Syncing of goals, local high scores and HOF scores across devices

The latest update to TPA on iOS ( 1.2.4 ) includes the ability to backup your save data online and also to restore, it's at the bottom of the options menu. This includes your local high scores, your completed goals and your table by table hall of fame scores. Previously this could be achieved by backing up the data to your pc ( see the sticky ) but its probably a bit too cumbersome for most people.

A nice side effect of the new system is that you can now sync data between devices so if you play on an iPad and an iPhone then you might benefit from this. All you have to do is backup on one device and then restore on the other. I just tested it by backing up my iPad data and restored on my iPhone 4S, all worked fine except on AFM my iPad was on wizard goals but the iPhone showed standard goals although all ticked off. One short game on AFM and this sorted itself out.

I haven't tried syncing the other way yet but it should work. Also just to be on the safe side I'm still going to back up occasionally to my PC.

I used this to sync my ipad to my iPhone, completed a bunch if goals, then synced it back to the iPad. I used the remote backup option each time, and it worked like a charm.

I'm a little worried I might accidentally overwrite a newer file someday, but if that happens it will be user error. This is fantastic. Thank you FarSight!

Yeah I know it could be done but it was a bit too much trouble for most people I think. I've been backing up and restoring for a long time using the pc method but its a lot easier now.

Here's what I found with v1.2.4...

If you want to archive your table/scores file to you PC, just copy over the "pba3A.bac" file (using iFunBox or whatever other means you wish to access the iDevice's file system directly). You can omit all the other "pba*.*" files. The backup/restore function within the game now actually does something and after using "Restore" on the device, it creates/recreates "pba.dat" and "pba3A.dat". Have not tried backup/restore with the "Remote" option as of yet...

Also take note that after using the Restore function (at least local in this case), you NEED to actually play a game (any table) and then exit the table for the restored high scores to "stick". If you simply use the Restore function, NOT play a table & exit TPA, you'll again have to use the Restore function to get your scores to be recognized by the game & play/complete a table for the high scores to "stick". This is at least according to my testing...

I can confirm this MadScience. But the data will still be there so you can restore it as many times as you like before you override it with a new backup.

MadScience2006 said:

Also take note that after using the Restore function (at least local in this case), you NEED to actually play a game (any table) and then exit the table for the restored high scores to "stick". If you simply use the Restore function, NOT play a table & exit TPA, you'll again have to use the Restore function to get your scores to be recognized by the game & play/complete a table for the high scores to "stick". This is at least according to my testing...

Click to expand...

Here' exactly what I found with the new function, as described by MadScience2006...



Bug: Goals showing incorrectly for newly downloaded games already played on different iOS device.

I Purchased and played Dr Dude and Firepower on my iPad 4.
I completed the standard goals and a few Wizard Goals on both.

I used the "Back Up Save Data (remote)" on the iPad and exited the game.

I then started The Pinball Arcade on my iPhone 5.
It didn't show the two new tables under the My Tables screen, but still showed them both under the New Tables screen.
I selected "Restore Save Data (remote)" from the options screen, then went to the New Tables screen and selected Firepower.
It prompted me to restore purchased tables and downloaded them.

I first experienced the following when starting up Firepower to play, so I was careful to repeat my steps and document them when starting Dr Dude.


From table selection menu, I selected Dr Dude.
it shows the button for Wizard Goals, with two stars complete.
Selecting the goals button shows not the Wizard Goals but the standard goals with check mark by each.

I Selected the table to play and then viewed the Table Menu.
It also shows Standard Goals and not Wizard Goals.
Selecting the goals list once again shows all of the Standard Goals with check marks by each.

After touching START, before plunging the first ball, I paused the game to the menu screen. it now properly shows the Wizard Goals with the correct items checked.



It DOES fix itself once you start playing, but as a software developer myself, those are the most frustrating of all bugs. The ones that vanish! It makes the user think... Did I really just see that? and subtly negatively affects the user perception of the program.


I'm very happy to have this new functionality added to The Pinball Arcade! Even with the minor glitch. Gotta report them to get them fixed though!

Edited:
Added to BUGS thread

Does this actually work? Every single one of my high scores is gone for some reason. I was in the top 100 in Hall of Fame points, now I have a total of 159 points. Actually, I don't even know where to find the Hall of Fame ranking at all now. It makes me not want to play anymore. It used to be fun to compare high scores with my friends. Now I can't my friends scores don't even show up anymore.

@Rooter

Try toggling your Game Center option from within TPA: Options/Game Center Save from on to off (or vise versa). I know that my scores & achievements won't be restored if the Game Center Save option is set to off. Switching it to on, everything is fine and shows up correctly. I believe when you start playing from scratch, your scores and achievements are linked to this setting.

I'm trying to backup my scores. Should I use local or remote backup?

Remote.

I use it often to transfer scores from iPad to iPhone. And I seem to recall someone on the forums here saying that the local option didn't work as anticipated?