6 ms·

MTG Hivemind: Artificial Intelligence Designing Magic the Gathering Cards

63 points by jsnell 6y ago

ericsoderstrom 6y ago
Surprised this article didn't even mention roborosewater https://twitter.com/roborosewater?lang=en https://twitter.com/roborosewater?lang=en
- jachee 6y ago
  Robo Rosewater has given me some of the best laughs. For some reason "computer gets thing slightly (or wildly) wrong" is the pinnacle of comedy to my brain.
- 65536 6y ago
  There’s a Coronus Goblin there, posted Dec 18 2018. Maybe the Corona virus did not start with bat soup in China after all :O
  - StavrosK 6y ago
    There's also apparently a beer by the same name, from 1925.
    - 65536 6y ago
      It is known :p But Goblins, Wikipedia says, “are almost always small and grotesque, mischievous or outright malicious”. Thus support is found for a connection between Coronus Goblin and COVID-19.
      - StavrosK 6y ago
        Have you ever seen people after lots of beer? :P
        65536 6y ago
        Haha, touché :)
- userbinator 6y ago
  It appears that generator picks from only 3 images: a mainframe, an early analogue computer, and one with a 50s/60s computer and two people. More variety would add to the humour (for example, using Google Images on the name, and then picking a random result from it.)
  - lbotos 6y ago
    https://twitter.com/RoboRosewater/status/617045553017409536 https://twitter.com/RoboRosewater/status/617045553017409536 This is on purpose -- to show the "intelligence" of the network that created it.
    - userbinator 6y ago
      That would've been better stated up-front --- as amusing as the text is, I would not have gone back through 5 years of the same 3 images to find that explanation.
teeray 6y ago
I personally want Zudgle Latin, with a CMC of 3 and the ability to grant extra turns at 50% upon activating abilities. That’s as good as Time Walk, if not better!
- YeGoblynQueenne 6y ago
  Unfortunately, the ability text is all wrong: Whenever you activate one or more creatures block, flip a coin. There is no way to "activate one or more creatures block" in M:tG. So you 'll never get your extra turns :)
  - IggleSniggle 6y ago
    Clearly this is just the particular phrasing in this edition for "whenever this becomes blocked," which has been phrased many different ways across editions.
    - YeGoblynQueenne 6y ago
      I don't think so. First of all ability text has never been worded in a way that is ungrammatical and doesn't make sense in natural English. That's a hallmark of ability text, that it's correct English, rather than gibberish, as this bit of text. Then, this "ability" references some kind of activation. In M:tG, things that can be "activated" are activated abilities. Blocking is not an activated ability, so it doesn't make sense to say "whenever you activate one or more creatures block" you are blocking with the creatures. But then- why is it using the word "block", that is only used to denote, well, blocking? This creates a lot of ambiguity and another hallmark of M:tG ability text is that it's very carefully engineered to remove ambiguity. So this is just gibberish that doesn't make sense, not a new, fancy wording of an old ability. Which makes sense because like the author of the article says, there are very few examples of M:tG cards' ability text to train a neural net to generate good quality new ability text.
      - IggleSniggle 6y ago
        I do actually agree that you are semantically correct here within the rules of M:tG. In the world of a set of cards that do not actually exist, however, it is easy for me to imagine some older edition of M:tG that used this language to update "Block" from being a creature "capability" into a fully fledged "Ability." If that were the case, it would be an Activated Ability with zero mana cost (except for those creatures that, say, required some cost in order to block something). I do recognize that if such a thing were introduced today however, it would be as a Keyword Ability like Shadow (maybe "Ethereal"?), perhaps with text like: - Ethereal (This creature is unable to block) - {Cost}: This creature loses Ethereal
YeGoblynQueenne 6y ago
It's interesting that this is an entire system, integrating disparate components for different parts of a card. This is the first time I see this kind of thing (for auto-homebrew M:tG cards). Unfortunately it doesn't work that well. Some of the cards that are presented as being "good" or even "gems" actually dont' make a lot of sense. In fact, every single card shown in that article has some kind of flaw- either the concept is all over the place, or the ability text is incorrect, or both. A few examples, starting with the three "gems" listed towards the end of the article as surprisingly good stuff you find once in a while: Sick Strength RR Creature - Nomad Haste. Whenever Sick Strength deals combat damage to a player, sacrifice all other creatures you control 3/2 This is probably the one that the author of the article considers the "jewel in the crown" because it seems to make sense. But - a creature called "Sick Strength"? Of type "Nomad"? A creature called "Strength" should be of a type denoting some kind of elemental property, e.g. "Avatar" or "Elemental Incarnation" etc. Or just "Elemental". In any case, a red card called "Sick Strength" should probably be a sorcery, or instant (and most likely one granting a P/T bonus). Mastery of the Unseen 2UU Creature - Trilobite Blue instant and sorcery spell you control