How do I save my game?

Discussion in 'Planetary Annihilation General Discussion' started by evilOlive, November 20, 2013.

  1. evilOlive

    evilOlive Member

    Messages:
    74
    Likes Received:
    72
    Short answer: Saving isn't implemented yet, it will be done in a robust and awesome way via the ChronoCam. It is ready when it's ready, thank you for your patience. :)

    Below I've quoted the OP but wanted to make this nice and easy for anyone checking this thread later on. Especially since there's lots of new beta participants, myself included, from the last few days.



    The video above is of a livestream which has the dev's discussing this. Watch until about 12:00 to get most of the information provided in this video about this subject. Thanks to TheTrophySystem for that.

    This blog post (http://forrestthewoods.com/the-tech-of-planetary-annihilation-chronocam/) discusses the system in great technical detail. Thanks to nixtempestas for that.

    There is an official feature list here: https://forums.uberent.com/threads/confirmed-features-list-2-0.44950/ and a livestream index here: https://forums.uberent.com/threads/live-stream-index-2-0.53345/ Thanks to KNight for these links, who says "chances are if you're looking for clarification/official word on something those are the best and most comprehensive places to check first." Word!

    Last edited: November 20, 2013
  2. stuart98

    stuart98 Post Master General

    Messages:
    6,009
    Likes Received:
    3,888
    This is a primarily multiplayer game that is entirely serverside, and as such there is no way to save your game. However, you can exit (only recommended in team games/not recommended at all, but in team games at least someone else can handle your stuff) the game. Upon opening it again, if the game is still going on (if this isn't a team game, you'll be dead without question) you'll be prompted to rejoin.

    Hope this helped
  3. KNight

    KNight Post Master General

    Messages:
    7,681
    Likes Received:
    3,268
    Saving isn't implemented yet, but last we heard on it is that there won't be a saving system as you would expect, instead the replay file will allow to resume the game from any point.

    Mike
  4. evilOlive

    evilOlive Member

    Messages:
    74
    Likes Received:
    72
    Can someone please clairfy for me that when the game is released, I will, or will not, be able to save a single player game before finishing it, and then return to it?

    If there will never be any option to stop a single player game before finished and pick it up again later, I sincerely want my money back and have no use for this game. I don't often have more than an hour to sit down and play a game, so forfeiting all my single player games and never playing the game from start to finish just doesn't seem like such a good time to me.

    If the game really won't ever support saving and later resuming a single player game, I want a refund. Any help on this matter would be much appreciated.
  5. drz1

    drz1 Post Master General

    Messages:
    1,257
    Likes Received:
    860
    It's an interesting point, if it hasn't already been addressed, anyone?
    I also wouldn't want to have a 30 player, 20 planet game to have to be played in one 6 hour marathon...
  6. evilOlive

    evilOlive Member

    Messages:
    74
    Likes Received:
    72
    And please forgive me if I sound like I'm ragequitting or something. I'm not, however, the suggestion that I can't ever save a game and forfeit all unfinished single player games is, frankly, an infuriating concept.

    But stepping away from that frustration I still feel like this would be a really poor choice (and hard to understand, to say the least) so yeah, a definitive answer about this would really be helpful.

    Thanks again, everyone. I love this game so far; I hope it isn't rendered totally useless to me because of a poor design decision like this.
  7. ace63

    ace63 Post Master General

    Messages:
    1,067
    Likes Received:
    826
    I thought KNight already answered the question?

    Thats all we know.
  8. drz1

    drz1 Post Master General

    Messages:
    1,257
    Likes Received:
    860
    You are not alone in this thought. I understand that at the moment lots of these games don't last more than an hour, but we have no idea how long matches will get in thefull game, or if you want to have an EPIC turtle fest with a friend....
    Interestingly, I just started playing another strategy game which has 8 player multiplayer that is saveable. AI War, fleet command.
    stormingkiwi likes this.
  9. drz1

    drz1 Post Master General

    Messages:
    1,257
    Likes Received:
    860
    It would be nice to get official confirmation though, as it's a fairly big deal to a lot of single players, surely?
  10. evilOlive

    evilOlive Member

    Messages:
    74
    Likes Received:
    72
    Ok, not trying to annoy you but someone else said something different. since I have gotten different answers in this thread I asked for clarification. I guess your view is that Knight's answer is the right one? Is there anywhere we can see an official post talking about it? I'm really not trying to be rude, I just want to know for sure that this is not going to present a problem in the finished product.

