Newbie wth database question

garyrenard · 07-28-2013, 10:45 PM

I've been lurking around the board for awhile and have found the amount of work folks put into their universes both amazing and daunting. I'm also getting quite an education on boxing history.

I love some of the ideas I'm seeing and would like to emulate them, taking rules from one universe and combining them with another.

The main thing that has stopped me is the sheer amount of data input there seems to be. I've been following "The Dance of the Meatbots", and love the rule that randomizes the starting years. After agonizing over the amount of data that would have to be inputted on the screens, I've been hesitant to start. It finally dawned on me that these universes are probably put together on a spreadsheet and then imported.

I never said I was smart.

Since coming to that conclusion, I've been searching for a downloadable spreadsheet that I can save and then tinker with to my heart's content. I've found the data updates, but haven't found something I can simply download.

Does this elusive spreadsheet exist, and if it does, can I get a copy of it somewhere?

Hey, if I get good at this, I may aspire to put up my own universe someday

Gary

Lee · 07-28-2013, 10:58 PM

There are spreadsheets out there, but I think most of us use them minimally. I know I use excel mostly for posting data and to set up fight cards in advance.

In terms of a universe like the Meatbots, you can change the columns in the fighter screen and then just import various starting years into your 'active' universe groups.

So if you want to start with all fighters who debuted in 1900, 1967, 1980 and 1994 you can sort by that and them mass edit and move them into you universe.

Don't know if that is what you are looking for, but it is the way I do my random debut universes. Hopefully it helps.

Mark42661 · 07-29-2013, 12:21 AM

Don't be intimidated by the amount of work it takes to set up a universe. It's really a big part of the fun and once you get started doesn't feel like work at all.

hamed2 · 07-29-2013, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark42661

Don't be intimidated by the amount of work it takes to set up a universe. It's really a big part of the fun and once you get started doesn't feel like work at all.

This is true -over time it's like creating your own history with a universe when you look back @ great fights from the past.

IceTea · 07-29-2013, 10:34 AM

I've actually never operated a universe but I may based on my women's boxing database.

hamed2 · 07-29-2013, 03:11 PM

IT - I have thought about having one for the women too but in most cases, you have a couple of elite fighters & everyone else.

Hanson Bros · 07-29-2013, 06:00 PM

sample of a portion of one of the three HW spreadsheets I have running right now

garyrenard · 08-18-2013, 09:39 PM

I've been attempting to work out a universe in which all the boxers career dates (HW only as a trial run) were randomly reshuffled, with bouts starting in 1900. I wanted to give a basic rundown in here of what I've been doing, hoping you fine gentlemen will comment on anything I'm doing incorrectly, or if I'm leaving anything out.

I slogged through and figured out a randomizer in Excel that seems to work well. It randomized career starts between 1885-2000, from which I also randomized birthdates so each boxer starts their career at different ages (I ranged them from 17-27). My goal was to have about 5% of the total number of fighters to be in some stage of their career when the universe starts. I ended up with 5.6%...close enough.

I decided to make fighters whose careers started 1885-1887 as post-prime, 1888-1896 prime, 1897-1899 as pre-prime. All fighters starting after 1899 will be new.

When editing boxers, I took everyone in the database and removed them from the auto-scheduler, adding them back in as I edited their info. This way I figured I would only have to edit the boxers that I am going to use currently, and adding them in as time goes (adding the boxers with 1901 start dates when 1900 is finished).

I changed each boxer's birthdate, and left the date of death blank. I changed the career start to the appropriate year, and removed any career end date. I changed the fighter (if necessary) to "Active", and went into the "Career Stage" box and changed the "Valid as of" year to 1900 (month 1).

Everyone (edited or not) is in the data pool. Only fighters whose career's have started (1885-1899) are in the autoscheduler.

I have not deactivated boxers who were considered active in the database before I started (ex: either Klitschko), nor have I done anything with boxers whose career would be happening in 1900, but are appearing later in the universe. (ex: Jim Corbett).

I'm not yet worrying about things like title belts or who is going to fight who. I know I have guidance on those things by cribbing from your universes.

Anyway, any help is appreciated, and if I'm doing something really dumb, don't hesitate to point it out. I've got a lot of ego about a lot of things; my knowledge of databases is definitely not among them.

Thanks in advance.

