BUG: Save game gone

[Rockinsince87]

Scope: Save Games


Bug: Save games are deleted after a failed load of the game


Current remedy:  Use disk shadow copies or use a automated backup script to copy the data someplace else at a given interval

Steps to reproduce:
--I don't think this can be reproduced at will--
1. Load game
2. If Game get's stuck loading (Excessive load time, 5 minutes +) ((In my case I waited 10 minutes))
3. Close the game
4. Re-launch game and...find that all the avatars are missing
5. Verify that  ((Win)) "%userprofile%\Hazeron Starship\Saved Games\A1001100 is now ~1KB or less. 
       

Suggested:
- Implement a auto-save feature (configurable in game menus) 
- Implement a auto rotation archive feature
   - Keep last 3 saves
     - Perhaps rename the save file A1001100.1 .2 .3 and so on. 
     - Should something go wrong, end users can simply delete A1001100 and rename A1001100.X to A1001100 to restore lost data.

---

Update:

I found that the A1010101 was damaged. I restored an backup save game and it blew it self out again and again. 
I restored both files (A1010101 and A1001100) and this fixed it. 


So if A1010101 is damaged this will happen. 

[Deantwo]

Suggested:
- Implement a auto-save feature (configurable in game menus) 
- Implement a auto rotation archive feature
   - Keep last 3 saves
     - Perhaps rename the save file A1001100.1 .2 .3 and so on. 
     - Should something go wrong, end users can simply delete A1001100 and rename A1001100.X to A1001100 to restore lost data.

Yeah, I agree with both suggests.

Update:

I found that the A1010101 was damaged. I restored an backup save game and it blew it self out again and again. 
I restored both files (A1010101 and A1001100) and this fixed it. 


So if A1010101 is damaged this will happen.

I don't know what is in each of the two files, but yes I would assume that you can't have them be out of sync?
I am not entirely sure why it is two separate files at all, and maybe they should just be one instead to make it easier?

[Rockinsince87]

Looks like avatar data is in the smaller file. Possibly the blueprint exchange too. As for the big file one...not sure. Could be universe data only?

In either case they are very very important 


Right now I have a simple script keeping rotational backups.

[AnrDaemon]

I would suggest very robust save game strategy:
1. When the game starts, it creates a temporary backup of the save, and only then attempting to load the game.
2. If the game confirms that the save is operable, it moves temporary backup to the permanent one.
3. If the game fails to load the save/crashes/whatever, the next start will detect the backup and will be able to at least notify the user that the last start was unsuccessful.

[Celarious]

I would suggest very robust save game strategy:
1. When the game starts, it creates a temporary backup of the save, and only then attempting to load the game.
2. If the game confirms that the save is operable, it moves temporary backup to the permanent one.
3. If the game fails to load the save/crashes/whatever, the next start will detect the backup and will be able to at least notify the user that the last start was unsuccessful.

+1, that'd be really good

[Rockinsince87]

I would suggest very robust save game strategy:
1. When the game starts, it creates a temporary backup of the save, and only then attempting to load the game.
2. If the game confirms that the save is operable, it moves temporary backup to the permanent one.
3. If the game fails to load the save/crashes/whatever, the next start will detect the backup and will be able to at least notify the user that the last start was unsuccessful.

+1, that'd be really good

Yep this is exactly what is needed.

[Rockinsince87]

Update: 

Just happened again. I was doing nothing unusual. When I saved and quit last night, my alt was just enroute to a planet. I was about 30 seconds out from orbit.  Loading was taking forever, after I closed the program I watched save file A1001100 revert to 1K in size (3 bytes in actual).

Good thing I'm using my own script to create backups. I was able to restore with only a minute of data loss. I just reloaded 30 seconds out from orbit as expected.

[Rockinsince87]

Update:

Just happened again. The only common element right now is my ship was moving when I saved and quit.

[AnrDaemon]

Moved between systems?

[Rockinsince87]

Moved between systems?

Sorry my fault. In each occurrence I was moving in the same system. This last time I was just changing orbit positions. 
Example: I would give an order, the ship would start to move, and I would save and quit quickly


Now...I've done this before with no issues. But in those instances, they were maneuvers longer than 1-2 minutes, no issues. 

I've tested this a few times and it appears to be random when the save game gets corrupt while trying the example.