How to send or receive saved games that don't get changed in the process (example - Syberia 3)

I hardly know where to start on this topic. I created a saved game for an area of Syberia 3 that has been bugging several people. Getting the Ice Breakers working. When I get the saved game to them by email it seems to have been changed because one person that has received it says the game tells him it is corrupted. Another copy that I uploaded to my website had a .txt extension added to it. I found that out when I download it and tried to play the game with it. All I could do is start a new game, Load appeared to be an option, but would not open. and Continue was not an option. When I dropped the extension .txt from the save it worked fine. The saves for Syberia 3 appear to be log files without any extension(is this correct?). Also when I try to form a hyperlink to the file to be downloaded from the website it says can't find that page but if I do it to a text file or a screenshot they open. This used to be a simple matter for files people needed back in the early days (1997 -- 2006) but due to increased Hacking (I guess) it has made things complicated with all the increased security for this old geezer. Any suggestions my friends.

Mr. Bill

Hi Bill,

While waiting for expert help; try compressing/zipping the file and then send it by e-mail. It keeps the file intact. See if that works for you.

I don't know the extensions since I have not played the game.

Since I don't have the game, I can't check on this, but some games save as two files - a txt file and the actual save. You would need to have both. When you go to the save games location check to be sure there aren't two files for each save.

Thank you MaG.

I had thought about just giving it a .zip extension rather then actually compressing it. You think it is safer to compress it. How do I place it up on my website for download. Zipped also, but will only a hyperlink to the file work or does the hyperlink have to be placed into a page on the website. I think part of the problem is what I have forgotten or has it changed that much.

Cheers,

Bill


Hi Draclvr,

It appears to be one file, but the person I sent it to mentioned no picture in the load screen for it (he could not load it). I see only one save. I cannot find an extension for it at all. It has a very long name and I believe it contains all the info that has been done in the game or at least the last part that was just saved and a picture for the load screen. I'm sure there is only one save. I have been moving them in and out of position and as long as I have one in there everything plays ok. It opens in notepad.

Bill

Yes. If it's being corrupted by the process of downloading, you'll know immediately when you try to unzip it.


I don't think it matters. I've downloaded zip files both by direct link and by a hyperlink. Sometimes I need to right-click and "Save As".


If you have display of extensions enabled in Windows, the extension should show (if it has one). Saves don't have to have file extensions -- depends on the game engine.


It's possible saves aren't transferrable -- especially if you have different versions of the game. Also it's possible for games to put part of the save in the registry, or alter a 2nd game file rather than put save information in files you can see. Or there can be date information in the saves that fouls things up when you try to install a save from an earlier date on a 2nd computer. Or the save can include information about the computer the game was played on, which is even worse because it will never match up.

But if you've been trying to send the save without zipping it, try zipping it first.

Hi Jenny,



I do have display of file extensions.

Hopefully I know what to do now. We will let you all know what the result is.

Thank you very much.

Cheers,

Bill

Save files used to be SOOO much easier in the good old days!

Mostly they were, though I seem to remember Neverhood used the registry for saves.

Here's a website with a few saved games for Neverhood -- and they're registry keys
http://www.chiptape.com/chiptape/misc/neverhood.htm

That's kind of an exception though. Most 1990's games either put their saves in the game folder or in a subfolder of the game folder. Sierra tended to require a cat file in addition to the save, but it still wasn't as confusing as now.

Something I've never been clear about... maybe you will know, Jenny100. Is it the games that now seem to save to the hidden files or is it the operating systems that do this?

This could be another problem for me. I use WinRAR instead of WinZip. I can place it in a Zip folder. Will this work for others with WinZip. Is a rar usable to others? Need advice or suggestions. Ohhhh Meee Ohhh Myyyy?

Bill

If you are compressing the save as a rar file and then changing the extension to a zip, that won't work.
I'm pretty sure WinRAR can compress to a zip. This page seems to be from 2011, but I'd expect it to still work with the current version of WinRAR
https://www.cs.sfu.ca/CourseCentral/120/ggbaker/instr/winrar


It can be both. If you install a game to C:\Program Files (x86) or C:\Program Files then Windows will probably determine where to put the saves. You've probably seen this if you managed to install and run a game made for Windows 98 on Windows 7 or later -- the game originally put its saves in the game folder on Windows 98, but on Windows 7 and later the saves usually end up in some subfolder of the hidden AppData folder. If the game is made to install to some place other than the Program Files folders (like C:\GOG Games), then the saves can go to other places like a folder in the C:\Users\username\ folder.

I would guess that with a game made with a game engine designed to work on Windows 7 and later, that the game engine decides where to put the saved games. I don't know if any game engine gives the developer the option of where to put the saves. Nowadays you're lucky if your game gives you more than a single save -- a restriction that is a huge step backwards IMO.

