A real save feature!!!!!!!!!!!

[GangreneTVP]

This isn't a suggestion... it's a requirement.

I've never been so frustrated as I am with this game today! It takes a lot to get me this frustrated and angry.

So, I autosaved last night before I went to bed. I loaded back and everything was great. Today, I made a difficult landing... SPENT A TON OF TIME uploading data! Bought new tech... built new vehicles... tested them, went out on missions gathering more data... On this particular mission I autosaved several times... I had a minor setback and I used the autoload... and it PUT ME BACK TO LAST NIGHT! (Why, I don't know exactly)

Now I'm set back hours, my crafts are still there but unusable as I don't have the science to purchase the tech I used to create my new files. All because this game has a cheesy way to save the game. Can't I hit escape, save, and have several saves with time stamps?!?!? Then I can see what is saved and what exactly I'm loading before I load it! Pretty much every game has this... how hard could it be to code this in and add it, REALLY?!?

I LOVE this game(I've played 196 hours), but this level of frustration from something that should be simple is almost unbelievable...

I really just can't believe I'm going to have to spend all of the boring time uploading data. I really don't mind it... but having to repeat it... almost unbearable to think of.

PLEASE get something to FIX THIS in the NEXT UPDATE. I'd be willing to buy the game again just for that feature.

[mythbusters844]

Have you tried Quicksave (F5) and Quickload (F9)? It basically saves the game at that spot and can load it later if you mess up.

By the way, the "Autosaving..." thing that comes up in the corner is not a quicksave and can't be loaded. It only saves the game.

[Sirrobert]

The game only saves to the persictance file (the one you load when you open up the game from the menu) if you manually close it.

Use quicksave for what you try to do

[GangreneTVP]

Mythbusters844.... That's exactly what I used and it totally screwed me up because it loaded me back to last night instead 5 minutes previous.... I was using f5, that's what I'm calling "autosaving"... and then I pressed f9.... except it loaded me back to last night. IT SUCKS because you don't know what exactly your loading, if a save failed... and you can't have several of them to choose from when loading which would really get rid of the problem. Almost every game has this... how has this been around for sooo long without a real saving and loading feature with multiple files?

Even some feature which would go back 5-10 minutes, even after an f9 load, would be way to help when this would happen.

[boomerdog2000]

Yep autosave and quicksave are independent. Quickload has nothing to do with the autosave.

[GangreneTVP]

I was pressing F5! Then I held down F9 and it loaded back to last night!

[GangreneTVP]

The bottom line is this game needs this. One time happening is one time too many. I can say this having played 196 hours.

[JumpsterG]

I've heard of a few people, mostly new to the game (but not all, as your example shows), making this mistake. The autosave is ONLY loaded on startup. Quicksave is a separate save file from the autosave and quickload ONLY loads from the quicksave. Some folks have been brought all the way back to day 0 when they try to use quickload for the first time, thinking it will bring them back only a few seconds.

I would love a proper save/load menu with timestamps, especially for use in career mode since we have a form of progression now. If gameover states for career mode are ever introduced, it will be a necessity (Ironman mode should be OPTIONAL, not the norm).

Since the system is good enough for alpha/beta testing, I think it will only be changed when they are polishing things for their version 1 release. Here's hoping they decide to add this as a feature sooner.

[Edit] Ninja'd on the explanation on quicksave vs. autosave. You know the difference, just experiencing a fail on the quickload. Same problem and fix though.

Edited October 25, 2013 by JumpsterG

[boomerdog2000]

Maybe you missed? Hit F6 accidentally? I honestly don't think they are going to implement something more than quicksave and revert flight. At least not any time soon.

[GangreneTVP]

I honestly don't think they are going to implement something more than quicksave and revert flight. At least not any time soon.

That is why we need to raise hell when something is important and NEEDS to be done!!!!! The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Unfortunate, but true. Everyone comment here that this needs to be done. Maybe we can email someone to let them know this needs to be done. Maybe we can make a donation for a specific feature. Now is the time for this, BECAUSE of the career mode, we need to save the game and know "when" the loading file is going back to.

The revert flight is a good option, BUT it doesn't do the trick with a complex mission with many "stages". You don't want to revert to launch in the middle of a several hour mission...

[frizzank]

I also think a traditional saving and loading feature with files and what not would improve the game a great deal.

[Kasuha]

Quicksaving (F5) does not work in all situations. It won't work if your ship accelerates or is flying in atmosphere, for instance. You always need to watch for message in the upper right corner if it says "Quicksaving" or something else.

I would also like a real save feature. I mean, to have several saves available, not just one. I know it's possible to emulate that by renaming my quicksave files but that's not very comfortable.

[JumpsterG]

There are almost no reasons for this feature to not be in the game so I think it's just a matter of time. Hopefully the developers notice the growing need and prioritize it a little, since it is something that wouldn't change much after being implemented and would be immediately useful to players.

[wasmic]

Okay, GangreneTVP, I fully agree with you here. But can you please try to sound a little less angry?

[UbioZur]

All because this game has a cheesy way to save the game. Can't I hit escape, save, and have several saves with time stamps?!?!?

I would love a proper save/load menu with timestamps, especially for use in career mode since we have a form of progression now.

I would also like a real save feature. I mean, to have several saves available, not just one. I know it's possible to emulate that by renaming my quicksave files but that's not very comfortable.

There are almost no reasons for this feature to not be in the game so I think it's just a matter of time.

I will explain it more than just simple wikipedia I quoted on your support thread, so everyone here can also understand a bit more why there is only one save file (technicaly 2 with the quicksave/load one).

Kerbal Space program is a game with a persistent world. So as all others similar games it only contain one save file.

