Save Vs. Save As- Differences and what they do
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Using Save:The game should not overwrite your original save, for example - Slot_00000002.save. It does
not change the name in-game or slot number. What it will do is create a .ver file (Slot_00000002.save.ver0) each time you use Save for the particular save, so you have recoverable backups should you need them. It saves 5 backups automatically.
** After it saves the 5 original backup files, it starts over making new backup files and
will overwrite the old backups as you continue saving using Save.
If Save is continually used, the game progress gained or family played maybe lost. This is why it's important to use Save As, give the save a new name, save often and back the files up in case they maybe needed later.
If you use Save after just starting a new save game it will give the save a generic name, example My Saved Game 2, though it can be edited by clicking up by the generic name and typing in a new name.
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Using Save As:You will need to type in a name when using Save As in-game. This will create a
new thumbnail and slot number or alphabetical letter, each time. It doesn't create recoverable backups.
However, you can use Save-As effectively to save over your current save. You shouldn't have to rename it. It should keep the correct name.
To do this choose Save-As and then choose your current save's thumbnail (the one on the right) to save over, ignoring the new thumbnail that is automatically generated and then click the Save icon.
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How does the saves work?:The game assigns the next slot when you use Save As. Slot 1 was the autosave file and is no longer used. So the saving system starts with Slot_00000002.save.
- The .ver0, .ver1, .ver2, .ver3 .ver4 files are backup saves, created when you use Save in-game.
** After it saves the 5 original backup files, it starts over making new backup files and
will overwrite the old backups as you continue saving using Save.
If Save is continually used, the game progress gained or family played maybe lost. This is why it's important to use Save As, give the save a new name, save often and back the files up in case they are needed later.
Note the most current backup will always be .save.ver0 of your most current save slot. An example is shown below using Slot_00000002.save.ver0 (Click image to see larger view)
The files start out saving with a number ( 2-9 as 1 is reserved for the Autosave slot) and then after the numbers are used, the game starts saving with alphabetical letters ( A-F ) then goes to 10 - 19 and 1a - 1f, and so on. Technically, you
only need the .save (main save) file - unless you'd like to keep the backup files as well.
*Important Note:* It it best not to have too many saved games in the Saves folder. As having too many saved games can cause issues with the saving system. A suggested amount is 25 or less, and keep the older saves in a folder on the desktop or backup media of choice.
Note: This post has been locked as it's for informational purposes.
Updated: Dec. 2018
