POStudios Forum

Tech Support => Gabriel Knight - 20th Anniversary Tech Support => Topic started by: wayens on October 16, 2014, 05:28:27 PM

Title: FIXED - Player Alert! - Autosave issues to be aware of before next patch
Post by: wayens on October 16, 2014, 05:28:27 PM
UPDATE: The autosave issues listed below are now fixed.  New playthroughs of those sections will be clean. For those who have been bugged already, refer to the save list below to help you get through if you don't want to replay the day. Thanks for your patience! Enjoy!

UPDATE 7/29:  Since we have default save directories listed here, I'm also adding the mobile ones here.
Android: Android/data/com.postudios.gk1/files
iOS: in iTunes in Apps section look in the Files panel for GK1 and select it to see list of files including saves

Hi, all,

Wayne from QA here to give you all a heads up on some issues to be aware of on our autosave in Gabriel Knight 20th Anniversary.

We have received and looked into the reports of missing items and not being able to end days.
We have found the cause of it and are working towards implementing fixes for these instances.

Basically, this is a case of autosaving saving in the wrong place.
Some of the special events that happen on a scene entry would not be saved entirely by the current autosaves we have, so you can miss something if you rely on Continue to resume your game.

To handle them for now, save manually after the events I've confirmed and am listing below.
That will ensure you have something to fall back on.

A patch will be forthcoming but at least this way you can avoid some pitfalls.

1. Day1 - Meeting Malia cutscene at Lake Pontchartrain
2. Day2 - Cazaunoux visit to Dixieland Drug Store
3. Day3 - Hartridge's voodoun lecture
4. Day3 - Meeting Malia at Gedde Tomb
5. Day5 - getting scale into ashtray

For those who have already been stuck, I have also included save files to skip you to the end of the day.
Day1 - use save 203, talk about Voodoo Research then choose Request Research and ask Grace to research Malia
Day2 - use save 211 and ask Grace to research Madame Cazaunoux
Day3 - use save 224, copy the marks on the tomb, and exit to map
Day5 - use save 248, exit to map

Default save directories are:
Steam PC - C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\userdata\(steamid)\262000\remote\gk1
DRM-free PC - C:\Users\(username)\AppData\LocalLow\Phoenix Online Studios\GK1

Steam Mac - Users/(macusername)/Library/Application Support/Steam/userdata/(steamid)/262000/remote/unity.phoenix online studios.gk1
DRM-free Mac - Users/(macusername)/Library/Cache/Phoenix Online Studios/GK1

For Steam, rule of thumb to ensure Steam recognizes your new saves:
1. Exit Steam.
2. Rename and renumber file(s) if needed, always renumbering higher than the highest in-game save's number.
3. Move save file(s) to Steam save folder.
4. Restart Steam.

Saves can also be found here for people who aren't registered on the forums:
http://www.postudios.com/Demos/GK1_Working_Saves.zip

Very sorry for the inconvenience this has caused you all.

Thank you to those who have come to us with their issues.  We appreciate the heads up!
We hope you enjoy the rest of the game!

Wayne Sung
QA Lead
Phoenix Online Studios
Title: Re: Player Alert! - Autosave issues to be aware of before next patch
Post by: manvscode on October 16, 2014, 07:51:14 PM
After updating to Mac OS X Yosemite, all of my saved games are now gone.   I've been saving manually since starting the game.  :-(   It seems like this defect could be related to the known issues with saving. 


I would like to see if I can salvage my progress.  What file extension is used for the save game files? Where are the save game files usually stored?

-- Joe
Title: Re: Player Alert! - Autosave issues to be aware of before next patch
Post by: wayens on October 16, 2014, 10:02:10 PM
Not related to this issue, sadly.  This autosave issue would never wipe your existing save list.

But for file extension, we use .sav.  See if that helps.  If you need more help, please make a new topic with more details.

Thanks!
Title: Re: Player Alert! - Autosave issues to be aware of before next patch
Post by: ma1trix on October 16, 2014, 10:26:24 PM
Now I can't finish Day 5. I'm trying to get Mosely to reopen the case, I have shown him the article and the matching scales however when I try to show him Hartridge's notes nothing happens. The game also won't let me show him the completed veve.
Title: Re: Player Alert! - Autosave issues to be aware of before next patch
Post by: wayens on October 16, 2014, 11:28:02 PM
Hi, ma1trix, Autosaves only take care of changes between scenes, not something played straight through in the scene itself.
Plus, there's nothing in Mosely's office that by autosave there would invalidate your evidence items.
Would you mind emailing help@postudios.com with your save and more details on your issue?  Thanks!
Title: Re: Player Alert! - Autosave issues to be aware of before next patch
Post by: yukari on October 17, 2014, 03:49:43 PM
Thanks for the save files, I would like to try the one for 2nd day (finished all tasks for day two, but have bug with Madame Causanoux research). But where should I put this save file to open it ingame? (I'm playing on windows 8, bought the game in Steam). I cannot figure out, where the saves are stored.

