Dead is dead mode loads on 1 PC only - Resolved

[RichieNL]

I wanted to create an account just to ask this question. Turns out I had an account, a whopping 10 years ago. Anyway, here I am, back again after a decade. Thanks for keeping the account alive. I never stopped lurking though and probably will return to that.

I recently started dead is dead mode in X3 Terran Conflict on Steam. I downloaded the Bonus Package and installed it. Played the game, mindful of pitfalls that come with DiD mode and always let Steam finish its business. So far so good. Then I wanted to play on another computer (2). I downloaded the game and the saves that came with them and played it. Only later did I figure out the Bonus Package wasn't installed. No problem, I installed it and continued playing. Back to the other computer (1), I run the game after it finishes downloading the saves... No Dead is Dead mode available. Only the normal saves show up when pressing Continue. Maybe it was a sync error, back to the other computer (2). Miraculously it is available there. Better yet, it loads fine. So now I have one computer (2) where I can play the game I started on the other, computer (1). My question is this: what happened here and how do I fix this?
It's not a bug, it's a feature;)!
The same X_DiD*.sav file is still available on both computers in the %userprofile%\Documents\Egosoft\X3TC\save folder, but only loads on one even though the other save files sync fine. I already removed X3 TC on the computer it didn't load on (1) and reinstalled it. Both systems run verified X3 TC installs with the Bonus Package DLC on the same Windows version. I searched the Internet and the forums, no luck in finding an answer.

- Source, game, version and language:
______Steam X3TC 3.3.0.0 English
- Whether or not your game is modified using any third party scripts or mods:
______no modification except Bonus Package
- Where appropriate, type of game played:
______Dead is Dead mode (Suicidal Squid)
- Exact nature of the problem, where and when it occurs and what you were doing at the time:
______explained above
- Any possibly relevant changes you have made to your game, system, or software before the issue occurred:
______none
- Where appropriate, additional symptoms, error messages and even links to screenshots:
______none
- Your system specifications in the form of a DxDiag report:
______DXDIAG report

[Alan Phipps]

At a pure guess, you are copying and installing a local save that does not match the exact conditions as the game-state description held in the DiD cloud when you last left the game. (Eg perhaps copying across a save you have since played on from with the previous computer.)

This is designed to stop people using other computers as a save back-up to try to get around DiD death.

It should work OK if you close the game with a confirmed good Steam DiD save which is genuinely reflected in the cloud, and then copy that local save across to the next PC without having opened the game again on the previous PC.

As far as I know, Steam doesn't care what platform the game is now being played on, only that the local save and the latest cloud DiD save description as at your last game exit totally tie up.

Unfortunately, Steam DiD can also go wrong in lots of ways even when you have done it all correctly ....

[RichieNL]

Thanks for the reply. I didn't copy anything, this was all mirrored by Steam. I also did save the DiD save again on the second computer (2) that could still load it by running the game several times to make it sync. I can confirm the file is the same one that's loaded through Steam (the cloud save), as I removed the save files on the machine (1) that didn't load the DiD save. How can I confirm it is a good DiD file?

Also, does this mean I should play DiD on only 1 computer? I can copy the file while Steam is offline from one computer to the other one, but then I need to be sure this doesn't invalidate the working copy.

[Alan Phipps]

I think there are two different cloud issues being discussed here:

1. The Steam cloud save backup. This just backs-up your local saves and can apply to non-DiD saves as well if you enable the feature. If your applicable local saves are corrupt or missing then Steam cloud will replace them in your Local Documents save folder.

2. The special-to-DiD game progress description. This is saved to the cloud when you exit a DiD game normally. This contains several parameters that identify the offered local game save as valid for DiD play (such as time in game etc). There must be a valid description from the cloud, and it must match with the local save offered.

Once the DiD game has been authorised to recommence playing, the relevant local save is deleted straight away. Since the next time you leave the game the exit parameters will have changed, that previous save and any still stored on cloud are of no good for you anyway.

So, in your case, the save stored in local Documents, and any that might replace it from cloud, must match the DiD description also on cloud in all respects.

[RichieNL]

So if I understand you correctly, once the game loads on the computer (2), I should be able to play it, the save gets deleted and when done playing I can save it. It should then be stored in the cloud with additional parameters and after shutting down Steam, that cloud save should be able to load on any computer that has sync enabled.

As that's not the case, can I manually copy the DiD save file safely from the computer (2) that loads it to the computer (1) that doesn't without invalidating both copies once the parameters are stored in the cloud (game/Steam closed)?

[Alan Phipps]

As long as you exit the DiD game normally and all the saving is completed without issues, then you can copy across the physical last save to another PC and when you start to play DiD again, it *should* see the save authorised by the DiD checks from the cloud. Once that happens, the save will go and the one you copied on the previous PC will be useless too.

What you don't want is the cloud save backup dropping in an older save instead - but that shouldn't happen with a good save in place.

This is of course assuming everything else works correctly...

TLDR version: the moment you try to play DiD from a save that does not work, you are probably screwed as the cloud description is lost and any saves you still have access to are probably useless for DiD purposes.

Oh, and obviously all this must be using the same Steam account.

[RichieNL]

So Yoda it is then, do or do not, there is no try. Thanks for the help, will report back if the manual copy worked.

Edit moved to new reply

[Alan Phipps]

Good luck! If this does go wrong then the only thing I can suggest after that blow is to start a new DiD game and experiment with transferring that back and forth to find out the safest method of doing it.

[RichieNL]

Copying the file did not work, the DiD game still loads and saves fine on the other computer (2), but DiD mode isn't available on the first one (1). I could speculate that, as the DiD game is never loaded, any headers or saves aren't modified. So, the problem persists... I also verified the Steam connection in the game by checking the Achievements tab. Loading the DiD save game file by changing the name to X<insertnumberhere>.sav wasn't possible on either of the systems, though that could be by design.

Should I just upload the file I have so others can take a look?
Anything else I could try?

[Alan Phipps]

I have asked for dev assistance.

[KlausM]

As Alan described, there are two parts of a DiD save that are transferred separately between computers by Steam. In theory DiD saves are transferrable, but if there's a discrepancy between data from the Steam server ("cloud") and local files, it could happen that Steam transfers only one part, so that X3TC does not recognise the DiD save.

It's just a guess, but this may fix it for you on computer 1:

- Make sure Steam is not running
- Find the appcache folder, e.g. C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\appcache
- Delete the appcache folder
- Start Steam (the missing files will be restored)
- Start X3TC - hopefully the DiD save will be recognised.

Alternatively you can go to the Steam Settings, and in the Downloads section click "Clear Download Cache". This also deletes the appcache folder, but be aware that it also deletes any saved login data, so you'll have to log in again.

[RichieNL]

YES! You guys are awesome! That did it. After I removed the folder, I could play the game again on both computers. Thanks for the help Alan and Klaus!

[Alan Phipps]

Great to hear. I hope the DiD game carries on going well for you.