Category Archives: Games

Economy – iOS Card Game with Source Code

My project to make a digital collectible card game may not be dead – here’s the source code for “Economy“.

I mustered the will to update the code while Anna and I were traveling over the holidays, so it runs on iOS7. I also rolled it back to what I like to call the “last fun commit.” At one point, when I handed the game to people, they sort of “got it” and wanted to play a few games, despite the graphics sucking and the game being unrefined.

So, if I do put a few more hours into this, I think I will start at the last fun commit, and throw away the baroque work I did later that didn’t improve the game. Despite what it looks like, this was kind of fun:

Screen Shot 2014-01-11 at 1.54.02 PM

Weak Loose Tables

The best sort of poker table you can find in the wild is a weak loose table – one of those tables where everyone is always in, and no one ever raises. Everyone is there in search of big pots, and any two will do.

In these situations, as Sklanksy points out in his seminal work Hold’Em for Advanced Players, your most profitable way to play is not the optimal game theoretic approach against a rational set of opponents. You both change how many hands you play, and how you play them. Such was the table last night playing $6/12 at the Oaks. There I sat, with my friend on my left playing a bit more aggressively than me, and 5-8 people in every hand. It was good times.

First Magic: The Gathering Tournament in a While

I drafted for the first time in many years today. Went 2-1 and chose 4 packs of M11 for my prize, which I immediately cracked of course. I drafted green/blue in the new artifact set. Full decklist is as follows.

I had a really good time playing, though I found the set a bit slow. When the format is just the first set of a block, I think I like it when it’s more on the side of broken.This is one of those sets where everyone puts out some mediocre creature, and then they wait to topdeck the broken stuff. I prefer the hack and slash of formats like Tempest-only or Invasion-only, where the games are brutal and the decks are interesting. Then, when the other two sets come out, it gets a little more balanced (but still pretty high-powered in the case of Tempest and Invasion block of course. Maybe I just need to play more though.

With my Ratchet Bomb and Copperline Gorge (I traded my new Royal Assassin, an 8/8 that won’t let you die, and a foil for the land), I am on my way to building two T2 decks for mine and Dan’s triumphant return. I have some catching up to do though… I think I missed like 40 sets since last time I played 🙂

Did I play a bunch of bad cards?

  • 9 island
  • 9 forest
  • 1 Lifesmith
  • 4 Carapace Forger (yay bears!)
  • 2 Neurok Invisimancer
  • 1 Sylvok Replica
  • 1 Cystbearer (should have cut this guy)
  • 1 Lumengrid Drake
  • 1 Tangle Angler
  • 1 Darkslick Drake
  • 2 Sky-Eel School
  • 1 Precursor Golem (really, really good with those Carapace Forgers)
  • Untamed Might
  • Disperse
  • Ratchet Bomb (this worked OK, wasn’t amazing in this case)
  • Halt Order (never cast it, but some guy did it to me)
  • Bonds of Quicksilver (definitely needed this, but it was mediocre)
  • Volition Reins (stole lifelink/double strike enchantment, attacked for 30, and then he sideboarded out the enchantment!)

Also had:

  • Turn Aside (should have played this instead of Cystbearer)
  • Scrapdiver Serpent (brought him in vs r/w artifact)
  • Tel-Jihad Fallen (probably good if I have lots of infect?)
  • Neurok Replica
  • Wing Puncture
  • Thrummingbird
  • Flight Spellbomb
  • Copperhorn Scout