UPD:
I checked a folder "C:\\Users\\(myname)\AppData\LocalLow\PhoenixOnlineStudios\GK1 , but it is empty. (show hidden files is obviously on). When I put the save file in this folders, nothing happens. Where else can my saves be?
Title: Re: Player Alert! - Autosave issues to be aware of before next patch
Post by: mad hatter on October 17, 2014, 11:43:16 PM
Thank you :) this works great !!!
Title: Re: Player Alert! - Autosave issues to be aware of before next patch
Post by: Nadsat on October 18, 2014, 04:10:10 AM
Hi, i've the same problem as yukari.
Where we're supposed to put the save file ?
Title: Re: Player Alert! - Autosave issues to be aware of before next patch
Post by: artfirms on October 18, 2014, 06:16:23 AM
Quote from: ma1trix on October 16, 2014, 10:26:24 PM
Now I can't finish Day 5. I'm trying to get Mosely to reopen the case, I have shown him the article and the matching scales however when I try to show him Hartridge's notes nothing happens. The game also won't let me show him the completed veve.

I have the exact same problem. Mosely won't take Hartridge's notes, nor the veve. It seems someone solved it with the day5 save.
Title: Re: Player Alert! - Autosave issues to be aware of before next patch
Post by: lostn on October 18, 2014, 11:02:38 AM
I am having a problem ending Day 3. I have done everything possible to do. The day won't end.

Also, I have another problem. The cemetary marketings. I took notes by using the notebook on it. But it doesn't appear in my inventory. I cannot copy them down again because it says I've already copied it into my notebook. However it doesn't appear in my inventory, and examining the notebook does not show the markings.

Which means when I eventually go to visit Moonbeam, I won't be able to hand it to her to have it translated.

Will the patch fix my save file retroactively, or will I have to replay some sections. I was very meticulous. I examined every object, tried to pick up or operate them all. Also exhausted every conversation topic with every npc multiple times. I don't want to replay it. And if the markings problem I described above is also a bug, it would mean replaying the game from the beginning not just day 3, because I copied the markings down on day 1.

I don't want to download someone else's save game. It isn't mine, and I don't know what they did or didn't do. They may not be as thorough as I am.

Basically this game wasn't ready for prime time. I'm very disappointed that I lost my progress. I've spent hours playing it already and don't want to do it all over again.

Please tell me the update patch will fix my current save without making me replay anything. If that's the case, I'm willing to wait.

Bugs are common in most games on release. But rarely are they this gamebreaking or severe, especially in this genre.
Title: Re: Player Alert! - Autosave issues to be aware of before next patch
Post by: yukari on October 18, 2014, 06:10:36 PM
Quote from: Nadsat on October 18, 2014, 04:10:10 AM
Hi, I've the same problem as yukari.
Where we're supposed to put the save file ?

I found where save files stored in steam (you may use search options in Windows Explorer, like "files with .sav extention modified today" to locate them). They was in C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\userdata\12668036\26200\remote\gk1 (I suggest you will have different numbers in the path, I don't know, what they mean).

Though, the save file doesn't worked for me - when I'm trying to load it, I see black screen only, and nothing happens. So I replayed day 2 from on of the my own earlier saves (it took lesser time than I expected). Now I save manually often and don't use autosaves (Continue), so I hope to avoid this bug later.
Title: Re: Player Alert! - Autosave issues to be aware of before next patch
Post by: Nadsat on October 19, 2014, 12:54:47 AM
Thanks for the tip ! But I already found a solution... Start the game all over again ! ^^
Anyway this save file is very strange, when I try to double-click on it, the launched game is not GK1 but Leaft for dead 2 !
Title: Re: FIXED - Player Alert! - Autosave issues to be aware of before next patch
Post by: wayens on October 19, 2014, 01:26:04 AM
Left4Dead must use the same file extensions as we do.  .sav  And you probably had your OS associate .sav with Left4Dead. ;>

