Can we discuss how best to handle stage files between MP/SP?

[Mike Lowe]

So running a league, and I have my game open because I'm habitually trained to never close it due to FOF not being save-friendly for MP. I know we can export our stage file etc., and even edit it now, but what is the best practice for switching between a MP game and a SP game? I know I can export, but can I re-open the game and import my own file (not just as a commish either) to resume making changes?

As it stands, I'm about halfway done setting up my first stage file (depth charts, etc.) for my MP, but I want to switch over to a SP game and resume the MP one later.

How is this best done?

Thanks!

[Mike Lowe]

I'll continue this here in case someone else is looking for help like me:

I'm getting this screen when trying to establish an ftp connection for both myself (commish) and users:
http://screencast.com/t/qvvmhPPTm

I'm 100% certain my settings are correct...i hit enter and there is a long pause, and then that error comes up. It seems to be something with the game's ability to connect, or at least that's what my trusted web programming source told me...don't shoot the messenger!

[Ben E Lou]

I'll continue this here in case someone else is looking for help like me:

I'm getting this screen when trying to establish an ftp connection for both myself (commish) and users:
http://screencast.com/t/qvvmhPPTm

I'm 100% certain my settings are correct...i hit enter and there is a long pause, and then that error comes up. It seems to be something with the game's ability to connect, or at least that's what my trusted web programming source told me...don't shoot the messenger!I'm guessing that this is an issue with your server setup. I followed the Help File instructions to do the WOOF setup, and so far 14 owners have exported successfully and I've gotten zero questions from anyone.

[Mike Lowe]

I'm wondering if the problem is that I don't have an "import" and "export" folder on my server, but instead was using a "files" folder from the base directory with just ftp access and a generic login/password for members to use...

So, it sounds like I need to have /import/nflsimv7 and /export/nflsimv7.

Would this go in the public_ftp folder?

Thanks Ben, I appreciate it!

[Ben E Lou]

I'm wondering if the problem is that I don't have an "import" and "export" folder on my server, but instead was using a "files" folder from the base directory with just ftp access and a generic login/password for members to use...

So, it sounds like I need to have /import/nflsimv7 and /export/nflsimv7.

Would this go in the public_ftp folder?

Thanks Ben, I appreciate it!You definitely need to follow the instructions in the Help File.

[Mike Lowe]

You definitely need to follow the instructions in the Help File.

For a noob like me at this stuff, the help file is a bit ambiguous in places, as I really need step-by-step instructions. I get confused when it comes to FTP stuff like this :/

Does your league have a walk through? Or is the step-by-step simple enough to throw together quickly? Sorry, this has been confusing me all weekend...

What I understand is I need an import and export folder inside of a folder called nflsimv7 (league name inside of FOF), but does it go in FTP or Public on my server?

I think I might be able to get it from there, assuming I have that concept right.

The other question I had was whether or not I was right in creating a unique user, "ftpuser" with a shared password for folks to use to upload/download to the folders mentioned above.

Thanks again!

[Ben E Lou]

It needs to go under public, I think, and yes, a unique user is the best way to go.

[Mike Lowe]

Hmmm, getting closer:

I have folders setup at /public_html/nflsimv7 for both "import" and "export"

I have a ftp user account setup for public_html access to the nflsimv7 folder with a password and user name

With the league already created, I go into the game, open up multi-player window, load league as commissioner, then save the league. I then click on "Enter New Career" and select my Lions, put the "nflsimv7" name in, and proceed to where it brings up the ftp settings:

I set my settings for ftp at:
Server name: 184.172.55.136
Username (it's set)
Password (it's set)
Base Directory: /home/football/public_html/nflsimv7

I click ok...long pause...fail.

[Antmeister]

Okay to see if you have the settings correct, it is best to use an FTP client (like Filezilla) and you can check from there to see if you are connecting correctly. My guess is that you don't have to put that full path in the base directory and only need to include /nflsimv7 .

And I am not sure who you are hosted with but if you use cPanel you can generally create a custom FTP account that points directly to that folder so you don't have to set any sort of base directory.

[Mike Lowe]

Okay to see if you have the settings correct, it is best to use an FTP client (like Filezilla) and you can check from there to see if you are connecting correctly. My guess is that you don't have to put that full path in the base directory and only need to include /nflsimv7 .

And I am not sure who you are hosted with but if you use cPanel you can generally create a custom FTP account that points directly to that folder so you don't have to set any sort of base directory.

Thanks. I tried the base directory with just /nflsimv7 and got the same error.

I did create an ftp user via my host's cPanel:
http://screencast.com/t/QEr4S4YD5e

That's what's so frustrating! I think I have everything cool, but it just doesn't work!

Is it because that old "pfsnetwork" is no longer working? If that's the case, I guess I'd need to talk to my host about changing it? Before I bother, I'll wait and see what you all think.

