What's with the saved games?

[Rexor]

OK, I love this game. All I ask is that someone explain to me how the saved game system works. Everytime I save a game, it merely updates the game I'm playing and erases all previously saved games in the same series. Which doesn't make any sense to me. Nothing about the options in the "Load Game" menu makes any sense to me. I have lost numerous valuable turns this way, and I don't know what else to do but turn to this forum for desperate help. Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[korrigan]

Check out your folder "Saves", in each game folder you'll find the current turn and the back-up of your previous turns. Just past-and-copy to be able to reload a turn.

[Pocus]

you don't have to manipulate files by your self. If you want to restore a previous turn, move the mouse over the line of your saved game (on the loadgame window). There is 3 options listed, the one you want is to restore a previous turn (hit HOME key)

[MarkShot]

The system used which Pocus has some well thought out justification for has always been quite convoluted to me.

Within the save game folder, the game produces up to 12 (I think) backup directories of game state/orders and cycles through these directories in an ascending rotation. Once, you understand how it works, you can actually go back to a turn up to 12 turns ago by moving files.

(I once wrote a utility to checkpoint turns in background automatically into another directory as a tool for AAR writing. I must say that the current scheme made it much more interesting to write. Of course, I am still wondering why the first turn/year of the game doesn't start from "1" or "0".)

[MarkShot]

Actually, in fairness, part of the multiple file architecture of save games has to do with how the engine was designed to support multi-player and transmission of orders between gaming sessions. Effectively the save game structure is decomposed into the pieces necessary to facilitate multi-player file data communications.

[MarkShot]

He he if you read code or someone wants to convert this to VB ...

;********************************************
; AGE Archiving Utility
;
; Mark Kratzer on 06/22/06 (revised 06/22/06)
;********************************************

; ----- Definitions -----

AGESaveDir = "E:\Games\BoA\BoA\Saves"
AGEArchDir = "C:\user\mk\Software\Games\BOA\Archives\"
DelayInterval = 15
DelayStabilize = 10

; ----- Initialize -----

WinTitle(WinName(), "AGEArchiver")
AGEGameDir = AskDirectory("Pick game to archive", AGESaveDir, "", "", 0)
GoSub LastTurnArchived

; ----- Monitor -----

While @TRUE

GoSub LastTurnPlayed

If LatestBackupTurn > LatestArchTurn Then
Delay(DelayStabilize) ; make sure files stabilize
GoSub ArchiveTurn
LatestArchTurn = LatestBackupTurn
End If

Delay(DelayInterval)

End While

Exit

;---------------------------
; ----- LastTurnPlayed -----
;---------------------------
;
; Returns:
; LatestBackupDir
; LatestBackupTurn

:LastTurnPlayed

LatestBackupDir = "*undefined*"
LatestBackupTurn = 0
DirList = DirItemize(StrCat(AGEGameDir,"*.*"))
DirListCount = ItemCount(DirList,@TAB)
For I = 1 to DirListCount
CurrentDirShort = ItemExtract(I, DirList, @TAB)
CurrentDirLong = StrCat(AGEGameDir, CurrentDirShort)
CurrentTagFile = FileItemize(StrCat(CurrentDirLong,"/*.tag"))
TurnPos = StrIndexNC(CurrentTagFile, "turn", 1, @FWDSCAN)+4
CurrentTurn = StrSub(CurrentTagFile, TurnPos, 3)
If CurrentTurn > LatestBackupTurn Then
LatestBackupDir = CurrentDirLong
LatestBackupTurn = CurrentTurn
EndIf
Next

Return

;-----------------------------
; ----- LastTurnArchived -----
;-----------------------------
;
; Returns:
; LatestArchDir
; LatestArchTurn

:LastTurnArchived

LatestArchDir = "*undefined*"
LatestArchTurn = 0
DirList = DirItemize(StrCat(AGEArchDir,"*.*"))
DirListCount = ItemCount(DirList,@TAB)
LatestDir = "*undefined*"
For I = 1 to DirListCount
CurrentDirShort = ItemExtract(I, DirList, @TAB)
CurrentDirLong = StrCat(AGEArchDir, CurrentDirShort)
CurrentTagFile = FileItemize(StrCat(CurrentDirLong,"/*.tag"))
TurnPos = StrIndexNC(CurrentTagFile, "turn", 1, @FWDSCAN)+4
CurrentTurn = StrSub(CurrentTagFile, TurnPos, 3)
If CurrentTurn > LatestArchTurn Then
LatestArchDir = CurrentDirLong
LatestArchTurn = CurrentTurn
EndIf
Next

Return

;------------------------
; ----- ArchiveTurn -----
;------------------------
;
; Creates an archive of a turn

:ArchiveTurn

; ----- Generate a meaningful file name -----

GameYear = 1750+((LatestBackupTurn-1)/12)
GameMonth = StrFixLeft(((LatestBackupTurn-1) mod 12)+1, "0", 2)
GameDate = StrCat(GameYear, "_", GameMonth)

; ----- Create and populate the archive -----

ArchiveDir = StrCat(AGEArchDir, GameDate)
DirMake(ArchiveDir)
FileSource = StrCat(LatestBackupDir, "\*.*")
FileCopy(FileSource, ArchiveDir, @FALSE)

; ----- Advise -----

Beep()
Delay(1)
Beep()
Delay(1)
Beep()

Return

[Rexor]

OK, I think I understand now. Thanks much for all the replies. Now if I could only find a way to save Frend Canada.... [;)]

[Pocus]

ORIGINAL: MarkShot

Actually, in fairness, part of the multiple file architecture of save games has to do with how the engine was designed to support multi-player and transmission of orders between gaming sessions. Effectively the save game structure is decomposed into the pieces necessary to facilitate multi-player file data communications.

Tell that to Yorktown [:D]

[freeboy]

you can also name the saves.. I think it is Control and clicking oon the save, allows you to save a1 a2 etc

[genie144]

Why make saved games or going back turns so complicated?  I understand that after you get on the board here and ask questions that it becomes easier, but if your trying to sell a consumer product, why make it so difficult for the consumer?
 
Sam

[Pocus]

Because there is no other option, the game is client/server based, a saved game is thus 5 files, not a single one. See previous posts for the explaination, the system has not been made to bother peoples, rest assured, but alas it has to be a bit more complicated than a simple 'pass the file to the next side' procedure. [:)]