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== WARNING! READ ME FIRST! == Both this manual and the original printed one include installation instructions and technical requirements. The instructions in this file unconditionally supersede the other ones. ________________________________________________________________________ Ignore the Requirements and Installation Instructions in the printed manual!! ________________________________________________________________________ We mean it. The installation instructions in the printed manual were written long before ManaLink was completed; they are only applicable to the original Magic: The Gathering computer game. Thanks. == REQUIREMENTS AND INSTALLATION == Here's what you need in your computer and how to install the game. [The Technical Stuff] For ManaLink to work, there are a few things your computer must have. (Note: If you can successfully run the original Magic: The Gathering, you can run this expansion as well, as long as you have enough free disk space.) * The processor has to be a 486 or better. Basically, any computer with "486", or "Pentium" in its name should do just fine. If you're using a 486, the system speed should be at least 100 MHz (megahertz). For best performance, we recommend a 120 MHz Pentium or better. * You must have at least 16 Mb (megabytes) of RAM (working memory) installed. * You must have a CD-ROM drive. We strongly recommend a quad speed or faster drive. * You must have Windows 95 (or later) installed and running on your computer. Almost all 486 and Pentium computers include this in the standard software package. * Since the installation program will expand parts of ManaLink onto your hard disk, you must have a minimum of ### Mb of empty storage space on your hard drive. (Don't confuse these Mb with RAM Mb. These are storage space; the others are working memory.) To find out whether you have enough space, double-click on the My Computer icon on the Windows 95 desktop. Change the View setting to Details, and the amount of empty space on your hard drive (usually drive 'C') is listed under Free Space. * Your computer must be capable of 256 color VGA quality graphics or better (SVGA is better) and a resolution of at least 640 x 480. For best play, we recommend 1024 x 768 resolution in High Color or True Color mode (at least 16 bit color). * There must be a working mouse (or a device that fulfills the same function) attached to the computer. The mouse driver must be Microsoft Mouse or something fully compatible with this. * You will need to have the Total Entertainment Network client to play Magic on the internet. It should be available for download wherever you downloaded ManaLink. * You must have Microsoft Direct Play version 5.0a if you want to play Magic on LAN, Modem, or Serial Cable connections. It can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/directX If you think you have all of these, but still have a problem running the game, please contact MicroProse Customer Support for assistance. [Installing the Game] Before you can use ManaLink, the installation program must copy some files onto your hard disk. To have it do so, follow these instructions: * Use windows Explorer or the File Manager to find the directory into which you downloaded the ManaLink compressed file. * Double-click on the compressed file. * The installation program finds the directory that you installed the original Magic: The Gathering in and installs ManaLink there. * ManaLink is also added to your M:TG Windows 95 Start menu group. * ManaLink expands the necessary files from the compressed file onto your hard drive. Once the installation is complete, the game is ready to play. [Startup] To start playing the game immediately after installation: * Make sure the Magic: The Gathering CD-ROM is in the drive. * Double-click on Duel to compete in online duels, solo duels, or run the Gauntlet, To play later: * Make sure that the Magic: The Gathering CD-ROM is in its drive. * Open the Windows 95 Start menu, then open the Magic: The Gathering group (or whatever group you assigned the game to during installation). * Click the Magic: The Gathering option. Have fun! == LAST MINUTE CHANGES == Player Status: * Two statuses no longer exist: Unavailable and Opponent. * The new Registered staus tells you that that player has accepted a challenge to duel. * The new Dueling staus tells you that that player is involved in a duel. Availability: * The "I am Available" and "I am not Available" buttons have been removed. Do Not Disturb: * When you have Do Not Disturb turned on, messages do not get through--nothing does. == THE NEW MAIN MENU == As soon as you fire up ManaLink, those of you who played the original Magic: The Gathering (or read the manual) will notice two subtle changes. First of all, there's an unusual icon in one corner of the screen. That's the ManaLink icon, and it's described in detail in the Additions section. The other thing is that the Main Menu has been replaced. In its place are the five option spheres. The spheres are more like categories than options. Each one gives you access to a particular segment of the Magic: The Gathering experience. When you click on any sphere, all the activities that fall within that category appear on the right side of the screen, in the upper area. Note that even when you have a sphere selected, all of the other spheres are still available. You can switch from sphere to sphere with just a click, or you can deselect the current sphere by clicking on it again. Duel This sphere encompasses the Solo Duel, the Gauntlet, and the new Duel Opponent feature, which is described later, in Additions. Tools All of the utilities--useful things like the Deck Builder--are collected in this sphere. World The world of Shandalar and the introductory animation that accompanies it reside in this sphere. Help This sphere includes all of the on-line sources of information, such as the Help system, the Tutorial, the Readme file, and the game Credits. Player The set-up for your dueling persona, all the statistics, and any other record- keeping functions are contained in this sphere. To select a displayed activity as the current one, click on it. Any settings and options associated with the currently selected activity appear in the larger area below the list of activities. (The options for those activities with which you're already familiar from the original game have not changed significantly. The options for the new activities are explained in the relevant parts of the Additions section.) == CHANGES == Other than the Main menu, ManaLink makes changes to some other parts of the game with which you're already familiar. Here's the rundown. [Shandalar] There's one new feature on the way to getting started in Shandalar. You are no longer limited to choosing what your character looks like from a screen of pre-made images. Now, you have much more control over your looks. When you get to the point at which the big manual tells you to just pick a character, the new Face Builder tool takes over. This allows you to choose a wizard (basic body and face), then customize your look with various accoutrements and other variations. For the details, please read Making Faces, in the Additions section. [The Deck Builder] The Deck Builder is still accessible from the Main Menu. To get to the Deck Builder, click on Tools, then select the Deck Builder option. * The "Basic Set" button determines which versions of the basic Magic card set are visible. This filter has three options, all of which are independent toggles. That is, you can turn any one on or off without affecting the status of the other. At least one of these must be selected at all times. > "Unlimited" is the second collected release of the basic card set, which included cards from both the first (Limited or "alpha") and second ("beta") versions. > "Revised Edition" is the third version of the basic card set. > "Fourth Edition" is the fourth version of the basic card set. * The "Astral" button still controls the inclusion of the Astral set of cards and now it also includes the Promotional cards. (*Note: