This is where the fifa-ng-db-meta.xml file comes into play. The ".xml" extension tells us it's an file. Unlike the binary .db file, the .xml meta file is a text-based document that acts as a schema or a map . It provides the structure, definitions, and metadata that tell editing tools exactly how to read the data within the fifa_ng_db.db file. For a modding tool to interpret the database correctly, it must load these two files together. The XML file explains what each column in the database is called, what type of data it holds, and how all the tables relate to each other, making it the indispensable "legend" to the database's "map."
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <database name="fifa_ng_db" version="2024"> <table name="players"> <column name="playerid" type="int" key="primary" /> <column name="firstname" type="string" length="64" /> <column name="sprint_speed" type="int" min="0" max="99" /> <column name="skill_moves" type="int" min="1" max="5" /> <!-- ... hundreds more columns ... --> </table> </database>
If you open fifa-ng-db-meta.xml in a text editor (like Notepad++ or Visual Studio Code), you will encounter a structure that looks similar to this simplified example: fifa-ng-db-meta.xml
: Use the FIFA Editor Tool or a similar tool to extract fifa_ng_db.db and fifa-ng-db-meta.xml from the game's DLC directory.
Inside each table definition are individual fields. The XML defines how these fields behave using specific parameters: This is where the fifa-ng-db-meta
In the world of FIFA (and now EA Sports FC) modding, specifically on PC, the ability to change the game's database is the holy grail. Whether you want to update player ratings, change league structures, or adjust team budgets, you are ultimately interacting with the game’s core data tables.
The file is a metadata configuration file used in the EA Sports FC (formerly FIFA) game engine . It serves as a structural map for the game's internal SQL-based database files (typically fifa_ng_db.db ). Key Functions It provides the structure, definitions, and metadata that
With the rebranding from FIFA to in 2024, the core database system has remained largely intact. The Ultimate EA DB Master tool, for example, is designed to work across the latest EA FC titles, indicating that the underlying database structure, including the fifa_ng_db-meta.xml , has persisted into the new era.
The main database file is encrypted and compressed into a binary format. Modding tools use the XML file as a key to decode the binary data into human-readable tables.
The DB contains tables like players , teams , leagues . The Meta XML explains that the field overallrating in the players table is an integer stored at a specific offset.
) and foreign key relationships that link players to specific teams. Common Use in Modding Modders use this file alongside tools like the FIFA Editor Tool Extract Data