Fix the f***ing save file problem.

from GalCiv2 Forums
Still no response from anybody on the GalCiv team about the save file problem. The only time I reload a save game is after GalCiv crashes (which seems to happen for many different reasons, all of them related to game bugs and programming issues in GalCiv itself). This would not be a show stopper IF the save game loaded properly. But no, you get ripped off of a production / research turn. This is inexcusable. I have heard a couple of references that this deliberate. I could see that being possible IF (you would need a giant IF in this case) the game itself never crashed. We all know how laughable that is. If it really is deliberate, the programmer should probably be slapped but until then FIX it. Disable the feature, flip the switch, change the attribute, whatever it is you need to do, it should take all of 5 minutes to fix (I know what I speak of, I am a retired SW engineer). But FIX it. Right now, I am not recommending this game to people and will not be until this problem is solved.

I have a hard time understading why the game is so unstable. The whole family plays Civ3 on 240 by 200 maps and it is extremely stable. We played Heroes of Might and Magic 3 for many years and had it crash all of two times (both on user created maps, never a problem with a map from the publishing company 3DO). I can not even remember Alpha Centauri crashing and I always played the largest maps with all the goodies. Whereas GalCiv crashes a minimum of twice a day.

By the way, I have timed my last couple of loads, they are stretching into the 4 minute territory. The file is not that huge, what is the problem here?

I can see the game has potential but the Save file issue is a serious one that need to be addressed by the deveopers of the game.

Cheers,
Superconductor
19,841 views 29 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Everyone on the internet is a software engineer, lawyer, or doctor.
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Everyone on the internet is a software engineer, lawyer, or doctor.


Where did he say he was an engineer, lawyer, or doctor? He was just venting his fustration, which I second... the file isnt that big, it's the RAM leakage thats annoying me, so I have a ram cleanup program running and boot it up every single time the game crashes.
Siege of Centauri
Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
If you're having a problem, why don't you post some usefull information. A copy of your debug.err is a good start. If you can, install Smart Exception, too, and let us know what it says when you crash.

FYI, not everyone is having issues.
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
hmm, ive got no memory leak nor is the game crashing, it runs perfectly for me. i wonder why
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Superconductor, seriously, follow this advice,

1) Shove it.
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Where did he say he was an engineer, lawyer, or doctor?


(Apparently you don't read words in parenthesis, I shall use this to my advantage in the future if I wish to insult you.)

Disable the feature, flip the switch, change the attribute, whatever it is you need to do, it should take all of 5 minutes to fix (I know what I speak of, I am a retired SW engineer).


Right there.
Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
You might want to check out your comp. Not saying it sucks or you don't know what your doing, but you will be surprised. Theres alot, in fact several things that can cause an application or game to crash and more times then not, its not the game itself. There could very well be a background application or process causing issues just to name only a couple. I been playing GalCiv2 on a newer laptop and I never had a crash before, not even in v1.0 or any of the beta patches. I disable norton internet security, run the game and all is well. I was pushing a good 9 hours of playing a couple of days ago, not had any problems. Its been a very stable game for me since I bought it. So if it was only the game, I think everyone would be complaining about crashes. Good luck though and I hope you get it working smoothly.
Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
This would not be a show stopper IF the save game loaded properly. But no, you get ripped off of a production / research turn


Yep, this is a really, really sloppy attempt to stop people saving and loading to play the perfect metaverse game. Unfortunately:

a) It happens even in non-metaverse saves

b) It's about the worst possible implementation imaginable
Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I been playing GalCiv2 on a newer laptop and I never had a crash before, not even in v1.0 or any of the beta patches.


This is something the vocal minority that post about their crashes needs to realize - many MANY players do not crash. I have never once had a crash while in GalCivII. I *have* run into minor bugs, most of which are display bugs. Most of those without a problem simply play the game, *maybe* browse the forums if they have spare time, and otherwise have a fine time with the game. Those unable to play come here to vent their frustrations, and attempt to achieve a solution, which is something they are entitled to. However, simply because those posts outnumber posts that state the game is functioning fine, it is foolish to assume that everyone has issues with this game.
Reply #10 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
While you're debug.err would be helpful, if you're using 1.1, can you take a look at this thread https://forums.galciv2.com/?ForumID=162&AID=115094#888639 to see if any of these suggestions work. This may related to a memory issue that various users of 1.1 are running into.
Reply #11 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
You might want to check out your comp. Not saying it sucks or you don't know what your doing, but you will be surprised. Theres alot, in fact several things that can cause an application or game to crash and more times then not, its not the game itself. There could very well be a background application or process causing issues just to name only a couple. I been playing GalCiv2 on a newer laptop and I never had a crash before, not even in v1.0 or any of the beta patches. I disable norton internet security, run the game and all is well. I was pushing a good 9 hours of playing a couple of days ago, not had any problems. Its been a very stable game for me since I bought it. So if it was only the game, I think everyone would be complaining about crashes. Good luck though and I hope you get it working smoothly.


To expand on this. If you want to eliminate (or reduce at least) the possible problems on the computer it'self.. Grab a cheap drive, do a clean install of whatever OS you run, grab the latest drivers for your hardware, clean you memory (as in pull the edge cards out, rub down the connectors, etc), and install nothing other then the game. Then see if it crashes.

The machine I play the game on has nothing but windows and a few games on it. I litterly run the game it'self for weeks at a time and have not seen a single crash yet. I think to date I've only quit maybe once or twice to install patches.

Reply #12 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Superconductor, seriously, follow this advice,

1) Shove it.