The post has been updated with save locations.
I'll ask for the Mac ones and update again for those.
Title: Re: FIXED - Player Alert! - Autosave issues to be aware of before next patch
Post by: wayens on October 19, 2014, 12:47:35 PM
Mac save directories up.
Revised Steam directions.
Title: Re: FIXED - Player Alert! - Autosave issues to be aware of before next patch
Post by: TsugiraI on October 19, 2014, 04:04:52 PM
Okay, I did manage to get through day 3 using your end of day 2 save game. But I do not understand, I haven't used the Continue feature at all... Maybe something to do with using the map from the UI directly for teleporting? I noticed the map is save-file specific too, like I couldn't use it when I first loaded up your factory save, and when I first changed areas, the motorcycle cutscene played again, as if that was my first time.
Title: Re: FIXED - Player Alert! - Autosave issues to be aware of before next patch
Post by: lostn on October 20, 2014, 11:31:18 AM
I figured out why I can't finish day 3. I can't copy the markings because I already did it on day 1. But if you do it on day 1, it doesn't appear in your inventory due to a bug (not related to auto save). So on day 3, the game is checking to see if it's in my inventory, and sees that it isn't, so it says, OK you haven't done everything yet. But I can't copy them down again, because the game thinks I already did it. However, the separate check needed to end day 3 is to look for the item in my inventory.

When I loaded the provided save, it does appear in my inventory when I copy it into the sketchbook. I don't want to use this save though. I can tell whoever played it wasn't very meticiulous. It might even be a hacked save file and not a real play through, because day 1 and day 2 you can't even use the fast travel feature, which means the player has never left the bookstore, which is impossible if they are at that point in the game.

Anyway, I am hoping the update patch will fix my save file and insert the cemetary markings into my inventory. If it doesn't do that, I'm done with this game.. and the developer.
Title: Re: FIXED - Player Alert! - Autosave issues to be aware of before next patch
Post by: wayens on October 20, 2014, 12:20:13 PM
You might have been directed here just for the save, TsugiraI.
This post is only for the cases listed in the main message.  If your issue doesn't match, you can post separately with a description for further investigation.

As for the factory save's replay of Gabriel motorcycle, that was due to the cutscene being added close to release. Developers made some last video tweaks before release like this and opening logos.  I'm glad we got the motorcycle now but that meant this save from before that would keep thinking that it hadn't happened yet.
Otherwise, it is complete, because this was the playthrough that confirmed got max points.
Sorry for the confusion.

And lostn, if you mean the voodoo code markings on the Laveau tomb wall, you don't get access to the tomb until you talk to Dr. John which is earliest Day 2, so I'm not sure what you mean by getting it in Day 1.  Can you explain further on a separate post or send email to support@postudios.com with a save?  Thanks!
Title: Re: FIXED - Player Alert! - Autosave issues to be aware of before next patch
Post by: jacek909 on October 20, 2014, 01:44:12 PM
Hi wayens. For me, similar as for lostn these saves are not acceptable, as in my save I have completed any possible conversation and I don't want to do it anymore.
My problem is that I'm on day 3 and even though I did everything it doesn't stop. I compared the savefile you have provided with mine and (as far as I can tell) the only meaningful difference is that in my savefile variable "StLouis_Cemetery3_SawGabrielMaliaExchange" is set to False (even though I met Malia at her family tomb) while in yours savefile it is set to True. However changing it in my save doesn't have desired effect. Could you explain what should I change to repair my savefile?
I attach the file as well.
Title: Re: FIXED - Player Alert! - Autosave issues to be aware of before next patch
Post by: wayens on October 20, 2014, 08:17:39 PM
I'm sorry to hear that the saves aren't acceptable, jacek909.  I understand why but to encompass all players, this is the best way to do it: as a skip to end of day.  The other option is to replay from beginning of day, if you're willing.

As to doctoring your save, not every player knows how to do that and it could be multiple variables, or even missing variables in the text.  I've forwarded your save to one of our developers.  He can shed more light on whether your change is supposed to be enough, and may even give you pointers.  Thanks!
Title: Re: FIXED - Player Alert! - Autosave issues to be aware of before next patch
Post by: lostn on October 20, 2014, 08:18:06 PM
Quote from: wayens on October 20, 2014, 12:20:13 PM
And lostn, if you mean the voodoo code markings on the Laveau tomb wall, you don't get access to the tomb until you talk to Dr. John which is earliest Day 2, so I'm not sure what you mean by getting it in Day 1.  Can you explain further on a separate post or send email to support@postudios.com with a save?  Thanks!

Maybe I misremembered, and it was day 2 that I copied down the markings, not day 1. In any case, I did it the moment I got access to the cemetary. It did not appear in my inventory the moment I tried to copy them down. I did not save or load the game. I checked my inventory immediately and it did not appear. I assumed it must be inside the sketchbook itself but when I opened that to look, I didn't see it. So I continued playing anyway, assuming the remake had some other way to deal with the mechanic, but when I got stuck on day 3 that's when I realized what I was missing.

