Saved game folder - Revision history

Silverwing235: /* Mods */

2025-09-13T20:54:53Z

Mods

Ziusudra: /* Save folder format */ updated for portable mode

2025-07-23T01:05:13Z

Save folder format: updated for portable mode

Ziusudra: /* Save folder format */ added autosave number verify

2025-06-08T06:17:26Z

Save folder format: added autosave number verify

Ziusudra: /* Restoring saves */ removed autosaves being copied from main folder, v50+ autosaves to only the autosave folder, other verify still unconfirmed, moved renaming advice up, though really this whole section depends on where the game saves after you load an autosave

2025-06-08T06:14:51Z

Restoring saves: removed autosaves being copied from main folder, v50+ autosaves to only the autosave folder, other verify still unconfirmed, moved renaming advice up, though really this whole section depends on where the game saves after you load an autosave

Ziusudra: /* Save folder format */ changed removed autobackups to autosaves

2025-06-08T03:15:50Z

Save folder format: changed removed autobackups to autosaves

Ziusudra: /* Restoring saves */ made file/folder formatting consistent, updated for v50+ adding a few verify templates

2025-06-08T03:11:10Z

Restoring saves: made file/folder formatting consistent, updated for v50+ adding a few verify templates

Quietust at 22:56, 7 June 2025

2025-06-07T22:56:00Z

Ziusudra: /* Contents */ removed unnecessary word, replaced a "the game" with its name

2025-06-07T21:55:21Z

Contents: removed unnecessary word, replaced a "the game" with its name

Ziusudra: /* Save folder format */ made file/folder name consistent format, updated for v50+, added editing warning, added DFHack files info, mods folder

2025-06-07T21:51:15Z

Save folder format: made file/folder name consistent format, updated for v50+, added editing warning, added DFHack files info, mods folder

Ziusudra: /* Saving */ added other game mode options

2025-06-07T20:44:28Z

Saving: added other game mode options

@@ Line 75: / Line 75: @@
 ==Mods==
-If a world is using a mod that's been updated, and is currently using an older version of that mod, the player will be prompted about this when a save is loading. Causing a message like the following to appear:<br>
+If a world is using a mod that's been updated, and is currently using an older version of that mod, the player will be prompted about this when a save is loading, causing a message like the following to appear:<br>
 [[File:mod_version_v50_prompt.png]]

@@ Line 29: / Line 29: @@
 |}
-Your saved games are located in your <code>[[Game folder|<Dwarf Fortress>]]\save\</code> folder, which contains one or more sub-folders, each one holding one of your worlds, and a <code>current</code> folder which is used to track the changes to the active world while ''Dwarf Fortress'' is running; it is not important unless ''Dwarf Fortress'' is open, and can safely be deleted otherwise.
+The location of the <code>save</code> folder depends on the [[Settings#Portable_mode|portable mode setting]], and contains one or more sub-folders, each one holding one of your worlds, and a <code>current</code> folder which is used to track the changes to the active world while ''Dwarf Fortress'' is running; it is not important unless ''Dwarf Fortress'' is open, and can safely be deleted otherwise.
 By default, individual worlds are saved with the folder name <code>region#</code>, where # is a number, starting with <code>region1</code> and then incrementing; however, world folders can be renamed without consequence '''if the game is not running''' (this will not change the actual name of the world). Autosave folders will be named starting with <code>autosave 1</code> and then incrementing.{{verify|does it only keep 2 autosave folders, alternating between?}} (''Region'' is also a term used for areas in worlds, thus is only used when referring to the folder name to avoid confusion.)
@@ Line 49: / Line 49: @@
 DFHack will sometimes add its own files to a save folder, but ''Dwarf Fortress'' ignores these, so there is no reason not to include them in backups or for sharing.
-For basic backups and sharing, all you need to know is: Always copy the whole folder, not parts of it, and if the world was generated with mods, you may want to include the <code>Dwarf Fortress\data\installed_mods\</code> folder also.
+For basic backups and sharing, all you need to know is: Always copy the whole folder, not parts of it, and if the world was generated with mods, you may want to include the <code>data\installed_mods\</code> folder also, the location of which also depends on the [[Settings#Portable_mode|portable mode setting]].
 == Manually backing up saves ==

