Restore saved game after critical error.

[Hidde]

Well, I don't know if this is redundant information but I'll give it anyhow.
I had a critical error and subsequently a CTD. Went to load game after restart. The whole line for my current campaign had disappeared! The horror, the horror!
After some time of panick and cursing I went to the AACW folder on my harddisk. In the save directory I oppened the last backup folder and copied the files within.I then pasted them in the save folder, outside the backup folders. Back in the game load screen I could to my great relief see the campaign again.
This may be obvious for many but I did it mostly out of desperation not having a clue if it would work or not.
Maybe it can help someone that is computer illiterate as me.

[Pocus]

good post Hidde. I will see if I can do something in the code though.

[Hidde]

Don't you need the specific condition as to why the text disappeared to change the code. Just curious.
I have e-mailed the save and log files as instructed in the error message

[mayonaise]

wow i wish i had known this. twice i had a CTD with my save getting wiped out in mid 1862, VERY disheartening.

thanks for the info!

[Pocus]

Don't hesitate to ask in the forum or by mail at my address if you feel you have lost your saved game, chances are that it is still there....

[Pocus]

Don't you need the specific condition as to why the text disappeared to change the code. Just curious.
I have e-mailed the save and log files as instructed in the error message

In this case, no, I know relatively well the game engine and I knew what could cause the problem, so I did a work around.

The problem: the hosting finishes, then erases the old turn, then creates the new files. Problem: when the turn changes, the game can need new textures, like the winter ones, and on some video cards this is too much, so the game exactly crash after files deleting, but before files creation... Thus you end up with a game which has no files, except the backup!

The workaround was to not delete the files, except the order files, so at least you can restart the turn if something wrong happen. Plus I propose now a new system options, that renders more stable these computers: the Max Texture Size option (see corresponding thread).

[Hidde]

and on some video cards this is too much

Are you sure there is no other causes? I ask because I have a GeForce 8800GTS. Vista the problem, perhaps?

[Pocus]

well this is a simplification, I mean it is an hardware problem triggered in the video card, but because the video driver generates the error after a request to texturize another big region.

And drivers are related to a given Operating System. Vista is the problem because the drivers (mostly Nvidia for Vista) are still not 100% compatible.

[Carrington]

Good work around... I wonder if you could find a better implement for file management. The save game panel seems slow, and the directory get cluttered fast.

... a low-priority, of course...