Corrupted Save Game

[sage]

I started playing the Conrwallis short campaign. A few turns in, it started asking me if I wanted to continue without my PBEM game. Then it crashed. The 'current' save game is for turn 2. If I use the save game in the back up directory, it has the correct unit dispositions, but it says, 'turn 1 of 5 left'. Trying to use it fails, as it appears to revert me back to turn 1 after I generate the turn. Disapointing. Do problems like this happen with the longer games?

[sage]

So, to avoid the previous problem with the corrupted save game, I use <ctrl>-save to make a backup, as instructed. That put the game in a state where I could neither continue to actually save my game, as the file was 'locked', yeah, and who had the handle? Anyway, I quit and reloaded but now it crashed when I end my turn.

Seems fragile for a released game...

Log says:
10:17:38 PM (Reporting) TGameSim.OnLoadGame_FilePicked D:\Program Files\Birth of America\BoA\Saves\1781 Cornwallis\1781 Cornwallis~AME.trn :Turn file loaded, # of entries: 29525
10:17:38 PM PFing 7.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 11436.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 19082.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 19448.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 19463.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 9.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 6.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 5.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 8.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 8.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 5.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 20799.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 21500.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 20779.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 20121.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 19757.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 20194.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 20197.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 105.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 20665.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 21733.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 20354.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 19950.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 19997.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 125.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 18027.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 19504.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 575.0 µs
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10:17:38 PM PFing 500.0 µs
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10:17:38 PM PFing 19042.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 19372.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 19418.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 19769.0 µs
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10:17:38 PM PFing 88.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 21912.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 97.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 22250.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 11.0 µs
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10:17:38 PM PFing 97.0 µs
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10:17:38 PM PFing 11.0 µs
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10:17:38 PM PFing 11.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 19418.0 µs
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10:17:38 PM PFing 19451.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 18603.0 µs
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10:17:38 PM PFing 17944.0 µs
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10:17:38 PM PFing 91.0 µs
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10:17:38 PM PFing 19481.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 524.0 µs
10:17:38 PM Theater eval: Atlantic Ocean 1336.0 µs
10:17:38 PM Theater eval: Atlantic Ocean 536.0 µs
10:17:38 PM Theater eval: Atlantic Ocean 535.0 µs
10:17:38 PM Theater eval: Atlantic Ocean 530.0 µs
10:17:38 PM Theater eval: Atlantic Ocean 530.0 µs
10:17:38 PM Theater eval: Atlantic Ocean 622.0 µs
10:17:38 PM Theater eval: Atlantic Ocean 535.0 µs
10:17:38 PM Theater eval: Atlantic Ocean 535.0 µs
10:17:38 PM Theater eval: Atlantic Ocean 991.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 18631.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 9.0 µs
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10:17:38 PM PFing 12.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 19922.0 µs
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10:17:38 PM PFing 130.0 µs
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10:17:38 PM PFing 85.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 18480.0 µs
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10:17:38 PM PFing 11.0 µs
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10:17:38 PM PFing 23461.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 186.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 19418.0 µs
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10:17:38 PM PFing 88.0 µs
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10:17:38 PM PFing 20852.0 µs
10:17:38 PM Ending Process on Great Britain 3003364.1 µs
10:17:38 PM (Reporting) THost.ProcessTurn Host file loaded, # of entries: 30919
10:17:38 PM (Reporting) THost.ProcessTurn Starting hosting of turn 376 - 1781, April
10:17:38 PM [Error ] TUnit.GetMoveModel no SU in unit 1000482 Supply # II
10:17:38 PM [Critical ] TGroup.PathExists Exception caught: 1000379 Greene's Army LogStep: 10 Violation d'accès à l'adresse 005A6516 dans le module 'BoA.exe'. Lecture de l'adresse 00000080
10:17:38 PM PFing 19163388.2 µs
10:17:38 PM [Error ] TUnit.GetMoveModel no SU in unit 1000483 23rd Continental
10:17:38 PM [Critical ] TGroup.PathExists Exception caught: 1000379 Greene's Army LogStep: 10 Violation d'accès à l'adresse 005A6516 dans le module 'BoA.exe'. Lecture de l'adresse 00000080
10:17:38 PM PFing 4965.0 µs
10:17:38 PM [Error ] TUnit.GetMoveModel no SU in unit 1000484 1st South Carolina
10:17:38 PM [Critical ] TGroup.PathExists Exception caught: 1000379 Greene's Army LogStep: 10 Violation d'accès à l'adresse 005A6516 dans le module 'BoA.exe'. Lecture de l'adresse 00000080
10:17:38 PM PFing 10169.0 µs
10:17:38 PM [Error ] TUnit.GetMoveModel no SU in unit 1000485 Nathanael Greene
10:17:38 PM [Critical ] TGroup.PathExists Exception caught: 1000379 Greene's Army LogStep: 10 Violation d'accès à l'adresse 005A6516 dans le module 'BoA.exe'. Lecture de l'adresse 00000080
10:17:38 PM PFing 4822.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 30478.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 19022.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 20032.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 29833.0 µs
10:17:38 PM PFing 22093.0 µs