If you do not have Spells of the Ancients installed, you have no Promotional cards.) * The "Arabian Nights" button filters for all of the cards from that expansion set. (If you do not have Spells of the Ancients installed, the only cards from this set that you'll have are those that also happen to be included in the Fourth Edition set.) * The "Antiquities" button includes or excludes all of the cards from that expansion set. (If you do not have Spells of the Ancients installed, the only cards from this set that you'll have are those that also happen to be included in the Fourth Edition set.) When you decide to save a deck, you'll notice a minor change in the Deck Header dialogue. Now that you can use the new Face Builder to build your looks, there is no longer any reason for you to associate a face with a deck. Rather, you might want to link the deck to one of your screen names. Thus, the Face selection box is gone, and Name has taken its place. [The Duel] The new Main Menu has a Duel option, just as the original did. You use this option to get to both the Solo Duel and the Gauntlet, just as before. However, the new option functions a little differently. When you select Duel, you'll see an upper area, which lists the activities available through this option, and lower area, which holds the options associated with the currently selected activity. As for the new option, Duel Opponent, that's covered in the Additions section. <Single Match> To play a single match (or duel), make sure that the Solo Duel activity is selected, set the options the way you want them, and click Start Match. The options are the same, except that: * The options which are relevant only to the Gauntlet have been removed. They're in the options for the Gauntlet activity. * There is no longer a Create Deck button for access to the Deck Builder. That's because it's not needed; you can simply click on the Tools sphere to get there from here. * You can Load a saved duel or match and continue where you left off. <The Gauntlet> To go through the gauntlet, make sure that the Gauntlet activity is selected, set the options the way you want them, and click Run Gauntlet. These also function exactly as before, except: * The options which are relevant only to the single duel have been removed. They're in the options for the Solo Duel activity. * For those of you who don't relish the idea of playing 50 matches in one sitting, we've added the Length option. Use this to set the maximum number of matches you want to play. After each duel is over (regardless of the outcome), you're provided with all the relevant information. Click OK to accept the results and move on. Note also that now only the first duel of any match begins with the coin flip (to determine who chooses play or draw). After the first duel (unless it ends in a draw), whichever player lost the previous duel gets to make the choice. == ADDITIONS == Changing the Main Menu around to make it easier to use was nice. However, the main event is in the new stuff. [Making a Name for Yourself] Before you can start racking up a brilliant record of sequential wins online (more about that a little later), you must create a player persona, what we call your Screen Name. Why? Well, in order to keep a record, there must be a name with which to associate that record. As a bonus, you can also determine what your character looks like and give yourself a tag line like all the AI characters have. To get started on your screen name, select the Screen Name activity in the Player sphere. Screen Name When you have selected a player number (see below), you see the corresponding Screen Name. (At first, they're all filled with default names.) If you want to change the displayed name, simply click anywhere in the text box and begin typing. Next to the Screen Name, there is a box you can use to associate a particular character image with the player number you have chosen. Select any one of the existing faces or, if you don't care for any of them, use the new Face Builder tool to create new ones. Date This simply notes when this particular screen name was created. Real Name Since a screen name is more often than not a pseudonym, you might want to associate your real name with a character. After all, you created it and you'll likely spend quite some time building a record. E-Mail If you'd like online opponents to be able to communicate with you when you're not connected, you can enter your e-mail address here. Quote All the built-in characters have quotes associated with them. It's only fair that you have the same opportunity to express yourself. New Player Each screen name is associated with a Player Name. Before you do anything else, you should choose a name to work with. If no screen names have been set up yet, you need to click the new player button. Delete Player Use the Delete Player button only if you wish to permanently erase the record associated with the current player name. If you want to change the info for an existing screen name without erasing the record, simply enter new text in the boxes -- do not use this button. NOTE When you sign on to the Total Entertainment Network to play Magic: The Gathering Online your TEN login name is added to your player list and is used whenever you sign on. Even if this name is deleted from your computer using the delete player button, it will still be available when you are playing on TEN. The record of wins and losses and whatnot for each screen name is kept for you. Not all of this information is self-explanatory, so here's a brief summary: DCI Record ManaLink keeps track of your record of wins, losses, and draws in matches that qualify for inclusion in the calculation of your DCI Rank (Internet matches on GatheringNet are the only ones that qualify). Your win percentage is also figured for you, as a convenience. DCI Rank This is your ranking according to the system devised and maintained by the Duelists' Convention International (DCI). New players begin with a rank of 1600, and that number goes up or down depending on your success in duels against other human players. This ranking is unofficial. Multiplay Record Your record of wins, losses, and draws against human players is noted. This includes both qualifying DCI duels and any other duels against humans. Skill Level Your skill level is a brief description of your dueling skills, as measured by your DCI ranking. Concede Rate This keeps track of what percentage of your duels end with you conceding. Disconnect Rate What percentage of your duels are interrupted by disconnection is noted here. If your disconnect percentage is high (greater than 10% is high), you might consider trying to find out why you experience so many disconnections and fixing the problem. Overall Record For the sake of completeness, your record versus all opponents--human and computer--is recorded here. Your changes are saved as you make them. When you're finished here, just click on one of the other spheres to move on. ________________________________________________________________________ DCI Ranking: The Gory Details For those of you who are interested in the mechanics of the DCI ranking, here's an overview. As you read this, please keep in mind that the DCI is the final authority on this ranking system, and they can change the rules if it becomes necessary. Based on the theory that a higher ranked (more skillful) player is expected to be able to defeat a lower ranked (less skillful) player in match play, the DCI uses this formula before the match to compare the two rankings and determine each player's probability of winning (W): W = 1/(10((R2-R1)/400)+1) Where R1 is your current ranking, and R2 is your opponent's. (The calculation for your opponent would reverse the two--R1 his ranking and R2 yours--and result in the complementary probability.) After the match is over, the probability is plugged into another formula to calculate each player's new ranking (Rn): Rn = Rp+(K*(S-W)) Where Rp is the player's old ranking and W is still the probability of winning. S is that players score for the match; a win makes S=1, for a loss S=0, and a draw sets S=1/2. K depends on the value of Rp. If the old ranking was between 0 and 1099, K=32; if it was between 2100 and 2399, then K=24; otherwise, K=16. The overall effect of these calculations is that a lower ranked player who defeats a higher ranked player will gain more points (in rank) than a high rank who beats a lower rank. ________________________________________________________________________ [Making Faces] In the original game, you had very little control over what your character looked like, regardless of whether you were tromping around saving Shandalar or just dueling. Now that you've got ManaLink, the scope of your options has expanded dramatically. A new tool called the Face Builder gives you the ability to generate customized character images from a library of faces, bodies, and accessories. There are two ways you might wind up at the Face Builder: 1) If you're starting a new game in Shandalar, the Face Builder appears at the point when you would previously have chosen an image from a screen full of characters. Whatever face you make and save becomes your character's image. 