[Antmeister]

Okay I see. Well according to that screen it looks like you already have it pointing directly to that folder. Since this is the case you don't need to enter anything for the base directory. Have you tried to use Filezilla to see if it takes you directly to the folder?

[Mike Lowe]

I got it! I wasn't including the @name.net/com part to my username, and yes the base needed to be left blank!

THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH! :)

Now my question is, does FOF7 allow for us to work on an export, save it/export it/back it up/whatever to come back to it later so that I don't need to leave my game open (and always in MP) to finish things off?

As it stands now, I keep taking screenshots of my progress lol

[Mike Lowe]

making good progress! One thing I saw, the game seems to indicate that in order to replace an export on the server, say if a GM wants to make different changes, that you have to restart the game in order to do so.

I've done this, and while I can see a new export appear on my server, it does not get replaced ever, even with the "success" command.

Is this correct? Maybe it's updating but not changing the time signature on the file?

If this isn't working, do leagues use a workaround like a manual uploader that overrides?

[Mike Lowe]

I can confirm! It does work, but at least though Filezilla, the time stamp does not update! :)

[Mike Lowe]

What's weird is, whenever I try and import a guy who's helping me test the exports, it keeps saying it's not from the proper game stage.

I literally made a league file from the inception of the league...

Exported it all to the server (and zipped it for first time people need a manual download with just the 6 files in it)...

After he enters in his team info, he changes a player's number (for me to check), exports and gets a confirmation of success, and I can see the new file appear on the server.

When I load up the league, still at the initial stage, and import his file it tells me it's the wrong stage.

I have no idea on this one...when I test it with a file I've exported, it works just fine for my team...

It seems, somehow, that the game thinks something's changed when it hasn't?

Not sure what I'm doing wrong...please help! :)

Merry Christmas!

[Mike Lowe]

I have EVERYTHING set and working properly, absolutely no errors anywhere, and I've followed the manual to a T. The one issue I'm getting is that the exports from guys in the league, although reported as successful, never turn up on my server.

Basically, everything works up until this point in the manual:
http://screencast.com/t/XO0nObaOoW

Anyone? It's very odd, and very furstrating! Thanks, and Merry Christmas too! :)

[Mike Lowe]

Ok, odd again, I see that the export from a league participant IS uploading, but it's going to this folder on the network:

http://screencast.com/t/PjQXE7wQvNke

Instead of where my file went, which the manual tells me is the correct folder:

http://screencast.com/t/i1USm92g9AL

My ftp user login is pointing towards public_html/NFLsimv7 and I manually created the /import/NFLsimv7 and /export/NFLsimv7 directories.

It was my understanding that i wouldn't need to point the ftp user to a folder beyond what it's being told now, as it would be done automatically.

Again, my team file went to the import/NFLsimv7 folder, but an export from a participant did not.

[Mike Lowe]

Ok, I have EVERYTHING backed up, but when I go to import the 20+ files from the server as commish, it tells me that 1 file has been imported (mine it seems).

I was just going to download manually and import them, but shouldn't this be working?

Thanks for helping us out!

[Mike Lowe]

Downloading the export files and trying to import them manually also only imported my team.

I even tried downloading all of the Q files and keeping them locally, but that too didn't import ANY teams.

My team file, the one that shows as "Ready to Import" is in the same place on the server. For some reason, only my team is importing (perhaps it's not loading from the server, even though I clicked "Yes" to do so).

Every time I try, I am deleting all folders and reextracting to start fresh in order not to mess up anything with duplicate files, etc.

In a nutshell, can't get the game to accept these files. They're not even coming up as errors; they're just not being imported whatsoever it seems.

[Mike Lowe]

Can anyone give us a hand? Sort of at a stand sill.

I messaged Jim and a few others, but never heard back (understandable!).

Basically, I have a handful of exports, the game only recognizes my team's, and I'm not sure what to do as I'm not getting any sort of error message, and the manual doesn't mention something like this.

Thanks so much!

[Mike Lowe]

Making some progress and posting info in case others are struggling...not quite there yet.

I noticed I did not have the teams set to ON for human control to receive imports in the team setup screen. I used the button that set all teams to human controlled and tried importing again...

What's odd, as I thought this was the AH HA! moment, only 4 of the 15 files imported...the others received no info, no error, nothing.

When I tried again (deleting folders entirely and replacing my original backup folders back in place), now no files will upload and it says none of the files are from the right stage.

I also tried manually downloading the export files from guys and place them in my import folder in the App/Data folder, but that didn't work either.

Getting closer???

[Mike Lowe]

Strange--restarted my computer, reset things again (backup files), and all teams imported and sim ran just fine.

Only issue now is that the game keeps crashing when I try and generate html. It worked the week before the preseason week 1 stage, but won't now.

Weird, but at least we simmed! Horray! :)