Cloud Saves/Synchronization

[swskydancer]

After the last client update, I believe, I no longer see the synchronization popup that was appearing briefly, although no ill effects were seen. However, last Thursday evening I opened the game properties and even though I have the cloud disabled globally, I was surprised to see an amount shown as stored and an amount remaining. After reading through the cloud FAQ, I saw that if files were being written to or from the cloud that a cloud log generates and where to find it. I looked and sure enough there is a cloud log, actually two of them. One says previous at the end and the newest doesn't. I submitted a support ticket to see how to delete a cloud save and how to prevent the situation from reoccurring.

The day after submitting that ticket, I found a link to a Steam page where one can view saves that are in the cloud. I had no game saves since 2013 when I turned the cloud off. I updated my ticket to say I had found that link but asked for clarification for why the amount stored/remaining has data showing and why a cloud log is generating, which normally indicates writing to and/or from the cloud.

The response I've received confirmed that Steam Cloud is disabled and there aren't any cloud saves for PZ in my account. It goes on to say "Please note that due to changes to how the Steam Cloud works, Steam may still track files in autocloud.vdf files in order to better avoid any instances where data is overwritten if you ever do turn the cloud on." Then the waters get murky because it goes on to say "This error message is intended to inform you of a possible future cloud conflict. Since you know this (as you already disabled the cloud), for now you can ignore it by clicking "Play anyway". Currently there are no options to disable or remove the error message. I'll pass along your feedback for this though." It went on to even apologize for not having a fix for me at this time. I never said anything in the original ticket, or update to it, about having received an error message because I haven't seen one but the comment makes me wonder if this change could cause an error to appear, for some reason.

I am now curious as to whether or not others who have the cloud disabled are also now seeing entries for saved/remaining data. The saved figure does correspond to the size of my Frontier saves folder. Perhaps I'm missing something but this change to track files in autocloud.vdf files seems totally unnecessary to me. Suddenly seeing data in the cloud storage field, when there really aren't any cloud saves, completely threw me. I actually haven't closed the ticket yet but probably will do so soon, since anything else I would add feels like feedback rather than help needed from what is supposed to be tech support.

[Jaggid Edje]

I was seeing the cloud sync messages, despite having the cloud off, going back to around like May of this year. Around that time, after a steam update, I had a lot of games "synchronize" the cloud saves automatically, even though I had cloud saves disabled at the global level in Steam.
I even had about a half dozen games where this synchronization that was happening caused the game to be unable to be launched. I had to actually turn steam cloud saves ON for those games and let a synch go through to clear out this issue. (I turned the cloud saves off again after that without an issue).

For months after all of that, I was seeing the cloud save synchronization bar every time I launched certain games, including Planet Zoo.....again, despite having cloud saves disabled.

All of that said though, the indicator that shows how much data is actually stored on the steam cloud remained at 0.

Now, however, I'm no longer seeing that synch progress every time I launch the game but it does show some cloud data stored. And, as you indicated, the amount matches the size of my local Planet Zoo save directory.

TLDR: I'm seeing the same thing as you.

Personally, I chalk it up to Steam/Valve's incompetence when it comes to the cloud save feature. They are constantly tweaking and updating things, and breaking stuff as a result. That's the main reason I have cloud saves disabled in the first place...it's not reliable.
I game on both a desktop and a laptop, so technically the cloud save feature should be something I use....but with the regular and consistent occurrence of 'bugs and glitches' for the feature, I steer clear.

[grampers62]

Only see it these days after a failed load of PZ. Seems I'm occasionally simply failing to connect to the server when the game launches resulting in PZ crash just after initialization.

[Varick]

Whenever I install a game I make sure that the game does not have the cloud saves on; I do not trust it. Have not had any messages but not sure why I do not and others do.

[swskydancer]

It was your older post, @Jaggid Edje, that prompted me to make this post. I almost resurrected that thread but this issue was different enough that I opted to do a new post. Thanks for letting me know about your experience and that you, too, now have a data amount indicated. The inaccurate synchronization message didn't cause me the problems it seems to have caused you, thankfully. I do see a new popup now but all it says is "Preparing to launch Planet Zoo".

@grampers62 and @Varick, are the two of you not seeing a data stored amount in the properties area where the cloud can be turned off? I would think we would all be seeing the same thing, even if that data amount is not an accurate reflection of saves being stored in the cloud.

It's the presence of a stored amount shown that bothers me. Before I found the link to a page to see what saves were stored in the cloud, I was concerned enough to start a support ticket to make sure nothing PZ related was being saved to the cloud because I, too, don't trust the cloud to not create a problem. I am not grasping how making a change to show data where none actually exists is helpful to anyone, but I am not the most tech savvy individual.

@grampers62, sorry to hear of the failure to connect to the server you are encountering at times. That's got to be irritating, if it's happening frequently enough.

Another general observation on my part is it would appear that the ability to delete saves from the cloud should be offered. Not having the ability to delete saves from nine years ago for a game I no longer have installed and don't plan to ever revisit is odd at best. There is a download option so it would seem there could also be a delete option added. Well, that's a different conversation. At least anyone else confused as I was at finding cloud data indicated for PZ with the cloud turned off will now know there aren't saves in the cloud and there isn't a need to do a support ticket to ask about deleting something not actually there. What a bizarre situation.

[Varick]

swskydancer - I do show stored amount under the cloud save. I just have not received any messages about it.

[grampers62]

Haven't really looked into it but maybe i'll check to see if that might be something. At any rate, it sounds more and more like a steam issue and how certain games use their service.

[SpyGRNtiger2021]

I had the steam cloud turned off, and I just checked to make sure all is still off. But since the aug 25 zoo update I started getting this steam cloud sync warning popup. PZ is the only game i play on steam and only started playing last Dec. I have no idea what the warning is about.