2) Choosing the Face Builder activity in the Tools sphere brings you here, too. In this way, you can create and save faces that you can associate with a particular screen name. At the top left is the Portrait window. This shows you exactly what your character would look like if you accepted the current settings. Immediately to the right of the Portrait is a group of buttons. Let's look at them out of order: Wizards By clicking on the left and right arrows on this button, you can cycle through all of the available wizards. Each wizard comes with a unique "base body" and some variations. Variations Clicking the left and right arrows on this button is how you move back and forth to see the variations available for the current wizard. This button is not needed for every wizard--only for those who have more variations than fit in the six Variation windows. Save When you're satisfied with the look of your character, click this button to accept and save the character with the current settings. Leave Use this one to exit the Face Builder without saving. The rest of the screen is taken up by the Variation windows themselves. Each of these displays one type of optional modification or accoutrement for the current wizard's basic body. For example, one possible variation could be skin color, another could be "the thing in the wizard's left hand." Whatever you see in a Variation window can be changed; every one of the active windows has arrow buttons beneath it. Using these, you can cycle through all the possibilities for that variation. Whatever's shown in the windows is reflected in the wizard's Portrait. When you're happy with your looks, click on Save to return whence you came (proceed toward Shandalar or go back to the Tools sphere). You get a last look at your character; press [Esc] to go back and make more changes, or click to proceed. [ManaLink: Multiplayer Dueling] Here's the game you've been waiting for. You've had plenty of time to practice on the computer; now let's see how well you fare against the malicious cunning of other humans. When you start up ManaLink, you also activate ManaLink, the multiplayer part of the game. You'll know it's active because there's a jewel-like icon in the corner; that's the ManaLink icon. This icon is a convenient way to tell your connection status at a glance. Double-click on the icon to see the other half of ManaLink, the ManaLink Dialogue. What this looks like depends on whether you're already connected or not. This dialogue is the central control point for all multiplayer functions except setting up the actual match. You set up the match using Duel Opponent, the newest activity in the Duel Sphere. That's getting ahead of ourselves, though. First, let's go over all the basic steps to starting a multiplayer match: * Set up your screen name and all the information that goes with it. (At this point, you might also want to build a few dueling decks.) * Connect to another player (or a community of players) through your chosen communications medium (modem, network, direct cable, etc.). * Invite another connected player to a match. Once he or she accepts the invitation, the two of you become registered opponents. * Choose your dueling deck for the match. * One player proposes the parameters for the match. The other player can accept or decline. When both players agree to the parameters, the match starts immediately. * Do the duels. * Afterwards, each player's record and ranking are recalculated. NOTE - Depending on the duel parameters not all decks will show up in the deck list. For example, if you have chosen to play with a type 1 restricted deck then Wild and Unrestricted decks will not appear in the deck list. A list of banned and restricted cards can be found at the end of this file. Read on for the gory details. <Connecting via LAN> A Local Area Network (LAN) can provide one of the most convenient environments for multiplayer dueling; it's the best of both worlds. Networks give you the flexibility of having multiple potential opponents (like Internet play), and network connections are often more stable and communications faster than on the Internet. Then there's that mighty convenient Autoconnect feature... Auto-connect If your computer is attached to an active LAN, ManaLink attempts to connect you as soon as you start up Magic: The Gathering. ________________________________________________________________________ ManaLink will always make the attempt to auto-connect to a LAN unless you give it other orders. To disable the auto-connect feature: * Right-click on the ManaLink icon. * At the mini-menu that opens, select Preferences. * At the second mini-menu, select Options. * In the Options box, click the Use Autoconnect checkbox (the box should become empty). * Click the Apply button. As long as you leave this disabled, ManaLink will not attempt to auto-connect you. Manually It's also fairly easy to initiate a connection when you are not connected (that is, the ManaLink icon is in the No Net state). To initiate a LAN connection manually: * Double-click on the ManaLink icon to open the ManaLink Dialogue (unless it's already open, of course). * Select the type of connection you want to make--LAN. (Click on that type in the list.) * Click the Connect button. Now that you're in contact with other players, you're ready to set up a duel. <Connecting Modem to Modem> Playing via modem is a good option for those of you who don't have access to a network, aren't close enough to one another to use a cable, and don't enjoy the crowds on the Internet. The one possible disadvantage is that you only have one potential opponent--the person at the other end of the line. Obviously, if you expect to play via modem, both computers must have working modems attached to them (and to functional phone lines). To begin, select the Modem Connection option and click the Connect button. One player must select to Answer (await the other player's call), and the other must select Dial (initiate communication). The two of you should decide who will do which ahead of time so as to avoid confusion. Next, both players must choose the modem they intend to use. The dialing player must enter the phone number to call. When that's done, you must invite your opponent to a duel. Once he accepts you are registered opponents and are ready to duel. <Connecting through the Internet> Internet play promises to deliver a whole world of challengers and champion players--not to mention rules experts you can consult and company representatives ready to help you with problems. The possibilities are virtually boundless, so let's get started. There are a couple of necessary preparation steps you must complete before you can successfully start Internet play on the Total Entertainment Network (TEN). Chances are some players have already taken care of these, but for new players, here's the list: 1) You must have access to the Internet; this game will not do that for you. 2) You should set up a screen name for yourself, and maybe build a few decks. Once that's done, it's time to get online. To initiate an Internet connection: * Double-click on the ManaLink icon to open the ManaLink Dialogue (unless it's already open, of course). * Select the type of connection you want to make--'Play on GatheringNet' . (Click on that type in the list.) * Click the Connect button. If you have never used TEN before, you must install the TEN software and set up your TEN membership. ManaLink will attempt to do this for you automatically when you click the connect button. * The installation program begins automatically. * Create a TEN membership for yourself. (You must be a member to use the TEN online services, including Magic.) If you have questions about registration, please consult the TEN Help feature or call TEN Customer Service. Registration is a simple, three-step process: 1) Read and accept the Terms of Service. 