    I'm fine with beta being however it needs to be of course.
    stormingkiwi and drz1 like this.
  11. thetrophysystem

    thetrophysystem Post Master General

    Messages:
    7,050
    Likes Received:
    2,874
    Let me address this to you more clearly.

    Unfortunately saving a game right now isn't possible.

    It isn't a feature yet. That is because they have a cool idea for save games, mildly like Kerbal Space Program.

    There is a recording of the game happening in real time as you play. If you noticed, ingame you can rewind rewatch fast forward over parts of the game that have already happened. In fact, when you play the game, you are watching the very front of the in progress recording, so you technically play the game through the replay camera at the realtime part of it.

    This will eventually allow you to pause a replay to pause the game (once the game releases you will not need internet to play, you can play on a single computer lacking any internet). This also allows you to save that replay to start the game again later at any part of the recording.

    This on paper, is a great feature. It lets you watch or rewatch the game any time during or after the game, resume single player games at any point, theoretically resume multiplayer games either with same people different people or ai instead, and even replay the same game from different parts and see what could have worked better.

    It is ambitious, but it isn't in the game now. It would be killed sweet if they tested the idea in beta, where one could save a replay and the server would load it kind of like a planet system it can already.
    drz1 and evilOlive like this.
  12. ace63

    ace63 Post Master General

    Messages:
    1,067
    Likes Received:
    826
    There is quite some talk about the topic of chronocam (the replay system) in the earlier livestreams. I suggest watching those. I am pretty sure they stated that this will eventually be a 'save' feature where you can select any point in a replay and play from there on.
    evilOlive likes this.
  13. thetrophysystem

    thetrophysystem Post Master General

    Messages:
    7,050
    Likes Received:
    2,874
    Let me link that for you. I will edit this post in the next minute with in linked.

    Here it is.

    I added it to a new post too.
    Last edited: November 20, 2013
    drz1 likes this.
  14. evilOlive

    evilOlive Member

    Messages:
    74
    Likes Received:
    72
    My hat is off to you, sir. TYVM!

    *breathes a huge sigh of relief* "Yet" being the operative word here that matters to me. Thank you SO MUCH for this clarification. This sounds like a *way* cool way to implement save games.

    w00t w00t w00t!

    Completely agree!

    Well, as I said, I gots no probs with the beta being however the beta needs to be. It's an unfinished product at this point, and I just wanted this clarification around the plans for the finished product. When I read the first reply from Stuart98 I was rather alarmed, but thankfully that seems to have been a false alarm.

    My thanks to everyone who jumped in to help. Really appreciate the clarification.
    drz1 likes this.
  15. thetrophysystem

    thetrophysystem Post Master General

    Messages:
    7,050
    Likes Received:
    2,874
    Here it is.

    That link, will take you to the exact youtube video and timeplace in that video which it is discussed. Watch for a few minutes in too, the exact point you will want to watch is 3:21 as well.
    evilOlive likes this.
  16. evilOlive

    evilOlive Member

    Messages:
    74
    Likes Received:
    72
    *highfive* Nice, bro. Thank you very much.
  17. popededi

    popededi Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    784
    Likes Received:
    553
    Reading through the thread my heart raced a tiny bit too, TheTrophySystem, thank you for the spot on info. :)
  18. evilOlive

    evilOlive Member

    Messages:
    74
    Likes Received:
    72
    Also, for anyone reading this down the road, if you watch the video in the link, DO stick with it for a little while. I'm 11 mins in and have gotten more and more good info about this. So yeah!
  19. thetrophysystem

    thetrophysystem Post Master General

    Messages:
    7,050
    Likes Received:
    2,874
    Again, it sucks that this may be quite a while away from finished. I mean, we don't know. They may have this feature testable next patch by loading it in like a planet system saved from planet system editor. They might not have this feature for months.

    That much is a bother, but I can be hopeful that it is the sooner rather than later. Who knows, maybe the devs will comment.
  20. evilOlive

    evilOlive Member

    Messages:
    74
    Likes Received:
    72
    I've actually done a very tiny bit of amateur development myself (Skyrim Installation Swapper) so if there's one thing I understand about coding and feature implementation it is this: It's ready when it's ready. Thank you for your patience.

    :)
    thetrophysystem likes this.

Share This Page