kikuchiyo
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 107
Registered: 04-01-2012
IP: Logged

I have installed TSS 5.1.0.6502 on two separate 64 bit Linux computers. I've played the TSS hold up to a point on one computer, then I wanted to export my player, transfer the file on my other computer, import the player data and continue playing there. However, after importing the 'Continue Playing' menu item in the main menu was not available.

Then I've noticed that the .player file is quite small: 95kB. I've completed the hold earlier with TSS 5.0, and the size of that player file (after exporting) is > 4 MB. So I've thought the file as exported by TSS 5.1 may be corrupted somehow.

I've decoded the file

and noticed that it seems to be corrupted. At least it is not valid XML. Specifically, it contains the following at the end:

' Challenges='BAAAADEtMAAGAAAAIgAAAEQAYQByAGkAbgBnACAAQQByAGMAaABpAHQAZQBjAHQAAAAEAAAAMS0xAAYAAAAaAAAARgBXAE8AVAAgAEYAaQBnAGgAdABlAHIAAAAEAAAAMS0yAAYAAAAkAAAATABlAGEAcgBuAGUAZAAgAHQAaABlACAAVAByAHUAdABoAAAABAAAADEtMwAGAAAAHgAAAE0AeQAgAEYAaQByAHMAdAAgAFIAbwBhAGMAaAAAAAQAAAAxLTQABgAAACoAAABSAGUAZgBsAGUAYwB0AGkAdgBlACAARQBjAG8AbgBvAG0AaQBzAHQAAAAEAAAAMS01AAYAAAAeAAAAVABoAHIAZQBhAHQAIABMAG8AYwBhAHQAZQBkAAAA

This comes after the last valid </SavedGames> closing tag and the final </drod> closing tag.

I don't know if this is relevant to the problem described above (or even a bug at all), but it does look suspicious.

IQubic
Level: Delver
Rank Points: 78
Registered: 11-22-2015
IP: Logged

I wish I had seen this before I exported my .player file to a flash drive and then wiped my hard drive. Is there a way to fix this, provided a .player file is all I have?

____________________________
119th Skywatcher

kikuchiyo
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 107
Registered: 04-01-2012
IP: Logged

Uhh, false alarm?

I've uninstalled DROD TSS, moved the drod-5_0 directory from under $HOME/.local/share/Caravel Games, reinstalled DROD, then imported my old saved player from 5.0. Then I've tried importing the player file exported from TSS 5.1 from the other machine, and this time it worked.

So it seems that the presence of the old 5.0 .dat files somehow caused the problem in the first post and for 5.1 to work correctly, it is necessary to clean up those as well.

The weird Challenges part is present in the 5.0 player file as well and the completed challenges seem to be imported OK, so this doesn't seem like a (debilitating) bug either.

Still, it gave me the fright.

@IQubic: so probably your .player will be fine too.

IQubic
Level: Delver
Rank Points: 78
Registered: 11-22-2015
IP: Logged

File: Avi.player (1.1 MB)
Downloaded 39 times.
License: Public Domain

kikuchiyo wrote:
@IQubic: so probably your .player will be fine too.

I have just installed TSS 5.1 onto my computer (Ubuntu MATE 16.04). There was no old Dat file anywhere. I now have no progress in any hold but the official TSS hold, this included challenges. All my old data from player holds has been wiped.

I have uploaded my Player file for you to look at, should you need it in order to help me.

I look forward to the time when this issue is no more.

-IQubic

____________________________
119th Skywatcher

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[Last edited by IQubic at 03-18-2016 10:16 PM]

Moo
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 224
Registered: 10-14-2006
IP: Logged

The weird xml is normal (but perhaps not intended).
The small size of the file may possibly a result of exporting saves rather than player?
And as for player holds, the import only imports saves for holds that are currently installed. I think installing any relevant holds, then reimporting the same player file should work fine.

IQubic
Level: Delver
Rank Points: 78
Registered: 11-22-2015
IP: Logged

Unfortunately that does not seem to be working Moo.

-IQubic

____________________________
119th Skywatcher

IQubic
Level: Delver
Rank Points: 78
Registered: 11-22-2015
IP: Logged

Bump. This issue seems like a bug and should be resolved.

-IQubic

____________________________
119th Skywatcher