missing save file

[SauronHells]

Hello everyone, i was wondering if someone could help me or know whats is happening, the last time i played was about 1 year ago, i open the game today and my save file doesnt appear, i checked on the appdata folder and i can see my save file folder there, but for some reason the game doesnt detect it, if i create a new game, i can see that the folder it creates its no longer a number, but the name of my pc, i tried to move my old save file into this new folder but it just says error and restart the game, is there a way to restore that old save file or my 100+ game save file is just lost?

[Insane Chainsaw]

Originally posted by SauronHells:

if i create a new game, i can see that the folder it creates its no longer a number, but the name of my pc

This happens when the game fails to communicate with the Steam client.
It can be caused by running the game from an old version of the client, or by running the game without the client at all, in which case you need to launch Steam manually.
BTW: the number you mentioned is your steam account id.

If you're thinking "--no-browser", a workaround exists, otherwise ignore this sentence.

[SauronHells]

Originally posted by Insane Chainsaw:

Originally posted by SauronHells:

if i create a new game, i can see that the folder it creates its no longer a number, but the name of my pc

This happens when the game fails to communicate with the Steam client.
It can be caused by running the game from an old version of the client, or by running the game without the client at all, in which case you need to launch Steam manually.
BTW: the number you mentioned is your steam account id.

If you're thinking "--no-browser", a workaround exists, otherwise ignore this sentence.

i run the game from steam, and have it updated, not sure what is happening, ill see if my anti virus is blocking it or something, thank you for the information, hope i can get it to work, really loved this game and dont want to lose the 100+ hours

[Insane Chainsaw]

The best would be that you get the game to work normally with Steam, I'm also curious about the cause if you find it.

But if you absolutely can't figure it out, send me your old save (just GameSaveData.sav) AND a save made in the [ComputerName]-0 folder, I should be able to transfer.

Or I can tell you how to do it yourself IF you are handy with a hex editor.

[SauronHells]

Originally posted by Insane Chainsaw:

The best would be that you get the game to work normally with Steam, I'm also curious about the cause if you find it.

But if you absolutely can't figure it out, send me your old save (just GameSaveData.sav) AND a save made in the [ComputerName]-0 folder, I should be able to transfer.

Or I can tell you how to do it yourself IF you are handy with a hex editor.

sadly was not able to get it to work, how can i edit the save file? and does that affect the change to get the last achivements?

[Insane Chainsaw]

Originally posted by SauronHells:

does that affect the change to get the last achivements?

If your game can't talk to Steam, you won't get any achievement.
But otherwise this game has no "cheat attempt or save tampering detected - achievement disabled" mechanic.

Originally posted by SauronHells:

how can i edit the save file?

Verification steps:

1. Make sure your hex editor is capable of computing MD5 hashes. I use HxD where it's under analysis->checksums.
   
   
2. (optional) Open any outpost save (GameSaveData.sav) and go to offset 25 (hex), its value should be 0E. Select everything from this 0E (included) until end of file, and compute the MD5 of the selection. You should get the same MD5 as what's written at the beginning of the save, at offset 4.
   
   If you don't get the same MD5, you are doing something wrong, and going any further would only yield an corrupt save.

Switching a save tied to a Steam ID to one tied to a computer:

1. Create a save in the ComputerName-0 folder if you don't have one. Quitting the game right at the start of the tutorial is enough for this.
   
   
2. Open the GameSaveData.sav from the ComputerName-0 folder in your hex editor and scroll to bottom. You should see your computer's name close to the end.
   
   
3. Copy everything from the last occurrence of "StrProperty" until the end of the file.
   Then you can close this file, we won't use it anymore.
   
   
4. Open the GameSaveData.sav from the SteamID folder in your hex editor and scroll to bottom.
   
   
5. Replace everything from the last occurrence of "StrProperty" until the end of the file by what you have just copied from the ComputerName save. Essentially you are replacing the end of one save by the corresponding block of another save.
   
   
6. Go to offset 25 (hex), select everything from there to end of file, and compute the MD5 of the selection. Just like in Verification step 2.
   
   
7. This MD5 will likely contain letters, make them lowercase if they are uppercase. Yes, this is important.
   
   
8. Go to offset 4 of your save and you should see what used to be its MD5 before you changed the end. Replace this MD5 by the lowercase one you just generated, then save.
   
   
9. Replace the GameSaveData.sav from the ComputerName-0 folder by the modified save, start game, and it should work.
   If you get an error saying "this save may not be the latest one", press escape.

Notes for stray googlers unfamiliar with hex editors:
-Pasting in step 8 should be done in the panel that shows text, usually to the right.
-Copying in step 3 and pasting in step 5 should be done in the panel that shows hex bytes, usually to the left.
-"Go to offset 4" is it "4 hex" or "4 dec"? For offsets <=9 it's the same thing.