Single player mode but no save game??

Discussion in 'Planetary Annihilation General Discussion' started by Nortalud, September 10, 2014.

  1. Nortalud

    Nortalud New Member

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    I know this has been asked before, but what on earth would possess you to create a single player game mode without including a save feature?

    I can't begin to express what an incredibly frustrating time I've had trying to play the galactic war mode only to have my progress wiped out by a single unlucky spawn, or server disconnect, or power glitch, or any number of other random happenings. Every other single player RTS I've played in the last 25+ years has offered SOME kind of save feature (most mid-match).

    Planetary Annihilation is ground breaking in many ways, but the decision to leave out this particular 'traditional' feature is just baffling to me.
  2. tehtrekd

    tehtrekd Post Master General

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    I assume you're talking about Galactic War?
    G.W. has a save system in it, but it's only in between games.

    If you mean in just regular skirmishes, then yeah there's no saving unfortunately. It is coming though.
  3. Nortalud

    Nortalud New Member

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    Yes, I mean in Galactic War. And a one-chance-only 'checkpoint' between matches does not a game save feature make.

    Was it a conscious decision to leave out mid-match saving and retries (i.e. try the same fight again)? Did someone look at the single player game and think that would be a good idea 'because roguelike'?
  4. tehtrekd

    tehtrekd Post Master General

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    Well, lore-wise the single life thing makes sense.
    Though if you want to, you could just close the window when you lose and reopen PA and you'll get a free retry.

    Mid-game saves would be nice, I admit (and like I said it will be coming, presumably once the server's released)
    thetrophysystem likes this.
  5. japporo

    japporo Active Member

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    You can hit Alt-F4 if you're losing to terminate PA. Then you can log back in and retry the battle.
    bengeocth likes this.
  6. cdrkf

    cdrkf Post Master General

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    There is a save mode planned which is very forward thinking in concept. Devs just need time to make it.

    Basically you've probably played around with chrono cam? Well that also works as a replay system for after a game so all games are already kinda saved. The clever part is uber intend to allow you to take a replay and take over from any point, creating a new timeline and game! If they manage that, well I think more games will surely follow them as the possibilities it opens up are massive :)
    kayonsmit101 likes this.
  7. cola_colin

    cola_colin Moderator Alumni

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    people love that in games like FTL though
  8. qu3l

    qu3l New Member

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    I totally agree. The game needs a save feature in the mid-match and stuff.
  9. killerkiwijuice

    killerkiwijuice Post Master General

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    It's coming, just like about every other thing suggested in the past few days/weeks.
  10. squishypon3

    squishypon3 Post Master General

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    It's a rogue like. :>
  11. MrTBSC

    MrTBSC Post Master General

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    they definitively should include an ironman mode that doest allow you saving midgame ...i kinda dig the idea of a roguellike campiagn ... but GW needs a bit more tweaking on techdrops aswell
  12. thetrophysystem

    thetrophysystem Post Master General

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    It isn't a choice, it is in development.

    Have you ever played around with that instant replay camera at the bottom right corner, it brings up the bottom bar that rewinds and plays sections of the game while in-game?

    Well, you know how that saves after matches, you can find it in a stored area days later even?

    Well, what if I told you, that the concept is to be able to load any point of that replay, any paused moment, into a brand new game generated at that exact point? The game will start, the units will spawn in their old locations, the structures will spawn in their own location, it may be possible craters do too. You simply load a game from a replay point, instead of from a manually cached save of a game's position.

    As you can imagine, it's a difficult feature. It would however mean that a game would automatically save every single frame of the simulation.
    It should be a toggleable option. However, for right now, I personally cheat the system and alt-f4 when I lose before the match counts. When I come back, the game thinks I am starting that match for the first time, so I simply redo from that individual planet with all my tech intact.

    So there is some advice for you. I won't think any less of you for it, I am used to Red Alert 2 Campaign, where if I happen to suck a match, I just shrug and redo, try to do better before a nuke is prepped by dem damn soviets.
  13. cola_colin

    cola_colin Moderator Alumni

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    It already does, replays work that way. The missing part for full save games is stuff like the current commands of units, AI internal state, etc.
    drz1 likes this.
  14. thetrophysystem

    thetrophysystem Post Master General

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    So, mostly done, but still in development. Even in a mostly done state you could say. See? Just like I said.

    I hear it also requires the server and the host-replay to have all the information to load a game, and that they can actually start games, but it starts in an idle state where every unit in-game needs to do something in order to become active and accounted for again. So it is pretty close. I wouldn't mind having the buggy version ASAP, I hope they push it PTE the moment they can.
  15. Nortalud

    Nortalud New Member

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    Thank you all for the responses, I appreciate the suggestions and workarounds.

    I'll admit that the idea of having a ChronoCam-like save feature is pretty exciting, but I maintain that a regular old vanilla save feature is something the game shouldn't have launched without. That said, I think it's time to go play some Galactic War and alt+F4 my way to glory. ;-)
    cdrkf likes this.
  16. squishypon3

    squishypon3 Post Master General

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    Well remember, Galactic War iiiis a rogue-like, which tend to have no saves. XP
  17. babeslayer66

    babeslayer66 New Member

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    Saves might come once the game is out of BETA.
  18. thetrophysystem

    thetrophysystem Post Master General

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    [​IMG]
    christer1966 and squishypon3 like this.
  19. babeslayer66

    babeslayer66 New Member

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    Your point?
  20. squishypon3

    squishypon3 Post Master General

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    The games not in beta anymore, it's been officially released since the... fourth was it?

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