6.3/6.4 FAQ (installation, changes, MP league upgrade info, new batch file info)

[Ben E Lou]

NOTE: I've moved all Q&A type posts to the "I'm having trouble" thread. Let's leave this thread as just a quick reference for people. Head to that thread if you have additional trouble.

Q: I've heard people are having problems upgrading. What do I need to do?
A: I tend to suspect that the vast majority of issues have been caused by not following the steps at Solecismic Software: Home of Front Office Football in order. They are.

1. Download and run the savegame converter (available at the Support page referenced above)
2. Uninstall FOF2K7 v 6.x. (NOTE. If you're on 6.0 or 6.1 or 6.2, the instructions are the same. There's no need to upgrade to 6.2 before doing all of this.)
3. Install FOF2K7 v 6.3

Follow these instructions closely, and you should be ok in the great majority of instances.

Q: The savegame converter is called FOFtoVista.exe. Does that mean if I don't have Vista I don't need to run it?
A: You need to run it no matter what.

Q: Do I have to upgrade, or just the commish?
A: Just the commish. You can send exports from 6.2 to 6.3 or from 6.3 to 6.2. They're compatible. But you will run into some issues because of not upgrading. (See below.)

Q: What issues might I have if I don't upgrade and the commish does or if I upgrade and the commish doesn't?
A: There are two

1. There will be times when a player requests a contract on your game in one version that he will not accept on the commish's machine in the other version.
2. If you Rex your game plans, you may get something different in 6.2 than you would in 6.3. It is assumed that the 6.3 Rex is more optimal for 6.3, but this has not yet been verified.

Q: Where do I put the next MP league file when I download it?
A: You need to put it (and all subsequent league files) in the *NEW* \leagues folder than the savegame utility creates. If you're on XP, it may look like this: C:\Documents and Settings\Ben\Application Data\Solecismic Software\Front Office Football 2007\. If you're in Vista, it may look like this: Users/your_profile_name/AppData. Go to the support page at Solecismic.com for additional information. (NOTE: The folder is likely hidden by default. You need to set Windows Explorer to view hidden files to see it. Click on Tools > Folder Options > View, then select "Show hidden files and folders.")

Q: How do I set up my batch files in 6.3?

For both of these, I'll use WOOF as the example. (Thanks to Jughead Spock for the Vista/Win7 example.)

XP

1. Moved WOOF folder from the old universe folder location (C:\Program Files\Solecismic Software\Front Office Football 2007\universe\) to the new universe folder location ( C:\Documents and Settings\Ben\Application Data\Solecismic Software\Front Office Football 2007\universe\).
2. Changed batch file to...

   copy universe\WOOF\frfoot.fni universe\ 
   copy universe\WOOF\frfoot.fcy universe\ 
   copy universe\WOOF\*.bmp "C:\Program Files\Solecismic Software\Front Office Football 2007\Pictures" 
   start frfoot2007.lnk

3. Put batch file in C:\Documents and Settings\Ben\Application Data\Solecismic Software\Front Office Football 2007
4. Created a shortcut to FrontOfficeFootball2007.exe in C:\Documents and Settings\Ben\Application Data\Solecismic Software\Front Office Football 2007 and rename it to frfoot2007

Vista/Win7

Edited MP batch files thusly (these are in individual league files in the Program Files directory, not AppData - i.e., Program Files\Solecismic Software\Front Office Football\WOOF\FOF-WOOF.bat) -

FROM:

cd ..
copy WOOF\frfoot.* universe
copy WOOF\*.bmp pictures
start FrFoot2007.exe

TO:

cd ..
copy WOOF\frfoot.* C:\Users\John\AppData\Roaming\soleci~1\fronto~1\universe
copy WOOF\*.bmp pictures
start FrFoot2007.exe

Q: What are the changes in 6.3 from 6.2?
A:

• Added new 2009 player file.
• Adjust contract demands to reflect the new salary cap numbers. Note that because of this change, those of you in multi-player leagues should try and upgrade at the same time your commissioner upgrades (though if your commissioner is aware of how the changes will manifest, he can instruct you on how you should alter contract offers.
• Tweaks to the contract valuation algorithm (can't really explain tweaks without detailing the algorithms, which would give too much away).
• Several rather large changes in the play-resolution engine, particularly to the passing game. Again, I'm not going to provide details, but this will have a significant impact on game-planning. I'm aware there will be complaints at first, because there will be a learning curve and it might appear that game-planning has less impact than in the past. But I think once you're used to these changes, it will make for a more enjoyable experience as you'll have to better tailor your plan to your talent. This is probably the biggest change in the engine in five years.
• Add normal substitution for nickel and dime packages on defense.
• Tweak use of individual blitzers in terms of interpretation of blitz percentage settings.
• Another attempt to improve the field-goal and play-calling logic at the end of the first half, particularly when your team has the lead.
• Tweak substitution algorithm for starting quarterbacks.
• Fix a bug with how summer-league experience is applied to each position.
• An attempt to prevent Solevision from crashing after use of the save-as function, though this problem could not be duplicated.
• Apply the tripping penalty as an in-play foul rather than as a personal foul.
• Fix a bug with stadium condition being set to an invalid value - this will not correct in existing games until the beginning of a new season.
• Created a new home state selection algorithm for new players. This algorithm reflects the current state of the NFL rather than just the population of the United States. Expect more quarterbacks from California and more wide receivers from Florida.
• Try and make Front Office Football a native Vista application (the help file is still outdated). The electronic license portion, however, remains an XP application and still requires administrative privileges on first run.
• Tweak (very small) the free agency AI player acquisition logic. This still needs a redesign in places, far too much for just an update.
• Add an ordering of the importance of games during the regular season. The top game is shown on channel 2, on down to channel 17.
• Tweak (very small) the player generator. This includes improving linebackers, safeties and fullbacks.
• Tweak the TCY converter. Primarily giving tight ends a big-play rating and reducing punt and kick return abilities.
• Don't allow the AI to call a goal-line defense where it's horribly inappropriate.
• Provide more instructive error messages when loading incomplete or corrupted saved games.

Q: I have additional questions, but this thread is locked. Where should I go?
A: Trying to keep this thread simple and clear of clutter. Head to The "I'm having trouble getting the patch to work" thread. - Front Office Football Central for additional help.

[Ben E Lou]

Added batch file info for XP and Vista/Win7.

[Ben E Lou]

Bump/unstick.

[Mike7273]

I can't get the Win7 batch file to keep any changes I make with City Affiliation.