I do not know/remember all those games but answer those questions:

- Can you have multiple save in minecraft?

- Can you have multiple save in freelancer?

- Can you have multiple save in SimCity?

- Can you have multiple save in the X games?

- Can you have multiple save in all the MMO (they are all persistent world)?

- Can you have multiple save in take on mars?

- Can you have multiple save in GTA? (I know the V is not on pc yet)

Edit: I forgot but if you guys really want to have several save, you this mod: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/51901-0-22-Multiple-Saves-DA-v0-1-beta?highlight=quicksave

Edited October 25, 2013 by UbioZur

[Jiman]

I discussed the issue with some detail in this thread http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/55190-Quick-Save-Feature-decided-to-get-rid-of-my-entire-career-progress?p=729886#post729886

It was a support issue, which turned into a discussion.

The point I ended up making is the functionality of the quickload/save is fine, but more information about what you are about to load needs to be provided if its going to restart your entire career.

[GangreneTVP]

Quicksaving (F5) does not work in all situations. It won't work if your ship accelerates or is flying in atmosphere, for instance. You always need to watch for message in the upper right corner if it says "Quicksaving" or something else.

Really?!? I had built planes and was flying all over the place to different biomes collecting science... So because I was in atmosphere it wasn't taking any of the F5 quicksaves? Is that true even when on the ground landed? If so... Wow, that is not cool, but would explain it...

[Supernovy]

Quicksave will work when landed, I'm mostly sure that it has the same conditions as returning to the space centre or recovering the flight.

[allmhuran]

The game can of course have multiple saves, and any claims to the contrary are simply incorrect.

You can even have multiple saves in the current version of KSP, but it's a kludge.

Hit F5 to quicksasve. Now pause the game and alt-tab. Go you your KSP saves directory. Find your current game folder. Find the file called "quicksave.sfs". Rename it to something meaningful, eg, "Pre_landing_burn.sfs".

Return to the game. Do your landing burn. Land. If everything seems ok, make another quicksave. Go back to the folder and find the new quicksave.sfs. Rename it to "woohoosafelanding.sfs".

If you ever want to return to a previous save, go in and rename that particular save file to quicksave.sfs, then load it up with F9.

This functionality should absolutely be in the game though. Having to alt tab out to explorer, rename files, etc, is just silly. Ubiozur's linked mod does exactly what needs to be done, except that:

1) As with most mods, the constant UI intrusion is an unnecessary oversight. Why more people don't hide their UIs until a hotkey is pressed or appropriate context is entered, I don't know. Perhaps it's a limitation of the game.

2) It can be buggy.

Edited October 27, 2013 by allmhuran

[Roderik]

You just where unlucky dude so go scream your angry out somwhere else. (I gues you have to do that on the ksp general discussion)

[Merinsan]

I would not be surprised if eventually they remove quicksave. My feeling is it's there to help with the fact that the game is alpha, ie something may break in the next few minutes so quicksave.

The ability to save is entirely inconsistent with career mode. It can be abused to the point that everyone playing is always successful.

[Kasuha]

I would not be surprised if eventually they remove quicksave. My feeling is it's there to help with the fact that the game is alpha, ie something may break in the next few minutes so quicksave.

The ability to save is entirely inconsistent with career mode. It can be abused to the point that everyone playing is always successful.

The point of a game is to be fun, not to be source of frustration.

I think there could be a "hard mode" with no quicksaves and no reverts. But there should still be "normal mode" with reverts and quicksaves because not everybody takes it lightly if their Eeloo mission crashes into terrain after two hours of real time playing.

[boomerdog2000]

The point of a game is to be fun, not to be source of frustration.

I think there could be a "hard mode" with no quicksaves and no reverts. But there should still be "normal mode" with reverts and quicksaves because not everybody takes it lightly if their Eeloo mission crashes into terrain after two hours of real time playing.

Agreed. Since most of us aren't rocket scientists, we do things wrong. Fixing that problem generally involves either a new rocket design or different maneuvers while in space. Having to launch an entirely new rocket just because some tiny thing went wrong seems more tedious than useful.

[GangreneTVP]

The game can of course have multiple saves, and any claims to the contrary are simply incorrect.

You can even have multiple saves in the current version of KSP, but it's a kludge.

Hit F5 to quicksasve. Now pause the game and alt-tab. Go you your KSP saves directory. Find your current game folder. Find the file called "quicksave.sfs". Rename it to something meaningful, eg, "Pre_landing_burn.sfs".

Return to the game. Do your landing burn. Land. If everything seems ok, make another quicksave. Go back to the folder and find the new quicksave.sfs. Rename it to "woohoosafelanding.sfs".

If you ever want to return to a previous save, go in and rename that particular save file to quicksave.sfs, then load it up with F9.

This functionality should absolutely be in the game though. Having to alt tab out to explorer, rename files, etc, is just silly. Ubiozur's linked mod does exactly what needs to be done, except that:

1) As with most mods, the constant UI intrusion is an unnecessary oversight. Why more people don't hide their UIs until a hotkey is pressed or appropriate context is entered, I don't know. Perhaps it's a limitation of the game.

2) It can be buggy.

Thanks! Helpful...

Do developers check this forum?

[TheCardinal]

Your reaction was somewhat strong, GangreneTVP. I can understand your frustration though. Similar things have happened to me (and sometimes still do).

I agree with you that a better save-system would be an improvement of the game. One of the responses was a list of other games which, like KSP, don't have such a system. That list is besides the point and i could easily write down a list of games with such a system ten times as long (which would be besides the point as well). The point is that the KSP savefile system currently is inadequate and should be improved in order to facilitate the user.