Thank you Jenny.

Can it be compressed into a ZIP folder as I did or is it best to archive the file itself as a zip file?

Does that make sense? It looks like compress and email would make even more sense (I hope). Thank you for pointing these things out to me.

Bill

Which do you think would be easier for the people you're sending the save to?

• To unzip to get a save file (or files)
• To unzip to get a folder with the save files in it

IMO it's probably better to send the file without putting it in a folder before zipping -- unless there's more than one part of the save and the parts have to go in different folders. If you can tell them
"unzip the save to such-and-such folder"
it's fewer steps than
"unzip the save folder, then copy the contents to such-and-such folder."

As far as which type of zip is less likely to be corrupted during the sending or download process, they're the same.

Sorry to say it did not work. :(

Bill

If you have access to two computers capable of playing the game, try transferring the save to the other computer and see if the save works there. I am suspecting that this game won't accept saves from a different installation of the game on a different computer -- or possibly that there is another file with save installation that is necessary in order to use the save.

Did you try stuffing the whole folder its in?
Minr is in a folder called Options and there are 2 items in it.
Caz

No We didn't try that Caz, so guess we will. I'll send the whole thing Zipped.

Cheers,

Bill

Caz,

Game has been sent as you requested. Let us all know how it goes here. I also want to know what Minr is and what the two very small files are in Options Folder?

take care,

Bill

That might help if the game keeps save information in more than one file. Sometimes you can tell by looking at the date of last change on the files (Right-click --> Properties). There can be a conflict if the files contain information about the individual computer though, or if the resolution in the save is higher than what the receiving computer can display (can happen with a laptop).

Maybe I have found someone with an answer to the Syberia 3 saved game exchange problem. This was in the discussions of steam and doesn't make a lot of sense, but that may be typical mechanics for this game. By the way I did finish the game and have saved games for most all locations. We need to safely test out this idea.

It was said that you download the saved game to where it belongs either with, or maybe without your other save. My guess is to move your bad save out into a separate folder labeled Bad Save. Then Start a new game and let it play up to the point where Kate is in the Hospital with Kurk and you are now able to move Kate around. Now load the saved game, you were given, manually again. Not having a manual for the game I'm guessing we hit Esc Key, Hopefully Load and we start the new save sent to us. I'm not sure what Manually Again means either. Any volunteers for testing. I know Caz needs a save.

Cheers,

Mr. Bill

Well I downloaded a save from a Steam player and did as described at the end of page two and when I hit load, it had a description of it. I loaded it and confirmed it and walla there it was. It can be done.

Cheers,

Mr. Bill

Mr.Bill can you send a link to the Steam post where you got this info? Or screenshot?
I couldn't get it to work.
Thanks caz

Sure Thing. This is page 8 of the Syberia3 General discussions. It starts with the Comment made by a discouraged player and ends with lots of comments back and forth. The last comment tells you what to do.

Steam Community Syberia 3 General Discussions

Mr. Bill

Thanks but do you actually put the file in your Appdata when you are in the game or before you start it? Right when they are in thr hospital.
It doesn't say.
Thanks

And exactly where do you put it?

Caz, The New save goes where the save usually is located. In the Siberia3 Folder along with the Options folder. C:\Users\BILL\AppData\LocalLow\Microids\Syberia3\New save. This is done before starting the game. Now Start Game and when you can "Click on New Game". After Kate Has Her conversation with Kurk I started to walk her just a little. Then I hit Esc key and choose load. I was shown the new save and I choose it and confirmed the choice. That was it.

Bill

Nope.
Doesn't work.
I'm not getting the image when I go to load the game.....SAD.
caz

I don't know what else to tell you Caz. It has worked for others and it worked for me. I can only guess that you might try uninstalling your game and reinstalling it and then try loading someone elses save. With all the trouble you have had, like loosing all hot spots, your game's condition must be the problem.

I'm Sorry.

No comments from anyone sorta tells me there is some doubt about the process of getting someone else's save to work in your game. It does work and to prove it to myself I did it again with another save and took screenshots. Procedure: 1.Put the save you receive into the place where it belongs by itself. 2. Start Syberia Three. 3.Start a New Game when the menu comes up. After Kate Finishes her discussion with Kurk in new game, hit Esc Key. 4. Click on load. It shows the save it found when you click on Load (it has a picture of the location and a short description of where Kate is). When I click on the Yellow Elliptical Described Area it asked do we want to load this game. 5.Confirm it and it will load. We do need some more folks to verify this procedure for the benefit of all GameBoomers and adventure gamers everywhere.

Mr. Bill