PortalNet: Help

PortalNet by Kent L. Smotherman

Introduction

PortalNet is a 100% Pure Java application for playing the Magic: The Gathering (Copyright, trademark, and all rights reserved by Wizards of the Coast) over the internet. It is not (yet) a traditional web server based game in which you would use your web browser to connect to a site to play games. Instead, PortalNet uses the Internet without a web browser and connects directly to the PortalNet server. All you need is to connect to the internet through your ISP (Internet Service Provider) and have the IP address and port number of an active PortalNet server.

The PortalNet server is itself a 100% pure Java application and may someday be made available for release. If you are interested in obtaining the PortalNet server contact

Kent L. Smotherman kents@tconl.com

Starting PortalNet

You first need to have a Java Virtual Machine installed. You can find this from Sun at:
Sun's Java Download
I recommend the Java Runtime Environment (JRE).

Next you'll need to download the PortalNet .zip file:
portalnet.zip
If you are simply upgrading from a previous release of the same major release group (1.1 to 1.2 for example, or 2.0 to 2.1) you can simply download the code.zip:
code.zip
Just unzip this in a root directory and be sure to enable long filenames and to use the .zip file's directory structure. The unzip process should create a directory called PortalNet. In the PortalNet directory you will find a portal.bat file for Windows users to start the PortalNet program. YOU WILL NEED TO MODIFY THIS FILE! It should be of the form:

set path=d:\jre113\bin
d:
cd \PortalNet
jre -classpath d:\jre113\lib\rt.jar;d:\PortalNet\portalnet.jar Loader 204.26.80.70 1961
jre -classpath d:\jre113\lib\rt.jar;d:\PortalNet\symbeans.jar;d:\PortalNet\icebrowserbean;d:\PortalNet\portalnet.jar MagicNet 204.26.80.70 1961 Kent

In this example, the Java Runtime Environment is the Java Virtual Machine being used and it was installed at "d:\jre113\". If you are using a JDK (Java Developer's Kit) instead, your portal.bat will need to look like this:

set path=d:\jdk113\bin;%path%
d:
cd \PortalNet
java -classpath d:\jre113\lib\classes.zip;d:\PortalNet\portalnet.jar Loader 204.26.80.70 1961
java -classpath d:\jre113\lib\classes.zip;d:\PortalNet\symbeans.jar;d:\PortalNet\icebrowserbean;d:\PortalNet\portalnet.jar MagicNet 204.26.80.70 1961 Kent

Notice that the last line changed from "jre" to "java" - I don't know why Sun changed the name between the JDK and the JRE, but they did!

The last line also contains the command line parameters for PortalNet, which in this example were: 204.26.80.70 1961 Kent
"204.26.80.70" is the name or IP address of the PortalNet server. "1961" is the port number on the server for PortalNet, and "Kent" is the user name you want for PortalNet.

PortalNet features the ability to automatically update your PortalNet .class files upon startup. This procedure is completely automatic.

Card Database

PortalNet comes with a Magic card database comprised of all Magic cards from The Dark through Weatherlight. The database was built using the Full Spoiler card lists from Wizards of the Coast and the MOX Perl server. You'll notice that some cards will appear in the database more than once. This happens if the card was reprinted in multiple card sets.

Decks

The Decks tab of PortalNet features the Magic card database search engine and Deck Builder. The upper half of this display shows the available cards to include in your decks and the bottom half shows your decks. Each of the search criteria located on the left of this display can be individually selected by clicking on the appropriate checkbox. All unchecked fields are NOT included in the search, even if the corresponding field has data. The available search criteria are:

Name -Card name (at top left of card)
Text -Text box of card
Color -White, Black, Blue, Red, Green, Gold, "" for colorless
Type -Text between the picture and the text box
Series -Card series (e.g. Portal, Weatherlight, etc)
Rarity -Common, Uncommon, or Rare
Artist -Name of artist for card artwork

Both the Name and Text fields allow a general string based search whereas the other fields provide a list of choices. The Type field is unique in that it can be used either way - you may choose one of the alternatives or directly enter any text substring to search for. Once all criteria have been entered press Search to see a list of all matching cards. If you do not check any of the criteria checkboxes you will be presented with a comprehensive card list. The buttons at the top left of the Decks display are:

Clear -Not currently implemented
Cascade -Cascades all displayed cards to original view
Search -Perform search

To view a card from the tiled display simply click on the card's title. The card errata/rulings for a displayed card may be shown by double clicking on the card's title. To return the card display to its original tiled form use Cascade. If a card's text has more lines than can be displayed, just click on the card's title to show subsequent lines.

