Deck construction software part 2

[Rdunzl]

In the thread here www.pokemontcg.com/forums/deck-construction-27/topics/deck-construction-software I asked:

 

"I have noticed that when you use the deck builder on TCG online, you can choose to save your deck to your computer. If you do so, you'll get the deck in a xml format. I am just wondering what the reason is for this feature? Is there any programs you can use locally/outside TCG online to build decks?"

 

- and then a moderator answered that this would be illegal and then he locked the thread.

 

So I ask again: The deck constructor comes with features to save deck information (locally) to your pc and to load this deck information file from your local pc. Are these features for sharing deck information between players, or is the deck xml format some kind of standard format which is used to exchange deck information between TCG online and other software?

 

 

 

@Prof_Strawberry: I find it extremely hard to believe that you make features available in the deck constructor that would be "against the user agreement" to make use of. Please understand that I am asking for the purpose of existing features in your software, and please do not lock my thread if you still think I am asking for ways to hack the game, because I am not.

 

Maybe my question is technical in it's nature. I am sorry, but I have been working in the IT business for 15+ years. If you do not understand the question, then please leave the thread open for more technical minded persons to answer, instead of preventing me from learning the details of the game.

 

I am here for having fun along with my son, and we are both very new to Pokemon TCG.

 

If you are in doubt, then moderators telling me that using the deck constructor's functions would be a violation of the user agreement and ending the discussion abruptly is not fun at all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mod_Ezio]

Hey there Rdunzl,

 

Using any software to modify or change a saved deck for TCGO is against our End User License Agreement, and to the best of my knowledge there are no programs or websites that allow this to occur. There is a deck-building wizard that helps players create decks if they are unsure about what cards to use. You are only allowed to create and modify decks using the Deck Builder at pokemontcg.com. Saving a deck locally allows players to create more than 6 decks to experiment and play with. You can also print a copy of your saved deck using the Print function in the Deck Builder.

 

Hope all this has helped,

 

Prof. Ezio

 

Forum Connoisseur

 

________________________________________

 

“You must always push the limits, because if you never fail, you will never succeed”

 

–Unknown

 

 

 

[Rdunzl]

Well, you can delete this thread or reply if what I write now is too dangerous information <img src="http://www.pokemontcg.com/javascripts/fckeditor/editor/images/smiley/png/regular_smile.png" alt="" />

 

Since the file you save locally is a text file with deck data in it, any text editor from Notepad (basic text editor which have been part of Windows for the last 20 years) and up will allow it to occur.

 

I am actually surprised that you find this to be a violation of your End User License agreement rather than a feature. In the deck constructor you can build a deck adding more copies of one card than you've got, and if you do so, there's a visual indication that the deck holds cards you do not have. I have not tried it, but I guess the same would happen if you uploaded a deck info file with cards you do not have (if you for instance save a deck locally, trade some of the cards in it to other players, and then you load the local deck again).

 

 

 

Saving and loading deck info files do not alter the outcome of battles and do not add cards to your online collection. I hope so, because if these deck info files can change anything else than deck information, you should fire some developers <img src="http://www.pokemontcg.com/javascripts/fckeditor/editor/images/smiley/png/wink_smile.png" alt="" />

 

Let me see if I get this right:

 

I can build a deck of for instance the blue and yellow basic deck and save the deck info locally, but I would violate the EULA if my son then uploaded that deck info to his account?

 

If I print the deck, then what can I do with this print? Can I show the print to anyone else?

 

Because if I can show the print without violating the EULA then sharing the file ought to be allowed too. And if I am allowed to load a deck info file saved by someone else, then changing the content of a deck info file ought to be equally allowed since this is just another deck info file.

 

 

 

Please check up with your legal department if the deck info files really have anything to do with the game hacking section in the EULA. They are totally harmless, and I guess worst case scenario would be TCG online failing to parse the deck info file and that could cause an exception in the server.

 

 

 

If your game developers and your legal department also thinks that sharing or altering deck info files are a violation rather than a feature, then I believe you should add a little hassle to the players' gaming experience and remove the save/load feature entirely, so you can prevent all these potential violations. Or you could encrypt the content of the deck info file (XML is a very popular format for data exchange and one of the main features is that it is readable by both humans and machines) so that humans can not alter the content easily.

 

 

 

Of course I don't know the features of the next version of TCG online, but as of now the game have a feature which in itself the moderators believes violates the EULA. It is quite a paradox to me.

 

Actually I think sharing the files could encourage users to collect more cards, but then again, manual processes with more human interaction works too, and it should not be too easy to share information amongst players, shouldn't it?

 

[Mod_Snow]

chill out I think there has been a misunderstanding! Please allow me to attempt to grasp the concept of your inquiry.

 

 

 

[/b]

 

So let's say, using your example, that you built a deck on your account using the cards from the basic blue and yellow decks. You then save this deck file to your computer, then share this file with your son. That's okay! There are a few things that might fuddle up when trying to load a deck file into the deck builder of a different account, but ultimately if your son has all of the cards in the deck file then it should be fine. Even if another player doesn't have all of the cards in the deck that was created, the deck files check against the collection of the individual player and anything that is not already owned is marked "Do Not Have."

 

 

 

 

I will however reinforce my fellow moderators in that editing your deck files manually is highly discouraged as you may run into unexpected errors that support may not be able to assist with. We recommend making any deck changes within the deck builder interface to avoid that!

 

So, going back to your original question:

 

 

 

 

 

In the thread here www.pokemontcg.com/forums/deck-construction-27/topics/deck-construction-software I asked:

 

"I have noticed that when you use the deck builder on TCG online, you can choose to save your deck to your computer. If you do so, you'll get the deck in a xml format. I am just wondering what the reason is for this feature? Is there any programs you can use locally/outside TCG online to build decks?"

 

 

 

 

There are no other local programs/features that we intended for players to use with the deck files that they can save to their computers. As Prof. Ezio stated, the "Save to Computer" feature is there simply to allow players to have more than the current deck box limit.

 

 

 

I hope this helped address your concerns!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prof. Snow

 

Parasol Lady

 

 

Need to report a bug or an issue? Submit a ticket to support.pokemon.com!

 

"I'm like a hunter of peace. One who chases the elusive mayfly of love... or something like that."

 

- Vash the Stampede

 

[Rdunzl]

It helped, thank you <img src="http://www.pokemontcg.com/javascripts/fckeditor/editor/images/smiley/png/thumbs_up.png" alt="" />