DB Editing Tutorials, Tips and Tricks

bangus said:

You can use FE for that, yes. I was simply explaining that I can still load/use my older modded squad saves, even though I've started editing the default game db files with FE.

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ok - thanks bangus. that is interesting

one thing i can't get my head around (probably me being dumb): in your previous post you say FE gets removes the need to edit squad files as we can edit the db directly. if i wanted to edit and add a player to the latest squads, i would have to (i) go in game and download latest squads, (ii) close fifa, (iii) open FE and, from there, make my edits?

thanks for your patience with this

msrajjc2 said:

if i wanted to edit and add a player to the latest squads

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I have never downloaded the latest squads, so I don't know what's involved. I assume the latest squads come in the form of a squads save file? If so, that means you have to edit it the old-fashioned way: open the squad save, export the tables, and add your created players (Arshavin etc).

File Explorer can't be used for that. FE has no function to edit squad saves (that I'm aware of). File Explorer reads from the default db files in the main Origin Games/FIFA 18 folder, and not from the squad saves in Docs/FIFA18/settings.

I would guess there are ways to convert the squads save update (Docs/FIFA18/settings) into the default db (Origin Games/FIFA 18), after which FE will then read from it. I can think of one possible way if you're interested, but it's a lot of work. The other possibility is to remove/reinstall certain files and then update, at which point Origin would/should install the squads update as the default db.

But those are ideas I haven't tried or am interested in trying. I have never cared about squad updates. I only ever play with fantasy squads (all generic faces, all names switched, men and women on the same team, etc).

Well apparently I was wrong about one thing. Start FE, choose NONE (don't load a saved mod file), and it loads the default, original unedited db files. That's a great feature.

Also, I see the FE CM tool has an online roster-update feature. Check that out and see what happens, if you're someone who likes to play with the latest EA squad updates.

bangus said:

Well apparently I was wrong about one thing. Start FE, choose NONE (don't load a saved mod file), and it loads the default, original unedited db files. That's a great feature.

Also, I see the FE CM tool has an online roster-update feature. Check that out and see what happens, if you're someone who likes to play with the latest EA squad updates.

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thanks bangus for your patience and thoughtful replies - very helpful

i will indeed check out that feature

failing that, your method also does what i want so no big deal!

i only really play fifa for career mode so enjoy the latest squads

msrajjc2 said:

your method also does what i want so no big deal!

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It's a big deal if you need any default files to reinstall, just load NONE and FE gives you access to all default files. Great feature.

Anyway, squad save editing is pretty much unnecessary now, so I will post a very brief tutorial on editing with FE for the people still having problems with both methods. I will post it in the FE thread and link it to here.

Very brief File Explorer editing overview/tutorial:

http://www.soccergaming.com/index.php?threads/cg-file-explorer-18.6465136/page-16#post-6504179

How to start career mode with created league

bangus said:

Actually, it's easy enough to explain here, especially because you've done this before and know which tables to edit. Using Excel and DBM, copy the necessary table data from your db, and paste it into the corresponding WC db tables. Import the WC db files back into the game using File Explorer. Done.

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Since there's separate world cup db file, we can easily add players on the db and import it back using File Explorer. But if I do that, I won't be able to play online.

But few months ago you helped me to add players without frosty editor and File Explorer, remember? I just edited the Squads file on My documents. Editing the squads file means nothing changed on the original db file, so I can play online.

But there's no separate squads file for wold cup mode. You can see it on the screenshot below:


And the original squads file doesn't include tables for world cup mode. So if I add players on that [Which I already did], none of them shows up on world cup mode.

Now the real problem is, I can't create a Squad file from world cup mode. I don't know if it's even possible. If it's not possible, then we can't add players in this method [Which would suck cause that means you wont be able to play online].

Let me know if its possible. I'm still looking for a way to create Squads file from world cup mode.

Sami 1999 said:

Now the real problem is, I can't create a Squad file from world cup mode. I don't know if it's even possible. If it's not possible, then we can't add players in this method [Which would suck cause that means you wont be able to play online].

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It all depends on what you are trying to do exactly. You can add WC players to your current roster, even activate the new real faces that come with WC mode. Even use the new stadiums.

But adding the entire WC mode to your db and making it playable? I doubt it. Which can't be what you want anyway, because I assume you can already play WC mode friendlies online right?

Seems you want a squads save of WC mode, and you assume it will work online. It's a big assumption I'd say. Anyway, explain what you want to do with it, and I will write a few ideas down to try.

bangus said:

It all depends on what you are trying to do exactly. You can add WC players to your current roster, even activate the new real faces that come with WC mode. Even use the new stadiums.

But adding the entire WC mode to your db and making it playable? I doubt it. Which can't be what you want anyway, because I assume you can already play WC mode friendlies online right?

Seems you want a squads save of WC mode, and you assume it will work online. It's a big assumption I'd say. Anyway, explain what you want to do with it, and I will write a few ideas down to try.

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No, I don't want to add WC players to non WC mode. I want to do the exact opposite [which is the main issue here].

I want to add some non wc players on wc mode itself. I can do it with editing the wc db, right? I mean I should be able to do it.

