Need help analyze an odd saved game

[BasilY]

This is a very odd situation. I am using GWX3.0 100%. It's 1941, I have a convoy in front of me, I am on the surface just before visual contact. The sea is rough. Once I sneak into the convoy, I can see at lease three whale factory ships, at lease three ships are on fire for no apparent reason. I have three torpedoes. Sink 1 ship and try to sneak out.

Then it crash.

I reload again I discover the game will crash rather I attack or not. I just can't seem get out of this situation. I have the saved game, Can some one diagnose the situation?

[Jaman]

Something like that happened to me yesterday. After sinking a ship i went surface and saved, the ship was still on surface burning heavly. Everytime i loaded that game i had a CTD after a few seconds no matter what.

I had to reload a previous saved game.

It seems with GWX corrupted savegames comes more often, what i do now is save more often and never overwrite an old saved game.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Jaman

It seems with GWX corrupted savegames comes more often, what i do now is save more often and never overwrite an old saved game.

That's news to me and a great many others I suspect

Game save corruptions have plagued SH3 since it's release, the vast majority of which are down to user error such as saving whilst submerged or in close proximity of rendered vessels etc. etc. etc.

[Jaman]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

That's news to me and a great many others I suspect

Game save corruptions have plagued SH3 since it's release, the vast majority of which are down to user error such as saving whilst submerged or in close proximity of rendered vessels etc. etc. etc.

Well, i had 2 corrupted savegames before GWX. And then since i had 7. Not that i care, stock SH3 pales facing GWX and corrupted savegames are a small price to pay. And with so many savegames i hardly lose too much if one or two becomes corrupted.

EDIT - BTW, could you (or anyone) give me a list of potential corrupting situations (besides tampering with mods while at sea)?.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Jaman

Well, i had 2 corrupted savegames before GWX. And then since i had 7. Not that i care, stock SH3 pales facing GWX and corrupted savegames are a small price to pay. And with so many savegames i hardly lose too much if one or two becomes corrupted.

EDIT - BTW, could you (or anyone) give me a list of potential corrupting situations (besides tampering with mods while at sea)?.

As already mentioned above plus the 'biggie' you've just made reference to (covers at least another dozen within it).

Have you ever come across the phenomena of saves that disappear?

[Jaman]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

As already mentioned above plus the 'biggie' you've just made reference to (covers at least another dozen within it).

Have you ever come across the phenomena of saves that disappear?

Well, not that i have noticed, but since at the end of any patrol i find myself with around 20-25 savegames it would be hard to notice.

[BulSoldier]

I actually overrite constantly one savegame.I follow few simple rules for saving.

1.Dont save if there is a convoy nearby (less than 50km)(the same applies to anykind of ship being sunk ok still floating)

2.Dont save submerged

3.Dont apply or remove any mods while on patrol

Thats it pretty much and i have never experienced (as far as i recall) save game corruption.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Jaman

Well, not that i have noticed, but since at the end of any patrol i find myself with around 20-25 savegames it would be hard to notice.

There is no harm as far as I'm aware by overwriting the same save repeatedly in the same patrol.

Two tips:

1) NEVER delete the 'Player' save that comes as a default with the install....there are many suspicions that add weight to the theory that doing so can invite save problems.

2) If you ever find that upon loading the game a save appears to be missing....go to C/MyDocs/SH3. You will see the name of the 'invisible' save. Add an 'x' at the end of the save name and upon reloading the game your save will reappear....you can delete the 'x' after recovering the save.

[BasilY]

Originally Posted by Jaman

Something like that happened to me yesterday. After sinking a ship i went surface and saved, the ship was still on surface burning heavly. Everytime i loaded that game i had a CTD after a few seconds no matter what.

I had to reload a previous saved game.

It seems with GWX corrupted savegames comes more often, what i do now is save more often and never overwrite an old saved game.

Actually, GWX3.0 has been good so far. I had three careers without a bad save. (although it's now my practice to try to finish entire patrols without saving/loading) This is the first saved game I had a problem in GWX3.0.

