Solution for initializing Network crash -> your savegame is not lost

[Praise d Sun]

If your game crashes at "Initializing Network" it is caused by your character wearing the Guild Night Set overlay with your hair and eyebrows set to 0. Sounds stupid but thats the reason.

Knowing this, i've managed to repair my brothers save with the following steps:

1. Make a backup of your save file located in:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\userdata\YOURPERSONALSTEAMID\2246340

2. Right click the game in your libary, go to properties and set auto updates to "only update when I start the game"

3. Download the old version of the game:
- Press Windows + R
- type the command:

steam://open/console

- in the steam console, type the command:

download_depot 2246340 2246341 4787324512724903587 

- this will download the older version and may take a while, leave the console open as there is no progress bar.
- When it is done, a message will appear telling you the location of the files

4. Move your current game files to a different location

5. Move the newly downloaded files to the game location

6. Start the game via the "MonsterHunterWilds.exe", the save file should now load correctly

7. Enter the game with your character, unequip all layered armor, go to edit appearance and set your hair and eyebrows to a different one than "0"

8. Save the appearance and your game. Then exit the game.

9. Swap the game versions again (Step 5/6)

10. Enable auto updates again if you want

11. Start the game and enjoy

[アンジェル]

Originally posted by Praise d Sun:

Solution for initializing Network crash -> your savegame is not lost
If your game crashes at "Initializing Network" it is caused by your character wearing the Guild Night Set overlay with your hair and eyebrows set to 0. Sounds stupid but thats the reason.

Knowing this, i've managed to repair my brothers save with the following steps:

1. Make a backup of your save file located in:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\userdata\YOURPERSONALSTEAMID\2246340

2. Right click the game in your libary, go to properties and set auto updates to "only update when I start the game"

3. Download the old version of the game:
- Press Windows + R
- type the command:

steam://open/console

- in the steam console, type the command:

download_depot 2246340 3308900 1312233413402811053 

- this will download the older version and may take a while, leave the console open as there is no progress bar.
- When it is done, a message will appear telling you the location of the files

4. Move your current game files to a different location

5. Move the newly downloaded files to the game location

6. Start the game via the "MonsterHunterWilds.exe", the save file should now load correctly

7. Enter the game with your character, unequip all layered armor, go to edit appearance and set your hair and eyebrows to a different one than "0"

8. Save the appearance and your game. Then exit the game.

9. Swap the game versions again (Step 5/6)

10. Enable auto updates again if you want

11. Start the game and enjoy

While the method seems solid and meaningful, I wonder if there was no easier way.

Like: putting Steam into offline mode and change the layered armour offline, then save and then go back. Have you tried that too by chance?

[Praise d Sun]

Originally posted by アンジェル:

While the method seems solid and meaningful, I wonder if there was no easier way.

Like: putting Steam into offline mode and change the layered armour offline, then save and then go back. Have you tried that too by chance?

Sadly I haven't tried that. Could potentially work as well if you get to start your game this way

[アンジェル]

Originally posted by Praise d Sun:

Originally posted by アンジェル:

While the method seems solid and meaningful, I wonder if there was no easier way.

Like: putting Steam into offline mode and change the layered armour offline, then save and then go back. Have you tried that too by chance?

Sadly I haven't tried that. Could potentially work as well if you get to start your game this way

Unfortunate. But yeah, reverting the game to an earlier version is still a good idea - though that also just disables the game being able to connect online, hence the question of mine.

I am also very surprised that a newer version savegame is seemingly compatible with the old version - or was your savegame not updated yet?

[Praise d Sun]

Originally posted by アンジェル:

Unfortunate. But yeah, reverting the game to an earlier version is still a good idea - though that also just disables the game being able to connect online, hence the question of mine.

I am also very surprised that a newer version savegame is seemingly compatible with the old version - or was your savegame not updated yet?

