[engine] Save Game Organizer

[interested1]

It might be nice to have save games put into folders. Currently I am jumping between a few campaigns and it takes more time to hunt through all the saves than is fun --even when you limit the number of auto-saves. Some may say, "Pick one campaign and finish it!" However the save folder idea also makes sense if you are hunting for a save to replay a particular campaign levels. I am aware of the query options, but this isn't exactly the most helpful since sometimes it is a pain to figure out what add-on campaigns are abbreviated as. Thanks for the great game.

[monochromatic]

Search filter.

[interested1]

You missed that I cite the query option, but find it lacking for a clean look. My idea is that the query, though helpful isn't the nicest way to handle the saves.

Search filter.

[Max]

i guess you wouldn't need folders (information about the campaign is already available). a way to categorize by campaign would indeed be nice...

[interested1]

Exactly! Just so there is a bit more management of the files than the current options --though it is a nice touch you can compress the saves. My issue is that when you play a ton you will amass a huge number of saves even if you delete all the auto-saves or limit them in the preferences. Query does help, but some tree structure/ categorization system is nice especially if you do not call all of your saves the default --sometimes I will make a save and use the title to make a note... obvious workaround is to retain the abbreviation of the campaign, but this still seems like somewhat of a pain. Perhaps, since the saves keep information about the campaign it could be possible for the Load system to read the heading of the save and then report back the information, rather than the reliance on the save-game title.

[samual]

I was having the same idea, because sometimes it happens that I continue playing a campaign after a long time. And it's really hard for me to find the start of the campaign.

So I would not say it's necessary to have folders or whatever. I think it would be helpful that can select to group the saves by campaign or first select the campaign and as a second step select the save point. I'm open on how it's implemented, but I would suggest to ease the interface for the user in this case. It might be possible to use filters, but I need to know what to filter for, how can I know that? I'm interesting in playing not in learning abbreviations for my campaigns. For someone dealing with BfW on a daily level a filter might be useful, but as an end user it seems to me not practicable useful.

Thanks for reading my comment.

[doofus-01]

It might be possible to use filters, but I need to know what to filter for, how can I know that?

The campaigns are supposed to have abbreviations that get added to the beginning of the save file names. Like "HttT" for "Heir to the Throne". If you know the name of the campaign, you should be able to find it using that. If the abbreviations are too cryptic or nonsensical, the campaign author needs to try a little harder.

[ancestral]

I have to agree with the original poster. It would be great to have all the save games from one campaign under a folder or column, kind of like this:



Ignore the fact this is a Mac OS X Finder window because that's unimportant. Instead, imagine the very first column being the campaign, the second column being the scenario, and the third column being the actual save games.

[samual]

It might be possible to use filters, but I need to know what to filter for, how can I know that?

The campaigns are supposed to have abbreviations that get added to the beginning of the save file names. Like "HttT" for "Heir to the Throne". If you know the name of the campaign, you should be able to find it using that. If the abbreviations are too cryptic or nonsensical, the campaign author needs to try a little harder.

Exactly, but that is part of the problem! Why should I remember that it's "Heir to the Throne"? I remember I played it, and for me it's the campaign with the Prince and Delfador. So first I search for the name of the campaign. Next I try to guess tho abbreviation? Seems to be quite simple if I know the campaign name. But why make it so complicated?

I think the question is for whom the interface is designed for?
- For developers and the community, the current solution might be fine.
- For the regular non power user, it's a pain.

The game is great fun, I don't need to pay, by the way flattr is a good idea!
So if you say it's not worth doing it, I'm fine because I'm still able to play, but I try to tell you that for the average player the filtering is nothing he uses. That is the style programmers think. That is why people use word instead of emacs to write TeX Code....

[Simons Mith]

Game and/or campaign versions might be a handy filter criterion too, sometimes.

Perhaps associating the campaign icons to the save-games might be a good idea? That at least gives some visual connection to the associated campaign.

[doofus-01]

I think the question is for whom the interface is designed for?
- For developers and the community, the current solution might be fine.
- For the regular non power user, it's a pain.

I'm pretty sure it is designed for regular users. I'm afraid I don't see how remembering the campaign name is some esoteric guru thing. Books and movies have titles, it's a standard method of organization.

I'm not involved in the design of the interface, but if I was, I would be at a loss how to make it easier than title and date filters. Folders and visuals might be nice, but I don't see how it makes things easier to find. If you don't remember anything about the campaign, so you can't use a filter, it seems like a lost cause.

[bigkahuna]

Folders and all would be nice, but how would you load them in-game? The entire loading save mechanism for the menu would have to be redone, as right now you have to load individual saves.

I support this idea though, I was always annoyed with having to flip through 1000 saves and delete all of them occasionally I think a mass-delete in-game would be nice too (delete a whole folder instead of one save at a time).

[doofus-01]

Folders and all would be nice, but how would you load them in-game? The entire loading save mechanism for the menu would have to be redone, as right now you have to load individual saves.

I support this idea though, I was always annoyed with having to flip through 1000 saves and delete all of them occasionally :wink: I think a mass-delete in-game would be nice too (delete a whole folder instead of one save at a time).

You can open the saves folder and delete the files like you would any other. You don't need Wesnoth to get involved, the saves are not tied up in some exotic database.

The ability to create a new folder when saving, as the OP suggested, would be nice, I'm not trying to shoot it down (but I can't make it happen either). I'm just saying the current system isn't so horrible, and making Wesnoth into a windowed file manager seems like overkill.

[sacred_chao]

What is the rationale behind not just using the standard OS Load/Save dialog?

Is it purely a matter of aesthetics and if so can it be 'skinned'?

This really is an area where Wesnoth functionality lags behind standard...

[Feufochmar]

What is the rationale behind not just using the standard OS Load/Save dialog?

Is it purely a matter of aesthetics and if so can it be 'skinned'?

This really is an area where Wesnoth functionality lags behind standard...

There's no standard OS Load/Save dialog under Linux (and other *NIX systems). If you use one from the available toolkits (GTK/Qt/Motif/...), you will add an unwanted dependency for users who don't use it.