Not enough skaters - again

[hagakure]

I know this is a known issue, and it's back. In challenge mode -- where I can't enable commissioner mode -- I'm being told I don't have enough skaters to start the game, though of course, I have plenty of everything, max roster, max dressed, all positions filled. I've got a head coach -- I prefer to GM only, and now this will kill my game and after probably 50 hours, I'm going to have to dump this game and start again.

I know you guys are working on FHM7 and I appreciate that your support of FHM6 is limited, but this has been an issue since release, I've seen it in other forums and experienced it twice before myself. It's a GAME KILLER; it brings you to a stop. If you're not going to patch it, at least fix it in 7.

[Adam B]

You need to give more information here. At least give a screenshot so we can see what's going on, and we may need to see the save.

[JeffR]

That message usually means you have an imbalance between the number of defencemen and forwards. But, as Adam said, to figure out what the exact problem is, we'd need to see the save or at least a screenshot.

[hagakure]

Originally Posted by Adam B

You need to give more information here. At least give a screenshot so we can see what's going on, and we may need to see the save.

Adam, fair enough, but the reason I didn't include any other info is because I know Jeff R is already aware of this issue. Below is his response to it in the Steam Forums back in February:

Looks like it's a strange interaction between the AI lineup assistant, 20-skater rosters, and the roster warning system for human GM's. We'll have to investigate it a little further to find a permanent fix, but you can get around it for now by firing your head coach to put you in GM/Head Coach mode. The owner won't let you do it while you're in challenge mode, but you can get around that with a little cheat to get the game into commissioner mode temporarily:

-start another game with challenge mode off, exit the game, make a backup copy of the the game_settings.dat file in this save, and then copy the game_settings.dat file from the new game into this save
-restart the game, load this save, and you'll be able to turn commissioner mode on in Manager-Options; do that, then go to the staff screen and right-click on your head coach (in the staff list at the middle, not the top) and release him. Save and exit the game.
-replace the game_settings.dat file with the backup you made earlier and restart the game.

At that point, you'll be in GM/Head Coach mode and you won't get that warning anymore, even with the identical lineup - just don't change "Settings Lineups & Tactics" to Assistant in the manager options, or it'll appear again. You can use the AI and assistant options on the Action Menu of the rosters and lines screens to get the assistant to set your lines and lineups for you if you don't want to do them yourself.

Attached are screen shots showing I have:
- 3 goalies, one of them day-to-day but game available
- 4 left defense, 3 right defense
- 4 left wings, 5 centers, 6 right wings

Second screen shot is the error.

[Cheburator]

For the Asia League, I think you need to have 4 defensemen on each side. You only have 3 on the right side.

[JeffR]

Doesn't necessarily need to be a RD, but there has to be 8 defencemen on a 22-man roster like the ALIH uses. That lineup has 13 forwards and 7 defencemen, should be 12-8. We need to make that error message a little clearer.

[hagakure]

Thanks, Jeff, I'll try to get another defenseman.