MYST3: Autosave does not work

[ctoroman]

ScummVM 2.3.0git9363-g9c7e456d61 (Oct 13 2020 06:49:06)
OS: Windows 10 x64
Game: Myst 3 Exile v1.27 rvm (21807)

The Autosave.m3s file is missing and is not generated by the game. Although it is in the save list.

[macca8]

FWIW, autosaving works correctly with the 4-CD English version on macOS.

Having said that, your screenshot displays an intentional "fake" Autosave entry - basically a place holder - created by the game to preserve the Autosave slot for future use.

The Autosave.m3s file is created later, when an actual autosave is performed, or, alternatively, if the user selects the entry and clicks Save (only possible from the game's own Save screen).

This fake entry appears if, when the user enters the Save/Load screens, an autosave has not yet been performed, and the user has already created a save. Normally, this only occurs early in the game, but if the Autosave file is deleted (why would you do that?), then the fake entry will be reinstated under the same conditions.

[ctoroman]

I finished the game, saved 7 times but the Autosave.m3s file was not generated. Can you check this on a Windows system?

[aquadran]

I tested under windows 10, cleanup scummvm setup, no save, config, etc. added game, started, skipped intro and waited. for me auto save worked and I have correct save game file.

[aquadran]

can you check antivirus program is not make problem? disable or add scummvm to exceptions?

[macca8]

ctoroman, unfortunately I can't test on a Windows system.
However, aquadran's test confirms it works on Windows, though his test method suggests that he's avoided the creation of the "fake" Autosave entry in the Save lists, by waiting for a scheduled autosave to be performed before accessing the Save/Load screens.

Did you try to manually create the Autosave.m3s file by selecting it from the Save screen and clicking Save?

If successful, you should be able to load the Autosave file, in which case the Autosave.m3s file should now be present in your Save Games folder.

If you still can't autosave with the file present, then it's likely you have a local issue.
If you can autosave, then your issue is probably with the handling of the fake Autosave entry.

[ctoroman]

aquadran, antivirus program disabled. Problem still exists. What distribution are you using? Can you give an address?

I downloaded from here:
​https://www.scummvm.org/frs/daily/scummvm-snapshot-win32.exe
and
​https://buildbot.scummvm.org/snapshots/master/mingw-w32-master-latest.zip

[ctoroman]

macca8, I create the Autosave.m3s file by selecting it from the Save screen and clicking Save.
But even after 4 hours of waiting, it remained unchanged. That is, saving for that period of time.

[macca8]

ctoroman, I was able to reproduce your issue using the latest daily builds (2.3.0git9524).

I triggered the issue by performing a manual save on the Autosave file, which appears to change the file's isAutosave flag(?) to false, effectively suggesting that the autosave slot (write protected & maintained in the ScummVM Save screen) is now occupied by a user's save file.

For me, deleting the Autosave file restored normal autosave behaviour (select Autosave, click delete).

Does this work for you?

In this case, if a user's save file (regardless of its name) is occupying the designated Autosave slot (0), then autosaving is disabled until the user removes the file from the slot. At least, that's how it was before the autosave system was overhauled, but the current behaviour suggests that's still the case.

No doubt, an appropriate fix will be applied when available, but in the meantime, if this works for you, avoid manually updating the Autosave.

Edit: I've now reported this separate issue as #12363.

[ctoroman]

macca8, unfortunately, it didn't help me. I deleted the Autosave.m3s file (select Autosave, click delete). But the new file never appeared. I waited for about an hour. Save the game occasionally.

ScummVM 2.3.0git9858-gc021dbe243 (Oct 29 2020 05:37:03)

[macca8]

For anyone interested in following this up, more detail is available in the original report posted by ctoroman in ResidualVM at ​https://github.com/residualvm/residualvm/issues/1708, in particular the reference to ​https://github.com/residualvm/residualvm/commit/b333691cc2d89bc8477697ab14d86d45532785aa.

