Backing up Campaign and custom data

[Oopsilon]

Hi all,

I'm not sure where to ask this, hence I am asking it in the Tavern.

FG is an offline installable system (offline as in if the DM's PC is off, players can't access the data). I assume that all my purchases are linked to my player ID and can be re-downloaded any time, but I what about all my custom stuff and all the Campaigns I create? What is the "recommended" way of backing up everything? Or is it actually backing it up on a FG server?

Thanks in advance for your help.

[Zacchaeus]

You can back up your campaign folder any way that you like except it is not recommended to sync your campaign folders to a cloud based storage system. None of your custom data is backed up automatically so it's something that you will want to do yourself. I use a software package to backup my campaign folder to a second hard drive once a week. You could also use Windows built in back up or you could just zip up the folder and save the zip file somewhere other than your main drive.

[damned]

hey Oopsilon

Your campaigns etc are stored only on your computer.
You should back them up.
Regularly.

[Oopsilon]

Thanks guys.

@Zacchaeus Why should I not sync that folder to the cloud? Is it so that I don't, by mistake, delete it from the cloud? Or because FG doesn't play nice with the extra files?

That being said, can I simply take these files, drop them in the same location in a new installation on a laptop and it will work fine?

I ask because I will be building my campaigns on my PC, but I might be taking my laptop to my group to play.

Thanks again for the assist.

[Callum]

Why should I not sync that folder to the cloud? Is it so that I don't, by mistake, delete it from the cloud? Or because FG doesn't play nice with the extra files?

That being said, can I simply take these files, drop them in the same location in a new installation on a laptop and it will work fine?

People have reported corruption of their data when using a cloud sync, which is why it's not recommended. But, as you said, you can simply make a copy of your files and use those as your back-up.

[damned]

Copying your campaign data to the cloud is fine.
Storing your live campaign data in the cloud can result in data corruption as the sync tech only sees files and doesnt understand how the app is using them.

[Oopsilon]

Got it! Thanks guys.

And is "restoring" as simple as dropping the files in the same location?

[damned]

Got it! Thanks guys.

And is "restoring" as simple as dropping the files in the same location?

Yes. But close FG - or at least exit your campaign(s) before restoring.

[Oopsilon]

Yes, of course. This would be more for when I switch computers.

Thanks for the help!

[Nylanfs]

There's a batch file somewhere in the forums that will back up your data automatically every time you exit.

[Oopsilon]

Oh nice. Thank you. I'll look for it. That's really nifty :P

[BrettM]

Am I assuming correctly that the only folder that needs to be backed up is the one accessed from the top-right of the Launcher screen (see screenshot below)? Thanks!

31249

[Moon Wizard]

Yes, all of your session data is stored in the "campaigns" folder.

Also, if you added any community modules, community extensions, community rulesets, or any custom token files; those are stored in their respective folders.

To be safe, I just back up the whole folder.

Regards,
JPG

[BrettM]

Thanks!

[Larsenex]

MoonWizard,

In some preparation for FGU, I also wanted to back up my campaign. I have a 15 terabyte storage drive attached to my computer. Should I copy the entire game files there or just campaign, extensions and mods?

[Trenloe]

Like the man said:


To be safe, I just back up the whole folder.

[Hitchhiker]

So I have a question about the cloud server. Is it just a "No no" to work with it in real-time, for running campaigns and building them, or should we not use it as a backup location either. I ask because I am fortunate that at my job I have hours during the day that I can work on stuff here. So if when I am finished could I then copy it over to my google drive. Then when I get home recopy it to the laptop and keep working. Then repeat the process in reverse when I head back to the office.

Short question: Are the could based services discouraged as back up locations also or just as the working location for the files?

[Trenloe]

No FG data is stored in the cloud. The "cloud" campaign option in FG Unity is just for connection management - to get around port forwarding issues it servers as a proxy for player to GM connections.

[notrealdan]

So I have a question about the cloud server. Is it just a "No no" to work with it in real-time, for running campaigns and building them, or should we not use it as a backup location either. I ask because I am fortunate that at my job I have hours during the day that I can work on stuff here. So if when I am finished could I then copy it over to my google drive. Then when I get home recopy it to the laptop and keep working. Then repeat the process in reverse when I head back to the office.

Short question: Are the could based services discouraged as back up locations also or just as the working location for the files?

You can backup FG Data to cloud locations, no problem. The issues arise when both FG and the cloud service are trying to write/sync the files there at the same time, which can cause (and has on several reported occasions caused) data corruption. That's why you don't want your live, working FG Data location to live on a cloud drive (like Google Drive, Dropbox, etc). I copy my FG Data to a cloud location to move it around like you described all the time.

[Hitchhiker]

Perfect thank you. I a little bit forgetful and relying on a USB drive to go back and forth I am sure would cause and issue at some point.

[donjonmaster]

Copying your campaign data to the cloud is fine.
Storing your live campaign data in the cloud can result in data corruption as the sync tech only sees files and doesnt understand how the app is using them.

Is this true for OneDrive, GoogleDrive etc. (all of popular backup clouds)

[LordEntrails]

Is this true for OneDrive, GoogleDrive etc. (all of popular backup clouds)
Absolutely. These cloud storage solutions are the ones that have been proven to cause data corruption.