Issue with Recruiting

[WBE94]

I am in season 5 of my simulation and have identified a recurring problem. I just completed my training and was evaluating the regional prospect pools and I have noticed that the West recruiting region has zero punter, kicker, strong safety, inside linebackers, cornerbacks, and free safety prospects for the upcoming recruiting cycle. This happens in every dynasty that I have played in year 5, but only for the West region.

 

Does anyone know of a fix, Thank you hope you guys have a Great Day!

[woolymuffler]

Just hit this for first time ever (that I know of)

 

I happened to see your thread and sure enough, I hit season 5 and there are no Kicker, Punter, Free Safety or Strong Safety recruits in the West region. I actually chart out the recruits each season so I know it wasn't happening before this season. I've played this game for over a decade and I have never had this happen, at least not that I've noticed. I do rarely play in the West region so it's possible it's been happening on my saves for years and I never noticed.

 

Are you using a custom db by any chance? Just trying to figure out what might be triggering it; if this happens consistently it is a game breaking bug but I feel like it can't have been or it would have been reported before now. Very strange

[Teletech]

I've never noticed that either, but I am in the process of simming out 5 years with a test save to see if it happens to me...this may take a little while, but I am using Cal as a test team, along with the DB from 2018 that wooley put up (great DB by the way)..

 

I've played for years too, never noticed this issue, but never played out west either...I wonder what DB the OP is using, along with the team he's coaching..

 

will get back to this when I get results

[woolymuffler]

I'm also running another test from a fresh save. One thing that did occur to me is that I had re-used an old save name that still existed and some of the files in the new save had old dates (created in 2017 so clearly leftover from by db testing). I don't think this caused the issue but want to rule it out.

 

The only other thing that occurred to me was that the fourth year was the first time I had recruited special teams and I signed both a punter and kicker. Again, it seems really unlikely this caused it but just putting out theories.

 

(P.S. Not sure if you saw, but I updated my db for 2019. Main change is that the Sun Belt is in divisions and has a Championship game).

[woolymuffler]

Well, it's reproducible, at least with my current custom db (hopefully attachment works). When the 5th recruiting class was being generated, no K, FS, SS or P recruits for the West. Unlike what OP reported, I have consistently seen ILB recruits in the West for Season 5.

 

Now going to save off my customized db, verify my files to get original game db back and run another 5 season test. If it happens with the original game db, this is pretty much a show stopper bug. I have to believe it's something about my custom db causing it or it would have been reported before now...

[woolymuffler]

Known issue apparently

 

It seems this issue was reported 4 years ago and nothing was done about it (as WBE94 has already discovered):

http://www.greydogsoftware.com/forum/showthread.php?p=2378754

 

That's disappointing; I guess I just had never noticed.

 

I do wonder how online leagues are able to function with this bug? I'm still testing with the original db to see if the custom db is causing it but this seems like a game bug.

[woolymuffler]

Okay, it's my DB apparently

 

After getting the original game dbs back from Steam (only two files were changed, pstats.dat and psetup.dat), I just made it to season 6 without the issue occurring.

 

So I have no idea how my db causes the issue, but apparently it does (maybe from having 130 teams?). I have confirmed at least that my 2019 updated db causes the issue; I may try out my 2018 one and see if it does it. If the fix is as simple as dropping Liberty and Coastal Carolina (and their cities I added), I'm okay with that.

[woolymuffler]

I put a warning on my db update thread about this issue; if it was first reported in 2015 (two years before I created my db), it must be related to certain types of db changes rather than specific to my db. I'll confirm if my 2018 db does the same thing and probably create a new 2019 that doesn't include as many changes (not have the Sun Belt conference in divisions and not add Conway SC and Lynchburg VA to the cities list for Coastal Carolina and Liberty). I just recently noticed that Arlie didn't bother adding cities to his updated DB (for instance he has Appalachian State in Winston Salem as that is pretty near by) so maybe my updates to the city list somehow break recruiting over time. No idea really

[Teletech]

the screenshot you uploaded is from a recruiting overview on the national level. I guess that's how to word it. While I have not gotten to that point in my test sim as of yet, I would like to know if you experienced zero recruits when you are using the "monitor recruits" tab on the right...and if this is just a possible cosmetic issue....