I provided the save file now.

Description is the same. Can't get cemetary markings. Game thinks I already have them, but it's not in my inventory. If you can repair this save by editing it, I would be very happy.

I should not that every time I opened the game I did use the "Continue" function. I did not know it was loading an auto save and assumed that it was just loading my most recent save instead as you would expect with any game that allows you to manually save. The original Sierra games only made auto saves in any situation where you can actually die, so I assumed that's how you were handling the auto saves. I can assure you though, loading an auto save had nothing to do with the cemetary markings not appearing in my inventory. Those just immediately did not appear.
Title: Re: FIXED - Player Alert! - Autosave issues to be aware of before next patch
Post by: Chrury on October 20, 2014, 09:35:44 PM
Hey guys, I'm the lead scripter on the game. Even with the continue bug (now patched), some of the issues I'm reading here are very strange and, according to the logic, impossible!

Regardless, I've attached a pair of edited saves for both lostn and jacek909. They are named exactly the same, just overwrite your save with the version that matches what you posted. So for lostn that would be "010_st. george's books.sav" and for jacek that would be "002_Jacek.sav".

In both cases, you'll only need to exit to the map in order to trigger the end of day3.

I hope this resolves your respective issues and I apologize for the inconvenience.
Title: Re: FIXED - Player Alert! - Autosave issues to be aware of before next patch
Post by: jacek909 on October 20, 2014, 10:58:16 PM
Thanks Chrury. I was meaning to try exactly this modification as you did, but was afraid that it may broke something later.
One more question: as I understand, I should still save manually on the day 5 to avoid potential problems?
Title: Re: FIXED - Player Alert! - Autosave issues to be aware of before next patch
Post by: Chrury on October 20, 2014, 11:52:34 PM
QuoteOne more question: as I understand, I should still save manually on the day 5 to avoid potential problems?

If you're playing from Steam, all of the autosave/continue issues we could find are resolved.  However, it is still generally safer to save/load manually.

EXCEPT in room 7 or 12 in Africa. Any other room is fine; just don't save there. I should probably make a new thread about that one.

Title: Re: FIXED - Player Alert! - Autosave issues to be aware of before next patch
Post by: jacek909 on October 21, 2014, 04:44:41 AM
I'm using GOG version, so I'll be carefull. Thanks again for help.
Title: Re: FIXED - Player Alert! - Autosave issues to be aware of before next patch
Post by: lostn on October 21, 2014, 07:46:46 AM
Thank you very much Chrury! Your save fixed my problem without me needing to restart day 2. I wasn't going to do that and was going to wait a few months until no more updates were needed, but you have just restored my faith in you guys! Now I can continue playing, though I will also monitor this forum just in case...
Title: Re: FIXED - Player Alert! - Autosave issues to be aware of before next patch
Post by: AJvK on October 26, 2014, 04:31:51 AM
I too have lost all my savefiles when I upgraded to Yosemite. I've used the downloaded day 5 savegame but I cannot for the life of me seem to find Magentia Moonbeam's place anywhere. Her flyer isn't on the wall of the museum anymore, and I've exhausted all conversation options with dr. John.
Is this a glitch in the savefile, or am I missing something?

Edit: hacked/edit the savefile to own the flyer and have Moonbeam residence appear. Still, not how I like to solve the game...
Title: Re: FIXED - Player Alert! - Autosave issues to be aware of before next patch
Post by: wayens on October 26, 2014, 10:37:08 PM
Sorry to hear the day 5 savegame provided you didn't work, AJvK.  What source did you say you downloaded from?  Because I just re-confirmed the save provided in the main topic loaded fine.

The 248 save file attached in the main topic ends the day once you go to map, so Moonbeam's already visited and you wouldn't be traveling around the Quarter until Day 6 loads.
Title: Re: FIXED - Player Alert! - Autosave issues to be aware of before next patch
Post by: Roel on July 27, 2015, 04:43:05 PM
Also stuck. New situation. On day 2, using android. I started up day 2,but got a text message from someone after grace gave me her messages at the start of day 2. I came back via 'load from last checkpoint'.

I'm now at the of the day, having done everything, talked to everyone, interacted, etc.
The only thing I cannot do, is visit the Gedde mansion, since it' s not on the map.