Thats a ridiculous way of responding to someone. He is having problems and is frustrated. Just because you may or may not be having problems does not mean he is not. There is enough problems listed on this site to prove that there are problems with the game. It is not fun spending $40 for something and to start liking it and look forward to it only to have it simply not work.

Superconductor: You need to be more tactful. You will find people respond much better when they are not being yelled and cussed at. You can get what you want much better by realizing that the development team is working hard and trying to fix things. If they don't fix it in the long run, you can always get a more in you face attitude then. For now, give them time as fixes like this don't always come overnight.

Reply #14 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Most of you are avoiding the main thrust of his complaint. Although he does mention crashes, his main gripe is with the save system removing all production/research for one turn after loading a game. This is not an issue related to his machine, and he doesn't really need to post his debug.err. It's in the game, and anybody who has ever loaded a game would know this.

Whether this is a bug or a deliberate attempt to stop people loading and saving repeatedly (something I've never heard from a dev directly), it is most certainly there. You can perhaps attempt to justify its existance, but you cannot deny that such a thing happens.
Reply #15 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Guys, I think you're missing his point.

His problem isn't that the game crashes for him. The problem is that, when loading a game, you don't get that turn's production. This is a bug that has been in the game since day 1, and v 1.1 didn't fix it.

If you need proof, try it. Get into the middle of a game, quit, reload, and skip ahead a few turns. You will see a gigantic drop in everybody's industry followed by an increase to where it used to be for the duration of one turn. In that turn, nobody got any production done.

As I said, it's been there since day 1 and needs to be rectified.
Reply #16 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
If you're having a problem, why don't you post some usefull information. A copy of your debug.err is a good start. If you can, install Smart Exception, too, and let us know what it says when you crash.

FYI, not everyone is having issues.


EVERYONE has the issues he is complaining about. If YOU don't lose a production turn after loading a saved game then tell us how you worked around it! I really don't think the debug file will help.
Reply #17 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
While you're debug.err would be helpful, if you're using 1.1, can you take a look at this thread Link to see if any of these suggestions work. This may related to a memory issue that various users of 1.1 are running into.


He was complaining about the missing production turn on laded saved game issue that every single player is having. You can easily replicate this at stardock. I wish it could be fixed as well. Why do we need to lose a production turn after loading a game?!!!
Reply #18 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
hmm, ive got no memory leak nor is the game crashing, it runs perfectly for me. i wonder why


Do you not lose a production turn after loading a game? That is what he is complaining about. Is everyone stupid? Am I the only one to actually understand his post?
Reply #20 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
It's not a bug.


Pretty stupid feature if that is what it is. It doesn't stop you from replaying an invasion or whatever, and there are lots of ways of cheating, so if this is not a bug then what is it. If it is a feature then what is the expected result. Also if it is a feature then why can't we turn it off or on?

Come stardock, are enough people complaining about this BUG yet?
Reply #21 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I'm having a hard time seeing why in the hell this matters.

So what if you lose one turn of production/research? Doesn't the AI too?

It stops cheap gaming (where did that transport come from? Never mind, I'll just reload the saved game from the turn before and buy a ship to block it.)
Reply #22 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Come stardock, are enough people complaining about this BUG yet?


It probably got lost in the major issues that they dealt with since they shipped.

I'm having a hard time seeing why in the hell this matters.

So what if you lose one turn of production/research? Doesn't the AI too?


Because it's stupid? Because it's silly?

The entire point of saving a game is so that you can pick it back up where you left off later. That point is defeated if reloading the game puts things in a different state from when you saved it.

It stops cheap gaming


If someone wants to do that, it's up to them. It's not up to the game designer to punish people for reloading the game. If they want to weaken their game experience, they're entitled to do so.

Plus, if they really wanted to cheat, they'd just use the cheat system and be done with it.
Reply #23 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
It can also screw you over. I was playing a game yesterday, and a Torian colony ship was rushing to colonise a nearby planet. No worries though- my own colony ship was almost complete. I got the planet, with one turn to spare. Then the game crashed (before people jump on me, I'm not complaining, sometimes these things just happen).

I reloaded, and of course this time the Torian colony ship beat me there by one turn. Sure, it's an isolated incident, but it's pretty damn annoying. And it does happen.

And it doesn't stop cheap gaming. I'm pretty sure I could exploit it. If I have killed most of my opponent's ships, for instance, if I save/reload every turn, they aren't ever going to be able to build any new ones. If I build up a big enough fleet of transports beforehand, I can take their entire empire without giving them a chance to retaliate.

There are tons of other ways to stop the scenario you suggested. For instance, you shouldn't be able to load games without either:

A: Quitting the game
B: Waiting for an hour after you made the save

In these cases, if you crash, you can reload (since you will have left the game). You could still 'cheat' as it where by quitting the game and coming back in, but I doubt people would bother, since it would be more effort. The time limit means you can go back to a different game if you wanted to for some reason (say you were switching users).

Besides, if they really care about cheap gaming, why on earth did they include cheat codes? Sure, they are flagged on metaverse (or something, I haven't checked) but in that case why does the production thing affect non-metaverse games?
Reply #24 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

It is on our list but it isn't at the top of the priority list. We understand why some people think this is a big deal but please remember that everyone has their favorite feature/pet peeve/whatever.

1.2 is scheduled for this Month.  If one looks at the list of improvements we made in 1.1, I think the case can be made that we haven't been exactly sitting around.

Reply #25 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I am going to hide this thread since the title is highly inappropriate.