2) Enter your name and address. 3) Enter your Screen Name and create a Password. ________________________________________________________________________ Timeliness Note These instructions were correct at the time this manual was written, but procedures sometimes change when online services are upgraded. If what you see on the screen doesn't seem to match what's described here, the chances are good that this printed information has become out-of-date. Please consult the Help feature provided by the online service for the most current instructions. ________________________________________________________________________ After that's done (or if you are already a TEN member), you proceed to the TEN Sign On screen. * Enter your TEN Screen Name in the appropriate box. * Type in your TEN password in the other box. * Click the Connect button. Assuming you got your name and password right, you are now signed on to TEN. Next up is the Arena Selector screen. This is a sort of general intersection where the roads to all of the games on TEN begin. * Select one of the Magic: The Gathering arenas (click on it, that is). * Click the GO button. Now you're at the Game Arena screen for whichever arena you chose. The arena is rather like a hotel lobby; you can see who else is here (in the list on the left) and converse with whoever else is in the lobby with you (in the chat area on the right). Keep in mind that chatting in the arena is a broadcast chat, meaning that everyone hears what anyone says. * To move on into the actual dueling area, click the Enter button (below the player listing). That's all there is to it. Now that you're online, you're ready to find a dueling partner. <Connecting with a Serial or Null Modem Cable> Playing via cable is likely to be the fastest method of communication. There are no middle-men, just the two computers with a wire between them. The disadvantage, of course, is that you only have one potential opponent╛the person at the other end of the cable. Obviously, if you expect to play via serial or null modem cable, you must have the cable hooked up before you begin. When you select the Serial Port/Null Modem Cable option and click the Connect button, you're prompted to choose the settings for the communication. With one exception, Port, both players must choose the exact same settings. Port This tells ManaLink which of your computer's communications outlets (ports) you have the cable attached to. (Most computers have ports named COM1, COM2, COM3, and COM4.) This is the only setting that may be different for each player. Baud Rate Determines the speed of the communication between the two computers. Both players should set this at the highest setting allowed by the slower computer. (Generally, anything 9600 or above provides good, smooth play.) Both players must choose the exact same settings. Stop Bits This is something technical that only people with nothing better to do understand. If you leave it on the default setting, nothing bad happens. Both players must choose the exact same settings. Parity Parity is another one of those technical things. Don't change the default setting and nobody gets hurt. Both players must choose the exact same settings. Flow More technical junk here. (These things always come in threes, don't they?) If you leave it alone, it works. Both players must choose the exact same settings. When the settings are correct, click the OK button to make the connection. That's all there is to it. Then you must invite your opponent to a duel. Once he accepts you are registered opponents and are ready to duel. <Disconnecting> If you are connected and decide you would rather not be, it's easy to remedy the situation. To disconnect from whatever connection you have established: * Double-click on the ManaLink icon to open the ManaLink Dialogue (unless it's already open, of course). * Click the Disconnect button. That's all there is to it. <Duel Now!> Before we get into the details, some of you probably want to just jump right into a duel and read about it later. (Those of you with some self-control should keep reading.) If you've already got an opponent lined up and can't wait to get started, here's a quick step-by-step: * Both players should already have Magic: The Gathering installed and running. (That might sound obvious, but you know how some people are.) * Whatever communication method you're using--modems, network, cable, or whatever--should be in place. * Follow the connection procedure for the type of connection you're using. (Turn back a few pages to the appropriate Connecting section.) * If you're using a LAN or Internet connection: > Both of you must double-click on the ManaLink icon. > One of you must select the other's name from the list and click the Invite button. (The other one should just wait.) > The challenge goes to your opponent (the one who waited), who must double-click on the invitation in the Message window, then click the Accept button. > When you receive notice of the acceptance, you should select a deck to use in the duel (if you haven't already). The two of you are now registered as opponents. * Now set the Match Parameters for the duel. (For details on the parameters, please refer to the Online Dueling section.) Click on Send Parameters to transmit the parameters to your opponent. (You can still change your deck, but not for long.) * Your opponent either clicks Agree to accept your parameters or Disagree to reject them. If he disagrees you will have to keep sending new parameters until you come to an agreement. As soon as the parameters are accepted, the match begins with the selected decks. <The ManaLink Icon> The more astute among you will have noticed that when you start up ManaLink, an unusual icon appears on-screen and stays there. It's called the ManaLink icon, and it's absolutely essential for multiplayer Magic. As noted in earlier sections, the ManaLink icon is your gateway to all of the different methods of connecting with other players. Above and beyond that, it serves while you are connected as both your access point to the ManaLink Dialogue and your social secretary. If you don't like the ManaLink icon sitting in the default placement, don't fret. You can move it anywhere on the screen that you want it, and it stays there until you move it again (or close it). The ManaLink Dialogue is covered a little further on (in a section called, remarkably enough, "The ManaLink Dialogue"). The social secretary part is next. The icon has several different states, each of which gives you information as to what's going on online. States The ManaLink icon sits wherever you placed it and monitors the online environment for you. Depending on what's going on out there, it changes its look--goes into a different "state"--so that you can tell the situation at a glance. These are the possible states and what each tells you: No Net is pretty self-explanatory; you're not connected. If you get disconnected unexpectedly, there is a sound cue to warn you. Net tells you that ManaLink has successfully connected to either a LAN or the Internet, but that there are no other players present at the moment. (If you're playing via modem or cable, you should never see this state.) Users is just like the Net state, except that in this case you are