Incompatible Saved Games for new versions is unacceptable

from AshesoftheSingularity Forums

Hi, I've started playing the end missions of Episode I on May 27th early morning. After playing for 1.1 hours I save the game and go to bed. Yesterday I wanted to resume the saved game, and they don't appear, even though the files are in the Saved Game folder.

I found on the Internet someone else with the same issue. Stardock decided that every time they release a new version, it will be automatically installed to everyone, with no possible downgrade, and make saved games not compatible with the newer version. Latest version came May 26th, so while I was playing, the game was being updated, making all the saved games unusable.

I think that is not acceptable, they should allow still allow "old" saved games, that's not the industry standard at all.

Now I have to start over, and I have to finish the mission the same day I play, for fear of getting another update which breaks my saved game, that's embarrassing for a AAA game.

3,578 views 3 replies
Reply #1 from AshesoftheSingularity Forums Top

Whether a game can update while you are playing a game or not is a Steam option.

Whether a game updates at all (manual or automatic) is also a Steam option.

The Devs normally (and always should) let people know if a patch will effect the save file or not in the patch notes, which are put up here and on Steam.

It is annoying when it happens I agree but you do have the ability at your fingertips to stop it happening ever again. (On Steam at least, I don't know how GOG works)

Btw there is a big patch coming, 1.2, which is going to add some more missions, couple more cinematics and add a lot more voice work to the campaign. Good news, but I'd be amazed if that didn't break save games too. Just a heads up.

(And for the record there are a huge number of games which at one point or another have broken old save games. At the moment (thankfully) Ashes is still getting patched a lot including things like free new units and buildings, so I imagine keeping backward compatibility would be a lot of work. At some point hopefully broken save files stops happening or only happen very rarely)

Reply #2 from AshesoftheSingularity Forums Top

At Steam I have this options:

1. Always keep this game up to date

2. Only update this game when I launch it

3. High priority - Always auto-update this game before others

Not sure 2. will prompt me to update.

What I would expect is a big prompt telling me, Do you want to update? saved games wont work anymore, and that´s it.

Stardock could allow downgrades in Steam, I've seen some games offer that option.

Thanks.

Galactic Civilizations IV
Reply #3 from AshesoftheSingularity Forums Top

After playing strat games since 1992, the saved game thing is going to happen.. Just the way it is.  Especially when they optimize, different formats for data, maybe different compression, all kind of things.. It is a bummer, but you only have to play the saved game mission over, it did save the campaign progress for me.