Save/load bug?

**lysarin** · 08-03-2005, 13:55

I've been hearing people here at the org mention a save/load bug? Whats that? Well, I figure it has something to do with saving and loading and that it effects the AI. But what exactly does the bug do and how can I fix it/avoid it?

Thanks

**Bulawayo** · 08-03-2005, 14:26

Hej tjena kompis,

Det har varit mycket tjafs fram & tillbaka om den där buggen. Den går kortfattat ut på att AI:n avbryter sina belägringar när man "loadar" en pågående kampanj. Tydligen ska det gå bra om man fortsätter spela nonstop utan att ladda överhuvudtaget. Personligen blir jag belägrad och stormad oavsett om jag laddar eller ej, så jag vet inte riktigt hur pass mycket buggen påverkar spelet egentligen. Med påbyggnaden Barbarian invasion så kommer det utan tvivel att ordnas, förhoppningsvis

**PseRamesses** · 08-03-2005, 14:53

(Har aldrig råkat ut för den själv och jag börjar misstänka att någon av dina allierade har blivit allierad med den du attackerar utan att du har uppfattat det. Om den här buggen finns så borde ju jag ha märkt det eftersom jag har spelat RTW sedan den kom ut?! Å grabbar, håll er till engelska när ni postar. Det har varit en del rabalder om det tidigare här.)

Have never encountered the save/ load bug myself although I´ve been playing the game since it was released. I´m beginning to suspect that this has something to do with alliances - the one you´re attacking has gotten into an alliance with your foe so the siege is broken. The save/ load bug - myth or fact? Anyone?

**magnum** · 08-03-2005, 15:07

The Save/Load bug refers to the fact that the game does not save AI intentions nor attitude towards other factions in the save game file. It does save the current political situation though (i.e. allied with so-and-so, at war with whomever, etc.) This often resulted in sieges being lifted by the AI after a reload because the AI re-evaluated from scratch what to do with its armies. Technically its not a bug as it was not intended to save that type of information. Unfortunately the side effect of it is that if a player reloads often then the AI is at a disadvantage and tends to expand poorly.

**PseRamesses** · 08-03-2005, 15:10

Originally Posted by magnum

The Save/Load bug refers to the fact that the game does not save AI intentions nor attitude towards other factions in the save game file. It does save the current political situation though (i.e. allied with so-and-so, at war with whomever, etc.) This often resulted in sieges being lifted by the AI after a reload because the AI re-evaluated from scratch what to do with its armies. Technically its not a bug as it was not intended to save that type of information. Unfortunately the side effect of it is that if a player reloads often then the AI is at a disadvantage and tends to expand poorly.

Yes yes I know. But how do you explain the fact that I´ve never experienced it? I´ve been playing daily since the game came out! And trust me, I do save and reload a lot!

**TB666** · 08-03-2005, 15:33

Originally Posted by PseRamesses

Yes yes I know. But how do you explain the fact that I´ve never experienced it? I´ve been playing daily since the game came out! And trust me, I do save and reload a lot!

Yeah I got it the day it got out and I have only seen it happen 3 times.
I guess some people are lucky while others aren't.
Of course I only save when I exit the game and load when I start the game.

**Volstag** · 08-03-2005, 18:36

Originally Posted by PseRamesses

Yes yes I know. But how do you explain the fact that I´ve never experienced it?

To see an extreme example of this so-called "AI reassessment" at work, check out the following: http://www.stampor.com/Rome/exploit.html (if you're on dial-up, it'll take forever). If you want to see the research that was conducted, simply read this thread: https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=45860. Whether you've explicitly witnessed this bug, or not, doesn't change the fact that it's probably happening somewhere to some faction.

-V

**BobTheTerrible** · 08-03-2005, 18:38

Originally Posted by PseRamesses

Yes yes I know. But how do you explain the fact that I´ve never experienced it? I´ve been playing daily since the game came out! And trust me, I do save and reload a lot!

The bug doesn't happen immediately after you reload,(well technically it does, but you don't see the all of the effects until you press end turn). You can get some wacked up diplomacy the turn you reload. Ask any faction you are at war with the become a protectorate right after reload. They will accept.

But the main squabble with the bug is that the AI tends to lift most of its sieges upon hitting "end turn." This is because The AI "forgets" what it is doing, completely re-evalutes things, and most of the time it will instinctively send its armies back home.

If you don't believe it, try this test. Start a campaign as (I'll just pick a random faction here) Brutii. Now run the game for twenty or so turns without saving or reloading. Don't do anything with your faction, just hit end turn twenty times successively. Using toggle_fow, count how many provinces changed hands. No doubt you'll get upwards of 8 or so, more or less depending if you're using a mod or not.

Now start the same campaign, same difficulty, with brutii again. Save the game before you do anything. Then load the game. Then press end turn. At your next turn, save the game. Before you hit end turn, load the game you just saved, then hit end turn.

Do this for twenty turns. Count the amount of provinces that changed hands (using toggle_fow). You'll find that maybe 1 or 2 provinces actually changed hands, and most likely, these were ones without walls (in which the AI could besiege and assault in the same turn).