Rabscuttle
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 2525
Registered: 09-10-2004
IP: Logged

The Sob Story:

Upon coming to work this morning, I was greeted with the happy prospect of all the computers at work having been reformatted. This includes the computer that I use and upon which I while away many a happy hour engaged in the eradication of dungeon infestations.

So essentially, I've lost all my progress. It goes without saying that I am slightly miffed.
(It's not that terrible. I have a number of player files in my email from transfering progress back and forth, and I may be able to recover the relevant files with one of those fancy data recovery programs.)

But anyway, onto the point.

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The Point:

It would be nice if we could download a .player file from CaravelNet that would include all progress from a single (or multiple) hold.

The .player file would be of the "saved game only" variety, and would include saved games for the rooms which Caravel knows the player has completed. So if a player has a score for a room, the file would include the savegame from either their own or the top-score demo. It should also include savegames for the start of each relevant level and for the hold.

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Potential Problems:

* As there will not be savegames for the start of unconquered rooms, it may be necessary to reconquer a room to properly get up to where you started.

* The savegame includes the record of rooms already conquered. If the savegame comes from someone else's demo, it may have a room conquered that you have not conquered. This can include secret rooms so it might affect Master Wall status. Also, the entrance you enter may be different from the entrance you entered from. "The Choice" is the obvious example where this makes a big difference.

* Levels with multiple entrances might cause problems.

Blondbeard
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1486
Registered: 03-31-2005
IP: Logged

This is a good idea. I have just formated my computer, and I think there also might be a way to download all holds CaravelNet knows that one has explored or conquered. As it is now I have to download them seperatly and then import my player file (if I have understood things correctly).

StuartK
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 564
Registered: 06-10-2003
IP: Logged

I'd like to third this suggestion.

After a recent encounter with 7 year old niece logic, I've lost my recent progress on a number of holds. She's been playing DROD a little bit, so I set up a seperate .player for her, and she decided to clear out some holds she didn't want from her 'folder' i.e. the holds list from within DROD (the warning message presenting no obstacle) thus losing all my local progress for them. I've got a backup .player from about a month ago...

The circumstances are somewhat unique (and won't be repeated now she understands) so I wonder at the usefulness of additional data security, but FWIW, a number of other things could have been done to prevent this problem. Passwords for deleting holds or using a particular player file, and/or a counter for each hold, which when used, only allows a holds full removal when it reaches 0, i.e. if the hold is deleted for all players...