Using the Steam Cloud to save a Fallout Shelter Vault

[Redbeard]

The makers of Fallout Shelter, Bethesda, say on their website
"Steam players can use the Steam Cloud to save their vaults."
http://help.bethesda.net/app/answers/detail/a_id/35025/kw/restore%20a%20saved

In Steam, go to your games list.
Right-click on Fallout Shelter.
Click on the "Updates" tab.
At the bottom of the Updates section is a box to tick to "Enable Steam Cloud synchronization for Fallout Shelter".

My question is: Does this actually work?

There have been so many reports of players losing their entire Vault because the game stuffed up (such as following a computer crash or power outage).

As far as I am aware, the Steam Cloud synchronization is turned on by default, so you would think that there wouldn't be a problem.

Has anyone here lost their game data, and been able to retrieve it from the Steam Cloud?

From all the reports I have read, I am assuming that it is safer to manually back-up your saved game files.

[cassiels]

My pc crashed after playing another game and then starting up FOS.
Fallout Shelter disappeared. In my steam library it said: INSTALL.

So I installed it again and when I clicked PLAY all my vaults were there and intact, just like I had left them when I logged out before the crash.

I always let Steam synch and I have never made a manual save.

[Redbeard]

On Bethesda's community forum there is a page entitled "PC Support for Fallout Shelter".
https://community.bethesda.net/community/fallout/fallout-shelter/fallout-shelter-support/pc

9 out of the 25 posts are from people who have lost their saved games.

Including two people who have lost their Vaults twice:
"My save has been wiped for the second time."
https://community.bethesda.net/thread/82149
"Still losing vaults"
https://community.bethesda.net/thread/90364

Since it appears that a major problem of the game is people losing their Vaults (which can mean the loss of hundreds of hours of gameplay, and of any money spent on the game), I find it incredible that Bethesda does not warn people about this major defect and tell them to manually back-up their saved game files (and how to do it).

Whilst it appears that Fallout Shelter is just a small game used as an enticement, to encourage people to want to try Fallout 4, it is nonetheless atrocious that Bethesda would act in such a cavalier manner.
I have Fallout 4 on my Steam wishlist; but if Bethesda is so bad at customer service, it makes me wonder if I should ever buy it.

[Redbeard]

Originally posted by cassiels:

My pc crashed after playing another game and then starting up FOS.
Fallout Shelter disappeared. In my steam library it said: INSTALL.

So I installed it again and when I clicked PLAY all my vaults were there and intact, just like I had left them when I logged out before the crash.

I always let Steam synch and I have never made a manual save.

That's encouraging to hear.

I can only assume that when other people lost their game, it was due to another type of problem.
I'm guessing that if their computer crashed whilst they were playing Fallout Shelter, that their saved game files would have been corrupted (I've had that issue with another game on Steam).

[dollars202]

I use steam cloud to save my game, but i only turn it on once a day and start the game then exit and turn off steam cloud. The problem with the cloud is that if you don't do it this way and some power spike ruins your normal save it'll ruin steam cloud save if steam cloud is turned on too, just turn steam cloud on once a day and save your game and then turn it off. That way if at some other time your power goes kapooey you still have your game saved and only lose the one day.

[Redbeard]

I can see the logic in that - sounds like a plan.