, Dinghammer and others for all the bug reports):

Changes in 1.0.6.10 (thanks to Franavalon and many others for all the bug reports and suggestions):

Known Issues:

Changes in 1.0.6.8:

Changes in 1.0.6.7:

Changes in 1.0.6.6:

Changes in 1.0.6.5:

Changes in 1.0.6.4:

Changes in 1.0.6.3:

Disclaimer

BotArena is not published or endorsed by Wizard of the Coast, Inc.

Wizards of the Coast, Magic: The Gathering, and Magic are registered trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Classic, the play level logos, the tap symbol, the mana symbols, and the pentagon of colors are trademarks of Wizard of the Coast, Inc.

Forums

Page designer haran