Weird messed up save bug

[Thorfinn]

Your summoning limit problem is almost cretainly because you left some summoned critters behind in some map somewhere. Tough thing, because if you can't remember where you didn't kill a kobold or fire elemental before you left the map, you have little choice but to visit each and every place and let the critters go away. This can be a big problem in areas like the Planar Prison, if you summoned someone to help with Gish and they didn't unsummon before you destroyed the orb, since you can no longer go there.

I would be willing to bet you are having the same problem with items -- if you leave all that junk lying around, it apparently takes up space in some table somewhere, and it all has to load. I found that by visiting a place I hadn't been in weeks, and letting all those bows and short swords disappear, my load times decreased dramatically.

In my less charitable moments, I have pondered the possibility that the programmers even recalculate all the respawns, like the shadow wolves in the temple ruins, whether or not you are loading that map.

You can drop the time for listing out all your games to seconds by zipping or moving all the older savegames somewhere else.

[daan]

Never did understand that .. I can leave any summon I want anywhere .. I can imprison as much summons as I want .. and i -never- have any problems with summoning more creatures. The limit is still 5 and I get to summon 5.

[Vedran]

Originally posted by Thorfinn: [QB]Your summoning limit problem is almost cretainly because you left some summoned critters behind in some map somewhere.QB]

Perhaps, but Eternal had this problem for some time. And it was really weird, IIRC, we couldn't fathom why the behaves like it is.
BTW, I have no problems with summons - they usually disappear when they should, it doesn't matter where I am. I can even summon a Planetar with one imprisoned.

[Thorfinn]

We had the same message, summoning limit exceeded, until we decided to go back after Firkaarg, or however that is spelled. When we stepped into the first cavern area (where the crimson deaths live), I saw a flash of red next to the entrance, and the screen said the fire elemental was unsummoned. I grabbed a scroll of monster summoning (why memorize it if I couldn't get any critters anyway) and sure enough, I got one kobold, and got the summoning limit message. I killed him, and tried again. I got one kobold. We went into the next area, and got the same thing, the fire elemental who helped us with the vampires was unsummoned, and now I could summon two guys. I then wracked my brain trying to figure where else we might have left someone behind, and after a few hours of bouncing around, I was able to summon 5 guys again, and promised myself never to leave a summoned critter behind ever again.

Incidentally, they were all fire elementals, and they were all at the entrance to the map (select all, then click on the exit). Not sure if that makes any difference. Fire elementals were just my wife's favorite summon that game, and possibly coincidentally, as each was dispelled, we were able to summon anew.

[EDIT]
If it helps debug the problem, I'm pretty sure I can find an old savegame from the wife's computer, and either send it, or just grab a screenshot of it happening.
[/EDIT]

[ 02-28-2003, 04:03 PM: Message edited by: Thorfinn ]

[Eternal]

problem is ...... i could summon only 3 for a long time now.. even tho i went thru all amn lookin for left over summons.

but when i started tob... and if you played tob u know that atleast the beginning is highly linear , ie you can backtrack yourself real easy, heck theres only areas i been.

and after like playing for an hour i couldnt summon any summons anymore, and i hadnt encountered any enemies with imprison capabilities.
and didnt have leftover summons,,,,,, anywhere.
hell i checked everywhere ive been, was done 5 minutes later. i even casted freedom scrools where i fought 2 priests just to be sure.

i have no idea how to fix it......but worst of all the LOADING prob this is horrible. i just cant reload games man, i die. its takin freaking 3 full minutes now to reload !! 3 full minutes sometimes less ,i cant play like this...TOB is hard , i die alot , i have only 1 tank and got hordes of elite fire giants...
il try lookin for strayin items tho

[ 02-28-2003, 09:44 PM: Message edited by: Eternal ]

[karlosovic]

eternal, do this.
1. export your character
2. write down your gold, exp and items for your whole party
3. start a NEW ToB game, but instead of rolling a new character, import your character you exported before.
4. once you get to the pocket plane and you can summon party members, reform your old party and then save the game in a new slot.
5. use shadow keeper to set everyone to the exp and items they had in your old game, and give yourself back all your gold, spells etc.

if you do that, you shouldn't have anymore problems. delete your old save files

if worst comes to worst and you cant even export your character without bugs... create a whole new character, but while rolling stats, press [ctrl] + [F8] (i think) to give yourself full stats, then re-arrange them to match your old stats. if you had any scores over 18, you can always edit them later with shadow keeper. there should be nothing you cant do with the help of shadow keeper to re-create your old character from a totally clean sheet.

[Vedran]

That could work indeed.
Tho it is not a problem if your rolls are too high. Just arrange the points however you like and click done, any excess points are discarded.

[Eternal]

hey ! il try that.

only one question tho, if i add levels etc in tob with shadowkeeper.
it doesnt up the thaco , savings throws, etc etc etc according to that level .....does it?
if so thats sorta shitty

i guess il have to write all of that down to..if i can find all that info. is there anything else shadowkeeper doesnt take in account?
oh and wont this affect my active romance with viconia? i had her in my party but now i need to summon her.
thanks guys

[ 03-01-2003, 12:04 PM: Message edited by: Eternal ]

[Vedran]

I cannot be sure if SK will track level change and alter the THAC0&co. accordingly, but there is a neat way around: alter the experience instead. When you load the game, you will level up and gain those bonuses.

[Imrahil]

If you start a new game in ToB & use SK to duplicate a SoA character, it will not remember your romance(s). You'll need to go into SK, on the Globals tab, & set your, e.g. VICONIAROMANCEACTIVE variable to 2. Also, you won't have any of your Hades Portal bonuses (i.e. when you used the Tears - e.g. if you got Immune to Normal Weapons) - I don't know how to duplicate those using SK - maybe someone else could help - hint, hint? [img]smile.gif[/img] OTOH, if you don't duplicate it, you won't have your Dream-attribute-loss. All equipment & XP levels can, of course, be duplicated.

Other than activating your Romance & giving yourself the Tear bonuses, all dialogues are new (even your romance ones - you just have to make sure it's active) & you won't lose out by starting & duplicating in ToB vs. completing SoA.

EDIT: I forgot - everytime you level up, your THACO, available spell slots, (though *not* HP) gets re-adjusted to what it should be, so best bet is to use SK to set yourself to *your old level minus 1* but with enough XP to reach your *your old level*, then you'll be fine.

- Imrahil

[ 03-02-2003, 01:01 AM: Message edited by: Imrahil ]