Saved game file causes crashes

[cleverwise]

I was wondering if anyone knows how to possibly fix a corrupt saved game file?

I have a game file that causes BotF to instantly crash if you click on the Load or Save game buttons. If I remove that file from the directory (game2.sav in this case) BotF functions normally. As soon as I copy it back into the BotF directory the crash reappears. So clearly it is that file.

Thanks!

[slickrcbd]

It has been happening to me since I got the game. Usually it happens if you save right before hitting "turn" and a crash occurs at the start of the next turn. All I can suggest is save every turn to a rotating set of save files, so that you don't get set too far back when this happens.

It doesn't happen as often as the above seems to imply, but it does happen if you've been playing a while. Doing a lot of loading and saving seems to accelerate this happening, such as when I was trying to get the hang of the behavior of each race's ships in combat by save scumming a combat so I could experiment.

[cleverwise]

Yeah I have seen it happen before although it isn't super common for me. Still I never tried to see if the file can be repaired.

[slickrcbd]

It isn't super common unless you save several times on the same turn without quitting the game, or you reload a battle several times in single player and then save once you get the best possible outcome, then save again after doing the micromanagement.

Fortunately, I only did the latter the first time I played each race as I was having trouble figuring out how the ships behaved in response to the commands as it turned out not to be the simple rock-paper-scissors the manual and on-screen hints made it out to be.

[thunderchero]

Still I never tried to see if the file can be repaired.

Flocke has a very comprehensive saved game info here
BotF-Wiki

sadly some data is still unexplained. so you may be able to fix part of it, and never know that someplace else needs editing.

editing is a quick fix, and may not last more than a couple turns.

thunderchero

[cleverwise]

It isn't super common unless you save several times on the same turn without quitting the game, or you reload a battle several times in single player and then save once you get the best possible outcome, then save again after doing the micromanagement.

As a session matures I often save right before hitting turn as it gets annoying in later stages of the session to have it crash and then have to repeat all the actions. It is interesting you link it to multiple saves during the same term.

Normally I can play sessions with 1,500+ turns without any corrupt files. A lot of crashes between turns as the game does get very crashy (new word? ;-) as things get more complex. I do rarely double save on a single turn although when there is a lot to do I admit sometimes I forget something before saving and thus save again after the change(s) then hit turn. Still, as I stated, it is rare I get a totally hosed file.

editing is a quick fix, and may not last more than a couple turns.

Thanks TC! It sounds like it really isn't worth it. No biggie. It is unfortunate but not the end of the world to lose that session. Oh well I'll just have to start another round. "Darn!"

[KrazeeXXL]

use mpr++

Flocke set it up in a way, so it autosaves each consecutive turn in a specific sub-folder. Check the inis to alter it.