[woolymuffler]

Yeah, I had the same thought and went into "Monitor Recruits", filtered down to West region and then flipped through by position. No recruits at all for West -> SS. FS, P or K in Season 5 (and normal amounts in seasons 1-4). I tried to go into the save game and see if I could find them (thinking they had been created and maybe there was a bad delimiter or something that kept them from showing up in game), but I don't have the save format and couldn't tell from a hex editor.

[Teletech]

<p>I just got the same issue with your 2018 db, playing at CAL...even under monitor recruits I got 1 CB (2 start) 0 safeties, kickers, or punters...</p><p> </p><p>

not sure where to go from here....</p>

[woolymuffler]

I'll do some tweaking on my copy and see if I can roll back whatever is causing the problem; either my db just corrupted in general or one of my changes doesn't agree with the recruit generation engine. It may not be until tomorrow that I can really do any more testing but I'll get to it as soon as I can.

[Teletech]

<p>well, we don't know for sure if the OP was using your db or not....I'm gonna assume he was, but hopefully this is something that can be pinpointed with some ease...</p><p> </p><p>

thanks from myself, and on behalf of the OP for your work!</p>

[nZane]

<p>I'm four years into a save using your database and I have some downtime today so I thought I'd try and help out a bit. Simmed ahead in my save and am seeing the same issue as everyone else. Downloaded Schlitty's 2018 mod from the Mods forum below and simmed ahead four years with roughly the same results in the west (no FS, K, P, or ILB. One SS, OLB. Limited DTs). Running a test now using a different start year to see if that does anything.</p><p> </p><p>

EDIT: Nothing going on the start year change. Back to your DB, changing Liberty's city to Roanoke (close enough for my purposes) and deleting Lynchburg from the DB. We'll see how this one goes.</p><p> </p><p>

EDIT2: Nothing with the city change. Decided to go back to my original save and sim another two years into the future. Oddly enough, everything seems fine. No idea.</p>

[Teletech]

<p>my CAL team (on auto everything) got a few recruits at the missing positions from elsewhere in the country...ok...I can live with that...as did other PAC-12 schools...I can live with that too..</p><p> </p><p>

went in to year 6 and now the West has it's full stock back...people at all positions...again, using the same woolymuffler 2018 db</p><p> </p><p>

forgive the size of the screenshot, but the recruit numbers are legit</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>

UPDATE: Simmed a few more seasons, with the 18 DB and still at CAL...no issues with the West or any other regions noted...it would seem, at least for now, that the missing recruit issue may be a one-off thing at season 5....if that is the case and the west based teams are still getting a few recruits from elsewhere, it's not a show-stopper for me, but (A) never tried the default db and (B) would not know what in the modded db's would be causing this...that kind of programming stuff is above my head...</p><p> </p><p>

look forward to seeing what others may find</p><p><a class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image" href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2019_10/BB2020.jpg.e923e5d783dee19ac9d3b5c9cc989643.jpg" data-fileid="3527" data-fileext="jpg" rel=""><img data-fileid="3527" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt="BB2020.jpg.e923e5d783dee19ac9d3b5c9cc989643.jpg" data-src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2019_10/BB2020.jpg.e923e5d783dee19ac9d3b5c9cc989643.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></a></p>

[woolymuffler]

...that kind of programming stuff is above my head...

 

look forward to seeing what others may find

 

Yeah, that's the weird thing to me. Making a few changes to a db is in no way actual programming; I just don't understand how changing maybe 20 or 30 data rows could cause this sort of issue. But without knowing how the recruit list is generated, all I can do is try to roll back changes until it stops happening.

[Teletech]

it would be kinda neat to have Arlie chime in on this..