@@ Line 31: / Line 31: @@
 Your saved games are located in your <code>[[Game folder|<Dwarf Fortress>]]\save\</code> folder, which contains one or more sub-folders, each one holding one of your worlds, and a <code>current</code> folder which is used to track the changes to the active world while ''Dwarf Fortress'' is running; it is not important unless ''Dwarf Fortress'' is open, and can safely be deleted otherwise.
-By default, individual worlds are saved with the folder name <code>region#</code>, where # is a number, starting with <code>region1</code> and then incrementing; however, world folders can be renamed without consequence '''if the game is not running''' (this will not change the actual name of the world). Autosave folders will be named starting with <code>autosave 1</code> and then incrementing. (''Region'' is also a term used for areas in worlds, thus is only used when referring to the folder name to avoid confusion.)
+By default, individual worlds are saved with the folder name <code>region#</code>, where # is a number, starting with <code>region1</code> and then incrementing; however, world folders can be renamed without consequence '''if the game is not running''' (this will not change the actual name of the world). Autosave folders will be named starting with <code>autosave 1</code> and then incrementing.{{verify|does it only keep 2 autosave folders, alternating between?}} (''Region'' is also a term used for areas in worlds, thus is only used when referring to the folder name to avoid confusion.)
 ''Dwarf Fortress'' shows the name of save folders when listing saves. There is no way to rename these folders in the game, but it is safe to change them using the standard methods of your operating system if the game is not running. However, '''never''' alter or delete the folder with the name of the game you're playing ''while saving'' from the game, or while that game is running!

@@ Line 70: / Line 70: @@
 : ''See also: [[Save compatibility]]''
-Restoring a save from backup can be confusing; the game saves back to the save you loaded, so if you load a seasonal autosave, the game will save to that folder (e.g. <code>autosave 1</code>) and not to the original folder (<code>region1</code>) where you might expect.{{verify|not confirmed for v50+}}
+Restoring a save from backup can be confusing; the game saves back to the save you loaded, so if you load a seasonal autosave, the game will save to that folder (e.g. <code>autosave 1</code>) and not to the original folder (<code>region1</code>) where you might expect.{{verify|not confirmed for v50+}} If you want to load an autosave, it is recommended that you copy and rename the folder to indicate that. For instance, using the examples above, copy <code>autosave 1</code> to <code>region1-fix</code> and continue play on that save. Remember to only modify folders while the game is '''not''' running.
 This can cause some panic when you see your <code>region1</code> save is several years earlier than expected, and it might look like you lost all your (fortress/adventer party) work to some bug. However, the "missing" save is going to be in the folder you loaded previously. ''Dwarf Fortress'' shows the save type, in-game year, and folder name of each save on the load screen; the highest year will usually be the most recent save, unless you've previously loaded from earlier save.
 ==Mods==

@@ Line 31: / Line 31: @@
 Your saved games are located in your <code>[[Game folder|<Dwarf Fortress>]]\save\</code> folder, which contains one or more sub-folders, each one holding one of your worlds, and a <code>current</code> folder which is used to track the changes to the active world while ''Dwarf Fortress'' is running; it is not important unless ''Dwarf Fortress'' is open, and can safely be deleted otherwise.
-By default, individual worlds are saved with the folder name <code>region#</code>, where # is a number, starting with <code>region1</code> and then incrementing; however, world folders can be renamed without consequence '''if the game is not running''' (this will not change the actual name of the world). If using auto-backup, then backup folders will be named <code>region#-year-month-day</code>, for example <code>region1-00202-01-01</code>. (''Region'' is also a term used for areas in worlds, thus is only used when referring to the folder name to avoid confusion.)
+By default, individual worlds are saved with the folder name <code>region#</code>, where # is a number, starting with <code>region1</code> and then incrementing; however, world folders can be renamed without consequence '''if the game is not running''' (this will not change the actual name of the world). Autosave folders will be named starting with <code>autosave 1</code> and then incrementing. (''Region'' is also a term used for areas in worlds, thus is only used when referring to the folder name to avoid confusion.)
 ''Dwarf Fortress'' shows the name of save folders when listing saves. There is no way to rename these folders in the game, but it is safe to change them using the standard methods of your operating system if the game is not running. However, '''never''' alter or delete the folder with the name of the game you're playing ''while saving'' from the game, or while that game is running!