[aquadran]

there was some changes in autosave, maybe works for you this time

[ctoroman]

No, it didn't work for me

[ctoroman]

from scummvm.log file:
WARNING: Unable to open save 'Autosave.m3s'!
WARNING: Unable to open file Autosave.m3s for reading, slot 0!

[antoniou79]

Replying to ctoroman:

from scummvm.log file:
WARNING: Unable to open save 'Autosave.m3s'!
WARNING: Unable to open file Autosave.m3s for reading, slot 0!

Do you have autosaving enabled from ScummVM's Global Options -> Misc tab?
What is the period setting for it?

I've loaded an old save yesterday for Myst 3 with ScummVM 2.9git (built from recent master HEAD) on Windows 10. I've noticed that I also did not have any autosave game. I've exited the game, made sure I had set an autosave interval (set mine at "every 5 minutes) and re-loaded my saved game. This time, after a while and after manually saving a game once (could be unrelated but it's what I did), I've noticed that an autosave has also been created, and while continuing playing the autosave was working as expected (it would save the progress at intervals).

Some observations (could be irrelevant): the Myst3 engine is, as of yet, one of the engines that do not use the naming scheme for saved games that is typical for most other ScummVM engines. This means that the saved games on the file system actually get the description of the saved game as a filename with a "m3s" extension (and not the game-id with the slot number as a suffix or the extension). The Autosave file will be "Autosave.m3s" on the file system. As side effect the save files are shared across every Myst3 entry one might have added to ScummVM.

Also I did get a bug which had the autosave appear with a black thumbnail, which might be connected to me setting the game at the background while doing other work, to test if it would save at the autosave interval. This did not happen while playing normally (autosave had a proper thumbnail) so it has specific conditions to be triggered.

[macca8]

I have a PR prepared which may help resolve this, but I need to get the messaging right before I submit it for approval, so please be patient.

The current autosave setup in Myst3 isn't properly set up to handle issues with naming the Autosave file, but I would expect this to only affect non-English versions of the game. The autosave with a black thumbnail is an intentional (but unnecessary) dummy autosave, which will be removed if my PR is accepted.

ctoroman, your screenshot suggests that you've installed the DVD English version. Can you please confirm this? And if so, what language is your operating system?

[antoniou79]

@macca8: just to clarify, my "black thumbnail" autosave was an actual autosave (not a dummy/placeholder one, until a proper autosave was made). It might be a different bug.

Edit: and from some quick testing it does seem related to whether the ScummVM window running the game is visible in the background or not (eg. minimized, maybe hidden too?). I have a working autosave with a blank thumbnail I can attach, if needed.

[ctoroman]

Replying to macca8:

ctoroman, your screenshot suggests that you've installed the DVD English version. Can you please confirm this? And if so, what language is your operating system?

I have Russian version Windows 10. I tried Russian version Myst 3 and English version Myst 3

[macca8]

Replying to ctoroman:

I have Russian version Windows 10. I tried Russian version Myst 3 and English version Myst 3

Both your versions only accept English text for the Autosave name. It's possible that the Autosave system is trying to use a Russian translation for the Autosave name, which would cause it to fail, but you should be seeing an "Invalid filename for saving" error, if that's the case.

My PR was accepted into Master today, and it does two things which may help:

• the dummy autosave entry in your save list will be removed permanently,
• if this is indeed a Russian translation issue, the Autosave name should revert to the default "Autosave", and create an Autosave file with that name.

Please try today's daily build and see if it helps. A word of caution though, there's a bug in my code which prevents you from using the Launcher's Load Menu (it should be fixed in tomorrow's build, if you want to wait), so you'll need to launch from the game's Main Menu.

[ctoroman]

Replying to macca8:

Please try today's daily build and see if it helps. A word of caution though, there's a bug in my code which prevents you from using the Launcher's Load Menu (it should be fixed in tomorrow's build, if you want to wait), so you'll need to launch from the game's Main Menu.

Autosave is working, thank you very much!

I don't have to wait, I can build scummvm with Myst 3 engine or other engines at any time)

[macca8]

Thanks for confirming that the changes work for you.

Fixed with ​PR 1622.