Base Time 2018

[propbeanie]

If it was 1994, I could tell you all about cache configuration with an IDE interface and why you would never use write caching, especially if you also had an ATAPI drive... Windows 3.1 is no longer with us, and neither is DOS 4.5 or whatever it was... my 3 1/2 inch game boot disk is no longer working either, and I no longer have to worry about properly configuring my Soundblaster 16 whatever it was... Oh!, and let's not forget about PIO Modes etc...

But I never have trusted write caching. The computer OS decides when it's a good time to write to the drive, and an old game does not know that. However, if something goes wrong with a write like that, then ~all~ the loads would be corrupt. This is a re-load thang. What it reminds me of is similar to when a person runs the Museum, you cannot trust the game to run properly, and vice versa, if you run the game first, you will not be able to run the Museum. Something in SH4 is not "cleared" when swapping "modes", or whatever it is.

But then again, this is not that. We're not swapping "modes" (or whatever it is). All I can figure is that maybe FotRSU just has a lot of data to Save for the game, and when you do that 2nd load, it acts similar to changing modes??... I dunno. If that was the case though, it would happen every time, and it doesn't. I just got finished with FOTRS v2.0 (GE) for SH4 v1.4, and had no issues with the Balao on Jan 2, 1944 several times, so I went no further with it. Tomorrow, I'll do similar with Stock and GFO.

[Front Runner]

Moving my Documents Folder from C-Drive to D-Drive didn’t change anything. Starting Silent Hunter from C-Drive or D-Drive didn’t change anything even with Document Folder on same drive as SH4.exe .
Tambor save/quit/start/load/reload works with one set of save game files but not with another when creating them within each folder. I'm using MultiSH4 to create the different SH4 save folders.
Hmmmm......

OK, so I moved the TAMBOR save game files from the Documents/"V80" folder to the Documents/"000" folder. They work in BOTH folder sets! However, the TAMBOR Career test savegames I newly made in the Documents/"000" folder, do NOT work, that is save/quit/start/load/reload. I could even go back and forth using different save games without quitting the game and I was able to continue to get the TAMBOR saves that work in both folders to re-load correctly, a number of times, even after I was unsuccessful in getting the TAMBOR saves that don't work loaded in between. I am either on the verge of a break through or a break-down. Observation, if the "savegame/load/reload" works within one Documents/(Silent Hunter Save Folder) i.e."V80", it also works in another Documents/(Silent Hunter Save Folder) i.e."000".

In other words, even though I was unsuccessful in getting one set of saves to work, the other set worked every time. I did not have to quit to get them to load properly. I could even reproduce the unsuccessful attempts and I was still able to load the set that works without quitting.

Now, I will have to test loading one of the TAMBOR saves that work, making a new "save" and seeing if THAT one, newly minted within the 000 folder works or not......stand by.....
OK, the serial save that I made from the set of TAMBOR saves that work, continue to work. Going from a good TAMBOR save to a bad TAMBOR save results in the bad TAMBOR save coming up correct, the one time, and after that reverting to what to me appears to me to be a "1300 Daylight scene". I can then go back to the good TAMBOR saves and they ALL work correctly no matter which order I re-load them. If I then return to the bad TAMBOR save that came up good, the one time, it now comes up bad. This test was done without quitting the game and re-starting.

[Front Runner]

Using two sets of save game files. Set A is the good TAMBOR saves. Set B is the bad TAMBOR saves.
By good, I mean that the files successfully loaded using "quit/start/load/reload" and by bad, I mean that the files did not load properly using "quit/start/load/reload."

Here are my observations. These were done serially, without quit/restart.
1.Load Set A-Midnite-OK
2.Load Set A-Noon-OK
3.Load Set A-Midnite-OK
4.Load Set B-Sunset-OK
5.Load Set B-Midnite-Not OK
6.Load Set A-Midnite-OK
7.Load Set A-Noon-OK
8.Load Set A-Midnite-OK
9.Load Set B-Sunset-Not OK

Whatever happens between #4 and #5 does not affect Set A but does affect Set B as 9.Load Set B-Sunset fails to reload successfully as it did in #4.

The A set stays OK throughout the test. The B set works the one time only and then reverts to what appears to me to be "1300 Daylight scene". Note that this is the also time and daylight scene when the Career starts.

What are the differences between the Set A and the Set B saves?
Is there a way to compare the two sets to see what the difference is?

[Front Runner]

Propbeanie - Where in the Career Save games does it save the Date and Time that you are at when you make the save? I can't seem to find it in the save files.

[propbeanie]

I've been looking for that... there is a "SaveData.map" file which holds the waypoints, so next time you lose the waypoints, see if that file is still in your Save folder, and a valid text document - "X:\Users\ UserName\ Documents\ SH4SaveFolder\ data\ cfg\ SaveGames\ xxxxxxxx\ SaveData.map", where "X" = drive letter and "x" = numbers in folder name.

I have not found a date and / or time holder yet, but I have not searched very deeply in the binary files. I don't understand why a Load Save would not bring in all of the files. Maybe the "SaveData.map" is just a "back-up" of the true data that's in a binary file instead... ?? I sure do wish aanker would get well and re-join us. He knows a lot about the save folders.

[Front Runner]

Originally Posted by propbeanie

I sure do wish aanker would get well and re-join us. He knows a lot about the save folders.