@@ Line 57: / Line 57: @@
 # When you want to restore a backup, copy that folder back into <code>save</code>.
-Do '''not''' overwrite an old folder, as it might leave residual files, which might then corrupt the save.
+Do '''not''' overwrite an old folder, as it might leave residual files which could corrupt the save - always delete the old folder first.
 == Automatically back up save files ==

@@ Line 47: / Line 47: @@
 Missing one or more of these important files may indicate a problem with the save; such save corruption is a source of crashes. While you are free to modify these files, their formats are undocumented and can be fragile, so it is recommended to instead use [[DFHack]] to change the data in memory and then let the game save those changes.
-DFHack itself will sometimes add its own files to a save folder, but the game itself ignores these, so there is no reason not to include them in backups or for sharing.
+DFHack will sometimes add its own files to a save folder, but ''Dwarf Fortress'' ignores these, so there is no reason not to include them in backups or for sharing.
 For basic backups and sharing, all you need to know is: Always copy the whole folder, not parts of it, and if the world was generated with mods, you may want to include the <code>Dwarf Fortress\data\installed_mods\</code> folder also.

@@ Line 25: / Line 25: @@
 [[File:Folder-orange.svg|20px|link=]] save
 <br>&emsp;[[File:Folder.svg|20px|link=]] current
 <br>&emsp;[[File:Folder.svg|20px|link=]] region#
 <br>&emsp;[[File:Folder.svg|20px|link=]] region#-year-month-day
 |}
-Your saved games are located in your <code>[[Game folder|<Dwarf Fortress>]]\save\</code> folder. The save folder will contain one or more sub-folders, each one holding one of your worlds, and a "current" folder. The "current" folder is used to track the changes to the active world while ''Dwarf Fortress'' is running; it is not important unless ''Dwarf Fortress'' is open, and can safely be deleted otherwise.
+Your saved games are located in your <code>[[Game folder|<Dwarf Fortress>]]\save\</code> folder, which contains one or more sub-folders, each one holding one of your worlds, and a <code>current</code> folder which is used to track the changes to the active world while ''Dwarf Fortress'' is running; it is not important unless ''Dwarf Fortress'' is open, and can safely be deleted otherwise.
-By default, individual worlds are saved in the format: ''region#'', where # is a number, starting with region1 and then incrementing; however, world directories can be renamed without consequence '''if the game is not running''' (this will not change the actual name of the world). If using auto-backup, then backup folders will be named ''region#-year-month-day'', for example region1-00202-01-01. (In versions prior to v0.43, the format was ''region#-season-year'' (for example region1-Spring-202) instead.)
+By default, individual worlds are saved with the folder name <code>region#</code>, where # is a number, starting with <code>region1</code> and then incrementing; however, world folders can be renamed without consequence '''if the game is not running''' (this will not change the actual name of the world). If using auto-backup, then backup folders will be named <code>region#-year-month-day</code>, for example <code>region1-00202-01-01</code>. (''Region'' is also a term used for areas in worlds, thus is only used when referring to the folder name to avoid confusion.)
-This can become confusing if you frequently [[cheating|savescum]]<abbr id="info" class="information" title="To reload the last saved game whenever the player character dies or an unfavorable outcome has been encountered."><sup>‡</sup></abbr>. There is no way to change the name of these folders inside the game, but it is safe to change them using the standard methods of your operating system if the game is not running.  However, '''never''' alter or delete the folder with the name of the game you're playing ''while saving'' from the game, or while that game is running!
+''Dwarf Fortress'' shows the name of save folders when listing saves. There is no way to rename these folders in the game, but it is safe to change them using the standard methods of your operating system if the game is not running. However, '''never''' alter or delete the folder with the name of the game you're playing ''while saving'' from the game, or while that game is running!
 === Contents ===
 The saved game folder will usually have these contents:
-* A series of files named ''art_image-#.dat''. As their name would suggest, these files store information about art and are necessary for proper functioning. Don't replace!
+* A series of files named <code>art_image-#.dat</code>. These store information about art and are necessary for proper functioning.