have flying The same is true for flying, deathtouch, haste, landwalk, protection, trample, and vigilance. Wait, protection - from what? Protection must be protection from something, like "Protection from Black" or "Protection from Creatures" or even "Protection from converted mana cost 2" etc. Also, Flying (twice), deathtouch, haste, landwalk, trample and vigilance are all crature abilities, but while Mastery Of The Unseen itself is a creature, it grants those abilities to instants and sorceries. This card doesn't work. But, cool name (though totally not for a creature). [Edit: also note the ungrammatical use of singular "spell" for "Blue instant and sorcery".] Dreamspoile Right WGG Creature - Dryad Sacrifice a forest: Dreamspoile Right gets -1/+1 and gainst vigilance until end of turn. 4/3 Actually, this one's pretty decent. The ability even fits right into the colours of the card and the overall theme is fine. The name is off though. "Dreamspoile"? Not "Dreamspoiler"? Taste of Blood 1UU Creature - Elemental Flying. When Taste of Blood dies, exile it with two time counters on it and it gains suspend. 2/2 The article sounds amazed that MTG Hivemind managed to come up with that second ability that uses Suspend not as an alternative casting cost, as it is usually used. Except that's basically the second ability of Epochrasite [1], that the article mentions as an example of a card with Suspend, word-for-word, but with two counters instead of three. Also "Taste of Blood" goes well on an Elemental, but really not on a blue Elemental. Write Of Goblin Blade UR Creature - Goblin Prowess blue spells you cast cost 1R Less to cast. 1/3 "Write of Goblin Blade"? Not "Write-off Goblin Blade?" Then, the ability text is all wrong- it's ungrammatical for natural English and it's ungrammatical for ability text even- keyword abilities like Prowess are written with a "--" after their name. Grim Battlemage 4U Creature - Yeti Flanking. When Grim Battlemage enters the battlefield, return target permanent to its owner's hand. U: Grim Battlemage loses defender until end of turn. 6/4 I was sure there was a card in Magic that gave Defender to a creature (so that it couldn't attack you; bit crappy but eh). I even thought it had a name like "Turn to stone" or something. A search on Gatherer can't find it. So, unless I didn't search right, this is the ultimate junk card. [Edit: to clarify, it loses defender, but it doesn't have defender to begin with and there's nothing that can give it defender, so the ability is unusable] Also, a "Yeti" that is a "Battlemage"? A "Battlemage" would be a "wizzard" probably. But OK, the article clarifies that types don't work very well. Over Cub 2U Creature - Skeleton Also can block only creatures with flying 2/2 Also? OK, now we just have to find another creature that can block only creatures with flying. No, we don't - that's not correct ability text. Juffy Khrovalize 3G Creature - Ally Convoke. When Juffy Khrovalize enters the battlefield, you may search your library for a pirate card, reveal it, then shuffle your library and put that card on top of it. 5/3 That name is a mess. I used to follow the development of Roborosewater (or the neural net that eventually became Roborosewater) when it was a thread in MTG Salvation and I remember clearly that many card names used to be a total slapstick mess that made no sense, like this one. Roborosewater, if I remember correctly, was able to generate more plausible names I think with a little longer training. But I'm not sure. ___________ [1] https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=446923 https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multive...
plaidfuji 6y ago
I love this. Sure, the results are hand-curated and kind of odd, but the fact that some are playable, interesting even is amazing. It demonstrates how important it is to have a deep knowledge of the data and underlying rules before applying AI. Would be really crazy to see this paired with an actual MTG simulator to validate their playability and ultimately their balance. Could be a great case for active learning.
DylanDmitri 6y ago
Interesting to try this type of card generation on abstract syntax trees instead of straight text: https://github.com/rmmilewi/mtgcompiler https://github.com/rmmilewi/mtgcompiler
- Aeolun 6y ago
  Oh, this is really interesting, and I agree it would likely work better. At least in terms of generating sensible text and abilities.
Aeolun 6y ago
Well, it isn’t perfect, but I’m sure happy to see that they decided to split up the networks to make something that does one thing well, instead of trying to do everything in one. I’m a bit worried basing color on ability will lead to cards that are less varied though.
bfelbo 6y ago
The cards would be much better if he reversed the order of his pipeline. Generative models are easier to train and yield better results if they're conditioned on additional information (just see all the conditional GANs for images/videos). His pipeline tries to do the most challenging task first, the Description, but it would work much better if it was done last. I'd probably generate information in this order with later steps using information from all prior steps as input: Rarity -> Colors and Mana Cost -> Type(s) -> Name -> Power/Toughness (if needed) -> Description This approach would ensure consistency and avoid the challenge of finding the right mana cost that he mentions. Anyway, this is a super fun project and a nice write-up!

