Update wiped my saved game and scripts won't save!

[deadjesta]

Hi.
After updating X3: Reunion to X3: Reunion ML 2.5.5... I lost everything I'd spent almost 2 years achieving!
The installation went smoothly, but it had completely removed of all my save-files.
~I had explored every system... Had almost all honours from all Races (except Pirates, Yaki, Xenon & Kha'ak)... I'd even bought the sector between Montalaar and New Income (Averice) and had painstakingly built a multiple station complex there!

Obviously I'm not very happy about this.

I tried to claw a little bit back by using the script editor.
Although it allows me to write a script and execute it. It is no longer saving any of the scripts after reloading the save-file.
~eg: Dock at Trading Station... open script editor... create Hyperion(run script)... add weapons and systems (run script)... save the game... collect Hyperion... sell Buster at shipyard... crash into asteroid while using autopilot... reload last save... lose scripts.)
It does allow me to keep the ship and load-out though!

Is there any hope in hell of me getting back my "hard-earned" save-files?

Has any other Mac (or PC) user experienced this problem after the update?

Is there anything that can be done about either issue?... Please?

Thanks.


System info below.

[Alan Phipps]

Updating or modding a game does not delete the saves unless you asked it to do so. They will probably still be there where they were before but your new modded game may be looking in a different place for its saves or may be unable to use those saves if it needs a fresh gamestart. If you have also changed OS at the same time then the directory path to your documents may have changed. Of course you may have moved rather than copied your saves as backup ...

When you write or externally edit a script, the new version is probably kept in xml format. When you reload, the game goes back to looking at the packed version of the original scripts with the same name. IIRC, you have to rename the old pck version before your xml version becomes the default version. Also some scripts using global variables and/or live objects will not save because of runtime issues. You need a more experienced modder than myself to advise you on these matters.

Moving to the X3:R S&M forum.

[X2-Illuminatus]

After updating X3: Reunion to X3: Reunion ML 2.5.5...

What is ML 2.5.5?

Although it allows me to write a script and execute it. It is no longer saving any of the scripts after reloading the save-file.

You're probably selecting or referencing specific objects (e.g. ships or stations) in your game. These references are not saved outside your current game instance and therefore will be gone, when you exit and restart or save/reload your game. This is to prevent the script from running into problems finding an object, which is only there in your savegame.

[deadjesta]

Thanks for the input guys but I think you may be missing my point slightly.

Firstly:

Updating or modding a game does not delete the saves unless you asked it to do so.

Yes!... It did!!
I had absolutely no say in it whatsoever!
I know it's not supposed to do it!
Why would I have asked it to wipe away all my hard work when I could have just started a new pilot file whenever I wanted??
I had 3 pilot files saved. One was the Argon story-line, Then there was My (very hard earned) Free-lance pilot file, with a small but significant Empire growing... And one was used for cheating and script editing and running around in a stupidly fast fighter with 8 B-HEPTs, and exploring Kha-ak and Xenon space... and leave a fully kitted-out "Terran Odin" or two behind to keep them occupied. lol.

I saw there was a Mac update for X3 Reunion so I updated the game. When I opened the game again after the update... All of my saves were gone!
~That was not suggested in the update manifest.

App Store record shows:

X3: Reunion
EGOSOFT GmbH
Version 2.5.1
Installed Feb 13, 2015

Here is the EXACT text of the update:

Updated to the new native MacOS engine developed by Egosoft, featuring:
-Multi-language release
-Improved performance
-Synchronous updates
-Full support directly from Egosoft

Voiced Languages:
-English
-French
-German
-Russian
-Spanish

Subtitled Languages:
-Italian
-Polish
-Simplified Chinese
-Traditional Chinese
-Czech

They will probably still be there where they were before but your new modded game may be looking in a different place for its saves or may be unable to use those saves if it needs a fresh gamestart.

It's a possibility.
I have already searched through hundreds and hundreds of files in an attempt to locate any and every save-file associated with X3. No pilot files located anywhere at all.
~A "Fresh game-start" was also not suggested in the update manifest.

If you have also changed OS at the same time then the directory path to your documents may have changed. Of course you may have moved rather than copied your saves as backup ...

I updated my OS 6 months before I updated the game. With no problems.
Problems only started after the game update, not the OS update.
~I have no backups of any kind and all Mac game saves seem to be stored within the application itself and are not apparently accessible to the user... No matter how hard I look. I've torn this computer a new one trying to find them. Not on any game I have... not just X3. (e.g: C.O.D, Robin Hood, Jedi Knight 2, Stronghold...)