connected and there are other players present. (If you're playing via modem or cable, you should never see this state.) Opponent indicates that you are registered with an opponent and are preparing to start dueling. If you're playing via modem or cable, you'll enter this state as soon as you connect with the other player. Drop If your registered opponent becomes disconnected (for whatever reason), you go into the Drop state temporarily. This really just serves to let you know what's going on; there's nothing you can do about it. After a few seconds, you should return to some other state. A LAN or Internet connection switches to Net or Users; one-on-one connections change to No Net. < When the left facet of the ManaLink icon lights up yellow, that means that someone has invited you to a Chat session. (To answer the invitation, open the ManaLink Dialogue and double-click on the chat request in the Message window.) A chat request persists until everyone involved in that particular chat session leaves it. Note that if you receive another invitation after the facet is already lit, there is a sound cue to notify you, but the icon does not show any change. For a little more detail, please see the "Talking to Other Players" section. ^ If the top facet of the ManaLink icon lights up red, that means that someone has challenged you to a duel. (To answer the invitation and register as that person's opponent, open the ManaLink Dialogue and double-click on the challenge in the Message window.) A challenge persists until it is answered or withdrawn. As soon as you accept an invitation to duel, any other pending challenges are erased, and you cannot receive new ones until you are no longer registered with an opponent. Note also that if you receive another challenge after the facet is already lit, there is a sound cue to notify you, but the icon does not show any change. > At times, the right facet of the icon lights up blue. This is an indication that a player you have marked as a friend is online with you. For the scoop on friends, read "The ManaLink Dialogue". _ If you're the popular type, the bottom facet of your icon lights up green. That means that someone has sent you a message. To read the message, open the ManaLink Dialogue and check the Message window (the lower portion of the dialogue). For the details (like how to erase or reply to a message once you've read it), please see the "Talking to Other Players" section. Preferences Naturally, the ManaLink icon doesn't perform all these functions without some guidance from you. You have some control over how it works (and you can always turn it off, too). Right-click on the ManaLink icon, then select Preferences from the mini-menu. At the second mini-menu, select Options. (You can also get to the Preferences window by clicking the Options button in the ManaLink Dialogue.) System This option controls whether you get system messages sent to you. Messages These are the messages that appear at the top of the screen. To toggle this preference, click the check box labeled Show System Messages or select Show Messages from the (second) mini-menu. Sounds Sometimes, the ManaLink icon makes noises. Generally, this is to notify you that something is happening--another player is inviting you to a duel or a chat, for instance. The sound cues can be useful, but there are times when you don't want to be bothered by them. This option allows you to turn them on and off. To toggle this preference, click the check box labeled Play Sounds or select Play Sounds from the (second) mini-menu. Availability Just because you're online doesn't mean you want to duel anybody who comes along. If you're busy with something and don't want to be disturbed, you can make yourself not available to other players. To set your availability status, click the appropriate radio button (I am available or I am unavailable), or you can use the Do Not Disturb option on the (second) mini-menu as a toggle. Autoconnect If you're connected to a LAN, ManaLink attempts to connect you every time you start up the game. If this is not what you want, you can disable the auto-connect feature. To turn this one on or off, click the check box labeled Use Autoconnect; there is no option on the mini-menu for this. Badges There's a box in the middle of the Preferences window that provides an easy way to review and manage the badges you have assigned to other players. (If you don't know what badges are, don't worry; they're explained just a few pages from here, in Who's Who.) If you select a player--by clicking on a name in the box--the Delete button removes any badge you have given that player. The Delete All button does just what it says; it removes all the badges you have given every player in the list. When you're finished at the Preferences window, click Apply to make the changes or Cancel to ignore your changes and close the window. (Any changes you make on the mini-menu take effect immediately.) <The ManaLink Dialogue> Double-click on the ManaLink icon, and the real meat of the multiplayer game opens up. The ManaLink Dialogue is your control center for all of the major features and functions you'll need in the online community. A couple of notes: * If you're not already connected, double-clicking on the ManaLink icon won't bring up the ManaLink Dialogue, it'll open the Connect window. * If you're connected using a one-to-one communications method--modem or cable--there is only one other person in the player list at any given time. That means that some of the features of the ManaLink Dialogue--the ones designed for an environment with many players--won't be available to you. The largest portion of the dialogue window is taken up by the player listings. This tells you who's online with you and gives you a bunch of information about each player. The scoop is in "Who's Who". Below the listings and all the function buttons is the Message window. This is where you'll receive notes from other players. The details are covered in "Talking to Other Players". Last, but not least, are the buttons spread around the dialogue. What these buttons offer is not just the basic communications options (messaging, chatting, and so on) and the necessary functions (invite someone to duel, disconnect), but also a few convenient features that our online research has led us to believe you'll appreciate. Available When you feel you're ready to go up against another player in a match, you have two options: you can challenge someone (see Invite), or you can use this button to advertise that you want an opponent. This changes your status to Available. (The details about your status are in "Who's Who".) Keep in mind that as soon as you accept a challenge, any other invitations are automatically declined for you until you finish the match or Unregister. Chat Sending messages is fine, but if you want to have a conversation, you can request a private chat with someone. First, select a player from the list by clicking on that person's name listing. (Make sure you select someone who is not marked with Do Not Disturb status.) Next, click the Chat button. Your request goes out immediately. Disconnect This one is fairly obvious; click Disconnect to sever your connection with whatever sort of communications link you're using. This does not shut down ManaLink; it only cuts off the communications connection. Filters When you get into an online community, there can be an awful lot of people in the player listing. If the size of the list gets to be a problem, you can use the Player Filters to decide who is and is not listed on your screen. Click the Filters button to work with the filter options. (The details are in "Filtering the List".) Friend It's a fact of life (especially online) that some people are more interesting than others. When you find one of those people, you can mark that player as an online friend. First, select a player from the list by clicking on that person's name listing. Next, click the Friend button. The friend badge appears next to that player's name. (For the skinny on badges, please read "Who's Who".) Friends are always listed near the top of the player