 

I still find it hard to believe this game is pushing 15 years old and I still get as much enjoyment out of it as most other games I own

[woolymuffler]

it would be kinda neat to have Arlie chime in on this..

 

I still find it hard to believe this game is pushing 15 years old and I still get as much enjoyment out of it as most other games I own

 

Agreed, if we could get an updated version of this to reflect the changes in the game since 2006 (spread option, hurry up/no huddle, RPOs, etc.), I wouldn't need another game for years. Oh, and 85 scholarships, 120 total roster, signing days (early and normal), recruiting during the season, all the things. With modern computers, there is no reason not to have the full 85 total/25 per year plus walk-ons as in real life.

[woolymuffler]

I removed the new cities, set CCU to Columbia SC and Liberty to Roanoke VA and still got the issue. Thinking that maybe it happened every 5 years, I decided to continue in that save as long as I could last night just to see if the issue happened again. So far I've completed 11 seasons and just started the 12th, (so 12 classes of recruits created) and the issue hasn't repeated.

 

Just baffled; I think I'm going to confirm one more time that the game provided databases do not do this and then start editing a known good database with my changes until I either get them all into a working db or find the change that is breaking recruiting.

[Teletech]

I did not get that far ahead, but good to know that it didn't happen again..

 

I do hope you can find something in the dbs or maybe Arlie sees these posts and can offer some insight...until then I guess I keep on keeping on with playing and either not coach out west until after year 5 or if I decide to take on a challenge such as 0 DB/LB/K/P recruits, I can either recruit out of region or recruit the crap out of athletes LOL

 

anyway, I still love the game, really enjoy using your db (thanks again) and will continue to follow this thread closely

[woolymuffler]

<p>So, I re-downloaded the databases and changed nothing at all other than the team names and mascots (didn't fix scheduling issues, didn't fix conference assignments, Idaho is still in the game) and the issue happened. I'll do one last test where the db has the "South Bend Leprechauns" (no changes at all) just to confirm that works (I thought I did confirm that but want to do it again just to be sure).</p><p> </p><p>

I'm almost starting to think it's Open Office Base; I use that instead of actual Microsoft Access to edit the database as I don't own MS Access and it's possible it has a bug. I may be able to get a hold of MS Access at work and see if that makes any difference.</p>

[woolymuffler]

<p>Well I'm really glad I decided to do one more trial with the default databases. It is not a problem with my DB, the base game does it. I must have been sloppy with my first test on the default databases and missed checking Season 5.</p><p> </p><p>

I made literally no changes at all (even had the South Bend Leprechauns win the title one year) and sure enough, the 5th recruiting pool (4 seasons completed) had the issue with the West Region recruits.</p><p> </p><p>

So use my DB all you want (I know I will) and just know it's a problem with the game. Maybe Arlie will see this; I'd be happy to send him a save game at Training Camp just before Season 5 starts.</p><p><a class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image" href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2019_10/Season5WestRecruitIssueWithDefaultDB.JPG.3a744c4489c5307c5c0a50e963e764f7.JPG" data-fileid="3528" data-fileext="jpg" rel=""><img data-fileid="3528" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt="Season5WestRecruitIssueWithDefaultDB.thumb.JPG.282fea76899895fa531e25ed8c9358ed.JPG" data-src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2022_08/Season5WestRecruitIssueWithDefaultDB.thumb.JPG.282fea76899895fa531e25ed8c9358ed.JPG" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></a></p>

[Teletech]

<p>well...he "might" get around to looking in to it...given it's this old of a game, maybe, maybe not...hell, I'd even send him a few bucks for a patch</p><p> </p><p>

again, it's a great game, one of my top 3 in play time (ootp baseball and DDS College B-Ball). I own and have tried DDS College Football, and it's ok, but it's just not as immersive to me (no rivalries)...but in ways it's deeper too...six of one, half dozen of another</p><p> </p><p>

soooo...I'll keep playing, and using your db...and if no one else says anything about this issue ever again, I will say thanks for your efforts!</p>