auto-save feature ? (within dom2 or external program)

[Whismerhill]

does anyone know of an auto-save feature for dom2 files ?
(or will this be included in any future realease of dom2 ?)

I'm asking this because my computer hang Last time & this altered the save file (not turn file)
& I have a save from several turns ago (have to replay all of these )

(I have saved manually previously)

I have tried this : Dominions SaveGame Backup&Restore Utility
Version .1
George McGinn xxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx (or xxxxxxx on csipgs)

but I failed making it work with dom1 (so neither dom2)

[ January 02, 2004, 22:47: Message edited by: Whismerhill ]

[Psitticine]

There's nothing built in, and I don't know if there's anything planned, but you can just make a copy of the game's directory to back up the game. Even just copying the .trn file will do, if I'm not mistaken.

[Arralen]

Simply do the following:

Open the turn.

Issue your orders

Hit "End turn"

Zip up the following files (using your favourite zipping program):
.\game-subdirectory\ftherlnd
.\game-subdirectory\savename.trn
.\game-subdirectory\savename.2h
.. if you rename the zip something like this -save_1.zip- , you can keep all turns in the same save directory. This will backup not only the current turn results but the orders as well, so if you go back to the previous turn you don't have to do ALL orders again.

NOW hit "host" for turn generation.

A.

PS: To get the DOM backupper to work, you have to compile it first (turns ".java" into ".class" files. You'll need the Java Development Kit (JDK), though.) Than you'll have to set the pathes correctly - see the readme for details.

[Gandalf Parker]

You can change the illwinter icon to do a zip on the way in. Even have it zip all games to one zip since you can unzip just the game you want restored.

Or create a new icon to do it so you can alt-esc to it anytime during a long gaming session.

[Whismerhill]

Originally posted by Arralen:

PS: To get the DOM backupper to work, you have to compile it first (turns ".java" into ".class" files. You'll need the Java Development Kit (JDK), though.) Than you'll have to set the pathes correctly - see the readme for details.

thanks for this information
I wasn't aware that these needed to be compiled
I'll try this


Ps: I'm already OK with backing up the savegames,
but on my computer ALT-Tab within dom2 is rather stable but not 100% stable & sometimes result in dom2 closing so I exit dom2 each time I want to save the game manually, & it's a little time-consuming, & sometimes I forget to save
that's why I was asking for an autosave feature

but now I'll try what arralen told me

[Whismerhill]

ouch ! 92Mb download for J2SE !

anyone that has already compiled dombackup for windows ?
(I don't know but I suppose it's OS specific)

[Arralen]

Originally posted by Whismerhill:
Ps: I'm already OK with backing up the savegames, but on my computer ALT-Tab within dom2 is rather stable but not 100% stable & sometimes result in dom2 closing so I exit dom2 each time I want to save the game manually, & it's a little time-consuming, & sometimes I forget to save

Try running DOM in windowed mode: -w
You may resize the window by pulling with the mouse, or set window size as you wish with --res xxx yyy.
So you needn't have to go along with the default 800x600 and get rid of the sometimes faulty graphics-reinitialization when ALT-Tabbing between applications which are running in full screen mode. (This is more of a windows problem than anyhting else - DOM is an OpenGL app., but I have seen such problems with numberous DirectX apps, too)

Hope this is helpful.

A.

[Saber Cherry]

Originally posted by Whismerhill:
ouch ! 92Mb download for J2SE !

anyone that has already compiled dombackup for windows ?
(I don't know but I suppose it's OS specific)

Actually, the beauty of Java... well, one of them... is that it is not OS specific. The compiled code (.class) runs on any supported OS.

[Whismerhill]

thanks for that info saber cherry
anyway I compiled the thing !

too bad the original download doesn't include the .class already
& also that the readme.txt doesn't speak of compiling things ....

for those who don't know a line of java ... ;-)

also if .class were present, we (Users) would only have to install JRE (runtime)
& not JDK....

AND furthermore I emailed the one who made the program more than a year before and he wasn't able to help me !!!!
I suppose he didn't have the time tough

anyway, I'm happy that works now

[Gandalf Parker]

Originally posted by Whismerhill:
too bad the original download doesn't include the .class already
& also that the readme.txt doesn't speak of compiling things ....

also if .class were present, we (Users) would only have to install JRE (runtime)
& not JDK....

Being an old Customer Support for ISPs, you triggered one of my responses.

[begin rant]
This is Internet. You can find anything. If you dont find something you want, then you have found a need. Fill it. This is Internet.
In other words... do you have a little web dir provided by your ISP? Why dont you pop those in there? You dont even have to make a web page to display it. Just putting it there will let you link to it in these conversations.[/rant]

Sorry for the rant. Eventually Im sure those triggers will wear down and go away.

[ January 04, 2004, 14:19: Message edited by: Gandalf Parker ]