Configurable amount of autosaves

[Graf Zahl]

Code: Select all

CUSTOM_CVAR (Int, autosavecount, 4, CVAR_ARCHIVE|CVAR_GLOBALCONFIG)
{
	if (self<0) self=0;
	if (self>20) self=20;
}

void G_DoAutoSave ()
{
	// Do not autosave in multiplayer games or demos or when dead
	if (multiplayer ||
		demoplayback ||
		players[consoleplayer].playerstate != PST_LIVE ||
		disableautosave >= 2)
	{
		gameaction = ga_nothing;
		return;
	}

	// Keep up to four autosaves at a time
	UCVarValue num;
	char name[PATH_MAX];
	char *readableTime;
	
	num.Int = (autosavenum + 1) % autosavecount;
	autosavenum.ForceSet (num, CVAR_Int);

	G_BuildSaveName (name, "auto", num.Int);
	savegamefile = copystring (name);

	readableTime = myasctime ();
	strcpy (savedescription, "Autosave ");
	strncpy (savedescription+9, readableTime+4, 12);
	savedescription[9+12] = 0;

	G_DoSaveGame (false);
}

That should be all to make the amount settable by the user instead of hard coding it to 4. I prefer to have 10.

[Zippy]

I'd prefer to have it vary whether the wad is hub based or just straight levels. If it's straight levels, 4 is good enough for me, but a much higher number is useful for hubs when you're still figuring stuff out and have to go back and forth between levels a lot.

[Graf Zahl]

Hence the suggestion to make it user-settable. Hubs are exactly the problem I am having, too (particularly Strife where I could easily use 20 autosave slots) - and of course maps with lots of autosave checkpoints. Having different settings for different situations will only create confusion so that is not such a good idea

[David Ferstat]

I'd go the the user-settable variable myself. But then, I'd like to see just about every variable in Zdoom either user-settable, or able to be changed by the WAD designer.

[DoomRater]

Seconded for the WAD designer to be able to force it, or at least default it.

[MasterOFDeath]

I like the idea of your own number of autosaves, only 4 can be FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF half the time.

[Grubber]

Added.

[Enjay]

Seconded for the WAD designer to be able to force it, or at least default it.

I disagree with the principle of any WAD designer forcing my preferences to change, even if it is just for that wad and no others.

[Graf Zahl]

Depends on what they want to set. Here it is pointless but a WAD should be able to set the engine to specs it needs to run well.

[Enjay]

I think we've agreed to disagree on this in the past.

As I think you know, I dislike anyone else setting my preferences for anything and would rather have instructions in the text file as to how to set up the recommended options instead of having them forced on me. I even take this as far as not liking jumping explicitly being prevented by MAPINFO. If I want to jump and break gameplay, why shouldn't I? The only one I grudgingly accept is fallingdamage because it may be essential to gameplay.

You, however, are more tolerant of these things and are happy to have a WAD designer ensure certain settings are used to enhance the playability of the WAD.

I'd rather have the option to ignore the authors instructions and ruin the experience for myself if I want to.

[Graf Zahl]

I think we've agreed to disagree on this in the past.

As I think you know, I dislike anyone else setting my preferences for anything and would rather have instructions in the text file as to how to set up the recommended options instead of having them forced on me. I even take this as far as not liking jumping explicitly being prevented by MAPINFO. If I want to jump and break gameplay, why shouldn't I? The only one I grudgingly accept is fallingdamage because it may be essential to gameplay.

See, that is exactly what I don't like.

Having to read a text file that says 'Set A to B, C to D and E to F to play this properly.' A WAD should be able to set up the engine in the way it needs to run properly. There's always the gameplay menu where you can alter these settings afterwards. Jumping in a map that doesn't support it is a cheat. Cheating is something that has to be performed manually by the end user so why should this be different? If I had created a WAD that isn't supposed to use jumping I'd want that to be the default the engine is set to when the game starts. It's not that you can't change it back if you wanted to!

I'd rather have the option to ignore the authors instructions and ruin the experience for myself if I want to.

As I said, that's the purpose of the gameplay menu! Don't think that I never cheat (including jumping in maps that don't support it.)

[Enjay]

All fair points, but not my personal preference.

Like I said, we agree to disagree.

[Graf Zahl]

But your point of view would force any user to read a text file each time he plays a WAD. That's not such a good end result.

[David Ferstat]

Anyone who plays a game for the first time without reading the docs is asking for whatever they get.

Personally, I don't like a game designer telling me that I must use certain keys for functions, or restricting the number of saved games I may have.

[MasterOFDeath]

I also think autosaves should be seperate for at least IWADS. That way I don't lose doom autosaves to fucking STRIFE.