But I wanted to add the non wc players to wc mode without editing the db and only way to do that is if I can edit a squad file of wc mode. But, so far FiFA 18 doesn't generate any squad file for wc mode. So if I can't even create a squad file from the wc mode itself, then its not even possible to proceed any further.


The key point here is "From Non WC to WC", not "wc to non wc". I want to add players on the world cup mode.


I don't want to play online with my edited squads. The reason editing squads [without editing db] works on non wc online modes is because:

When I play seasons, FUT or anything, the game downloads updated squads specifically for online. So it doesn't clash with my offline edited squads and it doesn't clash with db since I haven't touched the main db files.

This gives lots of advantages. I don't have to constantly switch between non modded fifa and modded fifa to play online and you aren't at the risk of getting banned for even trying online since nothing's modified on the main files.



That's why I find editing "squads" file more important and reasonable than editing db.

Sami 1999 said:

I want to add some non wc players on wc mode itself. I can do it with editing the wc db, right? I mean I should be able to do it.

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Okay... so a WC squad save. Question: If that squad save had just the WC teams (no other teams or leagues) plus your added players, would that work? I doubt even that much is possible, but it would be the place to start.

bangus said:

Okay... so a WC squad save. Question: If that squad save had just the WC teams (no other teams or leagues) plus your added players, would that work? I doubt even that much is possible, but it would be the place to start.

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Yeah that would work. I don't plan to add more teams in wc mode now [It's not even possible]. But adding players should be possible. But I can't do that if I can't generate a wc squad save.


Problem is, from edit menu of FiFA 18, you cant select wc teams at all. If that was possible, I could just transfer players from within the game and the usual squad save would contain wc tables if that was the case to begin with.

But wc mode and normal mode seems to be completely separated.

Sami 1999 said:

Problem is, from edit menu of FiFA 18, you cant select wc teams at all. If that was possible, I could just transfer players from within the game and the usual squad save would contain wc tables if that was the case to begin with.

But wc mode and normal mode seems to be completely separated.

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Exactly. So having two FIFA 18 installs and/or two Docs/FIFA 18 folders -- one for online, one for offline -- wouldn't work? I don't update or play online so I don't know.

bangus said:

Exactly. So having two FIFA 18 installs and/or two Docs/FIFA 18 folders -- one for online, one for offline -- wouldn't work? I don't update or play online so I don't know.

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Well two fifa 18s, one modded, one unmodded would definitely work. But I was trying to make the process convenient by using the Squad save trick. That's my last resort [Will do that if it's not possible to generate a squad file].

5 more hours to download FiFA 18. I will check again if it's possible to create a WC Squad Save. If it's not possible, then I have to forget about this squad edit and edit the db directly.

Sami 1999 said:

I will check again if it's possible to create a WC Squad Save. If it's not possible, then I have to forget about this squad edit and edit the db directly.

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I'm not entirely certain about this, but I've heard that the World Cup teams come as an add-on and are uneditable even IN-game. You can't even edit the national selection if I'm not mistaken. I heard tell of a squad update though that was supposed to set those teams to the 23-man squad. I'd verify all this but I'm pretty sure that's why people have made mods for the Cup. Basically if you're not playing FUT or you want real rosters, you're better off trying the mods people have made. Or even the one for FIFA16.

Sami 1999 said:

I want to add some non wc players on wc mode itself. I can do it with editing the wc db, right? I mean I should be able to do it.

Problem is, from edit menu of FiFA 18, you cant select wc teams at all. If that was possible, I could just transfer players from within the game and the usual squad save would contain wc tables if that was the case to begin with.

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Sorry, I guess I had brain lock the other day when I answered. You can't edit WC mode in-game, and trying to create a squad save won't fix that. But the WC db can easily be edited, I've made a bunch of edits to it. All my edits are saved in the File Explorer project cmp file. Between that and my saved WC DBM files, continuing to edit the WC db -- changing player stats, adding removing players from teams -- is quick and easy. It's not an issue that one has to try and "fix." It's a non-problem.

bangus said:

Sorry, I guess I had brain lock the other day when I answered. You can't edit WC mode in-game, and trying to create a squad save won't fix that. But the WC db can easily be edited, I've made a bunch of edits to it. All my edits are saved in the File Explorer project cmp file. Between that and my saved WC DBM files, continuing to edit the WC db -- changing player stats, adding removing players from teams -- is quick and easy. It's not an issue that one has to try and "fix." It's a non-problem.

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Yeah I tried to generate a wc squad save but there's no way to do it.

Now the only way is to edit the wc db directly. I will do that later. Imma play some online wc matches until world cup ends. Then once I get bored of playing online, I will start editing the db and play offline.

Sami 1999 said:

Then once I get bored of playing online, I will start editing the db and play offline.

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If it's about editing ease, I can tell you the best way to temporary add the WC players to the main game db. That would allow you to edit them using the Creation Master program included with File Explorer.

Actually, I should test that process first lol.

Sami 1999 said:

Since there's separate world cup db file, we can easily add players on the db and import it back using File Explorer. But if I do that, I won't be able to play online.

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No, using File Explorer you can do whatever you want and as long as you tell the File Explorer to load the "default install Loaded" you can play online.
When you want to play offline have the File Explorer load your modded data back in and play.

It is the same process as updating as I explained in the other thread.

Is it possible to use FUT Popups in the frendly/carer mode ?