listings. Don't Disturb If (for whatever reason) you do not want to chat with or duel anybody, you can prevent unwanted invitations by changing your status to Do Not Disturb. (The details about your status are in "Who's Who".) Just click the Don't Disturb button. As long as you leave this on, you receive no chat requests or duel invitations. You do still get messages, however (which you should feel free to ignore). Info Use this button to get the lowdown on a particular player--real name, ranking, record, and all that good stuff. First, select a player from the list by clicking on that person's name listing. Next, click the Info button. The whole story on what you'll find out is in "Who's Who". Invite This is how you challenge another player to a match. First, select a player from the list by clicking on that person's name listing. (Make sure you select someone who is not already registered with an opponent, in the midst of a duel, or marked with Do Not Disturb status.) Next, click the Invite button. Your invitation has been sent. Message This is how you send a brief text message to another player. First, select a player from the list by clicking on that person's name listing. Next, click the Message button. When the text box appears, go ahead and type in whatever it is you want to say to that person. To finish and send the message, click Send (or click Cancel if you change you mind). Mute If for any reason you do not want to receive communications from a certain player, you can tape that player's mouth shut with the Mute button. First, select a player from the list by clicking on that person's name listing. (There are some players you cannot mute; read "Who's Who" for the details.) Next, click the Mute button. As long as you leave the mute on, you receive no messages, chat requests, or duel invitations from that player. Also, muted players are dropped to the bottom of the player listings. Help This changes your status to Needs Help. (For the whole scoop on status, refer to "Who's Who".) Essentially, this alerts the online rules experts and service folks that you have a question or a problem. Refresh The player list is up to date when you connect, but it is not updated for you. Every once in a while, you'll want to see what's changed--who's new, whose status has changed, and so on. To update your information, click the Refresh button. Unregister If you are registered with an opponent, but you decide that you don't want to duel that person after all (or need to undo the registration for any other reason), this is the button for you. Clicking this immediately releases you (and the other player) from the registration. Now let's get on to all those details we keep mentioning. Who's Who The main part of the dialog window is taken up with listings of the players who are currently online. These listings provide more than just the screen names of the players. For one thing, you might have noticed that some of the names have icons associated with them. Those are badges, and all of them mean something. * The Expert badge is one to watch for. This player is two things: (1) an official online representative, and (2) a Magic rules expert. If you have questions or problems, it is part of this player's duty to help you solve them. In any disagreement online, the opinion of the Expert is law. * There are only a few Gunslinger badges. These players are official online reps who are ready and willing to pit their skills against yours in a one-on-one confrontation. Watch out--the stakes are likely to be higher than normal. * The MPS badge marks an official online representative of MicroProse Software. Please remember that this person is a company representative, not necessarily an expert on the rules of Magic. * Only official online representatives of Wizards of the Coast have the WotC badge. Please remember that this person is a company representative, not necessarily an expert on the rules of Magic. * The official online representatives of the Total Entertainment Network (TEN) wear the TEN badge. Please remember that this person is a company representative, not necessarily an expert on the rules of Magic. * The Master badge alerts you that this player knows the rules of Magic very well--well enough to have earned the badge--and is willing to answer your questions. Please remember that Master players are volunteers trying to help you, not official online reps. Be courteous, even if you disagree with their decisions. * Any player you have marked as a friend has a Friend badge. However, if that player also has one of the superseding badges (any of the above), the friend badge won't be visible (but you know it's there). * If you have muted a player (marked them as persona non grata), a badge notes that fact. You do not receive messages, chat requests, or duel invitations from muted players, even if they send them by the truckload. Unfortunately, you cannot mute a player with any of the other badges--except the friend badge, which is removed when you mute the person. Note that new badges might be created at any time by the managers of the game arena. If you see a badge you don't recognize, please consult the online Help system to find out what it means. After a player's name, the window lists that player's current status. There are only a few possibilities: <BLANK> The <BLANK> (no text in the status column) status means that the player is busy just existing. Probably, this person is chatting, sending and receiving messages, or whatever, but is not at present interested in dueling. Available A player who wants to duel has Available status. This person is ready to go and is seeking an opponent. Do Not Disturb This player does not receive chat requests, invitations to duel, or any messages. Need Help This player has a question or problem and is waiting for a rules expert or an official online representative to help out. <Opponent When a player is already registered with an opponent, this status lets you Name> know that invitations to duel will not get through. The name on the right is the name of the person who is registered to the person whose name is on the left. They may not be dueling but you can't invite them right now. Dueling When a player is actively participating in a duel with an opponent this is their status. They can still recieve messages and chat requests but cannot be invited to another duel. Whenever a name on the list is highlighted (you have selected it by clicking on it), you can do all sorts of things to that person. One that you'll want to do early and often is gather information about that player. Click on the Info button to get the skinny on the selected player. When the info window opens, the picture shows the face that that player has chosen to wear, and the listings give you all this information: Screen Name This is just the player's screen name. Real Name This is--theoretically--the player's real name. However, he or she typed this name in, just as you entered your name in the Real Name space. So there's no guarantee that this is really the player's real name. E-Mail If the player entered an e-mail address, it is listed here. Just like the Real Name, this is text the player entered. The address might or might not work for e-mail purposes. Quote If the player typed in a quote, it's shown here. Skill Level A player's skill level is a brief description of his or her dueling skills, as measured by DCI ranking. DCI Ranking This is the player's ranking according to the system devised and maintained by the Duelists' Convention International (DCI). New players begin with a rank of 1600, and that number goes up or down depending on success in duels against other human players. This ranking is unofficial. DCI Record This is the player's record of wins, losses, and draws in matches that qualify for inclusion in the calculation of DCI Ranking. Overall Record The player's record versus all opponents--human and computer--is recorded here. Concede Rate This notes what percentage of the time the player has chosen to concede rather than finish a duel. Disconnect Rate What percentage of the player's duels have been interrupted