Secondly:

What is ML 2.5.5?

The version of the game after the update.
~In the 'drop-down menu' under "X3 - Reunion" (or "X3 - Reunion ML") on game startup... under "About X3 - Reunion" it says "Version 2.5.5" even though the update claims to be "Version 2.5.1"!
It Used to say "X3 Reunion"... Now it says "X3 Reunion ML"

~Took a screen-shot of it but I can't upload it.

You're probably selecting or referencing specific objects (e.g. ships or stations) in your game. These references are not saved outside your current game instance and therefore will be gone, when you exit and restart orsave/reload your game. This is to prevent the script from running into problems finding an object, which is only there in your savegame.

Never used to happen!
Never had any problems with the script editor before the update. I Used to be able to input a script and return to a save-file from before I wrote in the script... and then execute the script command from that point.
Now I can't! And it doesn't save the new script if I return to a save-file created after the script... Like it used to.

Basically... I'd write a script and it stayed there! I updated the game... script no longer stays there!

[UniTrader]

Thanks for the input guys but I think you may be missing my point slightly.

Firstly:

Updating or modding a game does not delete the saves unless you asked it to do so.

Yes!... It did!!
I had absolutely no say in it whatsoever!
I know it's not supposed to do it!
Why would I have asked it to wipe away all my hard work when I could have just started a new pilot file whenever I wanted??
I had 3 pilot files saved. One was the Argon story-line, Then there was My (very hard earned) Free-lance pilot file, with a small but significant Empire growing... And one was used for cheating and script editing and running around in a stupidly fast fighter with 8 B-HEPTs, and exploring Kha-ak and Xenon space... and leave a fully kitted-out "Terran Odin" or two behind to keep them occupied. lol.

I saw there was a Mac update for X3 Reunion so I updated the game. When I opened the game again after the update... All of my saves were gone!
~That was not suggested in the update manifest.

App Store record shows:

X3: Reunion
EGOSOFT GmbH
Version 2.5.1
Installed Feb 13, 2015

Here is the EXACT text of the update:

Updated to the new native MacOS engine developed by Egosoft, featuring:
-Multi-language release
-Improved performance
-Synchronous updates
-Full support directly from Egosoft

Voiced Languages:
-English
-French
-German
-Russian
-Spanish

Subtitled Languages:
-Italian
-Polish
-Simplified Chinese
-Traditional Chinese
-Czech

They will probably still be there where they were before but your new modded game may be looking in a different place for its saves or may be unable to use those saves if it needs a fresh gamestart.

It's a possibility.
I have already searched through hundreds and hundreds of files in an attempt to locate any and every save-file associated with X3. No pilot files located anywhere at all.
~A "Fresh game-start" was also not suggested in the update manifest.

for what kind of file did you search? never heard of pilot files before in X, only .SAV files which are Savegames (in the Format X01.SAV X02.SAV etc.)

If you have also changed OS at the same time then the directory path to your documents may have changed. Of course you may have moved rather than copied your saves as backup ...

I updated my OS 6 months before I updated the game. With no problems.
Problems only started after the game update, not the OS update.
~I have no backups of any kind and all Mac game saves seem to be stored within the application itself and are not apparently accessible to the user... No matter how hard I look. I've torn this computer a new one trying to find them. Not on any game I have... not just X3. (e.g: C.O.D, Robin Hood, Jedi Knight 2, Stronghold...)

thats something no Application should ever do.. (and i really doubt anyone serious in this Millenium ever did..) worst thing would be that Savegames are stored in the Application directory, but usually a hidden Folder in your Home Directory is used for that.. btw: did you maybe switch to a new User Profile?

Secondly:

What is ML 2.5.5?

The version of the game after the update.
~In the 'drop-down menu' under "X3 - Reunion" (or "X3 - Reunion ML") on game startup... under "About X3 - Reunion" it says "Version 2.5.5" even though the update claims to be "Version 2.5.1"!
It Used to say "X3 Reunion"... Now it says "X3 Reunion ML"

~Took a screen-shot of it but I can't upload it.

just did a quick search for "X3 Reunion ML 2.5.5" and the first (and only related) result was this Topic.

You're probably selecting or referencing specific objects (e.g. ships or stations) in your game. These references are not saved outside your current game instance and therefore will be gone, when you exit and restart orsave/reload your game. This is to prevent the script from running into problems finding an object, which is only there in your savegame.

Never used to happen!
Never had any problems with the script editor before the update. I Used to be able to input a script and return to a save-file from before I wrote in the script... and then execute the script command from that point.
Now I can't! And it doesn't save the new script if I return to a save-file created after the script... Like it used to.

