A couple times now, I've noticed people ask questions about posting decks to the Deckstats forum, and ask questions about some of the weird tricks I add to my posts (this might have been the same person, I wasn't really paying attention). I figure that a tutorial to the Deckstats forum and BBCode would be useful. Because of the 20 000 character limit, this could take multiple posts.
Important noteDeckstats (like many forum sites) uses BBCode, which operates using square brackets []. Because of this, whenever I'm describing the code, I'm going to use curly braces {} instead. When you go to make a post using BBCode, be sure to replace all instances of curly braces {} with square brackets []. Note that you can also use BBCode when posting in the comment section of a deck.
Posting a deck to the forumsThis is really easy. Go to your decklist (or someone elses, if it's not your deck), copy the URL at the top of the page, and then paste it, like this.
https://deckstats.net/decks/82803/1047269-mishra-bility-storm/There, the whole thing appears. You can hover your mouse over the cards, or you can click the hyperlink to visit the deck directly (if you want to leave a comment, for example).
Layout and BBCode basicsWhen you go to write a post (either starting a new topic or replying to one) you'll see something like this.
If you've ever used Microsoft Word, you probably recognize a few of these buttons already. But I'm sure some of these are still a mystery. I'll use the bold button as an example. Whenever you click one of these buttons, the BBCode will automatically be added to wherever you were just typing. You then need to write between the two sets of square brackets what you want to be bolded. Alternatively, you can highlight what you want to be bolded, and the BBCode will automatically be added around it. Unlike Microsoft Word, you won't see the text go bold until you either hit "Preview" or "Post".
So, for example, if you click the bold button, you will see this appear.
This is the BBCode for bold. Then you type what you want bolded.
And that's it. Very easy.
Inserting a cardDeckstats will do this automatically, even when you don't want it to. Just type the card name, and when you hover over it, it will appear. Note that the spelling has to be exactly correct (including dashes, commas, and apostrophes, but not capitalization).
Example:
Atraxa, Praetors' VoiceYou can also hack the name it displays, but this can be a little weirder. For example:
Oh dear god the longer you look at this art the worse it getsNow how did I do that? If you quote this post (and also, if I choose to edit it) you'll notice that
Atraxa, Praetors' Voice defaults to this BBCode:
The part that isn't in square brackets is the displayed name, and can be edited freely. The URL is what links the card. To get the card, the best way is to first type out the cards actual name (
Ekundu Cyclops) click the Preview, then click on the hyperlink. In the window that opens up, copy the URL, and then insert it after the equals sign in this BBCode: {url=}{/url}. The name can be written between the square brackets, however you want.
Inserting a quoteBBCode: {quote}{/quote}
This is pretty easy, because if it's from a Deckstats post, there is a helpful button that says "Insert Quote". Click that button, and you will automatically start a reply post, with what they said in it. For example:
{quote author=Morganator 2.0 link=topic=42562.msg116571#msg116571 date=1547071344}
When possible, try to avoid using lands that unconditionally enter the battlefield tapped. Examples:
Frontier Bivouac,
Rakdos Carnarium,
Swiftwater Cliffs.
{/quote}
When possible, try to avoid using lands that unconditionally enter the battlefield tapped. Examples: Frontier Bivouac, Rakdos Carnarium, Swiftwater Cliffs.
If it's not a quote from another member, just write whatever you want.
Artistic effects to text
Bold:
Makes the text thicker. BBCode: {b}{/b}
Italic:
Makes the text slanted. BBCode: {i}{/i}
Underline:
Puts a line under the text. BBCode: {u}{/u}
Strikethrough:
Puts a line through the text. BBCode: {s}{/s}
Glow:
Adds a glow to the text. You can also change the color. The numbers are supposed to change the appearance of the glow, but this doesn't seem to be working. BBCode example: {glow=red,2,300}{/glow}
Shadow:
Gives the text a shadow. You can change the color and direction of the shadow. BBCode example: {shadow=red,left}{/shadow}
BBCode: {move}{/move}
Superscript:
Lifts the text up. Useful for exponents I guess. BBCode: {sup}{/sup}
Subscript:
Brings the text down. Only chemists and physicists use this. BBCode: {sub}{/sub}
Teletype:
Makes it look like you wrote this on a typewritter. It does not play well with other fonts. BBCode: {tt}{/tt}
Font Face:
Changes the style of the text. Arial is superior, Times New Roman is inferior. The Deckstats default is Verdana. BBCode example: {font=arial}{/font}
Font Size:
Makes the text bigger or smaller. You can manually change the text size to be different than the options that are shown. Deckstats default is 9.5 point font (but you can't actually add a decimal in the BBCode). BBCode example: {size=12pt}{/size}
Change color:
I really shouldn't need to explain what this button does. You can figure it out.. Note that not all the fonts (namely yellow, pink, beige, and white) show up very well on light mode, hence why I added a glow effect to them. Conversely, blue doesn't show up that well on dark mode. Deckstats default is black. BBCode example: {color=limegreen}{/color}
Preformatted text: I'm not actually sure what this is supposed to do, all I know is it doesn't work. BBCode: {pre}{/pre}
Left Align: This is the default for Deckstats, so you will never use this. BBCode: {left}{/left}
Centered: Put the text at the center of the page. BBCode: {center}{/center}
Right Align: Put the text at the rig... okay, this should be obvious by now. BBCode: {right}{/right}
Adding images to the postThere are two ways of doing this. The first is to add them in as an attachment. This is what you'll use if these images are stored onto your hard drive. Note the restrictions.
