Cactus Game Design Message Boards

Step 2: Create the card box

First, you need the card box template. The following is the basic template to use for any card except for a lost soul, or a card that has an errata/play as. The complete list of card box templates can be found in the last post of this guide, so you don’t have to scroll through them all while trying to read the guide.

{{infobox
|Box title    =
|image        = Image:TemplateUR.jpg
|imagewidth   = 241
|Row 1 title  = Type
|Row 1 info   =
|Row 2 title  = Brigade
|Row 2 info   =
|Row 3 title  = Attack/Defense
|Row 3 info   =
|Row 4 title  = Ability
|Row 4 info   =
|Row 5 title  = Identifiers
|Row 5 info   =
|Row 6 title  = Verse
|Row 6 info   =
|Row 7 title  = Illustration by
|Row 7 info   =
|Row 8 title  = Rarity
|Row 8 info   =
|Row 9 title  = Found in
|Row 9 info   =
}}

THIS NEXT STEP IS VERY IMPORTANT!!!!

Open a new document in Notepad, or any other BASIC text editing program (the reason why will be explained later) on your computer, and paste the template. If you plan on working on several cards in one sitting, paste the template a few times.

To find the verse and artist, simply open up the image of the card in the REG. To do this, click on the name of the set the card appeared in, so for the Shadow example, where it says Angel Wars would be a link to the card image.

Now, begin to fill in the information from the REG. Paste the information into the blank sections, and leave the title sections alone. For the card image, you will replace TemplateUR.jpg, but the card images may not be uploaded at this point, so I’ll get to that later. Here is an example of a properly filled out card box:

{{infobox
|Box title    = Shadow
|image        = Image: Shadow(AW).gif
|imagewidth   = 241
|Row 1 title  = Type
|Row 1 info   = Evil Character
|Row 2 title  = Brigade
|Row 2 info   = Grey
|Row 3 title  = Attack/Defense
|Row 3 info   = 4/7
|Row 4 title  = Ability
|Row 4 info   = You may search draw pile for "The Darkness" or "Demonic Stronghold" and put it in play. If you have an enhancement in hand or Storehouse with "Snare" in the title, you may play it
|Row 5 title  = Identifiers
|Row 5 info   = NT, Male, Demon
|Row 6 title  = Verse
|Row 6 info   = For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Ephesians 6:12
|Row 7 title  = Illustration by
|Row 7 info   = TeleStoryTOONS LLC.
|Row 8 title  = Rarity
|Row 8 info   = Rare
|Row 9 title  = Found in
|Row 9 info   = Angel Wars
}}

Now, copy this and post it into the wiki page you have open. If you want to add any additional text, please put it below the card box, not above it.

The reason you should use a program such as Notepad is hyperlinks. The REG is full of hyperlinks, and when you paste into the Wiki or a more advanced program like Word, all of the hyperlinks to the REG remain. So, paste the text into a simple text editor, and all the hyperlinks disappear.

Step 4: Adding the image.

First, go into the REG and find the image you want to use. You can find it by clicking on the name of the set the card appeared in.

*picture*

Next, create a folder on your desktop to avoid clutter, and simply click on the image, and drag it into the folder (you may need to resize your browser window to do this). It will ask if you wish to copy files from this zone, select yes.

Now, find the file you just copied. It will likely have a title like this:

Shadow%20(AW)[1].gif

Edit the name and remove any instances of %20 and delete the [1] off the end. You should be left with this:

Shadow(AW).gif

Now, go back to the wiki, and click on Upload a new image.

*picture*

Next, click Browse where it asks for the file, and find the file you just renamed. After that, leave everything as it is, but change the copyright settings to say “This is copyrighted, but use is permitted by the copyright holder”, and click Upload File.

When you need to use the image link for the cardbox, it you will only use the last part of the file name, not the full link to the image page. So, for example, you would use:

Shadow(AW).gif

NOT:

http://redemption.wikia.com/wiki/File:Shadow(AW).gif

Now, unless you already did this step, go back to the card box and type in the file name in place of “TemplateUR.jpg”

If the card you are adding has no special ability, it may not have a page in the REG, and it will absolutely not have a card image. In this case, you will have to manually scan the card image in yourself. If you do not have the equipment to do so, please put an INCOMPLETE category on the card, and someone else will take care of it.

All Templates.
Normal cards:
{{infobox
|Box title    =
|image        = Image:TemplateUR.jpg
|imagewidth   = 241
|Row 1 title  = Type
|Row 1 info   =
|Row 2 title  = Brigade
|Row 2 info   =
|Row 3 title  = Attack/Defense
|Row 3 info   =
|Row 4 title  = Ability
|Row 4 info   =
|Row 5 title  = Identifiers
|Row 5 info   =
|Row 6 title  = Verse
|Row 6 info   =
|Row 7 title  = Illustration by
|Row 7 info   =
|Row 8 title  = Rarity
|Row 8 info   =
|Row 9 title  = Found in
|Row 9 info   =
}}

Normal Cards with Play As/ Errata

{{infobox
|Box title    =
|image        = Image:TemplateUR.jpg
|imagewidth   = 241
|Row 1 title  = Type
|Row 1 info   =
|Row 2 title  = Brigade
|Row 2 info   =
|Row 3 title  = Attack/Defense
|Row 3 info   =
|Row 4 title  = Ability
|Row 4 info   =
|Row 5 title  = Errata/Play As
|Row 5 info   =
|Row 6 title  = Identifiers
|Row 6 info   =
|Row 7 title  = Verse
|Row 7 info   =
|Row 8 title  = Illustration by
|Row 8 info   =
|Row 9 title  = Rarity
|Row 9 info   =
|Row 10 title  = Found in
|Row 10 info   =
}}