Basically... I'd write a script and it stayed there! I updated the game... script no longer stays there!

maybe you didnt hard-reference Objects before? the behavior of not saving when doing this has been there since the earliest Days in X2 and remains to this day in AP. If it worked for you then that was a Bug because its not supposed to because of the aforementoined reason that you cannt guarantee the Object persists over all possible games. (also its internal reference may change when loading, which woud mess up your Script)

[deadjesta]

for what kind of file did you search? never heard of pilot files before in X, only .SAV files which are Savegames (in the Format X01.SAV X02.SAV etc.)

Brilliant. This is info I needed to search with. Nice one, thanks.
(I had no idea what the files were called and was looking for anything which may suggest it was what I was looking for!!)
Have found only 4 such files on my system:
X00.sav, X20.sav, X21.sav and X22.sav

This (as when playing X3) suggests that the game acknowledges the previous saves existed, but are no longer there.

Why are they no longer there?

thats something no Application should ever do.. (and i really doubt anyone serious in this Millenium ever did..) worst thing would be that Savegames are stored in the Application directory, but usually a hidden Folder in your Home Directory is used for that.. btw: did you maybe switch to a new User Profile?

There is only one User Profile on this machine. No different profiles exist.
Of course no application should do it. But, this is how it appears to operate to the non-technical user... Such as myself.

Apple Mac computers used to store all the game information in folders inside the master folder containing the game application.
Now... The game data is stored in the bloody fridge for all intense and purposes!! The new system layout from OSX Mountain Lion and following, is stupid with a capital stupid!
It now stores application info in many different reference folders and not within the application folders. It also gives them different names and file-types to what it used to. This makes it virtually impossible to find anything unless you know its exact name already.

~Knowing the files I want to find are recorded as "X00.sav" helps. But where are the original files and why (since the update) does X3 no longer acknowledge them?

just did a quick search for "X3 Reunion ML 2.5.5" and the first (and only related) result was this Topic.

Maybe no-one else cares!
Maybe I'm the only Mac user with this issue... or has noticed this issue.
Update says it's version 2.5.1 ~version history in game menu says it's version 2.5.5!
As I've said... I am not a technical person. If I understood why it was doing this... I wouldn't have brought it up!

How do I send or post Screenshots around here? I'll prove it's not anything I'm doing.

maybe you didnt hard-reference Objects before? the behavior of not saving when doing this has been there since the earliest Days in X2 and remains to this day in AP. If it worked for you then that was a Bug because its not supposed to because of the aforementoined reason that you cannt guarantee the Object persists over all possible games.

Look! I just followed the instructions on script editing given out by these places:
http://roguey.co.uk/x3/edit/scripts/beginners1.php
http://cycrow.thexuniverse.us/scripts/help/

I only followed the information they provided. Nothing else.
It used to save the scripts... Now it doesn't!
Nothing different has been done on my part!

(also its internal reference may change when loading, which woud mess up your Script)

Is this a diagnosis? Why is it doing it?

[Nanook]

This isn't a scripting and modding issue, it's tech support. You should be posting in the X3 Reunion tech support forum, where there's a specific thread for the Mac version of Reunion. According to that thread, the save files for the Egosoft version of Reunion for the Mac are located in "Documents/EgoSoft/X3/save/".

If you had the original Virtual Programming version of Reunion, the saves were stored in a hidden folder in your Library folder. Spotlight may not find them there since Apple has hidden the user's Library folder by default in the last few OS's. If you know how to show the Library folder, go to 'your home folder' -> Library -> Application Support -> X3 Reunion -> X3 -> save. If you're in luck, and you were using the older VP version of X3, you'll find your saves.

Meanwhile, I'll move this over to the Tech Support forum.

[deadjesta]

According to that thread, the save files for the Egosoft version of Reunion for the Mac are located in "Documents/EgoSoft/X3/save/".

Egosoft folder does not exist here! (See screen-shot at bottom of post)

Apple has hidden the user's Library folder by default in the last few OS's. If you know how to show the Library folder, go to 'your home folder' -> Library -> Application Support -> X3 Reunion -> X3 -> save. If you're in luck, and you were using the older VP version of X3, you'll find your saves.

Neither X3 Reunion or X3 folders exist here! (See screen-shot at bottom of post)

This isn't a scripting and modding issue, it's tech support. You should be posting in the X3 Reunion tech support forum...
...Meanwhile, I'll move this over to the Tech Support forum.

