Any plans to add autosave?

[dSoprano]

Hello, just played a demo and wanted to exit it but seems there is no autosave and all the progress is being resetted for the level. Would love to see auto-save feature since I like to explore/loot for a long time, and when all progress is resetted it feels very unsatisfying and time consuming :(

EDIT:
Another answer about this topic from developers:

"Due to the scope of the game, and our focus on providing a robust and varied experience across a high number of trips into the zone, with variable map sizes, anomaly populations, and the amount of hazards, we had to make technical sacrifices early on in the project that makes revisiting this save behavior not feasible. While we understand why this is highly requested, it’s not something we plan on revisiting for those reasons.

We believe that once a majority of players have had time in the game, it’ll be apparent why the save system is working this way. The game gets much faster and more intense the more you learn your way around the Zone and you’ll have plenty of time to grab the essentials and get out or take your time and explore. If you do need to save mid-run, just head for the next exit and then you can safely quit the game once you load into the next level, without losing any progress."

[iwblake]

That's intentional - once you enter a junction, the loot you have and find is at considerable risk if you don't make it back to the garage in one piece.

Saving multiple times in a level will only keep your progress up to the beginning of that junction - an exception to this is being in the garage where there's no threats, then you can save in place and everything up to that point.

Edit: We've elaborated on how saves work and our reasoning behind that decision here: https://steamcommunity.com/app/1458140/discussions/0/4348858679321126538/

[Dwarf[GdL]]

I'd like to add on this. Forcing the player to play through or discard a run is not gameplay.

I am a gaming dad, means that gaming is sometimes paused/quit when family/kids require attention.

I understand the motion of not save-scumming a junction run.

But I'd really like to quit (with save) and return to the game/junction at the state where I am.

A single (auto)save would be totally sufficient.

I don't see why this would deminish the game/junction experience, but would tremendously allow more players to spend variable time on the game.

[shinigami8671]

Originally posted by DwarfGdL:

I'd like to add on this. Forcing the player to play through or discard a run is not gameplay.

I am a gaming dad, means that gaming is sometimes paused/quit when family/kids require attention.

I understand the motion of not save-scumming a junction run.

But I'd really like to quit (with save) and return to the game/junction at the state where I am.

A single (auto)save would be totally sufficient.

I don't see why this would deminish the game/junction experience, but would tremendously allow more players to spend variable time on the game.

Although I understand where you are coming from but for a game such as this that's not possible since it would completely change the gameplay loop.

The whole idea of the game is for you to prepare in the garage and then go out in the very dangerous world in hopes of getting something good. Its risk vs reward and autosave will completely remove the risk.


The developers can't change a core (and intentional) feature of a game just because it is inconvenient for a select few.

[Pille]

Simply make it an additional option to turn on saves during a junction. Add to it a hint that it significantly lowers the difficulty and is not the intended experience.

In this way, you keep the game intact and most players get the intended experience. At the same time, you respect player's time and treat them as adults who are able to decide between the intended 'hardcore' gameplay and the easier mode with flexible saves.

[shinigami8671]

Originally posted by Pille:

Simply make it an additional option to turn on saves during a junction. Add to it a hint that it significantly lowers the difficulty and is not the intended experience.

In this way, you keep the game intact and most players get the intended experience. At the same time, you respect player's time and treat them as adults who are able to decide between the intended 'hardcore' gameplay and the easier mode with flexible saves.

The player's should respect their own time and not play a game that is obviously not designed or suited for them.

It's like playing a dark souls and then complaining that dying to mobs is a waste of time.

Don't like it? Don't play it. The developers don't have to do that and nor should they be asked to especially since the entire gameplay loop revolves around it.
It would take away most of the replayability.

This is one of the reasons the demo was released, so you can try it and see if it suits you. Not because you could force the devs into making nonsensical changes.

[Bane882266]

Originally posted by DwarfGdL:

I'd like to add on this. Forcing the player to play through or discard a run is not gameplay.

I am a gaming dad, means that gaming is sometimes paused/quit when family/kids require attention.

I understand the motion of not save-scumming a junction run.

I highly agree a save on exit is important. I like hunt show down but I have to block off 30 minutes but I can guarantee I won't need to break off. A single player game has a inherent advantage that it can be put down and picked back up at any point. It's a single-player game who cares of people save scum but convenient saving system is important for gamers that can't guarantee their sessions.

[Swan]

Saving would be a nice optional feature, but it's clear what the intended gameplay loop here is. To add saving beyond it being an accessibility option would diminish from the difficulty this game intends to have.

[iinmii]

Originally posted by iwblake:

That's intentional - once you enter a junction, the loot you have and find is at considerable risk if you don't make it back to the garage in one piece.

Saving multiple times in a level will only keep your progress up to the beginning of that junction - an exception to this is being in the garage where there's no threats, then you can save in place and up everything up to that point.

And yet you add different difficulty options including the one to turn off player deaths.
Simply disable achievements and enable save on exit.

Also, let us play the game the way we enjoy it. It's a single player experience, let me do it my way - if I want to save scum and easy experience, let me, I paid for it, what's the problem?

If it's hard to implement - you don't yet have a way to save/load world state and have to patch in serialization - then say it like that - not planned for initial release, and you don't have resources to do it properly atm.

[Synnical77]

Ya, this isn't cool at all. I left the garage and started zone 1. Played for 30 minutes and had to go back to real life. Then I discover there's no way to save all the stuff I did. So, now if I want to play again I've got to do all that stuff over again. Does not feel good at all.

[Ashar]

and if i need to exit the game to stop playing, im ♥♥♥♥♥♥?
Also, if you game crashed (which it did for me) im also ♥♥♥♥♥♥

[Dwarf[GdL]]

Originally posted by Ashar:

and if i need to exit the game to stop playing, im ♥♥♥♥♥♥?
Also, if you game crashed (which it did for me) im also ♥♥♥♥♥♥

Exactly this.

The game does not respect your time, it forces you to finish the zone/junction or lose all progress since exiting the garage.

The game does not care if you need to go to bed, your kids require attention, the postman is knocking on the door.

And to distinguish:
an autosave on exit is not save-scumming. You do not reset progress, you do not alter the outcome. It just gives the player the possibility to break/continue the gaming session to attend more important matters.

[Phyksar]

In The Binding of Isaac you lose progress on death (your items and upgrades), but it still allows you to save on exit and continue later. Why this feature can't be implemented in this game? For sure, it opens the door for save-scummers, but I never had even a thought about doing it.

[Bane882266]

Imagine playing a game for fun you could just put it down and pick back up later when you have to go do chores or have a life.

[dohh]

No saving? No buying.

[ichlehneab]

Originally posted by shinigami8671:

Although I understand where you are coming from but for a game such as this that's not possible since it would completely change the gameplay loop.

The whole idea of the game is for you to prepare in the garage and then go out in the very dangerous world in hopes of getting something good. Its risk vs reward and autosave will completely remove the risk.


The developers can't change a core (and intentional) feature of a game just because it is inconvenient for a select few.

Dude, what are you on about? Which dangerous world? I was collecting ressources without a care in the world and went for a sunday drive for half an hour before I had to quit and noticed that I would had to redo everything again because the game won't save anything. Core feature my ass. The game you make a cause for only exists in your mind.
Even if it was something of a rogue-like name me one rogue-like which makes you redo 1 hour of ressource collection upon dying.