How to add custom playbook as stock playbook

[Administrator]

Instructions to swap a custom playbook in. Courtesy of member Littleware:

1. Navigate to your Madden08\data0 folder and make a copy of gamedata.dat. That way, if you mess up your very crucial gamedata.dat file or want to come back to a clean gamedata.dat, you're safe.

2. Open the Madden datfile replacer program.

3. Select gamedata.dat (in Madden08\data0) as the dat file you want to edit.

4. Select the custom playbook file you want to insert.

5. Select a default playbook you want to replace. Those playbooks are 1-38 for defense PB (alphabetically by team name not city) or file 41-79 for offense PB (alphabetically by team name not city). Let's say you replace the "Trick Plays" PB with your custom PB - that would be file 79.

6. Click the "replace selected files with the following file" button.

7. In the File menu, click "save playbook." Your playbook is safely inserted.

8. Always place edited dat files in the "My Documents\Madden NFL 08" folder. (this tip courtesy of dawg317)

9. (if playing an online game) Now - and here's the important step - email that same gamedata.dat file to the person you're going to play with. They need to use the exact same one, or the game will crash.

10. Start your IP-IP spawn game, and select "Trick Plays" for your playbook.

[Administrator]

Change names of stock playbook plays (courtesy of various posted contributions)

1. Open DB_TEMPLATES.dat with the Dat File Replacer Tool.
2. Extract file #12 (DB_TEMPLATES.dat.File00012.copy001).
3. Open the extracted file with the DB Editor Tool.
4. Click "PLAB-Playbooks" located in the first column.
5. Find the playbook in question, right-click it, select "edit value in selected row".
6. For "Column to edit" select BNAM. The existing value should display.
7. Enter the new playbook name desired. Repeat as needed for each PB you want to rename; note that if you choose another record, you will have to do the pulldown and select BNAM even though it's already displayed in the window.
8. Open DB_TEMPLATES.dat with the Dat File Replacer Tool, Click on File #12.
9. Click "Select Replacement File", navigate to your updated DB_TEMPLATES.dat.File00012.copy001.
10. Click "REPLACE SELECTED" file With the Replacement File. Save the DB_Templates.dat. It should be placed in your documents under Madden NFL 08.

[torontogrudlies]

Getting your playbooks to match up between the ingame list and the stock playbooks dat:

When you're in the 12th db of the db_templates (with the DB Editor) and working with the playbooks table...the BOFF field indicates whether it's an offensive playbook (0=defense, 1=offense) and BGID refers to the playbook's location in gamedata.dat. Defensive playbooks start at 1 and offensive at 41, so just add the BGID to find the proper file to replace.

Algebraically, it would be: (41 * BOFF) + BGID, and that's the file in gamedata.dat which you replace with the playbook in question, using the Dat File Replacer utility.

[old coach]

I just found this site yesterday. I have been trying to download the dat file replacer but the site that I get passed over to from Football Freaks-wiki seems to be down for maintenance. Can anyone help with getting this file?

Thanks,
Old Coach

[torontogrudlies]

Grab a copy of Madmod X, it comes packaged with most of these utilities.

[newmanium]

Thanks!! I have been thinking about doing this for some time now.

[TimTebow]

I have a problem
i open gamedata.dat with my dat replacer
then i select file 79 and go on the button :select replacement.
After that i take a playbook and then there are 4 buttons :Replace Selecteted files with the replacement file,Replace all files with the replacement file,
insert the replacement file into dat before selected files and insert the replacement file into dat after selected files

but there isn´t the button "replace selected files with the following file"!!!!
i go on the button replace selected files wit the replacement file and then save current dat
when i do that then comes error
Sry for my english Pls help me

[Mrgravyard]

This will work with Madden 04 right?

[onknight]

what playbooks Numbers are lions book in 2008

Offence & Defence.


how to do import them info my Franny file?

[olesmokin]

OK i have a issue, I currently have my playbook as the trickplays #79...however there is a guy in the league that uses that book....so i need to make it back to default and am trying to make mine philadelphia eagles i think is number 64.........I set the 79 back to true and set my book as 64, however it is an error and i cant goto profile and look to see if it worked as it freezes up my madden game everytime...any suggestions on how to properly make the switch...

thx