by disconnection is noted here. If the disconnect percentage is higher than you're comfortable with, the technical difficulties could be annoying, and you might not want to duel this person. Date This tells you when this particular screen name was created. As a general rule, if the date is very recent, you're looking at either a new player or one who thinks he has a reason for starting over (to hide something in his record, perhaps?). Filtering the List ( Filtering is only available when you play on the Internet via TEN ) When you click on the Filters button, the Player Filters options window pops up. These options can be extremely useful when the number of players online starts to climb. Every one of these is a toggle, meaning that it's either on or off; there are no other settings to fret over. They're also additive, meaning that any player who is excluded from your list by one filter cannot be "re-included" by another filter. Don't worry, you can never filter officials (players with official badges) out of the player listing--not even accidentally. The two Show Only options are quite restrictive. These eliminate everyone from your list except those players who match the condition you choose. Note that any players who match the types you choose to Hide do not appear on the list even if they match this criterion. Friends List only those players you have marked as friends (and officials, of course). Available Include only players with Available status (and officials). The Hide options are less exclusive than the Show Only options (you can use more than one at a time), but they're no less powerful and useful. These simply prevent the listing from including players of the types you determine you don't want to see. Keep in mind that any players excluded by these filters are not listed, even if they match the Show Only criteria. Muted Wipes all players you have muted off the list. Do Not Disturb Removes players with Do Not Disturb status from your listing. Registered Players registered with someone else are of no use, anyway; this cuts their names out. Beginner This eliminates players with a Beginner skill rating. Intermediate This wipes out players with the Intermediate skill rating. Advanced This erases players with skill rating of Advanced. Concede > For this option, you enter a percentage number in the box. (For example, you would use 50 to mean 50%.) Any player with a Concede Rate higher than that percentage is excluded from your listing. This is a good way to ensure that your duels go all the way to the bitter end. Disconnect > You also enter a percentage number in the box for this option. (For example, you would use 35 to mean 35%.) Any player with a Disconnect Rate higher than that percentage is not included in your listing. This is a good way to avoid that annoying duelus interruptus. Players Online simply tracks the total number of players who are connected to the same online community as you. For modem and cable connections, obviously, this number will never change. Players in List tells you the number of players left in your filtered list. If this number is zero, you'll probably want to readjust your filters a bit. Talking to Other Players Anyone who's been in an online environment before knows that chatting back and forth with others is half the fun (or more than half). With ManaLink, once you've figured out who's who, you have several ways of communicating with the folks who are online with you. First off, here's a quick review of the communications options: Chat: If you want to have a conversation, you can request a private chat with someone. Select a player from the list (someone who does not have Do Not Disturb status), and click the Chat button. Your request goes out immediately. When you engage in a chat with someone, a separate Chat window opens. In this window, you type your messages, then press [Enter] to send each one. You also receive messages from your chat partner as soon as they are sent. The window keeps a running record of the conversation, too. To leave the chat, click the chat window's close button ( upper right hand corner). Invite: This is how you challenge another player to a match. Select a player from the list (someone not already registered with an opponent, in the midst of a duel, or with Do Not Disturb status), and click the Invite button. Your invitation has been sent. (For what happens next, check out the next section, "Online Dueling".) Message: This is how you send a brief text message to another player. Select a player from the list, and click the Message button. When the text box appears, type in your message. Click Send to finish and send or Cancel to erase the message without sending it. All the messages you receive--including invitations to duel and chat requests--appear in the lower portion of the ManaLink Dialogue, the Message window. This isn't just a non-functional display, however; this is where you answer messages. First off, let's explain the function buttons. There are three of them next to the Message window, and they're pretty straightforward: Delete Erases the selected (highlighted) message from the window--permanently. Purge Removes all the messages from the window--also permanently. Options Opens the Preferences window. For the details on the various preferences, please read the section "Preferences", in "The ManaLink Icon". To select a message, you click on it. No surprise there. However, unless all you want to do is erase messages and play with your preferences, you need to do more than that. To actually deal with a message, double-click on the text of that message in the Message window. What happens next depends on what type of message you chose. * If you double-click a Chat Request, you're prompted to Accept or Decline the conversation. Click on the button that better suits your desires. If you accept, you immediately enter a Chat window with the person who sent the request. If you decline, the other player is notified of your refusal to converse at this time. * If you double-click an invitation to a duel, you're prompted to Accept or Decline the challenge. Click on the button that better describes your choice. If you accept, you become a registered opponent of the person who sent the invitation. If you decline, the challenger is notified of your refusal. If the person who sent the invitation is either no longer online or has already become registered to another opponent then your invition or acceptance will fail. * If you double-click a plain old Message, you open the message. Only the first few words of any message are actually displayed in the Message window, but when you open a message, you can read the entire text. Using the convenient buttons, you can Delete the message here, Close the message and return to the Message window, or Reply with a message of your own. (Note that replying deletes the original message.) There's one further method of communication--Taunting. This one is a private conversation between you and your opponent during a duel. When you only want to talk to your opponent, this is much more convenient than using the messaging feature. Any time you're engaged in a duel, you can press [F6] or ['] or [Insert] to open the Taunt box, in which you can type and send a brief note to your opponent. When you press [Enter], the message is sent; if you press [Esc] instead, it cancels the message. <Online Dueling> This is it--how to duel another person. We've scattered bits and pieces of this information throughout the manual, so much of this will seem familiar to those of you who actually read the whole book. Before You Challenge Anybody... It's a safe bet you don't want to go into serious online dueling calling yourself "<player>" (the default screen name). If you haven't already, you should click on the Player sphere right away and set up a screen name for yourself. (For the how-to, read "Making a Name for Yourself".) Next, there's the issue of a dueling deck. Even before you looked into the possibility of playing against other people, chances are you took the time to build a few decks of your own design and test them in the