63 points by jsnell 6y ago

Surprised this article didn't even mention roborosewater https://twitter.com/roborosewater?lang=en https://twitter.com/roborosewater?lang=en

jachee 6y ago
Robo Rosewater has given me some of the best laughs. For some reason "computer gets thing slightly (or wildly) wrong" is the pinnacle of comedy to my brain.
65536 6y ago
There’s a Coronus Goblin there, posted Dec 18 2018. Maybe the Corona virus did not start with bat soup in China after all :O
- StavrosK 6y ago
  There's also apparently a beer by the same name, from 1925.
  - 65536 6y ago
    It is known :p But Goblins, Wikipedia says, “are almost always small and grotesque, mischievous or outright malicious”. Thus support is found for a connection between Coronus Goblin and COVID-19.
    - StavrosK 6y ago
      Have you ever seen people after lots of beer? :P
      - 65536 6y ago
        Haha, touché :)
userbinator 6y ago
It appears that generator picks from only 3 images: a mainframe, an early analogue computer, and one with a 50s/60s computer and two people. More variety would add to the humour (for example, using Google Images on the name, and then picking a random result from it.)
- lbotos 6y ago
  https://twitter.com/RoboRosewater/status/617045553017409536 https://twitter.com/RoboRosewater/status/617045553017409536 This is on purpose -- to show the "intelligence" of the network that created it.
  - userbinator 6y ago
    That would've been better stated up-front --- as amusing as the text is, I would not have gone back through 5 years of the same 3 images to find that explanation.

teeray 6y ago

I personally want Zudgle Latin, with a CMC of 3 and the ability to grant extra turns at 50% upon activating abilities. That’s as good as Time Walk, if not better!

YeGoblynQueenne 6y ago
Unfortunately, the ability text is all wrong: Whenever you activate one or more creatures block, flip a coin. There is no way to "activate one or more creatures block" in M:tG. So you 'll never get your extra turns :)
- IggleSniggle 6y ago
  Clearly this is just the particular phrasing in this edition for "whenever this becomes blocked," which has been phrased many different ways across editions.
  - YeGoblynQueenne 6y ago
    I don't think so. First of all ability text has never been worded in a way that is ungrammatical and doesn't make sense in natural English. That's a hallmark of ability text, that it's correct English, rather than gibberish, as this bit of text. Then, this "ability" references some kind of activation. In M:tG, things that can be "activated" are activated abilities. Blocking is not an activated ability, so it doesn't make sense to say "whenever you activate one or more creatures block" you are blocking with the creatures. But then- why is it using the word "block", that is only used to denote, well, blocking? This creates a lot of ambiguity and another hallmark of M:tG ability text is that it's very carefully engineered to remove ambiguity. So this is just gibberish that doesn't make sense, not a new, fancy wording of an old ability. Which makes sense because like the author of the article says, there are very few examples of M:tG cards' ability text to train a neural net to generate good quality new ability text.
    - IggleSniggle 6y ago
      I do actually agree that you are semantically correct here within the rules of M:tG. In the world of a set of cards that do not actually exist, however, it is easy for me to imagine some older edition of M:tG that used this language to update "Block" from being a creature "capability" into a fully fledged "Ability." If that were the case, it would be an Activated Ability with zero mana cost (except for those creatures that, say, required some cost in order to block something). I do recognize that if such a thing were introduced today however, it would be as a Keyword Ability like Shadow (maybe "Ethereal"?), perhaps with text like: - Ethereal (This creature is unable to block) - {Cost}: This creature loses Ethereal

