ToME: the Tales of Maj'Eyal

When the character dies and the "resurrect/dump/exit" message box appears, if one clicks on the game window's close button (at least on Windows systems), game save is triggered as usual, generating a standard save entry. Obviously loading this game save results in an unplayable game (character's actor no longer exists on the map and is unable to move, even if it's still possible to perform some actions, like accessing the inventory, dropping items, and even quaffing some healing potion to regain a positive health).

Game save should definitely be disabled after character death, and close button's click in this case should be handled like the selection of the "Exit to main menu" entry in the "You're dead!" message box.

Death is meant to be permanent in this game (as it is in every roguelike I've ever played). Closing the game to attempt to get around that is cheating.

If anything the game should save immediately upon death but this might interfere with resurrection effects.

If you had a means of resurrection and wished to quit after you died and resurrect later then that's a different story. But as far as the game is concerned hitting x to close is just like hitting exit to main menu. In other words, none of this is a bug. If you die and can resurrect but want to quit playing for now, you should res and then save.

Uhrm... as far as I understood Feanor he wasn't intending to cheat death but wanted to point out that *if* you do klick the "x"-button, it does *not* behave as if you chose "exit to main menu" in the deathbox (as it should do) but it triggers a save resulting in a broken game... That seems like a bug, or not?

edge2054 wrote:Death is meant to be permanent in this game (as it is in every roguelike I've ever played). Closing the game to attempt to get around that is cheating.

I was just closing the game using the most natural way I know, to restart with a fresh character some time later, and ended up with a corrupt and useless save game; never meant to cheat death.

If anything the game should save immediately upon death but this might interfere with resurrection effects.

Agree, in fact the game should not save when the character dies, that's what I'm pointing out.

If you had a means of resurrection and wished to quit after you died and resurrect later then that's a different story. But as far as the game is concerned hitting x to close is just like hitting exit to main menu. In other words, none of this is a bug. If you die and can resurrect but want to quit playing for now, you should res and then save.

Agree again, hitting X to close SHOULD BE just like hitting "Exit to main menu" when the character dies. Instead, it triggers save game. Since what it is and what it should be differ, this seems a (minor) bug.

Maybe I did not explain myself well, but Patryn summarized it up perfectly

My bad. I reread and you where clear enough faenor. Apparently I shouldn't post before my morning coffee.

how about this for a solution:

the game already keeps track of some information in the <savename>.quickbirth file.

I would suggest that an additional line is added/changed upon save/death (alive or dead)

then you can keep information up on new game about that player (even if they are dead) (what they were before, etc)

then if they try to start a new game with the same player name of one that is still alive it gives a warning ("Same player name is still alive, continue or load?").

then even if you don't do the above, do this:

check in the save function if the player still exists before saving, otherwise just exit.

Fixed