Would you kindly provide a save game + it's intended location?
(or even better, tell me how to modify mine?, like, set so-and-so-variable to true, modify that checksum and save)

Also: this forum is horrible to use with a mobile phone. As soon as I type a word, it may or may not be appended with the same word, with the cursor placed at a random new position. It is worse at the start of the post. I can type without interruption now that I've made it this far.
Title: Re: FIXED - Player Alert! - Autosave issues to be aware of before next patch
Post by: wayens on July 29, 2015, 12:49:33 PM
Hi, Roel,

QA Lead here, I've set this post to notify me of replies so I can keep tabs.

Sorry to hear you have trouble.
The saves for Android build can be found in Android/data/com.postudios.gk1/files
I'm attaching an end of day 2 save file for you to compare with yours.
Gedde Mansion should on the same map as the crime scene, down south/at bottom.

As to modifying, I've never done so myself, so I'm afraid I can't teach.
But try loading this and see how it goes, thanks!
Title: Re: FIXED - Player Alert! - Autosave issues to be aware of before next patch
Post by: Roel on July 29, 2015, 01:33:23 PM
Great!

Found the file on my phone. Compared it to the one attached here. Numerous lines are different, but that's primarily due to the ordering of my inventory and the fact that the order in which saved data is stored is not the same.

I quickly found this entry:

      <entry>
        <key type="System.String">Map_GeddeMansion_Available</key>
        <value type="System.Boolean">False</value>
      </entry>

Changed the value to 'True' and saved. I'll post my results after getting the file back to the game :)

NB the given savegame is not as thorough on trying stuff as I've done myself. e.g. There's still some things to do in the voodoo shop. Things that can be delayed till day3, but I had already done them..  The score on the file was 69, though I had raked in 76 already, even without the Gedde Mansion.

Right. Anyway, thanks for the very quick response, after the email notification :)

edit: Had some trouble copying the file back, but that was probably a filelock on the windows side. No need for root rights or the like. The change works like a charm, and I'll now go have a nice chat with miss Gedde
Title: Re: FIXED - Player Alert! - Autosave issues to be aware of before next patch
Post by: wayens on July 29, 2015, 02:15:28 PM
Yeah, sorry, that save obviously wasn't trained to your playthrough. ;)

Glad you were able to continue!

Title: Re: FIXED - Player Alert! - Autosave issues to be aware of before next patch
Post by: Roel on August 01, 2015, 05:07:55 AM
And finish it :) Thanks! Loved to play it again

(if it helps on the compatibility list: I had no trouble playing trough the game with a sony xperia Z3. Just seen these quirks:
* the dagger-loading-indicator is not always there when a scene is loading
* the screen goes black during the longer cutscenes, after not touching the it for some time)

And my life got a lot easier when I found out that you can increase the font size in the options menu
Title: Re: FIXED - Player Alert! - Autosave issues to be aware of before next patch
Post by: naevity on September 03, 2015, 07:38:04 AM
I ran into the Madame Cazaunoux issue while playing on my iPad. I've been using the autosave feature all along, not really thinking to save myself (like i did playing the original!). I've been trying to beat day 2 for a few days now. I've done everything, but I've never seen Cazaunoux at the Dixieland Drug Store, so I can't ask grace to research her.  I've taken a look at my save file, and I noticed two entries in it:

      <entry>
        <key type="System.String">VoodooShop_Interior_SawCazaunoux</key>
        <value type="System.Boolean">False</value>
      </entry>

      <entry>
        <key type="System.String">Bookstore_InteriorFront_ShowResearchMadameCazaunoux</key>
        <value type="System.Boolean">False</value>
      </entry>

I imagine I can switch both of those to true and keep going? I've done a slight compare to the saved games back in the first post, and I think all the rest of the keys that contain Cazaunoux are the same.
Title: Re: FIXED - Player Alert! - Autosave issues to be aware of before next patch
Post by: wayens on September 03, 2015, 04:38:07 PM
Sorry to hear you encountered this issue, naevity.
We'll look into it.

Our past issue is people have seen Cazaunoux but just couldn't end the day.

It sounds like you're saying you just never saw her.  This may involve something new then.

So just to review: The standard way of meeting Cazaunoux is to just walk in to the drug store.  So you shouldn't have missed her if you've visited.
Do you remember if you had exited the game on entering the drug store?  The time of interruption could be important to note.
Or have you entered the store again after you've continued?  And have you tried asking Grace to research Cazaunoux, also after continuing?  I'm supposing you have but since by the save file lines you're showing, it seems like you haven't, I just want to be sure.

If still no Cazaunoux appearance and the research topic isn't there, then please use the day 2 save from the initial entry of this thread.

As to your suggested edits, you can try, but with this many variables involved in the game, there's no guarantee your edits will play out as you'd expect.  So be aware of that.  I'd rather you play from a gameplay-generated save.