Piñata Vision barcode/Variant bits

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Types of variant data

The game supports two types of variants. The first are the Journal variants (often labeled as Variant 1, 2, and 3). These variants are obtainable in-game by feeding a pinata a certain item.

The second type of variants are the PV-exclusive variants. These extra colors aren't normally available in-game, but can be obtained by scanning other variant cards and black variant cards.

In terms of the barcode (and card description), these two types of variant data appear to be distinct and different. For example, Image:Kittyfloss-TroubleInParadise-Orange-Harrison-PV.jpg, labeled as Variant: 2, Variant description: Orange, is distinct from any of the in-game variant colors for the Kittyfloss, so its variant (2) apparently has no connection to in-game variant 2.

In-game variant data

Nothing specific is known about this barcode data, other than speculation that it might be a 2-bit field (0-3, with 0 indicating that the PlaceTag species is not a variant?).

This field is possibly specific to the PlaceTag species card type.

PlaceTag species variant cards are two (or more) rows, unlike normal (non-variant, non-wildcard) pinata cards which are typically a single barcode row.

GoodVariants and Blackariants data

Based on descriptions from Vision_Single cards, GoodVariants values range from 2 to 10, while Blackariants are always 15. This field is probably 4 bits (0-15) and may be a card type-specific field, exclusive to the Vision_Single GoodVariants and Blackariants cards.

Like the PlaceTag species variant cards, GoodVariants and Blackariants cards also use two barcode rows.

Location of variant bits

Variant data is likely encoded in row 2. Notice in the following example that the row 1 barcode is identical, although the cards are for two different variant colors (5 and 6). 

D37248104F172B35 9A9C55CDE356E216	Vision_Single_GoodVariants_goose_41.jpg (5, James)
D37248104F172B35 9B636492E839E419	Vision_Single_GoodVariants_goose_42.jpg (6, James)

Decoding variant bits

After filtering out other 2-row cards (Learn Trick, Perform Trick, and RomanceMusic), what generally remains are the following types of two-row cards:

  • Normal pinatas with accessories
  • Wildcard (non-variant) pinatas
  • In-game variant pinatas
  • GoodVariants and Blackariants pinatas

Since the results don't appear to make rational sense for the non-Vision_Single variant cards, it's likely that the PlaceTag species variant data doesn't overlap the location for the GoodVariants and Blackariants card type(s) variant data.

GoodVariants IDs

It's unknown what the GoodVariants _nnn filename values refer to, although they are unrelated to the species IDs, as seen in the Blackariants _nnn filename values.

Row 2 obfuscation set selection/progression

To be determined. Possibilities are based on name length byte, name bits, variant bits, and/or possibly a row 2 (GoodVariants?) ID.

Working notes

Keeping the barcode comparisons for now, to refer to them while proving/disproving row 2 speculation, but the information will eventually get discarded, or condensed and folded into the article content.

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