According to the forum header at the top of my page.... This IS the X3 Reunion Tech support forum! ~It was when I started this post!
Every time I return to this thread without the email link... I return to the same Forum...
||Home | Forum Index >>> X³: Reunion, X²: The Threat, X-T and X-BTF - Technical Support

Moderator: Alan Phips wrote:

Moving to the X3:R S&M forum.

Not my fault. A Moderator did it! Please read previous posts and direct the scorn to the appropriate persons!



I managed to reactivate my old Photobucket account so I uploaded the screenshot I mentioned in an earlier post.

just did a quick search for "X3 Reunion ML 2.5.5" and the first (and only related) result was this Topic.

I am NOT making this up guys!

http://s177.photobucket.com/user/deadje ... t.jpg.html
Hopefully I won't have to answer questions on this issue any more. I'll just receive answers please!


Here are some screenshots of my search for .sav files, X3 and Egosoft on my Mac:

Search for .sav files:
http://s177.photobucket.com/user/deadje ... s.png.html
As you can see. There are the 4 .sav files I mentioned earlier.
(This is the route to the 4 .sav files:
User > Library > Containers > com.vpltd.X3ReunionEN > Data > Save > .sav files.)
All reappeared after the first time I saved the game since the update.

Search for anything with "X3" in it:
http://s177.photobucket.com/user/deadje ... 3.jpg.html

Search for anything with "Egosoft" in it:
http://s177.photobucket.com/user/deadje ... t.jpg.html
Again... only news letters, post-notifications and external reference folders and files seem to exist!


Here are all the suggested locations of where the files should be:

the save files for the Egosoft version of Reunion for the Mac are located in "Documents/EgoSoft/X3/save/".

Where? Here?
http://s177.photobucket.com/user/deadje ... n.jpg.html

Or...

If you know how to show the Library folder, go to 'your home folder' -> Library -> Application Support -> X3 Reunion -> X3 -> save.

Like this.....?
http://s177.photobucket.com/user/deadje ... t.jpg.html


Let's try looking in the user folders...
http://s177.photobucket.com/user/deadje ... s.jpg.html
Nope... Not in here...
http://s177.photobucket.com/user/deadje ... s.jpg.html
...Or here!

Here's the X3 Reunion info folder stored on my desktop:

http://s177.photobucket.com/user/deadje ... p.jpg.html
Only external reference files.

So I bring you all back to the point about this being more difficult than first appears...
...And not so obvious an answer to those whom aren't sat at this computer searching and searching and getting nowhere!
I may not be a computer whizz, but as a member of MENSA for 19 years... I'm not stupid and have looked in all the obvious places where things are supposed to be. They just aren't there! I appreciate that I couldn't remember the save files are stored as ".sav" files, But...

Any good suggestions?
Please?

(Sorry if i appear to have a bit of a rude or 'sarky' attitude, but I have lost everything and am still pretty "miffed-to-epic-proportions" about it. ~I do still appreciate the help.)

{Images posted directly to the forums should not be greater than 640x480 or 100kb, oversize image now linked - Terre}

~Duly noted. Thanks. Unfortunately, the image details are hard enough to see at their current size... at 640 x 360 and best jpeg quality... The details are indiscernible. Will have to settle for the links instead!

[Nanook]

Regarding my post about the Library folder. The one you're showing seems to be the one at the top level of the file structure. There's another one inside your home folder that Apple has hidden by default. That's where your user data is all contained, along with another Application Support folder specific to your user. To reveal it, while having your home folder highlighted, hold down Option and click on the Go menu item at the top of the screen. In the dropdown menu, click on 'Library'. Then go to the Application Support folder and that's where your saves should be.

BTW, the Documents/Egosoft/X3/save folder will not be created until you save a new game. It's not created until then so that's why you don't see it.

EDIT: The above 'BTW' is wrong. It refers to the Windows installation of Reunion. Please disregard all references to that location. See my post below. Sorry for the confusion.

[Alan Phipps]

Moderator: Alan Phips wrote:

"Moving to the X3:R S&M forum."

Not my fault. A Moderator did it! Please read previous posts and direct the scorn to the appropriate persons!

Well unfortunately you put two entirely different forum issues into the same opening post and its thread title. Also nobody recognised your rather strange game version nor knew as to whether it was vanilla or a mod. The result was confusion here, not scorn.

1. The game removed my savefiles - which others take to mean that you cannot find them even though they are probably still there but hidden to you on a Mac. That is a Universe or Tech Sp topic - debatable which, but needing to go into a Mac thread really.

2. My ad hoc scripts are not being saved - obviously an S&M topic and needed the advice of an expert on scripting and modding which X2-Illuminatus provided while this was in S&M.