[Pocus]

Which version of BOA are you using?&nbsp;

[sage]

I'm using the matrix default version, 1.10.
&nbsp;
If I'm doing something wrong, I'd really like to know what it is. I don't feel comfortable starting any game that's going to last longer than a single sitting.
&nbsp;
Incidentally, someone mentioned that alt-tab works with BoA. That's not my experience -- alt-tab'ing doesn't appear to work at all.

[Pocus]

can you please send me the corrupted saved game? A bug can always happen, even if they are rare in BOA, 10 months after release. You need to go to the save directory and zip the folder corresponding to your game (the entire folder in one single zip, you should be able to do so with a right click option). If you are in doubt about which folder it is, then zip all the saves directory, size does not matter. Send the file to support@ageod.com

Ctrl-save can fail on some computers, but again it is rare (yes you have a stroke of bad luck with BOA, sorry for that). On the other hand ctrl-save is rather superfluous now that there is the possibility to restore the 12 previous turns of any game. When you play BOA, each turn is saved, automatically. If you want to quit, you have nothing to do, your game is already saved (unless you issued orders but did not proceed to the new turn, in this case save your orders with the save button).

I would like to know if you get a corruption problem when you play other scenarios, or just on this particular one.

alt-tabing works if you have something to alt-tab to, ie another application. if not you can reduce boa by hitting the 'window' key then doing a right click on the boa icon, 'minimize'. Generally people have always something else open, like a mail program or a folder, so alt-tabing always work.

Thanks in advance for the answers.

[sage]

Save game on the way; I'm sending them all. When the save game becamse corrupted, I tried the back up save, however it had not created one for each turn as you describe; thus my (failed) attempt to use ctrl-save.

I have a pretty fast new computer (dual core duo) so it's possible I've exposed a race condition in the code? If ctrl-save doesn't work reliably, I'd recommend that you remove it. Data loss scenarios like this aren't the best for user experience...

I have not yet seen any problem with corruption in other games. And, after restarting, I was able to play cornwalis through end to end.

This problem aside, I've been having a blast playing the short scenarios.

[Pocus]

ctrl-save is indeed tricky, it works on 90% of the computers, but one some the files seems to stay locked up to 10 mn by the system (yes Windows) and there is no way to force the unlock.

You can't restore game, because ctrl-save create a new branching, without the backups in fact. So theorically, unless it worked really bad, you have a duplicated folder, one with the backups, and a new one without.

As you said, it is perhaps better to remove the functionnaly, especially now (since 4 months!) that we have the backup procedure.
I got your save and I'm reviewing it. Thanks for the files.

[Pocus]

back from the code,

The problem comes (partly at least) from something I see but still can't explain. Without the order file, there is in Charlotte, Picken and Picken Militia with only one badly mauled company. In the order file, Picken has relocated in Greene's army, and the militia unit has 4 companies at full health. That's the first time I see something like that.

[sage]

Hmmmm... I think the error with Greene's army was the second one where I ctrl-saved. Looking, I think I may have deleted the first one. Do saves deleted from in game go to the Recycle Bin?

[Pocus]

no, they are lost for good (an oversight yes).

I can now have your turn run without corruption, you will need the upcoming 1.10e though. It should be a matter of day before it is ready for public release.

[sage]

Thanks Philippe!