Gauntlet. However, if you didn't, now's the time. Get into the Deck Builder and make yourself a few decks. (Yes, some of the pre-made decks are pretty good, but taking a deck someone else designed into a duel just isn't the same as using one of your own.) It doesn't hurt to have at least one of every type ready (Unrestricted, Wild, Restricted, Tournament, and Highlander--they're explained a little later); you never know what type of play what an opponent will ask for. On your Mark... Now you're set up. Well, mostly. There's one step that you must go through without instructions from us; you need to get your computer attached to another computer (via a modem or a cable), a network, or the Internet (through an ISP--Internet Service Provider). When that's done, you're ready for the next step--connecting. That's what all the instructions in the "Connecting..." sections are about. We won't repeat all that here. Once you're actually connected, it's time to actually set up the dueling match. To get into a match, you must register with an opponent. How you do that depends on what sort of connection you're using. * With Modem and Cable connections, there is only one possible opponent: the person at the other end of the line. You must invite the other person to a match (and have them accept)to register and move foward. * On a LAN or Internet connection, you must find an opponent from among the players online. Using the ManaLink Dialogue, you must either invite someone to a match (and have them accept), or wait to be invited then accept the invitation. The details on how to use the dialogue to invite and accept are in "The ManaLink Dialogue". Registered opponents are on the very verge of actually dueling each other. There's only one teensy little roadblock in the way; the two of you must agree on the parameters--the rules--for the match. The Parameters Now that you're registered with an opponent, it's time to set the parameters for the match. Parameters are necessary not only because they allow you to play the type of duel you like, but--more importantly--they give you a way to avoid playing types of duels that you would rather avoid. Click on the Duel sphere, then select the Duel Opponent activity. The parameters are in the lower section of the screen. Ante This toggle determines whether each duel in the match is played for ante. Since there is no real exchange of cards this is just for fun. Free Play This option declares that you do not want to play a limited number of duels. Rather, Free Play means that you play duel after duel until one of you decides to quit. (If you select this, you don't need to worry about Best of.) Best of A match can be a one-shot duel, a best 2 of 3, or a best 3 of 5. You choose. Minimum deck Choose the minimum number of cards that a deck must contain to be allowed in this match. The only options are 40 cards and 60 cards. The options on the right determine what sort of decks are allowed in the match. There are five possibilities: Unrestricted This is a total free-for-all. Unrestricted decks may include any card in the game and as many of each card as you care to add. Wild The only difference between Wild and Unrestricted is that no deck may include more than 4 of any card. All cards, including restricted and banned cards, are still allowed. Restricted This deck type allows no more than 4 of any card, like Wild. The difference is that Restricted decks may include only 1 of each restricted card and no banned cards. (Those of you who are familiar with tournament play will recognize this as the definition of a Type 1 deck.) Tournament The Tournament type of deck may include no restricted or banned cards at all. Otherwise, like Restricted and Wild, it allows up to 4 of any other card. (Those of you who are familiar with tournament play will recognize this as the definition of a Type 1.5 deck.) Highlander In a Highlander deck, you are allowed only 1 of each card. Restricted and banned cards may be included. ________________________________________________________________________ Restricted and Banned Cards Some of you are scratching your heads and asking, "What's a restricted card? How do I know which cards are banned? Good questions. * Wizards of the Coast decides which cards are banned and restricted; these decisions are generally based on the fact that the card is too powerful, contradicts the rules, or otherwise unbalances the game in some way. * The banned and restricted list for ManaLink is in the Appendix. This list is based on Wizards' current list as of the time Duels was created. ________________________________________________________________________ After you have set the parameters--and before you click the Send Parameters button--you should choose a deck (only those that match the type you selected are in the list). As soon as your opponent accepts the parameters you've sent, your chance to changes decks is gone. Dueling and Afterward Matches conducted between two human players are no different from those you play against the computer opponents, except for the communications option. During a duel, you do not receive invitations to other matches, but messages and chat requests still come through. Of course, they only show up as blips on your ManaLink icon, so it's easy to ignore attempts at communication until the match is over. If you want to, you can continue to send and receive messages and engage in chat sessions during a match. (Some opponents might get a wee bit testy, however, if your social activities significantly slow the progress of the duel.) There's also a convenient way to communicate privately with the person you're dueling--the Taunt feature. (Let's face it, going out to the ManaLink Dialogue and using the message feature would be a pain in the neck.) Press [F6] or ['] or [Insert] at any time to open a Taunt box. In this box, you can type a brief note to your opponent. As soon as you press [Enter], the message is sent. If you change your mind, pressing [Esc] cancels the taunt message. What you can and cannot do between duels in a match is simple--you can continue or quit. Those are your only options. There is no chance to modify your deck between duels in a match, only between matches. After each match is over, your new ranking and record are calculated for you. == APPENDIX: NAUGHTY CARDS == These lists include all of the cards that are restricted and banned for Restricted and Tournament decks. In addition, the ante cards are considered banned for non-ante play but unrestricted for ante games. [Restricted] Ancestral Recall Balance Berserk Black Lotus Black Vise Braingeyser Demonic Tutor Fastbond Fork Ivory Tower Library of Alexandria Mox Emerald Mox Jet Mox Pearl Mox Ruby Mox Sapphire Regrowth Sol Ring Strip Mine Time Walk Timetwister Wheel of Fortune [Banned] Channel Mind Twist Time Vault [Ante Cards] Bronze Tablet Contract from Below Darkpact Demonic Attorney Jeweled Bird Rebirth Tempest Efreet == CREDITS == Producer Alessandro De Lucia Game Design David Etheredge Programming Robert Colbert Chris Taormino Jim Thomas Additional Programming Kim Crouse Kevin Ray Art Frank Frazier, Lead Artist Todd Bilger Betsy Kirk Sound Recording and Engineering Mark Reis Documentation John Possidente Product Marketing Managers Steve Haney, US Lisa Humphries, Europe Creative Services Kathryn Lynch Jerome Paterno Rick Rasay Reiko Yamamoto Quality Assurance Tom Falzone, Supervisor Chrispy Bowling, Project Lead Kevin Bane, Assistant Lead QA Staff Bob Abe Paul Ambrose Tim Beggs Matt Bittman Brandi Boone Ellie Crawley Jim Crawley Alan Denham Mike Dubose Grant Frazier Michael Gibbons Mark Gutknecht Rosalie Kofsky Jason Lego Tim McCracken Roscoe Possidente Steve Purdie John Ross Rick Saffery Dean Schwarzkopf Mike Seal Jeff Smith Wizards of the Coast Liaisons RenΘ Flores Emily Arons Jim Butler Very Special Thanks Daniel Berner Jan-Maree Bourgeois Shirley Carlson Doru Culiac Skaff Elias Chaz Elliott Karen Ffinch Karol Fuentes Karen Kapscady Mendy Lowe Johanna Mead Joel Mick Yasuyo Nohara Marisa Ong Juliane Parsons Lenny Raymond Roland Rizzo Bill Rose Henry Stern Rob Stewart Pete Venters Rob Voce Tom Wylie