-* A series of files named ''feature-#-#.dat''. These files store information about map features such as [[river]]s, [[cavern]]s, [[magma sea]]s, and [[adamantine|hidden fun stuff]]. These files are only generated for parts of the world you have explored (e.g. by embarking in Fortress mode), but using the Site Finder will tend to generate them for the entire world. Replacing these files will usually cause unwanted effects such as magma seas present on the surface or spires of [[adamantine]] spiraling up into the sky.
+* A series of files named <code>feature-#-#.dat</code>. These store information about map features such as [[river]]s, [[cavern]]s, [[magma sea]]s, and [[adamantine|hidden fun stuff]]. These are only generated for parts of the world you have explored (e.g. by embarking in Fortress mode), but using the [[site finder]] will generate them for the entire world. Replacing these files will usually cause unwanted effects such as magma seas present on the surface or spires of [[adamantine]] spiraling up into the sky.
-* A series of files named ''region_snapshot-#.dat''. These are the historical maps available in [[Legends|Legends mode]].
+* A series of files named <code>region_snapshot-#.dat</code>. These are the historical maps not currently available in [[Legends|Legends mode]].
-* A series of files named ''site-#.dat''. These files store the detailed map data of previously abandoned or retired fortresses.
+* A series of files named <code>site-#.dat</code>. These store the detailed map data of previously abandoned or retired fortresses.
-* A series of files named ''unit-#.dat''. These contain the details of historical creatures which might potentially visit your fortress. Prior to version 0.44.10, modifying or deleting these files would lead to the dreaded "Nemesis Unit Load Failed" crash, but now the game will attempt to gracefully recover from such corruption by regenerating the unit from other available information.
+* A series of files named <code>unit-#.dat</code>. These contain the details of historical creatures which might potentially visit your fortress.
-* Depending on the mode currently active (or the lack thereof), a large file named ''world.sav'' or ''world.dat''. In [[fortress mode]], this file is named ''world.sav'' and includes the current fortress data, as well as the world data. In a save without a currently active game, this is the main save folder. The custom raws generated for the [[forgotten beast]]s, [[titan]]s, [[demon]]s, [[night creature]]s, and [[Evil|evil effects]] are stored inside this file. Replacing this entire file will almost certainly crash the game; however, replacing certain portions of the raws included may still keep the save folder working.
+* A large file named <code>world.sav</code> or <code>world.dat</code>, depending on the mode currently active (or the lack thereof). This file stores the world data, and in fortress mode is named <code>world.sav</code> and includes the current fortress data. The custom raws generated for the [[forgotten beast]]s, [[titan]]s, [[demon]]s, [[night creature]]s, and [[Evil|evil effects]] are stored inside this file. Replacing this entire file will almost certainly crash the game.
-Missing one or more of the aforementioned important files may indicate a problem with the save; this is a very common source of crashes.
+Missing one or more of these important files may indicate a problem with the save; such save corruption is a source of crashes. While you are free to modify these files, their formats are undocumented and can be fragile, so it is recommended to instead use [[DFHack]] to change the data in memory and then let the game save those changes.
-For basic backups, though, all you need to keep to is: Always copy the whole folder, not parts of it.
+DFHack itself will sometimes add its own files to a save folder, but the game itself ignores these, so there is no reason not to include them in backups or for sharing.
 == Manually backing up saves ==

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 At any time while playing ''Dwarf Fortress'', you can manually save the game with {{Menu icon|Esc}} then selecting ''Save and return to title menu'' or ''Save and continue playing''. If the game asks for a name for the timeline or folder, type the name you want, then press {{k|Enter}} when done. There is also an autosave feature, which will periodically (1, 2, or 4 times per year) save the game. To toggle '''autosave''' and control its behavior, see [[Settings#Autosaves|game settings]].
-The ''Retire the fortress (for the time being)'' and ''Abandon the fortress to ruin'' options also save the game, but the world will now be available to start a new game in.
+The ''Retire the fortress (for the time being)'', ''Retire at this location (or rest a while)'', ''Abandon the fortress to ruin'', ''Give in to starvation'', ''Succumb to the invasion'', etc, options also save the world, but end the game mode, and the world will now be available to start a new game mode in.
 === Save and return to title menu ===