Apprentice (software)
Encyclopedia
Apprentice is a program that assists in playing Magic: The Gathering
over the Internet and maintains a searchable database
of Magic cards. It was developed by Dragonstar Studios from 1996-1999 and based on an earlier program from 1995 by Tan Thor Jen. Christopher Warden, owner of Dragonstar Studios, acquired the code for the the original 1995 Apprentice, which was written in Visual Basic. It was then ported to Delphi by Mike Allen and after creation of the 1.0 port development was continued by Ryan Davis. The last release was in the version 1.4 branch and a 2.0 branch, developed by Davis, was promised in the future. However, Dragonstar Studios disbanded. In 2007 Apprentice 2.0 was open sourced.
"wishes" or the Dissension split card Research/Development are not implemented directly, and are instead usually adjudicated by creating temporary new cards on the spot.
The program is freeware
and is downloadable without need for either charge or registration. However, when Dragonstar Studios disbanded, they did not release the Apprentice 1.0 source code
due to the legal agreement between them and Wizards of the Coast. Hence, the 1.0 branch is frozen in time without the possibility of any future upgrades or bugfixes. However, the simple data format used to store cards has allowed new sets to be added and the registry of cards updated.
Apprentice was officially acknowledged and licensed by Wizards of the Coast
, as it only uses publicly-available rules and lists of cards.
to support "drafts," a popular limited format. Netdraft hosts up to 8 players who may draft from any magic set. This includes out of print
sets as well as the most recent set in the interval between the Prerelease event and the street release. In Netdraft's early days it was considered buggy and did not always compensate for those with erratic connections. Unlike the original Apprentice, Netdraft has been occasionally updated, and is currently spartan but functional.
Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering , also known as Magic, is the first collectible trading card game created by mathematics professor Richard Garfield and introduced in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. Magic continues to thrive, with approximately twelve million players as of 2011...
over the Internet and maintains a searchable database
Database
A database is an organized collection of data for one or more purposes, usually in digital form. The data are typically organized to model relevant aspects of reality , in a way that supports processes requiring this information...
of Magic cards. It was developed by Dragonstar Studios from 1996-1999 and based on an earlier program from 1995 by Tan Thor Jen. Christopher Warden, owner of Dragonstar Studios, acquired the code for the the original 1995 Apprentice, which was written in Visual Basic. It was then ported to Delphi by Mike Allen and after creation of the 1.0 port development was continued by Ryan Davis. The last release was in the version 1.4 branch and a 2.0 branch, developed by Davis, was promised in the future. However, Dragonstar Studios disbanded. In 2007 Apprentice 2.0 was open sourced.
Gameplay
Apprentice lacks a rules engine; the game moves forward by the players typing out their current actions. Apprentice simply provides an interface that can keep track of the current phase of the game; cards in play and their current state; and cards in the graveyard. There is no concept of card ownership; players may use as many copies of a card as they would like in decks they create. Cards which interact with sideboards such as the JudgmentJudgment (Magic: The Gathering)
Judgment is the third set in the Odyssey Block for the collectible card game Magic: The Gathering.This is the second expansion set made that did not have an equal number cards from each color. The first expansion with such an imbalance was its predecessor, the Torment expansion set, which was...
"wishes" or the Dissension split card Research/Development are not implemented directly, and are instead usually adjudicated by creating temporary new cards on the spot.
The program is freeware
Freeware
Freeware is computer software that is available for use at no cost or for an optional fee, but usually with one or more restricted usage rights. Freeware is in contrast to commercial software, which is typically sold for profit, but might be distributed for a business or commercial purpose in the...
and is downloadable without need for either charge or registration. However, when Dragonstar Studios disbanded, they did not release the Apprentice 1.0 source code
Source code
In computer science, source code is text written using the format and syntax of the programming language that it is being written in. Such a language is specially designed to facilitate the work of computer programmers, who specify the actions to be performed by a computer mostly by writing source...
due to the legal agreement between them and Wizards of the Coast. Hence, the 1.0 branch is frozen in time without the possibility of any future upgrades or bugfixes. However, the simple data format used to store cards has allowed new sets to be added and the registry of cards updated.
Apprentice was officially acknowledged and licensed by Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games...
, as it only uses publicly-available rules and lists of cards.
Netdraft
Netdraft is the main program used by both Apprentice and Magic WorkstationMagic Workstation
Magic Workstation is a program created by Magi-Soft that assists in playing Magic: The Gathering over the Internet and maintains a searchable database of Magic cards....
to support "drafts," a popular limited format. Netdraft hosts up to 8 players who may draft from any magic set. This includes out of print
Out of print
Out of print refers to an item, typically a book , but can include any print or visual media or sound recording, that is in the state of no longer being published....
sets as well as the most recent set in the interval between the Prerelease event and the street release. In Netdraft's early days it was considered buggy and did not always compensate for those with erratic connections. Unlike the original Apprentice, Netdraft has been occasionally updated, and is currently spartan but functional.
Backwash
Apprentices usage was threatened with the proliferation of the "Backwash" program which allowed undetectable cheating; for example, the ordering of each player's library. This program threatened the viability of Apprentice in leagues where any kind of prizes were available. An update was created that allegedly allowed the staff to check for the use of such 'cheat' programs, however. A more recent version can be found at Magic-League. Apprentice 2.0 includes encryption to prevent these types of exploits.See also
- Magic: The Gathering OnlineMagic: The Gathering OnlineMagic: The Gathering Online or Magic Online is a direct video game adaptation of Magic: The Gathering, utilizing the concept of a virtual economy in order to preserve the collectible aspect of the card game. It is played through an Internet service operated by Wizards of the Coast, which went...
- Magic WorkstationMagic WorkstationMagic Workstation is a program created by Magi-Soft that assists in playing Magic: The Gathering over the Internet and maintains a searchable database of Magic cards....
- Magic: The Gathering video gamesMagic: The Gathering video gamesSeveral video games based on the Magic: The Gathering franchise exist for multiple systems. Some have attempted to translate the card game to electronic play nearly exactly; others have taken more liberties and drawn more from the setting than the actual rules of the card game. Benefits of...