Editing the Database Ping: NCAAhoops, Gary

[GiantYankee]

I would like to ask for advice from NCAAhoops, Gary, or anyone else in the community that has experience with editing the database. I would like to edit the database
to create conferences that represent regions of the United States (Northeast Conference, Midwest Conference, etc.). Anywhere from 10, 11, 12, or 14 teams per conference with several conferences having less teams. In a perfect word there would be no divisions within each conference and every team would play each other twice (no conference tourneys). This is something that I have wanted to create since DDSCB 17. However when I start planning, the logistics make me feel like it's an impossible task (i.e. creating logos for 352 teams, editing the jerseys, editing the courts). When thinking about the process for this version, it I have realized that I can do somethings to possibly make this a lot easier for me (i.e. using the default team colors and jerseys). I have a couple of questions. Also I would love any advice and tips that can help me get this project rolling. Thanks for taking the time to read this long post.

1) Will the game adapt a schedule to changes that I make to the number of teams in conferences?

2) Is there a potential to cause a crash if none of the conferences have tournaments?

3) Am I better off just editing the teams within the current conferences?

4) Would I be able to use one generic court for all of the teams?

[NCAAhoops]

I had just posted about similar questions in the DII post . Time consuming. Period! The advantage I have is several years doing the College mod so I am just updating a lot of work that I have already done now.
To answer you questions.
1. No it will not. You must use a schedule that will work for the number of teams you have. There is a limit to the available schedules that you can use from so you will need to use one that matches your conference. In other words for an example you can't have 20 teams in a conference if there is not a 20 team schedule available.
2. I don't know the exact answer to this as I have never tried. But the Ivy and Independent conf in previous versions never had a conference tournament and worked. But don't know if you apply that to all of them. Just something I've never tried.
3. I would definitely start that way and keep a backup of a working model of that, then try moving them around so you now what the issue is if it stops working by doing one conference at a time and then test. Then repeat for the next conference.
4. Yes, two ways if the game cannot find the teams court it will load the DDSCB court in the assn folder. Another way is create a court, assign each team the same court name and they will all use that court.

Some of the other things in you text above those.
No divisions is not a problem.
You can rename the conferences.
The number of teams in a conference is directly related to the schedules, you have to have a schedule to match the number of teams or it will not work.
Every team playing each other twice, I cannot answer for sure. There are quite a few schedules to choose from but I have never taken the time to look thru them to see if one does exactly what you ask, let alone several type schedules for different number of teams in different conferences.
Big thing is once you start renaming things then graphics will need work too as a lot of naming in the databases apply to some of the graphics.

[GiantYankee]

Thank you so much for the feedback. I especially appreciate the insight about "The number of teams in a conference is directly related to the schedules, you have to have a schedule to match the number of teams or it will not work."

[NCAAhoops]

No problem, if you jump in and do this, feel free to tap on me for any questions you may have.

[GiantYankee]

No problem, if you jump in and do this, feel free to tap on me for any questions you may have.

What are you using to edit the database? Microsoft Access isn't compatible with this version of the game. Thank you.

[Gary Gorski]

SQLite Studio is what you want to use

[mknight]

Great game! The 2020 version really sold me with the new display and graphics!

I've read through nearly all forum posts and I'm frankly I'm not a tech person per se. All I want to do is add 2 teams to the Big West. Figured this post relates to the original poster.

EDIT - Using Windows 10. Game version and mod are all up to date. 8.4 and 1.10

Regarding modding - in SQLite, as a trial per his forum advice, I tried to mod to 10 teams first using NCAAHoop's "Conference" (eg Big West changed to 10 teams and schedule changed to 10a) and "Teams" (eg Sac State changed to Conf 10 which is Big West) files. I then modded the "default" file to reflect similar conference setting just in case.

When I mod the .db file and then try to save, it creates two new separate files, a .db-shm and a .db-wal. It doesn't actually save the file or make any changes to the original .db file. Shm and wal files are some kind of modifier or backup files. When I try to export, I can only export as .xml or CSV. The other options don't seem correct and I can't get the file out again as a.db file nor save and overwrite the original. I'm clearly doing something wrong or I don't have enough proficiency. I read that exporting in xml is the way to do it, but I have no clue where that file is supposed to go since the upload back into the game is limited to 1 file whether you start new or upload a commish. I've tried loading the game with the .db-shm etc but that clearly doesn't work and once those files are present, the original file itself won't work either until you manually delete those files.

Am I on the right track here? Is there another program that will allow me to mod NCAA's file directly? If not, where does the xml export go to?

Any guidance would be appreciated!

Thanks either way!

[mknight]

Regarding my last post - nevermind I finally got it to work and it loaded just fine for a new game. Thanks goodness! Game is incredible!!! Thank you!

[GiantYankee]

SQLite Studio is what you want to use

What is the name and location of the file? I'm struggling with this new format. Thanks.

[dweeks82]

Regarding my last post - nevermind I finally got it to work and it loaded just fine for a new game. Thanks goodness! Game is incredible!!! Thank you!

What did you end up having to do to get it to work? I am actually running into the same issue you had but you didn't say how you ended up getting it to work lol