Savegame
As a savegame ( Engl. As "Saved Game" from save , save ',' Save 'and game , Game') is in computer games called a recorded by the player or program Score. This can be loaded, for example if the character or the avatar dies or a mission fails. Savegames are files that are saved on a storage medium ( hard drive , memory card ). Instead of all actions of the player, only game-relevant parameters such as the position of the avatar or the inventory in role-playing games are saved in a space-saving manner , which are interpreted by the game when the game is loaded so that the game looks exactly the same as when it was saved. The date and time and the time elapsed in the game are often saved for the actual savegame so that it is easier to find the current savegame. Savegames are used almost exclusively in single player games, as multiplayer games usually take place in one go. However, there are exceptions here. In the real-time strategy area, for example, it is now common practice to save multiplayer battles and thus be able to interrupt them, which is often used, especially at LAN parties . More recently (around the beginning of the 21st century), a (reduced) screenshot (also known as a thumbnail ) of the game status is saved in many games for each save point so that the player can better orientate himself when selecting the savegame to be loaded from where he wants to continue the game. In general, a distinction is made between two types of savegames, the advantages and disadvantages of which repeatedly cause controversial debates between players and, when a game is rated by a computer game magazine, also between editors.
Specified memory points
With the method of the specified save points, you can only save at very specific points in the game, for example before a particularly difficult battle (so-called boss fight) or in role-playing games in the capital. This method is the older and more controversial of the two methods. Many players and specialist journalists criticize the fact that this method artificially elongates the playing time and encourages frustration on the part of the player, for example if a position has to be played very often because it is not allowed to save. This criticism is especially true if the storage points are too far apart or are poorly distributed. Proponents of this method often cite the argument that fixed save points increase the thrill of the game, since virtual death has harder consequences. Fixed memory points are used in all console games and therefore also in many multi-platform titles. Due to their video game origins, the main genres in which defined memory points are used are action adventures (such as the GTA series), jump 'n' runs and racing games (such as the need-for-speed series).
So-called. "Autosaves" (English word creation either from "automatically" [automatically, adverb] and "to save" or from "automatical" [automatic, adjective] and "savegame"; for example: "automatic save point") are automatically set by the game at certain points created. These are similar to the principle of the defined save points and are often created at the beginning of a new section of the game or in places that are particularly difficult to master. Savepoints or checkpoints are a weakening of this principle . In this case, a game status is only recorded in the memory of the computer or the console, which is restored after the death of the game character or after the failure of a mission. If the game is ended, however, this score is lost and the task at hand must be repeated in full.
Free saving
With the free save method, the player or the program can save the game status at any time in the game (except for cut scenes and rendered video sequences for technical reasons ). The biggest difference is that difficult sequences are easier to create, as you can also save within boss fights (fighting an opponent with a particularly high level of difficulty compared to other opponents) or difficult jump passages. Critics criticize this aspect as they claim it would make the game boring. Proponents of the technology, on the other hand, often emphasize that the player is given greater freedom and that the game can be paused for a short time without losing game progress. There are two different types of free save points, all of which are available in most games:
- Ordinary savegames, d. H. the player briefly changes to the main menu of the game to save, selects a menu item such as "Save", enters a name for the savegame (often there are also names generated in advance by the game, which consist of parameters such as level name or time) and saves the game on the hard drive. These saved games usually do not have to be overwritten, but this is possible. In some games (mainly older or multi-platform titles) there is only a limited number of such savegames available that have to be overwritten after a certain period of time.
- So-called. "Quicksaves" (English word creation from "quick" and "savegame" or "to save", for example: "Schnellspeicherung") , d. H. the player can quickly save the game without leaving the actual game. A specific key (often the F5 key) is provided for this in the game . A Quicksave can be loaded quickly via a so-called "Quickload" (English word creation from "quick" and "to load") function as well as via the game's loading menu. The F9 key is often provided for fast charging . There are often only 1–2 memory slots for quicksaves; H. these are quickly overwritten. Quicksaves are especially intended for saving during a boss fight and are therefore most often used in first person shooters.
Developer's perspective
The convenience for the player contrasts with the development effort. Fixed save points have the advantage that the game is in a certain state and therefore few details have to be saved. Free memory points mean that many details have to be saved. For example, the position of the opponent or the state of the game world do not have to be saved in defined memory points. This would have to be done in free save points, otherwise the player could free himself from a tricky situation simply by saving and loading the game.
Typical technical implementations for game consoles
Beginnings
With game consoles , there was initially no way to save games. Most of the time, the games were not intended for a longer playing time, as they were often ports of well-known arcade games . When the device was switched off, the score was lost.
In some games, a certain string of characters - usually referred to as a password - that was issued after a game segment had been completed or a game over could be used to continue the game at the beginning of the current segment if this was entered again. As a rule, the password also contained further information in encrypted form, for example about the ammunition supply or the skills the character had already acquired.
In some productions, this method was retained until the GBA era, as it saved the cost of memory chips in the modules. This principle is also used to this day by porting or emulating older games, such as the NES Classics series on the GBA or the Virtual Console on current consoles from Nintendo .
Few of the early console games used magnetic storage methods, which were usually similar to those that were also common for home computers at the same time. A better known example of this is the Famicom Disk System .
SRAM
Later, with the SNES games , for example , the first persistent possibilities of data storage without magnetic data carriers arose. In the plug-in module for this purpose is often a SRAM building block included which is powered by a button cell with voltage. Since SRAM is a volatile memory, the memory data is lost if the power supply is interrupted - for example because the button cell has reached the end of its life.
EEPROM
With the advancement of technology, EEPROM modules for storing data became established. Although these fulfill the same function as SRAM components, they do not depend on a constant voltage supply, which means that the previously necessary button cell is no longer necessary. Button cells were now only necessary if the module contained a real-time clock , for example , to ensure their power supply. Initially, EEPROMs were only used for games that only saved small amounts of data, but later on they switched to EEPROMs for larger amounts of data. The memory cards common in disk-based consoles of the 4th to 6th generation were also based on EEPROM technology, but rarely also on SRAM technology.
Flash memories and hard drives
In today's consoles, storage is mostly on flash memory - a subordinate of the EEPROMs - or hard drives , which usually serve as permanent storage for the consoles as well as their operating system, applications and - depending on their capacity - up to entire video games and DLC may contain. This capacity ranges from 512 MB (flash memory of the Nintendo Wii console) to 2 TB (largest hard drive available to date, which could be operated in a Playstation 4 console). In some cases, however, traditional EEPROMs are still used for smaller amounts of data with handheld consoles - for example with many Nintendo 3DS cartridges.
Server side
With some systems, such as the PlayStation Network or Xbox Live , the savegames can also be saved in the cloud .
Typical technical implementations for PCs
Local hard drive
For most PC games, the game saves are stored on the local hard drive, usually in the installation directory of the game or in the respective Windows user profile.
Server side
Some games in Valve's sales platform Steam offer the option of saving savegames in the cloud . Even EA thinks the own online service Origin of this feature.
Typical technical implementations for home computers
The scores could mostly be saved on conventional compact cassettes using a datasette and later on floppy disks . But here, too, there was the string version. Often the scores could be manipulated or read from a magazine ( cheat ).
See also
- Savestate , mapping of an entire memory image (dump)
Individual evidence
- ↑ playstation.com: PS3 from tomorrow with Cloud Savegame Service for Plus members
- ↑ xbox.com: Saving games in the cloud ( Memento of the original from May 2, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Golem.de: Steam will in future save savegames online
- ↑ CNET.com: Interview: Electronic Arts' Chip Lange on the future of EA's Origin gaming service