07-28-2013, 10:45 PM	#1
garyrenard Bat Boy Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 19	Newbie wth database question I've been lurking around the board for awhile and have found the amount of work folks put into their universes both amazing and daunting. I'm also getting quite an education on boxing history. I love some of the ideas I'm seeing and would like to emulate them, taking rules from one universe and combining them with another. The main thing that has stopped me is the sheer amount of data input there seems to be. I've been following "The Dance of the Meatbots", and love the rule that randomizes the starting years. After agonizing over the amount of data that would have to be inputted on the screens, I've been hesitant to start. It finally dawned on me that these universes are probably put together on a spreadsheet and then imported. I never said I was smart. Since coming to that conclusion, I've been searching for a downloadable spreadsheet that I can save and then tinker with to my heart's content. I've found the data updates, but haven't found something I can simply download. Does this elusive spreadsheet exist, and if it does, can I get a copy of it somewhere? Hey, if I get good at this, I may aspire to put up my own universe someday Gary

07-29-2013, 12:21 AM	#3
Mark42661 All Star Starter Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Home of the Kansas City Chiefs! Posts: 1,080	Don't be intimidated by the amount of work it takes to set up a universe. It's really a big part of the fun and once you get started doesn't feel like work at all. __________________ A Man of the World Site dedicated to Sailor Tom Sharkey

07-29-2013, 10:34 AM	#5
IceTea Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Sherrill, NY Posts: 9,847	I've actually never operated a universe but I may based on my women's boxing database. __________________ Don't worry, be happy! Women's Boxing Cyber Boxing Zone Philadelphia Boxing Boxrec Ross Boxing https://boxingjones.com/

07-29-2013, 06:00 PM	#7
Hanson Bros Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 2,006	sample of a portion of one of the three HW spreadsheets I have running right now Attached Images __________________ LBA UTBA3

08-18-2013, 09:39 PM	#8
garyrenard Bat Boy Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 19	Thanks for the insight and encouragement. I've been attempting to work out a universe in which all the boxers career dates (HW only as a trial run) were randomly reshuffled, with bouts starting in 1900. I wanted to give a basic rundown in here of what I've been doing, hoping you fine gentlemen will comment on anything I'm doing incorrectly, or if I'm leaving anything out. I slogged through and figured out a randomizer in Excel that seems to work well. It randomized career starts between 1885-2000, from which I also randomized birthdates so each boxer starts their career at different ages (I ranged them from 17-27). My goal was to have about 5% of the total number of fighters to be in some stage of their career when the universe starts. I ended up with 5.6%...close enough. I decided to make fighters whose careers started 1885-1887 as post-prime, 1888-1896 prime, 1897-1899 as pre-prime. All fighters starting after 1899 will be new. When editing boxers, I took everyone in the database and removed them from the auto-scheduler, adding them back in as I edited their info. This way I figured I would only have to edit the boxers that I am going to use currently, and adding them in as time goes (adding the boxers with 1901 start dates when 1900 is finished). I changed each boxer's birthdate, and left the date of death blank. I changed the career start to the appropriate year, and removed any career end date. I changed the fighter (if necessary) to "Active", and went into the "Career Stage" box and changed the "Valid as of" year to 1900 (month 1). Everyone (edited or not) is in the data pool. Only fighters whose career's have started (1885-1899) are in the autoscheduler. I have not deactivated boxers who were considered active in the database before I started (ex: either Klitschko), nor have I done anything with boxers whose career would be happening in 1900, but are appearing later in the universe. (ex: Jim Corbett). I'm not yet worrying about things like title belts or who is going to fight who. I know I have guidance on those things by cribbing from your universes. Anyway, any help is appreciated, and if I'm doing something really dumb, don't hesitate to point it out. I've got a lot of ego about a lot of things; my knowledge of databases is definitely not among them. Thanks in advance.

07-28-2013, 10:58 PM	#2
Lee Global Moderator Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: The Scorched Desert Posts: 4,653	There are spreadsheets out there, but I think most of us use them minimally. I know I use excel mostly for posting data and to set up fight cards in advance. In terms of a universe like the Meatbots, you can change the columns in the fighter screen and then just import various starting years into your 'active' universe groups. So if you want to start with all fighters who debuted in 1900, 1967, 1980 and 1994 you can sort by that and them mass edit and move them into you universe. Don't know if that is what you are looking for, but it is the way I do my random debut universes. Hopefully it helps.

07-29-2013, 03:11 PM	#6
hamed2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 3,244	IT - I have thought about having one for the women too but in most cases, you have a couple of elite fighters & everyone else.