PSA: Changing the game's install location will render any save files containing DLC items unloadable.

[Mr Scumbag]

Game was stuttering a fair bit on my HDD despite running very smoothly otherwise so I decided to move it to my SSD. After doing that, I loaded the game and tried to load my latest save. It told me it couldn't load the save because I didn't have the Tactical Pack DLC installed, despite the fact that it was a straight copy/paste of the game files with a cache validation thrown in. Any other save after I'd redeemed the elite sedative rifle (or whatever it's called) was also colored red and was impossible to load.

Steam says all DLC is installed, but I'm guessing changing the install location for the game triggers some kind of save-based DRM to prevent people exchanging saves containing the DLC extras. It's incredibly hamfisted how it can lock people out of content they rightfully own just by changing the game's install location, though.

So I got burned for using the DLC I bought and have to revert to an earlier save and replay a good part of the game again - Lucky I'm a compulsive hard-saver. For the time being, leave your install where it is, unless you're not using any DLC items.

Now I either have to rebuy the Tactical Pack or wait for a Square support ticket. I don't think I can be bothere with either. Pretty disappointed by this.

[The Junior Mint]

How did you move the install? You mention a straight copy/paste?

If you did that, instead of using the purpose built backup and restore function in Steam, it's no surprise that you're having issues.

Either way, sounds like more of a Steam problem than a SE one.

[Luxia]

What the ♥♥♥♥, anyone who is responsible for this?
What. The. ♥♥♥♥?

Originally posted by The Junior Mint:

How did you move the install? You mention a straight copy/paste?

If you did that, instead of using the purpose built backup and restore function in Steam, it's no surprise that you're having issues.

Either way, sounds like more of a Steam problem than a SE one.

Oh, yeah, seems it was a straight copy-paste. I hope that's the only cause..

[Erebus]

Originally posted by The Junior Mint:

How did you move the install? You mention a straight copy/paste?

If you did that, instead of using the purpose built backup and restore function in Steam, it's no surprise that you're having issues.

Either way, sounds like more of a Steam problem than a SE one.

Steam's backup and restore feature is trash. Copying and pasting works fine with 90% of other games so long as Steam knows where it is.

[Mr Scumbag]

Originally posted by The Junior Mint:

How did you move the install? You mention a straight copy/paste?

If you did that, instead of using the purpose built backup and restore function in Steam, it's no surprise that you're having issues.

Either way, sounds like more of a Steam problem than a SE one.

I've been moving installs between computers and directories for years and I've never had a problem like this. The fact that it's occured after changing the install location is bizarre though. Surely if they wanted to prevent the exchange of saves they could have built this into the save files/location/pc? Even a unique generated hash for each save based on the users Steam ID or Square account would have been better than locking people out of content because they felt the need to try to optimise their gaming experience?

I'm the last person to run around trying to drum up outrage against developers and publishers (the gaming community can be downright childish and cynical sometimes) but based on what I've mentioned, I'm not sure there's a good defense for the way DLC has been handled here, regardless of what you believe about the one time used items (which I personally have no problem with, it's their game and out choice whether or not to buy/support that content)

There's no good reason I shouldn't be able to still use my saves after changing the game's install location on the same PC it was already installed on. Especially because the save files are in an entirely different place and haven't moved.

[Erebus]

Originally posted by Mr Scumbag:

Originally posted by The Junior Mint:

How did you move the install? You mention a straight copy/paste?

If you did that, instead of using the purpose built backup and restore function in Steam, it's no surprise that you're having issues.

Either way, sounds like more of a Steam problem than a SE one.

I've been moving installs between computers and directories for years and I've never had a problem like this. The fact that it's occured after changing the install location is bizarre though. Surely if they wanted to prevent the exchange of saves they could have built this into the save files/location/pc? Even a unique generated hash for each save based on the users Steam ID or Square account would have been better than locking people out of content because they felt the need to try to optimise their gaming experience?

I'm the last person to run around trying to drum up outrage against developers and publishers (the gaming community can be downright childish and cynical sometimes) but based on what I've mentioned, I'm not sure there's a good defense for the way DLC has been handled here, regardless of what you believe about the one time used items (which I personally have no problem with, it's their game and out choice whether or not to buy/support that content)

There's no good reason I shouldn't be able to still use my saves after changing the game's install location on the same PC it was already installed on. Especially because the save files are in an entirely different place and haven't moved.

If Steam knows where it is and the registry knows where it is, it's definitely the software.

[Sekkuar666]

wow

savefile DRM on a single player game is the worst kind of DRM ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ I've heard ever since HDCP

[matthew]

yeah, another poster has reported the same issue, seems this is duue to the DLC being save locked, this is totally BS.

[Freyar]

Steam's backup function has been broken/unusable for over a decade. It also doesn't change anything when run either, it's just a compressing utility.

[Mr Scumbag]

I've just discovered that I've also lost access to the extra outfits. I don't personally care about that, but it's worth mentioning.

[Freyar]

Moving the game results in the "durable" goods disappearing too?

[Mr Scumbag]

Originally posted by Freyar:

Moving the game results in the "durable" goods disappearing too?

All I can definitely say based on my memory of what I redeemed from the (storage menu) is that I remember redeeming the tranq rifle, and that I had three outfits hanging in Jensen's apartment and now after reverting to the last save before I redeemed the rifle, it is no longer available to redeem in my storage and all extra outfits (the ones in the menu and the ones hanging in Jensen's apartment) are gone. There's probably a few other things I redeemed that disappeared too, I'm guessing.

I'm really glad I decided to postpone redeeming the praxis kits. They're still there.

[God, owner of the Universe]

I have manually moved around a few other games between my HDs without issues (that I'm aware of) in the following way:

Exit Steam.

Move the respective game's directory with all its content to the other library folder.

Then go to the parent folder of where it came from (The one that has "common" inside it.) and look for the correct appmanifest file. The one for DX:MD should be "appmanifest_337000.acf" (found the number via https://steamdb.info/). That file needs to be moved to the other drive, too, to the parent folder just like here, of course.

And finally, take a look at the content of the file. Some games' .acf file has install path info that is *absolute*. If it were relative, no change is needed, but any absolute path infos need to be changed, of course. You might have to edit the file with Notepad++ or something like that, because Windows' Notepad.exe doesn't play nice with Unix newlines, but I don't know, because NP++ is like the first thing I install on a new system.

Then start Steam again.

If you do the missing steps for your game, it might work just fine. (Don't forget to quit Steam first.)

[Erebus]

Originally posted by Sekkuar666:

wow

savefile DRM on a single player game is the worst kind of DRM ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ I've heard ever since HDCP

GFWL all over again?

[Sekkuar666]

Originally posted by Erebus the Indolent:

Originally posted by Sekkuar666:

wow

savefile DRM on a single player game is the worst kind of DRM ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ I've heard ever since HDCP

GFWL all over again? :conwayfacepalm:

GFWL is pretty bad, but HDCP went horribly awry.

They had bluray player manufactorers have special encryption keys for each model of equipment they used. Of course, with time, some of those encryption keys leaked, and to prevent people from using it to pirate stuff, they revoked the leaked keys.

As a result, anyone who had bought a bluray player from the affected models were no longer able to use their players.

[Mr Scumbag]

Somewhat related: The Netflix app for Windows will also turn some monitors off in multimonitor setups to prevent piracy. (I'm guessing it considers unrecognised TVs/monitors as capture devices.

I can't use the app with my LGTV for that reason. Not a huge deal, since I prefer browsers with addons that enhance Netflix, but I imagine it's really ffrustrating for a lot of people.