The other way is to embed the image directly into the text (my preferred method), but this only works if the image is somewhere on the internet already. For this, you use the BBCode {img}{/img}, which you can get by clicking the Mona Lisa icon:
. Then you need to get the URL for the image. Right click on the image you want and select "copy image url", and then paste between the square brackets. Or (if you're on mobile) instead click "open image in a new tab" and take the url from the tab that opens. This also works for gifs.
Other internet options
Insert HyperlinkBBCode: {url}{/url}
This adds a link to a page on a website. If that page happens to be a Deckstats deck, then it will display the decklist.
Insert EmailBBCode: {email}{/email}
If you click this link, it will automatically open your default email program and put the linked email as one of the recipients. Be careful about sharing your email on forum sites; it might get flooded with Thomas the Tank Engine porn.
Insert FTP linkBBCode: {ftp}{/ftp}
FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. This could be a whole discussion on it's own. Short version: You upload a file to an FTP server, and then anyone is able to download it onto their computer. Be
extremely careful with FTP links. If it
ends in .exe it is probably a virus.
Insert a list
Alright, this is where things get weird. For lists, you can't just write anywhere, because you will mess things up. When you click the first button (unordered list) you will see this code appear.
{list}
{li}{/li}
{li}{/li}
{/list}
It is okay to write between the {li}{/li} parts, and (oddly enough) the code works without the {list}{/list} code. Each {li}{/li} represents one bullet point. So the list above has two bullet points. If you want a list with 6 parts, you need to write:
{list}
{li}{/li}
{li}{/li}
{li}{/li}
{li}{/li}
{li}{/li}
{li}{/li}
{/list}
But lists are a great way to show information in a clean way.
Bucket list: people to meet before they dieCarrie Fisher Got her, just in timeNelson Mandela Failed- Julia Kristeva
Stephen Hawking Failed- Paul McCartney
- Pope Francis
The other option is a numbered list, which is the second button. It gives this BBCode:
{list type=decimal}
{li}{/li}
{li}{/li}
{/list}
And when displayed:
- Doe, a deer, a female deer
- Ray, a drop of golden sun
- Me, a name I call myself
- Far, a long, long way to run
- Sew, a needle pulling thread
- La, a note to follow Sew
- Tea, a drink with jam and bread
- That will bring us back to Do
Just be careful with numbered lists, they get wonky after 10 points on mobile.
Inserting a table
This one gets a little weirder. The code initially looks like this.
{table}
{tr}
{td}{/td}
{/tr}
{/table}
Each {tr} represents a table row, and each {td} is a column... sort of. See, if you want a table with 3 rows and 2 columns, the code looks like this:
{table}
{tr}
{td}1{/td}
{td}2{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}3{/td}
{td}4{/td}
{/tr}
{tr}
{td}5{/td}
{td}6{/td}
{/tr}
{/table}
I've inserted the numbers on purpose, to help you understand what this will look like.
Trying to add artistic effects the text inside a table is a
nightmare and a half. But it does help organize stuff.
Weird stuffLast little bit.
Horizontal Rule: Puts a line straight through that row. I've been doing it to separate the different sections of this post.
Spoiler: Text under the spoiler is hidden until you mouse over it. The only issue is that card names aren't hidden.
We seriously need to talk about Ekundu Cyclops at some point.Remove Formatting: This removes any BBCode you have highlighted.
Toggle View: automatically switches from the default (BBCode showing) to the preview view, which means you can type as if this was Microsoft Word... almost. The switched view has issues processing some code (like glow effects), and it is fussy trying to switch back.
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