Proposal Discussion Fix autosave - as a priority

[Katkon]

Currently autosave seems to be triggered by certain events - e.g. supercruise.

The problem is that massive amounts of time, kills and credits can take place between autosaves and the game is incredibly unstable currently. Granted, it's a beta - but we all know there will be issues at launch as well. There always are - with every new game.

I've lost a grand total of about 25K credits today - due to the game getting stuck on infinite loading screens or simply crashing inexplicably. It is incredibly frustrating and easily fixed by instituting an autosave process like every other MMO out there that is constantly saving so that if the game does crash, you don't lose hours worth of progress.

Please, please, please fix this! I suggest addressing this as a top priority, along of course with the countless stability issues - crashing to desktop, infinite loading screens, audio stuttering, occasional lag etc.

 

[ZeeWolf]

Greetings commander, the Beta forum would seem like a more appropriate place for this. You should raise a ticket if you haven't already, I'm sure everyone has a particular issue they'd like to see fixed as a priority during the premium beta phase.

 

[Katkon]

Greetings commander, the Beta forum would seem like a more appropriate place for this. You should raise a ticket if you haven't already, I'm sure everyone has a particular issue they'd like to see fixed as a priority during the premium beta phase.

To be honest, I never know where to post "proposals". I see them posted in general discussion, gameplay/features, beta - all over the place. So I just posted where I happened upon the last "proposal" thread. If it's in the wrong place, I'd be happy for a mod to move it.

 

[ZeeWolf]

http://forums.frontier.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=52

 

[Katkon]

http://forums.frontier.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=52

LOL - yes, I know how to navigate to the beta forum. Still not clear on why I have to propose a gameplay feature on a beta forum simply because I came to the conclusion that the feature is needed while playing beta. Maybe it's the last sentence that mentions beta stability? Irrespective of beta performance issues I'd like to see this incorporated, though the need is certainly amplified by said performance issues.

 

[Mephane]

I wholeheartedly agree with the OP. It doesn't even need to be fancy, a simple auto-save every minute would entirely suffice and free us from the need to stop what we are doing ever so often in order to Save&Quit and immediately rejoin.

 

[ste]

Those infinite loading screens always seem to load eventually for me if I wait long enough. I'm not saying its ideal, but if you have a lot to lose it may be worth waiting out.

Not really had a problem with the auto save, and it probably isnt a popular idea but I think it should only save when docked.

 

[Mephane]

Those infinite loading screens always seem to load eventually for me if I wait long enough. I'm not saying its ideal, but if you have a lot to lose it may be worth waiting out.

Not really had a problem with the auto save, and it probably isnt a popular idea but I think it should only save when docked.

I once had a jump to supercruise sequence take half an hour and still no ending in sight when I eventually killed the process, well aware I would lose 10k cr this way.

 

[Lindonius]

After playing through this opening weekend I want to say that I agree with the OP 100%. The singular most frustrating thing about this beta experience for me so far has been the bugs, and while I understand that it's a beta and bugs are to be expected, if we can do anything with the autosave that might mitigate the frustration of losing hours worth of progress I think it should be looked into as a priority.

As a mini work around, after 2 or 3 kills, I boost out of the zone, SC for a few seconds and then come back. My problem is I get on a roll, get 3 to 4 bounties, and think "I'll be ok for one more" which is when the game crashes. Like clockwork almost when I'm in the resource extraction site. 2 or 3 kills, then leave and return, you might get away with 4, but it WILL crash before you get the 5th (in my experience).

 

[Tacheel]

I'd be all for the system saving on key changes - change to credits - change to ship gearing, change of location, destruction. I don't think this is too much to labour the system.

 

[Katkon]

My problem is I get on a roll, get 3 to 4 bounties, and think "I'll be ok for one more" which is when the game crashes. Like clockwork almost when I'm in the resource extraction site. 2 or 3 kills, then leave and return, you might get away with 4, but it WILL crash before you get the 5th (in my experience).

That's EXACTLY the trap I fall into and how I lost an additional 5K and then an additional 10K credits AFTER I'd already posted the PSA on this forum about saving often. Didn't follow my own advice as I was on a roll, and thought "what are the odds that the game will crash with JUST one more kill?" Pretty high, as it turns out.

 

[prasak]

Usually, when I save and exit and then return to game, the loading only takes like 2 seconds, so I would suggest saving more often

 

[RobotMan]

heh, glad i'm not the only one getting suckered into the "one more kill" then save trap

lost so much money that way

 

[Mephane]

Usually, when I save and exit and then return to game, the loading only takes like 2 seconds, so I would suggest saving more often

Unless the game decides to spawn you 10+km away from the conflict zone or mining site. Also, it is not just about the time it takes (on my machine the entire process of Save&Quit+join multiplayer takes way more than 2 seconds), but the interruption of the gameplay itself which is very annoying both when you do it regularly and when you forget it once and lose all progress since the last save.

And generally, having to meta-game the save system is atrocious if deliberate design. Not saying the current status quo in ED is deliberate, just unfinished; the idea of this thread is to ask FD to give priority to what will have to change eventually anyway.

 

[grae3107]

Don't like the idea of an auto save, even whilst we are in beta and there are a number of crashes.

Part of the challenge is making the long runs between stations or entering a combat zone and actually surviving with a profit. If there was an auto save backing up every couple of minutes you can gaurrantee that people would just kill the program as soon as pirates jumped them or it looked like they were about to be destroyed. For me that would ruin any multiplayer aspect of the game.

 

[Tacheel]

Don't like the idea of an auto save, even whilst we are in beta and there are a number of crashes.

Part of the challenge is making the long runs between stations or entering a combat zone and actually surviving with a profit. If there was an auto save backing up every couple of minutes you can gaurrantee that people would just kill the program as soon as pirates jumped them or it looked like they were about to be destroyed. For me that would ruin any multiplayer aspect of the game.

The point of the autosave is meant to make it so that everything that happens cannot be undone. Positive or negative.

Killing the game to avoid consequences is something i am sure FD will be against. They have closed the kill program on ship destruction thing people used to do. And there is a discussion on killing program in bad situations.

 

[Katkon]

Don't like the idea of an auto save, even whilst we are in beta and there are a number of crashes.

Part of the challenge is making the long runs between stations or entering a combat zone and actually surviving with a profit. If there was an auto save backing up every couple of minutes you can gaurrantee that people would just kill the program as soon as pirates jumped them or it looked like they were about to be destroyed. For me that would ruin any multiplayer aspect of the game.

I suspect you're in the minority then! But the point is not, as someone else suggested, that FD eliminate risk. The point is that you don't lose everything you've been working for WHEN (not if) the game crashes.

The exploit you mention is actually in the game today. If I don't save, then die, then get stuck on infinite loading etc. I basically shut the game down from Task Manager. When I load into the game, I'm in the ship I was in before I last blew up, but without the credits that I amassed between that last save point but before my ship blew up. Anyway, lots of ways Frontier can easily address such exploits - e.g. install a log out timer that keeps your ship in space for 10 seconds, or a feature that prevents you from logging out whilst under attack. But these do not negate the need for basic autosave functionality - which is solving for something completely different.