Lost Souls and Artifacts:

{{infobox
|Box title    =
|image        = Image:TemplateUR.jpg
|imagewidth   = 241
|Row 1 title  = Type
|Row 1 info   =
|Row 2 title  = Ability
|Row 2 info   =
|Row 3 title  = Identifiers
|Row 3 info   =
|Row 4 title  = Verse
|Row 4 info   =
|Row 5 title  = Illustration by
|Row 5 info   =
|Row 6 title  = Rarity
|Row 6 info   =
|Row 7 title  = Found in
|Row 7 info   =
}}

Lost Souls and Artifacts with Errata/Play As

{{infobox
|Box title    =
|image        = Image:TemplateUR.jpg
|imagewidth   = 241
|Row 1 title  = Type
|Row 1 info   =
|Row 2 title  = Ability
|Row 2 info   =
|Row 3 title  = Errata/Play As
|Row 3 info   =
|Row 4 title  = Identifiers
|Row 4 info   =
|Row 5 title  = Verse
|Row 5 info   =
|Row 6 title  = Illustration by
|Row 6 info   =
|Row 7 title  = Rarity
|Row 7 info   =
|Row 8 title  = Found in
|Row 8 info   =
}}

This seems to be a significantly complicated procedure for creating these pages.  Can't we just set up our own copy of MediaWiki or something?

Just sayin'

Resources don't seem to me like they would be a problem.  I maintain the Cactus website; I've put in a request to host a wiki there but I think Rob is working with Doug on a redesign so I've put my laundry list on hold for now.

I had the CMS I use to run the Nexus set up with a section that functioned as a wiki in two different attempts to convince people that it would be a good resource.  Like the other social aspects of the Nexus, it didn't go anywhere, and I was actually giving thought to folding the Nexus sometime soon, which is why I was asking Rob about maybe moving some stuff over to the main Cactus site.

The point is, there are many ways to skin this cat.  I'm not out to tell you how to run it, and in fact, if you guys decide Wikia is the best way forward, then I'll support you as best I can.  It just seems to have a steep learning curve when it comes to layout.

Explain cheap, when every wiki project I have ever seen is free?

Let me dig through the other thread to see Rob's take on this.  I haven't spoken to him since learning about the wikia project so I'm trying to catch up to you guys.

Bottom line is, I'll keep the Nexus up if there's a compelling reason to keep it around, but the image galleries never went anywhere and we can establish a Facebook presence to manage that (there is already a Redemption CCG fan page in place).  The blog was used by a few people for a little while but not for months now, to the point where I haven't gotten around to fixing whatever broke it recently.  But a blog can be hosted anywhere, kind of like how I migrated all of Bryon's old articles to the message boards, of all places.  The wiki was going to be the coup de grace but after two false starts, that can go anywhere as long as we can manage it easily and maintain creative control.

I figured the Cactus site would be the easiest place to relocate these resources but that's of less interest to me than just making sure the parts of the Nexus that had any value find a home so that it can go away quietly.

The hosted sites will probably move to a subsite of New Beginning Games but there's something else I would like to do for that instead.

"the" SomeKittens?  I'm not that special.
I thought we could get all the pictures from the REG, unless there wasn't a special ability.

When I had the idea for the Wiki, I had nothing.  Now I've got a ton of volunteers of various skill levels, plus one web admin with tyrannical overlord powers.  Not bad.  I'd love to have our own site, but how hard/expensive would it be to get one?  Two things to overcome:
1: URL.  Subdomain of Cactus?  Our own domain?
2: Wiki software, server-side.  I've never looked into this before but a quick google reveals: http://www.openwiki.com/.  Problem, it runs on Microsoft, and I'm partial to Linux.  You'd be in charge of all the web stuff, I just facilitate things.

MediaWiki is the software on which Wikipedia is built, it's free, and it runs on Linux servers.

Beyond that, the real question is whether Rob would have the wiki on the main site or prefer it to be off-site.  If it needs to be off-site, wikia is as good a place as any.  There's little point in putting up a whole domain just to host one wiki, although I guess I could sub it on NBG or keep the Nexus up for it.  Though honestly I'm disinclined to keep the Nexus at this point in time.

Shoot kill the Nexus I just want H&H back!

In AD 2010
Madness was beginning
Schaef: What happen?
Rob: Somebody set up us the wiki!
MJWolfe: We get signal
Schaef: What!
MJWolfe: Main guide page turn on.
Schaef: It's you!!
KITTENS: How are you gentlemen!!
KITTENS: All your website are belong to us.
KITTENS: The Nexus is on the way to destruction.
Schaef: What you say?
KITTENS: You have no chance to survive make your pages.
KITTENS: HA HA HA HA....
MJWolfe: Captain!!
Schaef: Take off every 'Redemption Live'!!
Schaef: You know what you doing.
Schaef: Move 'Redemption Live'.
Schaef: For great justice.

Since technically the numbers on the card are its abilities, shouldn't we use a title of "Special Ability" in the templates instead of "Ability"? Should dominants and Fortresses use the Lost Soul and Artifact template?

Mike

I hope it turns out to be a wonderful tool and helps many players.