OK......
1/ I started a simple game, moved a unit then pressed the red up arrow then went to the auto-save slot and started it and that game was back to where I was before I moved the unit
2/ I started an old save game, move a unit then presses the red up arrow and started it and that game was back to where I was before I moved the unit
3/ I started a different old save game.... lets call it #3, I moved a unit then pressed the red up arrow button then went to the save game screen and started the autosave
and it was old save game #3....... BEFORE I moved the unit
SO it would APPEAR your observation is correct. The autosave is being made when the game ( originally ) loads.
OK.... learned something new today........
We will look into this and get the procedure strainghend out and the working adjusted for the next release
That does explain why the building were restored when loading the autosave though........