The bottom of the Decks display shows the private decks you have built. Available functions are:

Owner -Deck owners
Deck -All decks for currently selected owner
Private -Not implemented
New Owner -Add an owner to the owner list
New Deck -Add a new deck for the current owner
Save Deck -Save the current deck
Show -Not implemented
Cascade -Cascade current deck display

Due to a bug in the Java Virtual Machine, if the Owner or Deck choice lists contain 0 or 1 entries the gadget is disabled.

Building A Deck

These are the steps you need to perform to build a deck in PortalNet:

Click on the Decks tab
Click on New Owner (if this is your first deck)
Enter your name in the Owner field and press ENTER (if this is your first deck)
Click on New Deck
Enter a name in the Deck field and press ENTER
Click on Search (if desired, select any criteria first)
Hold down the shift key and click on any number of cards. The selected cards will be copied to the current deck.
Click on Save

You may use basic land from either the Library or the Deck's Basic Land function, but the Deck's Basic Land will draw nicer.

Modifying A Deck

Click on the Deck choice box
Select the desired deck to modify
To remove a card, hold SHIFT and click on the card title in the deck displayed in the bottom half of the Decks display.
To add a card, hold SHIFT and click on the card title in the cards displayed in the upper half of the Decks display.Building A Deck procedures.
When you're done be sure to hit Save Deck!

Library

The PortalNet Library is a place for users to share decks with others. Decks in the Decks display are stored on your local computer and are not accessible by other users, but decks in the Library are public and can be viewed and played by anyone. To view the available decks follow this procedure:

Click on Categories to load the categories choice control with the available deck categories from the PortalNet server.
Select the category you are interested in and the Deck choice control should fill with the available decks.
Select the deck you want to view.

If you want to save one of the Library decks to your local computer, first follow the above procedure to view the deck you would like to save and then click Save Deck. The currently viewed Library deck will be imported to the Decks display under the currently selected owner. You can then go to the Decks display and make modifications to you local copy of the deck and then Save Deck to save it with your other private decks.

To publish one of your decks to the Library you simply follow this procedure:

In the Decks display, select the deck you want to publish in the Library.
In the Library, select the category for this deck.
Press the Upload Deck button.

Waiting Room

If you have successfully connected to the PortalNet server, this display is where you can chat with the other users online and find an oppononent. To issue a challenge follow these steps:

Go to the Decks tab and build or select a Deck!!!!!
In the Waiting Room, select someone in the "People Waiting" list
Click on the "Challenge" button

If you are challenged you will see a popup dialog telling you who challenged you, and you have the option of accepting or rejecting the challenge. BE SURE THAT BEFORE YOU ACCEPT A CHALLENGE YOU HAVE SELECTED THE DECK YOU WANT FROM THE DECK TAB!!!!!

Magic: Playing the game

The most important point to keep in mind while using PortalNet to play a game is that the intention is to replace the table you and your opponent sit at with the Internet and your computer. There is very little automation in PortalNet, you have to do everything for yourself just like in a game with cards!

Some hints:

"Clicking on a card will:"

Be sure this field is set the way you want before clicking on a card!
You can also right click on a card to bring up a popup list to override this setting

Searching through library to put cards back on top of the library

Use menu "View/Look at entire library"
Set "Clicking on a card will" to "Set Aside"
Select the cards you want to work with
Hit the "Shuffle" button
Set "Clicking on a card will" to "Put on top of library"
Use menu "View/Set Aside"
Click on each card in Set Aside to put in top of library, card to be most on top should be clicked LAST!
Use menu "View/Your hand"

Undo something

No automated way to do this, but everything you need should be provided to undo manually. I am looking into an automated undo feature, but it is not yet implemented.
For example, if you buried something by accident, just do a View/Your graveyard to find the card in question and put in back in your hand, in play, wherever.

(This section still being developed)

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