Latest testing results. I created a new "pristine game" folder using CMS for testing FOTRSUv80 with a Documents Folder dedicated to this test. I've reset all of my hard drives and SSD to disable write caching. I also have the Documents Folder on the same drive as the game test. I made 5 save games for each individual boat. The first save game was made 2.25 hours from the starting time, 1300. The 5 saves were made at these Base times; 1515, Sunset, 0015, Sunrise, and 1215. After each test I saved all the games to separate folders and Classified them either Set A if they worked or Set B if they did not. I also deleted them from the Documents folder. Each new test was made with a clean save game folder. By "worked", I mean that they successfully passed the "quit/start/load/reload/" test. By "BAD" I mean that they passed the "quit/start/load" test, but NOT the "quit/start/load/reload" test.

1. Asiatic Fleet S-18 January 1942 - All saves worked. Classified Set A.
2. Pearl Harbor Porpoise January 1942 - All saves worked. Classified Set A.
3. Pearl Harbor Tench January 1945 - All saves BAD. Classified Set B-1.
4. Pearl Harbor Tambor January 1942 - All saves worked. Classified Set A.
5. Pearl Harbor Narwhal January 1945 - All saves BAD. Classified Set B.
.......testing continues.
[EDIT] What if it's not the boat but one of the options associated with the boat. Both failures were in 1945. All good saves were in 1942.
6. Pearl Harbor Narwhal January 1942 - All saves worked. Classified Set A. This is significant as it indicates that it may not be the "boat" but one or more of the options attached to the "boat."
7. Pearl Harbor Balao June 1943 - All saves worked. Classified Set A. I may be on to something here. Torpedos mix of 14s & 23, Twin 20mm fore & aft, 4" 50 Bow, SJ-I, ISD, JP, WCA
8. Pearl Harbor Tench January 1945 - All saves BAD. Classified Set B-2. Torps mix of 14s & 23, Twin 40mm fore & aft, 5" 25 Bow, SJ-I, ISD, JP, WCA. Maybe it's the twin 40s, or the 5" 25 Bow which I could not change out.
9. Pearl Harbor Balao January 1944 - All saves BAD. Classified Set B. Torps mix of 14s & 23, Single 40mm fore & Aft, 5" 25 Stern, SJ-I, ISD, JP, WCA.

The difference between the (#7) 1943 Balao using the 4" 50 and Twin 20mm, and, which worked vs this 1944 Balao (#9) which uses the 5" 25 gun, but single 40mm fore and aft. The Tench (#3 and #8) use the 5" 25 Bow gun and Twin 40mm fore and aft. The 1945 Narwhal (#5) use the bow and stern 4" 50 gun and twin 40mm fore and aft. The 1942 Narwhal (#6) uses the bow and stern 4" 50 and a single 50 cal machine gun. FOTRSUv80 took away our ability to upgrade/downgrade certain items so I cannot check what would happen if I were able to downgrade the 1944 Balao to the 4" 50 and Twin 20mm fore and aft.

Well, I've gone as far as I can go today. I feel like I'm getting closer to an answer. There is more testing yet to be done.........

[EDIT] Well, if it isn't the "boat" and it isn't the weaponry, torpedoes and sensors etc attached with the "boat" then maybe it's the date. My latest testing reveals that the issue starts with Campaigns beginning in January 1944. A Career with the same boat begun in Mid-1943 (June) does not have the issue.

10. Pearl Harbor Gato January 1944 - All saves BAD. Classified Set B. Torps mix of 14s and 23. Single 40mm fore & aft, 5" 25 gun stern, SJ-I, ISD, JP, WCA.
11. Pearl Harbor Gato June 1943 - All saves worked. Classified Set A. Torps mix of 14s and 23. Twin 20mm fore & aft, 4" 50 gun, SJ-I, ISD, JP, WCA.
12. Pearl Harbor Gar January 1944 - All saves BAD. Classified Set B. Torps mix of 14s &23. Single 40mm fore & aft, 5"25 gun stern, SJ-I, ISD, JP, WCA.
13. Pearl Harbor Gar June 1943 - All saves worked. Classified Set A. Torps mix 14s & 23. Twin 20mm fore & aft, 4"50 gun, SJ-I, ISD, WCA.
By "worked", I mean that they successfully passed the "quit/start/load/reload/" test. By "BAD" I mean that they passed the "quit/start/load" test, but NOT the "quit/start/load/reload" test.

I have all of the save game files, saved and sorted to individual folders if anyone would like to dive in.

Now to start looking at the FOTRSU Campaign generation files beginning in January 1944.

For good measure, and for comparison, I started a Campaign in TMO/RSRD/OTC/ISP, Tench, Feb 1945 and all saves worked.

[Front Runner]

Originally Posted by propbeanie

I've been looking for that... there is a "SaveData.map" file which holds the waypoints, so next time you lose the waypoints, see if that file is still in your Save folder, and a valid text document - "X:\Users\ UserName\ Documents\ SH4SaveFolder\ data\ cfg\ SaveGames\ xxxxxxxx\ SaveData.map", where "X" = drive letter and "x" = numbers in folder name.

I found the SaveData.map files in both the Set A and Set B files. They are all valid text documents as far as I can tell. I opened them with "Notepad".

[propbeanie]

Well, I'm having more fun than any poor man should be allowed to have with vehicle issues, so my day has been spent with a broken car - again, and it will eat up a goodly portion of tomorrow.

In the meantime, the Tench and Narwhal are not Stock boats, of course. The Tench is based on the Balao, which comes into the game near 1943, and has caused us issues in that regard, being given to the player too early. Another thing to keep in mind is the different conning towers that are available for the boats, and those influence which AA configurations can be used. FotRSU took away the players' choice of where to place their deck gun, because of the Stock game issue of losing the gun and / or the gun crew.

thank you for all of your detailed testing FrontRunner!