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Difference between revisions of "Save compatibility"

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Revision as of 02:14, 24 July 2014

This article is about the current version of DF.
Note that some content may still need to be updated.

Save compatibility allows worlds from older versions of Dwarf Fortress to be played on newer versions of Dwarf Fortress. Generally, Dwarf Fortress versions are backwards-compatible, which means that older saves can be imported into newer versions without problems. However, many new features and some bug fixes do not apply to older saves. This occurs because the changes affect world generation or the raw files.

Generally, Dwarf Fortress versions are not forwards-compatible, which means that newer saves cannot be imported into older versions, with a few exceptions for very minor releases. This is rarely necessary, however; if a newer version introduces a bug that makes the game unplayable, a hotfix for the newer version is usually released shortly after.

Sometimes, a release "breaks save compatibility". This means that all older saves do not work with the release. Save compatibility is usually broken when major changes are made, such as when the major component of the version number is increased. Sometimes, due to save file corruption bugs, save compatibility is broken despite the change made being minor.

Breakages

Recent save compatibility breakages include:

  • Version 0.40.03 broke save compatibility with all previous 0.40 versions because of a save file corruption caused by historical births being assigned to player fortresses and a problem with large city walls.
  • Version 0.40.02 broke save compatibility with 0.40.01 because of a save file corruption caused by a malfunctioning autosave feature.
  • Version 0.40.01, because it is a major release, broke save compatibility with version 0.34.11 and all previous versions.