As the game crashes right after loading the save, the save was not updated yet. I don't know if the solution will work if the problematic armor/hair is equipt in the current version

[アンジェル]

Originally posted by Praise d Sun:

Originally posted by アンジェル:

Unfortunate. But yeah, reverting the game to an earlier version is still a good idea - though that also just disables the game being able to connect online, hence the question of mine.

I am also very surprised that a newer version savegame is seemingly compatible with the old version - or was your savegame not updated yet?

As the game crashes right after loading the save, the save was not updated yet. I don't know if the solution will work if the problematic armor/hair is equipt in the current version

That clarifies it.

Thank you very much for sharing the detailed solution and effective solution to that problem.

Even I am not affected myself, I highly appreciate you taking your time to help others by sharing the information.

[奶臻]

Sorry may i ask is it normal i downloaded two zip file and i cant extract them? I still put it in the game file?
I try extract with window and I try online, it said the file is damaged...Is that mean my save is lost...

[Praise d Sun]

Originally posted by 奶臻:

Sorry may i ask is it normal i downloaded two zip file and i cant extract them? I still put it in the game file?
I try extract with window and I try online, it said the file is damaged...Is that mean my save is lost...

SORRY I pasted the wrong manifest id, that was the high resolution texture pack which has nearly the same file size...
this is the correct one:

download_depot 2246340 2246341 4787324512724903587 

[Biffin]

my god this actually solved my problem...the fact that you managed to figure this out and provide the perfect steps for fixing this is commendable to the highest degree

[奶臻]

Originally posted by Praise d Sun:

Originally posted by 奶臻:

Sorry may i ask is it normal i downloaded two zip file and i cant extract them? I still put it in the game file?
I try extract with window and I try online, it said the file is damaged...Is that mean my save is lost...

SORRY I pasted the wrong manifest id, that was the high resolution texture pack which has nearly the same file size...
this is the correct one:

download_depot 2246340 2246341 4787324512724903587 

Big thanks🙏🏻

[ENCE]

my game(save) is still crash when start game even i download this old version of game.

[Nemo]

I appreciate the guide but I'm still stuck. Got past the initializing network but now it fails to read my save data, presumably because I last left the game at the grand hub or possibly because of new armor/weapons. Is there anything else that can be done?

[gkdlgkt]

If you move the latest version files to another location and bring in an older version, the game starts from scratch. It seems like you can't load your old save files.

[Basaga]

Originally posted by Nemo:

I appreciate the guide but I'm still stuck. Got past the initializing network but now it fails to read my save data, presumably because I last left the game at the grand hub or possibly because of new armor/weapons. Is there anything else that can be done?

me too. Did I miss some step?

[Praise d Sun]

Originally posted by Nemo:

I appreciate the guide but I'm still stuck. Got past the initializing network but now it fails to read my save data, presumably because I last left the game at the grand hub or possibly because of new armor/weapons. Is there anything else that can be done?

I guess the fix only works with sava data from before the update. IF you have a backup from before the patch this may work. You could also try if you can skip the network connection part by going into steam offline mode, but i don't know if that works.

If that doesn't work I suggest sending a ticket to capcom, maybe they can help fixing the save data. Or wait till they release a fix, but I don't know if they even acknowledged the issue yet...

[アンジェル]

Originally posted by Praise d Sun:

Originally posted by Nemo:

I appreciate the guide but I'm still stuck. Got past the initializing network but now it fails to read my save data, presumably because I last left the game at the grand hub or possibly because of new armor/weapons. Is there anything else that can be done?

I guess the fix only works with sava data from before the update. IF you have a backup from before the patch this may work. You could also try if you can skip the network connection part by going into steam offline mode, but i don't know if that works.

If that doesn't work I suggest sending a ticket to capcom, maybe they can help fixing the save data. Or wait till they release a fix, but I don't know if they even acknowledged the issue yet...

Well, it is hard for them to acknowledge the issue, since officially they already progressed towards the new version of the game while only a small number of people are actually affected by the look of it.

Speaking of which, did you send your findings and solution to [e-mail] ?