[Fheroes2] Save The Game During Combat

A few years ago, I posted this article for April Fool's Day:

Unknown_Hero wrote:

Currently working on a full remake of Heroes 2 for modern operating systems and graphics tablets.
Windows, Linux, Android and Darwin will be supported to get started.

Will be developed mainly in C++ and Lua LÖVE for maximum flexibility.

The remake will be the "true copy" of our beloved Heroes 2, but without the bugs and with many innovations.

New features:

- 2 new factions with specific towns.
- 3 new campaigns with at least 10 scenarios each.
- new enhanced map editor.
- powerful new campaign editor with possibility of adding additional functionalities (more on this subject later).
- more than 20 new secondary skills.
- more than 40 new spells.
- more than 200 new artifacts (including new ultimate artifacts).
- more than 50 new heroes with portraits and an easy way to add you own heroes by modding.
- advanced modding support for full game features.
- improvement of the AI with an innovative system of "modules" and possibility to add your own modules with specially developed tools.
- complete options system to play the game the way you want.
- multiplayer supported with a PBEM (play by email) system.
- new possibility to save your games during combat to allow PBEM games.
- new Script Action System (SAS) to save and replay your most epic combats.
- multi language support (english and french for first release).
- and much more...

Expect the first release before Christmas!!!

Stay tunned!!!

In all of this, one thing I wish I could do is to save the current game during a combat, and be able to reload the save file and come back to that point in the combat.
I like to do some combats in different ways and that would save me from having to start the combat all over again.
It would also be really helpful to check for bugs, etc.

The second thing I would also like to do is to be able to save and replay some combats:

Unknown_Hero wrote:

- new Script Action System (SAS) to save and replay your most epic combats.

The combat is simply saved in a text file, easily readable and small in size, showing all the actions performed during a combat from start to finish, starting armies, casting spells, moving and attacking troops, etc.

When this file is loaded in the game, there is the possibility to choose the execution mode, the first mode reproduces only the saved combat, so it's just a replay of the combat.
The second mode allows to take control at the start of the combat and to play the combat with the starting armies against the AI and also to do the combat by letting the AI play for the two heroes.
It could also be very useful for bug reporting and quick testing of AI behavior during combat.

This replay file can be used with the "Battle Only" module already present in fheroes2 (other comments on this module later).

Savings during combat is really questionable as it's a way to cheat AI and to avoid randomness during battle.

I put a note about this for the future discussions.

I don't know how this is done in the game, but the same actions in a combat lead to the same results in a combat (except sometimes when the effects of luck and morale are activated, it is not always the same creature that can benefit from it, but it is quite rare).
This is also why I can report so many bugs from the original game.

On the subject of cheating on the AI, it is already possible to save just before the combat, finally there is not a big difference.

Thanks for scheduling this for discussions, this feature would be really helpful.

I don't like an idea of saving game during battle. Probably, for testing it can be useful. But during common gameplay this option can kill all fun...
But an ability to load the game from the battle - sounds pretty attractive...

The good thing about this possibility is that you don't have to use it.
So, if the user doesn't like this possibility and does not want to kill all fun, he can just ignore this possibility.

You know, everyone will try to use this option. I'm not sure, that I won't abuse this option by myself.
Never a one game of the HoMM series used this option... So, I don't think our version should...

sirDranik wrote:

You know, everyone will try to use this option. I'm not sure, that I won't abuse this option by myself.

So that you are not tempted, there may also be an option to play in "Ironman" mode, no save/reload during the game.

sirDranik wrote:

Never a one game of the HoMM series used this option... So, I don't think our version should...

But the goal of fheroes2 is to make the game better, correct its flaws and go beyond.
So... Go, Go, Go...

Well, I cannot promise you anything, Unknown Hero. But we'd definitely discuss your suggestion.
Anyway, expanding main menu functionality over some game's UI is not a bad idea, I can tell you, looking on other HoMM games' imrovements.

I stopped at Heroes of Might and Magic 3.
I've never played Heroes of Might and Magic 4, way too many new poorly thought out concepts, and more role-playing than strategy-oriented for my taste, and no demo.
I tried the Heroes 5 demo a bit and found it poorly put together and complicated to play in 3D.
3D only brings disadvantages for this type of games, changing the orientation of the view on the adventure map, the same during combat, in distant view everything is too small.
AI who cheats to death, a slow play...
...stop, hey I wanna have fun, anyway, what a joke.

I prefer something clear and easy to use.
Heroes 2, here you go.

Every part of HoMM series have its own advantages and disadvantages. You can even find something interesing and exciting, while playing 6 part.
I also loved skill tree of HoMM5.
Music in Homm4 was awesome...
The things happened in that way for me, that only 2nd and 3rd part brought maximum playing pleasure.

I don't know about saving during combats...
But sure thing is that it would be very good to be able to save after the final fight, when the game is won/lost.
In Age of Empires II, when the game is over, the map is totally revealed and everything is in pause. If we could have something similar in Heroes 2, plus the possibility to save the finished game like that, that would be awesome! ^^

Maybe saving the game + the replay?
Then we could not only "rewatch turn" but "rewatch from the beginning"!
It would be a good feature to share our games and for any offline tournament.

sirDranik wrote:

You know, everyone will try to use this option. I'm not sure, that I won't abuse this option by myself.
Never a one game of the HoMM series used this option... So, I don't think our version should...

Heroes 4 have this option. (at least with the mod Equilibris... I am not sure if it was a native option )

@GodRage

Simply do not use the save option during combat.

Did you know that in fheroes2 there is already an option that allows to continue the scenario after the victory condition?
And you are free to use it or not.

"game: offer to continue the game after victory condition"

Note: The letter "t" is missing from "after" in the option text.

Unknown_Hero wrote:

Note: The letter "t" is missing from "after" in the option text. Smile

Good catch! You'd better make an issue at https://github.com/ihhub/fheroes2 about that.

@sirDranik

Yes, it's already on my list.

That's great! Don't forget to make a separate topic for each issue.(Despite similar ones, like missed letter in a word etc.)

This will make a lot of new issues.

The more bugs we describe, the more perfect our project would be.
Between. Good catch with book transition between heroes! I've exlore that window many times. I felt, that there should be an issue with books and artifacts... But couldn't find... And you did!) Great job!

Yes thank you, after all these years I know the game well and there is still a lot more to come.

Unknown_Hero wrote:

Did you know that in fheroes2 there is already an option that allows to continue the scenario after the victory condition?
And you are free to use it or not.

OMG I didn't knew. (I just tried some things in the game, not a full game yet )
If we can save after the win condition then it's already all fine.
Thus, a replay mode from day 1 would be awesome.

@GodRage

Yes, it's possible to save after the victory condition.

hello,

I think that to be able to restart the combat from the begining at any moment would be a good improvement rather than having to flee (provided that you are not in a castle), reload, and doing again what you did before the combat.