With respect, The situation I am describing is NOT the same situation you have. The game I had did NOT crash WHILE loading (I had that happened in GWX2.1). It crashed after loading successfully and playing for a few minutes. I actually finally AVOID THE CRASH, by running on the surface at flank AWAY from the convoy (over-cast sky, visibility is low). I was able to play on. So I believe this saved game is a great opportunity to finally find out what's causing the crashes. Loading this game and trying to approach the convoy will guarantee a crash.

I am always curious about what exactly cause the crashes. So this saved seem Ideal. I hope someone can finally get to the root of it.

To Jimbuna, The myth that saving while submerged and/or near vessels are not correct. I had perfectly good saved games where I am at p-depth around DDs. But I had bad saves where I am on the surface and with nothing around. Being submerged and/or near other vessel doesn't seem to increase the chances of corrupt saved games.

[BasilY]

Originally Posted by BulSoldier

I actually overrite constantly one savegame.I follow few simple rules for saving.

1.Dont save if there is a convoy nearby (less than 50km)(the same applies to anykind of ship being sunk ok still floating)

2.Dont save submerged

What you just quoted is a myth. I had perfectly good saved games where I am at p-depth around multiple DDs. But I had bad saves where I am on the surface and with nothing (not even seagulls) around. Being submerged and/or near other vessel doesn't increase the chances of corrupt saved games.

And I am not talking about a corrupt saved game here. The game load successfully. (And a crash can be avoided). It only crashes will I try to approach the convoy heading right at me (10k away).

[Jaman]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

1) NEVER delete the 'Player' save that comes as a default with the install....there are many suspicions that add weight to the theory that doing so can invite save problems.

I did delete that profile. Would it help if i just create another Player profile?.

BasilY, my game didnt crashed on loading, it loaded the game fully and after a few seconds (20 to a full minute in which i could play normaly) it crashed no matter what.

[Jail]

Originally Posted by BasilY

Actually, GWX3.0 has been good so far. I had three careers without a bad save. (although it's now my practice to try to finish entire patrols without saving/loading) This is the first saved game I had a problem in GWX3.0.

With respect, The situation I am describing is NOT the same situation you have. The game I had did NOT crash WHILE loading (I had that happened in GWX2.1). It crashed after loading successfully and playing for a few minutes. I actually finally AVOID THE CRASH, by running on the surface at flank AWAY from the convoy (over-cast sky, visibility is low). I was able to play on. So I believe this saved game is a great opportunity to finally find out what's causing the crashes. Loading this game and trying to approach the convoy will guarantee a crash.

I am always curious about what exactly cause the crashes. So this saved seem Ideal. I hope someone can finally get to the root of it.

To Jimbuna, The myth that saving while submerged and/or near vessels are not correct. I had perfectly good saved games where I am at p-depth around DDs. But I had bad saves where I am on the surface and with nothing around. Being submerged and/or near other vessel doesn't seem to increase the chances of corrupt saved games.

Could it be that the computer gets too much to render/keeping track of in that convoy that makes it crash ?

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Jaman

I did delete that profile. Would it help if i just create another Player profile?.

BasilY, my game didnt crashed on loading, it loaded the game fully and after a few seconds (20 to a full minute in which i could play normaly) it crashed no matter what.

Best practice would be to create another 'Player' profile.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Jail

Could it be that the computer gets too much to render/keeping track of in that convoy that makes it crash ?

That is a high probability

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by BasilY

To Jimbuna, The myth that saving while submerged and/or near vessels are not correct. I had perfectly good saved games where I am at p-depth around DDs. But I had bad saves where I am on the surface and with nothing around. Being submerged and/or near other vessel doesn't seem to increase the chances of corrupt saved games.

I've no doubt what you have personally experienced is accurate and correct but I wouldn't dismiss other peoples theories as a 'myth'.

Search the forums for the multitude of posts regarding problems with saves.....in particular look for 'the dive of death'.