YeGoblynQueenne 6y ago

It's interesting that this is an entire system, integrating disparate components for different parts of a card. This is the first time I see this kind of thing (for auto-homebrew M:tG cards). Unfortunately it doesn't work that well. Some of the cards that are presented as being "good" or even "gems" actually dont' make a lot of sense. In fact, every single card shown in that article has some kind of flaw- either the concept is all over the place, or the ability text is incorrect, or both. A few examples, starting with the three "gems" listed towards the end of the article as surprisingly good stuff you find once in a while: Sick Strength RR Creature - Nomad Haste. Whenever Sick Strength deals combat damage to a player, sacrifice all other creatures you control 3/2 This is probably the one that the author of the article considers the "jewel in the crown" because it seems to make sense. But - a creature called "Sick Strength"? Of type "Nomad"? A creature called "Strength" should be of a type denoting some kind of elemental property, e.g. "Avatar" or "Elemental Incarnation" etc. Or just "Elemental". In any case, a red card called "Sick Strength" should probably be a sorcery, or instant (and most likely one granting a P/T bonus). Mastery of the Unseen 2UU Creature - Trilobite Blue instant and sorcery spell you control have flying The same is true for flying, deathtouch, haste, landwalk, protection, trample, and vigilance. Wait, protection - from what? Protection must be protection from something, like "Protection from Black" or "Protection from Creatures" or even "Protection from converted mana cost 2" etc. Also, Flying (twice), deathtouch, haste, landwalk, trample and vigilance are all crature abilities, but while Mastery Of The Unseen itself is a creature, it grants those abilities to instants and sorceries. This card doesn't work. But, cool name (though totally not for a creature). [Edit: also note the ungrammatical use of singular "spell" for "Blue instant and sorcery".] Dreamspoile Right WGG Creature - Dryad Sacrifice a forest: Dreamspoile Right gets -1/+1 and gainst vigilance until end of turn. 4/3 Actually, this one's pretty decent. The ability even fits right into the colours of the card and the overall theme is fine. The name is off though. "Dreamspoile"? Not "Dreamspoiler"? Taste of Blood 1UU Creature - Elemental Flying. When Taste of Blood dies, exile it with two time counters on it and it gains suspend. 2/2 The article sounds amazed that MTG Hivemind managed to come up with that second ability that uses Suspend not as an alternative casting cost, as it is usually used. Except that's basically the second ability of Epochrasite [1], that the article mentions as an example of a card with Suspend, word-for-word, but with two counters instead of three. Also "Taste of Blood" goes well on an Elemental, but really not on a blue Elemental. Write Of Goblin Blade UR Creature - Goblin Prowess blue spells you cast cost 1R Less to cast. 1/3 "Write of Goblin Blade"? Not "Write-off Goblin Blade?" Then, the ability text is all wrong- it's ungrammatical for natural English and it's ungrammatical for ability text even- keyword abilities like Prowess are written with a "--" after their name. Grim Battlemage 4U Creature - Yeti Flanking. When Grim Battlemage enters the battlefield, return target permanent to its owner's hand. U: Grim Battlemage loses defender until end of turn. 6/4 I was sure there was a card in Magic that gave Defender to a creature (so that it couldn't attack you; bit crappy but eh). I even thought it had a name like "Turn to stone" or something. A search on Gatherer can't find it. So, unless I didn't search right, this is the ultimate junk card. [Edit: to clarify, it loses defender, but it doesn't have defender to begin with and there's nothing that can give it defender, so the ability is unusable] Also, a "Yeti" that is a "Battlemage"? A "Battlemage" would be a "wizzard" probably. But OK, the article clarifies that types don't work very well. Over Cub 2U Creature - Skeleton Also can block only creatures with flying 2/2 Also? OK, now we just have to find another creature that can block only creatures with flying. No, we don't - that's not correct ability text. Juffy Khrovalize 3G Creature - Ally Convoke. When Juffy Khrovalize enters the battlefield, you may search your library for a pirate card, reveal it, then shuffle your library and put that card on top of it. 5/3 That name is a mess. I used to follow the development of Roborosewater (or the neural net that eventually became Roborosewater) when it was a thread in MTG Salvation and I remember clearly that many card names used to be a total slapstick mess that made no sense, like this one. Roborosewater, if I remember correctly, was able to generate more plausible names I think with a little longer training. But I'm not sure. ___________ [1] https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=446923 https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multive...

plaidfuji 6y ago

I love this. Sure, the results are hand-curated and kind of odd, but the fact that some are playable, interesting even is amazing. It demonstrates how important it is to have a deep knowledge of the data and underlying rules before applying AI. Would be really crazy to see this paired with an actual MTG simulator to validate their playability and ultimately their balance. Could be a great case for active learning.

DylanDmitri 6y ago

Interesting to try this type of card generation on abstract syntax trees instead of straight text: https://github.com/rmmilewi/mtgcompiler https://github.com/rmmilewi/mtgcompiler

Aeolun 6y ago
Oh, this is really interesting, and I agree it would likely work better. At least in terms of generating sensible text and abilities.

Aeolun 6y ago

Well, it isn’t perfect, but I’m sure happy to see that they decided to split up the networks to make something that does one thing well, instead of trying to do everything in one. I’m a bit worried basing color on ability will lead to cards that are less varied though.

bfelbo 6y ago

The cards would be much better if he reversed the order of his pipeline. Generative models are easier to train and yield better results if they're conditioned on additional information (just see all the conditional GANs for images/videos). His pipeline tries to do the most challenging task first, the Description, but it would work much better if it was done last. I'd probably generate information in this order with later steps using information from all prior steps as input: Rarity -> Colors and Mana Cost -> Type(s) -> Name -> Power/Toughness (if needed) -> Description This approach would ensure consistency and avoid the challenge of finding the right mana cost that he mentions. Anyway, this is a super fun project and a nice write-up!