Either way you are now getting good advice on all your issues. I hope the posters here can help you to find your solutions.

[Nanook]

OK, here's what I've discovered. I had Reunion ver. 2.5.4 installed on my MacBook Pro. I went to the App store and updated it. It's now at 2.5.5. Prior to updating, I searched for and found my old saves in the Library folder as I mentioned above. After updating, I started the game and it couldn't find them. But when I looked, they were still there. So I went looking for the new save I'd just made using the updated Reunion. They're located in a totally different place, so the new game can't see the old saves.

All you need to do is go to the location I showed you above** and drag those saves into 'your home folder' -> Library -> Containers -> com.vpltd.X3ReunionXX -> Data -> save. Note that the XX following X3Reunion refers to the language. Mine is EN for English. Yours may be the same, so it would read X3ReunionEN. Why Egosoft decided to put the saves there rather than in the old location is a mystery to me, but they did. Anyway, I hope that helps you find your old saves.


**'your home folder' -> Library -> Application Support -> X3 Reunion -> X3 -> save

BTW, I can confirm that Spotlight will not find the old saves, maybe due to the hidden nature of the Library folder, although it will find the new ones in the Library folder.

[deadjesta]

NICE ONE.
It worked!

Thanks Nanook... You're my hero.
Now That's what you call helpful. I would never have known about that "option-click on GO".
Thank you. Sincerely... Thankyou.

The "Gaian Star Empire" has returned. lol
My own system, My station, My station complex, my fleet of couriers, the whole map explored with an advanced satellite in 28 sectors...
I have my battle-group back too! ~ 12 ships: 5 M4's, 6 M3's & 1 M7.
~I've just renamed the 'M7' Hyperion, the "G.S.E. NANOOK", as a thankyou gesture for returning it to me.

...1 down...


~sigh~
The Mac 'threads' seem to be rammed with different topics/questions/problems, and it all seems to be a bit of an unsolved jumble. How about a dedicated 'Mac Forum' for it instead? Have it for both Scripting/Modding and Tech Support for all X Universe games, instead of having all the posts going into a couple of threads. ~Egosoft did after all, promise dedicated Mac Support on that last update.

All I needed there was an answer to why it no longer saves script mods. Not help with saving script mods.
(I believe this to be a technical question, as I don't require help with creating or modding scripts.)

So I reiterate...
~Before the update... Saves added scripts (e.g: add Titan, add Hornet missiles) for use again the next time I get to play X3. However many times I die crashing into asteroids while in autopilot... When I reload the last save, the added scripts are still there.
~After the update... Doesn't save added scripts like "add Titan" or "add cash". Once you open up the game again or reload the save-file. They are gone and you have to retype them back in.
They're exactly the same scripts as before, I did nothing different.
I only followed the same input procedure as before.

~Could it possibly have done the same thing with the scripts as with the save-files? Could they be stored somewhere else like in a new folder created by the update, instead of going to the folder created by the game... or something?...
Anything?...
Anything other than saying I'm doing something different... When I'm not!

~ Incidentally... When(if at all) will Albion Prelude or Terran Conflict be available for Mac? I heard Rebirth will be available by December 2015, but I've found nothing for A.P or T.C!

Thanks again Nanook.

[Nanook]

You're most welcome. Glad I could help.

[boozehagskibum]

Hey deadjesta, did you ever find your missing scripts?
I have posted about this before on here and was doing some searching as I had lost my savegames as well.
Nice that that is resolved, but as for the scripts....in case you didn't solve it, here you go:

For all Mac users who purchased through the App Store and got an update 3.2 recently, the location for the script files is now NOT in the com.vpltd.X3TC-MAS/scripts folder as they will not work. The update has moved the folders for this information into the app itself.

The same goes for the corresponding xml files stored in the com.vpltd.X3TC-MAS/t folder

Instead they need to be placed in the same folders in the app package as follows:

Right click on the X3TC app and select 'show package contents'
Navigate to contents/resources and you will see a 'scripts' folder and a 't' folder

Copy and paste the scripts from the com.vpltd scripts folder into this scripts folder
AND - very important this bit - copy and past all the files form the com.vpltd 't' folder into the respective folder within the app package.

You may have to make one amendment to one of the files you placed into the 't' folder. The file 1000-L044 should have the the line

<t id="1400">Cheat Menu</t>

This is repeated for the page id 2010, 2011 and 2008

If it reads 1300 you will still get a bit of garbled nonsense (the readtext stuff)

Let me know if this works for anyone who has had this issue!